ll
cease; each one of you shall sleep secure in his own hut and fear
naught, and justice shall walk blindfold throughout the land. Have ye
chosen, chiefs, captains, soldiers, and people?"

"We have chosen, O king," came back the answer.

"It is well. Turn your heads and see how Twala's messengers go forth
from the great town, east and west, and north and south, to gather a
mighty army to slay me and you, and these my friends and protectors.
To-morrow, or perchance the next day, he will come against us with all
who are faithful to him. Then I shall see the man who is indeed my man,
the man who fears not to die for his cause; and I tell you that he
shall not be forgotten in the time of spoil. I have spoken, O chiefs,
captains, soldiers, and people. Now go to your huts and make you ready
for war."

There was a pause, till presently one of the chiefs lifted his hand,
and out rolled the royal salute, "_Koom._" It was a sign that the
soldiers accepted Ignosi as their king. Then they marched off in
battalions.

Half an hour afterwards we held a council of war, at which all the
commanders of regiments were present. It was evident to us that before
very long we should be attacked in overwhelming force. Indeed, from our
point of vantage on the hill we could see troops mustering, and runners
going forth from Loo in every direction, doubtless to summon soldiers
to the king's assistance. We had on our side about twenty thousand men,
composed of seven of the best regiments in the country. Twala, so
Infadoos and the chiefs calculated, had at least thirty to thirty-five
thousand on whom he could rely at present assembled in Loo, and they
thought that by midday on the morrow he would be able to gather another
five thousand or more to his aid. It was, of course, possible that some
of his troops would desert and come over to us, but it was not a
contingency which could be reckoned on. Meanwhile, it was clear that
active preparations were being made by Twala to subdue us. Already
strong bodies of armed men were patrolling round and round the foot of
the hill, and there were other signs also of coming assault.

Infadoos and the chiefs, however, were of opinion that no attack would
take place that day, which would be devoted to preparation and to the
removal of every available means of the moral effect produced upon the
minds of the soldiery by the supposed magical darkening of the moon.
The onslaught would be on the morrow, they said,