o his very dogs--and to sweep off all his cattle into the royal
herds. The same fate fell upon the house of Notalwa; but, as regarded
the others, the Great Great One was of opinion that sufficient example
had been made.

Now, although it meant death to whisper a word as to what had become of
those five principal evildoers who had been named, yet my chief wife,
Nangeza, would give me no rest on the subject; for herein was a mystery,
and, being a woman, she must needs have a finger in it; so, thinking I
would tell her, she tried all sorts of devices, such as creeping up to
listen whenever I talked with another _induna_. At last, losing
patience, I smote her; for, although we Amazulu do not beat our wives
overmuch, as you white people say, yet there are times when hard wood is
the only means of staying a woman's tongue. Besides, Nangeza was
becoming altogether too troublesome, and already the young warriors
would laugh among themselves, and put their hands to their mouths and
say, "_Hau_! Untuswa is mighty in battle; a fighter who strikes hard.
But--a chief? _Hau_! A woman is chief over him." Now, I thought
things had gone far enough in this direction, wherefore I smote Nangeza.

She snarled like a she-leopard first struck by the spear.

"Good, Untuswa! Thou hast struck her through whom thou art made great.
Thou shalt weep for it in blood one day."

I felt minded to kill her, and make an end of it all. But I refrained,
and went to the huts of my other wives, instead, and made merry with
them. "Now," I thought, "I will take ten, twenty, wives. So will
Nangeza, perchance, find her match among all these."

The day of the new moon drew on, and all the fighting men of the nation
were called up to Ekupumuleni, all, save such as were out in small
parties spying for the Amabuna, and this especially to the south and
westward. For several nights there was war-dancing, and all the
regiments were doctored for battle; yet, against whom they were to be
sent few among them knew, and those who did know told not. Finally came
in two swift runners, one a little after the other. The Amabuna were
drawing near, with many wagons and horses and guns, drawing near to take
over our nation, to proclaim the traitor, Tyuyumane, King.

The night was rendered hideous with the howlings of the _izanusi_ making
_muti_, because of the new moon, and in the morning we started from
Ekupumuleni, strong to the strength of nearly our whole arm