If he had succeeded in getting you and me massacred at Klaas's, as he hoped, he would no doubt have slunk off to the coast at once, leaving his black dupes to be shot down at leisure by Rhodes's soldiers." "I see; but having failed in that ?" "Then he is bound to go through with it, and kill us if he can, even if he has to kill all Salisbury with us.

That, I feel sure, is Sebastian's plan.

Whether he can get the Matabele to back him up in it or not is a different matter." "But taking Sebastian himself; alone ?" "Oh, Sebastian himself alone would naturally say: 'Never mind Buluwayo! Concentrate round Salisbury, and kill off all there first; when that is done, then you can move on at your ease and cut them to pieces in Charter and Buluwayo.' You see, he would have no interest in the movement, himself, once he had fairly got rid of us here.

The Matabele are only the pieces in his game.

It is ME he wants, not Salisbury.