d in some shining metal, was stretched the Figure
of a Man.

A gasp of astonishment went up from every throat; for we Zulus, _Nkose_,
are always anxious to hear something new. _Au_! This was something
new, if ever anything was.

"Seat thyself, father of the red _muti_ cloak," said Umzilikazi, after
we had gazed awhile upon this strange object. "Seat thyself, and tell
us the tale of this marvel. I would fain hear of the doings of a King
whose house was mightier than that of Senzangakona."

So the white stranger seated himself there beside the King and told his
tale; and a wonderful tale it was, and long did it take in telling.
_Whau, Nkose_! It was new then, though I have more than once heard it
since from the lips of white preachers, but never did they tell it as
this man told it whom we found, my brother and I, making strange _muti_
and offering sacrifice in the forest.

But there was one side of that story which pleased not any of us, which
pleased not the King, and this was the teaching that all men should live
at peace. We looked at one another, we war-captains, and shook our
heads as we tried to imagine ourselves even more helpless than the
cowardly Bakoni, whose ways were the ways of peace. We looked at the
Great Great One too, though guardedly, at those parts of a story which
set forth that there could be a mightier King than himself. _Au_! The
tale was good, as a tale; but these were not teachings we liked to
listen to, we chief men among a warrior race whose greatness lay in war.

"It is a great tale!" said Umzilikazi, when we had listened for a long
time; "a wonderful tale. And now, my father, I would fain behold this
making of _muti_ such as my _induna_ Untuswa witnessed unawares. I
would fain see thee offer sacrifice. Shall we go forth into the forest,
or can it be offered here?"

"It can be offered anywhere, Elephant of the Amandebeli, by one who is
qualified to offer it," answered the white _isanusi_. "But it is a very
high and holy act, and cannot be offered twice upon the same day except
under certain conditions, but not at all if food has been partaken of on
that day."

This answer satisfied the King. But there were some among us who
murmured that the will of the Great Great One should thus be crossed,
saying it brought back the day when old Masuka first came into our
midst, who, being desired to make _muti_, refused, on the ground that
the moment was not propitious.

Now, whethe