that doctor should be was not yet settled. When
it was and he had arrived, the case would be re-opened, and meanwhile
Masapo would be kept a close prisoner. Finally, he prayed that the white
man, Macumazahn, would remain at his town until the matter was settled.

So Masapo was led off, looking very dejected, and, having saluted the
King, we all went away.

I should add that, except for the remission of the case to the court
of the witch-doctor, which, of course, was an instance of pure Kafir
superstition, this judgment of the King's seemed to me well reasoned and
just, very different indeed from what would have been given by Dingaan
or Chaka, who were wont, on less evidence, to make a clean sweep not
only of the accused, but of all his family and dependents.

About eight days later, during which time I had heard nothing of the
matter and seen no one connected with it, for the whole thing seemed to
have become Zila--that is, not to be talked about--I received a summons
to attend the "smelling-out," and went, wondering what witch-doctor had
been chosen for that bloody and barbarous ceremony. Indeed, I had not
far to go, since the place selected for the occasion was outside the
fence of the town of Nodwengu, on that great open stretch of ground
which lay at the mouth of the valley where I was camped. Here, as I
approached, I saw a vast multitude of people crowded together, fifty
deep or more, round a little oval space not much larger than the pit
of a theatre. On the inmost edge of this ring were seated many notable
people, male and female, and as I was conducted to the side of it which
was nearest to the gate of the town, I observed among them Saduko,
Masapo, Mameena and others, and mixed up with them a number of soldiers,
who were evidently on duty.

Scarcely had I seated myself on a camp-stool, carried by my servant
Scowl, when through the gate of the kraal issued Panda and certain
of his Council, whose appearance the multitude greeted with the royal
salute of "Bayete", that came from them in a deep and simultaneous roar
of sound. When its echoes died away, in the midst of a deep silence
Panda spoke, saying:

"Bring forth the Nyanga [doctor]. Let the umhlahlo [that is, the
witch-trial] begin!"

There was a long pause, and then in the open gateway appeared a solitary
figure that at first sight seemed to be scarcely human, the figure of
a dwarf with a gigantic head, from which hung long, white hair, plaited
into l