rstood very well, as his case seemed to be like my
own.

"It may happen," went on Umslopogaas, "that all this talk of the dead
who are supposed to live after they are dead, is but as the sound of
wind whispering in the reeds at night, that comes from nowhere and goes
nowhere and means nothing. But at least ours will be a great journey in
which we shall find adventure and fighting, since it is well known in
the land that wherever Macumazahn goes there is plenty of both. Also it
seems well for reasons that have been spoken of between us, as Zikali
says, that I should leave the country of the Zulus for a while, who
desire to die a man's death at the last and not to be trapped like a
jackal in a pit. Lastly I think that we shall agree well together though
my temper is rough at times, and that neither of us will desert the
other in trouble, though of that little yellow dog of yours I am not so
sure."

"I answer for him," I replied. "Hans is a true man, cunning also when
once he is away from drink."

Then we spoke of plans for our journey, and of when and where we should
meet to make it, talking till it was late, after which I went to sleep
in the guest-hut.

CHAPTER IV

THE LION AND THE AXE

Next day early I left the town of the People of the Axe, having bid a
formal farewell to Umslopogaas, saying in a voice that all could
hear that as the rivers were still flooded, I proposed to trek to the
northern parts of Zululand and trade there until the weather was better.
Our private arrangement, however, was that on the night of the next
full moon, which happened about four weeks later, we should meet at the
eastern foot of a certain great, flat-topped mountain known to both of
us, which stands to the north of Zululand but well beyond its borders.

So northward I trekked, slowly to spare my oxen, trading as I went. The
details do not matter, but as it happened I met with more luck upon that
journey than had come my way for many a long year. Although I worked
on credit since nearly all my goods were sold, as owing to my repute I
could always do in Zululand, I made some excellent bargains in cattle,
and to top up with, bought a large lot of ivory so cheap that really I
think it must have been stolen.

All of this, cattle, and ivory together, I sent to Natal in charge of a
white friend of mine whom I could trust, where the stuff was sold
very well indeed, and the proceeds paid to my account, the "trade"
equivalents