to the untutored savage mind. The heralds withdrew, but not out of
sight, and Nala went through the show of earnestly consulting his
Indunas. The girl Maiwa too flung herself at his feet, and appeared to
weep and implore his protection, while he wrung his hands as though in
doubt and tribulation of mind. At length he summoned the messengers to
draw near, and addressed them, while Maiwa sobbed very realistically at
his side.

"'Wambe is a great chief,' said Nala, 'and this woman is his wife, whom
he has a right to claim. She must return to him, but her feet are sore
with walking, she cannot come now. In eight days from this day she shall
be delivered at the kraal of Wambe; I will send her with a party of my
men. As for the white hunter and his men, I have nought to do with them,
and cannot answer for their misdeeds. They have wandered hither unbidden
by me, and I will deliver them back whence they came, that Wambe may
judge them according to his law; they shall be sent with the girl. For
you, go your ways. Food shall be given you without the kraal, and a
present for Wambe in atonement of the ill-doing of my daughter. I have
spoken.'

"At first the heralds seemed inclined to insist upon Maiwa's
accompanying them then and there, but on being shown the swollen
condition of her feet, ultimately they gave up the point and departed.

"When they were well out of the way I emerged from the hut, and we went
on to discuss the situation and make our plans. First of all, as I was
careful to explain to Nala, I was not going to give him my experience
and services for nothing. I heard that Wambe had a stockade round
his kraal made of elephant tusks. These tusks, in the event of our
succeeding in the enterprise, I should claim as my perquisite, with the