"Englishmen who have come in answer to your entreaty for help," replied
Leigh.

"Thank God--oh! thank God," murmured the other, and then fainted dead
away in their arms.

A little water sprinkled on his face soon brought him to life again, and
he commenced to explain his position.

"My name," he began, "is John Winfield, and I--"

"Look here, old chap," cut in Leigh, "we've no time to hear your story
now; we can see you don't belong to this wretched Mormon herd, so just
swallow this drop of brandy whilst we strip yonder scoundrel and get you
something decent to put on, and we'll try to feed you by-and-by. Dick,
what a good thing it was you took that fellow in the head; I drew a bead
on his ribs, and should have mauled his clothes horribly if you hadn't
fired first."

With the help of the Zulus the dead Mormon was quickly despoiled of his
apparel and Winfield rigged out in it, and by the time this was done,
the shadows were lengthening and Myzukulwa said his brother was ready to
take them to a place of safety, where they would find food, water, and
sleep. Rapidly assenting to the plan, Grenville told the Zulus to lead
on, and leaving the denuded body of Brother Abiram without compunction,
they followed their new friend through the forest.

Plunging deeper and deeper into the bush, they found the country rough
and stony; the trees were of unusual growth, and matted with curious
creepers of the lichen species, whilst here and there tangled festoons
of parasites hung from tree to tree in the likeness of gigantic swinging
hammocks. The party at length heard the welcome sound of running water,
and soon reached a small stream, into which, by direction of Amaxosa,
all entered, following its course upward for quite a mile, so as to
conceal every trace of their movements. Then, instead of climbing the
bank, the active Zulu swung himself into a tree which overhung the
water, and, working his way along a stout branch, was followed one by
one by the entire party, all being thus enabled to drop on to some rocks
a dozen feet off, without leaving any marks behind them. Another mile,
mainly over stony ground brought the party to a second small river, up
which they waded in like manner for some little distance, until they
found that it issued from a great hole in the side of a curious
ragged-looking cliff, which, erecting itself some hundred feet above
them, seemed entirely to bar further progress through the forest.

Thr