The spoils which were taken from the wagons of the Amabuna pleased the
King greatly. The wagons themselves were useless to us, because none
among us understood how to make the oxen draw them. So a party of men
was ordered off to burn them, having first removed all the iron parts
which might be of use. But what pleased the Great Great One most was
the number of long guns and the plentiful supply of powder and ball
which we took; and this, indeed, some of us did understand the use of
moderately well. Howbeit, it was long before we became skilled in the
use of them, and by that time, _Nkose_, nearly all the powder and ball
was expended. But the tiny captive, with the eyes of heaven and hair
like the crest of the sun, the Great Great One said I had done right to
save. Yet, as he knew not what to do with her, he ordered that I should
be a father to her for the present, adding that, as the last time I had
spared one from the slaughter it had brought good to him and the
nation--meaning the case of old Masuka--so now, perhaps, the same would
hold. Now, I was right glad of the King's decision, _Nkose_, for I had
already begun to look upon this little one as child of my own. So I
made her over to the youngest of my wives, Fumana, who took care of her
and loved her greatly.
Now, although we had made an end, utter and complete, of those Amabuna
who came against us, and of the _abatagati_ among ourselves who had
plotted with them, yet the mind of Umzilikazi was not at ease. For he
knew something of that people, had heard how they swarmed in such
numbers over the country to the westward as to leave no further room,
but were crowded out, and ever moving onward to seize upon new lands.
Even then, as we had heard, they were plotting to seize land from
Dingane, and if, as might befall, the Zulu power was worsted, and the
House of Senzangakona forced to seek out other country, might not we
have the remaining strength of Dingane falling upon us any day, even as
we had fallen upon and swept aside those who lay in our own path?
Further, although of those Amabuna whom we had eaten up, not one was
left alive to carry back the tidings to his own people, yet, sooner or
later, such tidings would reach them, and then we might expect their
vengeance. Now, if those comparatively few whom we had slain--some
score and a half of families--had fought so fiercely and dealt so much
death amid our ranks with their long guns, what sort of foes would their
kinsfolk prove, assailing us in force and unhampered by women and
children? Or they might form a temporary alliance with Dingane; and
then how should we stand against the combined strength of two such
terrible and formidable foes?
All these considerations were debated gravely by the King and a secret
council of the _izinduna_, of whom I was one, and it was decided to
abandon Ekupumuleni and the surrounding country, and to march upon and
seize the fair lands occupied by the People of the Blue Cattle, upon
which I had reported. Howbeit, the real reason for this decision was
not to be talked about, a good and sufficient reason for the people at
large being that the land upon which we meant to swoop down was better
than that wherein we now dwelt.
It took time to send round to all the cattle outposts and muster the
nation at large, but this was done at last. The cattle and the movable
property was sent on in charge of the women and slaves, and for several
days the _izanusi_ were busy making _muti_, and doctoring us all for our
new undertaking. Then came the last night we were to spend in
Ekupumuleni, and through the hours of darkness the wild howlings of the
_izanusi_ sounded at intervals; for it was no light thing thus quitting
the place which had been our home for so long a time.
But with dawn of day, when all men turned out fully armed--for a muster
of our whole fighting strength had been ordered to march out from
Ekupumuleni in fitting state--a shiver of amazement, and horror, and
dismay ran through all. And well it might. For in the middle of the
great open space had been reared four stakes, and, impaled upon each,
quivered the trussed-up body of a man; and the groan of horror and of
fear deepened, for in the agonised, distorted features of those four all
men recognised the traitorous _izinduna_ and the head witch-doctor,
Notalwa.
This, then, was the secret of their fate, which so far had lain in dark
and terrible mystery. They had been kept for such an end.
Five chief traitors had there been; yet here were but four! The first
astonishment over, men looked at each other--their eyes asking in mute
surprise where was the fifth? And of those who thus marvelled none
wondered more than myself.
On the centre stake, raised half the height of a man above the others,
was the body of Tyuyumane. On either hand of him were impaled Ncwelo
and Senkonya, and, a little in front, Notalwa. Where, then, was
Ntelani? Where, then, was my father? Well, wherever he was, it was not
there.
The stake of impalement is a terrible thing, _Nkose_, and was seldom
used among us--only once, indeed, since we had gone out from Zululand,
and then in the case of three chiefs who had come in to _konza_ to
Umzilikazi, and had departed, laughing at their promise. Now, however,
by the hideous fate to which he had adjudged these ringleaders of the
conspiracy, it was clear that the King intended to strike terror into
all who might at any future time be tempted to travel the same road.
They were still alive, those wretches--for a man may live a day or more
in that torment, and these had not long been on the stakes. And as we
stood gazing upon them thus suffering, several _izimbonga_ came running
forth from the _isigodhlo_--roaring like lions, trumpeting like
elephants, bellowing like bulls--shouting the praise and the royal
titles of the King. And from the whole army, ranged on either side of
the open space in two immense half-moons, these were taken up, and
re-echoed again and again.
But Umzilikazi, advancing down the centre, with his head thrown proudly
back, halted, and held up his hand.
"Cry not to me the _Bayete_, my children!" he said, in clear and ringing
tones. "Cry it to your King, Tyuyumane. Behold him, yonder--your King,
Tyuyumane!"
Bitter and biting as serpents were the words, splendid the gesture, as
the Great Great One waved a hand towards the chief of the impaled
traitors, who was raised higher than the rest. An awestruck murmur ran
through the ranks. None knew what to do; for the humour of a King is of
the nature of fire, in that it is not a thing to be played with.
"What? Have ye no word, my children? Have ye no greetings for your
King, Tyuyumane--your new King, who reigns from a high seat? See, I
will set you the example."
Then going before the stake whereon writhed Tyuyumane, the Great Great
One mocked him, crying--
"Hail, Tyuyumane! Hail, new King of the Amazulu--ruler of the world!
Is thy seat high enough? Is it soft enough? Ha! Praise him, ye
_izimbonga_! Cry him the _Bayete_, ye warriors!"
The impaled wretch gave a quivering heave, and his lips curled back from
his jaw, baring the teeth, which were locked together in the agony of
his torment. It was a fearful sight, for though ruthless in the heat of
battle, yet at this moment we saw not red; and these sufferers, though
deservedly thus punished, were of our own blood. Yet none pitied
overmuch Notalwa, for the _izanusi_ were hated and feared by all.
"We leave thee in peace, Tyuyumane," went on Umzilikazi, still mocking.
"We go out from thee, because a nation cannot own two kings. We leave
thee, but will _konza_ to thee from afar. We leave thee our royal
dwelling, Ekupumuleni. We leave thee in the midst of thine
_izinduna_,"--with a wave towards Ncwelo and Senkonya, between whom he
was impaled. "We leave thee, too, our head _izanusi_, Notalwa, and we
go forth, homeless and scanty in possessions, to seek a new home. Thou,
who art weary, need travel no further. Ekupumuleni, `the Place of
Rest,' shall be thy resting-place forever. Ha! _Hlala gahle_,
Tyuyumane! Rest in peace!"
With this mocking salutation, the King turned away, and, preceded by the
_izimbonga_ shouting in praise of the royal justice, he paced for the
last time, and with great state, through the principal gate of
Ekupumuleni, and, mounting his horse, which was awaiting him outside,
signed that we should commence our march. Then, as the immense array of
armed warriors, in full war adornments, filed out of the great gate,
spreading forth over the plain as the waves of a dark sea, once more was
raised the song of triumph which told of our victory over the Amabuna:
"_Ningepinde nimhlab 'Umzilikazi! Ha_--_ha_--_ha! Ca-bo! Ca-bo_!"
And soon the mighty kraal which had been the home of a warrior-nation
for so long a time was quite deserted--given over to those four grisly
figures, writhing there upon their stakes in blood and agony.
But scarcely had the rear of the last column passed out through the
gates than flames and smoke were seen issuing from four points of the
kraal at once. The King had given secret orders that it should be thus
fired; and the blaze, once kindled, leaped from dome to dome of the
thatch huts, running along the dry thorn fences with a crackling roar
like the volleys from the guns of the Amabuna; and now in a marvellously
short space of time the immense circle of Ekupumuleni was wrapped in
huge sheets of flame; and in the dense smoke-clouds which rolled down
upon the whole of its area, before towering aloft to the heavens, the
bodies upon the stakes were completely swallowed up. And then all cried
aloud in praise of the mercy of the King, who had thus shortened the
just suffering of those traitors by the swift death of suffocation,
while rendering them such a noble tomb as the ashes of a royal dwelling.
Such then was the end of Ekupumuleni, the Place of Rest; and again as we
resumed our journeyings, again as we swept northward upon our
devastating way, our path might have been read by the line of the
vultures in the heavens, by the track of wild beasts through the brake
and the grass, running side by side with us, well knowing who should
supply them with plentiful and easy prey.
Now none knew why the King should have been minded to spare my father,
Ntelani, for that the latter had been spared all now knew. Yet he was
cut off from all fellowship with his equals, and was forced to accompany
our march, sullen and sad, unarmed, and in the midst of a guard
consisting only of slaves. Some thought it was because he was the
father of him who wielded the King's Assegai; others that he was
reserved for an even worse fate; but all wondered he did not take his
own life rather than live on thus--he an _induna_ of high degree, now
forced to herd with Amaholi and the lowest of the people.
The little blue-eyed child whom I had taken from among the Amabuna had
by now quite lost all fear of us, and would laugh and play as merry as
the merriest of our children. My two younger wives cared for her
greatly; indeed, I think they loved her more than they did their own
children. But Nangeza, my _inkosikazi_, looked upon this little one
with a scowling brow. It would draw ill upon us, she used to declare,
to bring into our midst a child of such a race. However, beyond frowns
and growlings even she dare not go; for the child had been given into my
charge by the King, and to harm it meant death; nor was Nangeza tired of
life just then. This little one, too, feared nothing, not even the King
himself; and often, when Umzilikazi was moving abroad, and all were
bowing down before him with words of _bonga_, she would dart away from
those who would have restrained her, and run out all alone, and,
standing before the Great Great One, throw up her tiny hand in the air,
and cry aloud the _Bayete_, her blue eyes laughing up into the King's
face. And he would talk softly to her, and presently send round a
couple of white calves or two or three goats for her to play with. And
we named her Kwelanga, from "Kanya Kwelanga," the "Light of the Sun,"
because her hair, all bright as of gold, seemed to reflect that light.
So our nation journeyed on, and more than one moon had waxed and waned.
And there was a brightening up of spirits among the warriors, and talk
and songs of war; for now we knew we were drawing near the country of
the People of the Blue Cattle, the land of richness and promise, the
land which should be ours.