nduna_ who spoke darkly to this end.
But to such counsels Umzilikazi's ears were shut. The white stranger
was his friend. He was not of the race of the greedy, lying Amabuna;
moreover, for himself it was easy to see he desired nothing, neither
lands nor possessions; and though his teachings were not such as to be
accepted by a warrior nation, there was no harm in them, no subversion
of the greatness of the King. Not upon any considerations should he be
harmed--neither the Gaza, his follower.

But he must be kept among us; and in furtherance of this end the King
gave secret orders that a few of the lowest of the slaves should listen
to his teaching, and slowly and by degrees bring themselves to accept
it, or pretend to. Then a few more were added to these; but ever with
caution, lest the white _isanusi_ should suspect. But he did not
suspect; on the contrary, his heart was filled with joy at the readiness
wherewith, these received his teaching, and at length--for this took
time--he put them under the same rites as those which he had performed
over the little white girl. So he was content to dwell with us; and
while we laughed among ourselves over the trick we had played upon him,
yet we were glad that this other road lay open to him besides that to
the South, which would have caused us trouble, and that into the Dark
Unknown, which might have caused it to him.

I had left Kwa'zingwenya after this _indaba_ with the King, and was
returning to my own kraal along the river bank, sad at heart, and
pondering ever upon the disappearance of the Bakoni sorceress, when I
came upon an old man, stumbling along, bent double, nosing and peering
on the ground. It was old Masuka.

"Greeting, my father!" I cried. "Are you seeking _muti_ herbs?"

"Perhaps I am seeking for that which shall give sleep, son of Ntelani,"
he replied, laughing at me out of his eyes. "Ha! my dreams were strange
last night--strange, and they were about thee, Untuswa, about thee!"

"About me, my father?" I cried.

"_E--he_! But, first give me _gwai_, thou holder of the King's Assegai,
for I have none left."

I took out the long horn snuff-box which was stuck through the lobe of
my ear, and, squatting down, we both took snuff in silence. Then the
old man burst into a chuckle.

"My dreams took me to the summit of the mountain of death, son of
Ntelani. The ghost of Tauane was there--searching for something."

"For what was it searching, my fat