There I ordered him to find out what he could, and if possible to mix with the slaves and explain that we were their friends.

Hans nodded, for this was exactly the kind of task that appealed to him, and went off to make his preparations.
Stephen and I also made some preparations in the way of strengthening our defences, building large watch-fires and setting sentries.
The night fell, and Hans with his companions departed stealthily as snakes.

The silence was intense, save for the occasional wailings of the slaves, which now and again broke out in bursts of melancholy sound, "_La-lu-La-lua!_" and then died away, to be followed by horrid screams as the Arabs laid their lashes upon some poor wretch.

Once too, a shot was fired.
"They have seen Hans," said Stephen.
"I think not," I answered, "for if so there would have been more than one shot.

Either it was an accident or they were murdering a slave." After this nothing more happened for a long while, till at length Hans seemed to rise out of the ground in front of me, and behind him I saw the figures of the Mazitu and the other man.
"Tell your story," I said.
"Baas, it is this.