ce. The rifles and ammunition were soon ready.
One of the scouts came in with his report that the spoor had been
followed into a neighbouring wood, and that the three panthers had not
left it. The party consisted of the Europeans and the Matabele chief,
together with Umhleswa and about thirty of his tribe. The men were
armed with spears, some carrying bows and arrows, the chief alone having
an old Spanish long-barrelled fowling piece, damascened with gold.

About four miles of plain lay stretched between the Amatonga village and
the forest line, and it was to this the whole troop of noisy savages,
headed by their chief and the two white men, took their way in a body.
The forest-land, broken at intervals by patches of plain watered by a
small stream, stretched away to the mountains, and once it was reached,
Umhleswa made his arrangements. All the men armed with assegais were
told off as beaters, and advancing in a long line they carried the bush
before them. The rest, armed with bows and arrows, were stationed in
small groups at the further extremity of the thick cover. Several
patches of bush had thus been beaten out, and no game was found.

"What immense numbers of parrots these woods contain," said Hughes.

"And how slowly and well these savages beat. I should not like to face
a panther with nothing but an assegai," replied Wyzinski.

The two were standing close to the chief as the missionary spoke, a
strong party of the bowmen near, when a tremendous uproar took place
among the spearmen, a shrill, piercing scream sounding high above the
clamour.

"The panther has struck down one of my braves," exclaimed the Amatonga
chief, listening eagerly.

The clamour became louder and louder, seeming to recede.

"Look out, Hughes, they are doubling back, and, if they don't succeed,
must break out."

Hardly had the words been uttered, when three panthers dashed out from
the cover, about twenty paces only from where Umhleswa stood. They
looked beautiful but dangerous, as they crouched for a few moments on
their bellies in the sand, the bright sun streaming over their painted
hides, the end of the tail moving slowly to and fro, and showing their
white teeth; then rising, the three, evidently male and female, with
their young one a little behind them, came slowly forward, ever
crouching for the spring and snarling savagely.

"Are you ready, Wyzinski?" said Hughes, in a low hoarse tone; "take the
female--it is neares