me to stamp flat--none, no, not one."

"And those who are already posted upon the height, father?"

"Let them remain," I said, "but let them keep well concealed. Stay,
where are they posted?"

"Yonder, where the two patches of scrub crown the projecting spur, Great
Great One," said the _induna_, pointing to a place which I could see,
luckily without turning my head, for had the moonbeams fallen on my face
that moment I were lost.

"Ha! But one picket? It seems I ordered two to be posted," I said
carelessly.

"One was indeed thy order, Serpent of Wisdom," replied Silwane. "Yet
there are five men in it. Shall I send up and bid two of them take up
other position elsewhere?"

"Let be, it matters not," I answered, still carelessly. "Ten eyes
should surely, from such a point, command half the world."

You will observe, _Nkose_, that I had found out four things: that a huge
Zulu _impi_ was advancing to surprise and utterly destroy us; that in
strength it scarcely exceeded that of our whole nation; that it was led
in person by Mhlangana, one of the brother Kings of Zululand; and that
it would cross the mountains at a certain time. It only remained for me
now to do one thing more to complete the trap into which I intended that
the might of Zululand should advance--and fall.

"That look-out is sufficient," I continued, after a moment's pause.
"Yet I think that it is not needful to wait until dark to enter the
pass. It may be done at mid-day, if those upon the watch-place signal
that none are about. Then that night shall the flames of Kwa'zingwenya
light the triumph dance of the might of the People of the Heavens. Let
it be known, then, that a white blanket be waved thrice if the way is
open."

"We hear you, Father," answered the warriors. "The plan will not fail.
By the King's white shield, but the rebel Umzilikazi may soon sit down
in darkness forever."

"_The King's white shield_!" Now I saw yet further light. For,
accompanying these words, the glances of the warriors had fallen
meaningly upon the white shield which I carried--the pure white shield
without spot of any other colour--the shield which had saved the life of
a king, and was now the means of saving the life of a king once more,
and also the life of a nation. This was how the mistake occurred; this
was how they had taken me for Mhlangana, seeing the great white royal
shield in the moonlight. But where was Mhlangana?

I said just now, _Nkos