we slept away from any fire, and in a place of secure concealment. On
the morrow we kept on our way once more, and by noon came to the
resting-place I had designed for the King. This was a group of caves,
somewhat high up among the rocks of the Lebombo range. Beneath, the
slope fell away, bushy, but not too thickly so as to prevent us from
descrying the approach of friend or foe, while on either side so strewn
with rocks and boulders was the base of the cliff that retreat would be
easy in the event of pursuit.

"_Whau_, Untuswa!" said the King, with a laugh in his eyes. "When
Tambusa would have broken a nest of wasps around thy kraal, thou wert
turning thy wanderings to good account!"

"That is so, Great Great One," I answered, recalling to mind the words
of Sifadu--"The day might come when Dingane himself would be glad to
join us." And strange it was that my enforced flight from the hate of
the principal indunas should be the means of providing the King with a
place of refuge and concealment in the day of his downfall.

So we rested there for many days, Dingane and I. Yes, this dreaded one,
before whom all men and all nations had trembled, now treated me as a
friend, so entirely does adversity draw the greater and the lesser
together. Yet never for a moment did I forget who it was that I thus
foregathered with; never was there aught that was unbecoming in word or
tone or action of mine towards the King--the real and true ruler of the
great Zulu nation.

Often would the thought of Lalusini return to me, of her purposed
revenge, which she intended to seize through me. This, then, was that
for which she had plotted--this the means by which I was to become
great. Had I in refusing it acted the part of a fool? No, that could
not be, for, _Nkose_, although I spared not such as would injure me or
could not keep faith, yet never did I lift hand against any who did well
by me. Wherefore now I rejoiced that I had not slain the King--had not
slain a sleeping and helpless man at the bidding of a woman, even though
that woman were Lalusini.

Sometimes a gloom would settle upon the mind of Dingane. His sun had
set, he would declare. The power of Zulu was a thing of the past, now
that the nation was divided. But at such times I would say what I could
to cheer him, telling him portions of my own story, which, in truth, had
been wonderful. The army was scattered. Time was needed to collect it,
and that time, I th