CHAPTER XXX
SIHAMBA PREVAILS
Now a fire of hope shot up in Sihamba's eyes, but soon it died outagain.
"It is a trick, it must be a trick," she said, "for who ever heard of aZulu loosing the prey that was in his hand? Never dare he do it saveby the command of the king," and she left the hut to be met by othersrunning with the same tidings. Of these she sent some down the gorgeto bring her report of what had happened, and with them Zinti, for shecould not altogether trust the word of her own people.
Within an hour the messengers returned, and on their faces was a strangelook which, clever as she was, Sihamba did not understand.
"Is the path clear?" she asked.
"No, chieftainess," they replied, "it is still blocked, for thoughthe Zulus have gone we know not where by order received from Dingaan,Bull-Head holds it with such of his own men as are left alive."
"Had you speech with the white man?" she asked.
"Yes, lady."
"Say on."
Now they looked about them like people who are ashamed, but at last theoldest of them spoke.
"Chieftainess," he said, "Bull-Head made us this offer and in thesewords: 'You people of the Umpondwana, you are dying of thirst and I knowit; yes, though the Zulus have gone and but few of us are left here, yetyou cannot force the narrow way against us, so that I have only to sithere for a few days longer and you will be dead of thirst, everyone ofyou, you and your cattle together. But I do not wish that you shoulddie, for with you I have no quarrel; also if you die one will perishamong you whom I desire to keep alive. Therefore I make you this offer.Hand over to me your ruler, Sihamba Ngenyanga, and with her the whitewoman named Swallow, and you yourselves shall go free, everyone of you;more, although I will take this stronghold of yours to live in myself, Iwill give back to you the half of the cattle. Now, answer.'
"Lady, when he had finished speaking we consulted together and answeredBull-Head thus: 'We cannot give over to you our chieftainess and herwhite sister, for it is better to die than that such dishonour shouldlie upon our names. But if you will let us go, you can take them fromamong our number as we pass before you, for that will be no fault ofours, or if they do not choose to accompany us, after we have gone byyou can ascend the mountain and take them.'
"To this Bull-Head assented, saying, 'Set the Lady Swallow in her chairupon the cliff edge and Sihamba at her side so that my eyes seeing themmay know that they are safe, and you shall go.' So it was agreed betweenus that to-morrow at the dawn he will open the wall and let us down tothe river to drink, after which we may pass whither we will."
Now when Sihamba heard these shameful words her rage was so great thatfor a while she could not even speak. At length she found her tongue andgasped out:
"Oh! father of cowards, do you dare to sing such a song in my ears? Whydo not you, who are many, storm the pass and take the water?"
"Lady," answered the old man coldly, "we dare because we must, forhonour cannot live before the assegai of thirst. You talk to us ofstorming the pass; we cannot storm it, for ten men can hold that placeagainst a hundred; also our arms are weak and we are weary of war.Listen; on the one hand are the lives of thousands, with them yourown and that of the White Swallow, and on the other this dishonour. Wechoose the dishonour, since if you and the Swallow do not desire to fallinto the hands of Bull-Head, you can still do what you must have donehad we chosen honour. Lady, you can die, knowing that by your death youhave saved the lives of the multitude over whom you rule.
"Listen again, lady, we did not seek you, it was you who came back to usafter the death of the chief, your brother. We accepted you and youhave ruled us justly for these two years, but you wish to make of usa fighting people who are and who desire to remain a people of peace.Moreover, you promised that the white chieftainess, your companion,would bring us prosperity and good, whereas to us she has been a bird ofill-omen, for since she came here on her account there has been warand nothing but war. Yes, because of her we have been cooped up onthis mountain and killed whenever we ventured on to the plains beyond;therefore we will have no more of her, she must find her own fortune,for we have our lives and those of our wives and children to save.
"Further, I say this: the news of the offer of Bull-Head has gone abroadamong the people, and had we refused they would have torn us limb fromlimb, yes, and you and the White Swallow also. Our hearts are sad, butlady, who can fight against fate?"
"I can," answered Sihamba, "but have no fear; to-morrow at the dawn youshall see us sit out upon the cliff point; and now, father of cowards,begone, and let me see your face no more. Betray us if you will, you whowere not men enough to hold the water, you who are not men enough to cuta path to it as you might, and therefore must complete your cowardicewith treachery. Betray us if you will, but I tell you that you shall notgo free from this disgrace. The curse of Chaka shall fall upon you andthe blade of the spear shall be the inheritance of you who are afraid tograsp its shaft. Begone!" and withered by her words and the fire of hereyes, the spokesmen of the Umpondwana crept like beaten hounds from thepresence of their deserted chieftainess.