oup of
chiefs, broke into a loud laugh.

"_Ha_! The other white man! The alligators have spat him up again
whole. Well, _Umlungu_. New friends are better than old ones. You and
your new friends shall see your `brother' being bitten by The Tooth."

"Seize them!" said Sobuza.

There was a rush and a struggle. Lithe, quick as they were, the two
emissaries were overpowered; the blows which would have let the life out
of one or more were beaten down by the solid fence of the Udhloko
shields. As they lay on the ground, powerless, disarmed--those holding
them gazing eagerly, hungrily, at the chief, awaiting the word to bury
the broad spears in their prostrate bodies--Gerard recognised, in him
who had spoken, the man who had so barbarously slaughtered the
unfortunate Swazi, Kazimbi.

"Ho, _Umlungu_," called out the fearless young barbarian. "With the
first advance of the king's _impi_, your `brother' shall be bitten on
The Tooth. Ha, ha!"

The words, the fiendish laugh, sent Gerard nearly off his head.
Beckoning Sobuza aside, he besought the chief to delay his advance, to
try and make terms with Ingonyama. But Sobuza shook his head. The
thing was impossible, he explained. The king's orders were absolute.
Little or nothing was left to his own discretion, who was merely the
king's "dog," and entrusted with carrying them out. Poor Gerard, with
the horrible picture he had discovered that day upon the rock of death
now vividly before his eyes, besought and implored. In vain. He even
appealed to the recollection of the aid he had been able to render the
chief--a thing that at any other time he would have died rather than
have done. Still in vain. Sobuza was firm. The king's orders were
imperative and had to be carried out, though one man or a thousand
perished. What Jeriji asked was impossible. They had delayed enough
already. Then he turned to those who were holding down the emissaries.

"These dogs of Ingonyama's! Could he not even send me a _kehla_,
instead of talking to me, Sobuza, an _induna_ of the king, through the
mouths of two common dog-whelps like these. Let your spears devour them
both!"

Eagerly the signal was watched for, eagerly it was obeyed. Down struck
the spear-points, bright and flashing, up they rose again, ruddy and
gore-dimmed, then down again. The quivering bodies of the foolhardy
emissaries lay pierced with a dozen great gashes.

Covered with blood, one of them half rose. I