"Follow me." So they followed him, and came to the north side of the mountain, and there, two spear-casts away, a soldier was standing.

But when he saw them he vanished suddenly.
"There is the place," said Galazi, "and the fox has gone to earth in it." Now they ran to the spot and saw a little hole in the rock, scarcely bigger than an ant-bear's burrow, and through the hole came sounds and some light.
"Now where is the hyena who will try a new burrow ?" cried Umslopogaas.
"A hundred head of cattle to the man who wins through and clears the way!" Then two young men sprang forward who were flushed with victory and desired nothing more than to make a great name and win cattle, crying:-- "Here are hyenas, Bulalio." "To earth, then!" said Umslopogaas, "and let him who wins through hold the path awhile till others follow." The two young men sprang at the hole, and he who reached it first went down upon his hands and knees and crawled in, lying on his shield and holding his spear before him.

For a little while the light in the burrow vanished, and they heard the sound of his crawling.

Then came the noise of blows, and once more light crept through the hole.

The man was dead.
"This one had a bad snake," said the second soldier; "his snake deserted him.