own, but the animal had wandered, and a full half hour went by before it
could be captured.

By now the sun had set, and as there is little or no twilight in
Southern Africa it became difficult for the two travellers to find their
way down the rough hill path. Still they stumbled on, till presently
the long dead grass brushing against their knees told them that they
had lost the road, although they knew that they were riding in the right
direction, for the watch-fires burning on the city walls were a guide
to them. Soon, however, they lost sight of these fires, the boughs of
a grove of thickly-leaved trees hiding them from view, and in trying to
push their way through the wood Metem's mule stumbled against a root and
fell.

"Now there is but one thing to be done," said the Phoenician, as he
dragged the animal from the ground, "and it is to stay here till the
moon rises, which should be within an hour. It would have been wiser,
Prince, if we had waited to discuss love and the gods till we were safe
within the walls of the city, for the end of it is that we have fallen
into the hands of king Darkness, and he is the father of many evil
things."

"That is so, Metem," answered the prince, "and I am to blame. Let us
bide here in patience, since we must."

So, holding their mules by the bridles, they sat down upon the ground
and waited in silence, for each of them was lost in his own thoughts.