d
Councillors, I do not think that what we saw was the spirit of
Mameena. I think it a woman not unlike to her who had been
taught her lesson. I have nothing more to say, and therefore I
pray you not to ask me any further questions about Mameena of
whose name I grow weary."

At this point Zikali seemed to wake out of his indifference, or
his torpor, for he looked up and said darkly--

"It is strange that the cleverest are always those who first fall
into the trap. They go along, gazing at the stars at night, and
forget the pit which they themselves have dug in the morning.
O-ho-ho! Oho-ho!"

Now the wrangling broke out afresh. The peace party pointed
triumphantly to the fact that I, the white man who ought to know,
put no faith in this apparition, which was therefore without
doubt a fraud. The war party on the other hand declared that I
was deceiving them for reasons of my own, one of which would be
that I did not wish to see the Zulus eat up my people. So fierce
grew the debate that I thought it would end in blows and perhaps
in an attack on myself or Zikali who all the while sat quite
careless and unmoved, staring at the moon. At length Cetewayo
shouted for silence, spitting, as was his habit when angry.

"Make an end," he cried, "lest I cause some of you to grow quiet
for ever," whereon the recriminations ceased. "Opener of Roads,"
he went on, "many of those who are present think like Macumazahn
here, that you are but an old cheat, though whether or no I be
one of these I will not say. They demand a sign of you that none
can dispute, and I demand it also before I speak the word of
peace or war. Give us then that sign or begone to whence you
came and show your face no more at Ulundi."

"What sign does the Council require, Son of Panda?" asked Zikali
quietly. "Let them agree on one together and tell me now at
once, for I who am old grow weary and would sleep. Then if it
can be given I will give it; and if I cannot give it, I will get
me back to my own house and show my face no more at Ulundi, who
do not desire to listen again to fools who babble like contending
waters round a stone and yet never stir the stone because they
run two ways at once."

Now the Councillors stared at each other, for none knew what sign
to ask. At length old Sigananda said--

"O King, it is well known that the Black One who went before you
had a certain little assegai handled with the royal red wood,
which drank the blo