It will not be necessary for me to detail at length the incidents of
our journey to Loo. It took two full days' travelling along Solomon's
Great Road, which pursued its even course right into the heart of
Kukuanaland. Suffice it to say that as we went the country seemed to
grow richer and richer, and the kraals, with their wide surrounding
belts of cultivation, more and more numerous. They were all built upon
the same principles as the first camp which we had reached, and were
guarded by ample garrisons of troops. Indeed, in Kukuanaland, as among
the Germans, the Zulus, and the Masai, every able-bodied man is a
soldier, so that the whole force of the nation is available for its
wars, offensive or defensive. As we travelled we were overtaken by
thousands of warriors hurrying up to Loo to be present at the great
annual review and festival, and more splendid troops I never saw.

At sunset on the second day, we stopped to rest awhile upon the summit
of some heights over which the road ran, and there on a beautiful and
fertile plain before us lay Loo itself. For a native town it is an
enormous place, quite five miles round, I should say, with outlying
kraals projecting from it, that serve on grand occasions as cantonments
for the regiments, and a curious horseshoe-shaped hill, with which we
were destined to become better acquainted, about two miles to the
north. It is beautifully situated, and through the centre of the kraal,
dividing it into two portions, runs a river, which appeared to be
bridged in several places, the same indeed that we had seen from the
slopes of Sheba's Breasts. Sixty or seventy miles away three great
snow-capped mountains, placed at the points of a triangle, started out
of the level plain. The conformation of these mountains is unlike that
of Sheba's Breasts, being sheer and precipitous, instead of smooth and
rounded.

Infadoos saw us looking at them, and volunteered a remark.

"The road ends there," he said, pointing to the mountains known among
the Kukuanas as the "Three Witches."

"Why does it end?" I asked.

"Who knows?" he answered with a shrug; "the mountains are full of
caves, and there is a great pit between them. It is there that the wise
men of old time used to go to get whatever it was they came for to this
country, and it is there now that our kings are buried in the Place of
Death."

"What was it they came for?" I asked eagerly.

"Nay, I know not. My lords who have dropped from the Stars should
know," he answered with a quick look. Evidently he knew more than he
chose to say.

"Yes," I went on, "you are right, in the Stars we learn many things. I
have heard, for instance, that the wise men of old came to these
mountains to find bright stones, pretty playthings, and yellow iron."

"My lord is wise," he answered coldly; "I am but a child and cannot
talk with my lord on such matters. My lord must speak with Gagool the
old, at the king's place, who is wise even as my lord," and he went
away.

So soon as he was gone I turned to the others, and pointed out the
mountains. "There are Solomon's diamond mines," I said.

Umbopa was standing with them, apparently plunged in one of the fits of
abstraction which were common to him, and caught my words.

"Yes, Macumazahn," he put in, in Zulu, "the diamonds are surely there,
and you shall have them, since you white men are so fond of toys and
money."

"How dost thou know that, Umbopa?" I asked sharply, for I did not like
his mysterious ways.

He laughed. "I dreamed it in the night, white men;" then he too turned
on his heel and went.

"Now what," said Sir Henry, "is our black friend driving at? He knows
more than he chooses to say, that is clear. By the way, Quatermain, has
he heard anything of--of my brother?"

"Nothing; he has asked everyone he has become friendly with, but they
all declare that no white man has ever been seen in the country before."

"Do you suppose that he got here at all?" suggested Good; "we have only
reached the place by a miracle; is it likely he could have reached it
without the map?"

"I don't know," said Sir Henry gloomily, "but somehow I think that I
shall find him."

Slowly the sun sank, then suddenly darkness rushed down on the land
like a tangible thing. There was no breathing-space between the day and
night, no soft transformation scene, for in these latitudes twilight
does not exist. The change from day to night is as quick and as
absolute as the change from life to death. The sun sank and the world
was wreathed in shadows. But not for long, for see in the west there is
a glow, then come rays of silver light, and at last the full and
glorious moon lights up the plain and shoots its gleaming arrows far
and wide, filling the earth with a faint refulgence.

We stood and watched the lovely sight, whilst the stars grew pale
before this chastened majesty, and felt our hearts lifted up in the
presence of a beauty that I cannot describe. Mine has been a rough
life, but there are a few things I am thankful to have lived for, and
one of them is to have seen that moon shine over Kukuanaland.

Presently our meditations were broken in upon by our polite friend
Infadoos.

"If my lords are rested we will journey on to Loo, where a hut is made
ready for my lords to-night. The moon is now bright, so that we shall
not fall by the way."

We assented, and in an hour's time were at the outskirts of the town,
of which the extent, mapped out as it was by thousands of camp fires,
appeared absolutely endless. Indeed, Good, who is always fond of a bad
joke, christened it "Unlimited Loo." Soon we came to a moat with a
drawbridge, where we were met by the rattling of arms and the hoarse
challenge of a sentry. Infadoos gave some password that I could not
catch, which was met with a salute, and we passed on through the
central street of the great grass city. After nearly half an hour's
tramp, past endless lines of huts, Infadoos halted at last by the gate
of a little group of huts which surrounded a small courtyard of
powdered limestone, and informed us that these were to be our "poor"
quarters.

We entered, and found that a hut had been assigned to each of us. These
huts were superior to any that we had yet seen, and in each was a most
comfortable bed made of tanned skins, spread upon mattresses of
aromatic grass. Food too was ready for us, and so soon as we had washed
ourselves with water, which stood ready in earthenware jars, some young
women of handsome appearance brought us roasted meats, and mealie cobs
daintily served on wooden platters, and presented them to us with deep
obeisances.

We ate and drank, and then, the beds having been all moved into one hut
by our request, a precaution at which the amiable young ladies smiled,
we flung ourselves down to sleep, thoroughly wearied with our long
journey.

When we woke it was to find the sun high in the heavens, and the female
attendants, who did not seem to be troubled by any false shame, already
standing inside the hut, having been ordered to attend and help us to
"make ready."

"Make ready, indeed," growled Good; "when one has only a flannel shirt
and a pair of boots, that does not take long. I wish you would ask them
for my trousers, Quatermain."

I asked accordingly, but was informed that these sacred relics had
already been taken to the king, who would see us in the forenoon.

Somewhat to their astonishment and disappointment, having requested the
young ladies to step outside, we proceeded to make the best toilet of
which the circumstances admitted. Good even went the length of again
shaving the right side of his face; the left, on which now appeared a
very fair crop of whiskers, we impressed upon him he must on no account
touch. As for ourselves, we were contented with a good wash and combing
our hair. Sir Henry's yellow locks were now almost upon his shoulders,
and he looked more like an ancient Dane than ever, while my grizzled
scrub was fully an inch long, instead of half an inch, which in a
general way I considered my maximum length.

By the time that we had eaten our breakfast, and smoked a pipe, a
message was brought to us by no less a personage than Infadoos himself
that Twala the king was ready to see us, if we would be pleased to come.

We remarked in reply that we should prefer to wait till the sun was a
little higher, we were yet weary with our journey, &c., &c. It is
always well, when dealing with uncivilised people, not to be in too
great a hurry. They are apt to mistake politeness for awe or servility.
So, although we were quite as anxious to see Twala as Twala could be to
see us, we sat down and waited for an hour, employing the interval in
preparing such presents as our slender stock of goods
permitted--namely, the Winchester rifle which had been used by poor
Ventvoegel, and some beads. The rifle and ammunition we determined to
present to his royal highness, and the beads were for his wives and
courtiers. We had already given a few to Infadoos and Scragga, and
found that they were delighted with them, never having seen such things
before. At length we declared that we were ready, and guided by
Infadoos, started off to the audience, Umbopa carrying the rifle and
beads.

After walking a few hundred yards we came to an enclosure, something
like that surrounding the huts which had been allotted to us, only
fifty times as big, for it could not have covered less than six or
seven acres of ground. All round the outside fence stood a row of huts,
which were the habitations of the king's wives. Exactly opposite the
gateway, on the further side of the open space, was a very large hut,
built by itself, in which his majesty resided. All the rest was open
ground; that is to say, it would have been open had it not been filled
by company after company of warriors, who were mustered there to the
number of seven or eight thousand. These men stood still as statues as
we advanced through them, and it would be impossible to give an
adequate idea of the grandeur of the spectacle which they presented,
with their waving plumes, their glancing spears, and iron-backed
ox-hide shields.

The space in front of the large hut was empty, but before it were
placed several stools. On three of these, at a sign from Infadoos, we
seated ourselves, Umbopa standing behind us. As for Infadoos, he took
up a position by the door of the hut. So we waited for ten minutes or
more in the midst of a dead silence, but conscious that we were the
object of the concentrated gaze of some eight thousand pairs of eyes.
It was a somewhat trying ordeal, but we carried it off as best we
could. At length the door of the hut opened, and a gigantic figure,
with a splendid tiger-skin karross flung over its shoulders, stepped
out, followed by the boy Scragga, and what appeared to us to be a
withered-up monkey, wrapped in a fur cloak. The figure seated itself
upon a stool, Scragga took his stand behind it, and the withered-up
monkey crept on all fours into the shade of the hut and squatted down.

Still there was silence.

Then the gigantic figure slipped off the karross and stood up before
us, a truly alarming spectacle. It was that of an enormous man with the
most entirely repulsive countenance we had ever beheld. This man's lips
were as thick as a Negro's, the nose was flat, he had but one gleaming
black eye, for the other was represented by a hollow in the face, and
his whole expression was cruel and sensual to a degree. From the large
head rose a magnificent plume of white ostrich feathers, his body was
clad in a shirt of shining chain armour, whilst round the waist and
right knee were the usual garnishes of white ox-tail. In his right hand
was a huge spear, about the neck a thick torque of gold, and bound on
the forehead shone dully a single and enormous uncut diamond.

Still there was silence; but not for long. Presently the man, whom we
rightly guessed to be the king, raised the great javelin in his hand.
Instantly eight thousand spears were lifted in answer, and from eight
thousand throats rang out the royal salute of "_Koom_." Three times
this was repeated, and each time the earth shook with the noise, that
can only be compared to the deepest notes of thunder.

"Be humble, O people," piped out a thin voice which seemed to come from
the monkey in the shade, "it is the king."

"_It is the king_," boomed out the eight thousand throats in answer.
"_Be humble, O people, it is the king._"

Then there was silence again--dead silence. Presently, however, it was
broken. A soldier on our left dropped his shield, which fell with a
clatter on to the limestone flooring.

Twala turned his one cold eye in the direction of the noise.

"Come hither, thou," he said, in a cold voice.

A fine young man stepped out of the ranks, and stood before him.

"It was thy shield that fell, thou awkward dog. Wilt thou make me a
reproach in the eyes of these strangers from the Stars? What hast thou
to say for thyself?"

We saw the poor fellow turn pale under his dusky skin.

"It was by chance, O Calf of the Black Cow," he murmured.

"Then it is a chance for which thou must pay. Thou hast made me
foolish; prepare for death."

"I am the king's ox," was the low answer.

"Scragga," roared the king, "let me see how thou canst use thy spear.
Kill me this blundering fool."

Scragga stepped forward with an ill-favoured grin, and lifted his
spear. The poor victim covered his eyes with his hand and stood still.
As for us, we were petrified with horror.

"Once, twice," he waved the spear, and then struck, ah! right home--the
spear stood out a foot behind the soldier's back. He flung up his hands
and dropped dead. From the multitude about us rose something like a
murmur, it rolled round and round, and died away. The tragedy was
finished; there lay the corpse, and we had not yet realised that it had
been enacted. Sir Henry sprang up and swore a great oath, then,
overpowered by the sense of silence, sat down again.

"The thrust was a good one," said the king; "take him away."

Four men stepped out of the ranks, and lifting the body of the murdered
man, carried it thence.

"Cover up the blood-stains, cover them up," piped out the thin voice
that proceeded from the monkey-like figure; "the king's word is spoken,
the king's doom is done!"

Thereupon a girl came forward from behind the hut, bearing a jar filled
with powdered lime, which she scattered over the red mark, blotting it
from sight.

Sir Henry meanwhile was boiling with rage at what had happened; indeed,
it was with difficulty that we could keep him still.

"Sit down, for heaven's sake," I whispered; "our lives depend on it."

He yielded and remained quiet.

Twala sat silent until the traces of the tragedy had been removed, then
he addressed us.

"White people," he said, "who come hither, whence I know not, and why I
know not, greeting."

"Greeting, Twala, King of the Kukuanas," I answered.

"White people, whence come ye, and what seek ye?"

"We come from the Stars, ask us not how. We come to see this land."

"Ye journey from far to see a little thing. And that man with you,"
pointing to Umbopa, "does he also come from the Stars?"

"Even so; there are people of thy colour in the heavens above; but ask
not of matters too high for thee, Twala the king."

"Ye speak with a loud voice, people of the Stars," Twala answered in a
tone which I scarcely liked. "Remember that the Stars are far off, and
ye are here. How if I make you as him whom they bore away?"

I laughed out loud, though there was little laughter in my heart.

"O king," I said, "be careful, walk warily over hot stones, lest thou
shouldst burn thy feet; hold the spear by the handle, lest thou should
cut thy hands. Touch but one hair of our heads, and destruction shall
come upon thee. What, have not these"--pointing to Infadoos and
Scragga, who, young villain that he was, was employed in cleaning the
blood of the soldier off his spear--"told thee what manner of men we
are? Hast thou seen the like of us?" and I pointed to Good, feeling
quite sure that he had never seen anybody before who looked in the
least like _him_ as he then appeared.

"It is true, I have not," said the king, surveying Good with interest.

"Have they not told thee how we strike with death from afar?" I went on.

"They have told me, but I believe them not. Let me see you kill. Kill
me a man among those who stand yonder"--and he pointed to the opposite
side of the kraal--"and I will believe."

"Nay," I answered; "we shed no blood of men except in just punishment;
but if thou wilt see, bid thy servants drive in an ox through the kraal
gates, and before he has run twenty paces I will strike him dead."

"Nay," laughed the king, "kill me a man and I will believe."

"Good, O king, so be it," I answered coolly; "do thou walk across the
open space, and before thy feet reach the gate thou shalt be dead; or
if thou wilt not, send thy son Scragga" (whom at that moment it would
have given me much pleasure to shoot).

On hearing this suggestion Scragga uttered a sort of howl, and bolted
into the hut.

Twala frowned majestically; the suggestion did not please him.

"Let a young ox be driven in," he said.

Two men at once departed, running swiftly.

"Now, Sir Henry," said I, "do you shoot. I want to show this ruffian
that I am not the only magician of the party."

Sir Henry accordingly took his "express," and made ready.

"I hope I shall make a good shot," he groaned.

"You must," I answered. "If you miss with the first barrel, let him
have the second. Sight for 150 yards, and wait till the beast turns
broadside on."

Then came a pause, until presently we caught sight of an ox running
straight for the kraal gate. It came on through the gate, then,
catching sight of the vast concourse of people, stopped stupidly,
turned round, and bellowed.

"Now's your time," I whispered.

Up went the rifle.

Bang! _thud_! and the ox was kicking on his back, shot in the ribs. The
semi-hollow bullet had done its work well, and a sigh of astonishment
went up from the assembled thousands.

I turned round coolly--

"Have I lied, O king?"

"Nay, white man, it is the truth," was the somewhat awed answer.

"Listen, Twala," I went on. "Thou hast seen. Now know we come in peace,
not in war. See," and I held up the Winchester repeater; "here is a
hollow staff that shall enable thee to kill even as we kill, only I lay
this charm upon it, thou shalt kill no man with it. If thou liftest it
against a man, it shall kill thee. Stay, I will show thee. Bid a
soldier step forty paces and place the shaft of a spear in the ground
so that the flat blade looks towards us."

In a few seconds it was done.

"Now, see, I will break yonder spear."

Taking a careful sight I fired. The bullet struck the flat of the
spear, and shattered the blade into fragments.

Again the sigh of astonishment went up.

"Now, Twala, we give this magic tube to thee, and by-and-by I will show
thee how to use it; but beware how thou turnest the magic of the Stars
against a man of earth," and I handed him the rifle.

The king took it very gingerly, and laid it down at his feet. As he did
so I observed the wizened monkey-like figure creeping from the shadow
of the hut. It crept on all fours, but when it reached the place where
the king sat it rose upon its feet, and throwing the furry covering
from its face, revealed a most extraordinary and weird countenance.
Apparently it was that of a woman of great age so shrunken that in size
it seemed no larger than the face of a year-old child, although made up
of a number of deep and yellow wrinkles. Set in these wrinkles was a
sunken slit, that represented the mouth, beneath which the chin curved
outwards to a point. There was no nose to speak of; indeed, the visage
might have been taken for that of a sun-dried corpse had it not been
for a pair of large black eyes, still full of fire and intelligence,
which gleamed and played under the snow-white eyebrows, and the
projecting parchment-coloured skull, like jewels in a charnel-house. As
for the head itself, it was perfectly bare, and yellow in hue, while
its wrinkled scalp moved and contracted like the hood of a cobra.

The figure to which this fearful countenance belonged, a countenance so
fearful indeed that it caused a shiver of fear to pass through us as we
gazed on it, stood still for a moment. Then suddenly it projected a
skinny claw armed with nails nearly an inch long, and laying it on the
shoulder of Twala the king, began to speak in a thin and piercing
voice--

"Listen, O king! Listen, O warriors! Listen, O mountains and plains and
rivers, home of the Kukuana race! Listen, O skies and sun, O rain and
storm and mist! Listen, O men and women, O youths and maidens, and O ye
babes unborn! Listen, all things that live and must die! Listen, all
dead things that shall live again--again to die! Listen, the spirit of
life is in me and I prophesy. I prophesy! I prophesy!"

The words died away in a faint wail, and dread seemed to seize upon the
hearts of all who heard them, including our own. This old woman was
very terrible.

"_Blood! blood! blood!_ rivers of blood; blood everywhere. I see it, I
smell it, I taste it--it is salt! it runs red upon the ground, it rains
down from the skies.

"_Footsteps! footsteps! footsteps!_ the tread of the white man coming
from afar. It shakes the earth; the earth trembles before her master.

"Blood is good, the red blood is bright; there is no smell like the
smell of new-shed blood. The lions shall lap it and roar, the vultures
shall wash their wings in it and shriek with joy.

"I am old! I am old! I have seen much blood; _ha, ha!_ but I shall see
more ere I die, and be merry. How old am I, think ye? Your fathers knew
me, and _their_ fathers knew me, and _their_ fathers' fathers' fathers.
I have seen the white man and know his desires. I am old, but the
mountains are older than I. Who made the great road, tell me? Who wrote
the pictures on the rocks, tell me? Who reared up the three Silent Ones
yonder, that gaze across the pit, tell me?" and she pointed towards the
three precipitous mountains which we had noticed on the previous night.

"Ye know not, but I know. It was a white people who were before ye are,
who shall be when ye are not, who shall eat you up and destroy you.
_Yea! yea! yea!_

"And what came they for, the White Ones, the Terrible Ones, the skilled
in magic and all learning, the strong, the unswerving? What is that
bright stone upon thy forehead, O king? Whose hands made the iron
garments upon thy breast, O king? Ye know not, but I know. I the Old
One, I the Wise One, I the _Isanusi_, the witch doctress!"

Then she turned her bald vulture-head towards us.

"What seek ye, white men of the Stars--ah, yes, of the Stars? Do ye
seek a lost one? Ye shall not find him here. He is not here. Never for
ages upon ages has a white foot pressed this land; never except once,
and I remember that he left it but to die. Ye come for bright stones; I
know it--I know it; ye shall find them when the blood is dry; but shall
ye return whence ye came, or shall ye stop with me? _Ha! ha! ha!_

"And thou, thou with the dark skin and the proud bearing," and she
pointed her skinny finger at Umbopa, "who art _thou_, and what seekest
_thou_? Not stones that shine, not yellow metal that gleams, these thou
leavest to 'white men from the Stars.' Methinks I know thee; methinks I
can smell the smell of the blood in thy heart. Strip off the girdle--"

Here the features of this extraordinary creature became convulsed, and
she fell to the ground foaming in an epileptic fit, and was carried
into the hut.

The king rose up trembling, and waved his hand. Instantly the regiments
began to file off, and in ten minutes, save for ourselves, the king,
and a few attendants, the great space was left empty.

"White people," he said, "it passes in my mind to kill you. Gagool has
spoken strange words. What say ye?"

I laughed. "Be careful, O king, we are not easy to slay. Thou hast seen
the fate of the ox; wouldst thou be as the ox is?"

The king frowned. "It is not well to threaten a king."

"We threaten not, we speak what is true. Try to kill us, O king, and
learn."

The great savage put his hand to his forehead and thought.

"Go in peace," he said at length. "To-night is the great dance. Ye
shall see it. Fear not that I shall set a snare for you. To-morrow I
will think."

"It is well, O king," I answered unconcernedly, and then, accompanied
by Infadoos, we rose and went back to our kraal.

On reaching our hut I motioned to Infadoos to enter with us.

"Now, Infadoos," I said, "we would speak with thee."

"Let my lords say on."

"It seems to us, Infadoos, that Twala the king is a cruel man."

"It is so, my lords. Alas! the land cries out because of his cruelties.
To-night ye shall see. It is the great witch-hunt, and many will be
smelt out as wizards and slain. No man's life is safe. If the king
covets a man's cattle, or a man's wife, or if he fears a man that he
should excite a rebellion against him, then Gagool, whom ye saw, or
some of the witch-finding women whom she has taught, will smell that
man out as a wizard, and he will be killed. Many must die before the
moon grows pale to-night. It is ever so. Perhaps I too shall be killed.
As yet I have been spared because I am skilled in war, and am beloved
by the soldiers; but I know not how long I have to live. The land
groans at the cruelties of Twala the king; it is wearied of him and his
red ways."

"Then why is it, Infadoos, that the people do not cast him down?"

"Nay, my lords, he is the king, and if he were killed Scragga would
reign in his place, and the heart of Scragga is blacker than the heart
of Twala his father. If Scragga were king his yoke upon our neck would
be heavier than the yoke of Twala. If Imotu had never been slain, or if
Ignosi his son had lived, it might have been otherwise; but they are
both dead."

"How knowest thou that Ignosi is dead?" said a voice behind us. We
looked round astonished to see who spoke. It was Umbopa.

"What meanest thou, boy?" asked Infadoos; "who told thee to speak?"

"Listen, Infadoos," was the answer, "and I will tell thee a story.
Years ago the king Imotu was killed in this country and his wife fled
with the boy Ignosi. Is it not so?"

"It is so."

"It was said that the woman and her son died upon the mountains. Is it
not so?"

"It is even so."

"Well, it came to pass that the mother and the boy Ignosi did not die.
They crossed the mountains and were led by a tribe of wandering desert
men across the sands beyond, till at last they came to water and grass
and trees again."

"How knowest thou this?"

"Listen. They travelled on and on, many months' journey, till they
reached a land where a people called the Amazulu, who also are of the
Kukuana stock, live by war, and with them they tarried many years, till
at length the mother died. Then the son Ignosi became a wanderer again,
and journeyed into a land of wonders, where white people live, and for
many more years he learned the wisdom of the white people."

"It is a pretty story," said Infadoos incredulously.

"For years he lived there working as a servant and a soldier, but
holding in his heart all that his mother had told him of his own place,
and casting about in his mind to find how he might journey thither to
see his people and his father's house before he died. For long years he
lived and waited, and at last the time came, as it ever comes to him
who can wait for it, and he met some white men who would seek this
unknown land, and joined himself to them. The white men started and
travelled on and on, seeking for one who is lost. They crossed the
burning desert, they crossed the snow-clad mountains, and at last
reached the land of the Kukuanas, and there they found _thee_, O
Infadoos."

"Surely thou art mad to talk thus," said the astonished old soldier.

"Thou thinkest so; see, I will show thee, O my uncle.

"_I am Ignosi, rightful king of the Kukuanas!_"

Then with a single movement Umbopa slipped off his "moocha" or girdle,
and stood naked before us.

"Look," he said; "what is this?" and he pointed to the picture of a
great snake tattooed in blue round his middle, its tail disappearing
into its open mouth just above where the thighs are set into the body.

Infadoos looked, his eyes starting nearly out of his head. Then he fell
upon his knees.

"_Koom! Koom!_" he ejaculated; "it is my brother's son; it is the king."

"Did I not tell thee so, my uncle? Rise; I am not yet the king, but
with thy help, and with the help of these brave white men, who are my
friends, I shall be. Yet the old witch Gagool was right, the land shall
run with blood first, and hers shall run with it, if she has any and
can die, for she killed my father with her words, and drove my mother
forth. And now, Infadoos, choose thou. Wilt thou put thy hands between
my hands and be my man? Wilt thou share the dangers that lie before me,
and help me to overthrow this tyrant and murderer, or wilt thou not?
Choose thou."

The old man put his hand to his head and thought. Then he rose, and
advancing to where Umbopa, or rather Ignosi, stood, he knelt before
him, and took his hand.

"Ignosi, rightful king of the Kukuanas, I put my hand between thy
hands, and am thy man till death. When thou wast a babe I dandled thee
upon my knees, now shall my old arm strike for thee and freedom."

"It is well, Infadoos; if I conquer, thou shalt be the greatest man in
the kingdom after its king. If I fail, thou canst only die, and death
is not far off from thee. Rise, my uncle."

"And ye, white men, will ye help me? What have I to offer you! The
white stones! If I conquer and can find them, ye shall have as many as
ye can carry hence. Will that suffice you?"

I translated this remark.

"Tell him," answered Sir Henry, "that he mistakes an Englishman. Wealth
is good, and if it comes in our way we will take it; but a gentleman
does not sell himself for wealth. Still, speaking for myself, I say
this. I have always liked Umbopa, and so far as lies in me I will stand
by him in this business. It will be very pleasant to me to try to
square matters with that cruel devil Twala. What do you say, Good, and
you, Quatermain?"

"Well," said Good, "to adopt the language of hyperbole, in which all
these people seem to indulge, you can tell him that a row is surely
good, and warms the cockles of the heart, and that so far as I am
concerned I'm his boy. My only stipulation is that he allows me to wear
trousers."

I translated the substance of these answers.

"It is well, my friends," said Ignosi, late Umbopa; "and what sayest
thou, Macumazahn, art thou also with me, old hunter, cleverer than a
wounded buffalo?"

I thought awhile and scratched my head.

"Umbopa, or Ignosi," I said, "I don't like revolutions. I am a man of
peace and a bit of a coward"--here Umbopa smiled--"but, on the other
hand, I stick up for my friends, Ignosi. You have stuck to us and
played the part of a man, and I will stick by you. But mind you, I am a
trader, and have to make my living, so I accept your offer about those
diamonds in case we should ever be in a position to avail ourselves of
it. Another thing: we came, as you know, to look for Incubu's (Sir
Henry's) lost brother. You must help us to find him."

"That I will do," answered Ignosi. "Stay, Infadoos, by the sign of the
snake about my middle, tell me the truth. Has any white man to thy
knowledge set his foot within the land?"

"None, O Ignosi."

"If any white man had been seen or heard of, wouldst thou have known?"

"I should certainly have known."

"Thou hearest, Incubu," said Ignosi to Sir Henry; "he has not been
here."

"Well, well," said Sir Henry, with a sigh; "there it is; I suppose that
he never got so far. Poor fellow, poor fellow! So it has all been for
nothing. God's will be done."

"Now for business," I put in, anxious to escape from a painful subject.
"It is very well to be a king by right divine, Ignosi, but how dost
thou propose to become a king indeed?"

"Nay, I know not. Infadoos, hast thou a plan?"

"Ignosi, Son of the Lightning," answered his uncle, "to-night is the
great dance and witch-hunt. Many shall be smelt out and perish, and in
the hearts of many others there will be grief and anguish and fury
against the king Twala. When the dance is over, then I will speak to
some of the great chiefs, who in turn, if I can win them over, will
speak to their regiments. I shall speak to the chiefs softly at first,
and bring them to see that thou art indeed the king, and I think that
by to-morrow's light thou shalt have twenty thousand spears at thy
command. And now I must go and think, and hear, and make ready. After
the dance is done, if I am yet alive, and we are all alive, I will meet
thee here, and we can talk. At the best there must be war."

At this moment our conference was interrupted by the cry that
messengers had come from the king. Advancing to the door of the hut we
ordered that they should be admitted, and presently three men entered,
each bearing a shining shirt of chain armour, and a magnificent
battle-axe.

"The gifts of my lord the king to the white men from the Stars!" said a
herald who came with them.

"We thank the king," I answered; "withdraw."

The men went, and we examined the armour with great interest. It was
the most wonderful chain work that either of us had ever seen. A whole
coat fell together so closely that it formed a mass of links scarcely
too big to be covered with both hands.

"Do you make these things in this country, Infadoos?" I asked; "they
are very beautiful."

"Nay, my lord, they came down to us from our forefathers. We know not
who made them, and there are but few left.[1] None but those of royal
blood may be clad in them. They are magic coats through which no spear
can pass, and those who wear them are well-nigh safe in the battle. The
king is well pleased or much afraid, or he would not have sent these
garments of steel. Clothe yourselves in them to-night, my lords."

The remainder of that day we spent quietly, resting and talking over
the situation, which was sufficiently exciting. At last the sun went
down, the thousand watch fires glowed out, and through the darkness we
heard the tramp of many feet and the clashing of hundreds of spears, as
the regiments passed to their appointed places to be ready for the
great dance. Then the full moon shone out in splendour, and as we stood
watching her rays, Infadoos arrived, clad in his war dress, and
accompanied by a guard of twenty men to escort us to the dance. As he
recommended, we had already donned the shirts of chain armour which the
king had sent us, putting them on under our ordinary clothing, and
finding to our surprise that they were neither very heavy nor
uncomfortable. These steel shirts, which evidently had been made for
men of a very large stature, hung somewhat loosely upon Good and
myself, but Sir Henry's fitted his magnificent frame like a glove. Then
strapping our revolvers round our waists, and taking in our hands the
battle-axes which the king had sent with the armour, we started.

On arriving at the great kraal, where we had that morning been received
by the king, we found that it was closely packed with some twenty
thousand men arranged round it in regiments. These regiments were in
turn divided into companies, and between each company ran a little path
to allow space for the witch-finders to pass up and down. Anything more
imposing than the sight that was presented by this vast and orderly
concourse of armed men it is impossible to conceive. There they stood
perfectly silent, and the moon poured her light upon the forest of
their raised spears, upon their majestic forms, waving plumes, and the
harmonious shading of their various-coloured shields. Wherever we
looked were line upon line of dim faces surmounted by range upon range
of shimmering spears.

"Surely," I said to Infadoos, "the whole army is here?"

"Nay, Macumazahn," he answered, "but a third of it. One third is
present at this dance each year, another third is mustered outside in
case there should be trouble when the killing begins, ten thousand more
garrison the outposts round Loo, and the rest watch at the kraals in
the country. Thou seest it is a great people."

"They are very silent," said Good; and indeed the intense stillness
among such a vast concourse of living men was almost overpowering.

"What says Bougwan?" asked Infadoos.

I translated.

"Those over whom the shadow of Death is hovering are silent," he
answered grimly.

"Will many be killed?"

"Very many."

"It seems," I said to the others, "that we are going to assist at a
gladiatorial show arranged regardless of expense."

Sir Henry shivered, and Good said he wished that we could get out of it.

"Tell me," I asked Infadoos, "are we in danger?"

"I know not, my lords, I trust not; but do not seem afraid. If ye live
through the night all may go well with you. The soldiers murmur against
the king."

All this while we had been advancing steadily towards the centre of the
open space, in the midst of which were placed some stools. As we
proceeded we perceived another small party coming from the direction of
the royal hut.

"It is the king Twala, Scragga his son, and Gagool the old; and see,
with them are those who slay," said Infadoos, pointing to a little
group of about a dozen gigantic and savage-looking men, armed with
spears in one hand and heavy kerries in the other.

The king seated himself upon the centre stool, Gagool crouched at his
feet, and the others stood behind him.

"Greeting, white lords," Twala cried, as we came up; "be seated, waste
not precious time--the night is all too short for the deeds that must
be done. Ye come in a good hour, and shall see a glorious show. Look
round, white lords; look round," and he rolled his one wicked eye from
regiment to regiment. "Can the Stars show you such a sight as this? See
how they shake in their wickedness, all those who have evil in their
hearts and fear the judgment of 'Heaven above.'"

"_Begin! begin!_" piped Gagool, in her thin piercing voice; "the hyaenas
are hungry, they howl for food. _Begin! begin!_"

Then for a moment there was intense stillness, made horrible by a
presage of what was to come.

The king lifted his spear, and suddenly twenty thousand feet were
raised, as though they belonged to one man, and brought down with a
stamp upon the earth. This was repeated three times, causing the solid
ground to shake and tremble. Then from a far point of the circle a
solitary voice began a wailing song, of which the refrain ran something
as follows:--

"_What is the lot of man born of woman?_"

Back came the answer rolling out from every throat in that vast
company--

"_Death!_"

Gradually, however, the song was taken up by company after company,
till the whole armed multitude were singing it, and I could no longer
follow the words, except in so far as they appeared to represent
various phases of human passions, fears, and joys. Now it seemed to be
a love song, now a majestic swelling war chant, and last of all a death
dirge ending suddenly in one heart-breaking wail that went echoing and
rolling away in a volume of blood-curdling sound.

Again silence fell upon the place, and again it was broken by the king
lifting his hand. Instantly we heard a pattering of feet, and from out
of the masses of warriors strange and awful figures appeared running
towards us. As they drew near we saw that these were women, most of
them aged, for their white hair, ornamented with small bladders taken
from fish, streamed out behind them. Their faces were painted in
stripes of white and yellow; down their backs hung snake-skins, and
round their waists rattled circlets of human bones, while each held a
small forked wand in her shrivelled hand. In all there were ten of
them. When they arrived in front of us they halted, and one of them,
pointing with her wand towards the crouching figure of Gagool, cried
out--

"Mother, old mother, we are here."

"_Good! good! good!_" answered that aged Iniquity. "Are your eyes keen,
_Isanusis_ [witch doctresses], ye seers in dark places?"

"Mother, they are keen."

"_Good! good! good!_ Are your ears open, _Isanusis_, ye who hear words
that come not from the tongue?"

"Mother, they are open."

"_Good! good! good!_ Are your senses awake, _Isanusis_--can ye smell
blood, can ye purge the land of the wicked ones who compass evil
against the king and against their neighbours? Are ye ready to do the
justice of 'Heaven above,' ye whom I have taught, who have eaten of the
bread of my wisdom, and drunk of the water of my magic?"

"Mother, we can."

"Then go! Tarry not, ye vultures; see, the slayers"--pointing to the
ominous group of executioners behind--"make sharp their spears; the
white men from afar are hungry to see. _Go!_"

With a wild yell Gagool's horrid ministers broke away in every
direction, like fragments from a shell, the dry bones round their
waists rattling as they ran, and headed for various points of the dense
human circle. We could not watch them all, so we fixed our eyes upon
the _Isanusi_ nearest to us. When she came to within a few paces of the
warriors she halted and began to dance wildly, turning round and round
with an almost incredible rapidity, and shrieking out sentences such as
"I smell him, the evil-doer!" "He is near, he who poisoned his mother!"
"I hear the thoughts of him who thought evil of the king!"

Quicker and quicker she danced, till she lashed herself into such a
frenzy of excitement that the foam flew in specks from her gnashing
jaws, till her eyes seemed to start from her head, and her flesh to
quiver visibly. Suddenly she stopped dead and stiffened all over, like
a pointer dog when he scents game, and then with outstretched wand she
began to creep stealthily towards the soldiers before her. It seemed to
us that as she came their stoicism gave way, and that they shrank from
her. As for ourselves, we followed her movements with a horrible
fascination. Presently, still creeping and crouching like a dog, the
_Isanusi_ was before them. Then she halted and pointed, and again crept
on a pace or two.

Suddenly the end came. With a shriek she sprang in and touched a tall
warrior with her forked wand. Instantly two of his comrades, those
standing immediately next to him, seized the doomed man, each by one
arm, and advanced with him towards the king.

He did not resist, but we saw that he dragged his limbs as though they
were paralysed, and that his fingers, from which the spear had fallen,
were limp like those of a man newly dead.

As he came, two of the villainous executioners stepped forward to meet
him. Presently they met, and the executioners turned round, looking
towards the king as though for orders.

"_Kill!_" said the king.

"_Kill!_" squeaked Gagool.

"_Kill!_" re-echoed Scragga, with a hollow chuckle.

Almost before the words were uttered the horrible dead was done. One
man had driven his spear into the victim's heart, and to make assurance
double sure, the other had dashed out his brains with a great club.

"_One_," counted Twala the king, just like a black Madame Defarge, as
Good said, and the body was dragged a few paces away and stretched out.

Hardly was the thing done before another poor wretch was brought up,
like an ox to the slaughter. This time we could see, from the
leopard-skin cloak which he wore, that the man was a person of rank.
Again the awful syllables were spoken, and the victim fell dead.

"_Two_," counted the king.

And so the deadly game went on, till about a hundred bodies were
stretched in rows behind us. I have heard of the gladiatorial shows of
the Caesars, and of the Spanish bull-fights, but I take the liberty of
doubting if either of them could be half so horrible as this Kukuana
witch-hunt. Gladiatorial shows and Spanish bull-fights at any rate
contributed to the public amusement, which certainly was not the case
here. The most confirmed sensation-monger would fight shy of sensation
if he knew that it was well on the cards that he would, in his own
proper person, be the subject of the next "event."

Once we rose and tried to remonstrate, but were sternly repressed by
Twala.

"Let the law take its course, white men. These dogs are magicians and
evil-doers; it is well that they should die," was the only answer
vouchsafed to us.

About half-past ten there was a pause. The witch-finders gathered
themselves together, apparently exhausted with their bloody work, and
we thought that the performance was done with. But it was not so, for
presently, to our surprise, the ancient woman, Gagool, rose from her
crouching position, and supporting herself with a stick, staggered off
into the open space. It was an extraordinary sight to see this
frightful vulture-headed old creature, bent nearly double with extreme
age, gather strength by degrees, until at last she rushed about almost
as actively as her ill-omened pupils. To and fro she ran, chanting to
herself, till suddenly she made a dash at a tall man standing in front
of one of the regiments, and touched him. As she did this a sort of
groan went up from the regiment which evidently he commanded. But two
of its officers seized him all the same, and brought him up for
execution. We learned afterwards that he was a man of great wealth and
importance, being indeed a cousin of the king.

He was slain, and Twala counted one hundred and three. Then Gagool
again sprang to and fro, gradually drawing nearer and nearer to
ourselves.

"Hang me if I don't believe she is going to try her games on us,"
ejaculated Good in horror.

"Nonsense!" said Sir Henry.

As for myself, when I saw that old fiend dancing nearer and nearer, my
heart positively sank into my boots. I glanced behind us at the long
rows of corpses, and shivered.

Nearer and nearer waltzed Gagool, looking for all the world like an
animated crooked stick or comma, her horrid eyes gleaming and glowing
with a most unholy lustre.

Nearer she came, and yet nearer, every creature in that vast assemblage
watching her movements with intense anxiety. At last she stood still
and pointed.

"Which is it to be?" asked Sir Henry to himself.

In a moment all doubts were at rest, for the old hag had rushed in and
touched Umbopa, alias Ignosi, on the shoulder.

"I smell him out," she shrieked. "Kill him, kill him, he is full of
evil; kill him, the stranger, before blood flows from him. Slay him, O
king."

There was a pause, of which I instantly took advantage.

"O king," I called out, rising from my seat, "this man is the servant
of thy guests, he is their dog; whosoever sheds the blood of our dog
sheds our blood. By the sacred law of hospitality I claim protection
for him."

"Gagool, mother of the witch-finders, has smelt him out; he must die,
white men," was the sullen answer.

"Nay, he shall not die," I replied; "he who tries to touch him shall
die indeed."

"Seize him!" roared Twala to the executioners; who stood round red to
the eyes with the blood of their victims.

They advanced towards us, and then hesitated. As for Ignosi, he
clutched his spear, and raised it as though determined to sell his life
dearly.

"Stand back, ye dogs!" I shouted, "if ye would see to-morrow's light.
Touch one hair of his head and your king dies," and I covered Twala
with my revolver. Sir Henry and Good also drew their pistols, Sir Henry
pointing his at the leading executioner, who was advancing to carry out
the sentence, and Good taking a deliberate aim at Gagool.

Twala winced perceptibly as my barrel came in a line with his broad
chest.

"Well," I said, "what is it to be, Twala?"

Then he spoke.

"Put away your magic tubes," he said; "ye have adjured me in the name
of hospitality, and for that reason, but not from fear of what ye can
do, I spare him. Go in peace."

"It is well," I answered unconcernedly; "we are weary of slaughter, and
would sleep. Is the dance ended?"

"It is ended," Twala answered sulkily. "Let these dead dogs," pointing
to the long rows of corpses, "be flung out to the hyaenas and the
vultures," and he lifted his spear.

Instantly the regiments began to defile through the kraal gateway in
perfect silence, a fatigue party only remaining behind to drag away the
corpses of those who had been sacrificed.

Then we rose also, and making our salaam to his majesty, which he
hardly deigned to acknowledge, we departed to our huts.

"Well," said Sir Henry, as we sat down, having first lit a lamp of the
sort used by the Kukuanas, of which the wick is made from the fibre of
a species of palm leaf, and the oil from clarified hippopotamus fat,
"well, I feel uncommonly inclined to be sick."

"If I had any doubts about helping Umbopa to rebel against that
infernal blackguard," put in Good, "they are gone now. It was as much
as I could do to sit still while that slaughter was going on. I tried
to keep my eyes shut, but they would open just at the wrong time. I
wonder where Infadoos is. Umbopa, my friend, you ought to be grateful
to us; your skin came near to having an air-hole made in it."

"I am grateful, Bougwan," was Umbopa's answer, when I had translated,
"and I shall not forget. As for Infadoos, he will be here by-and-by. We
must wait."

So we lit our pipes and waited.

[1] In the Soudan swords and coats of mail are still worn by Arabs,
whose ancestors must have stripped them from the bodies of
Crusaders.--Editor.

As the party approaches the Kakuana capital of Loo, the land becomes lusher and more beautiful. Upon entering the city, Quatermain sees an amazing display of military might, for in Kakuanaland all men are soldiers. The men also see three precipitous mountain peaks about seventy miles away, which the Kakuanas call the "Three Witches." In quiet conference, the men agree that this must be the site of King Solomon's diamond mine. Infadoos confirms this be relating how people of old came from distant lands to go to these mountains for something--he does not say what, but is satisfied to learn that Quatermain rightly asserts that it was to obtain shining stones. Infadoos explains that it is the Place of Death for the Kakuanas, where all their chiefs are buried upon death. In a mysterious turn, Umbopa also confirms that the diamonds are in the mines of the "Three Witches," claiming that he dreamed it so it is true. He explains himself no further. The men arrive in Loo to find that they have a hut each prepared for them complete with tanned hide bed and food. Despite the lavish accommodations, the men insist on having their beds all moved to the same hut for safety purposes. The men then sleep through until the sun is high the next day. Infadoos arrives after their breakfast to bring word that the king, Twala, is ready to see the men. Quatermain cleverly delays their meeting with Twala to keep the king from thinking the white men are at his beck and call. When they arrive in Twala's enclosure, they find him surrounded by the Kakuana rank-and-file, numbering between seven and eight thousand men. Twala himself is an imposing figure, described as having cruel features and a less European look than many of the Kakuana. Twala's son, Scragga, was at his father's side, along with something Quatermain describes as a "withered-up monkey" . Twala begins the greeting ceremony, which consists of reverential call-and-response with his thousands of soldiers. During one of the silent intervals, a young soldier drops his shield. Angered at the disruption, Twala calls the man forward to be punished. As the slightest infraction at a ceremony honoring the king is punishable by death, Scragga is called upon to kill the offender, which he does by impaling him with his spear. Sir Henry becomes enraged and must be restrained by Quatermain, who sees the futility of Sir Henry's ire among so great a number of hostile men. Twala then addresses the travelers directly, addressing them as "people from the stars" but simultaneously challenging them by stating that the stars are far away and the men are here in his domain. Quatermain warns Twala against arrogance and reminds him of the "speaking stick" the he used in the sight of the king's son Scragga. Twala wants to see a demonstration of this power and offers one of his own men as the target. Quatermain insists that the white men will not kill except for food, and Twala again challenges their authority. Quatermain suggests that if the king would like a demonstration on a human being, Twala should offer himself or his son. This suggestion brings Twala up short, and the king agrees to the men's earlier request that an ox be brought for the demonstration. An ox is released, but Quatermain gives the shot to Sir Henry, insisting that the Kakuanas need to see that Alan Quatermain is not the only "sorcerer" among them. Sir Henry makes the shot and kills the ox, which is then butchered and served up in a feast that afternoon. The men then give Twala the gift of one of their Winchester repeating rifles, along with the admonition not to use the power it has on other men lest that same power destroy Twala himself. Gagool then begins a mad prophecy in which she claims to have seen white men come through here before, long before any of the other Kakuana can remember. She warns her people that the whites will return to "devour" them. She also points out to Sir Henry that, though he seeks one who is lost, no white man has set foot in Loo for generations. Following Gagool's prophecy, Twala declares that he is inclined to kill the men on the spot. Quatermain counters with the example of the ox--if they can kill an ox from afar, would Twala like to challenge their power? Twala agrees that he will leave the men alone for the time being and they may rest safely, but he makes no guarantees what he will decide come tomorrow. When the men reach their hut, Quatermain calls Infadoos inside for a private conversation. He observes that Twala is a cruel man, to which Infadoos agrees. He offers them further proof of Twala's cruelty tonight at the "witch hunts," in which Gagool and her appointed witch-finders "smell out" those who think evil of the king. These targets inevitably turn out to be political rivals or wealthy men, either of whose deaths would benefit Twala. When asked why the people do not rebel against Twala, Infadoos replies that his son, Scragga, is even worse and would make a more terrible ruler. Infadoos bemoans the loss of Imotu and his son Ignosi; Umbopa suddenly interjects that Infadoos does not know Ignosi is truly dead. He takes up the tale of Ignosi and his mother from the point in Infadoos' account where mother and child fled to the mountains: they reached the Amazulu people, kin of the Kukuana, and stayed with them for many years. When Ignosi's mother died, the young man journeyed to the land of the white people to learn their wisdom. He learned and waited until the opportunity afforded itself to return to Kukuanaland with men seeking a lost brother. To Infadoos' incredulous retort, Umbopa replies, "I am Ignosi, rightful king of the Kukuanas!" As proof, Umbopa slips off his "moocha" and reveals the serpent tattoo found only on Kukuana royalty. The entire group is amazed at this revelation. Infadoos kneels before Umbopa, recognizing him as Ignosi, his rightful ruler. Umbopa/Ignosi swears Infadoos to loyalty, and then asks the white men to help him with his overthrow of Twala. He offers the men diamonds, but Sir Henry rejects the offer in favor of assisting Ignosi simply because Twala deserves to be destroyed. Good also joins the revolution: his only stipulation is that he be allowed to wear trousers. Quatermain, however, proclaims his mercenary nature and accepts the diamonds as payment; he then insists they also find Sir Henry's brother if at all possible. To this, Ignosi questions Infadoos for information and learns that there have been no white men in this land in Infadoos' lifetime. This news leads Sir Henry to conclude that his brother died somewhere along the way and never made it this far in his trek. When asked about his plan, Ignosi admits that he has none. Infadoos offers to sound out the various leaders of the tribe individually, for he believes many of the soldiers will turn against the vile Twala. Their plotting is interrupted by three emissaries from Twala, each bearing a shirt of shining chainmail and a battle-axe. These gifts to the white men demonstrate either Twala's pleasure or his fear in entertaining the white men in Loo. Infadoos suggests they wear the chainmail tonight at the witch-hunt. When asked about their origins, Infadoos admits that none of the living Kukuanas know how to fashion such armor or weapons--they have been handed down from their forefathers. The men rest until the full moon, at which time the population of Loo is called to Twala's enclosure for the witch-hunt. At the sight of twenty thousand men arranged in regiments, Quatermain asks Infadoos if this is the entire army. Infadoos tells him that this is only a third of the soldiers--another third remains outside the enclosure in case there is trouble during the ceremony, ten thousand more men are garrisoned at various outposts, and the rest man the kraals throughout the countryside. The silence of the soldiers astounds the men; Infadoos explains that they are solemn as each one faces the possibility of his own death this night. Twala arrives and seats himself at a central throne, then the witch hunt begins. Gagool leaps up from her place at Twala's feet and calls for the ceremony to start. At Twala's command, the soldiers begin a loud song covering the various phases of life, from young love to death. Then a group of aged, white-haired women, their faces painted in white and yellow stripes, come forth and declare their presence to Gagool. The old wise woman sets them loose upon the people to find those who think evil toward Twala. The women dance for a while, crying out their ability to locate the "witches," then begin touching men with forked sticks. Each man touched is pinned by his neighbors and stabbed through the heart by Twala. To ensure death, each man speared is also clubbed violently on the head. Twala counts the victims and eventually reaches over one hundred. Gagool makes her way toward Quatermain's party, causing the men concern. She indicates that Umbopa is a witch and must die. The men stand their ground as Quatermain asks Twala to bow to the ancient laws of hospitality and let him live. When Twala insists that Umbopa must die, Quatermain levels his revolver at Twala and tells the people that if anyone touches Umbopa, their king will die. The outmaneuvered Twala then allows Umbopa to live--because of hospitality, he says, not out of fear. The ceremony comes to an abrupt end and the men return to their hut. There they await Infadoos.

Umbopa's hidden heritage comes out again in his seeming certainty that the diamond mines of Solomon reside near the Three Witches.  His inscrutable statement only serves to make Quatermain more uncertain of the man, but nonetheless reminds the three white men of the ostensible goal of their quest.  Interestingly, the Mines are considered prior to Sir Henry's query about his brother Neville--it seems as though the men have become distracted in more than one instance from their original designs.  This lends an air of amazement to the land of Kukuanas, in that it can so overwhelm the men that they forget--for a time--their search for wealth or relations. Twala is introduced here as an antagonist.  He is "an enormous man with the most entirely repulsive countenance we had ever beheld.  The lips were as thick as a Negro's, the nose was flat, it had but one gleaming black eye , and its whole expression was cruel and sensual to a degree"   All the qualities of the African male that Europeans see as negative are combined in Twala: he is harsh in his judgments  and inhumanly large; also of note is that Twala is much darker-skinned than Umbopa or most of the other Kukuanas.  Compared to Twala, Umbopa, Infadoos, and other "friendly" Kukuanas are closer to white in appearance. Prior to their audience with Twala, the white men assert their superiority by refusing to come immediately when Twala summons them.  As Quatermain explains, "It is always well, when dealing with uncivilized people, not to be in too great a hurry.  They are apt to mistake politeness for awe or servility" .  By declaring the Kukuanas "uncivilized," Quatermain contradicts his earlier assessment of them in chapter 8; clearly the European view of the African people is one full of contradictions, which Haggard subtly points out in his narrator's shortcomings. Twala, however, is subject to the same "savage" notions as other Kukuanas.  Quatermain displays his prowess with the Winchester rifle and offers it to Twala as a gift, but with the caveat that should he use the weapon to take human life, it will instead destroy the king himself.  That Quatermain uses the language of witchcraft when dealing with Twala demonstrates his self-important attitude:  no non-European could understand the mechanism of a rifle and so will attribute its power to sorcery. Gagool is also introduced here, briefly.  If Twala embodies all that is bad about the Kukuana man, Gagool represents all that is wrong with Kukuana femininity .  Gagool is even more inhuman, described as a "wizened monkey-like creature creeping up from the shadow of the hut" .  She is the type of the dangerous female, old where the ideal female is nubile, hideous where the female should be beautiful, and possessed of crafty intelligence and dark knowledge rather than the innocence of the feminine ideal.  Gagool claims knowledge of previous white men, and declares that these newcomers will share their fate; since Infadoos has already proclaimed the white men strangers to this land for generations, this implies that Gagool has lived for several generations.  Her place as a schemer behind the Kukuana throne even before Twala was born adds to this effect. Umbopa reveals himself to be the lost prince and rightful heir to the Kukuana throne.  His moment of  unveiling includes a re-naming:  he is no longer Umbopa, but Ignosi, "the lightning."  Infadoos is convinced and plans to convince the other tribal leaders.  It is clear that the political situation under Twala's rule, while dangerous, favors a change in leadership.  Here social upheaval, moral justice, and fate come together to push Ignosi toward his birthright. To deepen the contrast between the two men, Haggard immediately has Twala hold his semi-regular "witch hunt" to find those among the Kukuanas who oppose him and eliminate them.  While highlighting Twala's cruelty, this incident also "mimes England's own early witch-hunts in the brutal manner by which the native seek out and destroy the supposed 'wicked ones'" .  The reader is faced with politically-motivated violence the like of which transcends race and time, so it is no surprise that Gagool would be at the center of this horrible ritual. The agents of the witch hunt are all women, "most of them aged, for their white hair, ornamented with small bladders taken from fish, streamed out behind them.  Their faces were painted in stripesof white and yellow; down their backs hung snake-skins, and round their waists rattled circlets of human bones" .  These are Gagool's acolytes, and as such take part in their priestess's denigration of the female element in the world.  They bring destruction to otherwise strong and admirable men, suggesting the role of the female as a threat to masculinity and to true honor.  Everyone knows the men chosen as "wicked" are in fact men who have been overheard criticizing Twala--nonetheless, the entire assembly ascribes the witch-finders' powers to supernatural rather than political sources. The body count rises to one-hundred; Twala's rituals are bloody and excessive.  However, the high number of casualties also suggests that the leader's power base is not as stable as he would like--to find one hundred men among the tribe who have expressed doubts about Twala cannot help but suggest there are many, many more yet undiscovered. In addition, Gagool oversteps herself when she indicates Umbopa/Ignosi is one of the "witches."  Twala is forced to save his own life  and save face by claiming the laws of hospitality forbid him to kill Ignosi as indicated.  This turnabout serves as the first crack in Twala's wall of authority, since the people have now seen him admit that Gagool is not always correct in her assessments of "witches."