ll Bandokolo," answered Anuti. "It will but be
necessary for me to display this ring and even her bodyguards will
gladly transfer their allegiance to me. And perhaps you are right,
Chia'gnosi, in the matter of the kingship; it is better that the
Bandokolo should be governed by one of themselves than by a stranger.
But you have this day done a service to the Bandokolo which we shall not
forget, for by your action in wresting this ring from the queen, and,
with it, all her power and authority, you have saved the country from
civil war, with all its attendant horrors and slaughter. And now it
will be well that the nobles and chiefs should be instantly informed of
what has happened; therefore, if you will excuse me for a short time, I
will dispatch the necessary messengers."

Anuti had been absent about three-quarters of an hour when a servant
announced that two of my natives desired speech with me; and when they
were introduced they proved to be 'Mfuni and Piet, who had encountered
each other on the main road and now returned together, bringing with
them the astounding news that the whole of my oxen had suddenly dropped
dead while feeding, at the precise moment--so far as I was able to fix
it--when Bimbane had pronounced their death warrant! It was a very
extraordinary thing, much too extraordinary, I thought, to be a mere
coincidence; yet I was not so much astonished as I might otherwise have
been, for I had by this time been long enough in Bandokolo to have
realised that many surprising and startling things happened there which
would have been regarded as impossible in more civilised countries.

But this was not the only, or even the most startling, occurrence of
that eventful day; for Anuti had scarcely returned to the house,
accompanied by half a dozen of the most powerful nobles, whom he had
been lucky enough to encounter, when a wild-eyed messenger arrived from
the palace with the astounding news that the queen was dead, having
taken poison! This news, if true, would of course simplify matters
immensely, since, the queen being childless, her husband would,
according to the laws of Bandokolo, succeed her; and accordingly we all
hastened to the palace to investigate the statement.

Arrived at the royal residence, we found the place in a state of wild
commotion--although the excitement was not so intense as to make the
squadron of bodyguards then on duty forget to accord the royal salute to
Anuti upon his entranc