Part 3 (2/2)
”Behold the Black Kloof, Macumazahn,” which were almost the first words he had uttered since we started
Truly the spot ell named, for there, cut out by water froe, lay one of the loomy places that ever I had beheld It was a vast cleft in which granite boulders were piled up fantastically, perched one upon another in great colu the rocks It faced towards the west, but the light of the sinking sun that flowed up it served only to accentuate its vast loneliness, for it was a big cleft, the best part of a e wea little path not a foot wide that led us at length to a large hut and several santic ht fall at any ate of the fence two natives of I know not what tribe,out and thrust their spears towardsyou here, Saduko?” asked one of them sternly
”A white man that I vouch for,” he answered ”Tell Zikali that ait on him”
”What need to tell Zikali that which he knows already?” said the sentry
”Your food and that of your companion is already cooked in yonder hut
Enter, Saduko, with him for whom you vouch”
So ent into the hut and ate, also I washed myself, for it was a beautifully clean hut, and the stools, wooden bowls, etc, were finely carved out of red ivory wood, this work, Saduko infor done by Zikali's own hand Just as ere finishi+ng our er came to tell us that Zikali waited our presence We followed him across an open space to a kind of door in the tall reed fence, passing which I set eyes for the first time upon the famous old witch-doctor of whom so ht in those strange surroundings, for they were very strange, and I think their complete simplicity added to the effect In front of us was a kind of courtyard with a black floor , two-thirds of which at least was practically roofed in by the huge over-hangingabove at a height of not less than sixty or seventy feet froreat, precipice-backed cavity poured the fierce light of the setting sun, turning it and all within it, even the large straw hut in the background, to the deep hue of blood Seeing the wonderful effect of the sunset in that dark and forbidding place, it occurred to me at once that the old wizard must have chosen this moment to receive us because of its iot these scenic accessories in the sight of the man himself
There he sat on a stool in front of his hut, quite unattended, and wearing only a cloak of leopard skins open in front, for he was unadorned with the usual hideous trappings of a witch-doctor, such as snake-skins, human bones, bladders full of unholy compounds, and so forth
What a man he was, if indeed he could be called quite huh stout, was only that of a child; his head was enormous, and from it plaited white hair fell down on to his shoulders His eyes were deep and sunken, his face was broad and very stern Except for this snohite hair, however, he did not look ancient, for his flesh was firm and pluested to reat antiquity was false A man as over a hundred years old, for instance, surely could not boast such a beautiful set of teeth, for even at that distance I could see thee was far behind hiuess even approximately the nuht, perfectly still, and staring without a blink of his eyes at the furious ball of the setting sun, as an eagle is said to be able to do
Saduko advanced, and I walked after hireat, and I have never consideredperson, but sonificant than on this occasion The tall and splendid native beside, or rather behind whonificence of the place, the blood-red light in which it was bathed, and the soleure isdom stamped upon its face before me, all tended to induce hu smaller and smaller, both in a moral and a physical sense; I wished that my curiosity had not pro
Well, it was too late to retreat; indeed, Saduko was already standing before the dwarf and lifting his right arave hi was expected of me, I took offmy white man's pride, replaced it on my head
[--”Makosi”, the plural of ”Inkoosi”, is the salute given to Zulu wizards, because they are not one but many, since in them (as in the possessed demoniac in the Bible) dwell an unnumbered horde of spirits--EDITOR]
The wizard suddenly see his conte sun, he scanned us both with his slow, thoughtful eyes, which soh they were not pro, son Saduko!” he said in a deep, ru voice ”Why are you back here so soon, and why do you bring this flea of a white man with you?”
Now this wasfor ive me a poor name, O Zikali What would you think of me if I called you a beetle of a wizard?”
”I should think you clever,” he answered after reflection, ”for after all Ilike a beetle with a white head But why should you ht and so do you, Macumazahn; a flea is active and so are you; a flea is very hard to catch and kill and so are you; and lastly a flea drinks its fill of that which it desires, the blood of man and beast, and so you have done, do, and will, Macuh that rolled and echoed about the rocky roof above
Once, long years before, I had heard that laugh, when I was a prisoner in Dingaan's kraal, after the ain
While I was searching for soht of plenty afterwards, ceasing of a sudden from his unseemly mirth, he went on:
”Do not let us waste ti, and there is but little of it left for any one of us Your business, son Saduko?”
”Baba!” (that is the Zulu for father), said Saduko, ”this white Inkoosi, for, as you knoell enough, he is a chief by nature, a h blood [this, I believe, is true, for I have been told that h, if this is so, their talents did not lie in the direction ofexpedition and to give un with two mouths in paye in any fresh venture without your leave, and--he is corant it, my father”