Reverend　Mr。　Owen；　the　missionary；　who　was　very　glad　to　see　me。　　He
  informed　me　that　Dingaan　was　in　good　mind　towards　us；　and　had　been
  asking　him　if　he　would　write　the　treaty　ceding　the　land　which　the　Boers
  wanted。　　I　stopped　for　service　at　the　huts　of　Mr。　Owen；　and　then
  returned　to　the　camp。　　In　the　afternoon　Dingaan　celebrated　a　great　war
  dance　for　us　to　witness；　in　which　about　twelve　thousand　soldiers　took
  part。
  It　was　a　wonderful　and　awe…inspiring　spectacle；　and　I　remember　that　each
  of　the　regiments　employed　had　a　number　of　trained　oxen　which　manoeuvred
  with　them；　apparently　at　given　words　of　command。　　We　did　not　see　Dingaan
  that　day；　except　at　a　distance；　and　after　the　dance　was　over　returned　to
  our　camp　to　eat　the　beef　which　he　had　provided　for　us　in　plenty。
  On　the　third　daythat　was　Monday；　the　5th　of　February；　there　were　more
  dancings　and　sham　fights；　so　many　more；　indeed；　that　we　began　to　weary
  of　this　savage　show。　　Late　in　the　afternoon；　however；　Dingaan　sent　for
  the　commandant　and　his　men　to　come　to　see　him；　saying　that　he　wished　to
  talk　with　him　about　the　matter　of　the　treaty。　　So　we　went；　but　only
  three　or　four；　of　whom　I　was　one；　were　admitted　to　Dingaan's　presence；
  the　rest　remaining　at　a　little　distance；　where　they　could　see　us　but
  were　out　of　earshot。
  Dingaan　then　produced　a　paper　which　had　been　written　by　the　Reverend　Mr。
  Owen。　　This　document；　which　I　believe　still　exists；　for　it　was　found
  afterwards；　was　drawn　up　in　legal　or　semi…legal　form；　beginning　like　a
  proclamation；　〃Know　all　men。〃
  It　ceded　〃the　place　called　Port　Natal；　together　with　all　the　land
  annexedthat　is　to　say；　from　Tugela　to　the　Umzimvubu　River　westward；
  and　from　the　sea　to　the　north〃to　the　Boers；　〃for　their　everlasting
  property。〃　　At　the　king's　request；　as　the　deed　was　written　in　English　by
  Mr。　Owen；　I　translated　it　to　him；　and　afterwards　the　lad　Halstead
  translated　it　also；　being　called　in　to　do　so　when　I　had　finished。
  This　was　done　that　my　rendering　might　be　checked；　and　the　fact　impressed
  all　the　Boers　very　favourably。　　It　showed　them　that　the　king　desired　to
  understand　exactly　what　he　was　to　sign；　which　would　not　have　been　the
  case　had　he　intended　any　trick　or　proposed　to　cheat　them　afterwards。
  From　that　moment　forward　Retief　and　his　people　had　no　further　doubts　as
  to　Dingaan's　good　faith　in　this　matter；　and　foolishly　relaxed　all
  precautions　against　treachery。
  When　the　translating　was　finished；　the　commandant　asked　the　king　if　he
  would　sign　the　paper　then　and　there。　　He　answered；　〃No；　he　would　sign　it
  on　the　following　morning；　before　the　commission　returned　to　Natal。〃　　It
  was　then　that　Retief　inquired　of　Dingaan；　through　Thomas　Halstead；
  whether　it　was　a　true　story　which　he　had　heard；　that　the　Boer　called
  Pereira；　who　had　been　staying　with　him；　and　whom　the　Zulus　knew　by　the
  name　of　〃Two…faces；〃　had　again　asked　him；　Dingaan；　to　have　me；　Allan
  Quatermain；　whom　they　called　Macumazahn；　killed。　　Dingaan　laughed　and
  answered：
  〃Yes；　that　is　true　enough；　for　he　hates　this　Macumazahn。　　But　let　the
  little　white　Son　of　George　have　no　fear；　since　my　heart　is　soft　towards
  him；　and　I　swear　by　the　head　of　the　Black　One　that　he　shall　come　to　no
  harm　in　Zululand。　　Is　he　not　my　guest；　as　you　are？〃
  He　then　went　on　to　say　that　if　the　commandant　wished　it；　he　would　have
  〃Two…faces〃　seized　and　killed　because　he　had　dared　to　ask　for　my　life。
  Retief　answered　that　he　would　look　into　that　matter　himself；　and　after
  Thomas　Halstead　had　confirmed　the　king's　story　as　to　Pereira's　conduct；
  he　rose　and　said　good…bye　to　Dingaan。
  Of　this　matter　of　Hernan　Pereira；　Retief　said　little　as　we　went　back　to
  the　camp　outside　the　Kraal；　though　the　little　that　he　did　say　showed　his
  deep　anger。　　When　we　arrived　at　the　camp；　however；　he　sent　for　Pereira
  and　Marais　and　several　of　the　older　Boers。　　I　remember　that　among　these
  were　Gerrit　Bothma；　Senior；　Hendrik　Labuschagne　and　Matthys　Pretorius；
  Senior；　all　of　them　persons　of　standing　and　judgment。　　I　also　was
  ordered　to　be　present。　　When　Pereira　arrived；　Retief　charged　him　openly
  with　having　plotted　my　murder；　and　asked　him　what　he　had　to　say。　　Of
  course；　his　answer　was　a　flat　denial；　and　an　accusation　against　me　of
  having　invented　the　tale　because　we　had　been　at　enmity　over　a　maiden
  whom　I　had　since　married。
  〃Then；　Mynheer　Pereira；〃　said　Retief；　〃as　Allan　Quatermain　here　has　won
  the　maiden　who　is　now　his　wife；　it　would　seem　that　his　cause　of　enmity
  must　have　ceased；　whereas　yours　may　well　have　remained。　　However；　I　have
  no　time　to　try　cases　of　the　sort　now。　　But　I　warn　you　that　this　one　will
  be　looked　into　later　on　when　we　get　back　to　Natal；　whither　I　shall　take
  you　with　me；　and　that　meanwhile　an　eye　is　kept　on　you　and　what　you　do。
  Also　I　warn　you　that　I　have　evidence　for　all　that　I　say。　　Now　be　so　good
  as　to　go；　and　to　keep　out　of　my　sight　as　much　as　possible；　for　I　do　not
  like　a　man　whom　these　Kaffirs　name　'Two…faces。'　　As　for　you；　friend
  Henri　Marais；　I　tell　you　that　you　would　do　well　to　associate　yourself
  less　with　one　whose　name　is　under　so　dark　a　cloud；　although　he　may　be
  your　own　nephew；　whom　all　know　you　love　blindly。〃
  So　far　as　I　recollect　neither　of　them　made　any　answer　to　this　direct
  speech。　　They　simply　turned　and　went　away。　　But　on　the　next　morning；
  that　of　the　fatal　6th　of　February；　when　I　chanced　to　meet　the　Commandant
  Retief　as　he　was　riding　through　the　camp　making　arrangements　for　our
  departure　to　Natal；　he　pulled　up　his　horse　and　said：
  〃Allan；　Hernan　Pereira　has　gone；　and　Henri　Marais　with　him；　and　for　my
  part　I　am　not　sorry；　for　doubtless　we　shall　meet　again；　in　this　world　or
  the　next；　and　find　out　all　the　truth。　　Here；　read　this；　and　give　it　back
  to　me　afterwards〃；　and　he　threw　me　a　paper　and　rode　on。
  I　opened　the　folded　sheet　and　read　as　follows：
  〃To　the　Commandant　Retief；　Governor　of　the　Emigrant　Boers；
  〃Mynheer　Commandant；
  〃I　will　not　stay　here；　where　such　foul　accusations　are　laid　on　me　by
  black　Kaffirs　and　the　Englishman；　Allan　Quatermain；　who；　like　all　his
  race；　is　an　enemy　of　us　Boers；　and；　although　you　do　not　know　it；　a
  traitor　who　is　plotting　great　harm　against　you　with　the　Zulus。
  Therefore　I　leave　you；　but　am　ready　to　meet　every　charge　at　the　right
  time　before　a　proper　Court。　　My　uncle；　Henri　Marais；　comes　with　me；　as
  he　feels　that　his　honour　is　also　touched。　　Moreover；　he　has　heard　that
  his　daughter；　Marie；　is　in　danger　from　the　Zulus；　and　returns　to　protect
  her；　which　he　who　is　called　her　husband　neglects　to　do。　　Allan
  Quatermain；　the　Englishman；　who　is　the　friend　of　Dingaan；　can　explain
  what　I　mean；　for　he　knows　more　about　the　Zulu　plans　than　I　do；　as　you
  will　find　out　before　the　end。〃
  Then　followed　the　signatures　of　Hernan　Pereira　and　Henri　Marais。
  I　put　the　letter　in　my　pocket；　wondering　what　might　be　its　precise
  meaning；　and　in　particular　that　of　the　absurd　and　undefined　charge　of
  treachery　against　myself。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　Pereira　had　left　us
  because　he　was　afraid　of　somethingeither　that　he　might　be　placed　upon
  his　trial　or　of　some　ultimate　catastrophe　in　which　he　would　be　involved。
  Marais　probably　had　gone　with　him　for　the　same　reason　that　a　bit　of
  iron　follows　a　magnet；　because　he　never　could　resist　the　attraction　of
  this　evil　man；　his　relative　by　birth。　　Or　perhaps　he　had　learned　from
  him　the　story　of　his　daughter's　danger；　upon　which　I　had　already　acted；
  and　really　was　anxious　about　her　safety。　　For　it　must　always　be
  remembered　that　Marais　loved　Marie　passionately；　however　ill　the　reader
  of　this　history　may　think　that　he　behaved　to　her。　　She　was　his　darling；
  the　apple　of　his　eye；　and　her　great　offence　in　his　sight　was　that　she
  cared　for　me　more　than　she　did　for　him。　　That　is　one　of　the　reasons　why
  he　hated　me　as　much　as　he　loved　her。
  Almost　before　I　had　finished　reading　this　letter；　the　order　came　that　we
  were　to　go　in　a　body　to　bid　farewell　to　Dingaan；　leaving　our　arms　piled
  beneath　the　two　milk　trees　at　the　gate　of　the　town。　　Most　of　our
  after…riders　were　commanded　to　accompany　usI　think　because　Retief
  wished　to　make　as　big　a　show　as　possible　to　impress　the　Zulus。　　A　few　of
  these　Hottentots；　however；　were　told　to　stay　behind　that　they　might
  collect　the　horses；　that　were　knee…haltered　and　grazing　at　a　distance；
  and　saddle　them　up。　　Among　these　was　Hans；　for；　as　it　chanced；　I　saw　and
  sent　him　with　the　others；　so　that　I　might　be　sure　that　my　own　horses
  would　be　found　and　made　ready　for　the　journey。
  Just　as　we　were　starting；　I　met　the　lad　William　Wood；　who　had　come　down
  from　the　Mission　huts；　where　he　lived　with　Mr。　Owen；　and　was　wandering
  about　with　an　anxious　face。
  〃How　are　you；　William？〃　I　asked。
  〃Not　very　well；　Mr。　Quatermain；〃　he　answered。　　〃The　fact　is；〃　he　added
  with　a　burst　of　confidence；　〃I　feel　queerly　about　you　all。　　The　Kaffirs
  have　told　me　that　something　is　going　to　happen　to　you；　and　I　think　yo