Part 25 (2/2)

You will observe, _Nkose_, that I had found out four things: that a huge Zulu _i to surprise and utterly destroy us; that in strength it scarcely exceeded that of our whole nation; that it was led in person by Mhlangana, one of the brother Kings of Zululand; and that it would cross the mountains at a certain ti ht of Zululand should advance--and fall

”That look-out is sufficient,” I continued, after a moment's pause

”Yet I think that it is not needful to wait until dark to enter the pass It nal that none are about Then that night shall the flaht of the People of the Heavens Let it be known, then, that a white blanket be waved thrice if the way is open”

”We hear you, Father,” answered the warriors ”The plan will not fail

By the King's white shi+eld, but the rebel Umzilikazi 's white shi+eld_!” Now I saw yet further light For, accolances of the warriors had fallen ly upon the white shi+eld which I carried--the pure white shi+eld without spot of any other colour--the shi+eld which had saved the life of a king, and was now theonce more, and also the life of a nation This was how the ana, seeing the great white royal shi+eld in the ana?

I said just now, _Nkose_, that there only re done it, I found there remained another; and this was, to effect a speedy and safe retreat fro in my own death and the destruction of our nation Hoas this to be effected? I dared notupon my face, should betray me

To send these ht arouse their suspicion, and, over and above these considerations, the real Mhlangana ht appear at any moment Truly, _Nkose_, it required all the _muti_ that old Masuka, and the white _isanusi_, and Lalusini, and all the greatest icians the world ever saw, could devise to find hts were racing through roup of warriors A murmur of astonishment, even of a little alar to look beyond rown so diuish their features, up till now so plainly visible

”_Au_!” they cried ”The rows black!”

Now I turned also, dee halfmy hand up in astonishment

And what I beheld was indeed portentous

Over the face of theit not as a cloud veils it, but co, we had not noticed the fading light Now, as we looked, lo!

the half of the great golden ball was black Higher, higher--farther, farther, crept this curtain, till none was left but the outside rim

All the rest of it was black The world was in darkness

Now, I had seen so of this kind before; but never before or since have I seen the row so utterly, so coht; yet, in reality, it was not so; but there was a cold and wizard-like breathing in the night air, and even the voices of the creatures of the waste were hushed And heavy uponvision, uttered before the King, and relating to the blackening of the moon and of the feast which awaited the vultures It was all plain enough now; ah, yes!

the vultures would soon have a gigantic feast, indeed; but--of ould it consist--of ourselves, or of the invading s?

Now I saw in the darkness a wide door open for my escape from my perilous position

”We will return now,found out all we desire to know,” I said

”_Yeh-bo, Nkulu 'nkulu_!” assented the warriors, bending down and uttering words of _bonga_ Then they opened for ned them to precede me; and so we all climbed up the rocks till we soon found ourselves on the slope of one of those great rifts which ran down into the half-circular hollow or basin which I had ana's _impi_

”_Whau_!” muttered Silwane, alked just in front ofof a nation, for the death of a king”

”I think that is even so, Silwane,” I said gri which ere proceeding was thickly sprinkled with growths of bush, and here and there great formations of boulders and stones, which rendered the way difficult and toilsoan to reappear At all risks I must slip away, even if it aroused suspicion

I had already drawn back so farther and farther into the rear Already I judged the distance between h, and the spot favourable, for it was rugged and rock-strewn, and overgroith bush Already I had turned the darker side of my shi+eld towards them, and in a lided aith the silence and rapidity of a serpent, when, _Nkose_, the strangest of strange things happened

Between myself and the warriors in front there was a shape It seemed to appear out of e out of nowhere It was the shape of a man, tall and broad Unlike the warriors in front, he was not adorned as for war, but likeonly the _mutya_ as usual, he was fully armed His back was towardsdarkness, a e war-shi+eld which he carried _Hau_! The shi+eld was pure white, like my own--a royal shi+eld This, then, ana

The time had come, _Nkose_--had fully coana looked back he would have takenbehind hireat as one of the brother Kings of Zululand? _Whau_! So I dropped quietly behind a bush to wait until the party were out of hearing But before it was so I could hear Mhlangana talking to the warriors; but his words were few, and their tones were even and showed no suspicion that they had been receiving their orders and plan of battle fro _induna_ And, indeed, as I thought of it, I laughed so to round and take snuff

For these skilled warriors and captains had cried the _Bayete_ and bent low and uttered _bonga_ to me, Untusas but yesterday, it seemed, a boy in Zululand; and from me had they taken their orders, which would be for their own destruction _Whau! Nkose_! The world may have contained more ridiculous positions, but soana! _Haane!” I murmured in scornful farewell