their root and grain diet, for game was exceedingly scarce, and they
seldom tasted meat--as to which, by the way, they expected soon to
strike a river, and all hands looked forward eagerly to a possible and
plenteous feed of sea-cow flesh. Haviland and Oakley were seated
together, consulting maps, the doctor the while was busy at the other
end of the camp with a porter who had somewhat badly hurt his foot.

"By the way, Haviland," said Oakley, suddenly, "do you believe in the
existence of that curious tribe of the Spider? I've known at least two
men who believe in it firmly. One claims to have actually come into
contact with it. If there is such a thing, we can't be far from its
reputed country."

"H'm!" answered Haviland, musingly. "The more experience you gain of
the interior, the more disinclined you are to say straight out that you
disbelieve in anything. Now, that Spider tribe, if it exists at all--
and, mind you, I don't say it doesn't--would be a good deal further to
the west than we are now. I don't think we have much to fear from it.
But there's a far nastier crowd than that, and within tolerable striking
distance, too. It's a Zulu-speaking tribe, not so very numerous, but
occupying difficult country, and the very deuce of a fighting mob. Some
say it's of direct Zulu origin, others that it originated in a split
among the Wangoni down on the lakes. But I don't want to rub against it
if I can help it. Ho, Kumbelwa!" he called.

In response there came up a magnificent specimen of a man. His skin was
of a dark rich copper colour, and save for a _mutya_ of cat's tails, he
wore no clothing whatever. His finely shaped head was shaven, and
crowned with the Zulu head-ring. In comparison with the inferior
natives who constituted the carrying staff--though some of these were of
powerful and muscular build--he looked like an emperor.

"_Nkose_!" he cried, saluting, with right hand uplifted.

Then Haviland, speaking in Zulu, questioned him at some length. The man
professed but a scant knowledge with regard to the tribe under
discussion. He could not even tell its name for certain. It was
reputed to change its name with every new king, and he had heard that a
new king had succeeded rather lately. He was said to be quite a young
man, but very stern and merciless in his rule. It was said, too, that
towards white men he entertained a most extraordinary hatred. Anyhow,
more than one who had entered his c