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But it was no part of his policy to show that he had observed these things; he therefore responded to the king: "Ah, it may be that the sickness from which 'Nkuni is suffering is a sickness new to this country; and if it should prove to be so it is not surprising that Sekosini is unable to conquer it.
It was his power that compelled Sekosini to come hither to-day and tell the truth; and it is to his power that 'Nkuni will owe his life, for the Healer has promised to save him and make him whole again.
When I entered his hut 'Nkuni seemed to be nigh unto death, having endured much pain after swallowing a draught of milk containing medicine supplied by Sekosini. The symptoms were those of poisoning; I, therefore, took possession of the unwashed vessel which had contained the milk, and also the remainder of the medicine supplied by Sekosini, with the object of examining both.
This done, he proceeded to the enclosed part of the village containing the king's house and its dependencies, and informed the sentries at the gate of the palisade that he desired to report personally to the king the state of the chief 'Nkuni, from whose hut he had just come.
'Nkuni is slowly dying of poison administered by me, the same poison that sent 'Mtatu and the other five chiefs along the Dark Path. The destruction of these men is preliminary to the destruction of the king, of whose method of government I and others disapprove.
When 'Nkuni dies the chiefs who think as I do will be strong enough to act without fear of opposition, and we shall be able to destroy Lobelalatutu and restore the system which prevailed when M'Bongwele reigned, the system by which the chiefs and the witch doctors were able to acquire much wealth instead of living, as we do now, in comparative poverty."
The king looked doubtfully at Dick for a moment or two, as though not quite comprehending the drift of the question; then something in the expression of Maitland's face led to his understanding, and he replied: "There is no one of my household at present sick, O Healer! but one of my chiefs a man named 'Nkuni, who is my friend, lies nigh unto death; and if you can heal him I shall be grateful to you, for he is very dear to me.
"Ingona Ingona," he hissed through his clenched teeth, "the man whom I believed to be the most loyal of all my chiefs, the man who evidently feigned friendship with 'Nkuni only to betray him to his death! But I will make a terrible example of these rebels; they shall die such deaths that " "Stop!" commanded Dick.
Sekosini did so, and Dick noted down the names very carefully, so that there should be no mistake, for some of the native names are quite embarrassingly similar in sound. "Now," resumed Dick, when he had done this, "to return to 'Nkuni. What is the poison that you have been administering to him?"
Two minutes later Dick stood in the hut of 'Nkuni, and saw, lying stretched upon the pallet before him, a man somewhat past the prime of life who, when in health, must have been a very fine specimen of manhood.
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