Part 14 (1/2)
Now there was another reason why the place should have been na along the river bank, I being in attendance on hi sheer down into a deep, still pool As we looked over we beheld several s upon the surface of the water They were the heads and noses of alligators
”Ha!” cried the King ”I have an idea, Untuswa, and I think it is not a bad one” Then, turning round, he called to a boy as herding calves not far off The lad drew near, and, seeing who had called hian to tremble and his eyes to start from his head in his terror and awe of the Great Great One He prostrated hiue nearly clove to his mouth as he stuttered the _Bayete_
”Rise up, child,” said the King, ”and go quickly and bring hither yonder calves Delay not--yet stay; call those within sight to help thee”
The lad sped away, and soon, in obedience to his calls, about a dozen other boys ca a half-circle, drove the entire herd, to the nurown calves, up to where ere standing, the King and I, leaning upon our sticks
”Make them leap,” said Umzilikazi ”Make them leap”
But this was not so easy, for the calves were big, and, their instincts of danger warning theether, nor would they suffer the the yells and sticks of the boys who strove to drive the thereatest risk of falling after thehty splash, which echoed like thunder from the face of the rock
The splash subsided, the surface was dotted with the heads of the ani for the other side; and then the pool was in a boil, and the calves, swi quietly before, heaved theators rose to seize theain but for a moment, and soon the surface was dyed red, and the tranquil water lashed into foaled with the snap, snap of bony jaws, followed by a hideous crunch; and as the long, gri prey, we could see that these alligators were of enormous size It was over at last, save here and there a livid head, or aon the surface; but the shakings of the water, and the long strings of red bubbles which ca up, showed that the hideous brutes beneath were tearing and devouring their welco ”That was a good thought ofof evil-doers, Untuswa Not long have the alligators taken to dispose of twenty large and well-grown calves; not long would they take to dispose of a reat idea!”
To this I agreed, of course But, looking into that horrid pool and its bloody surface, where even noo or three of the alligators were reappearing, turning their eyes upward as though looking for -place away on the mountain, and wondered if my death would coht, _Nkose_, was not a nice one
”Go now, children,” said the King, waving away the staring and terrified boys; and go they did, for I believe they thought they were to be thrown in after the calves ”The idea is great; yes--great!” continued Uood humour, as alked back ”They shall be kept there, those alligators, and from time to ti this tilected to speak ofhad still suffered to live--I think, because he desired to spare two such brave fighters as Mgwali andhenceforth the sons of nobody; for had our father died the death of a convicted traitor we could never h his life was spared, Ntelani was adjudged to spend it in a state of banishment He was allowed to erect a small kraal, and here with such of his wives as chose to cleave unto hih cattle to keep hi into a state of pree and foolishness Indeed, he passed out of the life of the nation, and his voice from its councils
Once settled in our new country, the King lost no ti cattle outposts and military kraals, of which latter I was appointed ad held responsible for their order and efficiency
We fighting _indunas_, too, were required to for upon the youth of the nation at a far earlier age than had hitherto been custo to for preferred, where possible, to recruit our fighting strength a that of our miserable, poor-spirited slaves But these youths made up in martial ardour what they lacked in years, for they were continually worrying the Great Great One, through us _izinduna_, to allow theo forth--it mattered not where--and wet their spears But U them be patient; yet at their importunity he was not ill-pleased However, they little knew there should shortly befall that which would give all their fiery mettle as much outlet as it could take care of
Just then I was very busy, travelling fro, the regi and the nation--for here, in this land, we intended to dwell, and already the wo and ere ladness, as they laid out new gardens for their corn and melons, and daily saw the cattle milked at the sa of the fate which had overwhelmed Tauana and the Bakoni--hastened to co that the tread of the Black Elephant of the Amandebeli stamped far, and that from it there was no escape
It happened that I was returning from one of my rounds towas yet young; indeed, the sun had only just risen, and the forest path along which we travelled--I and Mgwali, who accoolden network of sunshi+ne through the leaves, and joyous with the song and whistle of birds and the chatter ofwith forest trees and trailers Suddenly,behind , son ofand hard I was about to reply, ”Nothing,” when I heard the sound as of a voice--the voice of a --even as the voice of one of our _izanusi_ engaged in_muti_ Now, there were caves in those rocks, _Nkose_, caves which were not unassociated aati_; wherefore, with the instinct of a warrior in the presence of evil, I gripped er to see through thisclose behindof the voice sounded plainer now; then we heard a lowof a bell
_Whau_! Here was a strange thing What could such soundsthe rocks and caves? The voice, too, was h not so soft as ours, yet iues of those inferior peoples which we had destroyed or enslaved Stealthily we drew nearer, and, peering out through the trees, this is
A great slab of rock out-hung fro a shallow cave
In the , his back towards us He was clothed in a great cloak, red in colour, and bearing a broad crossed bar down its entire length, while showing beloas a long white garment which seemed to cover him from neck to foot His movements called to ourcattle to the ghosts of our fathers on solemn occasions; yet not But this could be no _isanusi_, for he was a white man! Still he must be an _isanusi_ of so sacrifice In front of hie in the rock formation--we could not determine which--and upon it were two little pillars tipped with flame Moreover, upon this the man's words and actions see else, which from there we could not see But here, if possible, was alow, knelt another man--a dark man, one of ourselves, and of the sa upon his head, and his other adornments were as ours He, too, see the other, for his ain drop fro _Hau_! it onderful! In rigid wonder we stared, not knoas to come next
But a dead silence had fallen upon these t, and theout oncebent low, straightened hih overhead, and in his hands there flashed forth a So upon which a ray of the newly-risen sun now glinted with dazzling whiteness And the man behind--the black ht lie aits the sentence of the Great Great One himself
_Whau, Nkose_! I know not hoas, but sowali and e and ht we had ever beheld before We watched, confused by what followed, but of it we have but s The white _isanusi_ turned full towards us, , and, while we shrank in dread lest he should be putting upon us the spell of his _muti_, we took note of his face and that keenly It was the face of a white h byface, that of a lance, fear was unknown The eyes were black and piercing as those of an eagle, and a long, thick beard fell low upon the breast, its dark rey
We stood watching this marvellous performance, o fearless and armed warriors, and yet there was that in it which laid upon us a kind of awe
At length it cauish the fire upon his stone of sacrifice and wrap up carefully in coverings such things as had been upon it But our astonishreatest atched hiare loose robe of black, and this he did not take off [Note 1] The other dresses, however, he carefully rolled up in coverings, and while he was doing this the hted a fire, and set upon it a joint of game to roast, evidently the quarter of one of the smaller kinds of buck
Few, indeed, _Nkose_, were the white men, except Amabuna, we had seen in those days, and that this was not one of those we felt certain Mgas the first to recover frorunted ”I know not how yon _isanusi_--white though he be--dare come here and make _ati_”