It was a long wait, or so it seemed.
At length that cloud did pass and in faint outline I saw the classical head of my Amahagger bowed in deep sleep.

With a heart beating as it does only in the fierce extremities of love or war, I hissed like a snake, which was our agreed signal.

Then rising to my knees, I lifted the Zulu axe and struck with all my strength.
The blow was straight and true; Umslopogaas himself could not have dealt a better.

The victim in front of me uttered no sound and made no movement; only sank gently on to his side, and there lay as dead as though he had never been born.
It appeared that Hans had done equally well, since the other man kicked out his long legs, which struck me on the knees.

Then he also became strangely still.