egnant with gold beyond the dreams of avarice.
Machinery would, however, he had said, be required to work the ore
profitably, so that it was extremely improbable the locality would ever
be disturbed. Grenville had more than once, in the last few minutes,
been rendered uneasy by a distant sighing, soughing noise, such as is
caused by wind among fir-trees, and as there was not a breath of air
stirring, it was partly the anxious feeling generated by this unknown
and uncanny sound which had caused him to ascend the rock.

Even from this coign of vantage he could see nothing alarming; all
around and beneath him, bush and veldt and forest, lay sleeping
peacefully under the lovely radiance of the African moon.

Still unable to conquer, yet secretly despising, the presentiments which
oppressed him, Grenville raised a small silver whistle to his lips and
blew a low call upon it, and in a few moments later was joined by
Amaxosa, who stalked forth from his lair at the first sound made by his
chief indicative of a wish to see him.

Grenville directed his attention to the curious sound, and for some
little time the Zulu strained both sight and hearing, but could offer no
suggestion as to the cause of the unusual noise. Our hero then sent him
to fetch Winfield, who, when he came, listened intently for one brief
instant and then wrung his hands in despair.

"My God!" he cried, "those hellish scoundrels have burst the rocky side
of the great mountain lake and let loose thousands of tons of water, and
in an hour's time, or less, we shall be drowned out like rats! Whatever
shall we do?"

"Go quickly," said Grenville: "awake everyone pack the quagga with the
gold and all the food we can carry. We must be gone in ten minutes. We
are down in a hole here, and this place will be a lake in less than no
time if you are correct as to the volume of water up yonder."

"There can, I regret to say, be no doubt about it," replied Winfield.
"I have seen the place myself, and I feel certain that they have done as
I say."

"You are quite right," rejoined Grenville. "I heard distant explosions
once or twice this evening, but thought nothing of them, only
congratulating myself, like a fool, at the waste of gunpowder which was
going on." Then, turning to Amaxosa, "Now, what does my brother, the
Chief of the Sons of Undi, advise?"

The Zulu thought for a few moments, and then made answer. "Let my
father with all the party make a big push fo