after what
we had seen I grew afraid lest he should kill us. Still, we had nowhere
to turn, so I said that we would walk along till something happened.
Now we grew faint with hunger and weariness, and Baleka said that we had
better sit down and die, for then there would be no more trouble. So we
sat down by a spring. But I did not wish to die yet, thought Baleka was
right, and it would have been well to do so. As we sat, the dog Koos
went to a bush that was near, and presently I heard him spring at
something and the sound of struggling. I ran to the bush--he had caught
hold of a duiker buck, as big as himself, that was asleep in it. Then
I drove my spear into the buck and shouted for joy, for here was food.
When the buck was dead I skinned him, and we took bits of the flesh,
washed them in the water, and ate them, for we had no fire to cook them
with. It is not nice to eat uncooked flesh, but we were so hungry that
we did not mind, and the good refreshed us. When we had eaten what we
could, we rose and washed ourselves at the spring; but, as we washed,
Baleka looked up and gave a cry of fear. For there, on the crest of the
hill, about ten spear-throws away, was a party of six armed men, people
of my own tribe--children of my father Makedama--who still pursued us to
take us or kill us. They saw us--they raised a shout, and began to run.
We too sprang up and ran--ran like bucks, for fear had touched our feet.

Now the land lay thus. Before us the ground was open and sloped down to
the banks of the White Umfolozi, which twisted through the plain like a
great and shining snake. On the other side the ground rose again, and we
did not know what was beyond, but we thought that in this direction lay
the kraal of Chaka. We ran for the river--where else were we to run?
And after us came the warriors. They gained on us; they were strong,
and they were angry because they had come so far. Run as we would, still
they gained. Now we neared the banks of the river; it was full and wide.
Above us the waters ran angrily, breaking into swirls of white where
they passed over sunken rocks; below was a rapid, in which none might
live; between the two a deep pool, where the water was quiet but the
stream strong.

"Ah! my brother, what shall we do?" gasped Baleka.

"There is this to choose," I answered; "perish on the spears of our
people or try the river."

"Easier to die by water than on iron," she answered.

"Good!" I said. "Now may our