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