23<3 DAYS AND NIGHTS BY THE DESERT. 



hospitality, and order her people to show me all the 

 game in the locality. For half an hour I patiently 

 waited to learn the success of this last effort. 

 Soon after I perceived Cigar returning, escorted by 

 madame and all her maids. Inwardly I chuckled 

 to myself, "At length I have made you surrender." 

 But I had counted my chickens before they were 

 hatched. 



With stately step and flashing eyes, the lady 

 sailed into the camp. When she reached me she 

 halted, and her retinue ranged themselves on each 

 side of their leader. With the utmost gravity and 

 order this was accomplished, after which a pause 

 ensued, then madame, holding out the copy of 

 Bareekey's letter in her left hand and pointing to it 

 with her right in the most scornful manner, spoke. 



" This is from Bareekey, is it, and he orders me to 

 give you what you want, and orders me " (with great 

 scorn) " to send my people to hunt with you ? Am I 

 a Zulu that was bought with cows, or a slave of 

 a Kaffir from the old colony ? No ; I own this 

 country, my father gave it to me, and it is mine. 

 Bareekey comes here when it suits his pleasure, 

 but let him come or stay away, I'll have none of 

 his orders. Thus I respect them." And the ter- 

 magant tore the offensive slip of paper into the 

 tiniest particles and scattered it to the winds. 



A round of approving applause greeted this dis- 

 play of rhetoric. When it had subsided, the indignant 



