nd which held the assegai. Moments seemed years--nearer
and nearer to the fatal brink the combatants rolled. Then the fierce
and desperate savage, suddenly jerking free his left wrist, seized his
adversary by the throat.

Then Gerard felt that his end had come. His eyes seemed squeezed out of
his head. The whole world was spinning round with him. A tug--a final
effort--his opponent had got him to the edge of the height. He was
going--both were going--

The air rang with the deep-throated "_Usutu_!" as Sobuza and his
followers came swarming over the edge of the summit. Gerard was
conscious of a spout of warm blood over his face, for the moment
blinding him; of the relaxing grip of his adversary; of a plunge and
scuffle as the body of the latter crashed over the brink--of the grasp
of powerful hands dragging him back to life and safety. Then, half
choked, his brain swimming, he rose to his feet, and took in what had
happened--what was happening--the last act in the suppression of the
redoubtable freebooting clan.

It all took place in a moment. The summit was alive with warriors, with
tossing shields and bristling weapons, all pressing forward upon one
man.

He was standing fronting them like a stag at bay--standing on a
projecting pinnacle of rock, balancing himself right over the abyss. He
was a man of large, fine stature, and his eyes flashed with the elation
of a heroic courage, as covered by his great shield, and a broad assegai
flourished aloft in his right hand, he defied his slayers to approach.

"Ho, hunting-dogs of the king, here is your quarry! Come and seize it,"
he shouted, in deep, mocking tones. "What, afraid? The king's _impi_
afraid of one man! What a sight for the spirit of Tyaka! Ha! I am the
last of the Igazipuza, and the whole of the king's _impi_ fears me--
fears me!" he repeated, in a kind of long-drawn chant--a very
death-song, in fact.

Now the summit sloped down to the pinnacle of rock whereon the man
stood. To attack him hand-to-hand was certain death, for his object was
plain--to seize and drag into the abyss with him whoever should
approach, and thus to die true to the traditions of his order, an
enemy's life in his hand. Assegais thrown at him from above he only
laughed at, parrying them easily with his shield. Sobuza and his
warriors were beside themselves with helpless rage. The jeering
laughter and contemptuous defiance of the man goaded them to madness.
But how