flying very high, and I foresaw that the shot would be a difficult one,
but I had accomplished others quite as difficult in my time, and was
determined that I would not fail now; therefore, holding my breath as
the pigeons drew overhead, I sighted about six inches ahead of the
leader and pulled the trigger. A low-murmured ejaculation of surprise
followed the report of the piece, and simultaneously with it the leading
pigeon was seen to spring convulsively upward about a foot, a feather or
two detached themselves from its body, and then its wings collapsed and
down it came, hurtling through the air, and falling, as luck would have
it, within a few inches of the king's feet!

And, as though the soft thud of its body upon the ground had been a
signal, up went the hand of every man present to his mouth, and a low
"Au!" of awe and amazement rolled round the square like the mutter of
distant thunder.

"Is it enough, O King; and are you satisfied?" I demanded, as I stepped
forward and, picking up the bird, handed it to the monarch for his
inspection.

"It is enough, and I am satisfied," answered the king. "I recall my
oath, and the man's life is yours, to do as you will with it."

"I thank thee most heartily, O Great, Great One," answered I. Then,
turning to 'Mfuni, I said: "Return now to your place in the ranks,
'Mfuni, and to your friends. You fought well, and it was through no
fault of yours that you were defeated. And when you are dismissed from
duty, come to my wagon, and I will see what may be done toward mending
the wound that the king's sword inflicted upon you."

"'Nkos'!" answered 'Mfuni, throwing up his hand in salute as he swung
round upon his heel and marched back to his place in the ranks. And as
he went there gradually arose from the assembled troops a sound like the
pattering of rain upon a roof, caused by the drumming of spear-haft upon
shield, beginning so gently that at first it was scarcely audible, but
rapidly swelling in volume until it became almost deafening, when it as
rapidly subsided into silence. I did not understand the meaning of it
at the moment; but, later on, when I questioned Mapela, he informed me
that it was the method adopted by the Mashona warriors to express
admiration, approval, and appreciation of any act of an exceptionally
generous and noble character, and had been evoked by my treatment in
general of the 'Mfuni incident, and especially by my successful
intervention to s