ied, without halting or even
looking back:

"Patience, Inqoto. The path is not wide enough for two."

This _gazula_--or addressing a white man familiarly by his native name,
even though that name in this instance was a complimentary one,
referring to decisiveness of character--would have led then and there to
a breach of the peace on the part of most white men, especially as the
tone of the speaker bordered on the contemptuous. This one only waxed
coldly sarcastic.

"I see you, King. _Bayete_, King of the Heavens and the world!
Elephant! Lion! Divider of the Sun! Shaker of the Earth!" he went on,
giving the other half a dozen more titles of royal _sibongo. "Whau_!
It is truly the Great Great One come to life again, for who else in
these times would walk about my farm armed with assegais?"

The path had now widened out. The savage halted and stepped aside.

"Do you know me, Inqoto?" he said. "Have you ever seen me before?"

"Surely. O Elephant. In another world," came the ready and sarcastic
reply.

"M-m! In another world. But it is in this world you shall see me
again, Inqoto. Ah, ah! In this world. _Hamba gahle_!"

With which farewell, insolently sneering, the speaker turned and
strolled leisurely away.

CHAPTER FOUR.

THE MAGISTRACY AT KWABULAZI.

The magistracy buildings at Kwabulazi, consisted of a roughly built
thatched bungalow, a red brick oblong which was the Court house, and
various groups of native huts which served to house the other Court
officials--white and coloured--and the handful of mounted Police
permanently quartered there. Another red brick structure represented
the Post and Telegraph Office. The place was situated at the foot of a
great mountain whose wooded slopes made, scenically, a fine background.
In front the veldt rolled gently away; quite open, and sparsely dotted
with mimosa; and for miles around, at intervals, rose the smoke of
native kraals; for this was an important location.

Within the red brick oblong mentioned above Elvesdon sat, administering
justice. There was not much to administer that day, for the cases
before him involved the settlement of a series of the most petty and
trivial disputes relating to cattle or other property, protracted beyond
about five times their due length, as the way is with natives once they
get to law. Beyond the parties concerned there was no audience to speak
of. Three or four old ringed men, squatted in a corner on