He stepped up to the place where the four travellers were resting themselves on a heap of skins, and reported to them Chuma's proposal. "On the whole," he added, "I should advise you to accept it. I know how suspicious these Bechuanas are. Never practising anything like truthful and fair dealing themselves, they are incapable of believing that any one else can do so. If you refuse, your refusal will be imputed to some sinister designs which you are secretly cherishing; and Chuma is fully capable of relieving himself from all immediate anxiety by putting the whole party to death." "I quite see that," said Lavie. "The only alternative is attempting to escape, and the chances are greatly against our succeeding in that. In any case," he mentally added, "such a step would bring ruin and death on you. No," he resumed, "we must certainly close with Chuma's offer. The only question is, which of us is to be the one to go." "You must not choose me," said Gilbert. "I should only make a mess of it." "I would go," said Frank, "but I do not think I am strong enough yet to attempt such a journey." "And I would rather not leave Mr De Walden," added Warley. "You had better go yourself, Charles. You are in every way better fitted to manage the business." "I should not object," said Lavie, "but I do not like to leave you in the hands of these treacherous savages." "You leave us under Mr De Walden's care," rejoined Warley, "and I, for one, can fully trust to that." After some further discussion, it was so arranged. Chuma was informed that his terms were accepted; and on the following day the doctor, having taken an affectionate farewell of his young companions, set out for Cape Town with Kama and another Bechuana for his guides; while the others prepared themselves to endure, as patiently as they could, the long weeks of waiting which must inevitably ensue. "Are these Kaffirs utterly without the idea of God, as people say they are?" asked Ernest one day of Mr De Walden, about a week after their friends, departure. "I was talking one day to a gentleman on board the _Hooghly_, who seemed to be well acquainted with them, and he declared that they had positively no religion at all. But another gentleman differed from him, and was going on, I believe, to produce some proofs to the contrary, but the conversation was broken off. I should like to know what you would say on the subject." "They have no _religion_ in the proper sense of the word," answered the elder man. "No sense of connection, that is to say, with a Being infinitely powerful and good, who made and sustains them, and to whom they are accountable. It is this that constitutes a religion, and of this they know nothing. But they are extremely _superstitious_. They believe in the existence of Evil Spirits, who have alike the power and the will to afflict and torment them. To these they attribute every disaster or suffering which may befall them."