when the _Umfundisi_
would have pleaded for their lives. "The mouths of those who kept them
closed too long are now closed for ever. Yonder they lie."

"But those under torture, King?" urged the white man, hardly able to
look in the direction of the stakes, so filled was he with loathing and
disgust. "At least give the word that they be put out of their pain."

"_Au_! Here is a marvel!" said Dingane laughing; "the white _Umfundisi_
actually pleading for the death of men!"

"Yes, but it is to save them hours of cruel torment," answered the white
man quickly.

"Ah, ah!" laughed the King. "And yet, my father, you teach that nothing
but torment awaits bad men after death--torment for ever and ever. Is
it not so?"

Now we who listened awaited the _Umfundisi's_ reply with some curiosity.

"That is so, King, for it is in the word of God," he said.

"Why, then, if that is so, _Umfundisi_, it will make no difference
whether I order these to be slain at once or not, since, they being bad
men, torment awaits them after death," answered Dingane.

"But were they bad men, King? What was their crime?"

"Their crime was that of those who sleep when they should have been
awake, _Umfundisi_; and I seem to remember that in the stories you teach
to my people out of your sacred book such are thrown by the God whom you
serve into a place of darkness and of never-ending torment. So the
punishment I mete out to my people is less than the punishment your God
metes out to his."

"But His ways are not as our ways," replied the _Umfundisi_, becoming
angry. "He alone created life, and He alone has the right to take it.
Who art thou, sinful man?" he went on, his eyes blazing with wrath, and
pointing his finger at the King. "Who art thou, thou man of blood, to
wreck and mangle God's Image thus?" pointing to those upon the stakes.
"Tremble and know that a judgment awaits thee--yea, a burning fiery
looking-for of judgment to come. Then the torment that these undergo
now shall be a bed of flowers beside such as thine, for thy part shall
be in the lake that burneth with fire for ever and ever and ever."

The eyes of the _Umfundisi_ seemed to blaze, his hair to bristle, as he
thundered out his words, shaking his finger at the King; and we--_au_!--
we looked to see a third stake erected to receive the body of this white
man, who dared to revile the majesty of the Lion of Zulu--or, at least,
that he be led forth to die beneath the kno