nd had gone off down stream, and
was, therefore, completely out of reach for the time being.

Smarting with fury at the crushing defeat he had sustained, and maddened
by the loss of both friends and plunder, the party might safely reckon
upon the slaver delivering a crushing attack upon their position at no
distant date, and it only now became a question as to whether they were
sufficiently strong to go out and meet him in the open, or had better
choose out a likely place on the mountain side, and make it good, until
the loss on the side of the foe provided them with a chance of wiping
him out "one time," as the natives say, with a well-delivered sortie.

True, the little band had now the not-to-be-despised support of three
hundred able-bodied men, all thirsting for vengeance upon the common
foe; but then, these men were entirely unarmed, whilst Zero, besides
mustering close upon a thousand of his own rogues, well supplied with
guns, would in all probability be supported by the native King already
referred to, backed by several thousands of his followers, all armed
with bow and spear, in the use of which they were said to be both bold
and skilful.

Ultimately, therefore, our friends decided to stay where they were, or,
rather, to select a strong position on the mountain capable of a
sustained defence, and in the interval which they might calculate upon
prior to an attack, they determined to employ themselves in an endeavour
to arm, after their own peculiar fashion, the warlike People of the
Stick, and to induct the most intelligent amongst them into the
mysteries of the rifle. This last would necessitate some little
expenditure in the way of ammunition; but, as the party had abundance of
powder taken from the vanquished slavers, they were fortunately in a
position to afford this outlay.

Towards evening, the indefatigable Amaxosa, who had gone out on a tour
of inspection, returned with an exceptionally favourable report, and the
first thing on the morrow the whole band removed to the rocky fastness
selected for their occupation by the keen-eyed Zulu chief, and all hands
were at once set to work to excavate, to build earthworks, and in many
other ways to amplify the already considerable natural defences of the
place, whilst the Atagbondo flayed every bush and tree within a scoro of
miles, to furnish themselves with offensive clubs and defensive quayres.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

FIGHTING THE FLAMES.

For fully three