"Come," said Leonard; "I dare not leave him long."

And he went, Otter following him with a reeling gait, for he was weak
from his injuries. Presently they reached the spot, and Otter saw that
the hut was gone.

"Certainly," he said, "our bad spirits were abroad last night. Well,
next time it will be the turn of the good ones." Then he drew near to
the corpse and saluted it with uplifted hand and voice.

"Chief and Father," he said in Zulu, for Otter had wandered long and
knew many tongues, but he loved the Zulu best of all. "While you lived
upon earth, you were a good man and brave, though somewhat quick of
temper and quarrelsome like a woman. Now you have wearied of this world
and flown away like an eagle towards the sun, and there where you live
in the light of the sun you will be braver and better yet, and become
more patient and not quarrel any more with those who are less clever
than you. Chief and Father, I salute you! May he whom you named the
Otter serve you and the _Inkoosi_ your brother once more in the House
of the Great-Great, if one so ugly and misshapen can enter there. As for
the Basuto dog whom I slew and who would have stolen your gun, I see
now that I killed him in a fortunate hour, that he might be the slave
beneath your feet in the House of the Great-Great. Ah! had I known,
I would have sent a better man, for there as here Cheat will still be
Cheat. Hail, my father! Hail and farewell! Let your spirit watch over us
and be gentle towards us, who love you yet."

And Otter turned away without further ado; and having washed his wounds,
he set himself to the task of preparing such coarse food as they had in