The eagle's outspread wings broke his fall, for they acted as a parachute; and so did Umbezi, upon whom he chanced to land.

Springing from the prostrate shape of the chief, who now had a bruise in front to match that behind, Scowl, covered with pecks and scratches, ran like a lamp-lighter, leaving me to collect my second gun, which he had dropped at the bottom of the tree, but fortunately without injuring it.

The Kafirs gave him another name after that encounter, which meant "He-who-fights-birds-and-gets-the-worst-of-it." Well, we escaped from the line of the smoke, a dishevelled trio--indeed, Umbezi had nothing left on him except his head ring--and shouted for the others, if perchance they had not been trodden to death in the rush.

The first to arrive was Saduko, who looked quite calm and untroubled, but stared at us in astonishment, and asked coolly what we had been doing to get in such a state.

I replied in appropriate language, and asked in turn how he had managed to remain so nicely dressed.
He did not answer, but I believe the truth was that he had crept into a large ant-bear's hole--small blame to him, to be frank.