y one of them. How? Ah! I will not
tell you--they were massacred and piled in a heap, and that was the end
of their story, my father.

Now I and the other councillors turned away and walked silently towards
the house of the king. We found him standing before his great hut,
and, lifting our hands, we saluted him silently, saying no word. It
was Dingaan who spoke, laughing a little as he spoke, like a man who is
uneasy in his mind.

"Ah, my captains," he said, "when the vultures plumed themselves this
morning, and shrieked to the sky for blood, they did not look for such a
feast as I have given them. And you, my captains, you little guessed how
great a king the Heavens have set to rule over you, nor how deep is the
mind of the king that watches ever over his people's welfare. Now the
land is free from the White Wizards of whose footsteps the Black One
croaked as he gave up his life, or soon shall be, for this is but a
beginning. Ho! Messengers!" and he turned to some men who stood behind
him, "away swiftly to the regiments that are gathered behind the
mountains, away to them, bearing the king's words to the captains. This
is the king's word: that the impi shall run to the land of Natal and
slay the Boers there, wiping them out, man, woman, and child. Away!"

Now the messengers cried out the royal salute of Bayete, and, leaping
forward like spears from the hand of the thrower, were gone at once. But
we, the councillors, the members of the Amapakati, still stood silent.

Then Dingaan spoke again, addressing me:--

"Is thy heart at rest now, Mopo, son of Makedama? Ever hast thou bleated
in my ear of this white people and of the deeds that they shall do, and
lo! I have blown upon them with my breath and they are gone. Say, Mopo,
are the Amaboona wizards yonder all dead? If any be left alive, I desire
to speak with one of them."

Then I looked Dingaan in the face and spoke.

"They are all dead, and thou, O King, thou also art dead."

"It were well for thee, thou dog," said Dingaan, "that thou shouldst
make thy meaning plain."

"Let the king pardon me," I answered; "this is my meaning. Thou canst
not kill this white men, for they are not of one race, but of many
races, and the sea is their home; they rise out of the black water.
Destroy those that are here, and others shall come to avenge them, more
and more and more! Now thou hast smitten in thy hour; in theirs they
shall smite in turn. Now THEY lie low in blood at t