lankets and disappear
swiftly through the door of the hut. I had not reckoned on the presence
of any of the King's wives; and I knew that I was lost, even before I
heard the loud, shrill cry for help that rang out upon the night.

At that moment the sides of the doorway were nearly rent asunder, as the
armed guard swarmed in. But, as this happened, Umzilikazi's grasp upon
my wrists relaxed, and he fell heavily to the ground. At the same time
a strange, sweet odour filled the air, half stupefying me.

"Slay him, the traitorous dog!" I cried, imitating, as well as I knew
how, the voice of the King. "Slay him where he lies."

In another moment half a dozen spears would have transfixed the
prostrate form, but just then, either by chance or design, one of the
armed guard kicked the red embers into a momentary glow. The light fell
full upon the face of Umzilikazi.

"_Whau_!" cried the guards, leaping in alarm, their assegais arrested in
mid air. "It is the King!"

Then I saw that my plot had failed. Swift--swift as the lightning
flash--I stabbed the warrior nearest the door, and, gliding through the
latter, but a very few steps brought me to the thorn fence. No time had
I to seek the hole by which I had entered. Gathering my legs under me I
leaped. Right over the high stockade I flew like a buck, and once on
the further side, I ran--ran as I had never ran in my younger days when
I was the King's messenger.

And as I ran, keeping on fast and far throughout the night, I noticed
that there was no hubbub in the great kraal behind. This meant that I
had certainly failed to kill the King. But what had made him drop thus
suddenly? Whatever it was it had been the saving of my own life, for
only to the momentary diversion caused by my imitating Umzilikazi's tone
did I owe it that half a dozen blades had not transfixed me then and
there. And now I noticed that the same strange, sweet, stupefying
odour, though much fainter, was with me as I ran. Instinctively I
clutched the _muti_ bag hanging to my neck. _Whau_! It was open. Half
of it had been torn away, but from what was left proceeded the odour.
Now I saw. Now all stood clear. The bag had contained some stupefying
scent. In our struggle it had been torn open, and Umzilikazi's face
coming against it he had fallen senseless. He was in my hands.
Lalusini's death would have been avenged, and I on the morrow would have
proclaimed myself King, and supported my