cowl and No…joke； begged and prayed us not to leave； almost with passion。 I have little doubt that this was because the ambush into which they were directed to lead us was set upon that upper path。 I； however； pleaded for the lower path； just because the fancy had taken me that thence the view of the moonlit valley would be very grand； and stuck to my point。 At length one of my panions； I think it was Osborn； said with a laugh； “Oh！ let the young donkey have his way。 Who knows； perhaps he is right！” or words to that effect。
Evidently my anticipations as to the view from this lower path were not disappointed； for in my notes written up on the next day I find the following：
“It was sombre； weird； grand。 Every valley became a mysterious deep； and every hill and stone and tree shone with that cold； pale lustre that the moon alone can throw。 Silence reigned； the silence of the dead。”
Had we gone by the upper path I believe it would soon have been the silence of the dead for us。 But if so my fancies； or some merciful influence that caused and directed them； proved our salvation。
After we had ridden a long way through the silence that I have described and were getting out of the mountains into the valley； we became aware of a great motion going on amongst the rocks a mile or so to our left； where ran the road we should have followed。 War…horns were blown； and a Basuto warrior armed with gun and spear rushed down to look at us； then vanished。 Probably a match struck to light a pipe had shown him our whereabouts； or he may have heard our voices。 So we crossed the mountains in safety。 And now I will take up Deventer’s story。
He said that it was the accident of our choosing the lower path that in fact saved our lives； as on the upper one the murd