lilizwe that he had better keep away. Shortly after this he
disappeared from the neighbourhood.

"In the days I speak of, Lukwazi was the most important man in these
parts. Although inferior to me in rank, he was very rich, and Makaula,
Ncapayi's successor, had made him Chief over the people in this
neighbourhood; consequently I was under him. Nearly all my father's
people having been killed, the few who remained were placed under
Lukwazi, his kraal was the one on the top of the second ridge beyond
the Ghoda. No one liked Lukwazi, though many feared him on account of
his cunning, and his wealth gave him power. He was a very big man, of a
wrathful temper, and they said that though he loved the smell of other
men's blood, he feared to smell his own. At the time I speak of he was
an elderly man, and had (I think) twelve wives and many children.

"Well, one day Lukwazi called here in passing, and saw Nomalie. About a
week afterwards two of his messengers came and said that he wanted her
as his wife. I was both glad and sorry. Glad, because I was poor and
wanted cattle, and when it is a question of lobola, a chief gives more
than an ordinary man; but sorry because I disliked Lukwazi, and felt
uneasy at giving him my favourite daughter. Of course I could not
refuse, I being Lukwazi's man.

"Nomalie cried bitterly, and at first declared that she would never go
to him, but I told her that she must, and that I would, if necessary,
make her do so. I could not afford to fall out with Lukwazi, my Chief,
and a powerful, revengeful man. Besides, the girl had to marry some
one, and I naturally wanted her to marry him who would pay the most
cattle. After a while she ceased to object, but she went about looking
so sad that I never liked to see her. She used to come near me, and
look into my face, and this made me feel so sorrowful that I tried to
avoid her as much as possible. Just before they took her away I was so
distressed at the sight of her misery that I could have even then put a
stop to the marriage only that I was afraid to make an enemy of
Lukwazi.

"At length they came to fetch her, and I shall never forget the look
she gave me over her shoulder whilst being led away. Then I comforted
myself with the thought that when she came back after the fifth day,
driving the ox for the marriage feast, she would not look so miserable.

"In the middle of the second night after Nomalie had gone I was
sleeping in my hut, and I heard so