the whole affair was brought
to an end, he now once more sent his compelling gaze into the unblinking
eyes of the ancient savage, and finally said to him, in English:

"Henceforth, until I release you, your will is mine; you will think and
act only as I direct. You understand?"

"I understand, and will obey," answered Sekosini.

"Good!" returned Dick. "Now I command you to tell me the absolute
truth. Know you anything relative to the sickness from which the chief
'Nkuni is suffering, or the sickness from which 'Mtatu and the other
five chiefs died?"

"Yes," answered Sekosini--and the answer in nowise surprised Dick; "I
know all. 'Nkuni is slowly dying of poison administered by me, the same
poison that sent 'Mtatu and the other five chiefs along the Dark Path.
The destruction of these men is preliminary to the destruction of the
king, of whose method of government I and others disapprove. I might
have destroyed Lobelalatutu alone; but if the chiefs whom I have
destroyed had been allowed to live it would assuredly have led to
trouble, therefore have I destroyed them first. When 'Nkuni dies the
chiefs who think as I do will be strong enough to act without fear of
opposition, and we shall be able to destroy Lobelalatutu and restore the
system which prevailed when M'Bongwele reigned, the system by which the
chiefs and the witch doctors were able to acquire much wealth instead of
living, as we do now, in comparative poverty."

"Then," demanded Dick, "do I understand that under Lobelalatutu's rule
you have not a sufficiency to meet all your wants?"

"I have a sufficiency, yes," answered Sekosini; "but I would have much
more than that. I would have wealth, great wealth, and, above all,
power, the power that the witch doctors wielded in M'Bongwele's time.
True, I have much power even now; but it is as nothing to the power that
was wielded by Mtusa, the chief witch doctor whom the accursed Spirits
of the Winds sent along the Dark Path with M'Bongwele, the king."

"I see," said Dick meditatively. "And are there any others concerned
with you in this precious scheme of yours to remove Lobelalatutu?"

"Yes," answered Sekosini, "there are Ingona, Lambati, Mapela, Moroosi,
Amakosa, N'Ampata, and Sekukuni, all chiefs."

"Quite a formidable little crowd," mused Dick, as he drew forth his
pocket book to make a few notes. "Just repeat those names again--
slowly, if you please," he commanded.

Sekosini did so, and Dick n