"What good, then, to pray, if there be no favourable answer?" rejoined the chief, a cloud gathering on his brow. "You ask me to commit folly. You trifle with me. You have brought down rain for others, and driven away the disease that slew the cattle for others. Look, you shall live here in the village, and we will kill you, if you attempt to escape. If the rain does not come in its season, you shall bring it. If the cattle die of pestilence you shall cause it to depart, or you shall yourself suffer pain and hunger and death. As for these others, are they prophets and wizards too?" "They are simply English travellers, on their way to Cape Town," said De Walden, "and their friends are persons of importance there. You have heard of the English?" "The English," said Chuma. "Ah, the English. Yes, I have heard of them. They came over the great salt water, years ago, and fought with the Dutch--did they not?" "They did. They fought with the Dutch and conquered them. You know well that the Dutch are dangerous enemies to meet in battle. None of the races whose skins are dark--the Bechuanas, the Basutos, the Zulus, the Namaquas--none of them can stand before the Dutch--" "They have the fire-tubes," interposed the chief angrily,--"the fire-tubes which strike men dead from a great distance like the lightning, and no one can avoid it. They wear iron coats, and caps, which turn aside the arrows and the assegais. They ride on horses too, which are taught to fight like themselves. It is not equal. Let them lay aside their coats and their tubes, and fight on foot like our warriors, with clubs and assegais, and see who will conquer then." "You know they are not likely to do that," returned the missionary; "but that is nothing to the present matter. I wish to show you that if you cannot stand before the Dutch, much less would you be able to face the English, who are braver warriors, and better acquainted with war, than even the Dutch." "Ah, but the English have gone away," rejoined Chuma. "You try to deceive me, but you cannot. The Dutch rule over the country again now. The White Queen, who is a great magician, sent messengers to the English chief not many months ago. But they came back and told her he was gone. I know that, for Kama was in the Basuto kraal when they returned, and heard their tale. She, I say, was a great magician, and they could not have deceived her, even if they dared speak falsely." "They did not speak falsely," said De Walden. "The English went away three or four years ago, and have stayed in their own land until now. But not many weeks ago they came back over the salt water, and have again conquered the Dutch, and are masters of the land." "Ah, the English again masters! We will not quarrel with the English. We have seen them fight. But how do I know that they have come back? How do I know that these persons are English, or that they have great friends there?" "You have my word," returned the other.