he answer. It comes:--

"There will first be no more Makiwa."

A heave of marvel and suppressed excitement sways the crowd. There is
no misunderstanding this oracular pronouncement, for it is in the main
what all are there to hear. Shiminya goes on.

"Oh, Great Great One, the land is burned dry for lack of rain, and thy
children die of hunger. Will the land never again yield corn?"

"Makiwa has laid his hand upon it;" and the dull, hollow, remorseless
tone, issuing from the darkness, now seems swept by a very tempest of
hate, then replies, "Remove the hand!"

Sticks are clutched and shields shaken to the accompaniment of a deep
growl of wrath forced from between clenched teeth.

"Remove the hand!" runs in a humming murmur through the multitude. "Ah,
ah! Remove the hand!"

Again, with hollow boom, the Voice rolls forth.

"Even the very skies are darkening. Behold!"

Every head is quickly jerked back.

"_Whou_!"

Just the one ejaculation, volleyed from every throat, and in it there is
but one consent, one expression, that of marvel and quaking dread. For
in the tense excitement of awaiting the utterances of the oracle none
have noticed that the flooding light of the moon has been gradually
fading to darkness, albeit not a cloud is in the heavens. Now, as they
look up, lo! the silvern orb is half covered with a black shadow.
Onward it steals, creeping further and further, until the broad disc is
entirely shrouded. A weird unnatural darkness lies upon the earth.

In silent awe the superstitious savages gaze blankly upon the
phenomenon. There are those among them who have beheld it before, and
to such under ordinary circumstances it would be looked upon with little
concern. Now, however, worked up as they are, it is different. There
are even some among them who have heard of the darkening of the sun
during the first struggle of the great parent race of Zulu against the
white invasion. Then it presaged great slaughter of their white
enemies. And, as though reading the thoughts of such, the awful voice
of the Great Abstraction broke in upon the oppressive, unnatural gloom--

"Children of Matyobane, [Father of Umzilikazi, founder and first king of
the Matabelo nation], hearken. When Makiwa thought to eat up the mighty
stock from which ye are sprung the very sun withdrew his light, and the
plains between Isandhlwana and Umzinyati were red with the blood of
Makiwa. Such as were not slain fled from