Part 23 (2/2)

cried Masapo, for he was so terrified I think he knew not what he said

”So you own to knowledge of the medicine?” exclaih an to explain, but what he said was lost in a hty roar of ”Kill the wizard!”

Panda held up his hand and there was silence

”Bring ht, and, at a further word from him, dusted with the powder

”Now, O Macumazana,” said Panda to me, ”if you still think that yonder man is innocent, will you drink thished

”Will Mameena, his wife, drink it, then?” asked Panda

She also shook her head, saying:

”O King, I drink no milk that is , one of those hoy beasts that stray about kraals and live upon carrion, wandered into the ring Pandato where the poor beast stood staring about it hungrily, set down the wooden dish oflapped it up, for it was starving, and as it finished the last drop theabout its neck and held it fast

Now all eyes were fixed upon the dog,and h, for I knew it to be Masapo's death warrant, then began to scratch the ground and foa ould follow, I rose, bowed to the King, and walked away to my camp, which, it will be re this place, at a distance only of a few hundred yards So intent was all thethat I doubt whether anyone saw o As for that poor beast, Scoho stayed behind, told me that it did not die for about ten minutes, since before its end a red rash appeared upon it similar to that which I had seen upon Saduko's child, and it was seized with convulsions

Well, I reached edbusiness entries in my note-book, in order to divert my mind as much as I could, when suddenly I heard atowards ht impossible in so fat a man, while after him raced the fierce-faced executioners, and behind came the mob

”Kill the evil-doer!” they shouted

Masapo reached :

”Save me, Macumazahn! I aot no farther, for the slayers had leapt on hied him from me

Then I turned and covered up ood-bye to anyone, for what had happened there e My servant, Scowl, and one of my hunters remained, however, to collect some cattle that were still due to me

Athe cattle, they told me that Mameena, theof Masapo, had entered the house of Saduko as his second wife In answer to a question which I put to them, they added that it was said that the Princess Nandie did not approve of this choice of Saduko, which she thought would not be fortunate for hi him happiness As her husband seemed to be much enamoured of Mameena, however, she had waived her objections, and when Panda asked if she gave her consent had told hih she would prefer that Saduko should choose some other woman who had not been mixed up with the wizard who killed her child, she was prepared to take Mameena as her sister, and would kno to keep her in her place

CHAPTER XI THE SIN OF UMBELAZI

About eighteen ain, in the autumn of the year 1856, I found myself at old Umbezi's kraal, where there seeas-pipe that could be called a gun Well, as a trader who could not afford to neglect profitable s to find, there I was

Now, in eighteen s become a little obscured in one's es, in whom, after all, one takes only a philosophical and a business interest Therefore I ood many of the details of what I may call the Mameena affair These, however, came back to me very vividly when the first person that I met--at some distance fro a country walk--was the beautiful Maed and as lovely as ever, sitting under the shade of a wild fig-tree and fanning herself with a handful of its leaves

Of course I jureeted her