ake use of what is herein--in extremity only--when at thy wit's end."

Still held by her eyes, I reached forth my hand and took the _muti_ bag,
securing it round my neck by a stout leather thong which formed part of
the hide from whence the bag had been cut. As I did so, Lalusini
murmured of strange things--of ghost caves, and of whole impis devoured
in alligator-haunted swamps--and of a wilder, weirder mystery still,
which was beyond my poor powers of understanding--I being but a fighter
and no _izanusi_ at all. Then her eyes grew calm, and with a sigh as of
relief she was herself again.

Now I tried to go behind what she had been saying, but it was useless.
She had returned from the spirit world, and being once more in this,
knew not what she had seen or said while in the other. Even the _muti_
pouch, now fastened to my neck, she glanced upon as though she had never
seen it before.

"Go now, Untuswa," she said.

We embraced each other with great affection, and Lalusini with her own
hands armed me with my weapons--the white shield, and the great
dark-handled assegai which was the former gift of the King, also my
heavy knobkerrie of rhinoceros horn, and three or four light casting
spears--but no feather crest or other war adornments did I put on. Then
I stepped forth.

No armed escort was to accompany me, for I must do this thing alone.
But I had chosen one slave to bear such few things as I should require.
Him I found awaiting me at the gate of the kraal.

It was evening when I stepped forth--evening, the busiest and cheeriest
time of the day--yet my kraal was silent and mournful as though
expecting every moment the messengers of death. The cattle within their
enclosure stood around, lowing impatiently, for the milking was
neglected; and men, young and old, sat in gloomy groups, and no women
were to be seen. These murmured a subdued farewell, for not only was I,
their chief and father, about to sally forth upon an errand of horror
and of gloom, but in the event of failure on my part, who should stand
between them and the King's word of doom?

Through these I strode with head erect as though proceeding to certain
success--to a sure triumph. When without the gate I turned for a moment
to look back. The rim of the sinking sun had just kissed the tips of
the forest trees on the far sky-line, and his rays, like darts of fire,
struck full upon my largest hut, which was right opposite the great gate
of the kra