et them therefore _konza_ to the Elephant of the
Amandebeli, so when the Lion of the Zulu roars in pursuit behind, he
will be met by many more spears than he had expected."

This offer of alliance was so ludicrous that the warriors listening
could not restrain their shouts of derision.

"Lo, a fighting bull! a lion indeed! _Hau_! listen to the trumpeting of
the elephant!" they jeered, mocking the unfortunate chief. Then the
King spoke, and again his voice was soft.

"Ha! That is what thou hast to say, Chief of the Blue Cattle? A noble
alliance truly! An alliance between the elephant and the cricket,
between the serpent and the frog! Ha! a people who in their armed
hundreds are driven backwards and forwards like cattle by two men--only
two! A people who in their armed thousands, and with fire to help them,
are kept at a distance for half a day by two men--only two! Such are
they who would fight side by side with us! Say now, chief of a nation
of old women--if thy spears in their thousands could do nothing against
two Zulu fighting-men, and that during half a day, how would they think
to stand against a whole _impi_? The ostrich who vanishes beyond one
sky-line when a man appears on the other is preferable as an ally to
thee and thine. We want not such."

So great were the murmurs of contemptuous hate which went up that I
could hardly make myself heard as I rendered the King's speech. It
seemed to me, watching the countenance of Tauane, that hope had now left
it, to be succeeded, however, by a rekindling gleam.

"I lie beneath the foot of the Elephant," he said; "but there is that,
which, if I am suffered to go untrampled, the Elephant would gladly
know."

I looked around. No sign of Masuka, and it seemed to me that none
within hearing would understand this tongue. Now the moment had come,
now was Tauane about to try and purchase his life by disclosing
Lalusini's secret and mine, and I was resolved that he should not. Yet
it was a terrible thing to stand before the majesty of the Great Great
One, and deliberately deceive him--a terrible thing! But I turned the
speech of Tauane into a mere prayer that he might not be crushed beneath
the foot of the Elephant.

"The house of the Great King should be full of beautiful women," he went
on; "yet the most beautiful of all is not there."

Yes, the air was getting hot now; but I rendered the words so as to mean
that the most beautiful women of the Bakoni _h