palm an extra allowance bade farewell to my kind hosts, and
started. About five and twenty big boys several of them almost men in
stature surrounded my little party. All these boys had sticks; several
carried assegais. Just below the kraal, on the steep hillside, was a
fence with an open gap; through this I had to pass. The boys ran
forward and collected just beyond the gap. A number of men stood
together, about a hundred yards away. It was abundantly clear that
trouble was coming.

Several boys collected behind me as I approached the gap. I sent the
two Bapedi through first. They went in fear and trembling; I followed
immediately after. As the second of my bearers passed through the gap a
big boy sprang forward and seized his swag. I at once struck the
assailant a smashing blow on the chest with the butt-end of my gun. He
fell headlong among his companions. I then, with deliberation, cocked
both barrels, walked slowly forward, and told the Bapedi to follow. The
boys opened a passage through their ranks and we passed through. Then
the men began to shout and jeer, and the boys, stung by this, ran down
the hillside after us, brandishing their sticks. One poised his
assegai, as though he were about to throw it, but I leveled my gun at
him and he swerved. I then turned, and we went on without further
molestation. But the war-cry pealed forth, and for a long time we could
see people running hither and thither among the kraals.

I believe that on this occasion my Bapedi had a narrow escape, although
I do not think any harm was intended to me, personally. A few months
afterwards a prospector named Coffin was in the same vicinity. His two
boys, also Bapedi, were killed in his presence.

I had for some days been suffering from intestinal disturbance and a
slight headache, so strongly suspected that I had contracted fever. It
took me sixty long and fatiguing hours to get back to the Crocodile
River. I arrived there after dusk, and shouted for the raft. MacLean
and the Pessimist soon paddled across. The latter was, I am quite
convinced, much disappointed at my having turned up. During supper,
while I was relating my experiences, the Pessimist interjected the
remark that I was a liar. After a more or less drawn battle, MacLean
and Niekerk restored peace, so that both supper and narrative were
finished without further interruption. But Niekerk, who had been unable
to understand the words which gave rise to the disturbance, was
c