f the fate of his companions, and his wish
that Groot Willem should recover the giraffes. He now regretted that he
had not revealed his suspicions at the last interview with his young
master. This might have saved the hunters from their loss and himself
from the fate that now threatened him. It was too late. He had acted
for the best, but acted wrongly.

In the afternoon Van Ormon's brother came riding back to the camp.

"Well! what news?" asked James, as he came within speaking distance.

"It ish all right. Dey don't know nothing of what's up. Mine bruder
have constant watch over their camp. They be in von quandary, and will
soon go home."

"Is Van Ormon sure that they hadn't any communication with this Kaffir?"
asked James.

"Yesh! they had. One of them came to the house, and saw this fella
yesterday. But for all that, blackee never said von leetle word to him.
They were well watch while they wash togedder."

"Then perhaps it is not all right, as you say. They may have the same
suspicion that led him here. Why the deuce don't they go off home? I
don't like their hanging about so long."

"I tell you, Shames, it ish all right. We have only to get rid of the
spy. He must never see the fools who own him, again. What ish we to do
with him?"

"Send a bullet through his body," said the man who had been left in
charge of the giraffes.

"Yes; he must be killed in that way or some other, certainly," said
James; "but which of us is to do it? It's a pity we did not shoot him
down while he was running. Then was the time. I don't like the thing,
now that I've cooled down."

Bad as the ruffians were, none of them liked to commit a murder in cold
blood. They had determined that Congo must die, yet none of them wished
to act as the executioner.

After a good deal of discussion and some wrangling, a bright idea
flashed across the brain of Van Ormon's brother. He proposed that their
prisoner should be taken to a pool that was some distance down the
gorge; that he be tied to a tree by the side of the pool, and left there
for the night.

"I see de spoor of lion dare every mornin'," said he, grinning horribly
as he spoke. "I'll bet mine life we find no more of dis black fella ash
a few red spots."

This plan was agreeable to all; and at sundown the Kaffir was released
from his fastenings, conducted down the narrow valley, and firmly
spliced to a sapling that stood close to the edge of the pool.

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