in the
night that had cut them off and marked them out as easy victims to
the men in the canoes, which Hassan, in his great cunning, had
brought up to complete his plan for the complete destruction of the
community. Of Hassan's men, and the canoes, carried up through the
forest with so much labour, there was no trace. Men and canoes must
have been sucked into the canon, dashed to pieces, and swept down
into the dark, probably to emerge in the Deadman's Pool.

Mr. Hume gave a hail to the people below. "Bayate!" they shouted,
recognizing him. Some of the men swam across and came up.

They made a humble salute to the white men. "Great ones, the people
are afraid. The earth shook and the water arose, and out of the dark
came men in canoes. We were afraid. It was witchcraft. Again the
earth shook, the waters sank, and the canoes were swept away."

"Say to the women they may go about their work in peace, for the
white chiefs keep watch, and all is well. And say to the headman to
send up food, fruit, milk, and the flesh of a kid."

These orders were promptly obeyed, and the three were soon busy at a
good meal, that put life and strength into them, so that when they
feasted their eyes upon the wonderful beauty of-the garden-valley,
the horrors of the underground world swiftly faded into the
background, phantoms of reality.

And while they rested in the afternoon, Muata came out of the gorge
chanting his song of triumph at the head of the picked warriors who
had gone down into the forest to hang on the trail of the wild men.

His song died away as his eye fell upon the still swollen river, on
the sheen of pools gathered where the ground was flat, on the banks
of debris showing the highwater mark far up the little side valleys.

"Greeting, Ngonyama!"

"And to you, chief."

"My brothers have not slept." The young chief's eagle-glance dwelt
swiftly on the three friends. "They have looked on great trouble."

"You have come from victory, chief; your men are fresh."

"Ohe! they are fresh, for the fight was short."

"Then send some of them up the cliff on the other side, so that they
may overlook the place where the river goes under."

Muata looked down into the valley again, and asked the question
which he had been burning to ask all the time, but could not for
fear of showing anxiety.

"So Hassan has tried to drown out the valley?"

"The river rose and the river fell! While he sent some men to attack
the gorge, he