"Isn't that beautiful music, Father. I never heard anything like that
before," exclaimed Tabitha.

Before Thomas could answer, out from the ruined doorway of the Church
issued a band of men--there might have been a hundred of them--clad in
all the magnificent panoply of old-time Zulu warriors, with tall plumes
upon their heads, large shields upon their arms, kilts about their
middles, and fringes of oxtails hanging from their knees and elbows.
They formed into a double line and advanced, waving broad-bladed
assegais. Then at a signal they halted by the wagon and uttered a
deep-throated salute.

In front of their lines was a little withered old fellow who carried
neither shield nor spear, but only a black rod to which was bound the
tail of a _wildebeeste_. Except for his _moocha_ he was almost naked,
and into his grey hair was woven a polished ring of black gum, from
which hung several little bladders. Upon his scraggy neck was a necklace
of baboon's teeth and amulets, whilst above the _moocha_ was twisted a
snake that might have been either alive or stuffed.

His face, though aged and shrunken, was fine-featured and full of
breeding, while his hands and feet were very small; his eyes were
brooding, the eyes of a mystic, but when his interest was excited their
glance was as sharp as a bradawl. Just now it was fixed on Thomas, who
felt as if it were piercing him through and through. The owner of the
eyes, as Thomas guessed at once, was Menzi, a witch-doctor very famous
in those parts.

"Why are these men armed with spears? It is against the law for Kaffirs
to carry spears," he said to the Chief.