The sun., 1896-08-02
CHAPTER III.

Two years have gone by; from the rectory
| in n quiet English village we pass tho scene
changes TO central or south central. africa.
| with mimosa thorns, and close TO n gushing
stream Of water. stands a house, or rather Q
grass. Behind this hut isa fence of thorns,
| rough but strong. designed to protect all with
| OF prey. At present. save for solitary mule
eating its provender by the wheel OF q a. tented
o not Tso YET Been m ErSasd for the.Hsht, Presently
| Thomas owen enters this enclosure by the
back dooor Of thchgt md having .t; nt,nded % S to
the native, boys driving the cattle up The slope
he @ has 'l counted them to mike sure that none
are missing. and In few kind words com.
walks TO the front Of tho house, and, sentin. {
himself upon wooden stool set under a mi,
mosa tree that grows row ss, near tho door, he iooks
The man has changed somewhat since last
we saw him. ., To begin with, he has crown n
brorZed II into an appearance OF health, his
face is even thinner than Il was, and tho great
spiritual eyes shine more strangely In II.
At the foot OF tho slope. runs a wide river,
just here broken into rapids where the waters
an pan on .he
by mountain ranges. each line of them rising
higher than the other till the topmost and more
blue OF the heavens This is the land Of tho
Sons Of Fire, and yonder amid the slope. n e @ the
umsuka whose name, being interpreted, me ans
the Thunderboit
about "a a thousand Yards from the house lies a
space of rippling shallow water, where unless
Il chances to be In flood tho river can be forded,
II Is this ford that Owen watches so intently.
ago." he mpt,eTs t9 himself ~ pray S,uaa that no
Just then a tiny black speck appears far
away on the plain. 1t is man travelling to-
n n
glasses. and through them scrutinizes the ig-
Heaven be praised! n is John" he .mutters,
answer he hrings?"
stnlMnrt native Of the tribe OF the Amosuks.
the Peonlo of Fire; and with npllftsd hands
ss nm me- sTns ndT 6 tsi ssd Of
God only. as ] have taught yon. Tell me;
have you seen the King and What is his word," 2, a"
mitted before the majesty OF the King: yes, he
Women. with his guards, who stood at a dis.
tance out OF hearing; there were present three
est % IN all ali the % %nd after @ the King. They were
NSdwerEo. his brother, and Hokosa a II, the ter ter
shriveilcd when they turned their eyes upon
Have I not told you. John, To trust in.God
and fear nothing q, the hands Of mant" AN,
,Td the s nmb
yet, being hidden, to it, lifted my forehead
from. the dust and stood upon my feet before
which YOU set between nv lips"
Repeat the message. John"
ths whole earth shakes. whose arms stretch
round the world and whose breath is the
SRte %Gss
that title you bade me make You known-'waO
for has he in the bs b,hK 5h sbe
me, o King. and that I p@.ss on to you, Win NY
Amasuka. ANA the Son OF Fire, /, Messenger who
am the servant and the ambassador OF the King
Sc sent ito to YOU w Saying that the message which was
brought by that white man whom you drove
from your land had reached e. the ears , Of him
take up the cha icnGe OF your message.
law which you have laid down; for II guile or
lies be found in me, then let me ira 'e from
would dwell a little while here where am be-
fore pass into the shadow of your rule ana
speak in the ears Of your people as @ have been
your tongue. and therefore demand that one
of your people may be sent to dwell with me
my words and you sent me a man to dwell with
me; and that man has taught me your tongue.
nv faith. and giving him a new name, the
name OF John: King; now seek & your leave aye
wos s WITH whch eG
':rhns i, John. addressed the, great ones,
my father. and they listened in silence. When
and a word there. Then Hokosa. the Kings
tie King: You are ca a bold Id man. an. You S w;tose
name Is John. but who once had another
who dare to "pp9nr before Sars beaa aa
turned to new faith and serve another king
than L. Yet t.. because you . are bold forgive
named Messenger and who comes upon an EN-:
hassy TO me from the Lord of Heaven, and bid
that here also We know something OF the pow
ers that arc not seen; here also we have our
the and the he r%n Hnd
that he must show himself greater than all OF
these If he would not pass hence by the bridge
with his heart and with Him he serves, II
such a One there Is, and let him come or let
$50 be It," said Owen: ''the words of the
King are good; and tomorrow we will start
John heard and assented. but without eager
MY father" he said in doubtful and ten
bidc here awhile ilrstf'' ''e' .',''D ~ ,0>>>'
WHY" asked Owen. I'VE have sowu.
Quite so. my fatler Int as ran hither.
full Of the Kings words, 1t came into my
@ now There fs F the the
Great Place. father Listen. and / will tell
you: aS ] have heard. 30 i VIII tell you. You
know well that cur King Umsuka has two
sons. Hafcla and Nodwengo: and Of these Ha:
fcla is the heir apparent, tho fruit OF he chief
wife of the King, and Nodwengo IS ssprung
fom another. wife. Now IIafela is proud and
cruel; a warrior. of warriors; a terrible man.
and Nodwengo is gentle and mild. like to his
mother whom the Kiag loves. OF late II has
been discovered that Hafeia. weary OF waiting
for power, has made a plot TO depose his IA.
ther and to kill Nodwengo. his brother, so that
the land and those whb dwell in II may be-
come his without question. This plot the King
knows-l had IL from one OF his women, who 10
my sisterIan he is very wroth. yet he dare do
rest, not war. Yet he is minded. If he can find
the heart, 10 80 back upon the la y and to name
NodwengO as his heir before all the army ut
the feast of the st-fruits, which shall be held
on the third day from tonight. This Hafcla
knows, and Nodwengo knows il also, and each
of them has summoned his following. num-
boring thou sands and tens of thousands nj
spears. to attend thy feast OF the frst-fruits
That feast may well be feast of vultures, my
father. and when the brothers and their regl-
ments rush together. fighting for the throne,
what will chance to the white man who comes
n such moment TO preach faith of psac ce.and
to his servant. one John, who lod him theref"
~ do not know" answered Owen. and 1t
troubles me not Mt all. so TO carry out my
mission and in this way or In that IL will be
carried out John, IL you are fearful or unbe-