On the morrow, ere yet the sun was up, heralds went running throughout
Ekupumuleni, crying aloud that none might venture away from the kraal on
pain of death. Others, again ran swiftly to the cattle outposts and
outlying kraals, ordering all men to assemble immediately at the royal
place. But before this I had already despatched several armed parties,
picked warriors of my own regiment, who should form a belt round the
kraals at a great distance, so that, being distributed in pickets, none
might pass.
Now a great fear fell upon all the people when these ominous
preparations became known; and this deepened, as presently it got noised
abroad that the King's dreams had been bad, for it was certain that a
great witch-finding impended--greater, indeed, than had been known since
Ekupumuleni was erected. An uneasy feeling of restlessness and
suspicion had been astir for some little time, and now men whispered to
each other with their blankets over their heads, fearing lest their
words should fall upon the wrong ears.
Throughout the morning people continued to stream in from the outlying
places, men and women, for children were not cited, the former carrying
no weapons but sticks only. But all the warriors of my own regiment, to
the number of several hundreds, were fully armed. Kalipe, also, the
other war-captain, had as many of his own men under arms. The bulk of
the people, however, were, as I said, unarmed.
"_Au_!" cried Nangeza, as I went into my hut to put on some of my
war-adornments, "I think, Untuswa, this reminds me not a little of the
morning following upon the death of the sleeping sentinel, Sekweni.
They say, too, that this morning a man was found outside, not far from
the gates, with his heart cleft in twain by the stroke of a broad
_umkonto_--a broad _umkonto_, Untuswa. Ah! ah!" she jeered, letting her
eyes rest with meaning upon my royal weapon, which was seldom out of my
grasp. "Art thou not afraid, Untuswa? for the glance of Notalwa seeth
far, and his tongue is long."
"I know yet another tongue which is long, Nangeza," I answered. "Tell
me, thou fool, hast thou ever seen me afraid?"
"Once only, when I told thee thou mightest yet be King. Ah! ah!" she
mocked.