Now when they heard this many remained silent, but some of the peace party began to clamour that I should be ordered to shoot at the apparition.  At length Cetewayo seemed to give way to this pressure.  I say seemed, because I think he wished to give way.  Whether or not a spirit stood before him, he knew no more than the rest, but he did know that unless the vision were proved to be mortal he would be driven into war with the English.  Therefore he took the only chance that remained to him.

“Macumazahn,” he said, “I know you have your pistol on you, for only the other day you brought it into my presence, and through light and darkness you nurse it as a mother does her firstborn.  Now since the Opener of Roads desires it, I command you to fire at that which seems to stand above us.  If it be a mortal woman, she is a cheat and deserves to die.  If it be a spirit from heaven it can take no harm.  Nor can you take harm who only do that which you must.”

“Woman or spirit, I will not shoot, King,” I answered.

“Is it so?  What! do you defy me, White Man?  Do so if you will, but learn that then your bones shall whiten here in this Vale of Bones.  Yes, you shall be the first of the English to go below,” and turning, he whispered something to two of the Councillors.

Now I saw that I must either obey or die.  For a moment my mind grew confused in face of this awful alternative.  I did not believe that I saw a spirit.  I believed that what stood above me was Nombe cunningly tricked out with some native pigments which at that distance and in that light made her look like a white woman.  For oddly enough at that time the truth did not occur to me, perhaps because I was too surprised.  Well, if it were Nombe, she deserved to be shot for playing such a trick, and what is more her death, by revealing the fraud of Zikali, would perhaps avert a great war.  But then why did he make the suggestion that I should be commanded to fire at this figure?  Slowly I drew out my pistol and brought it to the full cock, for it was loaded.

“I will obey, King,” I said, “to save myself from being murdered.  But on your head be all that may follow from this deed.”

Then it was for the first time that a new idea struck me so clearly that I believe it was conveyed direct from Zikali’s brain to my own. I might shoot, but there was no need for me to hit. After that everything grew plain.

“King,” I said, “if yonder be a mortal, she is about to die.  Only a spirit can escape my aim.  Watch now the centre of her forehead, for there the bullet will strike!”

I lifted the pistol and appeared to cover the figure with much care.  As I did so, even from that distance I thought I saw a look of terror in its eyes.  Then I fired, with a little jerk of the wrist sending the ball a good yard above her head.

“She is unharmed,” cried a voice.  “Macumazahn missed her.”