For an hour and a half or so there should be almost total darkness." "Well," said Sir Henry, "I suppose we had better risk it." I acquiesced, though doubtfully, for eclipses are queer cattle to deal with--it might be a cloudy night, for instance, or our dates might be wrong--and sent Umbopa to summon the chiefs back.

Presently they came, and I addressed them thus-- "Great men of the Kukuanas, and thou, Infadoos, listen.

We love not to show our powers, for to do so is to interfere with the course of nature, and to plunge the world into fear and confusion.

But since this matter is a great one, and as we are angered against the king because of the slaughter we have seen, and because of the act of the _Isanusi_ Gagool, who would have put our friend Ignosi to death, we have determined to break a rule, and to give such a sign as all men may see.
Come hither"; and I led them to the door of the hut and pointed to the red ball of the moon.

"What see ye there ?" "We see the sinking moon," answered the spokesman of the party.
"It is so.