arvel.

"The word of the King was that there were already magicians enough in
this nation," she went on, fearlessly. "Now I would retire from among
such. I would wed."

"_Hau_!" we all cried, in amaze.

"And whom wouldst thou wed, Lalusini?" said the King.

"I would wed the bravest warrior of this nation, Great Great One."

Now murmurs of astonishment filled the air, for, besides certain
councillors, several of our principal fighting-captains were present--
Kalipe, Gasibona, and Xulawayo, and others--besides myself.

"_Whau_!" cried the King. "Among so many who are brave who may say
which is the bravest? What sayest thou, son of Ntelani?"

"I say in the words of the Great Great One. Among so many brave who can
point out the bravest, my Father!" I answered, and, as I gazed upon
Lalusini's beauty, a terrible fear was round my heart lest some other
should be chosen, and in my anxiety I bent forward, sweeping with my
gaze the ring of set, astonished faces, and I seemed to behold them afar
off, and as through a mist.

"What say ye all?" said the King, turning to the others.

There was a pause, then Kalipe answered, for he was well disposed
towards me, and, moreover, liked not to wed with a sorceress himself.

"The bearer of the white shield, Great Great One. He is the bravest of
our warriors--none braver."

And all the others shouted aloud in assent of Kalipe's words.

"Hear ye what these say, Lalusini?" said the King.

"I hear them, Black Elephant," she replied, turning and smiling on me
now for the first time.

"Let it be so, then, for my word stands," said Umzilikazi.

Thus it came about, _Nkose_, that I took for my chief wife Lalusini, the
daughter of great Tshaka, but as to this the King enjoined upon us to
keep her birth a secret. And we dwelt long together and loved each
other much, and there was peace in our kraal; for Lalusini was
tender-hearted as well as beautiful, and not as Nangeza, who was hard
and desired to be chief over all upon whom she looked. But save on very
great and momentous occasions, Lalusini gave up practising sorcery, and,
indeed, she told me afterwards how she had been able to sing the Song of
the Shield in our ears in such wise as to turn the tide of the battle,
and how that the great cliff above us was so formed at one place as to
throw back the voice even when the singer was a long distance off: so
had the song been heard as though it sprang out of nowhere, to the
sa