ag.

"The _Amangisi_ have many ropes," he said. "Even chiefs will hang by
some of them before long." Nteseni laughed.

"I think not," he answered. "Will yonder moon tell what it has seen?
Well, a high leap in the air is before thee, Teliso. Now--take it."

The unfortunate man hesitated. Those who held him stood aside.

"What? Is it then better to be slaughtered like a goat," said the chief
jeeringly. "Well then, Isazi," to one of the young men, "thy knife."

But the threat was enough. The doomed man closed his eyes, tottered,
then flung himself forward. A crash and a thud came up to the ears of
the listeners.

"You two," went on the chief, "go down yonder and take off the thongs;
his clothing was thick so they will leave no trace. And--I think Ntwezi
will need a new dog."

The redness of the blood moon lightened. Its globe grew golden.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

VENATORIAL.

"Father, I think we must take out Evelyn and show her how we shoot
bushbucks."

Thus Edala, one lovely morning at breakfast time.

"I don't mind. What do you say, Evelyn?"

"That it would be delightful. But shouldn't I be in your way?"

"Not if you keep quiet, and do as you are told," said Edala. "Oh, and
by the way, don't wear any colours. It's astonishing how you miss
chances that way."

"What have I got? Oh I know. I've got an old khaki coloured dress. At
the time of the Boer war, you know, some of us took on a fit of idiocy
in the way of khaki fever. It didn't last, of course, but I brought the
thing out here with me under a sort of vague impression it might be
useful in the veldt for knocking-about purposes."

"The very thing," cried Edala. "Now go and put it on, and I'll get into
my `Robin Hood' outfit. Father, you see about the horses."

"Anything else?"

"Yes--and the guns."

"But--but," protested the visitor, "I've never fired a gun in my life."

"You'll soon learn," returned Edala, tranquilly. "To-day, though, you
need only look on."

"What an Amazon the child is," laughed Evelyn. "Why I should never
learn. I'm much too nervous. Guns--kick--and all that sort of thing,
don't they?"

"Not if you hold them properly. But, that's where the `learning' part
of it comes in. Well, let's go and get our toggery on."

Thornhill did not immediately set to work to make arrangements for the
coming sport, instead he lit a pipe and sat thinking. Evelyn Carden had
been a guest under his roof for nearly