cumazahn." Then she
pointed to the door-hole of the hut and vanished, shutting the
gate of the fence behind her. Curiosity overcame me and I
crawled into the hut, pushing aside the door-board in order to do
so and setting it up again when I was through.

Inside burned a single candle fixed in the neck of a bottle,
faintly illuminating that big and gloomy place. By its feeble
light I saw a low bedstead on the left of the entrance and lying
on it a man half covered by a blanket in whom I recognized
Cetewayo. His face was shrunken and distorted with pain, and his
great bulk seemed less, but still without doubt it was Cetewayo.

"Greeting, Macumazahn," he said feebly, "you find me in evil
case, but I heard that you were here and thought that I should
like to see you before I die, because I know that you are honest
and will report my words faithfully. I wish you to tell the
white men that my heart never really was against them; they have
always been the friends of my heart, but others forced me down a
road I did not wish to travel, of which now I have come to the
end."

"What is the matter with you, King?" I asked.

"I do not know, Macumazahn, but I have been sick for some days.
The Opener of Roads who came to doctor me, because my wives
believed those white medicine-men wished me dead, says that I
have been poisoned and must die. If you had been here at first
you might perhaps have given me some medicine. But now it is too
late," he added with a groan.

"Who then poisoned you, King?"

"I cannot tell you, Macumazahn. Perhaps my enemies, perhaps my
brothers, perhaps my wives. All wish to have done with me, and
the Great One, who is no longer wanted, is soon dead. Be
thankful, Macumazahn, that you never were a king, for sad is the
lot of kings."

"Where, then, is the Opener of Roads?" I asked.

"He was here a little while ago. Perhaps he has gone out to take
the King's head" (i.e., to announce his death) "to Malimati and
the white men," he answered in a faint voice.

Just then I heard a shuffling noise proceeding from that part of
the hut where the shadow was deepest, and looking, saw an
emaciated arm projected into the circle of the light. It was
followed by another arm, then by a vast head covered with long
white hair that trailed upon the ground, then by a big, misshapen
body, so wasted that it looked like a skeleton covered with
corrugated black skin. Slowly, like a chameleon climbing a
bough, t