al. And there against the reed palisade in front of the door
stood Lalusini, who had come to see the last of me, ere I disappeared
into gloom and distance. _Au_! I can see her now, my beautiful wife,
as she stood there, her tall and splendid form robed as it were in
waving flames of fire, where the last glory of the dying sun fell full
upon her. And through the dazzle of this darting light, her gaze was
fixed upon me, firm and unflinching. Yes, I can see her now as I saw
her then, and at times in my dreams, _Nkose_, old man as I am, my heart
feels sore and heavy and broken as it did then. For as I returned her
parting gesture of farewell, and plunged into the forest shades, at that
moment a voice seemed to cry in my ears that I should behold her no
more. In truth was I bewitched.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Will you not rest a while, lord, and suffer me to prepare food, for we
have travelled fast and far?"

The voice was that of my attendant slave, and it struck upon my ears as
a voice from the spirit world, so wrapped up was I in the gloom of my
own thoughts. Now I glanced at the sky and judged the night to be more
than half through. And we had marched since the setting of the sun.
But the light of the half moon was sufficient for us, for the forest
trees were of low stature and we were seldom in complete darkness.

"Rest a while? Not so, Jambula," I answered. "Are we not on the King's
errand? and from hence to the full of the moon is not far."

"The forest is loud with the roarings of strange ghost-beasts, my
father; and the time of night when such have most power must already be
here. And we are but two," he urged, though with great deference.

"And what are such to me--to me!" I answered, "I who am under the
protection of great and powerful _muti_? Go to, Jambula. Art thou
turning fearful as time creeps upon thee?"

"I fear nothing within touch of thy _muti_, father," he answered, liking
not the question.

And then, indeed, I became alive to the meaning of the man's words, for
strange and fearful noises were abroad among the shadows on either hand,
low sad wailings as of the ghosts of them that wander in darkness and
pain, mingling with the savage howls of ramping beasts into whose grim
bodies the spirits of many fighters had passed, to continue their fierce
warring upon such as still trod this earth in the flesh. And over and
above these came t