sudden halt, and
Mafuta, advancing alone, proceeded to "smell out" those who were
supposed to be inimical to the king's or his own authority, or against
whom either of them had a secret grudge. With his body bent, his head
thrust forward, and his nostrils working, he slowly passed along the
inner face of the crowd, his shifty eyes darting hither and thither,
until his gaze happened to fall upon one of the individuals for whom he
was looking, when he would come to a halt, appear to be following a
scent, and finally stretch forth his spear and lightly smite some man or
woman on the head with it. The unhappy victim, thus "smelled out,"
would thereupon be instantly taken in charge by Mafuta's followers, and
the process would be repeated until all those whose removal was desired
had been gathered in. In the present case the victims numbered nearly a
hundred, and the finding of them consumed the best part of two hours.

The process of "smelling out" being at an end, and those who had passed
the ordeal unscathed being relieved of all further apprehension, the
enormous crowd which had gathered to witness the "sports" settled down
to thoroughly enjoy itself. And certainly there was a very commendable
celerity manifested by those who had the direction of affairs; there was
no disposition to keep the holiday-makers waiting; the unhappy victims
were led up, one after the other, before King Banda, and their supposed
crimes very briefly recited to him, whereupon his Majesty, with equal
brevity, pronounced their sentence--in all cases that of death--which
was at once carried out, the only difference consisting in the mode of
execution; some of the unfortunate wretches being secured to the
crucifixion tree in one way, some in another; but it was very difficult
for a mere onlooker to decide which of the plans adopted inflicted the
most suffering. These victims, it should be explained, were doomed to
remain fastened to the tree until death should ensue from hunger,
thirst, exposure, and the agony of their wounds.

Then, in batches of ten at a time, forty more victims were triced up to
the boughs of this accursed tree by raw-hide ropes fastened to one wrist
or one ankle, in such positions that their bodies showed clearly against
the bright background of sky; and, while thus suspended, whosoever would
was at liberty to shoot at them with bows and arrows, the great object
being, apparently, to pierce the body with as many arrows as po