self-defence. It was this last restriction that occasioned the
greatest discontent among certain of the chiefs; because, the Makolo
being a powerful and warlike nation, we were generally victorious when
we went to war, and the greater part of the spoils went to the chiefs,
who thus increased their riches as often as we made raids upon our
neighbours. But under Seketulo's rule all this was altered, and we were
obliged to be content with such wealth as we already possessed; hence
the discontent and all that followed upon it. Now, since I became king,
I have endeavoured to govern my people even as Seketulo did; and for a
long time things have gone very well with us; the number of the Makolo,
no longer kept down by war, has greatly increased, as also has our
prosperity; for now that war is no longer part of its policy the nation
has devoted itself to agriculture and the breeding of cattle, our herds
have greatly multiplied, new villages have sprung up, fresh land has
every year been brought under cultivation, and all have enough, and more
than enough, to satisfy their wants. But of late I have suspected that,
despite our steadily increasing prosperity, all is not well with us. I
have detected signs of discontent not only among the chiefs, but among
the people themselves; there have been murmurs that the long peace which
we have enjoyed is converting the Makolo into a nation of women who will
soon lose the capacity for fighting; our neighbours are growing insolent
and aggressive; and--worst sign of all--those chiefs who most boldly
support me in my determination to continue to rule in accordance with
the tenets laid down by the four Spirits, are rapidly dying off, one
after the other, by some mysterious disease."

"Phew! I say, that looks very fishy, doesn't it, Dick?" exclaimed
Grosvenor, when the king had concluded his story. "Smacks of conspiracy
and secret murder--eh, what?"

"Yes," agreed Dick; "I must confess that it undoubtedly has a look of
that kind of thing about it." Then, turning to Lobelalatutu, he asked:

"How long is it since the chiefs who support you began to sicken and
die; and how many have already passed along the Dark Path?"

"It is now nearly three moons since 'Mtatu, my most trustworthy chief,
died; and since then five others have travelled along the same Dark
Road," answered the king. "And now a seventh, 'Nkuni, lies sick in his
hut with the same symptoms as the others. Three nights and t