, will it?" she answered, striving not to smile.

"Easy? That I know not. But my new _inkosikazi_ [principal wife] will
be thyself, child of U' Ben, and the _lobola_ [Price paid in cattle to
the father or guardian of a girl asked in marriage] which I shall send
will be the life of him whom thou seekest."

Verna half started from her seat, flushing crimson with anger and
outraged pride. Then she subsided again.

"Is this a joke on the part of the chief?" she said. "Because I like
not such jokes."

"No joke is it," answered the other, in a tone of firm assurance. "My
new _inkosikazi_ shall be thyself, Izibu."

Reference has been made to the impassable barrier to unions between
white and colour existing, and rightly so, throughout the whole of South
Africa; but the repulsion and degradation attaching to such is deepened
tenfold when it is the woman who represents the white race. In Verna,
of course, such tradition was part of her being, and now that this was
put broadly before her, her horror and disgust were unlimited. She to
be one of the many wives of a squalid savage! for such the stately and
fine-looking Zulu chieftain had now become in her eyes; a mere despised
black man--Sapazani's colour was copper red--why, she must be dreaming.
No living being in his senses dare make such a proposal to her. But she
checked the scathing reply that rose to her lips--she could not hide the
flashing fury in her eyes--for she must not lose sight of the end for
which she was there, the finding of Alaric.

"Listen, Izibu, and I will tell a story," said the chief, who had been
watching her keenly, but outwardly unconcerned. "There were two bulls
grazing together near the banks of Makanya River. They began to roar at
each other, perhaps one wanted the pasture to himself, or this or that
heifer, no one knows. Suddenly one gored the other to death and pushed
him into the river, then went on his way. These bulls were of the
Amangisi [English], and among such for one to kill another is death.
There were those who looked down upon this conflict from high up on the
other side of the river. They will be there to speak when wanted."

Now a new light broke upon Verna. Alaric had positively declared that
nobody could have witnessed the encounter or the restiveness of the
horses would have betrayed the presence of such. But they had been on
the other side of the water, hence the very pointed reference on the
part of Mandevu to