s of the terribly oppressive silence that prevailed,
notwithstanding the fact that, according to my estimate, there must have
been nearly fifty thousand men in the enclosure. But every one of them
stood straight up, staring intently into space immediately in front of
him, moving not so much as a muscle, scarcely daring to breathe--as it
seemed to me--and mute as a figure carved in stone.

For perhaps ten minutes--although it seemed more like half an hour to
me--this dreadful, breathless stillness remained unbroken; then a faint
sound, like that of a sudden breeze sweeping over grass, but which was
in reality an involuntary sigh of relief from suspense emanating from
fifty thousand breasts, stirred the air as the curtain veiling the
entrance to the itunkulu, or king's house, was drawn aside, and the
figure of Lomalindela, fully clad in his hussar uniform, sword included,
appeared. For a brief space he stood there in the doorway, glowering;
then, doubtless in obedience to some signal that I failed to note, the
spear which every warrior held in his right hand was raised aloft, and
the royal salute of "Bayete! Bayete! Bayete!" pealed out like a
thunderclap on the startled air, and all was silent again.

For a moment the king's brow cleared, and the ghost of a smile flitted
across his countenance: I would defy any man living, civilised or
savage, to remain entirely indifferent to such a tremendous outburst of
homage--all the more intense because of the imposing figure which His
Majesty cut in his new rig-out. Then the smile passed, the scowl
returned, and, with a glare that seemed to be concentrated especially on
me, Lomalindela strode majestically forward, and, scarcely deigning to
acknowledge my salute, slowly seated himself in his chair, or throne.
And, as he did so, a company of a hundred picked warriors--His Majesty's
own bodyguard--marched out from behind the itunkulu, and, under an
induna in an especially imposing war dress, ranged themselves in a
semicircle round and immediately behind the king's person.

Then, from somewhere in the rear of where I was sitting, there suddenly
came leaping and bounding into the small open space a most extraordinary
and horrible figure. It was that of a man--the man who had visited me
at my wagon on the previous night, I presently perceived, although I did
not immediately recognise him; for his dark body was painted, back and
front, from head to foot, in white, in such a manner