Part 18 (1/2)
”As to 'cut-off,' I know not,” answered the other, stung out of his natural respect towards one of the Royal House ”This I know--that that branch now puts forth the most leaves The 'word' from it was: 'Take the cattle of Mnyamana,' and I have taken them”
”But no further shalt thou take them, dead leaf of the cut-off branch,”
replied Dabulao”
Away--now quite at a distance, the ani at a run, propelled towards the mountain fastnesses by quite a number of nificance, for iti it as nearly as possible upon equal terms with his own He had lost the cattle--for which he was responsible, and the chief to whoent ation he would thus lay hi out of his original orders He stole one quick look over his followers Yes The thing could be done, if only he could convey sonal that they should strike immediately and in concert
But there ith Dabulamanzi's force an old induna na whose whole life had been spent in a laughing acquaintance with Death, by the side of whose crowded experience such a crisis as this was as the ist, moreover, whose rapidity of plan had turned the scale of le He, while these a forward, had taken but scant notice of them; instead, had let his observation--the outcoo as to the attitude of the other side, and also that of his own With regard to the latter, a mere breathed word here and there had been sufficient Warriors had slipped away unostentatiously frole with the rest-- far and near--and as they went, they, too, carried a word
Untuswa read Qapela's e of getting in the first blo he lifted up his voice and roared in deep sonorous tone, the war-shout of the King's party
”Usutu!”
Like an answering wave in thunder on an iron-bound coast it was taken up and rolled through the hten aforce For a fewof shi+eld against shi+e|d, the death-hiss--the strident ”_I-jji_! _I-jji_!” as the spear or heavy knob-stick struck home; then Qapela's force, overwhelht, broke and fled in blind, scattered confusion, the Usutu impi in hot pursuit A mandate from Dabulamanzi, however, recalled this, as far as was practicable He had no wish to destroy his own people, any more of them, that is, than was absolutely necessary, only to show that the King, though an exile, was still the Great Great One, in whose light they lived, and that his wrath could still burn far and terrible upon these rebellious ones But that mandate could not reach those in the forefront of the pursuit, who, carried away by the irresistible dash and excitement of it all, were already far beyond reach of recall So the chase kept on, not always to the advantage of the pursuers, for these would often turn--and then it was as the fighting of a cornered wild aniht went on, until the shades of evening began to deepen, and then there was just one left, a young man, lithe and fleet of foot; and he, beset by a relentless score, stu sobs, into a white man's camp, to fall, prone, incapable of further movement, nearly across the white men's fire
Note 1 A term of honour accorded to male members of the Royal House
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE REFUGEE
”Yes, I'm afraid there's thunder in the air,” said Joe Fleetwood, lazily sharpening a orn sheath-knife upon the iron ri to and fro--bristling with assegais, too, and in too hty hurry to stop and talk--seem to point that way”
”How'll that affect our scheround, his head on his hands and a pipe between his teeth, looking the picture of ease and content A little way off the waggon boys--all Natal natives--ashi+ng and scrubbing the enao been lunching, chatting a apart, and throwing at theed Zulu Away in front stretched an aleamed in the afternoon sun
”It may affect us this way,” went on Fleetwood, ”that if the rival parties come to bloe may be expected to take sides or be chawed up between the two”
”The deuce! Well, we didn't reckon on a second edition of '79, as part of our plans, did we? It won't fore can is we've done next to no trade When once it becaun-runners, they've kept at a respectful distance”
They had coons Fleetwood, of course, ell aware that under existing circuon loads were a pretext; a blind to cover their real intentions
Now the Zulu before ot up, stretched himself, and strolled leisurely over to the face, and, if anything, inclined to stoutness
”There is thunder in the air,” he said, in a casual tone
”I made that remark but now, Hlabulana,” answered Fleetwood ”Well?”
”While sitting over yonder my ears were open to other sounds than the chatter of these Amakafula,” went on the Zulu in the same low, matter-of-fact tones ”They heard sounds of war”