"And what were the words of this puppy ?" "These were his words, O King: 'Bulalio the Slaughterer, who sits beneath the shadow of the Witch Mountain, to Bulalio the Slaughterer who sits in the kraal Duguza--To thee I pay no tribute; if thou wouldst have the axe Groan-Maker, come to the Ghost Mountain and take it.

This I promise thee: thou shalt look on a face thou knowest, for there is one there who would be avenged for the blood of a certain Mopo.'" Now, while Masilo told this tale I had seen two things--first, that a little piece of stick was thrust through the straw of the fence, and, secondly, that the regiment of the Bees was swarming on the slope opposite to the kraal in obedience to the summons I had sent them in the name of Umhlangana.

The stick told me that the princes were hidden behind the fence waiting the signal, and the coming of the regiment that it was time to do the deed.
When Masilo had spoken Chaka sprang up in fury.

His eyes rolled, his face worked, foam flew from his lips, for such words as these had never offended his ears since he was king, and Masilo knew him little, else he had not dared to utter them.
For a while he gasped, shaking his small spear, for at first he could not speak.

At length he found words:-- "The dog," he hissed, "the dog who dares thus to spit in my face! Hearken all! As with my last breath I command that this Slaughterer be torn limb from limb, he and all his tribe! And thou, thou darest to bring me this talk from a skunk of the mountains.