Sammy, at whom we had always mocked, was, after all, a great man, prepared to perish in the flames in order to save his friends! Babemba rushed up, pointing with a spear to the rising fire.

Now my inspiration came.
"Take all your men," I said, "except those who are armed with guns.
Divide them, encircle the town, guard the north gate, though I think none can win back through the flames, and if any of the Arabs succeed in breaking through the palisade, kill them." "It shall be done," shouted Babemba, "but oh! for the town of Beza where I was born! Oh! for the town of Beza!" "Drat the town of Beza!" I holloaed after him, or rather its native equivalent.

"It is of all our lives that I'm thinking." Three minutes later the Mazitu, divided into two bodies, were running like hares to encircle the town, and though a few were shot as they descended the slope, the most of them gained the shelter of the palisade in safety, and there at intervals halted by sections, for Babemba managed the matter very well.
Now only we white people, with the Zulu hunters under Mavovo, of whom there were twelve in all, and the Mazitu armed with guns, numbering about thirty, were left upon the slope.
For a little while the Arabs did not seem to realise what had happened, but engaged themselves in peppering at the Mazitu, who, I think, they concluded were in full flight.

Presently, however, they either heard or saw.
Oh! what a hubbub ensued.

All the four hundred of them began to shout at once.