inti had gone Sigwe spoke to Suzanne.

"Lady Swallow," he said, "as you have heard, by the command of the
spirits of my ancestors speaking through the mouth of the diviner, while
you are with us, you and not I are the captain of my army, and must
lead it in this great war which I make against the Endwandwe. Now the
regiments are ready to march, and I ask if it be your pleasure that
we should set out to-morrow at the dawn, for time presses, and the
Endwandwe live very far away?"

"Your will is my will, chief," she answered, for she could see no way
of escape from this strange journey, "but I desire to learn the cause
of this war which I must lead by the decree of the spirits of your
ancestors."

Now Sigwe gave an order to some attendants waiting upon him, who went
away to return presently leading with them a woman. This woman was about
fifty years of age, very fat in person, sour-faced, yellow-toothed, and
with one eye only.

"There is the cause," exclaimed the chief, at the same time turning his
back upon the woman and spitting upon the ground as though in disgust.

"I do not understand," said Suzanne.

"Then listen, Lady Swallow. Sikonyana, the chief of the Endwandwe, has a
sister named Batwa, whose beauty is famous throughout all the world,
and for her by my envoys I made an offer of marriage, intending that
she should be my head wife, for I desired to be the husband of the most
beautiful woman in the world."

"I saw Batwa when she was still a child," broke in Sihamba; "indeed, she
is my cousin, and it is true that she is most beautiful."

"The chief Sikonyana," went on Sigwe, "answered me that he was much
honoured by my offer since he knew me to be the greatest man of all this
country, but that at the same time his sister was not to be won with a
small price; yet if I would send a thousand head of cattle, half of
them black and half white, she should be mine. Then with much pain
I collected these cattle, two years did it take me to gather them
together, for here oxen and cows pure white and pure black are not
common, and I sent them with an impi to guard them, for nothing less
would suffice, to the kraal of the chief of the Endwandwe.

"Four moons was that impi gone, while I awaited its return, eating out
my heart with impatience. At length it did return, bringing with it my
bride. At nightfall it marched into the town hungry and tired, for it
had suffered much upon the journey, and twice had been forced to