nishment of
the witch. Still, the _izanusi_ ran twice round the circle without
naming anybody, and, indeed, I, among others, thought I knew the reason
of this; for it happened that at the last `smelling-out' they had named
one of the King's favourite fighting chiefs, which had so enraged
Umzilikazi, whom it had put to so much difficulty in finding a pretext
for sparing the denounced man's life, that he had more than half vowed
the death of the witch-doctors the next time they should accuse the
wrong person. This, then, was the cause of their hesitation, the more
so that they suspected the old Mosutu had been spared in order to
supersede themselves.

"But now indeed I had cause to quake, for the _izanusi_ had stopped, and
with renewed vigour were howling and dancing in front of the group of
women among whom Nangeza was the most prominent. I could see the faces
of these women quivering with fear, but not so hers. She echoed the
witch-finding song louder than any, seeming to fling it back defiantly
into their faces.

"`We name--' they shrieked, flourishing their arms and rattles, and
leaping high in the air. The rods were already extended.

"`We name--'

"`Hold!' cried the King. `Go no further. I have a new idea. Where is
Masuka? Where is the old Mosutu?'

"`Here, lord,' said the old man, coming from a hut close by.

"`Hast thou been making _muti_ alone, Masuka?' said the King.

"`I require no _muti_, O Black Elephant. That may be needful to such as
these.'

"`I hear thee, Masuka. Look, now. Twice have these _izanusi_ gone
round the circle, and yet have named no one. Let them stand aside now,
and go thou around it once; for I believe their _muti_ is worn thin, and
thy power without it is greater than theirs with it.'

"`The King shall be satisfied,' answered the Mosutu.

"Now, although he had been well treated and kept in abundance, the old
man had affected no superiority over any of us, great or mean. He had
worn only one or two `charms,' and, indeed, there was little about him
to denote his estate, unlike our own magicians, who were ever performing
strange and mysterious rites. When the time came, he would say, then
his power would be proved; meanwhile he was under no necessity to do
anything to keep it from tottering. And this was the first time since
the fire-making that he had been called upon to exercise his power.

"Now, as he paced round the ring, with nothing in his hand but a short
p