"Then the women shrieked with excitement, and the boys, rushing in among
the cattle with shrill whoops, scattered them out of my way; for the
path of the King's messenger must be straight, and woe to whosoever
shall obstruct it. The bellowing and trampling of the cattle mingled
with the shouts and cries as I dashed straight on. Then I heard a voice
say:--

"`_Yau_! It is Untuswa! Is he not a man? Is he not a warrior indeed,
covered with blood and wounds, and carrying the King's "word"? Look at
him, Sitele!'

"I knew the voice, still I could not refrain from turning my head ever
so slightly as I ran. Close to my path I beheld Nangeza, looking so
tall and fine and straight, standing there with her little sister.
_Whau, Nkose_! I would have gone against those Basutu kraals again
single-handed to have been allowed to _tunga_ with her for a wife.

"Then came another cloud of dust, and the steady tramp of marching feet,
and the hum of deep-toned voices; then a wavy shimmer of spear-points,
like the sunshine on the blue sea. Spread out over the plain in four
dense black columns the regiments marched, and as I, looking neither to
the right nor to the left, sped between these, the confused wonder which
had greeted my first appearance was succeeded by a dead expectant
silence.

"Umzilikazi was riding on horseback near the rear of the army,
surrounded by a group of _indunas_, among whom was my father. A circle
of _izanusi_, clad in cow-tails and entrails and all the hideous
paraphernalia of their order, preceded the King, dancing and waving
green boughs as they chanted his praises, and the swift and sudden
destruction which even then was falling upon his enemies. As I drew
near the doctors scattered out of my path like a lot of frightened
jackals, for even they must give way before him who bears the King's
message. Casting my shield and assegais to the ground where their
circle had been--for no man may approach armed to have speech with the
King--I advanced ten paces nearer, and, halting, raised my right hand
and shouted a sonorous _Bayete_! Then I prostrated myself to the earth.

"`Rise, son of Ntelani,' said the King, as soon as the thunder of the
salute royal, which had been immediately caught up and re-echoed by the
whole army, had ceased. `Rise, and speak thy word.'

"`Those against whom we went forth are removed from the path of the
King!' I cried out in a loud voice. `The smoke of their dwellings i