for their lives, their eyes starting from their heads in deadly
fear--coming straight for the camp, ran five or six men, natives, hard
pressed by the surging mass in their rear. Then arose from a multitude
of fierce throats, drawn out into a half chant, half roar, but deafening
in its thunderous volume, a most hideous and appalling shout--

"_Igazi_--_pu_--_za_!"

Assegais hurled from the onrushing mass whistled through the air. One
of the fugitives fell. In a moment a howling, raving crowd was around
him, upon him, their tiger-like roars drowning the shrieks of the
wretched man being literally hacked to pieces. Another staggered into
camp, and fell almost at Gerard's feet, covered with spear-wounds. And
in the fleeing refugees frenzied with terror, they recognised the
treacherous and defaulting Swazis.

"Save me, save me, father!" yelled Kazimbi, rolling like a log at
Dawes's feet.

"Keep cool, Ridgeley," muttered the latter. "Don't fire a shot, on your
life."

Anything more ferocious and appalling than the aspect of these savages
as they poured like a torrent upon the camp it would be hard to
conceive. There seemed to be hundreds of them. Naked save for their
_mutyas_, each had a red disc painted on his breast, and another between
the eyes. They leaped high in the air as they ran, brandishing their
assegais and great shields, and, roaring in long-drawn, bloodthirsty
cadence, their terrible slogan. It seemed as though no living thing
there, whether man or beast, would survive the blind fury of their
overwhelming rush.

And indeed it was a fearful moment for all concerned as they swarmed
around the waggons. Gerard, well-nigh carried off his feet by the
surging rush, doubted not but that his last moment had come, as the sea
of spear-blades, some red and reeking with blood, flashed in front of
his eyes, as the deafening vibration of the hideous shout stunned his
ears. Still, his presence of mind never deserted him; still through it
all he remembered Dawes's emphatic injunction to keep cool and offer no
violence.

It was hard all the same, as he felt himself hustled here and there by
the fierce horde. However, he was of strong and athletic build, and
with a well-affected, good-humoured bluffness, he was able to push back
the foremost aggressors without having recourse to any weapon.

"What have you got to sell, _abelungu_?" shouted the wild crowd, with a
roar of boisterous laughter. "We come to trad