o two equal parts, which were marched to the opposite extremities of
the plateau, when they faced about, and, charging down upon each other,
engaged in a very realistic sham fight, lasting for the best part of an
hour, and resulting in quite a number of casualties, several of the men
being unhorsed and sustaining more or less serious injuries; after which
the regiment re-formed, and we all returned to the kraal at a gallop, a
party being detailed to remain behind and bring in the injured at a more
sober pace.

I soon found that Moshesh, like all other savages, possessed his full
share of vanity, which he was quite unable to conceal; also, it was
evident that he was inordinately proud of his regiment, and was not
above fishing for compliments upon it: I therefore dutifully did what
was manifestly expected of me, and immensely gratified His Majesty by
being as complimentary as I possibly could be without unduly straining
the truth. But when all was said and done I had a very shrewd suspicion
that while Moshesh might perhaps be credited with a genuine desire to
show me some honour by inviting me to witness the review of his troops,
he was principally animated by a craving for his own glorification, and,
incidentally, was glad to seize the occasion as affording him an early
opportunity to exhibit himself before his people in all the magnificence
of his new "toggery."

CHAPTER SEVEN.

STRANGE OCCURRENCES IN THE WILDERNESS.

About an hour after sunrise on the following morning I again presented
myself before the king, with the request that I be permitted to continue
my journey. I was very cordially received by His Majesty, who again
thanked me for the service which I had rendered him on the preceding day
by slaying the buffalo, and so saving him from the ignominy of flight,
or the almost equally unpleasant alternative of submitting to be charged
by the brute. In the privacy of his itunkulu he was much more expansive
than he had been on the previous day in the presence of his indunas,
unhesitatingly admitting that, had he been compelled to accept either of
the above-mentioned alternatives, he would have suffered serious loss of
prestige in the eyes of his own people. He informed me that upon his
return to the kraal on the preceding day he had given instructions that
a body of men should be dispatched to bring in the carcasses of the
slaughtered buffalo, which had been done, and he now made the offer
that, if I plea