as I noted the look of sullen vindictiveness that
fled swiftly across the chief's face, I was not inclined to exult, for I
was well aware that he would go a good way to be even with me yet, and
in the then unsettled state of the border it would be strange if some
opportunity of making himself disagreeable did not afford itself.

"Well, I'm sick of all this jaw with a couple of snuffy niggers,
Glanton," growled Falkner. "What's going to be done?"

"Oh shut your silly head," I said, irritably, for of course an
unconciliatory tone tells its own tale even though no word is
understood. "I suspect your readiness to bash all and everybody is at
the bottom of the whole bother."

"Well, if a brute comes at me brandishing a stick with a knob like a
cricket ball I've got to do something, haven't I?" he answered, lighting
his pipe and slouching away in the sulks.

I was in no better humour, to tell the truth, but laid myself out to do
the civil to Nonguza, by way of smoothing his ruffled feathers. Then,
as time went by, and I was beginning to feel a little anxious once more,
to my intense relief my ears caught a well-known sound, the trampling of
hoofs to wit, and lo--coming over the rise were my oxen, driven at a run
by those who had taken them. I gave orders at once to inspan, returning
a curt negative to Magebe's inquiries as to whether I would not stop and
trade. I was going _kwa_ Majendwa, I answered. There no mistake would
be made as to who I was.

So we marched forth with all the honours of war, but as the whips
cracked, and the spans tugged out in response I noticed that the cloud
of armed Zulus watching us was increased by others coming over the
ridge--part of Nonguza's impi--and thought we should be lucky if we
escaped further trouble at the hands of these. It was a bad beginning
to our trip--in the temper the people were evidently then in--yes, a bad
beginning.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

TWO OF A TRADE.

When Dolf Norbury learned that another white man was coming to
Majendwa's country on trading intent, his first remark was that he was
damned if he should. This statement he followed up with the use of
absolutely unprintable language for the space of many minutes. His
first act was to shy a bottle at the head of his informant, who ducked
in time to avoid disastrous contact with the same, and then to make him
exceedingly drunk with the contents of another bottle, not yet reduced
to its last use--as a missil