yest thou, Ignosi," I asked.

"Nay, my father," answered our quondam servant, who now, clad as he was
in the full panoply of savage war, looked every inch a warrior king,
"do thou speak, and let me, who am but a child in wisdom beside thee,
hearken to thy words."

Thus adjured, after taking hasty counsel with Good and Sir Henry, I
delivered my opinion briefly to the effect that, being trapped, our
best chance, especially in view of the failure of our water supply, was
to initiate an attack upon Twala's forces. Then I recommended that the
attack should be delivered at once, "before our wounds grew stiff," and
also before the sight of Twala's overpowering force caused the hearts
of our soldiers "to wax small like fat before a fire." Otherwise, I
pointed out, some of the captains might change their minds, and, making
peace with Twala, desert to him, or even betray us into his hands.

This expression of opinion seemed, on the whole, to be favourably
received; indeed, among the Kukuanas my utterances met with a respect
which has never been accorded to them before or since. But the real
decision as to our plans lay with Ignosi, who, since he had been
recognised as rightful king, could exercise the almost unbounded rights
of sovereignty, including, of course, the final decision on matters of
generalship, and it was to him that all eyes were now turned.

At length, after a pause, during which he appeared to be thinking
deeply, he spoke.

"Incubu, Macumazahn, and Bougwan, brave white men, and my friends;
Infadoos, my uncle, and chiefs; my heart is fixed. I will strike at
Twala this day, and set my fortunes on the blow, ay, and my life--my
life and your lives also. Listen; thus will I strike. Ye see how the
hill curves round like the half-moon, and how the plain runs like a
green tongue towards us within the curve?"

"We see," I answered.

"Good; it is now mid-day, and the men eat and rest after the toil of
battle. When the sun has turned and travelled a little way towards the
darkness, let thy regiment, my uncle, advance with one other down to
the green tongue, and it shall be that when Twala sees it he will hurl
his force at it to crush it. But the spot is narrow, and the regiments
can come against thee one at a time only; so may they be destroyed one
by one, and the eyes of all Twala's army shall be fixed upon a struggle
the like of which has not been seen by living man. And with thee, my
uncle, shall go Incubu my frie