do well to hear, since news sometimes reaches the ears
of humble women that escapes those of the men, our masters."

He bowed his head in assent, whereon, taking a hint which Mameena gave
me with her eyes, I muttered something about business and made myself
scarce. I may add that Mameena must have had a great deal to tell
Umbelazi. Fully an hour and a half had gone by before, by the light of
the moon, from a point of vantage on my wagon-box, whence, according to
my custom, I was keeping a lookout on things in general, I saw her slip
back to the kraal silently as a snake, followed at a little distance by
the towering form of Umbelazi.

Apparently Mameena continued to be the recipient of information which
she found it necessary to communicate in private to the prince. At any
rate, on sundry subsequent evenings the dullness of my vigil on the
wagon-box was relieved by the sight of her graceful figure gliding home
from the kloof that Umbelazi seemed to find a very suitable spot
for reflection after sunset. On one of the last of these occasions I
remember that Nandie chanced to be with me, having come to my wagon for
some medicine for her baby.

"What does it mean, Macumazahn?" she asked, when the pair had gone by,
as they thought unobserved, since we were standing where they could not
see us.

"I don't know, and I don't want to know," I answered sharply.

"Neither do I, Macumazahn; but without doubt we shall learn in time. If
the crocodile is patient and silent the buck always drops into its jaws
at last."

On the day after Nandie made this wise remark Saduko started on a
mission, as I understood, to win over several doubtful chiefs to the
cause of Indhlovu-ene-sihlonti (the Elephant-with-the-tuft-of-hair), as
the Prince Umbelazi was called among the Zulus, though not to his face.
This mission lasted ten days, and before it was concluded an important
event happened at Umbezi's kraal.

One evening Mameena came to me in a great rage, and said that she could
bear her present life no longer. Presuming on her rank and position as
head-wife, Nandie treated her like a servant--nay, like a little dog, to
be beaten with a stick. She wished that Nandie would die.

"It will be very unlucky for you if she does," I answered, "for then,
perhaps, Zikali will be summoned to look into the matter, as he was
before."

What was she to do, she went on, ignoring my remark.

"Eat the porridge that you have made in your own pot, or bre