nd their teeth, and rolled upon the ground. They drew forth
snakes and devoured them alive, they shrieked out to the spirits and
called upon the names of ancient kings.

At length it drew on to evening, and the last company of the
witch-doctors did their work, smelling out some of the keepers of
the Emposeni, the house of the women. But there was one man of their
company, a young man and a tall, who held back and took no share in the
work, but stood by himself in the centre of the great circle, fixing his
eyes on the heavens.

And when this company had been ordered to stand aside also together with
those whom they had smelt out, the king called aloud to the last of the
witch-doctors, asking him of his name and tribe, and why he alone did
not do his office.

"My name is Indabazimbi, the son of Arpi, O king," he answered, "and I
am of the tribe of the Maquilisini. Does the king bid me to smell out
him of whom the spirits have spoken to me as the worker of this deed?"

"I bid thee," said the king.

Then the young man Indabazimbi stepped straight forward across the ring,
making no cries or gestures, but as one who walks from his gate to the
cattle kraal, and suddenly he struck the king in the face with the tail
in his hand, saying, "I smell out the Heavens above me!" (2)

(2) A Zulu title for the king.--ED.

Now a great gasp of wonder went up from the multitude, and all looked to
see this fool killed by torture. But Chaka rose and laughed aloud.

"Thou hast said it," he cried, "and thou alone! Listen, ye people! I did
the deed! I smote blood upon the gateways of my kraal; with my own hand
I smote it, that I might learn who were the true doctors and who were
the false! Now it seems that in the land of the Zulu there is one true
doctor--this young man--and of the false, look at them and count them,
they are like the leaves. See! there they stand, and by them stand those
whom they have doomed--the innocent whom, with their wives and children,
they have doomed to the death of the dog. Now I ask you, my people, what
reward shall be given to them?"

Then a great roar went up from all the multitude, "Let them die, O
king!"

"Ay!" he answered. "Let them die as liars should!"

Now the Isanusis, men and women, screamed aloud in fear, and cried for
mercy, tearing themselves with their nails, for least of all things did
they desire to taste of their own medicine of death. But the king only
laughed the more.

"Hearken ye