"Ah, now we shall be all right," said Mrs Sewin, who was seated on a pile of goods for want of a chair. "I must say these savages are rather alarming." "They'll go home directly, Mrs Sewin. I've talked them into a better frame of mind." "Go home?" echoed Falkner. "But, confound it all--what about our hunt?" "You won't get one of them to stir in that now," I said, "and if they did you wouldn't be well advised to go with them." "Well, I think there's considerable overweight of fuss being made because a silly old nigger puts his back up and walks off in a huff," answered Falkner, sullenly. "Look here, Sewin," I said, fast beginning to lose my temper. "That `silly old nigger' is one of the most influential chiefs in Natal. Added to which he's a Zulu of high breeding, that is to say one of the proudest of men--and you've put upon him the biggest insult you could have thought out, and that in the presence of a number of his people-- who moreover were sent up here by his orders to help your day's amusement I say nothing of it having been done on my place--but, incidentally, your monkeyish and schoolboy prank has been the means of frightening the ladies somewhat." "Here, I say, Glanton. I don't take that sort of talk, you know," he answered, colouring up. "Glanton's quite right," struck in the Major decisively, and with some sternness. "You've made an ass of yourself, and got us into a nice mess--which we don't seem out of yet," he added, as again the voices outside rose high. I went out again. Ivuzamanzi came forward. "We will not hunt with your friends, Iqalaqala. We are going home. As for the _igcwane_--let him look well on all sides of him." "For the first I think you are right son of Tyingoza," I answered. "For the second--_gahle_! It is not wise to threaten men on the Queen's side of the river--for such might lead to visits from the _Amapolise_." But he replied that he cared nothing for the police, and the others laughed sneeringly and agreed. "See now," said Ivuzamanzi, shaking his stick. "Will he, the _igcwane_, come out and fight? He looks big enough, and strong enough, for all that he is a fool." I found myself wishing the matter might be cleared up in this rough and ready manner; but for one thing the ladies were with us, for another I didn't see how the two could fight on anything like even terms. Falkner couldn't fight with native weapons, and Ivuzamanzi, like any other Zulu, of course had not the remotest idea how to use his fists. So it wouldn't do. "How can that be?" I put it. "He does not understand fighting in your way, and you do not understand fighting in his. You would both be ridiculous. Go home, son of Tyingoza, and talk with your father. You will find he has forgotten all about the affair and so must you. A mistake has been made and we all regret it."