th the country that lay
between the Tugela and the Umzimvubu. Oh, no!

There were some among us who would have persuaded Dingane to order the
death of the _Umfundisi_, for we feared lest he should warn the Amabuna;
but this the King refused to do. The white teacher was not of their
race, and he had no quarrel with the English; besides, the very feet of
a white man being slain would implant suspicion in the minds of the new
arrivals. But the _Umfundisi_, unknown to himself, was closely watched,
and meanwhile our plans were fully matured.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

THE HEAD OF THE SNAKE.

No great time went by before those Amabuna returned, having sent word
that they were bringing the cattle and horses taken from Sikonyela.
There were about three-score and ten, and with them, their slaves--
yellow men--to attend them and their horses.

Dingane had received them in but little state before. Now, however, he
received them in a great deal. He was attended by all his _izinduna_
and war captains, with the shield-bearer, and the praisers shouting
aloud his names with all the power of their mighty voices; and as the
Amabuna rode into Nkunkundhlovu by the lower gate and paced, two by two,
up to the centre of the great space, two regiments, in full war array,
began a grand dance on either side of them, singing a new song in honour
of our guests:

"The mouth of the white man is open;
It shall be filled--it shall be filled.
Wide, wide, is it open;
Full, full, very full shall it be filled.

"Lo! they come, the friends of the Amanita;
Full, full, shall their mouths be filled.
The lion of Zulu is as the sun in the heavens;
In his warmth--in his warmth shall his new brothers grow great."

This and much more did the warriors sing, _Nkose_, all referring to the
hunger for land of these invading whites. They little knew in what
manner their mouths were destined to be filled.

"Now we have the head of the snake at last," growled Tambusa to us in an
undertone, during the thunder and din of the singing. "Soon shall his
tail, too, cease its writhings."

Signing the dance and song to cease, the King ordered the cattle taken
from Sikonyela to be brought up. The herd was driven past, outside the
fence of the kraal. It was not much of a herd, but Dingane was as full
of delight over its recovery as though it represented the wealth of a
whole nation. Now, he said, he felt sure of the friendship and good
faith of