"By the Lord!" exclaimed Kendrew, "I never heard such an extraordinary thing in my life." "The thing is, can we swallow it?" was Falkner's remark. "These niggers are such infernal liars." "Well. I'm going to follow it up, even if I go alone," I said. "Who the devil said you were going alone, Glanton?" he answered gruffly. "Look here, we rather hate each other, but you can't say that up there in Zululand, for instance, I ever backed down." "Certainly I can't, Sewin," I said. "What I can say is that in any sort of scrap there's no man I'd rather have alongside than yourself. And as for hating each other, it's only natural you should hate me I suppose, but I've never returned the compliment." "Well we'll knock hell out of someone to-night anyhow," he said. "Now let's have all particulars of the scheme." I gave them, exactly as I had had them from Jan Boom. "The thing is to keep it up," I said. "That'll be the stiffest part of all--to keep it up. We mustn't go about looking as if we had found her already. Native eyes and ears are sharp, and native deductions are swiftly drawn." This was agreed upon, and we continued our mock search more strenuously than ever. We dared not even let fall so much as a hint to the old people. Pitiable as it was to witness their distress, yet it was better that this should continue a little longer rather than that our success should be imperilled, as certainly would have been the case had we let slip the slightest inkling that there was ground for hope. "Has Ivondwe made any revelation?" I asked the police inspector, later on as we were about to start. "Not a word. Would you like to talk to him, Glanton? You might get something out of him." "Not to-day. To-morrow perhaps. Only keep him doubly guarded. He'll certainly escape if he can." "He'll be a bigger magician than Ukozi if he does. He's handcuffed in a hut, with four of my men guarding him, two inside and two out. And the two out are just dead shots with rifle or pistol, although they do belong to the poor old police," he added meaningly. "All right. Now I'm off to try and work the native intelligence department." "And I hope to God you may succeed," had been the fervent answer. "Good-bye." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ So here we were, only awaiting our guide in order to set forth. The other two had also simulated inebriation, but only to a slight extent. We had a business-like revolver apiece and plenty of cartridges, but no guns. Another significant item of our outfit comprised several strong, new _reims_. At last, after further waiting, which seemed an eternity, Jan Boom appeared.