ath for failing to accomplish an impossibility, did
you?"

"That is true, white man; I did not know it," answered the king.

"Therefore," I continued, with increasing confidence, "by every law of
right and equity your ignorance of that important fact absolves you from
your oath, and you are entitled to break it, if you please. And I ask
you to break it, knowing that you may certainly do so with impunity,
because, in demanding that 'Mfuni should conquer me--or, rather, the
sword which I gave you--you demanded of him that which neither he nor
any other warrior could possibly accomplish."

Then ensued another tense silence, during which the king appeared to be
meditating upon what I had said. Presently he beckoned to Mapela, "the
Wise One", and conferred with him in a low voice for a brief space.
Then, turning to me, he said:

"I am inclined to believe that what thou hast said as to the
impossibility of 'Mfuni conquering the sword is true; for Mapela informs
me that he chose the man because of his reputation as the most skilled
fighter in the whole Mashona army. Therefore, because of what thou hast
said, I would willingly break my oath, if I could but be sure that, in
so doing, I should not be bringing evil upon myself and my house. But
how can I be sure?"

That was a puzzler, with a vengeance; and I looked about me in
perplexity, searching earth and sky for an answer. As I did so, I saw,
far away in the northern sky, a filmy something that, even as I looked,
resolved itself into a flock of rock pigeons coming directly toward us.
I knew, from long experience, the propensity of these birds to fly
straight, and I felt sure that, unless something happened to divert
their course, they would presently pass right over our heads; therefore,
since a man's life was hanging in the balance and only I could save it,
I determined to take a chance, and called to Piet to hand me my rifle.
Then, with it in my hand, I turned to the king and said:

"Behold, Lomalindela! yonder is a flight of rock pigeons about to pass
over our heads. If one of them should fall dead in this square, would
you believe that I have told you the truth, and that you may break your
oath with impunity?"

"Yea, I will," answered the king, looking in the direction toward which
I was pointing, "for why should one of them fall dead, seeing that their
flight is strong and full of life?"

"You shall see," said I, and slowly raised my rifle. The birds were