in a mantle of skin, under his waggon, having given up his usual
sleeping-place to his guests.

No one was seen however, nor were any sounds heard to indicate that any
persons were approaching the camp, and dawn at length broke.

Rising from his bed under the waggon, the trader walked a few paces
beyond the camp, to take a look over the country around, for the purpose
of ascertaining as far as his eye could help him, whether any of the
Zulus were still in the neighbourhood. The air was deliciously fresh
and balmy, the atmosphere was bright and clear, so that the outlines of
the distant hills were clearly defined against the sky. There were a
few soft, white, fleecy clouds of mist floating here and there, which
the breeze, as the sun rose, quickly dispersed; while below, winding
through the valley, could be seen the sheen of the river between the
clumps of the trees bordering its banks.

It was difficult to believe that a terrible tragedy had been enacted a
few short hours before in the midst of so lovely a scene. He proceeded
on along the hill to a place whence he could see the spot where the
kraal had existed. Looking through his telescope, he could clearly
distinguish a large black circle of ashes marking the spot where the
habitations of the slaughtered people had lately stood. He could see no
human beings moving about in the neighbourhood, though he turned his
glass in every direction. He feared the worst.

"Perhaps some of the poor people may have escaped death from the
assegais of their enemies, and may be lying hid in the bushes or
plantations around," he said to himself; "though I fear those savages do
their work too surely to give much hope of that."

He hastened back to the camp, and having taken a hurried breakfast, and
advised his guests to remain quiet in their places of concealment, he
set out, accompanied by Umgolo, towards the kraal.

The stream was easily forded. As the morning was fresh, he and his
companion walked briskly on. They were thus not long in reaching the
neighbourhood of the kraal. A dreadful sight met their eyes.
Everywhere the ground was strewed with the dead bodies of its late
inhabitants. As he had supposed, the assegais of the avengers had been
used too well to allow any of them to escape with life. Some lay
outside, others within the two circles of ashes where the huts had
stood. Still it was possible that some might have crept to a distance.
He and his companion sea