there was dead silence.

Umzilikazi was standing in the midst, clad in his full war costume of
white flowing hair and leopard-skin and beadwork, his head crowned with
nodding ostrich plumes of black and white. In his left hand he held his
lion-skin shield, tufted with the tail of the beast, and a light casting
spear.

Now, as we waited, breathless, he took the little assegai in his right
hand, and, poising it for a moment with a quivering motion, he hurled it
from him--hurled it fast and far--in the direction of the Pass of the
Inkume, in the direction of Dingane's _impi_, and, as it fell to earth,
he pronounced in a loud voice--

"Go, children of Matyobane!"

A great and mighty shout rent the air, and, falling into marching rank,
my own company of The Scorpions leading, our _impi_ set forth. In
strength we numbered about seven thousand, of whom between two or three
thousand were those who had been enrolled from among conquered peoples,
and, of course, not equal to those of pure Zulu blood. The strength of
Mhlangana's _impi_ I could only guess, but estimated it to be about ten
thousand strong. Wherefore, you see, _Nkose_, our chances were not
great, and depended almost entirely upon our being able to strike the
enemy unexpectedly, and roll up his battle rank in the panic of
surprise.

While these preparations were going forward, the white _isanusi_, sad
and troubled at heart, in the course of his wanderings ran against
Lalusini, who gave him greeting.

"Will your _muti_ avail to bring victory to yon host, my father?" she
said, with her sweet smile.

"I know not. If it is the will of the Great Great One who sent me, I
have no fear," he answered.

"Is your power, then, so doubtful, O maker of strange ceremonies?" she
went on.

"I pretend to no magic; on the contrary, I reprobate such," said the
white priest, shaking his head, for he distrusted and disliked the
beautiful sorceress. "It is not given to us to pry into the future,
which is in the sight of One alone."

"Why, then is my _muti_ greater than yours, white stranger," she
replied. "For I _can_ look into the future, and I foresee that this
nation shall win the battle. Yea, I know this."

"I hope it may be so, Lalusini," said the white man, still sadly. But
the other women who stood by, hearing this presage, cried aloud in
astonishment and delight, repeating Lalusini's words again and again,
till they had turned them into something of a song.