CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
THE DWELLING OF THE WISE ONE.
With the slaughter of the witch doctors Dingane had retired, and thevast assemblage of the people, breaking up, was streaming away indifferent directions. Mahlula had disappeared.
Then, having gained my huts, I gave orders that I was to be left alone,and sat down to take snuff and to think. For here was a wonderfulthing. She whom I had thought dead was alive again--had reappeared atthe very moment when death would otherwise have overtaken me. There wassomething of fear in my mind as I thought of it all. Was it reallyLalusini whom I had seen, or was it another sorceress who bore to her amost marvellous likeness--a sister, perhaps? But even the House ofSenzangakona could not produce two such, I reflected; and then the verymethod she had adopted of averting from me the doom was the method ofLalusini. And now I longed for her again, for, as I told you, _Nkose_,I loved her as you white men love your women; but if, for some reason,she had been forced to hide herself under another name, how could I, thewanderer, the stranger, the man who had come hither to deliver his ownnation to destruction, reveal the real relationship between us by layingclaim to her?
How was it I had never heard men speak of her? No talk, no word of amarvellous witch doctress, of a sorceress like no other ever seen, hadreached my ear. Tola I knew, and those who worked magic with him, butof this one never a word. Was it because I was a stranger and not yetfully trusted? But old Gegesa's tale was untrue anyhow, for here wasLalusini alive and well, and beautiful as ever. Then I thought how toget speech with her.
To this end I went out. First I sought the hut of Silwane. But whenafter bringing round the talk to the events of the morning I would havedrawn out of him what he knew as to the sorceress Mahlula, I found thathe knew but little, as did those who sat in his hut. Her appearance intheir midst was mystery, her movements were mystery, her very dwellingwas mystery; and hearing this I thought how greatly I could have amazedSilwane by revealing how it was through the magic of this sorceress thatour arms had won success over the great _impi_ he had helped to commandat the Place of the Three Rifts. But from them I could obtain notidings, nor from any with whom I talked on the subject; and as dayafter day went by, I began to wish I had not beheld Lalusini again, fornow it seemed as though I were losing her once more.
Then my mind went back--back over my life since I had first beheldLalusini and at great peril had managed to keep her for myself; backover our first meetings in the rock chamber of the Mountain of Death,what time we had eaten up the Bakoni, the nation who owned the BlueCattle, and I remembered her words: "There is a people into whose midstI will one day return, and there I shall be great indeed, and youthrough me." Ha! Was this part of a scheme--of a carefully-maturedplan? It seemed like it. So I resolved to wait and let things shapetheir course.
Now the very day on which I had formed this resolve I chanced to beoutside of Nkunkundhlovu alone. Two girls strode by me with bundles ontheir heads, and as they did so, one whispered, "This night--induna ofthe Great One who site in the north. This night, by the two largereed-beds at the turn of the river. Mahlula waits."
The speaker passed on, but I, _Nkose_--my blood leaped at the words. Atlast I would have speech with Lalusini. At last we would meet face toface. Yet, even in the midst of my joy came a misgiving. Was it asnare--was it a trap Tambusa had set for my undoing? for the man whowanders at night on mysterious business--_au_! he is soon an object ofsuspicion, and to be an object of suspicion at that time meant death.
This, however, I was ready to risk, but for all that I resolved toproceed warily, and he who should attempt treachery upon me might wellwish he never had. So with my great assegai, together with a heavyknob-stick and a small shield, I wandered up the river shortly beforesundown, and did not return to Nkunkundhlovu for the night.
It had fallen quite dark, though the stars glittered forth in countlesseyes from the blackness above. There was just the faintest murmur ofthe wind in the reed-beds, like the sigh of one who waits, andexpecting, is disappointed for the time. The water flowed, evenly andsmooth, lapping a low rock slab on the opposite bank, and now and againa soft splash and ripple as some crocodile rose or sank. In the air wasa feeling of wizardry and awe; but I had passed through too many strangethings to hold such in fear. Yet it seemed over long that I sat by thatdark water and whispering reeds, waiting, while I listened to the manyvoices of the night, near and far.
"Greeting, Untuswa!"
The words seemed to come out of nowhere. Quickly I looked up, but thevoice was not that of Lalusini! Then I made out a dark shape--a veryshadow.
"Follow now, holder of the White Shield," it said, and immediately beganto move away.
The voice was that of a woman--soft and pleasing. Keeping the shadow inview, yet warily, I moved forward. Beneath the heavy gloom of treesoverhanging the river bank we moved, and I had quite lost to view myguide, but at such times her voice would lead me; and at last I foundshe had halted at the entrance to a great rift like unto that wherein Ihad hid what time Jambula was surprised by the _impi_ in search of me.
My guide signed me to follow, and lo! we were threading our way indarkness between two great walls of earth. Then a light shone dullyforth, and there, in a cave formed by the closing of the earth wallsoverhead, I beheld a fire.
"Advance now, induna of another King," said the voice of my guide, "formy errand is done."
Even as I looked round for her she had disappeared. But raising my eyesto the lighted space in front I beheld that which made me forget allelse, for before me stood Lalusini.
In the circle of firelight there she stood, a smile of welcome wreathingher lips, her splendid form erect and tall as when I last saw itstanding to watch me out of sight what time I had started for the Valleyof the Red Death. There she stood, her hands extended towards me.
"Welcome, Untuswa," she said. "Thus do we meet once more."
No words did I utter, _Nkose_. I sprang to her side and we embracedlong and warmly. Then we sat down to talk, for we had much to say.
"Welcome, Untuswa," she repeated, still holding my hands. "Welcome,thou great brave one who would have slain a King who knew not how tokeep faith."
"Ha! But how didst thou know?" I cried in amazement.
"What do I not know? Tell me that," she said, smiling at me. "Listen;I saw the midnight struggle in the `great hut' of the _isigodhlo_. Isaw the dark way along the cliffs of the Inkume. Was not my _muti_ inthe buck with its fawn that saved thee from the pursuing _impi_ byshowing no alarm, even as the _muti_ upon thy neck saved thee whenUmzilikazi lay prone and stupified?"
"_E-he_! but that is indeed so. And it was thy _muti_ which saved mefrom the hatred of Tambusa and Tola but a few days since," I answered."But, tell me now, Lalusini, was not that tale true which was told me byold Gegesa?"
"It was true so far as she knew. Ha! when Umzilikazi's slaying dogscame to hale me forth in the black night, I laughed to myself, for Iknew I had that by which the alligators should not harm me. I leapedinto the dreadful pool where so many have died--and--came out quietly onthe other side what time those dogs returned to report to Umzilikazithat the sorceress he hated would trouble him no more; but perhaps inthat they lied--ah, ah, Untuswa, perhaps they lied! Not for nothing didthat Great One from whom I sprung cause me to be taught the deepestmysteries of the magic of the wise. And thyself, Untuswa, through manywanderings earnest thou here?"
"_Whau_! Not to thee need I tell of my wanderings, Lalusini, thou towhom all things are known." I said.
"And I think among such things are all thy wanderings," she laughed."Thou camest here to deliver the Amandebeli into the hand of Dingane."
"That is so, Lalusini; and for thy death the whole House of Matyobaneshould have died a thousand deaths. And now?"
"And now? We will see what the future may unfold."
Thus we sat and talked on far into the night, and many a question did Iput to Talumni concerning her own wandering
s, and how she had firstappeared at Nkunkundhlovu. I found she had been there before my ownarrival; but when I asked why she had taken another name, and whetherDingane really believed the account she had given of herself, she said:
"I know not how clear of suspicion is the King's mind, but that it isnot entirely clear let this tell: Never once has the Great Great Onedesired that I should become an inmate of the _isigodhlo_. NowDingane's love for handsome women is known to the whole nation, and I--well I am not quite the least comely of my sex, Untuswa." This she saidwith a playful smile. "Therefore it may be that he suspects something."
Then I told her about Tambusa, and how his enmity placed me in dailyperil. Her face clouded somewhat.
"We must suffer him for the present, Untuswa," she said. "He may benecessary to me in my plans, and to compass his death would be tojeopardise those plans. He and Umhlela are all powerful in the nation,yet they must remain so for a little longer. Still, be wary andcautious, for even the shield of my _muti_ may not always be broadenough to shelter thee."
The night had fled as we sat thus together--yes, indeed, it had fled--and now Lalusini bade me leave her and return, so that I might have timeto travel while it was yet dark, and mix with those who were aboutoutside of Nkunkundhlovu in the morning. This would be the easier, asthe morning would be a misty one, for which reason, indeed, she hadchosen this night for our meeting.
Thus we parted, and it was arranged that I should not seek her out againuntil she sent me word, as before. She wanted for nothing--there werethose who supplied her wants, and her dwelling-place was safe andsecure. None dared invade it.
As once more I threaded my way along the river-bank in the darkness, Isang softly to myself, not in fear, as many of our people do, to keepaway evil ghosts, but in joy. My beautiful sorceress wife! _Au_! Wasthere ever another such?--and she seemed to have returned to me from thedark deeps of the dead. But with my joy there mingled another thought.The desire for vengeance seemed to have passed--the longing to delivermy former nation over to the spears of Dingane seemed wondrously to havediminished. I remembered old comradeship--and friends, many and brave,who had charged with me in close and serried line, shoulder to shoulder,in the lightning rush of our might as we hurled ourselves on the foe;who had sprung forward with redoubled courage to the rallying wave of mywhite shield; and now it seemed that I desired no longer the destructionof these. With the recovery of Lalusini, my rancour against Umzilikazieven seemed to melt away. But only to accomplish such destruction had Ibeen allowed to _konza_ to Dingane, wherefore now I was as one who isjammed against a tree between the long horns of a fierce and savagecow--he cannot remain thus for ever, and does he but move, why one hornor the other must pierce him. Well, at present, with the Amabunathreatening us, we had enough to take care of for some time to come.Umzilikazi could not be attended to until afterwards.
While comforting myself with this thought, something happened. Therewas a rustling in the grass, and a quick patter of feet. It was thedarkest hour of the night, namely, that which precedes the dawn; but myeyes, well accustomed to the gloom, could distinguish the swift glide offleeing shapes--indeed, a frightened, snarling yelp arose, as one of theshapes nearly came against me as I stood to listen. But they fled--those wild creatures of the night--after the manner of beasts whodisperse when suddenly startled from their prey.
Then there came to my ears a low wail, as the moaning of a woman infear, or in pain, perhaps both.