“We went into the reeds,” said Sirayo, “as you saw.”
“We thought at first you had been killed.”
“Yoh! we each smote our man, for they were startled; then we took their shields, called to the other four to throw them off their guard, and entered the reeds. We went through them till we came abreast of the impi. Then we lay and watched. There were four Indunas and two white men. They ate and slept, and in the afternoon took medicine from the amapakati, a big man whom the Gaika had seen before.”
“Eweh,” interposed Klaas, whose eyes gleamed through the dark, “the same who came to the kraal, and who last night crept in upon us.”
“They took medicine and danced. Then they marched, and we thought at first they were going to eat you up. I saw the people on the mountain. They took alarm; the horns sounded, and I knew the impi was not on your spoor. They have made their fires high up, and in the morning will ascend. It is well. Our path will be clear.”
“And the white men?”
“One I have seen before,” said Klaas, “a small man with a yellow skin. The other I know not, but his arm is hurt. It was he the baas hit when we were at the waggon.”
“You have done good service, and we will remember. They will have their hands full with the mountain people.”
“Oh, ayi, and with the people beyond if they enter the valley.”
“Then our chances improve,” said Hume, turning to Webster, “for while they are fighting we may slip through undetected.”