Part 36 (2/2)
”Perhaps I do, Macumazahn,” she answered ”Am I to blame for that, if my life is on it, especially when I really like you for yourself?”
”I don't know,” I said ”Tell et out of this place?”
”How can I tell you, Macuenial way, ”but I think before long When you are gone, Macumazahn, remember me kindly sometimes, as I have really tried tothrough every straw in the hut”
I said whatever seemy breakfast in the courtyard at the back of the hut, Naya thrust her handsome and pleasant face round the corner and said that there was athe rest of the meal unsed, I went to the doorway of the yard and there found , Inkoos,” he said to uard But I warn you to ask aan is ill, and you cannot see hi-man, or anyone; you aan,” I replied, looking hiaan's thoughts are his thoughts and your thoughts are your thoughts, and perhaps that is why he does not want to see _you_ Still, reaan has saved your life, snatching you unburned out of a very great fire, perhaps because you are of a different sort of wood, which he thinks it a pity to burn
Now, if you are ready, let us go”
”I aate I ood-bye to h I have tended you well Ah! what else could I expect? Still, I hope that if I should have to fly from this land for _my_ life, as may chance, you will do for me what I have done for you”
”That I will,” I answered, shaking her by the hand; and, as it happened, in after years I did
Kaundhlovu, but round it
Our road lay immediately past the death athered in great numbers Indeed, it was actually my lot to walk over the new-picked bones of some of my companions who had been despatched at the foot of the hill One of these skeletons I recognised by his clothes to be that of Saood fellow, at whose side I had slept during all our march His eh they asked me why I remained alive when he and all his brethren were dead I echoed the question in reat company did I alone remain alive?
An answer seeht be one of the instruaan Looking upon those poor shattered and desecrated frames that had been men, I swore in my heart that if I lived I would not fail in that reat repay ht, I saw that on the opposite slope, where we had caoa, still stood the huts and wagons of the Reverend Mr Owen I asked Kambula whether he and his people were also dead
”No, Inkoos,” he answered; ”they are of the Children of George, as you are, and therefore the king has spared the to send theood news, so far as it went, and I asked again if Tholish wished to save hied off with the rest When the slayers got to their work it was too late to stay their hands”
Again I asked whether I ht not join Mr Owen and trek with him, to which Ka's orders are that you ain meet Mr Owen or any of his people I believe, however, that they reached Durban safely and sailed away in a shi+p called the Comet
In a little while we caate of the kraal, where uns had gone Here Kaniseto it; ”but what is the use of a saddle without a horse?”
”The horse you rode has been kept for you, Macumazahn,” he replied
Then he ordered one of thethe saddle and bridle, also some other articles which I selected, such as a couple of blankets, a water-bottle, two tins containing coffee and sugar, a little case of medicines, and so forth
About a mile further on I found one of uard hut, and noted that it had been well fed and cared for By Kambula's leave I saddled it and mounted As I did so, he warned me that if I tried to ride away from the escort I should certainly be killed, since even if I escaped thehout the land to put an end to me should I be seen alone
I replied that, unar any such atte or trotting at , so far as I could judge, about twenty or thirty miles to the east of that road by which I had left Zululand before and re-entered it with Retief and his coreat interest to the Zulus of the country through which we passed, perhaps because they knew one up to visit the king They would come down in crowds froh I were a spirit and not ato me, probably because they had been forbidden to do so Indeed, if I spoke to any of the
It was on the evening of the fourth day that Kambula and his soldiers received soer in a state of exhaustion, who had an injury to the fleshy part of his left arh it had been caused by a bullet, appeared out of the bush and said soht tords--”Great slaughter” Then Kanal for silence and led the man away, nor did I see or hear any more of hireat slaughter, whereon he stared at me innocently and replied that he did not knohat I was speaking