gundhlovu.

Now the mind of Dingaan was heavy, and he sought something to lighten
it. Presently he bethought himself of the white praying man, who had
come to the kraal seeking to teach us people of the Zulu to worship
other gods than the assegai and the king. Now this was a good man,
but no luck went with his teaching, which was hard to understand; and,
moreover, the indunas did not like it, because it seemed to set a master
over the master, and a king over the king, and to preach of peace to
those whose trade was war. Still, Dingaan sent for the white man that
he might dispute with him, for Dingaan thought that he himself was the
cleverest of all men.

Now the white man came, but his face was pale, because of that which he
had seen befall the Boers, for he was gentle and hated such sights. The
king bade him be seated and spoke to him saying:--

"The other day, O White Man, thou toldest me of a place of fire whither
those go after death who have done wickedly in life. Tell me now of thy
wisdom, do my fathers lie in that place?"

"How can I know, King," answered the prayer-doctor, "who may not judge
of the deeds of men? This I say only: that those who murder and rob and
oppress the innocent and bear false witness shall lie in that place of
fire."

"It seems that my fathers have done all these things, and if they are in
this place I would go there also, for I am minded to be with my fathers
at the last. Yet I think that I should find a way to escape if ever I
came there."

"How, King?"

Now Dingaan had set this trap for the prayer-doctor. In the centre of
that open space where he had caused the Boers to be fallen upon he had
built up a great pyre of wood--brushwood beneath, and on top of the
brushwood logs, and even whole trees. Perhaps, my father, there were
sixty full wagonloads of dry wood piled together there in the centre of
the place.

"Thou shalt see with thine eyes, White Man," he answered, and bidding
attendants set fire to the pile all round, he summoned that regiment of
young men which was left in the kraal. Maybe there were a thousand and
half a thousand of them--not more--the same that had slain the Boers.

Now the fire began to burn fiercely, and the regiment filed in and
took its place in ranks. By the time that all had come, the pyre was
everywhere a sheet of raging flame, and, though we sat a hundred paces
from it, its heat was great when the wind turned our way.

"Now, Doctor of Prayers, is