They turned east and west, north and south, searching the heavens; they turned east and west, north and south, searching the earth; they turned east and west, north and south, searching the hearts of men.

Then they crept round and round the great ring like cats; then they threw themselves upon the earth and smelt it.
And all the time there was silence, silence deep as midnight, and in it men hearkened to the beating of their hearts; only now and again the vultures shrieked in the trees.
At length Nobela spoke:-- "Do you smell him, sisters ?" "We smell him," they answered.
"Does he sit in the east, sisters ?" "He sits in the east," they answered.
"Is he the son of a stranger, sisters ?" "He is the son of a stranger." Then they crept nearer, crept on their hands and knees, till they were within ten paces of where I sat among the indunas near to the king.

The indunas looked on each other and grew grey with fear; and for me, my father, my knees were loosened and my marrow turned to water in my bones.

For I knew well who was that son of a stranger of whom they spoke.

It was I, my father, I who was about to be smelt out; and if I was smelt out I should be killed with all my house, for the king's oath would scarcely avail me against the witch-doctors.