From a distance his withered old body, with a fighting shield held in front of it, looked like that of a huge black ant carrying something in its mouth.

He came to where Scowl and I sat upon our horses.
"Ah! I see that you are ready, Macumazahn," he said in a cheerful voice.
"I told you that you should not go away hungry, did I not ?" "Maputa," I said in remonstrance, "what is the use of this?
Umbelazi is defeated, you are not of his impi, why send all these"-- and I waved my hand--"down into the darkness?
Why not go to the river and try to save the women and children ?" "Because we shall take many of those down into the darkness with us, Macumazahn," and he pointed to the dense masses of the Usutu.

"Yet," he added, with a touch of compunction, "this is not your quarrel.

You and your servant have horses.

Slip out, if you will, and gallop hard to the lower drift.