Now the most of the men went into the garden followed by Ishmael, and
taking Richard with them, but a few remained to watch her. From this
garden presently arose a sound of great quarrelling. Rachel was too far
off to understand what was said, but from the sounds she judged that
Ishmael was giving orders to his people which they refused to obey, for
she could hear him cursing them furiously. Presently she heard something
else--the loud report of a gun followed by groans. Then a Kaffir ran up to
them and whispered something to those who surrounded her; it was that head
man whom Ishmael had struck on the mouth in the bush when he told him that
a dog had howled upon his hut, and his face was very frightened.
Rachel leaned against the wall and looked at him, for she could not speak,
she who thought that Richard had been murdered.
"Have no fear, Inkosazana," said the man, answering the question in her
eyes. "Ibubesi has killed one of us because we do not like this business
and would clean it off our hands, that is all. The chief Dario is safe,
and I swear to thee that no harm shall come to him from us. We will care
for him and protect him to the death, and if we lead him away a prisoner
it is because we must, since otherwise Ibubesi will kill us all.
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