assed through their midst carrying word to the contrary, they had
sprung to arms, and mustering swiftly and secretly, had returned to do
_konza_ to their rightful King. And here they were.

Now they redoubled their entreaties, singing louder and louder their
songs of praise.

Sun of suns, come forth in thy brightness;
We thy children sit in darkest night.
If thou wilt not show us thy face.
Lion of Zulu--thy cubs still have teeth,
Teeth that are sharpened for war.

This time the King appeared. But before the great burst of _sibonga_
which greeted his presence had died away he turned his back and retired,
for by this means he chose to mark his displeasure over their seeming
desertion.

Again and again they howled forth their songs of praise and entreaty.
The King appeared again. This time he did not go back. He surveyed
them a few moments in silence, then he called:

"Come hither, Untuswa."

I disarmed, and crept up to where he stood.

"Sit here, Untuswa," he said, pointing to the ground at his feet. "This
is thy place. For the rest they can still remain at a distance."

So I sat, _Nkose_, thinking how strange it was that I, who had begun my
life as the son of an induna, should live to become the principal
fighting chief of Umzilikazi's army, and then come to earn the
confidence of the Great Great One, the King of the mighty Zulu nation--
should be bidden to sit near him while all others were kept at a
distance--should live to become the most trusted councillor of two
mighty Kings; for such I saw was the honour before me now.

Then Dingane, lifting up his voice, addressed the warriors. For the
battle against Mpande's force he commended them greatly. Their bravery
was worthy of all praise, and not for lack of it on their part had
Nongalaza won the day, having done so by a mere trick--a clever trick,
it was true. But when they fled their terror had been too great. They
had forgotten their King. One man alone had cleaved to the King, and
that man was Untuswa--a wanderer--not even one of themselves. Still,
remembering how valiantly they had fought, remembering how speedily they
had returned to their rightful place, he would forget that.

The groans wherewith the listeners had heard his reproaches now turned
to murmurs of delight. Dingane went on:

The nation was divided, but it must be reunited once more. With such as
they whom he saw before him this might soon be done. Men of the pure