n than either wanted, but official duty required
it; otherwise Downes would gladly have treated Sapazani on the principle
of giving an organ-grinder sixpence to go to the next street.

"Wonder if that's him," said the clerk, shading his eyes to gaze at a
distant cloud of dust coming over the rise, for the township was
situated in a shallow, open hollow. "Yes, it is," he went on, "and he's
bringing a regular impi with him as usual."

The magistrate frowned.

"Damn him," he said. "I'm always giving him hints about that, and by
way of taking them he turns up next time with a bigger crowd still.
It's done for impudence, Vidler."

"I'm afraid it is, sir. But in this case we mustn't forget that our
force consists of four police, two of whom happen to be just now absent;
and, incidentally, that you have a wife and family."

"Quite right, Vidler, quite right. I'll keep my temper, somehow," he
added, half savagely, half weariedly.

His subordinate was doubtful on this point, but forbore to say so. The
day was abominably oppressive, and the hot wind from the north raked
everything. It was the worst possible sort of day for the transaction
of a difficult and delicate _indaba_, when both parties to the same were
in a state of mutual friction.

The Zulus were now within recognising distance. Sapazani was clad in a
well-cut riding suit of Bedford cord, with boots and spurs, but there
was nothing between the sun and the shine of his head-ring, and he rode
a good horse. Undhlawafa and a few others were also mounted, and then
came a string of followers, clad mostly in a long military surtout. As
Vidler had said, it seemed a regular impi, for there certainly could not
have been much less than a hundred.

"There's one point on which Sapazani and I agree," said the magistrate,
as he watched the approach of the _cortege_, "but not for the same
reason, and that is obliging these fellows to wear clothes when they
come into a township. It facilitates concealed weapons, but a chap with
nothing but a _mutya_ on has nowhere to conceal anything."

There was a stretch of grass between the Court House and the main road.
Here the chiefs dismounted and came forward. Some dozen perhaps were
there, the main body of their followers squatting themselves a little
distance away. They gave the salute civilly but coldly--

"_Nkose_!"

This was calculated to start the talk wrong, Downes holding that, as
representing the British Governm