I will do," answered Ignosi. "Stay, Infadoos, by the sign of the
snake about my middle, tell me the truth. Has any white man to thy
knowledge set his foot within the land?"

"None, O Ignosi."

"If any white man had been seen or heard of, wouldst thou have known?"

"I should certainly have known."

"Thou hearest, Incubu," said Ignosi to Sir Henry; "he has not been
here."

"Well, well," said Sir Henry, with a sigh; "there it is; I suppose that
he never got so far. Poor fellow, poor fellow! So it has all been for
nothing. God's will be done."

"Now for business," I put in, anxious to escape from a painful subject.
"It is very well to be a king by right divine, Ignosi, but how dost
thou propose to become a king indeed?"

"Nay, I know not. Infadoos, hast thou a plan?"

"Ignosi, Son of the Lightning," answered his uncle, "to-night is the
great dance and witch-hunt. Many shall be smelt out and perish, and in
the hearts of many others there will be grief and anguish and fury
against the king Twala. When the dance is over, then I will speak to
some of the great chiefs, who in turn, if I can win them over, will
speak to their regiments. I shall speak to the chiefs softly at first,
and bring them to see that thou art indeed the king, and I think that
by to-morrow's light thou shalt have twenty thousand spears at thy
command. And now I must go and think, and hear, and make ready. After
the dance is done, if I am yet alive, and we are all alive, I will meet
thee here, and we can talk. At the best there must be war."

At this moment our conference was interrupted by the cry that
messengers had come from the king. Advancing to the door of the hut we
ordered that they should be admitted, and presently three men entered,
each bearing a shining shirt of chain armour, and a magnificent
battle-axe.

"The gifts of my lord the king to the white men from the Stars!" said a
herald who came with them.

"We thank the king," I answered; "withdraw."

The men went, and we examined the armour with great interest. It was
the most wonderful chain work that either of us had ever seen. A whole
coat fell together so closely that it formed a mass of links scarcely
too big to be covered with both hands.

"Do you make these things in this country, Infadoos?" I asked; "they
are very beautiful."

"Nay, my lord, they came down to us from our forefathers. We know not
who made them, and there are but few left.[1] None but those of royal
blood