ady given
me. Will you accept this as a gift from me?" I added, producing the
brilliantly marked handkerchief from my belt and offering it to the
nyanga.

"My thanks, 'mlungu," answered the man, taking the handkerchief and
depositing it upon the pallet. "And now," he continued, "I think you
will do well to proceed without undue delay to Moshesh's kraal. 'Ngaga
has already dispatched a messenger apprising the king of your presence
in his country, and, if you ask permission to pass through and hunt in
it, the Great One will doubtless give it, especially as you have
rendered his people the service of slaying the leopard that has been
preying upon them. But the king is jealous of his own authority, and is
apt to resent intrusion into his country without permission first asked;
also he is a little distrustful of the white man, whom he suspects of a
desire to steal the black man's land. Therefore present yourself before
him as early as may be."

"Thanks, Mafuta, I will do as you say. Farewell, and may all prosperity
attend you," said I, as I took my leave.

"Sala guhli (farewell), 'mlungu!" replied the Kafir, following me out
and standing by the door of the hut. "I see much trouble and many
dangers before thee; but be of good heart, for thou shalt overcome them
all."

Two days later I arrived at the king's kraal.

It was near mid-afternoon when I halted the wagon and ordered Jan to
outspan at a point about half a mile from the kraal: and I immediately
dispatched Piet with a message to the effect that I, Edward Laurence, an
Englishman, had arrived at the kraal for the purpose of personally
soliciting permission from King Moshesh to hunt in and pass through his
country; and that for this purpose, and that I might crave His Majesty's
acceptance of certain presents, I might be granted the favour of an
early audience. Then I opened the voorkissie and proceeded to select
the presents which I would offer for the savage king's acceptance.

Gaudily coloured handkerchiefs, and, more particularly, brilliantly hued
articles of costume have from time immemorial strongly appealed to the
taste of the untutored savage, and I had kept this fact prominently in
mind when purchasing the goods which I intended to use as presents and
for the purposes of barter; therefore, among other things, I had bought
several cast-off British uniforms of various descriptions, these being
designed especially for presentation to the several savage