When they were quite beyond his reach in the middle of the stream, he stood still and watched until he saw them come to the further shore in safety.

Then he called his men about him and consulted with them, and the end of it was that they rode off in a body up the bank of the river.
"They go to seek a ford," said Suzanne.
"Yes, Swallow, but now we shall have the start of them.

Come, let us mount." So they climbed upon the back of the _schimmel_, and once more he went on with them, not fast, for now he could not even canter, but ambling or walking, according to the nature of the ground, at a rate perhaps of seven miles the hour.

Soon they had left the river and were toiling up the slopes of the peak, until presently they struck a well-worn footpath.
"I think that this must lead to the town of Sigwe," said Sihamba.
"I pray that it does," answered Suzanne, "and that it is not far, for I feel as though Death were near to me." "Keep a great heart," said Sihamba, "for we have met Death face to face and conquered him." So still they toiled on till at length the path took a turn, and there, in a fold of the hill, they beheld the great kraal of Sigwe, a very large Kaffir town.

Before the kraal was a wide open space, and on that space armed men were assembled, several full regiments of them.