ind some," he said. "Here. This is for you--for the
two of you. You can halve it."

But the recipient, carefully placing the coin in her bag, replied
stolidly that she could not halve a gift. Elvesdon laughed and found a
similar coin for the other. It proved, however, a bad investment, for
no _tywala_ was forthcoming.

"This looks more cheerful," he went on, when they were alone again, and
were discussing the food. "It was beastly cold, too, without a fire.
Wonder where they've put the young 'un. It rather handicaps us being
apart from him in case we saw a chance of doing a bunk, for of course we
can't leave him behind."

"No, we can't, but we shall get no such chance just yet. Hear that."

All round them was the sound of voices, deep voices. Some were right
against the hut which was their prison. A strong odour of roast told
that their custodians were enjoying themselves in the most enjoyable way
known to savages--feasting, to wit. Once Elvesdon opened the door to
look forth. In a moment two savages, armed with assegais, sprang before
the entrance and ordered them to keep it shut.

"I've a notion," said Thornhill, "that this is Nteseni's `great' place,
and if so we've fallen into bad hands."

"That bears out what Teliso used to say. He always maintained that
Ntesini was a bad egg."

"M-yes. I wonder where the said Teliso is now. You know I hinted to
you that he might require a little watching himself."

"He's been away a precious long time. By the way I wonder if he wrote
that letter. He could talk some English but I don't know about his
ability to write any. He may have been murdered for all we know."

"He _may_, or--he may not."

Elvesdon was impressed. A qualm of misgiving came over him that he
might have trusted Teliso too much. What, by the way, if he were at the
bottom of their seizure? He might be. There was no trusting anyone.
Decidedly there was something suspicious about the length of time Teliso
had been away on his mission, and that without sending in any
communication whatever.

Poor Teliso! His cracked and whitened bones lying in the lonely ravine
beneath the krantz, picked clean by the tiger-wolves and jackals, could
not now rise up under the stars to testify whether or not Nteseni was--
as Elvesdon had put it--"a bad egg."

The next morning to their intense relief they were allowed some measure
of liberty. They could stroll about outside the kraal, for instance,
bu