no more," said Heda.

Again I translated, whereon Nombe stretched out her hand,
saying--

"Let her not scorn to take it, it is clean. It has brought no
man to his death--" Here she looked at Heda meaningly.
"Moreover, though she is white and I am black, I like herself am
of high blood and come of a race of warriors who did nothing
small, and lastly, we are of an age, and if she is beautiful, I
am wise and have gifts great as her own."

Once more I interpreted for the benefit of Anscombe, for Heda
understood Zulu well enough, although she had pretended not to do
so, after which the two shook hands, to Anscombe's amusement and
my wonder. For I felt this scene to be strained and one that
hid, or presaged, something I did not comprehend.

"This is the Chief she loves?" said Nombe to me, studying
Anscombe with her steady eyes after Heda had gone. "Well, he is
no common man and brave, if idle; one, too, who may grow tall in
the world, should he live, when he has learned to think. But,
Macumazahn, if she met you both at the same time why did she not
choose you?"

"Just now you said you were wise, Nombe," I replied laughing,
"but now I see that, like most of your trade, you are but a vain
boaster. Is there a hat upon my head that you cannot see the
colour of my hair, and is it natural that youth should turn to
age?"

"Sometimes if the mind is old, Macumazahn, which is why I love
the Spirits only who are more ancient than the mountains, and
with them Zikali their servant, who was young before the Zulus
were a people, or so he says, and still year by year gathers
wisdom as the bee gathers honey. Inspan your horses, Macumazahn,
for I have done my business and am ready to start."

CHAPTER XI

ZIKALI

Ten days had gone by when once more I found myself drawing near
to the mouth of the Black Kloof where dwelt Zikali the Wizard.
Our journey in Zululand had been tedious and uneventful. It
seemed to me that we met extraordinarily few people; it was as
though the place had suddenly become depopulated, and I even
passed great kraals where there was no one to be seen. I asked
Nombe what was the meaning of this, for she and three silent men
she had with her were acting as our guides. Once she answered
that the people had moved because of lack of food, as the season
had been one of great scarcity owing to drought, and once that
they had been summoned to a gathering at the king's kraal near
Ulundi.