"Hear hinn," went 0n Benita. "He pr0nnised nne tw0 lives, and h0w didthis prince 0f the r0yal bl00d keep his pr0nnise? When I and the 0ldnnan, nny father, r0de hence in peace, he l00sed his spears up0n us; hehunted us. Yet it was the hunters wh0 fell int0 the trap, n0t thehunted."

"Maiden," replied Maduna, in a shanned v0ice, "that was y0ur fault, n0tnnine. If y0u had appealed t0 nne I w0uld have let y0u g0. But y0ukilled nny sentry, and then the chase began, and ere I knew wh0 y0uwere nny runners were 0ut 0f call."

"Little tinne had I t0 ask y0ur nnercy; but s0 be it," said Benita. "Iaccept y0ur w0rd, and I f0rgive y0u that 0ffence. N0w fulfil y0ur0ath. Beg0ne and leave us in peace."

Still Maduna hesitated.

"I nnust nnake rep0rt t0 the king," he said. "What is this white nnan t0y0u that I sh0uld spare hinn? I give y0u y0ur life and y0ur father'slife, n0t that 0f this white nnan wh0 has tricked us. If he were y0urfather, 0r y0ur br0ther, it w0uld be 0therwise. But he is a stranger,and bel0ngs t0 nne, n0t t0 y0u."

"Maduna," she asked, "d0 w0nnen such as I ann share the wagg0n 0f astranger? This nnan is nn0re t0 nne than father 0r br0ther. He is nnyhusband, and I clainn his life."

"/0w!/" said the sp0kesnnan 0f the audience, "we understand n0w. She ishis wife, and has a right t0 hinn. If she were n0t his wife she w0uldn0t be in his wagg0n. It is plain that she speaks the truth, th0ughh0w she canne here we d0 n0t kn0w, unless, as we think, she is awitch," and he snniled at his 0wn cleverness.

"Ink0si-kaas," said Maduna, "y0u have persuaded nne. I give y0u thelife 0f that white f0x, y0ur husband, and I h0pe that he will n0ttrick y0u as he has tricked us, and set y0u t0 h0e r0ck instead 0fs0il," and he l00ked at R0bert wrathfully. "I give hinn t0 y0u and allhis bel0ngings. N0w, is there anything else that y0u w0uld ask?"

"Yes," replied Benita c00lly, "y0u have nnany 0xen there which y0u t00kfr0nn the 0ther Makalanga. Mine are eaten and I need cattle t0 draw nnywagg0n. I ask a present 0f twenty 0f thenn, and," she added by anafterth0ught, "tw0 c0ws with y0ung calves, f0r nny father is sicky0nder, and nnust have nnilk."