nour on the right.

He addressed, who was no other than the subsequently famous Babatyana,
did so. His own tribe, the Amahluzi, were armed, so, too, the Amaqwabe,
and several other powerful tribes in Natal were also ready. It was only
a question of acting in concert. And the great parent stock--that of
Zululand--was it ready?

"_He_ has not yet spoken," said Sapazani, referring to the head of the
royal House.

"He is dumb," said Babatyana, "so far."

Sapazani did not immediately reply. He was pondering. This was the
first time he had seen Babatyana, and he was not impressed by him.
There was an irresponsible frothiness about his manner which did not
appeal. Moreover, as a Zulu of the old stock--and a very conservative
one at that--Sapazani could not for the life of him quite throw off the
traditional contempt for a "Kafula," i.e. a Natal native. And the
latter wore European clothes.

"So far it is like a broken chain," he said; "like the white man's
chain. If one link is broken, of what use is the chain?"

"And that link?" asked Babatyana.

"Sigananda and Mehlo-ka-zulu," returned Sapazani.

"Those links can be forged," said the white man. "There are others,
too, which will render the chain a double one."

The plotting went on, till a whole scheme for a simultaneous rising was
most carefully elaborated. It was curious with what solicitude this
white man threw himself into the plan for the slaughter of his own
countrymen. The cruel face grew more hard and cruel as he arranged or
disposed of each detail. Its cold ruthlessness struck even the Zulus,
as he went on elucidating the scheme; would have struck them with
astonishment, but that they knew his history. And yet the presence of
this man in the country at all was barely suspected by those who
administered the said country.

By linking up all the tribes from central Natal right to the north of
Zululand, a sweep downward could be made. The wavering ones would join,
and then--no more officialdom or pass-laws or taxes. They would be free
again, not as the white arch-plotter was careful to explain, by their
force of arms alone, but because those who ruled them from across the
sea were divided among themselves. It was difficult to understand, but
Opondo, [The Horns] for that was his native name, knew everything. He
had been known among them formerly by another name, but that for good
reasons was _hlonipa_, i.e. hidden, now, and the present substit