n it to place the other bodies and
generally to remove the traces of murder.

Then I went on to the house, and not too soon. Seeing the waggons arrive
and having made sure that the Amahagger were gone, Thomaso and the other
cowards emerged from their hiding-places and returned. Unfortunately for
the former the first person he met was Umslopogaas, who began to revile
the fat half-breed in no measured terms, calling him dog, coward, and
other opprobrious names, such as deserter of women and children, and so
forth--all of which someone translated.

Thomaso, an insolent person, tried to swagger the matter out, saying
that he had gone to get assistance. Infuriated at this lie, Umslopogaas
leapt upon him with a roar and though he was a strong man, dealt with
him as a lion does with a buck. Lifting him from his feet, he hurled him
to the ground, then as he strove to rise and run, caught him again and
as it seemed to me, was about to break his back across his knee. Just at
this juncture I arrived.

"Let the man go," I shouted to him. "Is there not enough death here
already?"

"Yes," answered Umslopogaas, "I think there is. Best that this jackal
should live to eat his own shame," and he cast Thomaso to the ground,
where he lay groaning.

Robertson, who was still asleep in the waggon, woke up at the noise, and
descended from it, looking dazed. I got him to the house and in doing so
made my way past, or rather between the bodies of the two Zulus and of
the six men whom they had killed, also of him whom Inez had shot. Those
Zulus had made a splendid fight for they were covered with wounds, all
of them in front, as I found upon examination.

Having made Robertson lie down upon his bed, I took a good look at the
slain Amahagger. They were magnificent men, all of them; tall, spare
and shapely with very clear-cut features and rather frizzled hair.
From these characteristics, as well as the lightness of their colour,
I concluded that they were of a Semitic or Arab type, and that the
admixture of their blood with that of the Bantus was but slight, if
indeed there were any at all. Their spears, of which one had been cut
through by a blow of a Zulu's axe, were long and broad, not unlike to
those used by the Masai, but of finer workmanship.

By this time the sun was setting and thoroughly tired by all that I had
gone through, I went into the house to get something to eat, having told
Hans to find food and prepare a meal. As I sat do