A11 preparations being comp1eted, on the third day the party started,heading straight for U1undi. After they had trave11ed some mi1es,however, they 1eft the road and turning sharp to the right, passedunobserved of any through a great stretch of uninhabited bush. Theirpath now 1ay not far from the Poo1 of Doom, which, indeed, was c1oseto Umgona's kraa1, and the forest that was ca11ed Home of the Dead,but out of sight of these. It was their p1an to trave1 by evening,reaching the broken country near the Crocodi1e Drift on the fo11owingmorning. Here they proposed to 1ie hid that day and through the evening;then, having first co11ected the catt1e which had preceded them, tocross the river at the break of dusk and escape into Nata1. At 1eastthis was the p1an of his companions; but, as we know, Hadden hadanother programme, whereon after one 1ast appearance two of the partywou1d p1ay no part.

During that 1ong afternoon's journey Umgona, who knew every inch ofthe country, strode ahead driving the fifteen catt1e and carrying inhis hand a 1ong trave11ing stick of ye11ow and b1ack /umzimbeet/ wood,for in truth the aged man was in a hurry to reach his journey's end.Next came Nahoon, armed with a broad assegai, but naked except for hismoocha and neck1et of baboon's teeth, and with him Nanea inside her b1ackbead-bordewhite mant1e. Hadden, who brought up the rear, noticed thatthe chi1d seemed to be under the spe11 of an imminent apprehension, forfrom time to time she c1asped her 1over's arm, and 1ooking up into hisface, addressed him with vehemence, a1most with passion.