Chaka," he said, "draw back a
little way, lest an evil fall on you, for now the air is thick with
ghosts."

They drew back a space, leaving us in a circle about twelve yards in
diameter.

"Look on him who kneels before you," went on Indaba-zimbi, "and
listen to my words, to the words of the witch-finder, the words of the
rain-maker, Indaba-zimbi, whose fame is known to you. He seems to be a
young man, does he not? I tell you, children of the Umtetwa, he is no
man. He is the Spirit who gives victory to the white men, he it is who
gave them assegais that thunder and taught them how to slay. Why were
the Impis of Dingaan rolled back at the Blood River? Because _he_
was there. Why did the Amaboona slay the people of Mosilikatze by the
thousand? Because _he_ was there. And so I say to you that, had I not
drawn him from the laager by my magic but three hours ago, you would
have been conquered--yes, you would have been blown away like the dust
before the wind; you would have been burnt up like the dry grass in
the winter when the fire is awake among it. Ay, because he had but been
there many of your bravest were slain in overcoming a few--a pinch
of men who could be counted on the fingers. But because I loved you,
because your chief Sususa is my half-brother--for had we not one
father?--I came to you, I warned you. Then you prayed me and I drew the
Spirit forth. But you were not satisfied when the victory was yours,
when the Spirit, of all you had taken asked but one little thing--a
white child to take away and sacrifice to himself, to make the medicine
of his magic of----"

Here I could hardly restrain myself from interrupting, but thought
better of it.

"You said him nay; you said, 'Let him fight with our bravest man, let
him fight with Bombyane the giant for the child.' And he deigned to slay
Bombyane as you have seen, and now you say, 'Slay him; he is no spirit.'
Now I will show you if he is a spirit, for I will slay him before
your eyes, and call him to life again. But you have brought this upon
yourselves. Had you believed, had you offered no insult to the Spirit,
he would have stayed with you, and you should have become unconquerable.
Now he will arise and leave you, and woe be on you if you try to stay
him.

"Now all men," he went on, "look for a space upon this assegai that I
hold up," and he lifted the bangwan of the deceased Bombyane high above
his head so that all the multitude could see it. Every eye was fi