in
Natal. Therefore at sunset I will come for you. Till then,
farewell. I have business that cannot wait."

"Can I see the king?" I cried.

"Not so, Macumazahn. All to-day he makes sacrifice to the
spirits of his ancestors and must not be approached," Goza called
back as he departed.

Availing myself of the permission of the king to go where I
would, a little later in the day I walked out of the town towards
the Valley of Bones in order to ascertain for myself whether what
Goza had told me was true. So it proved, for about three hundred
yards from the mouth of the valley, which at that distance looked
like a black hole in the hills, I found soldiers stationed about
ten paces apart in a great circle which ran right up the hillside
and vanished over the crest. Strolling up to one of these, whose
face I thought I knew, I asked him if he would let me pass to see
my friend, the Opener of Roads.

The man, who was something of a humourist replied--

"Certainly if you wish, Macumazahn. That is to say, I will let
your spirit pass, but to do this, if you come one step nearer I
must first make a hole in you with my spear out of which it can
fly."

I thanked him for his information and gave him some snuff, which
he took gratefully, being bored by his long vigil. Then I asked
him how many people the great witch-doctor had with him. He said
he did not know, but he had seen a number of tall men come to the
mouth of the donga to fetch food that had been placed there.
Again I inquired if he had seen any women, whereon he replied
none, Zikali being, he understood, too old to trouble himself
about the other sex. Just then an officer, making his rounds,
came up and looked at me so sternly that I thought it well to
retreat. Evidently there was no chance of getting through that
line.

On my way back I walked as near the fence of the King's House as
I dared, and saw witch-doctors passing in and out in their
hideous official panoply. This told me that here also Goza had
spoken the truth--the king was performing magical ceremonies,
which meant that it would be impossible to approach him. In
every direction I met with failure. The Fates were against me;
it lay over me like a spell. Indeed I grew superstitious and
began to think that Zikali had bewitched me, as he was said to
have the power to do. Well, perhaps he had, for the mere fact of
finding myself opposed by this persistent wall of difficulties
and silence con