I made no answer, since what was the use of arguing with a woman who told me frankly that all she said was false.  So, although I longed to ask her why these Amahagger had such reverence for the talisman that Hans called the Great Medicine, since now I guessed that her first explanations concerning it were quite untrue, I held my tongue.

Yet as we went out of the house, by some coincidence she alluded to this very matter.

“I wish to tell you, Allan,” she said, “why it was those Amahagger would not accept you as a General till their eyes had seen that which you wear upon your breast.  Their tale of a legend of this very thing seemed that of savages or of their cunning priests, not to be believed by a wise man such as you are, like some others that you have heard in Kor.  Yet it has in it a grain of truth, for as it chanced a little while ago, about a hundred years ago, I think, the old wizard whose picture is cut upon the wood, came to visit her who held my place before me as ruler of this tribe—­she was very like me and as I believe, my mother, Allan—­because of her repute for wisdom.

“At that time I have heard there was a question of war between the worshippers of Lulala and the grandfather of Rezu.  But this Zikali told the People of Lulala that they must not fight the People of Rezu until in a day to come a white man should visit Kor and bring with him a piece of wood on which was cut the image of a dwarf like to that of Zikali himself.  Then and not before they must fight and conquer the People of Rezu.  Now this story came down among them and you who may have thought the first tale magical, will understand it in its simplicity:  is it not so, you wise Allan?”

“Oh! yes,” I answered, “except that I do not see how Zikali can have come here a hundred years ago, since men do not live as long, although he pretends to have done so.”

“No, Allan, nor do I, but perhaps it was his father, or his grandfather who came, since being observant, you will have noted that if the parent is mis-formed, so often are the descendants; also that the pretence of wizardry at times comes down with the blood.”

Again I made no answer for I saw that Ayesha was fooling me, and before she could exhaust that amusement we reached the place where Umslopogaas and his men were gathered round a camp fire.  He sat silent, but Goroko with much animation was telling the story of the fight in picturesque and colourful language, or that part of it which he had seen, for the benefit of the two wounded men who took no share in it and who, lying on their blankets with heads thrust forward, were listening with eagerness to the entrancing tale.  Suddenly they caught sight of Ayesha, and those of the party who could stand sprang to their feet, while one and all they gave her the royal salute of Bayete.

She waited till the sound had died away.  Then she said,

“I come to thank you and your men, O Wielder of the Axe, who have shown yourself very great in battle, and to say to you that my Spirit tells me that every one of you, yes, even those who are still sick, will come safe to your own land again and live out your years with honour.”