Cetywayo frowned. "What do you here away from your regiment, Nahoon?"

"May it please the king, I have leave of absence from the head captains,
and I come to ask a boon of the king's bounty."

"Be swift, then, Nahoon."

"It is this, O King," said the captain with some embarrassment: "A while
ago the king was pleased to make a _keshla_ of me because of certain
service that I did out yonder----" and he touched the black ring which
he wore in the hair of his head. "Being now a ringed man and a captain,
I crave the right of a man at the hands of the king--the right to
marry."

"Right? Speak more humbly, son of Zomba; my soldiers and my cattle have
no rights."

Nahoon bit his lip, for he had made a serious mistake.

"Pardon, O King. The matter stands thus: My uncle Umgona here has a
fair daughter named Nanea, whom I desire to wife, and who desires me to
husband. Awaiting the king's leave I am betrothed to her and in earnest
of it I have paid to Umgona a _lobola_ of fifteen head of cattle, cows
and calves together. But Umgona has a powerful neighbour, an old chief
named Maputa, the warden of the Crocodile Drift, who doubtless is known
to the king, and this chief also seeks Nanea in marriage and harries
Umgona, threatening him with many evils if he will not give the girl to
him. But Umgona's heart is white towards me, and towards Maputa it is
black, therefore together we come to crave this boon of the king."