th whom you sought?"

"It is the face," answered the captain, astonished.

"Ay," laughed Umslopogaas, "it is the face. Fool! I knew your errand and
heard your words, and thus have I answered them." And he pointed to the
dead. "Now choose, and swiftly. Will you run for your life against my
wolves? Will you do battle for your life against these four?" And he
pointed to Greysnout and to Blackfang, to Blood and to Deathgrip, who
watched him with slavering lips; "or will you stand face to face with
me, and if I am slain, with him who bears the club, and with whom I rule
this people black and grey?"

"I fear ghosts, but of men I have no fear, though they be wizards,"
answered the captain.

"Good!" cried Umslopogaas, shaking his spear.

Then they rushed together, and that fray was fierce. For presently the
spear of Umslopogaas was broken in the shield of the captain and he was
left weaponless. Now Umslopogaas turned and fled swiftly, bounding over
the dead and the wolves who preyed upon them, and the captain followed
with uplifted spear, and mocked him as he came. Galazi also wondered
that Umslopogaas should fly from a single man. Hither and thither fled
Umslopogaas, and always his eyes were on the earth. Of a sudden, Galazi,
who watched, saw him sweep forward like a bird and stoop to the ground.
Then he wheeled round, and lo! there was an axe in his hand. The captain
rushed at him, and Umslopogaas smote as he rushed, and the blade of the
great spear that was lifted to pierce him fell to the ground hewn from
its haft. Again Umslopogaas smote: the moon-shaped axe sank through the
stout shield deep into the breast beyond. Then the captain threw up his
arms and fell to the earth.

"Ah!" cried Umslopogaas, "you sought a youth to slay him, and have found
an axe to be slain by it! Sleep softly, captain of Chaka."

Then Umslopogaas spoke to Galazi, saying: "My brother, I will fight no
more with the spear, but with the axe alone; it was to seek an axe that
I ran to and fro like a coward. But this is a poor thing! See, the
haft is split because of the greatness of my stroke! Now this is my
desire--to win that great axe of Jikiza, which is called Groan-Maker, of
which we have heard tell, so that axe and club may stand together in the
fray."

"That must be for another night," said Galazi. "We have not done so
ill for once. Now let us search for pots and corn, of which we stand in
need, and then to the mountain before dawn finds