bringing old Masuka among them to make their magic of no effect against
his? So they plotted day and night to accuse me before the King, and
procure my death and that of the old Mosutu. Yet were they fearful to
do this, for Umzilikazi loved one stalwart and daring warrior more than
a whole regiment of _izanusi_, in whose powers he was in his heart at no
time a great believer; wherefore I felt safe, and laughed to myself at
the malice of both _izanusi_ and _izinduna_.

"About two days' march from where we had planted our kraal there arose
ranges of mountains rugged and steep, their summits crowned with
straight cliffs, and their bases split up into rifts and chasms and
great gloomy ravines. Here there dwelt a tribe, or tribes, men of which
we had encountered during our scouting or hunting expeditions. They
were men of short, broad stature, and seemed not altogether without
valour, for although in the fewness of their numbers they would flee
before our armed legions, yet when they found themselves among the
towering crags of their rocky retreat, which they scaled with surprising
agility and fearlessness, they would turn and hurl at us defiance and
jeering insult. In aspect they were like the kindred of old Masuka, but
shorter and broader, and many were armed with bows and arrows as well as
with assegai and battle-axe. These the King was for leaving in peace as
long as they kept to their mountain retreat, for they seemed to possess
but few cattle. But when we found any of them out upon the plain we
would pursue them, at times killing some, for that land we considered as
the hunting-ground of the King alone, and who were these dogs that they
should kill game upon it?

"Soon there came a time, however, when the King's forbearance made them
over-bold, for a band of them dared to creep down from their mountain
home, and at night, entering our cattle kraals, which were situated
outside our great kraal, drove off quite a number of the King's oxen.
Then, indeed, did these mad ones bring death upon themselves, for who
shall smite the trunk of the Great Elephant with a wand and live to
boast thereof? An _impi_ was sent in pursuit, and, coming up with the
robbers, slew many, and, indeed, not one would have escaped but that
darkness came on, and thus a few slipped away. Yet those who were slain
did not lie down and beg for mercy. They fought--oh yes, they fought,
dying hard like trapped lions; moreover, their little arrows,