was uncommonly lucky for Falkner Sewin. Now he was
foremost in the agitation.

"But you cannot hold an `idiot' responsible," I urged, catching at a
straw.

"Ah--ah! But this is not a real one," answered the young warrior. "He
must be beaten."

"Not so. The chief is satisfied. He bade me tell you to go on with the
hunt. Who are ye to shut your ears to his `word'?"

This told, for the clamour dropped into sullen mutterings as they
consulted together. The while I walked through them and gained the
store.

The Major was standing in the doorway, and I could see the faces of the
two girls at the window light up with relief as I approached. They had
thought I should be murdered in the midst of the excited and
gesticulating group, but as a matter of fact I ran not the slightest
danger, and this I hastened to assure them. I was glad to notice that
Falkner had had the sense to keep himself out of sight, or, what was
more likely, somebody else had had it for him.

"Ah, now we shall be all right," said Mrs Sewin, who was seated on a
pile of goods for want of a chair. "I must say these savages are rather
alarming."

"They'll go home directly, Mrs Sewin. I've talked them into a better
frame of mind."

"Go home?" echoed Falkner. "But, confound it all--what about our hunt?"

"You won't get one of them to stir in that now," I said, "and if they
did you wouldn't be well advised to go with them."

"Well, I think there's considerable overweight of fuss being made
because a silly old nigger puts his back up and walks off in a huff,"
answered Falkner, sullenly.

"Look here, Sewin," I said, fast beginning to lose my temper. "That
`silly old nigger' is one of the most influential chiefs in Natal.
Added to which he's a Zulu of high breeding, that is to say one of the
proudest of men--and you've put upon him the biggest insult you could
have thought out, and that in the presence of a number of his people--
who moreover were sent up here by his orders to help your day's
amusement I say nothing of it having been done on my place--but,
incidentally, your monkeyish and schoolboy prank has been the means of
frightening the ladies somewhat."

"Here, I say, Glanton. I don't take that sort of talk, you know," he
answered, colouring up.

"Glanton's quite right," struck in the Major decisively, and with some
sternness. "You've made an ass of yourself, and got us into a nice
mess--which we don't seem out of yet," he added,