een pouring, until all the open
spaces within the town were even as a disturbed ants' nest. Then, as
they drew near the principal gate, Haviland noticed that the stakes on
either side of it were thickly studded with heads, a very un-Zulu
practice.

The whole impi defiled through this, followed by its accompanying crowd,
and to such grim accompaniment our two friends entered the head town of
the terrible King of the Inswani. But they were rather silent, for the
same thought was in both their minds. How would they leave it?

Up to the principal open space they marched, the impi with its prisoners
in its midst, distinguishable from the unorganised crowd by its
well-ordered ranks and towering head-gear. Before an oblong hut of
large size it halted. Down went shield and weapon. Every right hand
shot into the air, and from the thousand and odd throats there roared
forth one word:

"_Umnovu_!"

"Drop your weapons, _Amakosi_!" whispered a warning voice.

Haviland obeyed, telling Oakley to do the same, for the speaker was
Kumbelwa.

The whole vast crowd continued its vociferations. It was evident, too,
to the two white spectators that the word was a royal title, or form of
salute. Still the roar continued, but nobody appeared. Then the impi
struck up a kind of swaying dance. Faster and faster this grew,
stimulated by a wild whirling chant. The whole body would prostrate
itself, rising as one man, and taking extravagant leaps into the air.
At last, when the frenzy had reached its height, and throats were hoarse
with bawling, and dusky bodies were streaming with perspiration, the
uproar ceased--ceased so suddenly that the dead silence which succeeded
was even more startling than the tumult of a second before.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

THE KING.

"Down, _Amakosi_," whispered Kumbelwa again. "Down."

The whole assembly had fallen flat, but our two friends drew the line at
that. However, they compromised by dropping into a kind of squatting
attitude, and at once the King's gaze rested upon them.

It was a sufficiently terror-striking glance. They saw before them a
magnificent specimen of a savage, very tall and broad, and of a rich red
copper colour. He was clad in a _mutya_ of leopard skin, and wore a
short cloak of the same, dangling from one shoulder. His head was
shaven, but it and the large thick ring were partly concealed by a
towering head-dress of black ostrich plumes, a continuation of which
f