being
tipped with a strong and subtle poison, caused the death of those who
received so much as a scratch. Then Umzilikazi, enraged, ordered out a
powerful _impi_ to scour out the mountains and utterly destroy these
vermin, that not one should be left on the face of the earth.

"Before this was done, however, our _izanusi_ thought they saw their
opportunity, and accordingly they came before the King, dancing and
howling in all their array of `charms' and magic, and clamoured for the
death of Masuka, declaring that these were his own people, and accusing
him of having bewitched our warriors, for since such a tiny scratch
caused by so contemptible a weapon as those little arrows produced death
where a great spear-gash failed to prove fatal, it was clear that
_tagati_ was at work. Indeed, such a riot did they make, and so loud
and persistent was their clamour, that Umzilikazi ordered the old Mosutu
to stand forth and answer the charge. Now, this befell immediately upon
our return from punishing the cattle-robbers, whom we had overtaken not
half a day distant from our kraal.

"`These are not of my people, O King,' said Masuka, `although they are
akin to them. They are Baputi mixed with men of the Gqunaqua race,
whose arrows thus deal death. But if I have bewitched the "hunting
dogs" of the King, at least I can cure them. Can Isilwana do the like?'

"The man named, _Nkose_, was the chief of our _izanusi_. When he heard
Masuka's words he howled the louder, for now he began to fear.

"`That is a fair answer,' said the King--`a fair test, too. Let those
wounded by the arrows be brought.'

"Now, of those thus wounded but two remained alive, the remainder having
died on the way. These two were soon brought before the King. Both
were young men of my own age, both were in a state of stupor and
breathing heavily. One was wounded in the shoulder, the other in the
leg, but both wounds were mere scratches. The latter of these was
selected by Masuka, who directed that he should be taken to his hut,
and, ordering all others out, entered and shut himself up with the
warrior alone. Round the other wounded man our witch-doctors danced and
howled. One produced from him a snake, another a lizard, another a hard
pellet made of the hair of animals and the fibres of trees intertwined,
but all to no purpose. The stupor of the young man grew heavier and
heavier, and at length all could see that he was dead.

"Then a deep sile