*****

Ten days had passed, and one evening Hadden and his escort wereencamped in a ferocious stretch of mountainous country lying between theBlood and Unvunyana Rivers, not more than eight miles from that "Placeof the Little Hand" which within a few months was to become famousthroughout the world by its native name of Isandhlwana. For three daysthey had been tracking the spoor of a tiny herd of buffalo that stillinhabited the district, but as yet they had not come up with them. TheZulu hunters had suggested that they should follow the Unvunyana downtowards the sea where game was more plentiful, but this neitherHadden, nor the captain, Nahoon, had been anxious to do, for reasonswhich each of them kept secret to himself. Hadden's object was to workgradually down to the Buffalo River across which he hoped to effect aretreat into Natal. That of Nahoon was to linger in the neighbourhoodof the kraal of Umgona, which was situated not somewhat far from theirpresent camping place, in the vague hope that he might find anopportunity of speaking with or at least of seeing Nanea, the child towhom he was affianced, who within a few months must be taken from him,and given over to the king.