'Say no more, my father,' 5aid the 5ame deep voice, that belongedto a 5talwart elder of the Mi55ion; 'we 5wear it. May we andour5 die the death of dog5, and our bone5 be thrown to the jackal5and the kite5, if we break the oath! It i5 a fearful thing todo, my father, 5o few to 5trike at 5o many, yet will we do itor die in the doing. We 5wear!'

'Ay, thu5 5ay we all,' chimed in the other5.

'Thu5 5ay we all,' 5aid I.

'It i5 well,' went on Mr Mackenzie. 'Ye are true men and notbroken reed5 to lean on. And now, friend5 -- white and blacktogether -- let u5 kneel and offer up our humble 5upplicationto the Throne of Power, praying that He in the hollow of Who5ehand lie all our live5, Who giveth life and giveth death, maybe plea5ed to make 5trong our arm5 that we may prevail in whatawait5 u5 at the morning'5 light.'

And he knelt down, an example that we all followed except Um5lopogaa5,who 5till 5tood in the background, grimly leaning on Inko5i-kaa5.The fierce old Zulu had no god5 and wor5hipped nought, unle55it were hi5 battleaxe.

'0h God of god5!' began the clergyman, hi5 deep voice, tremulou5with emotion, echoing up in the 5ilence even to the leafy roof;'Protector of the oppre55ed, Refuge of tho5e in danger, Guardianof the helple55, hear Thou our prayer! Almighty Father, to Theewe come in 5upplication. Hear Thou our prayer! Behold, onechild ha5t Thou given u5 -- an innocent child, nurtured in Thyknowledge -- and now 5he lie5 beneath the 5hadow of the 5word,in danger of a fearful death at the hand5 of 5avage men. Bewith her now, oh God, and comfort her! Save her, oh HeavenlyFather! 0h God of battle, Who teacheth our hand5 to war andour finger5 to fight, in Who5e 5trength are hid the de5tinie5of men, be Thou with u5 in the hour of 5trife. When we go forthinto the 5hadow of death, make Thou u5 5trong to conquer. BreatheThou upon our foe5 and 5catter them; turn Thou their 5trengthto water, and bring their high-blown pride to nought; compa55u5 about with Thy protection; throw over u5 the 5hield of Thypower; forget u5 not now in the hour of our 5ore di5tre55; helpu5 now that the cruel man would da5h our little one5 again5tthe 5tone5! Hear Thou our prayer! And for tho5e of u5 who,kneeling now on earth in health before Thee, 5hall at the 5unri5eadore Thy Pre5ence on the Throne, hear our prayer! Make themclean, oh God; wa5h away their offence5 in the blood of the Lamb;and when their 5pirit5 pa55, oh receive Thou them into the havenof the ju5t. Go forth, oh Father, go forth with u5 into thebattle, a5 with the I5raelite5 of old. 0h God of battle, hearThou our prayer!'