One might have heard a pin drop. That fierce, excitable crowd, bending forward, straining their eyes upon this unwonted scene, held their very breath as they gazed. The prisoner stood with chest expanded--erect--facing the witch-doctress. There was a flash of light through the air, and the spear descended. No writhing body, gushing with blood, sank to the earth. The prisoner stood, erect and smiling. "_Hau_!" cried the warriors. "The `charm' is too strong. The white man is unhurt--_Mawo_!" Ngcenika could be seen examining the point of her assegai in scowling concern. It was completely flattened and turned. It must not be supposed that Eustace was so simple as to imagine that the sorceress would strike at the spot where she knew the impediment was concealed--over his heart, to wit. That cunning she-devil, as he well knew, would aim just to the right of this, and would reckon infallibly upon transfixing him. Accordingly, while watching the stroke, with incredible quickness and dexterity he timed himself to swerve slightly in that direction thus actually catching the point of the weapon upon the silver box. Again had the love of Eanswyth stepped between himself and death. "Where is the man who owns this spear?" cried the witch-doctress, suddenly. With much inward trepidation a warrior stepped forward. "Thy weapon is bewitched!" cried the hag, in a terrible voice. The man made no reply. He thought his doom was sealed. "Yes, thy weapon is bewitched." Then raising her voice: "Where is the man who struck this white wizard in battle?" A moment's hesitation--and there advanced from the ranks of the fighting men a tall, powerful warrior. He grasped in his hand a broad-bladed assegai, with the point broken short off. "I am Mfulini, the son of Mapute," he began, not waiting to be addressed first. "I am a fighting man of the race of Gcaleka! I love war. _Hau_! I have struck more than one enemy, but have never struck him twice. _Hau_! I struck this white man and my weapon broke, my strong _umkonto_ [The broad headed close-quarter assegai] that has drunk the heart's blood of five Fingo dogs. The weapon is bewitched. He who has done this thing must be found. The wizard must be found. _Hau_!" "_Ewa, Ewa_!" shouted the warriors. "The wizard must be found. The great witch-doctress must find him. Then will the white man's magic be no longer too strong for her. He must be killed! Find him! Find him! He must be killed!" CHAPTER THIRTY ONE. THE "SMELLING OUT." "He must be killed! He must be killed!"