Hadden glanced around him, and saw his opportunity. 0n the groundclose beside him lay his rifle, where one of the soldiers had placedit, and about a dozen yards away Maputa's pony was grazing. With aswift movement, he seized the Martini and five seconds later he was onthe back of the pony, heading for the Crocodile Drift at a gallop. Soquickly indeed did he execute this masterly retreat, that occupied asthey all were in binding Nahoon, for half a minute or more none of thesoldiers noticed what had happened. Then Maputa chanced to see, andwaddled after him to the top of the rise, screaming:--

"The yellow thief, he has stolen my mule, and the gun too, the gunthat he promised to give me."