214 TREACHEROUS BEHAVIOUR OF A-SA-HA-BE. 



not possibly follow a trail, nor would he have had time to go 

 very far during his two-hour watch. So we told him that we 

 allowed no one to leave the camp during the night, and that 

 he must do his scouting in the daytime, when one of us would 

 go with him. 



We had mistrusted him from the first, and now were almost 

 sure that he meant to betray us ; but it was nearly impossible 

 to get proof, or we would have shot him at once. As he only 

 knew a few words of English, it was difficult to explain any- 

 thing to him, the only other means being by signs, which he 

 was wonderfully quick at understanding. 



Things went smoothly for two days, when one night F , 



who was on guard, woke me to say that A-sa-ha-be had 

 just left the waggon, under which he slept, and had gone 

 towards his horse. 



Getting my rifle, F and I followed him very cautiously, 



keeping under the shelter of some bushes which grew round 

 camp, and we saw him go to his horse, put on the saddle, and 

 prepare to mount. We then ran forward and called to him to 

 stop, on which he sprang on the horse and rode off at full 

 speed. Being convinced then that he meant treachery, we both 

 fired at him ; but the night was dark, and we missed him. The 

 shots roused the men, and we held a consultation as to the 

 best thing to do. To turn back was what we thought wisest ; 

 but this neither of us proposed, hoping that some other plan 

 might be devised. If we had been travelling with pack-animals 

 we could have pushed on quickly, having probably a good 

 many hours' start ; but with a waggon this was of no use four 

 miles an hour being as much as we could manage. In any 

 case we had to move at once to a better position, as our present 



