eir leader was a
fine and well-built warrior of middle age, whom I knew as a fierce and
fearless fighter, and they had returned from "eating up" the kraal of
one of the subject tribes in accordance with the King's mandate. Now
the leader reported having carried out his orders fully. The evil-doers
were destroyed, their houses burnt, and their cattle swept off as
forfeit to the King.

"It is well," said Umzilikazi. "Yet not for that ye have obeyed your
orders has the whole nation gone mad."

"There is more to tell, Great Great One," answered the warrior, upon
whose countenance, and upon the countenances of his band, I could descry
signs of dread. "In returning we had to pass through the land of
Maqandi. Two of us fell to the Red Death."

"To the Red Death?" repeated the King, speaking softly and pleasantly.
"Ha! How and where was that, Hlatusa?"

Then the leader explained how he had allowed two of his followers to
wander into the Ghost Valley in pursuit of a buck they had wounded.
They had not returned, and when sought for had been found lying some
little distance apart, each terribly ripped and covered with blood, as
though they had been rolled in it.

"So?" said the King, who had been listening attentively with his head on
one side. "So, Hlatusa? And what did you do next, Hlatusa?"

"This, Black Elephant," answered the man. "Every corner of that
_tagati_ place did we search, but found in it no living thing that could
have done this--ghost or other. In every cave and hole we penetrated,
but nothing could we find, Father of the Wise."

"In this instance, Father of the Fools," sneered Umzilikazi, a black and
terrible look taking the place of the pleasant and smiling expression
his face had hitherto worn. "Yet, stay. What else did you find there?
No sign, perchance?"

"There was a sign, Divider of the Sun," replied Hlatusa, who now
considered himself, and they that were with him, already dead. "There
was a sign. The hoof-mark as of a huge bull was imprinted in the ground
beside the bodies."

"And wherefore did ye not rout out that bull and return hither with his
head, O useless ones?" said the King.

"No bull was it, but a ghost, Great Great One," replied the leader. And
they who had been with him murmured strongly in support of his words.

"Now have I heard enough," said Umzilikazi. "You, Hlatusa, you I send
forth at the head of twenty men, and you return, having lost two--not on
the spears o