In all these preparations the old Molimo took a part, nor, when they were completed, did he show any inclination to leave them.  In the morning he would descend to his people below, but before nightfall he always returned to the cave, where for many years it had been his custom to sleep—­at any rate several times a week, in the gruesome company of the dead Portuguese.  Jacob Meyer persuaded Mr. Clifford that his object was to spy upon them, and talked of turning him out; but Benita, between whom and the old man had sprung up a curious friendship and sympathy, prevented it, pointing out that they were much safer with the Molimo, as a kind of hostage, than they could be without him; also, that his knowledge of the place, and of other things, might prove of great help to them.  So in the end he was allowed to remain, as indeed he had a perfect right to do.

All this while there was no sign of any attack by the Matabele.  Indeed, the fear of such a thing was to some extent dying away, and Benita, watching from the top of the wall, could see that their nine remaining oxen, together with the two horses—­for that belonging to Jacob Meyer had died—­and the Makalanga goats and sheep, were daily driven out to graze; also, that the women were working in the crops upon the fertile soil around the lowest wall.  Still, a strict watch was kept, and at night everyone slept within the fortifications; moreover, the drilling of the men and their instruction in the use of firearms went on continually under Tamas, who now, in his father’s old age, was the virtual chief of the people.

It was on the fourth morning that at length, all their preparations being completed, the actual search for the treasure began.  First, the Molimo was closely interrogated as to its whereabouts, since they thought that even if he did not know this exactly, some traditions of the fact might have descended to him from his ancestors.  But he declared with earnestness that he knew nothing, save that the Portuguese maiden had said that it was hidden; nor, he added, had any dream or vision come to him concerning this matter, in which he took no interest.  If it was there, it was there; if it was not there, it was not there—­it remained for the white men to search and see.

For no very good reason Meyer had concluded that the gold must have been concealed in or about the cave, so here it was that they began their investigations.

First, they bethought them of the well into which it might possibly have been thrown, but the fact of this matter proved very difficult to ascertain.  Tying a piece of metal—­it was an old Portuguese sword-hilt—­to a string, they let it down and found that it touched water at a depth of one hundred and twenty feet, and bottom at a depth of one hundred and forty-seven feet.  Therefore there were twenty-seven feet of water.  Weighting a bucket they sank it until it rested upon this bottom, then wound it up again several times.  On the third occasion it brought up a human bone and a wire anklet of pure gold.  But this proved nothing, except that some ancient, perhaps thousands of years ago, had been thrown, or had fallen, into the well.