Next morning the cattle were let out to graze, and again the enraptured
eye of Noquala drank in delight from the contemplation of his wealth.
About half an hour after sunrise the "gqira" was seen emerging with slow
and stately steps from the patch of bush in which he had spent the
night. Pretending not to be aware of any one else's existence, he
walked straight to the cattle kraal. As soon as he entered the gate he
began to stagger about wildly, and before he reached the middle he sank
to the ground, apparently in a violent fit.
The people crowded round and gazed at him with awe through the upright
poles forming the palisade. The fit over, he lay as though in a swoon
for some considerable time, after which he sat up with a dazed
expression and began groping about the enclosure on his hands and knees.
When he reached the vicinity of the pit which he had opened during the
previous night, he again fell over and lay quite still. By this time he
was completely naked, having thrown away his blanket in the course of
his progress. In his hand was the iron spike, and with this he began to
dig wildly, scattering the flakes of dung far and wide.
When the stone was nearly uncovered, 'Ndakana sank back as though
exhausted, and feebly called for assistance. Noquala and a number of
other men at once hurried in, and he signed to them to remove the
covering stone and thus open the pit. This was soon done.
'Ndakana then said that a boy must be let down into the pit, declaring
that a great wonder would be revealed therein. At this all the boys who
had been looking through the palisade fled away in different directions.
Two or three were soon caught and dragged back, howling, to the edge of
the opening. Selecting the one whose size appeared to be most suitable,
the "gqira" ordered him to descend, but the boy yelled with redoubled
vigour and struggled violently to escape. Then Noquala called out to
one of the women to bring a rod, and with this he thrashed the unhappy
youth unmercifully until the latter consented to do what was required of
him. The boy, silent and wild-eyed with terror, was thereupon lowered
into the dark pit through the narrow mouth.
"What do you find there?" asked the "gqira."
"I am standing in water," called the boy, his voice sounding hollow from
the depths.
"Feel if there be any living thing."
"Au--there are snakes," yelled the boy, and his hands grasped the edges
of the opening as he tried to draw himself up.
"They are not snakes! they are frogs," replied 'Ndakana.
At the same time Noquala cut the boy's fingers sharply with the rod.
The wretched creature dropped back to the bottom of the pit with a
screech of mingled pain and terror.
A basket was passed down to him, and this he was directed to fill with
frogs. This, when handed up, was emptied into a larger basket, and then
passed back. After several basketfuls had been taken out, the unhappy
boy was assisted to come out of his prison, and the pit was closed up at
once.
'Ndakana then addressed the assembled crowd. He told them that the
wonder he had revealed to them was a special grace vouchsafed by the
"imishologu" in response to his incantations, and that the frogs were to
be utilised in doctoring Noquala's cattle so as to render them proof
against the ravages of the dreaded disease.
A deep awe had fallen upon all. They felt that they were in the
presence of a master wonder-worker. Noquala was now sure that his
beloved cattle were safe, and his heart overflowed with gratitude to the
"gqira" and to the "imishologu" who had shown such favour.
The cattle were now driven up in lots of about fifty each. When in the
enclosure they were caught separately and skilfully thrown. An incision
was then made in the nose of each, as well as in a frog. The reptile
was then held so that its flowing blood mingled with that of the beast.
As soon as this had been effected, the latter was loosened and turned
out of the enclosure. A fresh cut was made in the frog for each beast
treated, but as soon as the reptile died or it was found that no more
blood would flow from it another frog was brought, the worn-out one
being carefully put away into a basket. The frogs were thus believed to
have absorbed the latent disease.
By sundown all the cattle had been treated in this manner, and then the
dead frogs were thrown into a deep pit. Red-hot coals were then thrown
upon them, and the pit was closed up, the earth being stamped firmly
down.
But the issues at stake were too great for the caprice of the
"imishologu" to be risked. More ritual must be performed on the third
and fifth day, and in the meantime feasting had to take place.
Otherwise the "imishologu" might, as they had often been known to do,
change their shadowy, if powerful minds.
Thus, as the "gqira" pronounced it to be unsafe to remove the cattle
before the sixth day, the hearts of the company were lifted up with
great joy, for they knew that the exigencies of the occasion demanded
that unrestricted feasting should take place during the interval.
It was here that the astute 'Ndakana made his great mistake. He should
have taken his reward, which would have been, under the circumstances, a
most liberal one, and removed with it to a distance. But the greatest
men sometimes make mistakes, and 'Ndakana proved that he was no
exception to this general rule.