The three uttered a murmur of assent. Brian said nothing.

"Well, then, although this thing was an accident, and although the child
is my own son, I do not propose to shield him from punishment. But it
is not for me, and it is not for these here, to decide on what
punishment he shall receive. It is for the law. Therefore I am going
to send to Fort Lamport for the _amapolise_, and the boy will be taken
to the magistrate there. After that we must leave him to the laws of
the Government. Say. Is not that just and fair?"

"_Ewa_," assented the three, and I observed that a like murmur went up
from not a few in the listening crowd.

"_Hau_!" broke forth one voice. "What of our father, Kuliso? Those who
are killed were of his house."

The interruption had proceeded from Sibuko. The hulking ruffian,
standing there in the forefront, his muscular frame smeared from head to
foot with red ochre, a vengeful sneer upon his savage face as he
significantly gripped his kerries, struck me as about as evil and
formidable an impersonation of barbarism as it would be possible to
present.

"Yes. What of our father, Kuliso?" echoed others. But Usivulele merely
waved a hand, and there was silence as by magic.

"You all know me, _amadoda_," went on Septimus Matterson. "Now I will
write a letter to the magistrate, and two of your number shall carry it.
By to-night the _amapolise_ will be here."

"_Hau_! The _amapolise_ will be here. But will the boy be here?" said
the abominable Sibuko, with his head craftily on one side.

"You can see for yourselves. Let some of you watch the house until the
_amapolise_ arrive."

"But how do we know he is here now?" went on this persistent savage.
"He may have been taken away quietly during all this time. Bring him
out, and let us see him."

"_Ewa_, _ewa_!" shouted several.

This would have been acceded to, when a sudden instinct of the impolicy
of such a course flashed across my mind, and I take a sneaking pride in
having supplemented judgment to so experienced and judicious a mind when
for once that attribute seemed to fail.

"Don't you do it," I said hurriedly and in an undertone. "No point in
making the boy too _marked_, under the circumstances. Show him to the
chief only."

"You're right, Kenrick." Then aloud: "The chief will satisfy you. He
will come into my house and see the boy."

While this was being done Brian quickly put me up to his own movements.
There was