ently to return
with some more roasted mealies and _tywala_.

"You had a good night of it, Father," said Lamont as they sat discussing
this fare. "By Jove! you slept through it all like a humming-top."

"I believe I did. I was very tired. And you--did you sleep well?"

"Until a whacking big tarantula woke me up by promenading over my ear.
I couldn't get to sleep again all at once after that."

"That was very unpleasant. Did you kill it?"

"No. It got away into a crack. Daresay it's there yet."

"Ah well, I am glad we are not going to sleep in the same hut again
to-night."

Lamont chuckled to himself as he thought of what momentous issues of
life and death would hang--were hanging--upon the incident. Looking
round upon the great kraal, its dark inhabitants going about their
peaceful avocations in the newly risen sun, he could hardly realise that
the events of the night had been other than a bad dream. The first
thing he had done on coming forth had been to glance eagerly at the
ground. No. The hard and parched soil showed no footprints. He had
grumbled the previous evening because the storm had brought no rain, but
since then he had had abundant reason to be thankful for the fact;
otherwise the marks of shod footprints, leading to and from the place of
conspiracy, would tell their own tale. He had mentioned nothing to his
travelling companion of what had happened--judging it better not. Then,
as time wore on, Lamont was getting anxious. They would have to saddle
up directly, and the witch-doctor had not appeared. It was absolutely
essential that he should be able to identify him; and as yet he was
unfamiliar with his outward aspect.

"_Nkose_!"

He turned at the salute. An elderly, thick-set native had approached,
and as he stood, with hand uplifted, Lamont supposed it was one of the
plotting chiefs. His head, too, was surmounted by the small Matabele
ring.

"I see you, father," he answered. "Am I speaking to a chief?"

A flash of mirth shot into the other's eyes, and he simply bubbled with
glee.

"A chief! Ha! I am Qubani, _Nkose_."

"The great _isanusi_! Then you are indeed a chief, my father--the chief
of all _izanusi_."

The other beamed. Then putting forth his hand, he asked for tobacco,
which was given him.

The while Lamont was wondering. He had expected to see a lean, crafty,
evil-faced Makalaka, instead of which the famed witch-doctor turned out
a stout, comfortable, an