“There,” I said to the Zulus as I saw it double up, “that low fellow will never shoot at anyone again.”

“Pretty, Macumazana, very pretty!” said Mavovo, “but as you can aim so well, why not have chosen his head?  That bullet is half-wasted.”

Next I set to work to get into communication with the bearers, who thought, poor devils, that they had been but sold to a new master.  Here I may explain that they were slaves not meant for exportation, but men kept to cultivate Hassan’s gardens.  Fortunately I found that two of them belonged to the Mazitu people, who it may be remembered are of the same blood as the Zulus, although they separated from the parent stock generations ago.  These men talked a dialect that I could understand, though at first not very easily.  The foundation of it was Zulu, but it had become much mixed with the languages of other tribes whose women the Mazitu had taken to wife.

Also there was a man who could speak some bastard Arabic, sufficiently well for Sammy to converse with him.

I asked the Mazitus if they knew the way back to their country.  They answered yes, but it was far off, a full month’s journey.  I told them that if they would guide us thither, they should receive their freedom and good pay, adding that if the other men served us well, they also should be set free when we had done with them.  On receiving this information the poor wretches smiled in a sickly fashion and looked at Hassan-ben-Mohammed, who glowered at them and us from the box on which he was seated in charge of Mavovo.

How can we be free while that man lives, their look seemed to say.  As though to confirm their doubts Hassan, who understood or guessed what was passing, asked by what right we were promising freedom to his slaves.

“By right of that,” I answered, pointing to the Union Jack which Stephen still had in his hand.  “Also we will pay you for them when we return, according as they have served us.”

“Yes,” he muttered, “you will pay me for them when you return, or perhaps before that, Englishman.”

It was three o’clock in the afternoon before we were able to make a start.  There was so much to be arranged that it might have been wiser to wait till the morrow, had we not determined that if we could help it nothing would induce us to spend another night in that place.  Blankets were served out to each of the bearers who, poor naked creatures, seemed quite touched at the gift of them; the loads were apportioned, having already been packed at Durban in cases such as one man could carry.  The pack saddles were put upon the four donkeys which proved to be none the worse for their journey, and burdens to a weight of about 100 lbs. each fixed on them in waterproof hide bags, besides cooking calabashes and sleeping mats which Hans produced from somewhere.  Probably he stole them out of the deserted village, but as they were necessary to us I confess I asked no questions.  Lastly, six or eight goats which were wandering about were captured to take with us for food till we could find game.  For these I offered to pay Hassan, but when I handed him the money he threw it down in a rage, so I picked it up and put it in my pocket again with a clear conscience.