fore the whole army escorting the King, and the march
was continued until we were some distance beyond the smoking ruins of
the Basutu kraals, for we might not halt upon the site of the battle,
lest those who had borne no part in shedding it might be denied by the
blood that had flowed. Here our vast camp was pitched, and by the light
of hundreds of fires we who had fought, having gone through the ceremony
of purification at the hands of the _izanusi_, were paraded before the
King in full war array, and such of us as could establish a claim were
allowed to perform the _Tyay'igama_, or the `calling by name,' dance.

"This custom, you must know, _Nkose_, is one which consists of warriors
who have performed deeds of distinction during the recent battle being
pointed at by their commanders and called forward out of the ranks to
dance before the King, while narrating their claims to notice for
especial valour--who they have killed and how it has been done. They
dance and leap with a quickness and to a height that would astonish you
white people, springing from the earth more than their own height in the
air, clashing their shields with both feet while leaping, and so on--the
while telling of their deeds. It is arranged with the _indunas_ in
command as to who shall be allowed so to claim notice, and Gungana had
readily accorded me a first place.

"Ha! that night! It was a sight to live in a man's memory. By the red
light of a thousand huge fires there was assembled the whole might of a
nation, of a new nation, of a nation of warriors. The King sat in the
midst of his _indunas_, an open space before him. On either side
stretched a monster crescent of armed men, the glint of their spears,
the sheen of their great hide shields, flickering in the wavy glow. Up
the middle of this space our _impi_ advanced, singing a battle-song,
even the war-song of Umzilikazi:

"`Yaingahlabi leyo'nkunzi!
Yai ukufa!'

[That bull did not gore! It was death!--meaning "That bull _did_ gore,"
but in the most deadly manner.]

"Then, halting before the King, we shouted the _Bayete_, and falling
back, left a space for those who were to perform in the dance.

"They came out one by one, each, as he paused to take breath after
recounting his deeds, being greeted by a roar of applause from the
throats of the surrounding warriors. Then my turn came.

"I know not how it was, _Nkose_, unless it were the thoughtless rashness
of youth, which