answer to make to
them?"

"Now, my Father, who am I that I should weary the ears of the Great
Great One by crossing answers with a woman in his presence?" I cried.

"That is well said," muttered Umzilikazi. Then aloud, "So, woman, where
doth she dwell, this witch whom Untuswa saved alive from the slaughter
of the Bakoni?"

"Upon the Mountain of Death, the mountain whereon her people were
slain," said Nangeza.

"And how is she named?"

"That I know not, O Elephant; but if Untuswa ever whispers her name in
his sleep, it is Fumana or Nxope you should ask, O Calf of a Black
Bull," she said, in a tone full of meaning and of malice.

Now I thought and thought how Nangeza could have obtained even that
amount of knowledge of my secret. Could she have followed me,
stealthily, the last journey I made to the Mountain of Death? It almost
seemed so. Or had she set others on to watch me? Anyhow, I felt not
over-certain of seeing many more suns set.

"And is that all thou hast to say, wife of Untuswa?" said the King,
softly, and putting his head on one side, as his manner was.

"This, too, Father. For many nights past I have heard, as it were, a
woman's voice singing around our kraal. I doubt not it was the voice of
this witch, and that she hath lured the little one into the forest, to
devour her, as the way is with such evildoers. But it is Untuswa who
has brought her about our ears to blight us with a curse."

"In truth, thou art an excellent wife--a very milch-cow of price," said
the King, mocking her. "In truth, it is worth a man's while to throw
away his life for such as thee. Thou art, indeed, worthy to be the
chief wife of one of my best fighting-captains. Thou who wouldst seek
to throw on to his shoulders the consequences of thine own neglect, and
fill up our ears with such childish tales of witches singing around the
gates! And thou, Untuswa, thou art happy, indeed, in the possession of
such! Well, woman, such babble is of no avail. The alligators are
hungry."

The _izimbonga_ raised a chorus of praise, and the frightened company of
my people, seeing that only five of their number were to suffer, joined
in. And now, bending low before the King, I craved a boon.

"The wisdom of the King is great, and his justice is terrible," I said.
"But these, it is for these I would speak," pointing to my younger
wives.

"Say on, Untuswa," said the King.

"Not for me is it to question the will of the Great G