Now a sound of distant lowing, and the occasional clear shout of the driver, told that his own herd was being driven in for the night; and then the calves which had already been brought in woke up, in responsive bellow, to greet the approaching herd. Lamont rose and went round to the kraal. Here was a possible source of anxiety, and narrowly and eagerly did he scan the animals as they passed him, lest haply he might discern symptoms of the dread pestilence. But none appeared, nor did a closer investigation as he moved about within the kraal show further cause for anxiety. So preoccupied was he with this that he entirely failed to notice the approach of a horseman in the growing dusk, until the circumstance was brought to his notice by the sharp crack of a whip and a cheery hail. "Evenin', Lamont." "Peters, by George! Well, I said you'd be back to-night. You're as punctual as a jolly clock, old man." The speaker was outside the gate now, and the two men exchanged a cordial hand-grip. "Jolly glad you are back too," he went on. "I've got on a fit of holy blues to-night." "Oh well, then, it's a good job I've brought along a chum. He'll help liven you." "A chum? Where is he?" "With the carts. They're about at the three-mile _draai_ now. His horse knocked out. This was the way of it," went on Peters, who, having off-saddled his own mount and handed it over to a boy, led the way to the house. "You know Fuliya's bend on the Pagadi road. No, you don't? Well, no matter. Here's luck, old man." Down went two long tumblers of whisky-and-selzogene. "We'll have another when the other chap turns up," said Peters, with a jolly laugh. "Well, as I was saying, just before I got to that bend I saw two ugly Makalakas cross the road." "Nothing wonderful in that. Most likely they only wanted to get to the other side," said Lamont slily. "Eh? Oh, I see. Well they did, of course. They dived into the mopani. But, you know, they gave me the idea of being up to some devilment. They didn't see me neither, and they had axes and assegais, but of course it was none of my business if they were going to stick or hack some other nigger, so I just rode on. A mile or so farther, just the other side of a dry _sluit_, I saw a brand-new bush-buck spoor leading into the mopani. I could do with some fresh meat just then--dead sick of `bully'--so started to see if I could get near enough to him with the .303. Well I didn't. I saw something else that drove the other clean out of my head. On the opposite side of the _sluit_ from me a man staggered out from the trees--a white man--and fell. `That's what those two devils were up to, was it,' I thought. They'd assegaied him from behind, and would be here in a minute to collect the plunder. You know, Lamont, more than one white man has disappeared in that mopani belt, but it's always been put down to thirst." "Yes. Go on."