Part 23 (1/2)
”Is that your na
”Inkosazana?”
”No,” answered Verna, laughing merrily ”It's only a title Inkosikazi is 'chieftainess,' and would be used for the principal wife of a chief
Inkosazana is a dihters In a word 'Miss'”
”I see I shall really have to learn--under your tuition”
”You really will,” she answered And then they talked on as they rode hohts shed full and varying upon the roll of landscape, the voices of wild Nature co up from mysterious forest depths on either side, and the presence of this splendid girl beside hi that this first day was nearly, if not quite, the most marvellous experience he had yet known
Ben Halse had returned before they had At table Verna was giving an account of their ride,with the Zulu Denha that his host's interest quickened at once
”Mandevu!” he repeated ”What's he doing in these parts, I wonder? Did he say, Verna?”
”Not he He was as close as an oyster”
”Why, he was at Ezulwini the other day”
”Who is he, Mr Halse?” asked Denham ”A chief?”
”In a small way, yes But--Well, this is a ru in upon it fros done every other day that nobody knows anything about I wouldn't tell every one that, but, then, we seeether, you and I, or rather the three of us So I don'ton that the presence of Mandevu in these parts just now does seta bit”
Denham didn't care to push his inquiries, not then, at any rate But the appearance of thetoo Of which, however, he said nothing to his host
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
RETRIBUTIVE
The ru like the wave of an earthquake It was hard to say where it began, but the tribes throughout the northern half of Natal were saturated with its spirit, and it idespread in Zulu land The authorities watched it with more anxiety than they cared to disclose, but even they had not fathomed the extent of its ramifications They knew, for instance, that Sapazani was disaffected, but they did not know that Maleht, and that a bevy of young men was ever present at his kraal, to bear off, under cover of darkness, the bundles of weapons barely cool frohty and mysterious loads delivered stealthily at another kraal of Sapazani's, a small one, in the most inaccessible recesses of the Lumisana forest
These had been delivered independently of the agency of Ben Halse, who on this occasion had held out fir offer In fact, Ben Halse did not know himself, he only suspected
The said authorities were fully alive to the desirability of arresting Sapazani, but between desirability and advisability there is soulf fixed For such a course would be tanta the train That chief and his powerful following up in arms--for it was certain that he would not sub tribes would throw off all disguise and join hi acute
In the sht, and others with hiround, were several of the loads referred to, and as their wrappings were undone the chief's eye glistened as they fell on the contents The young round, drinking large draughts of _tywala_ A fire burning in the centre of the open space illuminated the domed huts, and the broad face of the full roup Not a soul could have surprised the place, for ar distances
”This is good, Mandevu,” Sapazani was saying ”Noe get the the trees and rocks will these do their work? For , but did not Opondo tell us of that nation in the north--that which went forth under Uht the whites in the old way they were shot down before they could get near enough to strike a blow, but when they waited for their ene to him first, then they killed ain”
”And e have fought enough, and each killed our white ive us peace,” said Mandevu
”Opondo has said it, and others”
”The White King is angry with the people of this land,” went on Sapazani ”He has withdrawn his soldiers, and there are only _Nongqai_ left Those we shall easily eat up They are scattered about in threes and fours”
”I know not, brother There are those who say that we shall not surprise the whites, that they know qai_ together in a moment, and pour other forces upon us as well”