Part 29 (1/2)
Nor did I see alone, since a moan of fear and worshi+p went up frorew silent stared and stared
Suddenly Zikali lifted his head and looked at theh the thin flame of the fire which er or of a cornered baboon
”At what do you gaze so hard, King and Councillors?” he asked
”I see nothing At what then do you gaze so hard?”
”On the rock above you stands a white spirit in her glory It is the Inkosazana herself,” muttered Cetewayo
”Has she come then?” mocked the old wizard ”Nay, surely it is but a dream, or another of led here in , or rolled up in the blanket on my back How can I prove to you that this is not another cheat like to that of the spirit of Maain? Go near to her youthat if by chance she should not be a cheat, you would die, every man of you, for woe to him whom Nomkubulwana touches How then, how? Ah! I have it Doubtless in his pocket Macuun, Macuun can cut a reed in two at thirty paces, or shave the hair from the chin of a man, as is well known in the land Let hiun and shoot at that which you say stands upon the rock If it be a black woman painted white, doubtless she will fall down dead, as so many have fallen from that rock But if it be the Princess of Heaven, then the bullet will pass through her or turn aside and she will take no harh whether Macumazahn will take any harm is more than I can say”
Nohen they heard this an to clamour that I should be ordered to shoot at the apparition At length Cetewayo seeive way to this pressure I say seeive way Whether or not a spirit stood before him, he knew no more than the rest, but he did know that unless the vision were proved to be lish Therefore he took the only chance that remained to him
”Macumazahn,” he said, ”I know you have your pistol on you, for only the other day you brought it into ht and darkness you nurse it as a mother does her firstborn Now since the Opener of Roads desires it, I command you to fire at that which seems to stand above us If it be a mortal woman, she is a cheat and deserves to die If it be a spirit from heaven it can take no harm Nor can you take harm who only do that which you ,” I answered
”Is it so? What! do you defy me, White Man? Do so if you will, but learn that then your bones shall whiten here in this Vale of Bones Yes, you shall be the first of the English to go below,” and turning, he whispered so to two of the Councillors
Now I saw that I rew confused in face of this awful alternative I did not believe that I saw a spirit I believed that what stood above ht h at that time the truth did not occur to me, perhaps because I was too surprised Well, if it were No such a trick, and what isthe fraud of Zikali, would perhaps avert a great war But then why did he estion that I should be coure? Slowly I drew out ht it to the full cock, for it was loaded
”I will obey, King,” I said, ”to savemurdered
But on your head be all that may follow from this deed”
Then it was for the first time that a new idea struck me so clearly that I believe it was conveyed direct froht shoot, but there was no need for ,” I said, ”if yonder be a mortal, she is about to die Only a spirit can escape my aim Watch now the centre of her forehead, for there the bullet will strike!”
I lifted the pistol and appeared to cover the figure with ht I saw a look of terror in its eyes Then I fired, with a little jerk of the wrist sending the ball a good yard above her head
”She is unharmed,” cried a voice ”Macumazahn missed her”
”Macumazahn does not miss,” I replied loftily ”If that at which he aimed is unharhed Zikali, ”the White Man who does not know the taste of his own love's lips, says that he has fired at that which cannot be hit Let hiet The Spirit is the Spirit, but he who summoned her un, White Man; see if it can pierce the heart of Zikali, that the King and Council reatest of all the prophets that ever was, or whether he be but a coainst this old rascal I reht Maht that it would serve hi her and me, which met me whatever way I turned I re about the destruction of the Zulus, and to further his dark ends, was now engaged in causing a fearful hich would cost the lives of thousands I remembered that he had trapped me into Zululand and then handedht I knew, giving them to death Surely the world would be well rid of him
”Have your will,” I shouted and covered him with the pistol
Then there cae not that ye be not judged” Who and as I that I should dare to arraign and pass sentence upon this s? As I was about to fire I caught sight of so from above, and instantaneously shi+fted ht be, flew in two One part of it fell upon Zikali, the other part travelled on and struck Cetewayo upon the knee
There followed a great confusion and a cry of ”The king is stabbed!” I ran forward to look and saw the blade of a little assegai lying on the ground and on Cetewayo's knee a slight cut fro,” I said, ”a scratch, no h had not the spear been stopped in its course it ht have been otherwise”
”Yes,” cried Zikali, ”but as it that caused the cut? Take this, Sigananda, and tell me what it may be,” and he threards hiananda looked at it ”It is the haft of the Black One's spear,” he exclaimed, ”which the bullet of Macumazahn has severed from the blade”