noon
These things she left to the King and his Council , confining herself to such actions as in England would come before the Court of Chancery . Thus to her reputation as a spiritual queen , Rachel added that of an upright judge who could not be influenced by fear or bribes , the first , perhaps , that had ever been known in Zululand . But she could not try such cases all day , the strain was too great , although in the end most of them partook of the nature of arbitrations , since the parties involved , having come to the conclusion that it was not possible to deceive one so wise , grew truthful and submitted their differences to the decision of her wisdom . After they were dismissed , which was always at noon , for she opened her court at seven and would not sit more than five hours , Rachel was left in her solitary state until the next morning , and oh ! the hours hung heavily upon her hands . A messenger was despatched to Ramah , but after ten days he returned saying that the Tugela was in flood , and he could not cross it . She sent him out again , and a week later was told that he had been killed by a lion on his journey .