CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.
THE EMBASSY OF TAMBUSA.
"What do I see? Untuswa, the wanderer? Untuswa, who fled from thenorth to _konza_ to another King? Ha! Greeting, Untuswa, for it seemslong since we have beheld thee."
So spake Dingane, softly, flatteringly, even as Umzilikazi was wont todo what time the stake or the alligators were preparing for somebody,and I indeed felt dead already.
"And these," went on the King, bending his stern gaze upon my following."A warrior-like band indeed, and it seems a pity to slay such, yet mustthey all die."
This he said almost to himself, else had the slayers been at workalready. And I--the boldness of desperation came into me then.
"We are the King's cattle," I said. "We are here to place our livesbeneath the foot of the Elephant. Yet, O Ruler of the World, there aresome who should taste the goring of our horns. We are the King'sfighting-bulls. And, Great Great One, suffer us ere we die to spillonce more the blood of the King's enemies."
"Yet, Untuswa, it sometimes happens that fighting-bulls, growing mad,turn and gore their owners. They had better have been slain first,"said Dingane, with dark suspicion in his tone.
Now I saw what was to be done, though I hardly knew what to say.
"I would ask the Great Great One wherefore these are here at all, butthat they may drink the blood of the King's enemies?" I urged, amazedat my own boldness. "Were they here for any other purpose, why thenthey were already dead, Father of the Wise. _Au_! they seek but to diein the ranks of those who fight. That is all, Calf of a Black Bull."
And they on whose behalf I spoke uttered a great murmur of assent,together with words of _bonga_ and the King's titles.
Then I saw Dingane whisper to one who sat near him, and this oneretired. _Whau_! that was a moment. We who sat there seemed alreadydead. Around crouched the two immense half circles of armed warriors,their shields lying on the ground before them--all in dead silence--andin his great chair made out of the carved trunk of a tree, the greatwhite shield held aloft at the back of his head, the King sat, silent,stern, gloomy looking. His attitude was that of one who waited. Waitedfor what? For the carrying out of his order decreeing, our death?
Then some new event was astir. There stood before the King a woman.Now my followers dared to breathe again, and the sound went up fromevery chest like a sob of relief. And seeing who the woman was, my ownrelief became greater still, for she was my sorceress-wife.
"Hearken, Mahlula," said the King. "See you these?"
"I see them, Great Great One," she answered, sweeping a majestic glanceover us. "They are those known as the Bapongqolo. They are here to laytheir lives beneath the foot of the Elephant, and to crave the right todie fighting for him."
"And how dost thou know that, my sister?" said Dingane suspiciously.
"It is easily known, Father of the Wise, and that not even by my_muti_," she answered. "There are many among them known by name, andall have the look of forest-dwellers. And he at their head, look athim."
"Ha! And is it for good or for ill that they are here?"
"For good, Ruler of the Great. For these are fine wielders of thespear. And they are many," she answered.
"That is well," said Dingane. "You wanderers, I give you your lives.You shall join these lion-cubs, and plenty of prey lies awaiting yourteeth."
For some moments, _Nkose_, the roar that went up from all men's throatswould seem about to split the world, for to the praises rolled forthfrom those who were thus spared was added the _bonga_ of the whole army.
"Now talk we of Untuswa," said the King, when this had quieted down."There is that about him which I like not entirely. What of him,Mahlula?"
She looked at me long and earnestly, as though she had never seen mebefore, but in her sweet eyes I read hope and courage. Then she said:
"I think he is a born leader of warriors, Great Great One."
"Ha! Now shalt thou have a chance of showing thy powers, Mahlula," saidthe King. "Thou, Untuswa," pointing at me with his assegai, "shalt alsobe put to the proof. I name these the Bapongqolo, and of this regimentI create thee _induna_, for I have not yet known the predictions ofMahlula to prove false. Retire now with thy men and form them up amongthose yonder."
They who had custodied us now fell back, and as we all gathered up ourweapons again we thundered forth the war-song of Dingane. Then, when wehad formed up at the place pointed out to as, in truth it seemed thatthe army had received a most valuable addition in ourselves. Thendancing was ordered, and the slaughter of cattle, and there was muchfeasting.
Now during an earlier part of the war the Amabuna had sent messages toDingane proposing peace, and to such the King had listened. Trouble wasthreatening at home, for Mpande, the brother of Dingane, was stillplotting, and had by now collected a considerable following. Further,the Amabuna were increasing in strength, numbers having crossed themountains to join them; moreover, several of the tribes who did _konza_to the royal House had forgotten their tribute, sheltering themselvesbehind the Amabuna. So Dingane had listened to the peace proposals ofthe Amabuna, and had agreed to pay nearly twenty thousand cattle, and toreturn the guns and horses taken at Nkunkundhlovu. For a space thenthere was peace. The Amabuna did not even want the cattle just then;they would rather we should herd them for the time being. So far good.
But one day there came news. Mpande had crossed the Tugela and had fledto the Amabuna, declaring that he feared for his life. _Au_! and longsince he would have owned no life to fear for, had the King but listenedto the counsels of Tambusa, who would have caused him to be slain. Butit was too late now, and already Dingane had reason to repent him of hismercy, for now that Mpande had promised them to divide the nation theAmabuna, ignoring all former promises and arrangements, sent word toDingane demanding from him double the number of cattle at first agreedupon, and without even awaiting his reply they prepared to advance uponNkunkundhlovu.
Not for nothing had Mpande plotted. He had gained over to his causeNongalaza, an induna of importance. Nongalaza was old, and sufferedfrom swollen limbs; but he was a skilled and courageous commander, andhe took with him to the side of Mpande and the Amabuna the strength offour full regiments.
Now Dingane sent an embassy to the leaders of the Amabuna, and theinduna he chose as his "mouth" was Tambusa. He had better have chosensome other messenger--better for Tambusa, but not better for me,_Nkose_, for it was during Tambusa's absence that I and the Bapongqoloarrived to place our lives in the hand of the King.
This, then, is what was happening at that time within the camp of theAmabuna, and the tale I have from the mouths of several among those whohad fled with Mpande and who witnessed that which was now done.
Tambusa entered the camp of the Amabuna attended by Nkombazana, one ofhis own followers. He was received but coldly by the Amabuna. Why hadthey broken faith with the Great Great One who sits at Nkunkundhlovu? heasked. They had demanded twice the number of cattle at first agreedupon. They were preparing to invade the country, and had declared theirintention of setting up Mpande as King, having deposed Dingane. Whowere they who took to themselves the right to make and unmake Kings forthe Zulu nation? asked Tambusa, proud and defiant. Dingane was King ofthe Zulu nation, and as King he would live and die.
"Ah! die perhaps, that is right," said one of the Amabuna, with an evillaugh.
"A King of the Amazulu does not die of words nor of fear," repliedTambusa, fiercely scornful. "Yet hearken to my message, even the `word'of the Great Great One, whose mouth I am. Thus he speaks: `We made anagreement, have I not kept it? I have returned the guns and horses Ipromised; I have sent in part of the cattle I promised, I would havesent in all, but you preferred to leave the remainder with me for thepresent. Well, it is there, send and take it, or shall I send it in?Now you demand twice the number, and this I do not understand. Now youprepare to invade us in armed force, and threaten to make Mpande King inmy place. This also I do not understand, and ha
ve sent my induna,Tambusa, as my "mouth" to say so. He is also my "ears," and will listento and bring back your words to me.' Thus spoke the Great Great One bywhose light we live."
"Ha! The Great Great One by whose light we live!" jeered some of theAmabuna. "A Great Great murderer, who shall soon die."
To this Tambusa made no reply. His head was proudly erect, on his facea sneer of hate and scorn such as he could hardly conceal. Then thechief of the Amabuna spoke:
"To you we have nothing to say. To your captain"--for so he designatedthe King--"we have nothing to say. When the time comes we shall act,and come it will, very soon."
"We, too, know how to act," answered Tambusa. "_Hlalani gahle_! Iretire."
He turned to leave--turned, to find a line of guns pointed full upon himat but a few paces distant.
"Halt--Kafir!"
The tone, the insult, the scowl on the shaggy faces which glared at himfrom under their wide-brimmed hats, roused all the savage fighting bloodin Tambusa, and those who beheld him say that the great veins in hisforehead swelled until they seemed about to burst with the pressure ofhis head-ring. "Kafir!" Thus these refuse whites dared to address thechief induna of the royal race of Zulu, second only in greatness to theKing himself! But he was helpless, for, as a peace ambassador, he hadof course been obliged to lay down his arms on entering the camp.
Now he turned to the leaders of the Amabuna, who were talking with theirheads together.
"See you this?" he said, waving his hand towards the line of men whostood threatening him with their guns. "See you this? I, a peacemessenger, am insulted and threatened. I, a peace messenger, amdetained, when I would depart as I came. In truth, it is not good totrust to the good faith of the Amabuna."
"In truth it is not good to trust to the good faith of the Amazulu,"answered the leader sternly. "Say, were not our people peacemessengers--our people whose bones lie outside Nkunkundhlovu--whotrusted in the good faith of that murderer, your chief?"
"Ha! But you? You are a holy people--a people of God, you told theKing. We are only poor, ignorant black people," said Tambusa, tauntingthem, in his scornful wrath.
"But there is a God of justice," quickly replied the leader, "and He hasdelivered you into our hands to be dealt with as one of the chiefmurderers of our people. The others He will deliver to us in time. Butenough of that. This is the matter now. The treacherous and cruelmurder of our people at Nkunkundhlovu was counselled by you, Tambusa.By you it was planned and arranged, by your orders it was carried out.What have you to say?"
"That is not the matter about which I am here," replied the induna. "Ifye would have me answer on that matter, ye should have sent men to bringme here, if they could have done it. It is a matter as to which now Iwill say no word."
"That is perhaps as well," answered the leader, "for here we have enoughto prove your guilt over and over again." And with the words Tambusasaw the trap into which he had walked. Mpande had denounced him to theAmabuna--Mpande, whose death he had repeatedly counselled. He was asgood as dead. Yet he only smiled, rearing his tall and stately form toits full height, and the smile was one of hatred and scorn and contempt.But so deeply did it sting those Amabuna that they broke forth intocurses, and some of them, rising from their seats, shook their fists inhis face, crowding around him, and fairly howling with rage, all talkingat once as they heaped every abusive name upon him, the King and thewhole Zulu race. But the smile of contempt and scorn only deepened onthe face of Tambusa as he stood therein his great stature like somemighty tree, while they snarled and leaped around him like jackals. Atlast he who sat at the head of the council succeeded in quieting them.
"Then you have nothing to say--no reason to urge why the punishment ofdeath should not be dealt out to you?" said this man, speaking solemnly."There may be others, perhaps--others more guilty than yourself. Ifthere is anything you can tell us--"
But here he stopped, for Tambusa had interrupted him by a loud, harshlaugh, so fierce that it sounded like a war-cry.
"Others? Anything I can tell you?" he repeated, with a very roar. "I,an induna of the right hand of the Great King, to give _you_information! _Whau_! ye must be madmen. Not to save a hundred liveswould I give you information as to even the youngest boy just enrolledamong those who bear shields. Do I fear death--I, Tambusa? Why, Istare it in the face every day. And I think, _Ntshwai-ntshwai_, whendeath has been the game some of you must have seen my face before."
[Ntshwai-ntshwai. A nickname bestowed upon the Boers by the Zulus,being in fact an imitation of the swishing sound of their wide leatherbreeches as they moved.]
"He confesses!" cried those standing around. "Enough--enough. Let himbe shot."
The leader of the council, having obtained silence, spoke:
"On your own showing, Tambusa, you are guilty of counselling andplanning the cruel and treacherous murder of our brothers atNkunkundhlovu while they were at that place by the invitation of theKing and Zulu nation. They were set upon and slain in cold blood whilepartaking of Zulu hospitality; and for your share in this unprovoked andabominable massacre this council adjudges you, Tambusa, to suffer death;and that, in execution of this sentence, you be taken outside the campand forthwith shot."
There was a deep silence as the leader ceased speaking. It was brokenby the voice of Tambusa:
"I, too, have something to say."
All started. Would this braggart, they thought, turn coward, andendeavour at the last moment to save his life? Ah, they little knew.
"Speak, then," said the leader. "But let it be brief."
"This boy," said Tambusa, with a wave of the hand towards Nkombazana,who squatted a little distance off. "He has slain no Amabuna. Let himgo home."
No reply was made at first, and the Amabuna looked at each other. ButNkombazana, who had heard all, now sprang to his feet. He to go home,when his father and chief was to die here? No, no! Then, with flashingeyes, he began bellowing out the number of Amabuna he had slain. Why,he had helped to batter out the brains of that very party, and hadripped up white women with his own spear what time we rushed the waggoncamp. If his chief was to die, he would die with him. A warrior mustfollow his chief everywhere.
Well, he obtained his wish. The leaders would have spared him at first,but when they heard him glorying in the slaughter of their countrymen--and countrywomen, too--they soon desisted in their attempts, and theAmabuna at large howled for his blood.
So Tambusa and his young follower were ordered to proceed in the midstof their armed guard to the outskirts of the camp to meet their death.
No further word did Tambusa speak, save one of commendation of thebravery shown by his follower. He strode forth in the midst of hisguard, his head thrown back--his great stature and fearless countenanceworthy of a Zulu of the noblest rank and birth. When they ordered himto halt he did so, and, facing round upon the line of levelled guns,stood proudly, with folded arms, his young follower standing equallyfearless at his side. A line of flame shot forth, and a rolling crash.Tambusa and Nkombazana sunk quietly to the ground, pierced by manybullets, dying without a struggle.
Such, then, was the end of Tambusa, and although, _Nkose_, I had noliking for him nor he for me--indeed, had he lived he would ever havebeen my bitterest enemy--yet his end was that of a brave man, and inevery way worthy of an induna of the Zulu nation who sat at the righthand of the King.