ssailants and assailed were barely a dozen
yards apart. It was a critical moment for Eustace Milne. His life hung
upon a hair.

Suddenly every weapon was lowered--in obedience to a word spoken by a
tall Kafir who at that moment emerged from the bush. Then Eustace knew
the crisis was past. He, too, lowered his weapon.

"What does this mean, Ncanduku?" he said, addressing the new arrival.
"Why do your people make war upon me? We are not at war."

"_Au_!" ejaculated several of the Kafirs, bringing their hands to their
faces as if to hide the sarcastic grin evoked by this remark. He
addressed shrugged his shoulders.

"Fear nothing, Ixeshane," [The Deliberate] he replied, with a
half-amused smile. "No harm will be done _you_. Fear nothing."

The slight emphasis on the "you" did not escape Eustace's quick ear,
coming as it did so close upon his recent train of thought.

"Why should I fear?" he said. "I see before me Ncanduku, the brother of
Nteya, my friend--both my friends, both chiefs of the House of Gaika. I
see before me, I say, Ncanduku, my friend, whom I know. I see before me
also a number of men, fully armed, whom I do not know."

"_Hau_!" exclaimed the whole body of Kafirs, who, bending forwards, had
been eagerly taking in every word of this address.

"These armed men," he continued, "have just threatened my life. Yet, I
fear nothing. Look!"

He raised the revolver, which he now held by the barrel. In a twinkling
he threw open the breech and emptied the cartridges into his hand.
Another emphatic murmur rose from the Kafirs at this strange move.

"Look!" he went on, holding out the empty weapon towards them in one
hand, and the half dozen cartridges in the other. "You are more than
twenty men--armed. I am but one man--unarmed. Do I fear anything?"

Again a hum went round the party--this time of admiration--respect.
Eustace had played a bold--a foolhardy stroke. But he knew his men.

"_Whau_, Ixeshane!" exclaimed Ncanduku. "You are a bold man. It is
good that I have seen you this morning. Now, if you are going home,
nobody will interfere with you."

"I am in no hurry, Ncanduku," replied Eustace, who, for purposes of his
own, chose to ignore this hint. "It is a long while since I have seen
you, and many things have happened in that time. We will sit down and
hold a little _indaba_." [Talk.]

So saying, he dismounted, and flinging his bridle over a bush, he walked
at least a dozen y