were fresh in my ears. This man had recognised the King--had spoken the
royal greeting--wherefore, as he crouched, the blade of my broad
_umkonto_ drove through between his shoulders, coming out far through
his breast. So he died there in the night, uttering no further sound.

"That was well done, Untuswa," whispered the King. "I have but one
word, and now there is one _umtagati_ the less. Proceed!"

So we stepped forward again, leaving the slain man lying there; and as
we held on our way, I leading, and gripping my spear, all on the alert
lest we should meet others prompt to recognise the King, we heard before
and around us the howling of hyenas and the yelping of jackals, with now
and again the thunder roar of a lion at no very great distance, also a
strange and unearthly wail, which could come from no beast--but only, it
might be, from the sad ghosts of those slain, who were weeping over
their own shattered bones above the place of slaughter.

"This is a night for _abatagati_ indeed," growled the King. "Yet there
will be more ghosts to weep, Untuswa, after our visit to Ncwelo's pool."

"_Gahle, Nkulu 'nkulu_," I whispered. [Gently, Great Great One.]
"Yonder is Ncwelo's kraal. If his dogs hear us, will not their tongues
be swift to put the conspirators to flight? Yonder by the shade of the
trees must we pass, for they whom we seek will have eyes watching the
plain in all directions."

"Lead on, Untuswa," whispered the King.

Some distance round, under the shade of the trees, had we to travel, for
we dared not cross the open, though to do so were far more direct.
_Au_! it was black where the light of the moon and the stars could not
pierce, and we had to writhe our way as silently as serpents--indeed
more silently, for twice the rustle of some great serpent uncoiling
himself to withdraw slowly from our path, and his shrill angry hiss at
being disturbed, caused us to pause in order to allow him to retreat.

At length I, who was leading, halted and held up a hand. It was not a
sound that I had heard in front through the black gloom, but there had
floated to my nostrils on the clear air of the night an odour. It was
the smell of a horse. Now of horses among us there were but few--all
belonging to the King--and at Ncwelo's kraal were none. The Great Great
One perceived it too, for just then a shaft of moonlight between the
tree-tops revealed his face, and upon it was the eager, smiling,
terrible express