relief in the tone.

"Why, as to that, Kulondeka," he said, "they are only a little excited.
They are all young men, those out yonder. They have been dancing all
night, and have not worn it off. But--mad? _Au_!"

"And Mafutana, and Sikonile, and others who gave me speech on the way
hither--are they young men, and have they been dancing all night?" said
Greenoak, innocently, and with his head on one side. "They talked
`dark' as they followed on behind me, but--not dark enough, son of
Sandili. Ah--ah--not dark enough. They are mad. Shall I say why?"

The young chief nodded and uttered a murmur of assent.

"Then why are the children of the House of Gaika preparing for war?"

This was putting things straightly. Matanzima brought his hand to his
mouth with a quick exclamation. Then, laughing softly, he shook his
head.

"Now, nay, Kulondeka," he said. "You are my father, but your dreams
have been bad. The war was not with us, and it is over now. And I
would ask--If we sat still then, if we did not rise in our might to aid
our brethren over yonder, would it not be the act of fools and madmen to
rise now, when there is no one to aid, and the whites are all armed and
prepared? Now, would it not?"

"It would. It would be the act of just such as these. That is why I
say that the news I bring is that your people are all mad, Matanzima."

The latter did not immediately answer, and Greenoak sat and watched him.
Such words, uttered by any other man, would have been equivalent to the
signing of his death-warrant. But Greenoak knew his ground. He had
saved the life of the young chief once, and he knew that the latter
would never forget it as long as he lived. Moreover, between the two
there was a very genuine liking, and a longing to save this fine young
fool from the ruinous consequences of the mad, impracticable scheme on
which he was already embarking had borne a full part in moving him to
start upon his perilous undertaking.

"_Whau_! Kulondeka. Are you sent by Iruvumente?" [The Government.]

"Not so, Matanzima. Yet the answers I am getting might well make it
appear as though I were. For they are just the answers that might be
got ready for a Government commissioner."

The other laughed again, but just a trifle shamefacedly. He knew, only
too well, the utter futility of trying to hoodwink this one man of all
others. The latter went on--

"Where are all the cattle belonging to the people? The la