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Hans　sat　down　upon　the　ground　and　began　to　groan；　swearing　that　he　would

not　go　one　step　farther　unless　I　promised　to　make　the　accustomed

offering。



〃Why　not；　you　fool？〃　I　asked。



〃Because　if　you　neglect　it；　baas；　I　think　that　we　shall　stop　here　for

ever。　　Oh！　you　may　laugh；　but　I　tell　you　that　already　you　have　brought

ill…luck　upon　yourself。　　Remember　my　words；　baas；　when　you　miss　two　of

the　five　aasvogels。〃



〃Bosh！〃　I　exclaimed；　or；　rather；　its　Dutch　equivalent。　　Still；　as　this

talk　of　missing　vultures　touched　me　nearly；　and　it　is　always　as　well　to

conform　to　native　prejudices；　at　the　next　and　two　subsequent　heaps　I

cast　my　stone　as　humbly　as　the　most　superstitious　Zulu　in　the　land。



By　this　time　we　had　reached　the　summit；　which　may　have　been　two　hundred

yards　long。　　It　was　hog…backed　in　shape；　with　a　kind　of　depression　in

the　middle　cleared　of　stones；　either　by　the　hand　of　man　or　nature；　and

not　unlike　a　large　circus　in　its　general　conformation。



Oh！　the　sight　that　met　my　eyes。　　All　about　lay　the　picked　and　scattered

bones　of　men　and　women；　many　of　them　broken　up　by　the　jaws　of　hyenas。　

Some　were　quite　fresh；　for　the　hair　still　clung　to　the　skulls；　others

blanched　and　old。　　But　new　or　ancient　there　must　have　been　hundreds　of

them。　　Moreover；　on　the　sides　of　the　hill　it　was　the　same　story；　though

there；　for　the　most　part；　the　bones　had　been　gathered　into　gleaming

heaps。　　No　wonder　that　the　vultures　loved　Hloma　Amabutu；　the　Place　of

Slaughter　of　the　bloody　Zulu　king。



Of　these　horrible　birds；　however；　at　the　moment　not　one　was　to　be　seen。　

As　there　had　been　no　execution　for　a　few　hours　they　were　seeking　their

food　elsewhere。　　Now；　for　my　own　purposes；　I　wanted　to　see　them；　since

otherwise　my　visit　was　in　vain；　and　presently　bethought　myself　of　a

method　of　securing　their　arrival。



〃Hans；〃　I　said；　〃I　am　going　to　pretend　to　kill　you；　and　then　you　must

lie　quite　still　out　there　like　one　dead。　　Even　if　the　aasvogels　settle

on　you；　you　must　lie　quite　still；　so　that　I　may　see　whence　they　come　and

how　they　settle。〃



The　Hottentot　did　not　take　at　all　kindly　to　this　suggestion。　　Indeed；　he

flatly　refused　to　obey　me；　giving　sundry　good　reasons。　　He　said　that

this　kind　of　rehearsal　was　ill…omened；　that　coming　events　have　a　way　of

casting　their　shadow　before；　and　he　did　not　wish　to　furnish　the　event。　

He　said　that　the　Zulus　declared　that　the　sacred　aasvogels　of　Hloma

Amabutu　were　as　savage　as　lions；　and　that　when　once　they　saw　a　man　down

they　would　tear　him　to　pieces；　dead　or　living。　　In　short；　Hans　and　I

came　to　ail　acute　difference　of　opinion。　　As　for　every　reason　it　was

necessary　that　my　view　should　prevail；　however；　I　did　not　hesitate　to

put　matters　to　him　very　plainly。



〃Hans；〃　I　said；　〃you　have　to　be　a　bait　for　vultures；　choose　if　you　will

be　a　live　bait　or　a　dead　bait；〃　and　I　cocked　the　rifle　significantly；

although；　in　truth；　the　last　thing　that　I　wished　or　intended　to　do　was

to　shoot　my　faithful　old　Hottentot　friend。　　But　Hans；　knowing　all　I　had

at　stake；　came　to　a　different　conclusion。



〃Allemachte！　baas；〃　he　said；　〃I　understand；　and　I　do　not　blame　you。　

Well；　if　I　obey　alive；　perhaps　my　guardian　Snake〃　（or　spirit）　〃will

protect　me　from　the　evil　omen；　and　perhaps　the　aasvogels　will　not　pick

out　my　eyes。　　But　if　once　you　send　a　bullet　through　my　stomachwhy；

then　everything　is　finished；　and　for　Hans　it　is　'Good　night；　sleep

well。'　　I　will　obey　you；　baas；　and　lie　where　you　wish；　only；　I　pray　you；

do　not　forget　me　and　go　away；　leaving　me　with　those　devil　birds。〃



I　promised　him　faithfully　that　I　would　not。　　Then　we　went　through　a　very

grim　little　pantomime。　　Proceeding　to　the　centre　of　the　arena…like

space；　I　lifted　the　gun；　and　appeared　to　dash　out　Hans'　brains　with　its

butt。　　He　fell　upon　his　back；　kicked　about　a　little；　and　lay　still。　

This　finished　Act　1。



Act　2　was　that；　capering　like　a　brute　of　a　Zulu　executioner；　I　retired

from　my　victim　and　hid　myself　in　a　bush　on　the　edge　of　the　plateau　at　a

distance　of　forty　yards。　　After　this　there　was　a　pause。　　The　place　was

intensely　bright　with　sunshine　and　intensely　silent；　as　silent　as　the

skeletons　of　the　murdered　men　about　me；　as　silent　as　Hans；　who　lay　there

looking　so　very　small　and　dead　in　that　big　theatre　where　no　grass　grew。　

It　was　an　eerie　wait　in　such　surroundings；　but　at　length　the　curtain

rang　up　for　Act　3。



In　the　infinite　arch　of　blue　above　me　I　perceived　a　speck；　no　larger

than　a　mote　of　dust。　　The　aasvogel　on　watch　up　there　far　out　of　the

range　of　man's　vision　had　seen　the　deed；　and；　by　sinking　downwards；

signalled　it　to　his　companions　that　were　quartering　the　sky　for　fifty

miles　round；　for　these　birds　prey　by　sight；　not　by　smell。　　Down　he　came

and　down；　and　long　before　he　had　reached　the　neighbourhood　of　earth

other　specks　appeared　in　the　distant　blue。　　Now　he　was　not　more　than

four　or　five　hundred　yards　above　me；　and　began　to　wheel；　floating　round

the　place　upon　his　wide　wings；　and　sinking　as　he　wheeled。　　So　he　sank

softly　and　slowly　until　he　was　about　a　hundred　and　fifty　feet　above

Hans。　　Then　suddenly　he　paused；　hung　quite　steady　for　a　few　seconds；

shut　his　wings　and　fell　like　a　bolt；　only　opening　them　again　just　before

he　reached　the　earth。



Here　he　settled；　tilting　forward　in　that　odd　way　which　vultures　have；

and　scrambling　a　few　awkward　paces　until　he　gained　his　balance。　　Then　he

froze　into　immobility；　gazing　with　in　awful；　stony　glare　at　the

prostrate　Hans；　who　lay　within　about　fifteen　feet　of　him。　　Scarcely　was

this　aasvogel　down；　when　others；　summoned　from　the　depths　of　sky；　did　as

he　had　done。　　They　appeared；　they　sank；　they　wheeled；　always　from　east

to　west；　the　way　the　sun　travels。　　They　hovered　for　a　few　seconds；　then

fell　like　stones；　pitched　on　to　their　beaks；　recovered　themselves；

waddled　forward　into　line；　and　sat　gazing　at　Hans。　　Soon　there　was　a

great　ring　of　them　about　him；　all　immovable；　all　gazing；　all　waiting　for

something。



Presently　that　something　appeared　in　the　shape　of　an　aasvogel　which　was

nearly　twice　as　big　as　any　of　the　others。　　This　was　what　the　Boers　and

the　natives　call　the　〃king　vulture；〃　one　of　which　goes　with　every　flock。

　He　it　is　who　rules　the　roost　and　also　the　carcase；　which　without　his

presence　and　permission　none　dare　to　attack。　　Whether　this　vile　fowl　is

of　a　different　species　from　the　others；　or　whether　he　is　a　bird　of　more

vigorous　growth　and　constitution　that　has　outgrown　the　rest　and　thus

become　their　overlord；　is　more　than　I　can　tell。　　At　least　it　is　certain；

as　I　can　testify　from　long　and　constant　observation；　that　almost　every

flock　of　vultures　has　its　king。



When　this　particular　royalty　had　arrived；　the　other　aasvogels；　of　which

perhaps　there　were　now　fifty　or　sixty　gathered　round　Hans；　began　to　show

signs　of　interested　animation。　　They　looked　at　the　king　bird；　they

looked　at　Hans；　stretching　out　their　naked　red　necks　and　winking　their

brilliant　eyes。　　I；　however；　did　not　pay　particular　attention　to　those

upon　the　earth；　being　amply　occupied　in　watching　their　fellows　in　the

air。



With　delight　I　observed　that　the　vulture　is　a　very　conservative

creature。　　They　all　did　what　doubtless　they　have　done　since　the　days　of

Adam　or　earlierwheeled；　and　then　hung　that　little　space　of　time　before

they　dropped　to　the　ground　like　lead。　　This；　then；　would　be　the　moment

at　which　to　shoot　them；　when　for　four　or　five　seconds　they　offered

practically　a　sitting　target。　　Now；　at　that　distance；　always　under　a

hundred　yards；　I　knew　well　that　I　could　hit　a　tea　plate　every　shot；　and

a　vulture　is　much　larger　than　a　tea　plate。　　So　it　seemed　to　me　that；

barring　accidents；　I　had　little　to　fear　from　the　terrible　trial　of　skill

which　lay　before　me。　　Again　and　again　I　covered　the　hovering　birds　with

my　rifle；　feeling　that　if　I　had　pressed　the　trigger　I　should　have

pierced　them　through。



Thinking　it　well　to　practise；　I　continued　this　game　for　a　long　while；

till　at　last　it　came　to　an　unexpected　end。　　Suddenly　I　heard　a　scuffling

sound。　　Dropping　my　glance　I　saw　that　the　whole　mob　of　aasvogels　were

rushing　in　upon　Hans；　helping　themselves　forward　by　flapping　their　great

wings；　and　that　about　three　feet　in　front　of　them　was　their　king。　　Next

instant　Hans　vanished；　and　from　the　centre　of　that　fluffy；　stinking　mass

there　arose　a　frightful　yell。



As　a　matter　of　fact；　as　I　found　afterwards；　the　king　vulture　had

fastened　on　to　his　snub　nose；　whilst　its　dreadful　companions；　having

seized　other　portions　of　his　frame；　were　beginning　to　hang　back　after

their　fashion　in　order　to　secure　some　chosen　morsel。　　Hans　kicked　and

screamed；　and　I　rushed　in　shouting；　causing　them　to　rise　in　a　great；

flapping　cloud　that　presently　vanished　this　way　and　that。　　Within　a

minute　they　had　all　gone；　and　the　Hottentot　and　I　were　left　alone。



〃That　is　good；〃　I　said。　　〃You　played　well。〃



〃Good！　baas；〃　he　answered；　〃and　I　with　two