"THE PLACE OF THE ALLIGATORS."
During this while, since we had "eaten up" the Bakoni, we had been
living in hastily run up huts. Many, indeed, had not even these, but
lived and slept in the open. But now the King gave orders that we
should remove a day's march further, and there build a large kraal.
The site of this was a pleasant open plain, well grassed, and sprinkled
with mimosa and other bush, and watered by a good-sized river.
The slaves and women were set to work; also the young regiments; the
great circles were marked out, and in a few days there stood a noble
kraal, built on the Zulu plan; the great open space ringed in by a
double thorn-fence as high as a man's head, between which stood the rows
of round-topped huts, and the _isigodhlo_, or royal enclosure, at the
upper end, partitioned off by a fence of fine woven grass. This kraal
was of greater size than Ekupumuleni, and the surroundings far
pleasanter, for there was abundance of grass, well watered by streams
which never ran dry; and the rolling plains and dark forest belts were
swarming with game. The river, too, was plentiful with sea-cows and
alligators, which last the King would not allow any man to kill; so that
they soon increased in numbers and boldness to an alarming extent;
indeed, from this it was that our new kraal took its name, for it was
called Kwa'zingwenya, "the Place of Alligators." And when it was
completed there was great dancing and singing, and the slaughter of
cattle and general feasting, for here we intended to make our home, at
any rate for a long time to come.
Now there was another reason why the place should have been named as it
was. It happened one day that the King was strolling along the river
bank, I being in attendance on him, when we came upon the high brow of a
cliff falling sheer down into a deep, still pool. As we looked over we
beheld several small dark objects floating upon the surface of the
water. They were the heads and noses of alligators.
"Ha!" cried the King. "I have an idea, Untuswa, and I think it is not a
bad one." Then, turning round, he called to a boy who was herding
calves not far off. The lad drew near, and, seeing who had called him,
his knees began to tremble and his eyes to start from his head in his
terror and awe of the Great Great One. He prostrated himself to the
ground, and his tongue nearly clove to his mouth as he stuttered the
_Bayete_.
"Rise up, child," said the King, "and go quickly and bring hither yonder
calves. Delay not--yet stay; call those within sight to help thee."
The lad sped away, and soon, in obedience to his calls, about a dozen
other boys came up, and, making a half-circle, drove the entire herd, to
the number of about twenty well-grown calves, up to where we were
standing, the King and I, leaning upon our sticks.
"Make them leap," said Umzilikazi. "Make them leap."
But this was not so easy, for the calves were big, and, their instincts
of danger warning them, they all bunched together, nor would they suffer
themselves to be driven to the edge of the cliff, notwithstanding the
yells and sticks of the boys who strove to drive them; and, indeed, I
myself had to seize two of them and drag them to the brink, and even
then I only pushed them over at the greatest risk of falling after them
myself. Then the whole herd followed with a mighty splash, which echoed
like thunder from the face of the rock.
The splash subsided, the surface was dotted with the heads of the
animals swimming for the other side; and then the pool was in a boil,
and the calves, swimming quietly before, heaved themselves up in the
water with frantic bellowing as the alligators rose to seize them. They
were dragged under wildly, to reappear again but for a moment, and soon
the surface was dyed red, and the tranquil water lashed into foam; and
the wild bellowings of anguish mingled with the snap, snap of bony jaws,
followed by a hideous crunch; and as the long, grim, ugly bodies turned
with their struggling prey, we could see that these alligators were of
enormous size. It was over at last, save here and there a livid head,
or a mangled quarter, or other fragment floating on the surface; but the
shakings of the water, and the long strings of red bubbles which came
streaming up, showed that the hideous brutes beneath were tearing and
devouring their welcome, though unexpected, prey.
"_Hau_!" cried the King. "That was a good thought of mine. Now we have
a new way of disposing of evil-doers, Untuswa. Not long have the
alligators taken to dispose of twenty large and well-grown calves; not
long would they take to dispose of a man, or of twenty men. In truth,
it was a great idea!"
To this I agreed, of course. But, looking into that horrid pool and its
bloody surface, where even now two or three of the alligators were
reappearing, turning their eyes upward as though looking for more, I
thought of the secreted captive and the hiding-place away on the
mountain, and wondered if my death would come to me down in that
horrible hole; and the thought, _Nkose_, was not a nice one.
"Go now, children," said the King, waving away the staring and terrified
boys; and go they did, for I believe they thought they were to be thrown
in after the calves. "The idea is great; yes--great!" continued
Umzilikazi, in high good humour, as we walked back. "They shall be kept
there, those alligators, and from time to time I doubt not but we shall
find them some food."
During this time, _Nkose_, I have neglected to speak of my father,
Ntelani. Him the King had still suffered to live--I think, because he
desired to spare two such brave fighters as Mgwali and myself the
disgrace of being henceforth the sons of nobody; for had our father died
the death of a convicted traitor we could never more have been known as
his sons. But, though his life was spared, Ntelani was adjudged to
spend it in a state of banishment. He was allowed to erect a small
kraal, and here with such of his wives as chose to cleave unto him, and
just enough cattle to keep him and them alive--but only just--he dwelt,
soon sinking into a state of premature old age and foolishness. Indeed,
he passed out of the life of the nation, and his voice from its
councils.
Once settled in our new country, the King lost no time in establishing
cattle outposts and military kraals, of which latter I was appointed
administrator, being held responsible for their order and efficiency.
We fighting _indunas_, too, were required to form new regiments, levying
upon the youth of the nation at a far earlier age than had hitherto been
customary among us; but our losses during our wars were beginning to
form a serious gap, and the King preferred, where possible, to recruit
our fighting strength among our own blood, rather than among that of our
miserable, poor-spirited slaves. But these youths made up in martial
ardour what they lacked in years, for they were continually worrying the
Great Great One, through us _izinduna_, to allow them to go forth--it
mattered not where--and wet their spears. But Umzilikazi would dismiss
them, laughing, and bidding them be patient; yet at their importunity he
was not ill-pleased. However, they little knew there should shortly
befall that which would give all their fiery mettle as much outlet as it
could take care of.
Just then I was very busy, travelling from kraal to kraal, inspecting,
and, at times, reviewing, the regiments, numbering the cattle and
possessions of the King and the nation--for here, in this land, we
intended to dwell, and already the women--who preferred peace and plenty
to wandering and war--were making the land re-echo with their songs of
gladness, as they laid out new gardens for their corn and melons, and
daily saw the cattle milked at the same place. And the chiefs and heads
of other tribes--learning of the fate which had overwhelmed Tauana and
the Bakoni--hastened to come in and _konza_ to Umzilikazi, realising
that the tread of the Black Elephant of the Amandebeli stamped far, and
that from it there was no escape.
It happened that I was returning from one of my rounds to make my report
to the Great Great One. The morning was yet young; indeed, the sun had
only just risen, and the forest path along which we travelled--I and
Mgwali, who accompanied me--was bright with a golden network of sunshine
through the leaves, and joyous with the song and whistle of birds and
the chatter of monkeys. We were drawing near a pile of rocks, overhung
with forest trees and trailers. Suddenly, my brother, who was walking
behind me, touched my elbow.
"Do you hear nothing, son of my father?" he whispered.
I listened long and hard. I was about to reply, "Nothing," when I heard
the sound as of a voice--the voice of a man murmuring--even as the voice
of one of our _izanusi_ engaged in making _muti_. Now, there were caves
in those rocks, _Nkose_, caves which were not unassociated among
ourselves with _tagati_; wherefore, with the instinct of a warrior in
the presence of evil, I gripped my broad assegai, and stole silently
forward, eager to see through this mystery--if mystery there was--Mgwali
pressing close behind me. The murmuring of the voice sounded plainer
now; then we heard a low musical tinkling, as of the ringing of a bell.
_Whau_! Here was a strange thing. What could such sounds mean, here
among the rocks and caves? The voice, too, was murmuring in a strange
language; soft, though not so soft as ours, yet immeasurably softer than
the croaking tongues of those inferior peoples which we had destroyed or
enslaved. Stealthily we drew nearer, and, peering out through the
trees, this is what we saw.
A great slab of rock out-hung from the cliff, forming a shallow cave.
In the mouth of this a man was standing, his back towards us. He was
clothed in a great cloak, red in colour, and bearing a broad crossed bar
down its entire length, while showing below it was a long white garment
which seemed to cover him from neck to foot. His movements called to
our mind those of our own _izanusi_ when sacrificing cattle to the
ghosts of our fathers on solemn occasions; yet not. But this could be
no _isanusi_, for he was a white man! Still he must be an _isanusi_ of
some sort, for he was undoubtedly engaged in offering sacrifice. In
front of him and further in the cave was a great block of stone or a
ledge in the rock formation--we could not determine which--and upon it
were two little pillars tipped with flame. Moreover, upon this the
man's words and actions seemed centred, for upon it was something else,
which from there we could not see. But here, if possible, was a more
surprising thing. Behind him, bending low, knelt another man--a dark
man, one of ourselves, and of the same race, for he wore the ring upon
his head, and his other adornments were as ours. He, too, seemed in
some way to be assisting the other, for his movements were much the
same, and a few words would now and again drop from him as though in
reply to the one who was sacrificing. _Hau_! it was wonderful! In
rigid wonder we stared, not knowing what was to come next.
But a dead silence had fallen upon these two now, and the murmuring had
ceased. Then the tinkling of the bell rang out once more, and the
_isanusi_ in the red cloak, having bent low, straightened himself up,
raising both hands high overhead, and in his hands there flashed forth a
Something--a Something upon which a ray of the newly-risen sun now
glinted with dazzling whiteness. And the man behind--the black man--
bent prone as one dead--even as a man might lie who awaits the sentence
of the Great Great One himself.
_Whau, Nkose_! I know not how it was, but something seemed to cloud the
brain of Mgwali and myself, binding us to the spot, staring at this
strange and marvellous mystery, so unlike aught we had ever beheld
before. We watched, confused by what followed, but of it we have but
small recollection, save of one thing. The white _isanusi_ turned full
towards us, more than once, still murmuring, and, while we shrank in
dread lest he should be putting upon us the spell of his _muti_, we took
note of his face and that keenly. It was the face of a white man, very
dark and burned as though by many suns; but it was a strong face, that
of a man to whom, we could see at a glance, fear was unknown. The eyes
were black and piercing as those of an eagle, and a long, thick beard
fell low upon the breast, its dark masses plentifully streaked with
grey.
We stood watching this marvellous performance, we two fearless and armed
warriors, and yet there was that in it which laid upon us a kind of awe.
At length it came to an end. Then we saw the white man extinguish the
fire upon his stone of sacrifice and wrap up carefully in coverings such
things as had been upon it. But our astonishment was greatest when we
watched him take off his outer cloak of red and then the long white
garment which was girded around him. We saw him then in a large loose
robe of black, and this he did not take off. [Note 1.] The other
dresses, however, he carefully rolled up in coverings, and while he was
doing this the man who was with him--the _kehla_--lighted a fire, and
set upon it a joint of game to roast, evidently the quarter of one of
the smaller kinds of buck.
Few, indeed, _Nkose_, were the white men, except Amabuna, we had seen in
those days, and that this was not one of those we felt certain. Mgwali
was the first to recover from his astonishment.
"_Whau_!" he grunted. "I know not how yon _isanusi_--white though he
be--dare come here and make _muti_ without leave from the Great Great
ONE. It may be _tagati_."
"No hurt lurks beneath such _muti_, son of my father: of that I feel
sure," I answered. "But I think it is time to have speech with these."
"_Yeh-bo_," assented Mgwali, grinning. "And I think that quarter of
meat roasting yonder seems too large for only two men. _Au_! but the
smell of it is good."
We went forward, and as we discovered ourselves but small was the
surprise shown by these two strangers. The head-ringed man, who was
attending to the fire and the roast, returned our salutation in the
usual form, not heeding us much. But the other, speaking with our
tongue, though haltingly, said:
"Welcome, my sons! Draw near, and seat yourselves; for our morning meal
is nearly ready, and there is enough for all."
Mgwali's eyes glistened, and his mouth broadened into a grin; for he was
younger than I, and hungry; and, in truth, the meat smelt good. He
uttered a word or two of emphatic assent, and made a movement to comply.
But I, remembering my dignity as an _induna_ of the King, still stood.
Then I said:
"First tell me, O white stranger, by whose leave you have entered this
country, and made _muti_ in the land of the Great Great One by whose
light we live?"
"By whose leave?" he echoed; his face brightening up. "Ha! By the
leave--nay, by the order--of the Great Great One in whose light we
live." Then, seeing that I frowned, and looked suspicious, he
explained. "I will not pretend to misunderstand you; but I came into
the country of your King by favour of even a greater than he."
"_Hau_! You are joking, my father!" I answered, with a sneer, though
my first thought was that he was speaking of Dingane. "Yet such words
uttered here are dangerous, and would mean death to him who uttered
them. Where, now, is he who is greater than Umzilikazi, the Mighty
Elephant? Our young regiments are consumed with a longing to wet their
spears; and there, I think, is the chance. Where is he who is greater
than our king?"
"_Pezulu_!" [up above] replied the stranger, simply, pointing upward to
the heavens.
Then I partly understood. I had heard strange tales of certain men
among the whites who taught that a great, though invisible, King sat
above the blue of the sky, and caused the sun to shine and the rain to
fall; whose might was such that beside it the might of Tshaka himself
was less than the might of a child. This, then, must be one of them.
Yet--the strange ceremonies we had witnessed?
"Wherefore, then, wert thou making _muti_ yonder, beneath the rock, O
father of the red _muti_ cloak? To what end was this?" I asked.
"To the end that all good might fall upon your King, and his people, and
his land. With that object and intention were we making _muti_, as ye
call it, children of this nation," he answered, looking us fearlessly in
the eyes.
And there was that about his glance which satisfied me that we might
safely eat meat with him; nor did the ceremony which he and the other
went through before partaking of it, and which was very like what we had
seen during their strange act of sacrifice, avail to destroy this
assurance. And, indeed, when, having finished, we rose up, to proceed
at once to the presence of the Great Great One, we left nothing behind
us but bones; for Mgwali had a fine appetite--nor came I far behind him
in that way--and a quarter of buck is not quite too much among four men.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note 1. From Untuswa's description, it seems certain that he and his
brother were witnessing an open-air celebration of Mass; and the strange
white man would appear to have been a travelling missionary-priest of
French nationality--probably a Jesuit.