Part 12 (2/2)

And now, as I stood onceupon the beautiful and splendid for eyes of her elt in it, all thoughts of the danger I had incurred had fled as the er did I callof fools--oh, no! I was the very _induna_ of wisdo forward to seize her in

”Not yet, Untuswa, not yet The time has not yet come,” she cried

”But--are you co?”

And her eyes full of ? _Hau_! Not so An _indunas_ wife only shalt thou be, Lalusini--not the wife of a King”

”Ah, ah! An _induna's_ wife? But I love not old men, and _indunas_ are always old”

”Not so, Lalusini But yesterday I was only a boy, and unringed”

”Ah, ah! son of Ntelani! You--an _induna_? You?”

And again she hter

”I?--yes, I,” was nity, for my pride was ruffled ”I a's arh on, Lalusini; laugh on!”

But she did not laugh Sorave ”Ah--the chance! The chance at last!” I heard herto reater than any reater than Umzilikazi himself And it reater, son of Ntelani--greater than the King yonder”

”_Hau_! We are talking in a ring!” I cried, but her words troubledthe people of the Blue Cattle, Lalusini?--for it seems to me the time has come for me to hear that tale”

”The time has not come--not yet--but it will And now tell me of the end of the Bakoni, for I think there must be few still alive”

”Few, indeed,” I said ”But Tauane--was he the only one to know of this place?”

”The only one--he and the slave who brought you hither What of them?”

And her tone became quick and anxious

”The slave, or what is left of hiot no further than the entrance hither when last I passed out through it For Tauane, he is as the ashes of last season's burnt grass”

And then I told her all about the end of the prisoners, how the chief would have sold the secret of her hiding-place to save his own life, and how I had soso

Lalusini's eyes beaht

”Ha! You deserve to be an _induna_,” she said, ”and a great one The big, brave, strong fighting- head But you, Untuswa, are no part of a fool You have both the head and the strength Lalusini--Baqulusini!” she repeated

”_Whau_! that was crafty indeed But the King, did he have no suspicion?”

”He showed none,” I answered, in just the shadow of a cloud ”Yet hoill I finally bring you in a's recollections”

”Perhaps I will never go back a yourselves,” she answered ”There is a people into whose reat indeed, and you through ether”