gged hillside. Quickly the group had melted away and were
speeding for a point whence they could overlook the country beneath.

Three horsemen were advancing along the rough track down on the level,
over two miles distant. The ordinary civilised gaze would have required
glasses to make out their identity, but to the telescopic eyes of these
savages that was plain enough. So plain that they could even
distinguish the sergeant from the two troopers.

One man was dispatched to warn Malemba, and the rest crouched there, and
watched--watched with some anxiety. Were they coming up the hill? No,
they held straight on, heading away in the direction of Ben Halse's
store. And the watchers laughed and chuckled among themselves.

"_O' Nongqai_! Three out of five here. Four there; ten elsewhere.
_Whau_! We shall eat them up easily."

Nevertheless they continued to watch, even after the patrol was out of
sight.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

THE FIRST DAY.

They were inspecting the great koodoo head in Ben Halse's yard. Denham
was delighted.

"Why, it's perfect," he declared. "Perfect, simply perfect."

"Yes, I believe it's an absolute record. But we'll have to be a bit
careful how we get it away; however, there's no hurry about that."

"There's an old saying, you know, Mr Halse," said Denham: "`short
accounts make long friends.' So you won't mind taking over this now,"
and he handed the other a folded cheque.

Ben Halse opened it, and started. Then he handed it back.

"It's too much," he said. "The head's worth a good deal, but not as
much as that. No."

"It's worth it all to me," was the answer. "Well, then, name your own
figure."

Ben did so.

"Right," said Denham, "you shall have your way. But I'd rather have had
mine," he laughed.

"A very common complaint," answered his host. "What would you like to
do this morning? In the afternoon Verna could take you down into the
forest, or anywhere else you like. She's busy this morning, and I have
things to see to."

Denham declared that that would be a delightful programme. He could get
through the morning easily enough, he said. They must on no account
make a stranger of him, or put themselves out in any way. The while he
had been keeping one ear open for Verna's voice, which came to them,
raised in snatches of song, from the other side of the house.

It was the day after his arrival at the store. They had all travelled
up together, having borrow