? They had broken faith with you."

"Yet what shall we say when their chiefs ask for their return?" pursued
Dawes. "What reply can we make?"

"Reply? Say? Say that the spears of the Igazipuza are sharp," returned
Vunawayo with an evil laugh.

"I think we have talked enough concerning a few Swazi dogs," said
Ingonyama, taking snuff. "And now, _abelungu_, what have you got to
sell?"

"Yes. What have you got to sell?" echoed a chorus of voices from the
spectators. And then the two, glancing around noticed that they were
encompassed by a considerable force of armed warriors, who had gathered
in groups, casually and as if by accident, but in reality with meaning
and design.

The chief had risen, and intimated his intention of proceeding to the
waggons. Dawes, recognising the necessity of extreme wariness, offered
no further objection. The armed warriors poured into the central space
till it was full to overflowing, while others clustered about the outer
side of the fence like a swarm of bees.

Ingonyama was graciously pleased to accept a large pannikin of
gin-and-water, which, having half emptied, he passed on to his _induna_
Vunawayo. He further relaxed over the gift of some snuff and a few
other things of no great value intrinsically. With each present a
chorus of thanks burst from the throats of all the spectators. This
became a perfect roar as a gaudy umbrella, striped with all the colours
of the rainbow, was added to the gifts.

"What is this?" said the chief, now in high good humour, laying his hand
on a great tufted tassel-like thing, which protruded from a bale.

"This? A skin. Fine one, isn't it?" answered Dawes, dragging it forth.
And, unrolling it, he spread out the skin of a huge lion. A great
shout went up.

"_Hau_! The thing that roars! the thing that roars!" cried the
warriors, in accordance with the strange custom which obliged them to
use some other term to express the word which happened to be the name of
their chief.

[_Ingonyama_, means "a lion."]

Ingonyama's eyes sparkled.

"Wonderful!" he cried. "Wonderful! It is, indeed, a great skin!
_Whau_!" And spreading it out, he stood contemplating it admiringly,
walking around it and every now and then stooping to touch the massive
mane, the great tufted tail.

And in fact a fine skin it was, and had been well taken off and
preserved--head and claws complete--even the skull, with the jaws and
teeth.

"And was it this one h