the Amawombe.

"And are you safe now?" I asked of the captain.

"Oh, yes," he answered. "You see, we were the King's men, not
Umbelazi's, so Cetewayo bears us no grudge. Indeed, he is obliged to us,
because we gave the Usutu their stomachs full of good fighting, which
is more than did those cows of Umbelazi's. It is towards Saduko that
he bears a grudge, for you know, my father, one should never pull a
drowning man out of the stream--which is what Saduko did, for had it not
been for his treachery, Cetewayo would have sunk beneath the water of
Death--especially if it is only to spite a woman who hates him. Still,
perhaps Saduko will escape with his life, because he is Nandie's
husband, and Cetewayo fears Nandie, his sister, if he does not love her.
But here we are, and those who have to watch the sky all day will be
able to tell of the evening weather" (in other words, those who live
will learn).

As he spoke we passed into the private enclosure of the isi-gohlo,
outside of which a great many people were gathered, shouting, talking
and quarrelling, for in those days all the usual discipline of the Great
Place was relaxed. Within the fence, however, that was strongly guarded
on its exterior side, were only about a score of councillors, the
King, the Prince Cetewayo, who sat upon his right, the Princess Nandie,
Saduko's wife, a few attendants, two great, silent fellows armed with
clubs, whom I guessed to be executioners, and, seated in the shade in a
corner, that ancient dwarf, Zikali, though how he came to be there I did
not know.

Obviously the trial was to be quite a private affair, which accounted
for the unusual presence of the two "slayers." Even my Amawombe guard
was left outside the gate, although I was significantly informed that if
I chose to call upon them they would hear me, which was another way of
saying that in such a small gathering I was absolutely safe.

Walking forward boldly towards Panda, who, though he was as fat as ever,
looked very worn and much older than when I had last seen him, I made
my bow, whereon he took my hand and asked after my health. Then I shook
Cetewayo's hand also, as I saw that it was stretched out to me. He
seized the opportunity to remark that he was told that I had suffered
a knock on the head in some scrimmage down by the Tugela, and he hoped
that I felt no ill effects. I answered: No, though I feared that there
were a few others who had not been so fortunate, especially th