; I see the necessity, I have done my work, and I am ready to go.
But look here, my friend; your prophet--very nice old chap he is, too--
told me I was to die by the rifle. Now as you've no powder, how will
you work it? Shall I give you a line to my people asking them to let
you have a flask of your own powder for the occasion?"

"See here," replied the officer, "I owe you some information, and as you
are to die I don't mind telling you we have just twelve charges of
powder left in the whole community, and as you've used up all the rest
we've decided to give you the benefit of what little we have left--it's
a great compliment, let me tell you."

Thus laughing and talking they drew near the prison; but though
Grenville had engaged in conversation with the Mormon, he had
nevertheless been straining every faculty to try and discover the
whereabouts of his Zulu friend. Nowhere, however, could he see him or
detect any sign of his presence.

On seeing the prisoner into his cell, the officer again shook hands, and
Grenville, with the intention of giving information to his friend if he
were lying hidden close by, called out, "You'll come and see me
to-morrow, won't you? I'm to be shot at sundown on Friday, you know; so
you'll have to entertain me until then."

"With pleasure," was the laughing rejoinder. "Good-night!"

Grenville's precaution was well taken, for it so happened that Amaxosa
had at that instant arrived within earshot of his friend's words, which
he heard with a grunt of satisfaction, as he had feared that after
causing the death of Warden--of which act he had been an unseen and
exultant witness--his chief would have been executed at daybreak.

The audacity and self-abandonment of the Zulu on this night had been
simply magnificent. He had fearlessly climbed to the window of the room
in which he believed Grenville to be, and had watched every movement of
friend and enemy with eyes like coals of fire; and ill would it have
fared with the two remaining members of the Mormon Trinity had they
attempted any further violence against their prisoner.

As it was, Amaxosa had watched the movements of the patriarch, and
having seen him, after the departure of his colleague, open a strong box
and take out a lot of papers similar to that which his friend, the Rose
of Sharon, had recognised as her own, he had quietly slipped in, brained
the venerable "witch-finder," and walked off with his possessions,
coolly setting