laughter of
their companions.

But the Zulus in the present instance confined their aggression to mere
boisterous noise. And then the kraal in front seemed suddenly in a
turmoil. Heads could be seen peering over the palisades, and another
body of warriors came swarming from its gates. These advanced, marching
in regular orderly column, to meet the wild uproarious crowd which was
swaying and surging around the slowly progressing waggons; and as they
approached they began to sing. The burden of their song might be
translated in this wise--

"Ho! the Lion's teeth are sharp,
They bite, they tear;
And the land is white with bones
Round the Lion's lair.
Lo! the prey comes home of itself
To the Lion's den,
Where the Lion's cubs grow fat
On the blood of men.
Ha, ha, ha!
Grow fat on the blood of men!"

The repetition of this ferocious refrain was, under the circumstances,
anything but reassuring; the fell imagery of it only too alarmingly
plain. Were they not indeed walking of themselves right into the
"lion's den"--the lair of this savage and freebooting chieftain whose
very name meant lion in the Zulu language! However, there was nothing
for it but to preserve a cool and unconcerned demeanour, as the singing
warriors drew near; and thus marshalled, amid an indescribable din, the
shrill chatter of women and children, the clamourous yelping of a
hundred curs, mingling with the rattle of shields and assegai hafts, the
rumble of tramping feet and the deep-toned, measured war-chant of the
warriors, our two friends made their entrance into the Igazipuza kraal,
after a fashion which, as Gerard remarked, was a cross between a
procession to the scaffold and a Caesar's triumph.

Dawes had wanted to leave the waggons outside, but this his escort--or
captors--would not hear of. They must all enter, had urged the latter.
To act otherwise would be to make the reception invalid, maimed,
unlucky. They could go out again afterwards if they liked, and Dawes
for his part sincerely wished they might.

Large as it was, the open space in the centre of the kraal, was nearly
filled up with the two waggons and spans of oxen, besides their cattle
and small stock which had been driven into it. A bush had now fallen
upon the swarming throng, for Dawes had intimated his desire immediately
to see the chief; and heads were bent forward in eager curiosity, and
voices were hushed to w