ell on either side so as to cover his shoulders. But the face would
have commanded attention anywhere, such an impression did it convey of
relentless ferocity, of absolute pitilessness, and, at the same time, of
indomitable courage. Yet it was the countenance of quite a young man.

For some time the King's eyes rested on the two white men with a fierce
and penetrating stare. Then, pointing at them with the broad-bladed
assegai in his hand, he said:

"Who are these?"

A confused murmur arose among the crowd, a sort of deprecatory wail.
Then the chiefs of the impi crawled to the King's feet and began to make
their report, a mere matter of ceremony, for of course swift runners had
already been sent on ahead to tell what had happened. He listened in
silence, gazing down upon them with a haughty stare.

"It is well," he said at last. "Bring these people now before me."

He strode forth, proceeding along the edge of the prostrate crowd.
Three or four old indunas were with him, keeping just a pace in the
rear. When he had passed, the whole impi sprang to its feet--and broke
into shouts of praise:

"Fire-maker!"

"Mighty tree that crackleth into sparks!"

"Burner up of the sun at noon!"

"Thou, whose glance scorches up men!"

"Heat of two suns!"

"Scorcher up of the world!"

These and other extravagant attributes were thundered forth from the
excited and adoring multitude, and Haviland, who understood a little
about that sort of thing, was quick to observe that these attributes
mostly referred to fire. A few others were uttered, such as "Swallower
up of Rumaliza!" "Thou who makest dust of Mushad!" and so forth, but
the _sibonga_ was always brought back again to the attribute of fire.
It interested him, and he made up his mind to ask Kumbelwa about it by
and by.

But now the King had reached his chair of state and was seated thereon.
It was a genuine throne, of very old and quaint workmanship, beautifully
carved, with couchant lions on the arms, and guarding the steps, and had
probably been obtained from some slaver who traded in the north. This
chair was placed on a kind of raised verandah with a wide grass roof,
and was well sheltered from the sun. The indunas squatted on the floor
of the verandah on either side of the throne.

"Come forward, ye white men," said the King, and they noticed that his
voice was extraordinarily full and deep.

Our two friends advanced to the throne, and as they did so i