e he could only obtain from the whites.
Without those arms he could do nothing, and the way to procure them was
certainly not by putting to death the first white men who came among
them. Umhleswa was cruel, vindictive, and unscrupulous, and he had,
without hesitation, told the white men a deliberate untruth to hinder
their seeking for the sacred ruins. His chance wound and subsequent
insensibility upset his calculations; still he was very much averse to
shedding their blood.

There was, however, a warrior of the tribe second only to himself in
power--a man of another stamp, and famed for personal courage and deeds
of daring. Between Sgalam and Umhleswa there had always been rivalry,
and, on this occasion, the Amatonga brave took an entirely different
view of the whole matter, openly blaming Umhleswa's conduct, and
demanding the death of the white men as the only means of securing the
safety of the tribe.

The result was long doubtful, and what between the chief's arguments and
Masheesh's threats, the balance seemed in favour of clemency. The
council was noisy, and divided in opinion. Umhleswa had just been
showing in eloquent words the injustice of dooming to death men who had
acted from ignorance, pointing out that they could not have known the
sacred nature of the place they had invaded; and he seemed to be
carrying with him the feelings of the tribe as they all squatted round
in the inclosure on the hill-top, when Sgalam, roused to a last effort,
strode straight up to Luji, who was listening open-mouthed, and laying
his hand on the man's shoulder, "Here is one of their head-men," he
said, with violence; "ask him if the white chiefs were not warned, ay,
even in Mozelkatse's camp. Should they go free, Sgalam himself will
denounce the folly in the council inclosure of Manica."

The baboon, seeing a hand laid on Luji, and doubtless thinking harm was
meant him, at once flew at the orator, making his teeth meet in the
man's arm, and chattering wildly.

The powerful savage, with one blow, dashed the animal to the ground,
Luji, who was fairly roused, being in a great rage, threatening the
chief with the white men's vengeance. A scene of confusion ensued, but
Sgalam's eloquence decided the matter, and the verdict was death; the
council breaking up without fixing when and in what manner the
punishment was to be inflicted.

In the interior of the hut assigned to the Europeans that night, all was
quiet, and the two