“No,” I retorted, for his tone irritated me, “you are late, Bulalio, the moon has been up some hours.”

“I said, O Macumazahn, that I would meet you on the night of the full moon, not at the rising of the moon.”

“That is true,” I replied, mollified, “and at any rate you came at a good moment.”

“Yes,” he answered, “though as it happens in this clear light the thing was easy to anyone who can handle an axe.  Had it been darker the end might have been different.  But, Macumazahn, you are not so clever as I thought, since otherwise you would not have come out against a lion with a toy like that,” and he pointed to the little rifle in my hand.

“I did not know that there was a lion, Umslopogaas.”

“That is why you are not so clever as I thought, since of one sort or another there is always a lion which wise men should be prepared to meet, Macumazahn.”

“You are right again,” I replied.

At that moment Hans arrived upon the scene, followed at a discreet distance by the waggon boys, and took in the situation at a glance.

“The Great Medicine of the Opener-of-Roads has worked well,” was all he said.

“The great medicine of the Opener-of-Heads has worked better,” remarked Umslopogaas with a little laugh and pointing to his red axe.  “Never before since she came into my keeping has Inkosikaas (i.e.  ‘Chieftainess,’ for so was this famous weapon named) sunk so low as to drink the blood of beasts.  Still, the stroke was a good one so she need not be ashamed.  But, Yellow Man, how comes it that you who, I have been told, are cunning, watch your master so ill?”

“I was asleep,” stuttered Hans indignantly.

“Those who serve should never sleep,” replied Umslopogaas sternly.  Then he turned and whistled, and behold! out of the long grass that grew at a little distance, emerged twelve great men, all of them bearing axes and wearing cloaks of hyena skins, who saluted me by raising their axes.

“Set a watch and skin me this beast by dawn.  It will make us a mat,” said Umslopogaas, whereon again they saluted silently and melted away.

“Who are these?” I asked.

“A few picked warriors whom I brought with me, Macumazahn.  There were one or two more, but they got lost on the way.”

Then we went to the waggon and spoke no more that night.

Next morning I told Umslopogaas of the visit I had received from the Induna of the King who wished me to come to the royal kraal.  He nodded and said,

“As it chances certain thieves attacked me on my journey, which is why one or two of my people remain behind who will never travel again.  We made good play with those thieves; not one of them escaped,” he added grimly, “and their bodies we threw into a river where are many crocodiles.  But their spears I brought away and I think that they are such as the King’s guard use.  If so, his search for them will be long, since the fight took place where no man lives and we burned the shields and trappings.  Oho! he will think that the ghosts have taken them.”