said that I should bring ill-luck on the
tribe by having killed so great a witch-doctor as Noma; also that the
people of the headman would demand payment for the assault on him. I
learned, moreover, that my father had ordered out all the men of the
tribe to hunt for me on the morrow and to kill me wherever they found
me. "Ah!" I thought, "you may hunt, but you will bring nothing home to
the pot." Just then a dog that was lying by the fire got up and began to
sniff the air. I could not see what dog it was--indeed, I had forgotten
all about the dogs when I drew near the kraal; that is what comes of
want of experience, my father. The dog sniffed and sniffed, then he
began to growl, looking always my way, and I grew afraid.

"What is the dog growling at?" said one man to another. "Go and see."
But the other man was taking snuff and did not like to move. "Let the
dog go and see for himself," he answered, sneezing, "what is the good of
keeping a dog if you have to catch the thief?"

"Go on, then," said the first man to the dog. And he ran forward,
barking. Then I saw him: it was my own dog, Koos, a very good dog.
Presently, as I lay not knowing what to do, he smelt my smell, stopped
barking, and running round the bush he found me and began to lick my
face. "Be quiet, Koos!" I whispered to him. And he lay down by my side.

"Where has that dog gone now?" said the first man. "Is he bewitched,
that he stops barking suddenly and does not come back?"

"We will see," said the other, rising, a spear in his hand.

Now once more I was terribly afraid, for I thought that they would catch
me, or I must run for my life again. But as I sprang up to run, a big
black snake glided between the men and went off towards the huts. They
jumped aside in a great fright, then all of them turned to follow the
snake, saying that this was what the dog was barking at. That was my
good Ehlose, my father, which without any doubt took the shape of a
snake to save my life.

When they had gone I crept off the other way, and Koos followed me. At
first I thought that I would kill him, lest he should betray me; but
when I called to him to knock him on the head with my kerrie, he sat
down upon the ground wagging his tail, and seemed to smile in my face,
and I could not do it. So I thought that I would take my chance, and we
went on together. This was my purpose: first to creep into my own hut
and get my assegais and a skin blanket, then to gain speech with