In the event of the beasts failing us, we took also ten of the best of those Strathmuir men who had accompanied us on the sea-cow trip, to serve as bearers when it became necessary.  It cannot be said that these snuff-and-butter fellows—­for most, if not all of them had some dash of white blood in their veins—­were exactly willing volunteers.  Indeed, if a choice had been left to them, they would, I think, have declined this adventure.

But there was no choice.  Their master, Robertson, ordered them to come and after a glance at the Zulus they concluded that the command was one which would be enforced and that if they stopped behind, it would not be as living men.  Also some of them had lost wives or children in the slaughter, which, if they were not very brave, filled them with a desire for revenge.  Lastly, they could all shoot after a fashion and had good rifles; moreover if I may say so, I think that they put confidence in my leadership.  So they made the best of a bad business and got themselves ready.

Then arrangements must be made about the carrying on of the farm and store during our absence.  These, together with my waggon and oxen, were put in the charge of Thomaso, since there was no one else who could be trusted at all—­a very battered and crestfallen Thomaso, by the way.  When he heard of it he was much relieved, since I think he feared lest he also should be expected to take part in the hunt of the Amahagger man-eaters.  Also it may have occurred to him that in all probability none of us would ever come back at all, in which case by a process of natural devolution, he might find himself the owner of the business and much valuable property.  However, he swore by sundry saints—­for Thomaso was nominally a Catholic—­that he would look after everything as though it were his own, as no doubt he hoped it might become.

“Hearken, fat pig,” said Umslopogaas, Hans obligingly translating so that there might be no mistake, “if I come back, and come back I shall who travel with the Great Medicine—­and find even one of the cattle of the white lord, Macumazahn, Watcher-by-Night, missing, or one article stolen from his waggon, or the fields of your master not cultivated or his goods wasted, I swear by the Axe that I will hew you into pieces with the axe; yes, if to do it I have to hunt you from where the sun rises to where it sets and down the length of the night between.  Do you understand, fat pig, deserter of women and children, who to save yourself could run faster than a buck?”

Thomaso replied that he understood very clearly indeed, and that, Heaven helping him, all should be kept safe and sound.  Still, I was sure that in his manly heart he was promising great gifts to the saints if they would so arrange matters that Umslopogaas and his axe were never seen at Strathmuir again, and reflecting that after all the Amahagger had their uses.  However, as I did not trust him in the least, much against their will, I left my driver and voorlooper to guard my belongings.