bsticks of the slayers--and
we gazed at the King, awaiting the word. But Dingane only laughed.

"Thou mad _Umfundisi_," he said. "Had I but spoken of thy God as thy
speech is to me I should have gone into torment for ever and ever
according to thee and thy teachings. But I am more merciful than thy
God, and thou canst go home. Yet hearken! I am god over the people of
Zulu, and if a man disobeys me I order his death--_whau_!--a swift and
easy and painless death, or at worst a few hours of torment. But thy
God? _Whau_! for ever and ever and ever does He torment men after
death, in a burning flame of fire! So, _Umfundisi_, I am the more
merciful of the two; and I think the people of Zulu prefer the god they
know to the one whom thou and such as thee would teach them to worship.
Now, go home. _Hamba gahle, Umfundisi! Hamba gahle_!"

"_Hamba gahle, Umfundisi_!" we all cried, deriding the white man as he
went away. But some of us wondered that the King should allow him to
live, or, at any rate, to remain in the country; and, indeed, had he
been a man of any other nation I think he would have died that day; but,
being a man of your country, _Nkose_, he was allowed to live unmolested,
for Dingane had no wish to quarrel with the English. But most of us--
especially Tambusa--would gladly have seen this interfering _Umfundisi_
despatched to--well, to that place of torment whither he had predicted
the King should come.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

THE TONGUE OF THE SNAKE.

The cloud which had rolled down upon the land of Zulu from the slopes of
Kwahlamba was destined to be no mere summer cloud, _Nkose_, but was
charged with thunders, black and threatening. The army, which had been
doctored and made ready for war, wearied the King with its clamour to be
sent forth against the invaders, and long and oft would Dingane hold
council with the _izinduna_ as to what was best to be done to repel this
peril. Now I reckoned it a sign of the honour in which I was held that
at such conferences I was ever commanded to be present.

But counsels were various. Some were for falling upon the Amabuna in
the passes of Kwahlamba; others for allowing them all to cross in peace,
and when encamped on our side to throw the whole strength of our army
upon them, and, having cut off their retreat, to put every one of them--
man, woman and child--to the assegai--even the suckling babe.

"I have a mind to send to the white people at Tegwini," [