Umgona and a fat and evil-looking Kaffir chief who had arrived at the
kraal on a pony. This chief, he soon discovered, was named Maputa, being
none other than the man who had sought Nanea in marriage and brought
about Nahoon's and Umgona's unfortunate appeal to the king. At present
he was engaged in abusing Umgona furiously, charging him with having
stolen certain of his oxen and bewitched his cows so that they would not
give milk. The alleged theft it was comparatively easy to disprove, but
the wizardry remained a matter of argument.

"You are a dog, and a son of a dog," shouted Maputa, shaking his fat
fist in the face of the trembling but indignant Umgona. "You promised
me your daughter in marriage, then having vowed her to that
_umfagozan_--that low lout of a soldier, Nahoon, the son of Zomba--you
went, the two of you, and poisoned the king's ear against me, bringing
me into trouble with the king, and now you have bewitched my cattle.
Well, wait, I will be even with you, Wizard; wait till you wake up
in the cold morning to find your fence red with fire, and the slayers
standing outside your gates to eat up you and yours with spears----"

At this juncture Nahoon, who till now had been listening in silence,
intervened with effect.

"Good," he said, "we will wait, but not in your company, Chief Maputa.
_Hamba!_ (go)----" and seizing the fat old ruffian by the scruff of his
neck, he flung him backwards with such violence that he rolled over and
over down the little slope.

Hadden laughed, and passed on towards the stream where he proposed to
bathe. Just as he reached it, he caught sight of Maputa riding along the
footpath, his head-ring covered with mud, his lips purple and his black