just too late. What could three men
do against this swarming number, with no cover but a bush fence, and as
for aid from without why there was no such thing possible!

Fleetwood, standing on a waggon box, raised his voice to try and obtain
a parley, but even while he was doing so, a shot rang out, then another
and another, and with them he realised that the time for parleying had
gone by. For Bully Rawson, judging it best to take the bull by the
horns, had jumped to the side of the _scherm_ and was pumping the
contents of a Winchester repeating rifle into the thickest of the
on-rushing mass. Several were seen to fall, and now with an awful roar
of rage, the whole body hurled itself upon the barricade like a wave
upon a rock.

"Don't fire a shot, Wyvern," whispered Fleetwood hurriedly. "We can't
possibly stop them, and it may be our only chance."

What happened next Wyvern for one could hardly have told. The whole
inside of the _scherm_ was alive with waving shields and savage forms,
and glinting blades. Rawson had gone down under a knob-kerrie deftly
hurled, but he and Fleetwood still kept their position upon the waggon
box, their undischarged weapons in their hands. They saw their native
servants ruthlessly speared, all save a couple who had managed to hide
beneath the waggon sail, and death was but a question of moments.
Should they die fighting or elect to stake all on their only chance?

The while, Hlabulana sat calmly taking snuff.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

"THE HORNETS' NEST."

The two men sat there side by side, expecting death.

The crowd of roaring, mouthing, excited savages that ringed them in, was
increasing from without, and still the sea of waving spear-blades
refrained from overwhelming them. The ruffian who had brought this upon
them they could not see for the crush.

"Ho, Muntisi! Ho, Laliswayo!" called out Fleetwood in stentorian tones,
recognising two men whom he knew.

These, who had only just come up and were pushing a way through the
crowd, which parted for them as well as it could, recognised the
speaker.

"What is the meaning of it?" cried the latter. "You Laliswayo, who are
a chief--what does this mean? There is no war."

"Why as to that, nothing is sure, U' Joe," answered the chief. "You,
and Kulisani there, must give up your weapons and you can go."

"And our oxen have all been speared. Can we drag our waggons
ourselves?"

"For that I know nothing nor care," was