that
witches always love those who look unnatural."

"Yes," said Number one, "but you see now that he is old he has to
be satisfied with a different sort of wife. She is not
beautiful, is she, although she has dipped her head in milk to
make herself look white?"

So it went on till at length a runner arrived and whispered
something to Indudu who saluted, showing me that it was a royal
message, and ordered us to move. Of this I was glad, for had I
stopped there much longer, I think I should have personally
assaulted those gossiping female idiots.

Of our journey through Zululand there is nothing particular to
say. We saw but few people, since most of the men had been
called up to the army, and many of the kraals seemed to be
deserted by the women and children who perhaps were hidden away
with the cattle. Once, however, we met an impi about five
thousand strong, that seemed to cover the hillside like a herd of
game. It consisted of the Nodwengu and the Nokenke regiments,
both of which afterwards fought at Isandhlwana. Some of their
captains with a small guard came to see who we were, fine,
fierce-looking men. They stared at me curiously, and with one of
them, whom I knew, I had a little talk. He said that I was the
last white man in Zululand and that I was lucky to be alive, for
soon these, and he pointed to the hordes of warriors who were
streaming past, would eat up the English to "the last bone." I
answered that this remained to be seen, as the English were also
great eaters, whereat he laughed, replying, that it was true that
the white men had already taken the first bite--a very little
one, from which I gathered that some small engagement had
happened.

"Well, farewell, Macumazahn," he said, as he turned to go, "I
hope that we shall meet in the battle, for I want to see if you
can run as well as you can shoot."

This roused my temper and I answered him--

"I hope for your sake that we shall not meet, for if we do I
promise that before I run I will show you what you never saw
before, the gateway of the world of Spirits."

I mention this conversation because by some strange chance it
happened at Isandhlwana that I killed this man, who was named
Simpofu.

During all those days of trudging through hot suns and
thunderstorms, for I had to give up the mare to Kaatje who was
too fat to walk, or said she was, I was literally haunted by
thoughts of my murdered friends. Heaven knows how bitterly I
re