amined it, showing it to one or two of
the captains near him, who nodded their heads gravely.

"Yes," he said, "this is the war plume of Umbelazi, beloved of the King,
strong and shining pillar of the Great House; we know it well, that war
plume at the sight of which many a knee has loosened. And so you killed
him, 'Eater-up-of-Elephants,' father of Mameena, you who this morning
were one of the meanest of his jackals. Now, what reward shall I give
you for this mighty deed, O Umbezi?"

"A great reward, O Terrible One," began Umbezi, but in an awful voice
Cetewayo bade him be silent.

"Yes," he said, "a great reward. Hearken, Jackal and Traitor. Your own
words bear witness against you. You, _you_ have dared to lift your hand
against the blood-royal, and with your foul tongue to heap lies and
insults upon the name of the mighty dead."

Now, understanding at last, Umbezi began to babble excuses, yes, and to
declare that all his tale was false. His fat cheeks fell in, he sank to
his knees.

But Cetewayo only spat towards the man, after his fashion when enraged,
and looked round him till his eye fell upon Saduko.

"Saduko," he said, "take away this slayer of the Prince, who boasts that
he is red with my own blood, and when he is dead cast him into the river
from that rock on which he says he stabbed Panda's son."

Saduko looked round him wildly and hesitated.

"Take him away," thundered Cetewayo, "and return ere dark to make report
to me."

Then, at a sign from the Prince, soldiers flung themselves upon the
miserable Umbezi and dragged him thence, Saduko going with them; nor was
the poor liar ever seen again. As he passed by me he called to me, for
Mameena's sake, to save him; but I could only shake my head and bethink
me of the warning I had once given to him as to the fate of traitors.

It may be said that this story comes straight from the history of Saul
and David, but I can only answer that it happened. Circumstances that
were not unlike ended in a similar tragedy, that is all. What David's
exact motives were, naturally I cannot tell; but it is easy to guess
those of Cetewayo, who, although he could make war upon his brother to
secure the throne, did not think it wise to let it go abroad that the
royal blood might be lightly spilt. Also, knowing that I was a witness
of the Prince's death, he was well aware that Umbezi was but a
boastful liar who hoped thus to ingratiate himself with an all-powerful
conqueror.