, but saying that if they did
not do so before nightfall he would certainly burn the town and all
within its gates. This message was not without its effect. Half an hour
later, amid the shouts and cheers of the Buffaloes, the bridge was
dropped across the fosse, and the gates upon the further side were
flung open.

Taking due precautions against treachery, we marched on into the town.
All along the roadways stood thousands of dejected warriors, their
heads drooping, and their shields and spears at their feet, who, headed
by their officers, saluted Ignosi as king as he passed. On we marched,
straight to Twala's kraal. When we reached the great space, where a day
or two previously we had seen the review and the witch hunt, we found
it deserted. No, not quite deserted, for there, on the further side, in
front of his hut, sat Twala himself, with but one attendant--Gagool.

It was a melancholy sight to see him seated, his battle-axe and shield
by his side, his chin upon his mailed breast, with but one old crone
for companion, and notwithstanding his crimes and misdeeds, a pang of
compassion shot through me as I looked upon Twala thus "fallen from his
high estate." Not a soldier of all his armies, not a courtier out of
the hundreds who had cringed round him, not even a solitary wife,
remained to share his fate or halve the bitterness of his fall. Poor
savage! he was learning the lesson which Fate teaches to most of us who
live long enough, that the eyes of mankind are blind to the
discredited, and that he who is defenceless and fallen finds few
friends and little mercy. Nor, indeed, in this case did he deserve any.

Filing through the kraal gate, we marched across the open space to
where the ex-king sat. When within about fifty yards of him the
regiment was halted, and accompanied only by a small guard we advanced
towards him, Gagool reviling us bitterly as we came. As we drew near,
Twala, for the first time, lifted his plumed head, and fixed his one
eye, which seemed to flash with suppressed fury almost as brightly as
the great diamond bound round his forehead, upon his successful
rival--Ignosi.

"Hail, O king!" he said, with bitter mockery; "thou who hast eaten of
my bread, and now by the aid of the white man's magic hast seduced my
regiments and defeated mine army, hail! What fate hast thou in store
for me, O king?"

"The fate thou gavest to my father, whose throne thou hast sat on these
many years!" was the stern an