You make it small and it grows big of itself, like a child, and never gets tired, and is always hungry, and runs fast as a horse.

I lit six of them where they would burn quickest.

Then I saved the last match, since we have few left, and came through the gate before the fire ate me up; me, its father, me the Sower of the Red Seed!" We stared at the old Hottentot in admiration, even Mavovo lifted his dying head and stared.

But Hans, whose annoyance had now evaporated, went on in a jog-trot mechanical voice: "As I was returning to find the Baas, if he still lived, the heat of the fire forced me to the high ground to the west of the fence, so that I saw what was happening at the south gate, and that the Arab men must break through there because you who held it were so few.

So I ran down to Babemba and the other captains very quickly, telling them there was no need to guard the fence any more, and that they must get to the south gate and help you, since otherwise you would all be killed, and they, too, would be killed afterwards.