cried. Then a sort of cold despair came over me. `And has
your father accepted it?' I said.

"`No. He says it is not enough.'

"`They all say that at first,' I answered. `But he will accept it or
demand a little more. And now, Nangeza, who is the sender of the
_lobola_?'

"`Gungana, the King's _induna_.'

"`U'gungana!' I roared, springing to my feet and gripping my assegais.
`_Hau_! I will kill him, though I die myself in doing so!'

"`_Gahle, gahle_! [Gently, gently!] Untuswa!' she cried, flinging her
arms round me, and dragging me back by main force.

"`U'Gungana! _Hau_! the jackal, the coward dog!' I went on, in the
fury and ungovernable excitement into which the news had thrown me. `He
stole the praise that was due to me! he claimed credit for the deed he
was too cowardly to perform himself! he it is who has poisoned the
King's ear against me! He shall die--shall die this day!'

"`He shall not, Untuswa. Listen now--no, you cannot fling me off. I am
too strong for even you to do that, and I will not let you go. Listen,
now, to what I have to say.'

"She spoke truly. I could not shake her off. Calmed by her voice, I
sat down gloomily to listen, and bit by bit she unfolded to me a most
amazing plan.

"`It is even as the King has just told you, son of Ntelani,' she ended
up. `Valour without wisdom is the destruction of its owner. Be guided
by me, and one day you shall be a greater man than Gungana. I shall be
your _Inkosikazi_ yet.'

[Inkosikazi: The principal wife of a chief.]

"`Hail, _Inkosikazi_! We bow down to thee! We do thee obeisance,
_Inkosikazi_!'

"And shrill screams of mocking laughter from the bush on the other side
of the _donga_ accompanied this most startling interruption.

"`Now, these spies shall die, else are the two of us dead!' I muttered
in desperation, gripping my assegais and making to spring across the
_donga_. But again Nangeza restrained me.

"`_Gahle, gahle_! Wilt thou never learn wisdom?' she whispered. `They
are but girls. Speak to them fair.'

"`Come forth,' I cried, `lest I come to seek you!'

"`Spare yourself the trouble, son of Ntelani!' they cried, laughing, and
stepping from their hiding-place.

"Three there were. Two of them were sisters; the other I recognised as
a distant relation of my father Ntelani. And then the awful
consternation which had entered my mind at the idea of our deadly plot
having been overheard gave way to reli