amazement broke from all, for Masuka had named
one of the royal wives. It gathered in intensity as, after a longer
pause than before, the answer came:

"`Shushungani--Shushungani! It was Shushungani!'

"A wild shriek burst from the owner of the name, who was standing among
the royal women.

"`He lies! he lies!' she screamed in her terror. `The stranger
_isanusi_ lies!'

"`Peace, woman!' thundered the King. `Proceed, Masuka.'

"Again followed a number of names, one at last being fixed upon as
before. She, too, was of the royal household, though not of the King's
wives, and was called Pangulwe. With her the naming ceased, and for
long the old man lay in death-like silence, nor would the King suffer a
word or a sound to be uttered. Then suddenly Masuka returned to life,
and, sitting up, looked wonderingly around, as a man waking from a dream
who finds himself in a strange place.

"To us there was something especially terrible about this method of
`smelling-out,' the old man's spirit seeming to leave his body thus and
to talk with those of the unseen air--so different to the hideous
clangour and wild dancing wherewith our own _izanusi_ were wont to
proceed--and resulting as it did in the naming of two of the royal
women, our awe and wonder was without bounds.

"At a sign from the King the two named were brought forward.
Shushungani was a tall, straight woman, very black, and with a sullen
countenance and evil eyes. The other, Fangulwe, was young and rather
pretty. On the faces of both was a dreadful look of terror over their
coming fate.

"`Is the King bewitched himself,' cried the former wildly, `that this
dog of a stranger dares lift his tongue against the royal House?'

"`It seems that tongues are often lifted _within_ the royal House,
Shushungani, and that too much. Even the royal House is not always free
from _abatagati_,' replied the King, with a sneer. `_Hambani gahle_!'
[`Go in peace,' the Zulu form of farewell to anybody leaving.] `A
peaceful night awaits you both. Take them hence. Stay, though. They
are of the Royal House. Let them die the death of the spear!'

"The despairing shrieks of the two women whom the executioners had
seized to drag forth to the place of death were completely drowned in
the great chorus of _bonga_ that arose by reason of this act of mercy on
the part of the King. For he had ordered them the nobler death of the
assegai instead of having their brains clubbed out