e came upon some
people. There were perhaps thirty, and they, like ourselves, seemed to
be moving from place to place, for the women were laden with household
goods as well as with their infants. There were about twelve men with
the party, and these, as soon as they saw us, stopped short and held
their assegais and axes ready for defence. But I made signs to them
that we were for peace, naming to them Masuka's name, and calling out
such words of his language as Masuka had taught me. For I judged these
people to be akin to him in race, because in appearance they closely
resembled the Baputi against whom we had fought. And it seemed to
answer, for they turned to each other and talked very fast, but I could
hear the names Masuka and Bapedi often repeated. Then, seeing that we
were but two, and one of these a woman, they suffered us to draw near.

"These people were short, but broadly formed, especially as to the
flanks. So short were they that Nangeza and I towered above them by the
height of our heads, in many cases by even more. Their faces were ugly
and wrinkled, and though shrewd, it was the craft and cunning of the
monkey. That they were _Izimu_ I had little doubt, so like were they to
those I had seen in the cave, and for this reason I did not care to
partake of their food, not knowing whether they might set before me the
flesh of men. For they seemed desirous of treating us well, once we had
made it clear that no _impi_ followed on behind. Yet I bade Nangeza be
on the alert, for their fair treatment might be a blind to cover the
revenge they should take for their own people whom we had slain.

"So we journeyed with them, discoursing by signs and such few words as
Masuka had taught me, and at night we lay down together, but it was
little I slept, fearing treachery, and the next day joined others of
their people. These, seeing a big Zulu warrior, fully armed, marching
towards them, were at first almost as frightened as those others when I
had burst upon them from out of the cave. However, they were at length
shown we were not enemies.

"The camp of these people was a round hollow under the cliffs, and,
indeed, it was as foul and uncleanly as were their persons. _Au_! it
was a horrible place! But we endured it, for we did not wish to arouse
their hostility, and also we hoped they would show us some way out of
the mountains. So we lay by their fires, yet, as before, not sleeping
very soundly.

"`So t