At this moment, Lobelalatutu and his band reappeared, with M'Bongwele in their midst. The king's heavy features wore a sullen, savage expression as he was led forward through the narrow lane that the assembled warriors opened out for his passage; and he threw upward a single glance of mingled fear and defiance at the little group of white men as he advanced. As he reached the open space that intervened between the ship and the thickly massed crowd of his people, and came to a halt, he looked quickly about him, and suddenly demanded, in a loud, harsh tone of voice-- "Where is Malatambu? Let him stand forth!" "Behold, he lies there, dead, slain by the mighty magic of the Great Spirits!" answered a chief, pointing to the prostrate body of the man who had fallen before the professor's rifle. The king threw a single keen glance at the dead man, grunted inarticulately, and was silent. "Listen, M'Bongwele!" said von Schalckenberg. "How is it that, having banished you for your former evil deeds, we find you here again upon our return?" "I was unhappy away from my people, and therefore I returned," answered the king, sullenly. "And, having returned, your first act was to slay Seketulo. Is it not so?" demanded the professor. "Why should I not slay him?" retorted M'Bongwele. "The Makolo need not two kings; and Seketulo knew not how to govern them." "Therefore you slew him?" persisted the professor. "Therefore I slew him," assented M'Bongwele. "Also you slew twelve white men and two white women who were found in distress by your people, although you knew that such acts were displeasing to us, and that we had forbidden them," asserted the professor. "Nay," said M'Bongwele; "I slew but the twelve white men. Of the two women, the elder slew the younger, and then slew herself. But what matters it how they died? Am not I the king; and may I not do as I will in mine own country?" "And how died the white men?" demanded von Schalckenberg. "Some died on ants' nests; some were crucified; some were--nay, how can I say? It is long ago, and I have forgotten," answered the king, sullenly. "And they are not the only people who have died in torment since your return. Many of your own people have suffered at your word. Is it not so?" "It is so," answered the king. "They were rebellious subjects; so they perished." "How knew you that they were rebellious?" demanded von Schalckenberg. "My witch-doctors told me so. Is that not enough?" retorted M'Bongwele. "And how knew the witch-doctors that they were rebellious?" inquired the professor. "They found it out through their magic; even as you, through your magic, found out that I had returned to my people," answered the king. "Are those witch-doctors present? If so, let them stand forth," exclaimed the professor.