ce was soft and pleasant,
and therein he read mercy. Ha! we knew better than that--knew that for
such a purpose the King's voice had better have in it the roar of
thunder.

"Not only didst thou turn a deaf ear to my offer of thy life and the
lives of thy people, O Chief of the Blue Cattle," went on Umzilikazi,
"but to my messenger, Untuswa, thou didst offer violence, to him and to
those who were with him. But for my arrival in time, he who was the
tongue of the King would have been slain; slain by thee and thy people.
What hast thou to say, Chief of the Blue Cattle?"

This I put to Tauane in glee, for I had not forgotten how they had
smoked us like bees within the stone walls; how, but for our prowess and
their cowardice, we should long since have been slain; how that we in
our capacity of ambassadors should have been sacred, but, instead, had
been set upon and assailed by these dogs of Bakoni. He urged eagerly in
excuse that for what had happened he was not responsible, that he had
been unable to control his people, which, when I had rendered into our
tongue, raised an exclamation of derision from all who heard it; for to
us the idea of a people refusing to listen to the voice of its chief, or
any man remaining a chief who was unable to compel the implicit
obedience of his people, seemed the most ridiculous thing in the whole
world. If he thought to save his own life by throwing the blame upon
his people, why then, never made any man a greater mistake, for never
was cowardice in any form a way to the favour of Umzilikazi.

"And that is all thou hast to say, thou treacherous and cowardly dog?"
said the King, dropping his soft and pleasant voice and pointing his
spear at the captive chief.

"Not all, O Black Elephant," was the answer; and now I felt on my own
trial, for, if he mentioned the secret of Lalusini's existence and
hiding-place, how could I suppress it, or turn it into something else?
I knew that none of the _izinduna_ or others seated near by understood
that language, yet many of the Amaholi, or slaves, did; and although
these were in the background, I knew not how far Tauane's voice might
reach.

"There is yet more I would say," he answered. "It is whispered that the
great nation before whose irresistible bravery our race has gone down is
followed by a hostile nation greater even than itself, before whom it
flees. Now, O King, our weapons are good, and there are still some of
our warriors left. L