CHAPTER TWELVE.
A DEVOURING SWARM.
I had no reason, so far, to complain of my treatment at the hands of theKing, for I was supplied abundantly with all I required, either by theorders of Dingane, or by the generosity of the _izinduna_ and warriorsof note within Nkunkundhlovu, many of whom would drop into my hut at alltimes to have a talk with me; or we would sit in the shade in or aboutthe Great Place, watching the reviewing of young regiments put throughtheir practice by their chiefs, or talking and taking snuff. Butalthough many thus came to hear a tale from me, and no tale pleased themso much as that of our flight from the great Tshaka, unless it were thatof the Battle of the Three Rifts, yet I would ever tell such talecautiously, suppressing or varying any event I deemed it not advisableto dwell too much upon, and among such was that very battle, wherein mystrategy and that of Lalusini had saved our nation, for it might be thatby the same strategy I should destroy Umzilikazi, and that I did notdesire to reveal just yet.
Among those who would fain have got much out of me was Umhlela, one ofDingane's principal indunas--a little soft-voiced man, who would sitamong the others and put in a word here and a word there, but alwayssuch a word as required careful pondering before I could give an answerto it. However, I had not myself sat at the right hand of a king all mylife for nothing.
Not until I had been three days at Nkunkundhlovu did the King send forme. As I took my way to the great hut, through the _isigodhlo_, Inoticed that the latter was formed in such wise that, once inside, a manmight have difficulty in finding his way out of it, or indeed furtherinto it, which spoke much for the suspiciousness of Dingane's character,of all of which I took careful note; for, _Nkose_, it is by reading suchsmall things that a man may look into the minds of other men, be theykings or not, even as you white people draw knowledge from books.
Dingane was seated in the great hut, and with him three _izinduna_--Umhlela, the one who had already sought to draw out of me a great dealmore than I had intended he should know; Nomapela, him with whom I hadcome hither; and Tambusa, a large fierce-looking man, who hitherto hadshown me no active friendship. I did homage to the King; and then, inobedience to his command, sat and prepared to tell my tale. But as Idid so I could see that Dingane was in a sullen and angry mood. Perhapshis sleep had been bad, or he had heard ill tidings; and, _Nkose_,whereas _we_ must laugh when we would rather weep, most look pleasedwhen our hearts are bursting with anger and hate, a king is different,in that he need conceal what he feels to please no man.
Now my tale pleased not Dingane much, yet I told it not in its entirety,nor did I say aught as to my attempt on the life of Umzilikazi.
"So, Untuswa," he said, "when the doings of one king do not please theethou wouldst _konza_ to another?"
"That is not quite it, Great Great One," I ventured. "I am a fightingman, a man of deeds rather than of words. I was but a boy when I fledwith Umzilikazi, and ever since then has my spear been raised to strikedown his enemies, and now he has sorely broken faith with me. I wouldsooner die than serve such."
"_Hau_! This is of the sort who would make their kings at their ownwill," growled Tambusa to himself; but I heard him.
"I know not which way to take with thee, Untuswa," said Dingane,doubtfully. "I know not, indeed, whether to trust thee."
"There are but two ways, Elephant. One is to make thyself master ofthis new nation, easily and with but little loss. The other way is notto do so, O Father of the Wise!"
"There is yet another way, Untuswa, Father of the Fools," said the King,softly sneering, "and that is the Hill of Slaughter for thee, rebel andtraitor to two kings."
"My life is in the hand of the Lion of Zulu, for I myself have placed itthere," I said. "Now, father, should I have placed it there had I notknown it was of more value to this nation than to me?"
"Bold words," said Dingane, still frowning.
"Bold deeds are more to my taste, Great Great One," I said. "The fateof the new nation in the North is in my hand. But if I die, it willnever lie beneath the paw of the Lion of Zulu."
The _izinduna_ were staring in amazement at the boldness of my words;but the frown had left the brows of Dingane. Looking straight at me, hesaid softly:
"And what is to be thy reward for delivering this nation into my hand,Untuswa?"
"Only this, Black Elephant, that the whole House of Matyobane bedelivered into my hand," I answered.
"Then it is only revenge thou seekest?"
"Only revenge, Ruler of the World."
Gazing keenly at him, I could see now that I had won over Dingane. Iknew that the existence of our new nation had ever been to the parentrace as a sharp stone in the side of a man who sleepeth. I knew thatthe fear of the Zulu power was ever present to the mind of Umzilikazi,and that one day that power would, sooner or later, reach him. I knew,moreover, all the weak points of our nation and army; and, knowing this,doubted not my ability to surprise and crush it, given sufficient force,and that with ease. Now my revenge looked very near indeed.
But if I had won over Dingane, there was one power I had yet to dealwith, and that was the induna Tambusa. In this man I foresaw aformidable opponent, and his word carried weight in the ears of Dingane,even as did mine in times past in the ears of Umzilikazi. Now Tambusaspoke:
"Revenge is a great motive for a man to give up all his cattle and wivesin order to obtain it."
"Some men act from great motives and some from very small ones," Ianswered shortly; for I, who but yesterday was, next to the King, thegreatest in my own nation, could ill brook the tone of this man, who wasbut an induna like myself. But Dingane again took up the talk.
"Well, Untuswa, I must think out this matter. If thou canst deliverthis nation into my hand, why then it may be that I will deliver thosewho remain of the House of Matyobane into thine. But if thou failest,what then?"
"My life is in the hand of the Great Great One," I answered.
"Ha! Thou hast well said," replied the King. And then he dismissed me.
For many days then I dwelt at Nkunkundhlovu; I, who had now become awanderer; I, who had been a man of large possessions, the chief of manykraals, and the owner of vast herds of cattle, was now as poor as thepoorest, living only on the King's bounty. But from time to timeDingane would send for me, and we would talk long and earnestly over ourplans for conquering Umzilikazi. At last I saw my revenge within mygrasp. All was in preparation. No more _impis_ were sent out onerrands of plunder or punishment, and the regiments which dwelt at thegreat military kraal of Imbele-bele were ordered up to Nkunkundhlovu.They came, making a splendid show as they paraded before the King, infull war-array.
When this was at an end and I was walking back to my hut, I heard myselfhailed by a deep voice. Turning, I beheld a fighting chief arrayed inthe war dress of the Imbele-bele regiment.
"It seems to me that this is not our first meeting. Wanderer from theNorth," said this man.
"Ha! I should know thee," I replied, "for we have exchanged hard blowsin a great battle, Silwane. More than that, thou didst once cry me the`_Bayete_' and didst take orders from me as to the disposal of theinvading host of Zulu."
At those words Silwane stared as though he were face to face with amadman. But I brought him to my hut, and there alone, over a bowl ofgood _tywala_, I told him of those things which had happened during theblackening of the moon which preceded that great battle which was thesaving of a nation's life, and of which I have told you, _Nkose_, inanother tale. When I had done, Silwane stared harder than ever,thinking perhaps I was the most wonderful strategist he had ever heardtell of, or the most wonderful liar.
"And now, having saved thy nation, thou art to be the means ofdestroying it, Untuswa?" he said. "Well, if thou art as good atfighting for us as thou wert against us it will go hard for Umzilikazi'sarmy. Well do I remember that great white shield of thine in the thickof the battle. _Whau_! but we thought it was Umzilikazi himself."
Thus we talked, we two leaders of m
en--and often afterwards--and we twowho had exchanged hard blows face to face now became friends, who wereto deal hard blows side by side.
Almost were we ready to march northward, I say, and now the spirit ofLalusini would appear to me in my dreams, but glad and smiling, and bythis I knew the omen of our success was good. But on one night I rowher thus more plainly than ever, and it seemed I could touch her, andthen her face changed, and grew quick and watchful, as though inwarning, and it seemed as though the weight of some great peril lay uponme.
Now as I woke, in something very like fear, I found that one of my Swaziwives, who slept at my side, had sprung up and was shaking with fear.She declared that the form of a woman had passed through the hut; thatit was a spirit, for assuredly no living woman possessed such beauty ofform or face.
I knew not what to make of this; yet, while affecting to scorn her tale,I questioned the girl closely. If she, like myself, had but dreamed,why then it was passing strange that our dream should have shown us boththe same vision. In truth, I knew not what to think. Powerful beyondall others I knew Lalusini's magic to be; was it then sufficientlypowerful to bring her back from the dead? I thought much of this duringthe days that followed.
But the days that followed brought that which turned all our thoughts inan entirely new direction, for tidings came which were weighty indeed.The Amabuna [Boers] were advancing into the land of Zulu.
They were swarming in, men said. The slopes of Kwahlamba were coveredwith flocks and herds--their waggon teams were winding through themountain passes, seen like vast serpents in the distance, far as the eyecould see. In the face of this new enemy Umzilikazi was forgotten. Noexpedition to the North could be undertaken now. Day by day men broughttidings. The numbers of the Amabuna were countless, they said, and withthem, besides their flocks and herds, they had their women and childrenin their waggons. They had come to remain in this land.
Well was it, now, that the army had been called up, and was disposed inor around the Great Place; well indeed for us now, for we would need allour strength to beat back or stamp out this locust swarm. Bitter andstubborn fighters were they, and knew how to use their long guns. Thewar-song was sung, and war-dances were held among our regiments, and thetalk of all men was of war.
But Dingane was uneasy in his mind, and in his rage at not being soonerinformed of the advance of the Amabuna, he sent for the head men of theoutlying kraals and had them killed. Two of them he ordered to beimpaled upon stakes, within sight of all in Nkunkundhlovu.
Now hard by there dwelt a white man--an _Umfundisi_ [Teacher ormissionary], one of your countrymen, _Nkose_. Him the King had allowedto live there because he was the friend of another white man who hadvisited the country alone and in a friendly manner a short while before,but Dingane had no love for him or his teaching, nor had any of us inthose days. This man, seeing from his house the death of thoseevil-doers, came quickly down to Nkunkundhlovu, hoping he might save thelives of others, for he was a man with a kind heart and hated to beholdsuffering.
Now as he came before the King he was very pale, for he had passed closeto the place of slaughter where lay those just slain, with brokenskulls; and the sight of the agony of the two upon the stakes turned himvery sick.
"You are somewhat late, my father," said Dingane, when the _Umfundisi_would have pleaded for their lives. "The mouths of those who kept themclosed too long are now closed for ever. Yonder they lie."
"But those under torture, King?" urged the white man, hardly able tolook in the direction of the stakes, so filled was he with loathing anddisgust. "At least give the word that they be put out of their pain."
"_Au_! Here is a marvel!" said Dingane laughing; "the white _Umfundisi_actually pleading for the death of men!"
"Yes, but it is to save them hours of cruel torment," answered the whiteman quickly.
"Ah, ah!" laughed the King. "And yet, my father, you teach that nothingbut torment awaits bad men after death--torment for ever and ever. Isit not so?"
Now we who listened awaited the _Umfundisi's_ reply with some curiosity.
"That is so, King, for it is in the word of God," he said.
"Why, then, if that is so, _Umfundisi_, it will make no differencewhether I order these to be slain at once or not, since, they being badmen, torment awaits them after death," answered Dingane.
"But were they bad men, King? What was their crime?"
"Their crime was that of those who sleep when they should have beenawake, _Umfundisi_; and I seem to remember that in the stories you teachto my people out of your sacred book such are thrown by the God whom youserve into a place of darkness and of never-ending torment. So thepunishment I mete out to my people is less than the punishment your Godmetes out to his."
"But His ways are not as our ways," replied the _Umfundisi_, becomingangry. "He alone created life, and He alone has the right to take it.Who art thou, sinful man?" he went on, his eyes blazing with wrath, andpointing his finger at the King. "Who art thou, thou man of blood, towreck and mangle God's Image thus?" pointing to those upon the stakes."Tremble and know that a judgment awaits thee--yea, a burning fierylooking-for of judgment to come. Then the torment that these undergonow shall be a bed of flowers beside such as thine, for thy part shallbe in the lake that burneth with fire for ever and ever and ever."
The eyes of the _Umfundisi_ seemed to blaze, his hair to bristle, as hethundered out his words, shaking his finger at the King; and we--_au_!--we looked to see a third stake erected to receive the body of this whiteman, who dared to revile the majesty of the Lion of Zulu--or, at least,that he be led forth to die beneath the knobsticks of the slayers--andwe gazed at the King, awaiting the word. But Dingane only laughed.
"Thou mad _Umfundisi_," he said. "Had I but spoken of thy God as thyspeech is to me I should have gone into torment for ever and everaccording to thee and thy teachings. But I am more merciful than thyGod, and thou canst go home. Yet hearken! I am god over the people ofZulu, and if a man disobeys me I order his death--_whau_!--a swift andeasy and painless death, or at worst a few hours of torment. But thyGod? _Whau_! for ever and ever and ever does He torment men afterdeath, in a burning flame of fire! So, _Umfundisi_, I am the moremerciful of the two; and I think the people of Zulu prefer the god theyknow to the one whom thou and such as thee would teach them to worship.Now, go home. _Hamba gahle, Umfundisi! Hamba gahle_!"
"_Hamba gahle, Umfundisi_!" we all cried, deriding the white man as hewent away. But some of us wondered that the King should allow him tolive, or, at any rate, to remain in the country; and, indeed, had hebeen a man of any other nation I think he would have died that day; but,being a man of your country, _Nkose_, he was allowed to live unmolested,for Dingane had no wish to quarrel with the English. But most of us--especially Tambusa--would gladly have seen this interfering _Umfundisi_despatched to--well, to that place of torment whither he had predictedthe King should come.