He never saw or heard them, yet, as the words left his lips, they sprang upon him from every side, holding him so that he could not move.
"Away with him!" cried Noma with a laugh of triumph; and at her command he was half-dragged and half-carried across the open space and thrust violently over a stone wall into the camp of Hafela.
Now Nodwengo and his soldiers saw what had happened, and with a shout of "Treachery!" some hundreds of them leapt into the plain and began to run towards the koppie to rescue their envoy.
Hokosa heard the shout, and wrenching himself round, beheld them.
"Back!" he cried in a clear, shrill voice.

"Back! children of Nodwengo, and leave me to my fate, for the foe waits for you by thousands behind the wall!" A soldier struck him across the mouth, bidding him be silent; but his warning had come to the ears of Nodwengo, causing him and his warriors to halt and begin a retreat.

It was well that they did so, for seeing that they would not come on, from under the shelter of the wall and of every rock and stone soldiers jumped up by companies and charged, driving them back to their own schanse.

But the king's men had the start of them, and had taken shelter behind it, whence they greeted them with a volley of spears, killing ten and wounding twice as many more.
Now it was Hokosa's turn to laugh, and laugh he did, saying:-- "My taking is well paid for already, Prince.

A score of your best warriors is a heavy price to give for the carcase of one weary and aging man.