Part 2 (1/2)
falsely described as ”worn out,” and wondering whether Uot the honey out of his hair, the canvas was lifted, and a Kafir wrapped in a kaross crept in and squatted before me
”Who are you?” I asked, for it was too dark to see the man's face
”Inkoosi,” answered a deep voice, ”I a hiourd of snuff in token of hospitality Then I waited while he poured some of the snuff into the palm of his hand and took it in the usual fashi+on
”Inkoosi,” he said, when he had scraped away the tears produced by the snuff, ”I have come to ask you a favour You heard Uhter, Maive hiot the cattle, and I cannot earn them by work in many years Therefore I must take them from a certain tribe I knohich is at ith the Zulus But this I cannot do unless I have a gun If I had a good gun, Inkoosi--one that only goes off when it is asked, and not of its own fancy, I who have some name could persuade a number of men whom I knoho once were servants of my father, or their sons, to be my companions in this venture”
”Do I understand that you wish uns with two un worth at least twelve oxen, for nothing, O Saduko?” I asked in a cold and scandalised voice
”Not so, O Watcher-by-Night,” he answered; ”not so, O He-who-sleeps-with-one-eye-open” (another free and difficult rendering of my native name, Macumazahn, or more correctly, Macu such an insult to your high-born intelligence”
He paused and took another pinch of snuff, then went on in a et those hundred cattle there are many more; I am told not less than a thousand head in all Now, Inkoosi,” he added, looking at un I ask for, and suppose you accoun and your armed hunters, it would be fair that you should have half the cattle, would it not?”
”That's cool,” I said ”So, young etthe peace of his country?”
”Neither, Macumazahn, for these are my own cattle Listen, now, and I will tell you a story You have heard of Matiwane, the chief of the Awane?”
”Yes,” I answered ”His tribe lived near the head of the Umzinyati, did they not? Then they were beaten by the Boers or the English, and Matiwane caaan wiped him out, with his House, and now his people are killed or scattered”
”Yes, his people are killed and scattered, but his House still lives
Macumazahn, I am his House, I, the only son of his chief wife, for Zikali the Wise Little One, the Ancient, who is of the Aaan--yes, and Senzangakona their father before thereat and has such hty spirits for his servants, saved and sheltered reat, why, then, did he not save your father also, Saduko?” I asked, as though I knew nothing of this Zikali
”I cannot say, Macumazahn Perhaps the spirits plant a tree for themselves, and to do so cut down many other trees At least, so it happened It happened thus: Bangu, chief of the Aaan's ear that Matiwane, aan listened because he thought a sickness that he had cau, and take a company with you and pay Matiwane a visit of honour, and in the night, O in the night! Afterwards, Bangu, ill divide the cattle, for Matiwane is strong and clever, and you shall not risk your life for nothing'”
Saduko paused and looked down at the ground, brooding heavily
”Macumazahn, it was done,” he said presently ”They ate ave hih nau took snuff with hiht--!
”My father was in the hut withonly”--and he held his hand at the height of a boy of ten--”ith thean to eat; h the fence and aoe one to Zikali, for whose witchcrafts I pay withbut one word, 'Remember,' and thrust us froh the fence; yes, she tore at it with her nails and teeth like a hyena I looked back out of the shadow of the hut and saw Matiwanelike a buffalo Men went down before hih he had no shi+eld: only his spear Then Bangu crept behind him and stabbed him in the back and he threw up his arh the fence We ran, but they perceived us They hunted us as wild dogs hunt a buck
They killed ai; it entered at her back and came out at her heart I went mad, I drew it from her body, I ran at them I dived beneath the shi+eld of the first, a very tall ht cah he were but a bowl of buttermilk Yes, he rolled over, quite dead, and the handle of the spear broke upon the ground Now the others stopped astonished, for never had they seen such a thing That a child should kill a tall warrior, oh! that tale had not been told Sou came up and saw the dead man, as his brother
”'Wow!' he said when he kne the man had died 'This lion's cub is a wizard also, for how else could he have killed a soldier who has knoar? Hold out his arms that I may finish hiu ca, not that his tale was done, but because his voice choked in his throat Indeed, seldoasps, the sweat poured froave him a pannikin of water and he drank, then he went on:
”Already the spear had begun to prick--look, here is thehis kaross he pointed to a little white line just below the breast-bone--”when a strange shadow thrown by the fire of the burning huts ca on its hind legs I looked round and saw that it was the shadow of Zikali, whoh whence he careat white head that sits on the top of his body like a pu loudly
”'A ht,' he cried in his deep voice that sounded like water in a hollow cave 'A u, Chief of the Amakoba! Blood, blood, plenty of blood! Fire, fire, plenty of fire! Wizards dead here, there, and everywhere! Oh, a randreat Inkosikazi, when myself I escaped with my life because I was so old; but never do I remember a merrier than that which this moon shi+nes on,' and he pointed to the White Lady who just then broke through the clouds
'But, great Chief Bangu, lord loved by the son of Senzangakona, brother of the Black One (Chaka) who has ridden hence on the assegai, what is theof _this_ play?' and he pointed to me and to the two soldiers who held out my little arms
”'I kill the wizard's cub, Zikali, that is all,' answered Bangu