man of peace, they fled by night, while I was still
sixty miles off. They went to the north, where, under the protection of
Mpepe, they had erected a stockade of considerable size. There, several
half-caste slave-traders, under the leadership of a native Portuguese,
carried on their traffic, without reference to the chief into whose
country they had unceremoniously introduced themselves; while Mpepe,
feeding them with the cattle of Sekeletu, formed a plan of raising
himself, by means of their fire-arms, to be the head of the Makololo.
The usual course which the slave-traders adopt is to take a part in the
political affairs of each tribe, and, siding with the strongest,
get well paid by captures made from the weaker party. Long secret
conferences were held by the slave-traders and Mpepe, and it was deemed
advisable for him to strike the first blow; so he provided himself with
a small battle-axe, with the intention of cutting Sekeletu down the
first time they met.

My object being first of all to examine the country for a healthy
locality, before attempting to make a path to either the East or West
Coast, I proposed to Sekeletu the plan of ascending the great river
which we had discovered in 1851. He volunteered to accompany me,
and, when we got about sixty miles away, on the road to Sesheke, we
encountered Mpepe. The Makololo, though possessing abundance of cattle,
had never attempted to ride oxen until I advised it in 1851. The
Bechuanas generally were in the same condition, until Europeans
came among them and imparted the idea of riding. All their journeys
previously were performed on foot. Sekeletu and his companions were
mounted on oxen, though, having neither saddle nor bridle, they were
perpetually falling off. Mpepe, armed with his little axe, came along
a path parallel to, but a quarter of a mile distant from, that of our
party, and, when he saw Sekeletu, he ran with all his might toward us;
but Sekeletu, being on his guard, galloped off to an adjacent village.
He then withdrew somewhere till all our party came up. Mpepe had given
his own party to understand that he would cut down Sekeletu, either on
their first meeting, or at the breaking up of their first conference.
The former intention having been thus frustrated, he then determined to
effect his purpose after their first interview. I happened to sit down
between the two in the hut where they met. Being tired with riding
all day in the sun, I soon asked Sekel