aprons were of
leopard skin, and that he wore a necklace of lion's and leopard's claws
round his finely modelled neck; also that his body and limbs showed the
scars of several wounds; and he came to the conclusion that a chief of
some importance stood before him.

"Speak," said the professor, addressing him in the dialect that he had
found effective on the occasion of the previous visit of the party to
Ophir. "You have somewhat to say to us. Is it not so?"

"It is even so, O Great Spirit," answered the savage. "I am
Lobelalatutu, a chief of the great Makolo nation which the four Spirits
of the Winds condescended to visit many moons ago; and I was present
when M'Bongwele, the king, was banished, and Seketulo was made king in
his stead. And, behold, for the space of three rains and three dry
seasons, and the half of a fourth, things went very well with the
nation, and its people were happy; for Seketulo ruled wisely and well,
according to the precepts of the four Spirits. The witch-doctors were
discredited, and there were no torturings as punishment; but if a man
transgressed, he was banished, unless his transgression was very great,
and then his head was struck off in the Great Place before the king's
palace.

"And then, behold, on a certain day, when the chiefs were all gathered
together in the Great Place, as usual, to take the king's commands, it
was M'Bongwele who came forth to them from the palace, instead of
Seketulo. And M'Bongwele spoke, saying that he had grown weary of
remaining in exile; that his heart yearned for his people, who were
being changed into women under Seketulo's mild rule, and were growing
poor because they no longer made war upon their neighbours and took the
spoil; and therefore had he returned to them to restore the nation again
to its former greatness. Then he turned to those who were within the
palace, and bade them bring forth Seketulo; and when this was done, lo,
it was but Seketulo's body that they brought forth, his heart having
been split in twain by M'Bongwele's broad-bladed war spear.

"And when Seketulo's body had been placed in the midst, and all had
looked upon it, M'Bongwele called aloud, commanding those of us who were
in favour of his restoration to the kingship to stand forth and range
themselves by his side. And, behold, more than three-fourths of the
chiefs stood forth and placed themselves beside M'Bongwele, declaring
that the Makolo were a warlike nation, whose