“Look here, Ghamba; I do not care to tackle this job alone, but if I can take another man with me, I am on.”

“Then you will only get half of the five hundred pounds, and will not be able to buy the farm.  You need not be afraid; you can shoot him without his seeing you.”

“No,” said Langley, after a pause; “I will not go alone, but if you will let me take another man with me it can be managed.  It will make no difference to you; you will get your twenty-five pounds.”

“And how about my going to live on the farm with you?”

“Well, I could not buy the farm for two hundred and fifty pounds.  Come, we will give you fifty pounds instead of twenty-five.”

Ghamba thought for a while and then said: 

“Very well, I consent.  But there need be only one other man, and you will write down on a piece of paper that you will give me fifty pounds.  When can we start?”

“I must speak to the other man, and then we will apply for leave.  We had better start soon, or else Umhlonhlo may have gone to some other place of hiding.”

“Yes, we must lose no time.”

“All right!  Meet me here to-morrow and I will bring my friend.  We will then settle all about it.”

“You must not mention this matter to any one else, and you must make your friend promise to keep the secret.”

“Oh, that’s all right!” said Langley.  “Meet me here to-morrow, just after dinner.”

Langley went back to camp, Ghamba looking after his retreating figure with a smile that revealed his teeth in a very striking manner.  Langley was intensely excited, and exacted (quite unnecessarily) the most solemn promises from Whitson not to divulge the great secret which he confided to him.  Whitson agreed at once to join in the enterprise, which was one after his own heart.

Next day the three met at the big ant-heap, and Whitson was very much impressed by Ghamba’s teeth.  He told Langley afterward that they reminded him of a picture of the devil which he had seen in a copy of “Pilgrim’s Progress.”  The old man’s story appeared, however, consistent enough, in spite of his peculiar dentition.

So, after a short conversation, Langley and Whitson returned to camp, having made an appointment to meet Ghamba again on the following morning at sunrise, so as to finally arrange as to time of starting, etc.  They went at once to the officer in charge of the detachment and applied for ten days’ leave of absence for the purpose of proceeding to Pietermaritzburg, which was at once granted.

Next morning they met Ghamba again, and agreed to start on their expedition that evening.  He explained that they must do all their traveling by night, and lie by during the day; because it would never do for him, Ghamba, to run the risk of being recognised by persons whom they might meet.  For the sake of his Hlubi relations who were living among the Pondomise at Qumbu, it was absolutely necessary that he should