CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
THE TONGUE OF THE SNAKE.
The cloud which had rolled down upon the land of Zulu from the slopes ofKwahlamba was destined to be no mere summer cloud, _Nkose_, but wascharged with thunders, black and threatening. The army, which had beendoctored and made ready for war, wearied the King with its clamour to besent forth against the invaders, and long and oft would Dingane holdcouncil with the _izinduna_ as to what was best to be done to repel thisperil. Now I reckoned it a sign of the honour in which I was held thatat such conferences I was ever commanded to be present.
But counsels were various. Some were for falling upon the Amabuna inthe passes of Kwahlamba; others for allowing them all to cross in peace,and when encamped on our side to throw the whole strength of our armyupon them, and, having cut off their retreat, to put every one of them--man, woman and child--to the assegai--even the suckling babe.
"I have a mind to send to the white people at Tegwini," [Durban.Literally "The Bay"] said the King. "They are my friends, but not ofthis new race. It may be that they will aid me to get rid of theseAmabuna."
But Tambusa, who hated all whites, opposed this idea of the King's. Thepeople at Tegwini, he urged, would stand by these other whites andsupport them. White was white, and black was black, and all whitepeople stood together against black, although they professed very greatfriendship when but a mere handful, and had anything to gain by it. Hehad always objected to this handful of English being allowed to remainat Tegwini from the very first. If it was inexpedient to kill them theyshould have been sent away right out of the country.
In this counsel Tambusa was right, as subsequent events proved; but,_Nkose_, few men would have dared to speak their minds thus boldly. ButTambusa although he hated me, I could not but regard with respect as abrave man, and as such he lived and died, as will be shown.
"And thou, Untuswa," said Dingane, "thou hast fought these Amabuna.What is thy mind in this matter?"
"It is that of Tambusa, Great Great One," I answered. "These Amabunafight hard and die hard, nor is their word to be trusted. He whom Iserved knew how to handle them--and there is but one way." Then I toldthat tale of how they would have enslaved our nation, and how theyplotted with certain of Umzilikazi's _izinduna_ to procure the death ofthat king; and all who heard me murmured aloud that there was but oneway for these people, and that was the way of the spear.
"A swarm of locusts beaten off returns again," I ended, "and again andagain, until the land is eaten up; but a swarm of locusts stampedflat--_au_! there is no more of that swarm. That is my counsel, Lion ofZulu."
And again all murmured aloud in approval of my words, for it wasintolerable to us that these strangers should swarm down upon the land,not even so much as asking leave of the King; and this, _Nkose_, I felt,as though I had done _konza_ to the House of Senzangakona all my life,instead of growing great in the service of another king; for, after all,this was the land of my birth--this people the parent race from which wewere all proud to have sprung. Moreover, for the present, I thought nomore of my revenge. Here was more than one great and glorious battleawaiting; it was long since I had taken part in such a one, and theblood rushed and danced in my veins at the thought.
From day to day our spies brought in word to the King. The Amabunacontinued to advance, and they were in great force. Their leaders andpicked men were stern, determined-looking fighters, fierce of aspect,with their long guns and leather breeches and shaggy beards; and ourwarriors, listening, lay under arms, their eyes glaring like those oflions, as they awaited the word that should let them loose.
Then came tidings that the Amabuna had formed a great camp some ten daysdistant from Nkunkundhlovu, and that several of their leaders wereadvancing to talk with the King.
Soon they arrived. They were but a few men, with their servants.Dingane received them in but quiet state, seated at the head of thegreat open space of the kraal. Save the King's body-guard, but fewwarriors were visible, yet so little did we trust the Amabuna that everyhut in Nkunkundhlovu held two or three armed men ready to spring forthon a given signal, the while relays of spies watched their distant camp,so as to pass the word should any sudden and hostile movement be madethence.
The leaders of the Amabuna rode into the kraal. They were required toleave their guns with their horses in the centre of the kraal. Thisthey did not at all like, even when told that it was death for any man--black or white--to come armed into the presence of the King. But theyhad to do it, or return as they came.
"Ah, ah! This is not the head of the snake, only its tongue," growledTambusa aside to some of us as we watched the approach of the white men."Soon shall we have its head."
Dingane was seated in his chair of state, and received the Amabunapleasantly. Bowls of _tywala_ were handed round, and then, sitting in ahalf circle in front of him, the _indaba_ commenced.
They had travelled far, they said, even as the People of God in oldtimes, seeking a land where they might dwell in peace. Such a land theyhad found, a land over which the Zulu King claimed ownership, but whichwas little used, if at all, by him or his people. Now this land, whichlay between the Tugela and the Umzimvubu, they desired to treat for.For it they would give part payment in cattle and horses, and partpayment in acting as friends to the Zulu people, supporting them byforce of arms in all their lawful quarrels. So should two peoplesflourish and grow great, dwelling in peace side by side, the waters ofthe Tugela alone dividing them.
"I know not," answered Dingane, speaking pleasantly. "When two greatbulls stand looking at each other over one fence, are they friends forlong?" And we all murmured aloud in praise of the wisdom of the King.
But the Amabuna replied that the land on each side of the proposedboundary was large enough for both.
"The kraal in which stands each of those bulls is large enough for him,"said Dingane, still speaking pleasantly; "yet it is not long before oneof them is through the fence to drive out the other. Then he rules overboth kraals."
What the King said was very true; yet it would not be so in this case,urged the Amabuna, for there could be no reason why either should seek aquarrel with the other. The people of their race sought a quarrel withno man. They only desired to be let alone.
"Why, then, did ye leave your own land?" asked Dingane. "Why did ye notstay the other side of Kwahlamba?"
We, who sat around the King, narrowly watching the countenances of theAmabuna, could see that these men did not like that question at all.They did not answer for a moment; then they said, through him who spokeas their tongue, for they knew not ours:
"We crossed the mountains in obedience to the will of God. It was Hiswill that we should seek out a new land for our wives and our children,and His finger it was that guided us hither. We are even as the Peopleof God in old times, who went to dwell in the land which He had promisedthem; and, even as they, we are ruled and led by the Great Book."
Now we who listened could have laughed aloud, for we had heard somethingof that people of old to which the Amabuna referred. Many a tale hadthe _Umfundisi_, who dwelt hard by, told us of that people; how it sweptonward, a fierce and unsparing scourge, destroying and enslaving tribesand nations, and seizing their flocks and their herds and their women;and we liked to listen to such tales, for they were those of a rightvaliant warrior race--indeed, me they reminded of our fierce anddestroying flight under Umzilikazi. But now we thought those Amabunamust be fools, indeed; for if they were the children of that people,still less did we desire them as neighbours.
"So ye are the people of God, brothers?" said the King softly, his headon one side.
"That is so, King," they answered, looking upward solemnly.
"Why then, indeed, should we be as brothers, for _we_ are the People ofthe Heavens," [Such is the literal meaning of "Amazulu"] said Dingane."Talk we now of the land. As ye say, I have not much use, nor mypeople, for this land--yet it is a large country. I know not. I mustconsider it further. Yet stay, ther
e is somewhat ye can do for us as apledge and an earnest of our future friendship."
"And that?"
"Yonder in the mountains dwells a dog, the head of a tribe of dogs--notlarge, but difficult to come at, because of the ruggedness of thecountry they inhabit. This dog has stolen much cattle and many horsesfrom my people and hidden them away in his mountain retreats. Now I amwithout warriors, for the army is away on two expeditions to thenorthward."
We who listened thought we saw the countenances of the Amabuna change atthis, and inwardly we laughed. If they only knew--ah, if they onlyknew!
"Wherefore," went on the King, "if as an earnest of your friendship yewill go and retake this our property, and restore it to us, then it maybe we may grant you the use of the land ye need."
"And what is the name of the chief of these robbers, King?" asked theAmabuna.
"U' Sikonyela."
"The cattle shall be restored, King. Do you require Sikonyela to bedelivered up to you?"
"No. I am merciful, and will spare him this time. Only warn him thatnow the Amazulu and the Amabuna are brothers. Now, fare-ye-well. Whenye have obtained the restoration of our property, then return hither,and we will talk further about the land."
Then the Amabuna rose and shook the King by the hand, and we, as theytook leave of us, all called out "_Hambani-gahle_!" ["Go ye in peace"]with right good-will. So they took their horses and guns and rode awayfrom Nkunkundhlovu, very pleased with themselves and with the King. Butthe multitude of armed warriors concealed within the huts were notpleased, in that there was no work for their spears that day; but thatwas to come. Ah, yea! plenty of work would there be for their spearsbefore many moons were dead.
And we _izinduna_, how we laughed among ourselves, for we knew the mindof Dingane. These people must in truth be mad, and worse than mad, tothink that the King would give them a vast tract of country in exchangefor their friendship and a few cattle--would welcome this swarm ofbuzzing devouring locusts beating down upon our lands. _Hau_! Mad,indeed, were they. They opened their mouth wide--very wide--and wethought we knew how we would fill it, but not with the country that laybetween the Tugela and the Umzimvubu. Oh, no!
There were some among us who would have persuaded Dingane to order thedeath of the _Umfundisi_, for we feared lest he should warn the Amabuna;but this the King refused to do. The white teacher was not of theirrace, and he had no quarrel with the English; besides, the very feet ofa white man being slain would implant suspicion in the minds of the newarrivals. But the _Umfundisi_, unknown to himself, was closely watched,and meanwhile our plans were fully matured.