sent
away to a place which he had chosen, in charge of about half of his
people, under the command of his uncle, Tshoza, there to await his
coming.

Over a month had gone by since the night of the ambush when at last we
outspanned quite close to Umbezi's, in that bush where first I had met
the Amangwane free-spears. A very different set of men they looked on
this triumphant day to those fierce fellows who had slipped out of the
trees at the call of their chief. As we went through the country Saduko
had bought fine moochas and blankets for them; also head-dresses had
been made with the long black feathers of the sakabuli finch, and
shields and leglets of the hides and tails of oxen. Moreover, having fed
plentifully and travelled easily, they were fat and well-favoured, as,
given good food, natives soon become after a period of abstinence.

The plan of Saduko was to lie quiet in the bush that night, and on the
following morning to advance in all his grandeur, accompanied by his
spears, present the hundred head of cattle that had been demanded, and
formally ask his daughter's hand from Umbezi. As the reader may have
gathered already, there was a certain histrionic vein in Saduko; also
when he was in feather he liked to show off his plumage.

Well, this plan was carried out to the letter. On the following morning,
after the sun was well up, Saduko, as a great chief does, sent forward
two bedizened heralds to announce his approach to Umbezi, after whom
followed two other men to sing his deeds and praises. (By the way, I
observed that they had clearly been instructed to avoid any mention of a
person called Macumazahn.) Then we advanced in force. First went Saduko,
splendidly apparelled as a chief, carrying a small assegai and adorned
with plumes, leglets and a leopard-skin kilt. He was attended by
about half a dozen of the best-looking of his followers, who posed as
"indunas" or councillors. Behind these I walked, a dusty, insignificant
little fellow, attended by the ugly, snub-nosed Scowl in a very greasy
pair of trousers, worn-out European boots through which his toes peeped,
and nothing else, and by my three surviving hunters, whose appearance
was even more disreputable. After us marched about four score of the
transformed Amangwane, and after them came the hundred picked cattle
driven by a few herdsmen.

In due course we arrived at the gate of the kraal, where we found the
heralds and the praisers prancing and shouti