ess a start, for this was the same man he had run against twice at
Ezulwini--and once before. He felt thoughtful. There seemed to be some
design behind the fellow's sporadic appearance.

"Who are you?" said Verna. "Not of Sapazani? I know all his
`children.'"

"_Inkosazana_!"

"What is your name?"

"Mandevu."

"Mandevu!" she echoed thoughtfully. "Ah, now I remember."

"_Inkosazana_!"

"Where from?"

The man looked at her, and shook his head whimsically. He was rather a
good-looking savage, decided Denham, especially now that he had
discarded European clothing.

"From nowhere," he answered, but with a curious glance at Denham, which
the latter understood, and it set him thinking more deeply than ever.
He remembered the bad character given him by Inspector James. He
likewise remembered something else. Things were thickening up a bit.
Verna talked a little longer, and then the Zulu resumed his way, when
they followed his example.

"Is that your name among them?" asked Denham, as they rode along.
"Inkosazana?"

"No," answered Verna, laughing merrily. "It's only a title. Inkosikazi
is `chieftainess,' and would be used for the principal wife of a chief.
Inkosazana is a diminutive of it, and would be used for a chief's
daughters. In a word `Miss.'"

"I see. I shall really have to learn--under your tuition."

"You really will," she answered. And then they talked on as they rode
home in the drooping day; and the evening lights shed full and varying
upon the roll of landscape, the voices of wild Nature coming up from
mysterious forest depths on either side, and the presence of this
splendid girl beside him set Denham again thinking that this first day
was nearly, if not quite, the most marvellous experience he had yet
known.

Ben Halse had returned before they had. At table Verna was giving an
account of their ride, mentioning, of course, their meeting with the
Zulu. Denham could not help noticing that his host's interest quickened
at once.

"Mandevu!" he repeated. "What's he doing in these parts, I wonder? Did
he say, Verna?"

"Not he. He was as close as an oyster."

"Why, he was at Ezulwini the other day."

"Who is he, Mr Halse?" asked Denham. "A chief?"

"In a small way, yes. But--Well, this is a rum part of the world--far
more so than you'd think, coming in upon it from the outside, and there
are rum things done every other day that nobody knows anything about. I
wouldn't tell