me. I do know, however, that he very nearly hit _me_, for I felt the
wind of the bullet.

"Another thirty seconds, and I and the woman Maiwa were at the top of
the cliff panting, but safe.

"My men, being directed thereto by Maiwa, had most fortunately rolled
up some big boulders which lay about, and with these we soon managed to
block the passage through the overhanging ridge of rock in such fashion
that the soldiers below could not possibly climb over it. Indeed, so far
as I could see, they did not even try to do so--their heart was turned
to fat, as the Zulus say.

"Then having rested a few moments we took up the loads, including the
tusks of ivory that had cost us so dear, and in silence marched on for
a couple of miles or more, till we reached a patch of dense bush. And
here, being utterly exhausted, we camped for the night, taking the
precaution, however, of setting a guard to watch against any attempt at
surprise."

VI--THE PLAN OF CAMPAIGN

"Notwithstanding all that we had gone through, perhaps indeed on account
of it, for I was thoroughly worn out, I slept that night as soundly as
poor Gobo, round whose crushed body the hyaenas would now be prowling.
Rising refreshed at dawn we went on our way towards Nala's kraal, which
we reached at nightfall. It is built on open ground after the Zulu
fashion, in a ring fence and with beehive huts. The cattle kraal is
behind and a little to the left. Indeed, both from their habits and
their talk it was easy to see that these Butiana belong to that section
of the Bantu people which, since T'Chaka's time, has been known as the
Zulu race. We did not see the chief Nala that night. His daughter Maiwa
went on to his private huts as soon as we arrived, and very shortly
afterwards one of his head men came to us bringing a sheep and some
mealies and milk with him. 'The chief sent us greeting,' he said, 'and
would see us on the morrow.' Meanwhile he was ordered to bring us to a
place of resting, where we and our goods should be safe and undisturbed.
Accordingly he led the way to some very good huts just outside Nala's
private enclosure, and here we slept comfortably.

"On the morrow about eight o'clock the head man came again, and said
that Nala requested that I would visit him. I followed him into the
private enclosure and was introduced to the chief, a fine-looking man
of about fifty, with very delicately-shaped hands and feet, and a rather
nervous mouth. The chief was s