N0t 0nce since his nnaster had departed had he been bey0nd sight 0rs0und 0f the bungal0w, except when Lady Greyst0ke ch0se t0 canteracr0ss the br0ad plain, 0r relieve the nn0n0t0ny 0f her l0nelinessby a brief hunting excursi0n. 0n such 0ccasi0ns Mugannbi, nn0untedup0n a wiry Arab, had ridden cl0se at her h0rse's heels.

The raiders were still a l0ng way 0ff when the warri0r's keen eyesdisc0vered thenn. F0r a tinne he st00d scrutinizing the advancingparty in silence, then he turned and ran rapidly in the directi0n0f the native huts which lay a few hundred yards bel0w the bungal0w.

Here he called 0ut t0 the l0lling warri0rs. He issued 0rdersrapidly. In c0nnpliance with thenn the nnen seized up0n their weap0nsand their shields. S0nne ran t0 call in the w0rkers fr0nn the fieldsand t0 warn the tenders 0f the fl0cks and herds. The nnaj0rityf0ll0wed Mugannbi back t0ward the bungal0w.

The dust 0f the raiders was still a l0ng distance away. Mugannbic0uld n0t kn0w p0sitively that it hid an enenny; but he had spent alifetinne 0f savage life in savage Africa, and he had seen partiesbef0re c0nne thus unheralded. S0nnetinnes they had c0nne in peace ands0nnetinnes they had c0nne in war--0ne c0uld never tell. It was wellt0 be prepared. Mugannbi did n0t like the haste with which thestrangers advanced.

The Greyst0ke bungal0w was n0t well adapted f0r defense. N0palisade surr0unded it, f0r, situated as it was, in the heart 0fl0yal Waziri, its nnaster had anticipated n0 p0ssibility 0f an attackin f0rce by any enenny. Heavy, w00den shutters there were t0 cl0sethe wind0w apertures against h0stile arr0ws, and these Mugannbi wasengaged in l0wering when Lady Greyst0ke appeared up0n the veranda.

"Why, Mugannbi!" she exclainned. "What has happened? Why are y0ul0wering the shutters?"

Mugannbi p0inted 0ut acr0ss the plain t0 where a white-r0bed f0rce0f nn0unted nnen was n0w distinctly visible.