Gcaleka tribe. One glance at
the most prominent figure among these convinced him that he stood in the
presence of the Paramount Chief himself.

Kreli, or Sarili, as the name is accurately rendered--the former being,
however, that by which he was popularly, indeed, historically known--the
chief of the Gcalekas and the suzerain head of all the Xosa race, was at
that time about sixty years of age. Tall and erect in person, dignified
in demeanour, despising gimcrack and chimney-pot hat counterfeits of
civilisation, he was every inch a fine specimen of the savage ruler.
His shrewd, massive countenance showed character in every line, and the
glance of his keen eyes was straight and manly. His beard, thick and
bushy for a Kafir, was only just beginning to show a frost of grey among
its jetty blackness. Such was the man before whom Eustace Milne stood--
so to speak--arraigned.

For some moments the august group sat eyeing the prisoner in silence.
Eustace, keenly observing those dark impassive faces, realised that
there was not one there which was known to him. He had seen Hlangani's
gigantic form, resplendent or the reverse in the most wildly elaborate
war costume, seated among the fighting men. Here in the group before
him all were strangers.

While some of his chiefs were arrayed in costumes of plumes and skins
and cow-tails exceeding fantastic, Kreli himself had eschewed all
martial adornments. An ample red blanket swathed his person, and above
his left elbow he wore the thick ivory armlet affected by most Kafirs of
rank or position. But there was that about his personality which marked
him out from the rest. Eustace, gazing upon the arbiter of his fate,
realised that the latter looked every inch a chief--every inch a man.

"Why do you come here making war upon me and my people, _umlungu_!" said
the chief, shortly.

"There is war between our races," answered Eustace. "It is every man's
duty to fight for his nation, at the command of his chief."

"Who ordered you to take up arms against us? You are not a soldier, nor
are you a policeman."

This was hard hitting. Eustace felt a trifle nonplussed. But he
conceived that boldness would best answer his purpose.

"There were not enough regular troops or Police to stand against the
might of the Gcaleka nation," he replied. "Those of us who owned
property were obliged to take up arms in defence of our property."

"Was your property on the eastern side of the