he
yellow man, Naqua, and he had in his head an idea that all
the evil and pain that ever was, and all the sin to be, had
a home in that bushman. So a man hates an enemy.

"They came at last. Five of them were suddenly seen on the
top of the rocks, standing erect and peering round for a
trap; but Shadrach and his men lay very still, and soon one
of these scouts gave a call, and then was heard the pat!
pat! of hard feet as the body of them came up. There was
not light enough to tell one from another, except by size,
and as they trooped down among the corn Shadrach lay with
his finger throbbing on his trigger, peering among them.
But he could see nothing except the mass of their bodies,
and waiting till the main part of them was past him, so
that he could have a shot at them as they came back, should
it happen that they retired at once, he thrust forward his
rifle, aimed into the brown, and fired.

"Almost in the same instant the rifles of the Zulus spoke,
and a crackle of shots ran up and down their line. Then
there was a flare of light as the bonfire was lit, and they
could see the army of baboons in a fuss of panic dashing to
and fro. They fired again and again into the tangle of
them, and the beasts commenced to scatter and flee, and
Shadrach and his men rose to their full height and shot
faster, and the hairy army vanished into the darkness,
defeated.

"There was a guffaw of laughter from the Zulus, but ere it
was finished a shout from Shadrach brought their rifles
leaping up again, The baboons were coming back,--a line of
them was breaking from the darkness beyond the range of the
fire, racing in great leaps towards the men. As they came
into the light they were a sight to terrify a host, all big
tuskers, and charging without a sound. Shadrach, aiming by
instinct only, dropped two as they came, and the next
instant they were upon him. He heard the grunt of the Zulu
next him as a huge beast leaped against his chest and bore
him down, and there were screams from another. Then
something heavy and swift drove at him like a bullet and he
clubbed his rifle. As the beast flew, with hands and feet
drawn in for the grapple, he hewed at it with the butt and
smashed it to the ground. The stock struck on bone, and he
felt it crush and fail, and there was the thing at his
feet.

"How they broke the charge, with what a frenzy of battle
they drove the baboons from them, none of the four who
spoke again could ever tell.