Part 23 (1/2)

”Ah! I thank you, Spirit Well, King, your grandchild was killed by the House of Masapo, your enemy, chief of the Amasomi”

Now a roar of approbation went up froone conclusion

When this had died down Panda spoke, saying:

”The House of Masapo is a large house; I believe that he has several wives and h to smell out the House, since I am not as those ent before uilty Tell us, O Opener-of-Roads, who aht this deed?”

”That's just the question,” grumbled Zikali in a deep voice ”All that I know is that it was done by poisoning, and I smell the poison It is here”

Then he walked to where Mameena sat and cried out:

”Seize that woman and search her hair”

Executioners ere in waiting sprang forward, but Mameena waved theh, ”there is no need to touch , she stepped forward to the centre of the ring Here, with a feiftoff first the cloak she wore, then the moocha about herhair, and stood before that audience in all her naked beauty--a wondrous and a lovely sight

”Now,” she said, ”let woarments, and see if there is any poison hid there”

Two old crones stepped forward--though I do not knoho sent theh exa Thereon Ma of her shoulders, resumed such clothes as she wore, and returned to her place

Zikali appeared to grow angry He starey locks and cried out:

”Is my wisdom to be defeated in such a little e over er--caht Zikali whirled round upon his heels, first one way and then another, and, crying aloud: ”Guidefashi+on, as a blindfolded man does, with his arht, then to the left, and then straight forward, till at length, to my astonishment, he ca out his great, groping hands, seized the kaross hich he was covered and, with a jerk, tore it froround, and a woman searched

Presently she uttered an excla the fur of one of the tails of the kaross produced a tiny bag that appeared to be made out of the bladder of a fish This she handed to Zikali, whose eyes had now been unbandaged

He looked at it, then gave it to Maputa, saying:

”There is the poison--there is the poison, but who gave it I do not say

I a hiate of the kraal

Soldiers seized upon Masapo, while theup, and, running to where the King sat, flung hi for mercy I also, who had doubts as to all this business, ventured to rise and speak

”O King,” I said, ”as one who has known this man in the past, I plead with you How that powder came into his kaross I know not, but perchance it is not poison, only harmless dust”

”Yes, it is but wood dust which I use for the cleaning of my nails,”