behold this Mosutu rain-maker, and test his magic. What--is that you,
Untuswa?'

"Now, it happened that Umzilikazi had expressed no such wish. In my
despair of finding a plea, I had invented this as a reason for sparing
the old magician. I could see now that Gungana's design was to supplant
me in this, even as he had done in my plan for overmastering the Basutu
kraal. If sparing the life of the old witch-doctor proved acceptable to
the King, he, Gungana, would get the credit for it; if not--then I
laughed to myself, for in that case he would have fallen into his own
trap. And if anything should go wrong with the King hereafter, who but
Gungana was it who had brought this foreign wizard into our camp? But
before I could answer a shout went up from the warriors standing in the
background, and all heads were turned accordingly.

"`The King! The King is coming!' And the words were taken up by all
there present, and, with the phrases of _bonga_ flowing thick and fast
from our lips, all eyes were turned upon a cloud of dust on the
horizon--distant, but drawing nearer and nearer.

"`Go now, Untuswa, who art the chief runner. Go now, and meet the Great
Great One with word of our victory,' commanded Gungana."

CHAPTER FOUR.

THE TYAY'IGAMA DANCE.

"Hardly had the word left Gungana's lips than I was up and away. No
thought of the witch-doctor was in my mind as I sped over the ground in
that long, even trot which I could keep up for days, and eventually
overtake a horse which had started at the same time. Of cuts and stabs
many were upon me, and I was red and hideous with blood, flowing or
dried. But this mattered less than nothing, and I laughed loud and
joyously as I coursed along to be the first to bear to the King the news
he most loved to hear. Of a truth, the old _isanusi_ I had saved from
death--if, indeed, I had saved him from death--had gone clean out of my
mind. Yet, if I had but known it, that day was to my life what the bent
rods are to the roof of a hut.

"Soon I found myself in the midst of the great dust-cloud we had seen,
and behind it came herds of cattle spreading over the plain, tended by
women and boys of all ages. These were the herds which we had brought
out from Zululand, increased by those we had taken from the tribes on
our way, and which we were carrying with us to the land where we should
be commanded to settle.

"`Make way!' I shouted. `Make way for the "ears of the King"!'