id, that the young men
should be taken from the villages unless by their own consent, though
it was his desire that such young men as could be spared should have a
chance of earning an honest penny. And then he fired at them some
stuff about the British Empire and the King, and you could sec the
Labonga imbibing it like water. The man in a cocked hat might have
told them that the sky was yellow, and they would have swallowed it.

"'"I have spoken," he says at last, and there was a great shout from
the young men, and old Umgazi looked pretty foolish. They were coming
round our horses to touch our stirrups with their noses, but the
Governor stopped them.

"'"My children will pile their weapons in front of me," says he, "to
show me how they have armed themselves, and likewise to prove that
their folly is at an end. All except a dozen," says he, "whom I select
as a bodyguard." And there and then he picked twelve lusty savages for
his guard, while the rest without a cheep stacked their spears and guns
forenent the big drum.

"'Then he turned to us and spoke in English. "Get back to the mines
hell-for-leather, and tell them what's happening, and see that you get
up some kind of a show for to-morrow at noon. I will bring the chiefs,
and we'll feast them. Get all the bands you can, and let them play me
in. Tell the mines fellows to look active for it's the chance of their
lives. "Then he says to the Labonga, "My men will return he says, "but
as for me I will spend the night with my children. Make ready food,
but let no beer be made, for it is a solemn occasion."

"'And so we left him. I will not describe how I spent last night
mysel', but I have something to say about this remarkable phenomenon.
I could enlarge on the triumph of mind over matter. ....

"Mackay did not enlarge. He stopped, cocked his ears, and looked down
the road, from which came the strains of 'Annie Laurie,' played with
much spirit but grievously out of tune. Followed 'The British
Grenadiers,' and then an attempt at 'The March of the Priests.' Mackay
rose in excitement and began to crane his disreputable neck, while the
band--a fine scratch collection of instruments--took up their stand at
the end of the street, flanked by a piper in khaki who performed when
their breath failed. Mackay chuckled with satisfaction. 'The deevils
have entered into the spirit of my instructions,' he said. 'In a wee
bit the place will be like Falkirk Tryst for