d my rifle a
minute or two earlier, and now I saw my opportunity to render the king
an important service by sparing him the ignominy of flight: I therefore
flung up my piece and pressed the trigger, and the buffalo--an enormous
and most formidable brute--stumbled and fell dead literally at our
horses' feet.

"That was well done, 'mlungu," exclaimed the king, with just the
faintest suggestion of a feeling of relief in the tones of his voice;
"that was marvellously well done! But for thy quickness and sureness of
eye and hand I should have been overthrown, and the Basutos might have
been obliged to choose another king. 'Mtala," to the induna, "let them
see to yonder clumsy fool who allowed the buffalo to catch him; and if
he be not dead let four of thy men make a litter and carry him back to
the kraal."

The induna saluted, and, beckoning to four of his men, proceeded in
person to examine the unlucky wight who had been gored; but such
examination was scarcely necessary, for even from where I sat it was
apparent that the unfortunate man's injuries were of such a dreadful
character that survival was impossible, and a few minutes later 'Mtala
returned to report that the victim was quite dead.

"It is well!" commented the king briefly. "Let the carrion be moved out
of the way; and let the regiment form up and be put through its
evolutions." Whereupon, at a word from the induna, a man dismounted,
and, uncoiling his hobble rope, slipped the noose round one of the
ankles of the corpse, attached the other end to his horse's girth, and,
mounting, galloped off toward the edge of the plateau, dragging the body
after him until it was removed to a sufficient distance to be quite out
of the way of the manoeuvring troops, when it was abandoned to become a
prey to the jackals and vultures!

Meanwhile the troops were recalled and formed up in the centre of the
plain, where the king critically inspected them, while I, at his
invitation, rode beside him. And I feel bound to say that seldom have I
seen a finer body of men, either savage or civilised, which, after all,
is not to be greatly wondered at, seeing that, as the king's own special
regiment of bodyguards, they were, naturally, the very pick and flower
of the entire nation.

The inspection occupied about a quarter of an hour, and at its
conclusion the regiment as a whole was put through a number of
movements, which they executed very creditably. Then they were divided
int