d not believe the evidence of his own eyes; then he turned
to me and said:

"Truly, Chia'gnosi, thou art well named, for thy lightning has slain him
who was as we have always known him, even when the oldest living man in
Mashonaland was a boy running at his mother's heels. Why hast thou
slain the chief of my witch doctors?"

"I slew him, O King," answered I, "because he was a liar, a cheat, a
betrayer, and a murderer. He lied to thee and cheated thee by
pretending that he could smell out thine enemies, whereas he possessed
no such power; and he smelled out and caused to be destroyed Logwane,
one of the most loyal and faithful of your indunas, because, after
heavily bribing Machenga for several years, in order to obtain immunity,
Logwane refused to submit to further robbery. And what he has done to
Logwane he has, doubtless, done to many others of Your Majesty's loyal
and faithful subjects."

"How knowest thou all this, Chia'gnosi," demanded the king; "and how am
I to know that thy words are true?"

"Have I not proved it to thee by destroying Machenga?" retorted I.
"Thinkest thou that if Machenga had been what he claimed to be I could
have slain him? As to how I know it, my snake told me, and he never
lies. And if thou dost still doubt me, question the indunas. Doubtless
there are some among them whom thou canst trust, who will tell thee
whether Logwane was true, or whether he was false to thee."

The king frowningly considered my proposition for a little, and finally,
looking up, called Mapela to approach.

"Mapela," said Lomalindela, when the induna had drawn near and saluted,
"I am perplexed, and know not what to believe. I can believe thy words,
because I have proved thee, and know thee to be faithful and true. Thou
didst know Logwane intimately; tell me, therefore, was he loyal to me,
or was he not?"

"There was no man in all Mashonaland more faithful to thee than
Logwane," answered Mapela.

"Yet Machenga smelled him out and caused him to be slain as an enemy of
mine," the king reminded him.

"Do I not know it?" retorted the old man bitterly. "And if Machenga had
smelled me out, I too should have been slain, although, as thou sayest,
thou hast proved me and know me to be faithful and true! But thank thy
snake, O Lomalindela, King of the Mashona, that Chia'gnosi saw the evil
and falsehood that lurked in that black heart,"--pointing to the dead
body of Machenga--"else would many another of thy fri