s presence was, the aspect
of this strange woman was the more royal of the two.

Now, Umzilikazi took up the great white shield, and began examining the
little hole, or rather slit, made by the poisoned dart, murmuring softly
to himself the while. Then, carefully, he picked up the little weapon
itself, which I had immediately plucked from the royal shield, and flung
down in disgust. An idea seemed to strike him.

"See, Untuswa, here is a great _muti_ shield," he said. "It will make a
fitting mate to the dark-handled _umkonto_. And as it has once stood
between my life and treason, so may it always. Take it, Untuswa, my
shield-bearer. It will be seen afar in the line of battle, when the
meat stands ready to the teeth of the lion-cubs. Take it, Untuswa. It
is thine."

Speaking thick and fast the words of _bonga_, I bent down and received
this great gift from the hand of the King. It was a splendid bull-hide
shield, of pure white, and not bound with black facings, as was the way
with those borne by the royal guard. It was a royal shield, and of the
royal colour, and was tufted with the tail-tuft of a bull, also pure
white. And now I held two royal gifts: the King's Assegai, and the
great white shield of the King. And since I had held the first naught
but success had been mine. What would not follow upon the possession of
the last?

The arrow which Nangeza had thrown we examined also. It was larger
somewhat than those usually shot by the mountain tribes, and looked as
though it had been made for this purpose. The point, too, was thick and
green with an ugly poison, which was not all snake-poison, but a mixture
of such with something of the nature of distilled herbs. Now, from whom
had she obtained that secret? Then the King and I put our heads
together, and whispered, and some of the royal guard bounded forth, to
return immediately, dragging two men whom we knew to be of our own
_izanusi_; yet not altogether, for they were of a lower class, who
assisted our witch-doctors without being altogether of them. They were
not our own people, both being of the Bapedi, and as they were brought
before the presence, their knees knocked together, and their eyes
protruded with fear.

"Take that arrow, ye dogs who are no _izanusi_, but cheats," said the
King. "Now touch each other with the point thereof."

"We are but dust beneath the feet of the King," whined one, yet not
obeying.

"To do this is death, Great G