"Greeting, my father," he exclaimed, when we had stared at each other
for a moment in silence. "_Au_! but it is well that none of those who
come on behind me were in my place now."
"Who come on behind thee? What meanest thou, fool, leading those who
pursue thee to my hiding-place?"
"Nay, father; I came to warn thee, for this place is known to them, and
from one point yonder"--and he pointed upward and across the chasm--"it
can be seen into. Then they will surround it by day and by night, for
none will venture in by so narrow a way as this, and the choice before
us will be a leap into yon depth, or death by hunger and thirst, or on
the stake of impalement, which is even now reared outside the King's
Great Place."
I looked at Jambula somewhat suspiciously, for a thought had come into
my mind: What if he were meaning to betray me? What if he had been
offered life, and even honour, to decoy me forth, so that my pursuers
might pounce upon me, with the alternative of death in torments should
he fail? Who could be trusted? On whose faith could one set entire
belief?
"Let us go hence, my father, and that immediately," he said, "for we
must find a safer refuge than this. The mist is still upon the
mountains, but at any moment it may roll back. Here is food that will
last us some little time."
He picked up a bundle which lay on the ground. It contained a quantity
of grain, stamped and prepared as for _amasi_. For arms he had a broad
assegai and three or four casting ones, and a great short-handled
knob-stick, which he had brought especially for me, when he should find
me.
Whatever my suspicions, it was clear I could not remain in that place
for ever. Jambula leading the way, we retraced the perilous cliff path,
and stood outside upon the mountain once more. At first I kept a sharp
look-out, but soon my suspicions were entirely lulled, and I was able to
appreciate the fidelity of my slave, who had sought me out with the
resolve to share my peril in the day of my downfall and flight.
We kept on along the summit of the mountain range in complete silence,
for a man's voice travels far in those quiet solitudes. Then, as the
sun rose, the mist rolled higher and higher up the slope, and there on
the further side lay the open country.
It was flat, or gently rolling, and now the dew lay upon it like the
sunlight on the points of the waves of the sea. Here and there, like
moving dots, we could see herds of game browsing, and the tall necks of
giraffes stalking among the flat tops of the mimosas. It was a fair and
gladsome sight, _Nkose_, and for us who had to traverse it, promised, at
any rate, no scarcity of food.
But just then our eyes lighted upon that which was by no means a
gladsome sight--and this was a moving body of armed men. They had
evidently come through the mountains by the Place of the Three Rifts,
and were now moving along the base in such wise that did we descend from
where we were now we should walk right into the midst of them. We could
make out nearly a hundred of them. Well for us was it that the mist
lifted when it did.
This was not the _impi_ I had seen the night before. Jambula said that
numbered half the strength of this. Our chances began to look small.
We were between two search parties; and, for all we knew, a third might
be sweeping along the summit of the range.
As we lay carefully concealed, watching the movements of this _impi_, we
took counsel, Jambula and I. There would be look-outs posted at some
point on the mountains, and anyone moving over the flat, open country
beyond could not escape observation. We must wait until night--that was
certain.
We watched the _impi_ in front of us, and presently saw it halt. It was
signalling to someone above and behind it. Ha! Just as we thought.
Another search party was coming along the summit.
We could see it now, but it was still a long way off. We were on higher
ground, amid rocks and broken boulders. We made out about three score
of men.
Our eminence was a small peak rising but a trifling height from the
summit of the range. Should they pass without searching this we were
safe, for, crouching behind the rocks, none could see us from but a
short way off. Should they search, why, then, we must die fighting, for
neither of us had any mind to writhe upon the stake of impalement.
We lay behind the rocks and gripped our weapons, for it was now too late
to fly. On they came, till nearly abreast of our position. Then they
halted, looking upward. Would they come?