vinced me that there was something behind it to be
learned.

I went back very dejected to my hut and talked to my mare which
whinnied and rubbed its nose against me, for although it was well
fed and looked after, the poor beast seemed as lonely as I was
myself. No wonder, since like myself it was separated from all
its kind and weary of inaction. After this I ate and smoked and
finally dozed, no more, for whenever I tried to go to sleep I
thought that I heard Zikali laughing at me, as mayhap he was
doing yonder in his hut.

At length that wearisome day drew towards its end. The sun began
to sink, a huge red ball of fire, now and again veiled by clouds,
for the sky was stormy. Its fierce rays, striking upon other
clouds, peopled the enormous heavens with fantastic shapes of
light which were thickest over the hills wherein was the Valley
of Bones. To my strained mind these clouds looked like battling
armies, figures of flame warring against figures of darkness.
The darkness won; no, the light broke out again and conquered it.
And see, there above them both squatted a strange black presence
crowned with fire. It might have been that of Zikali magnified
ten thousand times, and hark! it laughed with the low
reverberating voice of distant thunder.

Suddenly I felt that I was no longer alone and looking round, saw
Goza at my side.

"What do you see up there, Macumazahn, that you stare so hard?"
he asked, pointing at the sky with his stick.

"Impis fighting," I answered briefly.

"Then you must be a 'heaven-doctor,' Macumazahn, for I only see
black and red clouds. Well, it is time to go to learn whether or
no the impis will fight, for Zikali awaits us and the Council has
started already. By the way, the king says that you will do well
to put your pistol in your pocket in case any should seek to harm
you in the dark."

"It is there. But, Goza, I pray you to protect me, since in the
dark bullets fly wide, and if I began to shoot, one might hit
you, Goza."

He smiled, making no answer, but I noticed that during the rest
of that night he was careful to keep behind me as much as
possible.

Our way led us through the town where everybody seemed to be
standing about doing nothing and speaking very little. There was
a curious air of expectancy upon their faces. They knew that the
crisis was at hand, that their nation's fate hung upon the
scales, and they watched my every look and movement as though in
them th