one of the wildest
slopes of the Ngome hills. It was surrounded by dense forests and rocks
and precipices, and the ways of approach being but few, and always
securely guarded, the King felt safe from all possibility of attack.
But shortly an alarm was given. _Impis_ from Mpande were reported
near--not to attack us, for they were not large enough--but as spies.
So the King sent forth two regiments under Silwane to cut them off, if
possible, so that, finding themselves surrounded, they would accept the
offer of their lives, and return to their allegiance. I, however, was
not sent out.

_Whau, Nkose_! Well do I remember that evening. The sun had gone down
in a mass of heavy cloud, and in the red glow that remained an awful and
brooding silence rested upon the surrounding forests. Then it grew
dark, and, after we had eaten, the King and I sat long into the night
conversing, and upon him seemed to lie that gloom which had darkened his
mind when he and I together had been fugitives and in hiding. But I
strove to cheer him, and our conversation being ended he dismissed me,
and retired within the _isigodhlo_.

I, too, retired to rest. For long I lay thinking, not able to sleep;
then I dozed off and dreamed. It seemed to me that once more I was back
at Kwa'zingwenya. Once more, my heart full of rage over the
disappearance of Lalusini, I was creeping stealthily to slay Umzilikazi
in his sleep. Once more I sprang upon him, spear uplifted. Once more I
heard the shouts of his bodyguard, as they swarmed to his aid. Then I
awoke--awoke suddenly, and with a start. Ha! the shouts were real--I
was not dreaming now--and with them I heard the hurried tramp of rushing
feet go by my hut.

Those were times for quick thought--for quick action. In a moment I was
outside the hut, fully armed, listening. Ha! The tumult, the shouting
and tramp of feet! It came from the _isigodhlo_.

Thither I sprang. I could see the King's body-guard there before me,
for the moon was up; could see the flash of spears, the sheen of white
shields. Several dark bodies lay upon the ground, and at these they
were stabbing and hacking. Just as I came up another was dragged forth
by the heels and cut to pieces there and then.

The King had been stabbed. Such was the news now spoken in awed
whispers. But, who were these? Emissaries of Mpande? No. By their
head-rings and ornaments they were not of us. They were Amaswazi.

Quickly I took in