uct, the behaviour of the
malcontents was admirable. But the eye of their masters was ever upon
them. Dawes and Gerard, riding on horseback, had a knack of turning up
here, there, and everywhere during the trek. No opportunity for
desertion was allowed them.

"I don't know quite what to think, Ridgeley," said Dawes, as they rode
on a little ahead, about an hour before the evening outspan. "We've
squashed their devilment for the time being, but, after all, we are very
much at their mercy. The _schelms_ might hook it any hour of the night
they chose, for all we'd be the wiser. We can't mount guard over them
all night--besides, it's bad policy."

"Why shouldn't we mount guard over them all night--one of us by turns?
It would be no joke if they did clear out. We should be mighty short
handed with all the trek stock. Besides, they might betray us to these
Igazipuza they seem in such a mortal funk of."

"Not the least chance of that. They'd get the worst of it themselves.
Besides the Igazipuza know all about us by this time--even if they
haven't been watching us all along. Remember that fellow who killed our
buck--Vunawayo!"

"The idea of being watched is distinctly demoralising," said Gerard.
"There's a sort of creepy, eerie feeling about the notion, don't you
know."

"I'm inclined to plead guilty to something of an error of judgment,"
said Dawes. "A fellow of my experience ought to have known better than
pooh-pooh any native story however tall. I didn't believe in the
existence of these people, and now I do. The chap we met yesterday left
us under no sort of doubt as to their existence. I'm afraid we shall
have trouble with them yet. All this stock we've got along is
temptation enough to any thieving gang. No. We ought to have avoided
this border altogether, and trekked straight down to Luneburg. Well
it's of no use now talking of what ought to have been done. We must
just push on and trust to luck to get us through."

Nothing in Nature suggested the brooding peril which overhung their
path. The deep blue of the sky was without a cloud. The scenery of
this beautiful wilderness, with its boldly outlined hills, was wild and
romantic, but not forbidding. There was plenty of the smaller species
of game to be shot for the going after--partridges and francolin, and a
bush-buck or so--and the warm air was musical with the voices of
ringdoves, with many a strange bird-call from the black strips of bush