Part 34 (1/2)

”Much, it see that you were the doctor who smelt out Masapo, and that it was in your kraal that yonder woman hid herself while her lover, the Prince, my son, who is dead, went down to the battle, and that she was brought thence with you Tell us, now, the nature of thiswise, as you are, be careful to tell us truly, lest it should be said, O Zikali, that you are not a Nyanga only, but an u, and choosing his words carefully, ”perchance, O Zikali, I ht be tempted to make trial of whether or no it is true that you cannot be killed like other men, especially as I have heard of late that your heart is evil towards me and ive his quick brain tihed in his dreadful fashi+on and said:

”Oho! the King thinks that the otter is in the trap,” and he glanced at the fence of the isi-gohlo and at the fierce executioners, who stood watching him sternly ”Well, many times before has this otter seeht, O Son of Senzangakona, and after it also Yet here he stands living Make no trial, O King, of whether or no I be mortal, lest if Death should come to such a one as I, he should takethat when the Opener-of-Roads co of the Zulus, as when he began his road there was no King of the Zulus, since the days of his s?”

Thus he spoke, glaring at Panda and at Cetewayo, who shrank before his gaze

”Reone down' long ago, the Wild Beast who fathered the Zulu herd, threatened hi-that-should-not-have-been-born,' aye, and slew those whom he loved, and afterwards was slain by others, who also are 'gone down,'

and that you alone, O Panda, did not threaten him, and that you alone, O Panda, have not been slain Now, if you would s fall on, for Zikali is ready,” and he folded his arms and waited

Indeed, all of us waited breathlessly, for we understood that the terrible dastheame, since Panda only said:

”Why should I slay one whom I have befriended in the past, and why do you speak such heavy words of death in my ears, O, Zikali the Wise, which of late have heard so : ”Be pleased now, to tell us of this o, and I will send for other Nyangas”

”Why should I not tell you, when you ask ? See”--and Zikali took up some of the twisted roots--”these are the roots of a certain poisonous herb that blooht on the tops of mountains, and woe be to the ox that eats thereof They have been boiled in gall and blood, and ill will befall the hut in which they are hidden by one who can speak the words of power This is the bone of a babe that has never lived to cut its teeth--I think of a babe that was left to die alone in the bush because it was hated, or because none would father it Such a bone has strength to work ill against other babes; moreover, it is filled with a char of wood, he scattered soain ”This,” he added, picking up the fang, ”is the tooth of a deadly serpent, that, after it has been doctored, is used by woe the heart of a man froo

”Stay!” said the King ”Who set these foul charms in the doorway of Saduko's hut?”

”How can I tell, O King, unless I make preparation and cast the bones and smell out the evil-doer? You have heard the story of the woman Nahana Accept it or reject it as your heart tells you”

”If that story be true, O Zikali, how comes it that you yourself smelt out, not Mameena, the wife of Masapo, but Masapo, her husband, hi of the child of Nandie?”

”You err, O King I, Zikali, smelt out the House of Masapo Then I s for it first in the hair of Ma it in the kaross of Masapo I never save the poison That was the judg Nay, I kneell that there was more in the matter, and had you paid me another fee and bade me to continue to use ic stuff hidden in the hut, and mayhap have learned the name of the hider But I eary, who am very old; and as it to o? Masapo, who, being your secret enemy, was a man who deserved to die--if not for this matter, then for others”

Now, all this while I had been watching Ma to this deadly evidence, a slight s any interruption or co thethe eyes of Saduko, who remained in his place, also silent, and, to all appearance, the least interested of anyone present He tried to avoid her glance, turning his head uneasily; but at length her eyes caught his and held thean to beat quickly, his breast heaved, and on his face there grew a look of dreamy content, even of happiness

From that moment forward, till the end of the scene, Saduko never took his eyes off this strange woh I think that, with the exception of the dwarf, Zikali, who saw everything, and of myself, who am trained to observation, none noted this curious by-play of the draan to speak ”Maht to say? For if not it would seem that you are a witch and a murderess, and one who ,” she answered quietly ”Nahana speaks truth It is true that I entered the hut of Nandie and set the medicine there I say it because by nature I am not one who hides the truth or would atte-wolanced at Nahana

”Then from between your own teeth it is finished,” said Panda

”Not altogether, O King I have said that I set the medicine in the hut

I have not said, and I will not say, how and why I set it there That tale I call upon Saduko yonder to tell to you, he asa man, must therefore hate me

By the words he says I will abide If he declares that I auilt But if he declares that I a and O Prince Cetewayo, without fear I trust myself to your justness Now speak, O Saduko; speak the whole truth, whatever it 's will”

”It is my will,” said Panda

”And mine also,” added Cetewayo, who, I could see, like everyone else, was much interested in this matter

Saduko rose to his feet, the saed All the life and fire had gone from him; his pride in himself was no more; none could have known him for that ambitious, confident man who, in his day of power, the Zulus named the ”Self-Eater” He was a mere mask of the old Saduko, informed by some new, some alien, spirit With dull, lack-lustre eyes fixed always upon the lovely eyes of Maan his tale