But immediately Lutali staggered to his feet, and the hell blast of hate and fury which shone from his eyes was perfectly demoniacal.
"There is but one God, and Mohammed is the prophet of God!" he roared. "Am I to prostrate myself before an infidel dog—the chief dog of a pack of dogs? This for the scum!" And he spat full towards Tyisandhlu.
An indescribable shiver of awe ran through the dense and serried ranks of armed warriors, followed by a terrible tumult.
"Au! he is mad!" cried some; while others clamoured, "Give him to us, Great Great One. We will put him to the fiery death!"
But the king returned no word. It is even possible that his own intrepid soul was moved to admiration by the sublime courage of this man—his prisoner, bound, helpless, weakened—standing thus before him—before him at whose frown men trembled—face to face, and thus defying him. One other who beheld it, the sight must have powerfully moved, for with a lull in the tumult a voice rose clear and distinct:
"Spare him, O Great Great One, for he is a brave man."
If anyone had told Laurence Stanninghame but an hour earlier that he was about to commit so rash and suicidal an act as to beg the life of another at the hands of a grossly insulted despot, and in the face of an enraged nation, he would have scouted the idea as too weakly idiotic for words. Yet, in fact, he had just committed that very act. Deep and savage were the resentful growls that greeted his words. "Au! he presumes! He shares in the insult offered to the majesty of the king," were some of the ominous mutterings that went forth.
The king merely glanced in the direction of the speaker, and said nothing. But Lutali, becoming aware for the first time of the presence of his former confederate, turned towards the latter.
"Ask not my life at the hands of these dogs, these unclean swine, Afà," he cried;—"lo, Paradise awaits to receive the believer. I hasten to it; I enter it;" and he threw back his head fearlessly, while his eyes shone with a fanatical glare.
"Spare him, O king, for he is a brave man," urged Laurence again.