The band of Zulus, with the captives in their midst, were compelled to
move at a slow pace; for the Hottentot drivers of the waggon, uncertain
of the reception they might meet with at the end of their journey, would
not hasten on the oxen even when the ground was level, and it was
frequently rough, with steep hills to ascend or descend, so that a
quicker pace was impossible. The warriors belonged to a regiment of
unmarried men or boys, as could be seen from their heads wanting the
ring at the top, which is the mark of those who have been allowed by the
king to take to themselves wives. As they marched along they shouted
and sang songs descriptive of the deeds they had performed, or of those
they intended to do, referring sometimes to their prowess in having
captured a party of white men, who had not ventured to strike a blow for
freedom; while they boasted especially of the way they intended to
annihilate Umbulazi and his followers. Some gave way to their exuberant
spirits by leaping and dancing in a fashion which offered a curious
contrast to the march of a regiment of life guards. They shrieked, they
quivered their assegais, and clashed their shields together, until
Crawford, who had never before seen an exhibition of the sort, began to
fear that they might take it into their heads to kill him and his
companions.
"I think we should be prepared for an attack from these savages," he
said to Denis, gravely. "For my part, I hope that we shall sell our
lives dearly, if they attempt to take them."
"No fear of that for the present," answered Denis; "they are only in
somewhat high spirits at the thought of having soon to engage in battle.
You see Hendricks rides on as composedly as ever, so does Lionel, who
perfectly understands what they are saying. They don't intend us any
harm. However, I confess that it is possible their mood may change, and
it would be as well not to do anything to offend them. Hendricks knows
them better than most people, and will take care to keep them in good
humour. I shall be very glad when we are out of their company
notwithstanding."
"So say I," exclaimed Crawford. "I confess that had I known what
savages they are, I should not have been so eager to come into their
country."
"As to that, I do not suppose they are worse than other tribes," said
Denis; "they are certainly more intelligent and brave. My chief regret
is that we shall have further delay in going in search of my father. I
wish that you were to accompany us instead of stopping with Captain
Broderick, although I daresay Percy will be very glad of your company;
and he has some sisters, who won't be ill pleased to have an English
gentleman to talk to, as they must lead a somewhat monotonous life in
that out-of-the-way spot, with only an occasional visit from a Dutch
boer and his frau, or, when the weather is not too hot, a gallop through
the wilds."
"I am half inclined to ask Hendricks to let me accompany him on his
expedition into the interior," said Crawford. "I am afraid I should get
tired of the sort of life you describe. However, I shall be able to
judge better when I have seen the place."
"Or the young ladies, eh?" observed Denis; "I fancy something will
depend upon that, won't it?"
Crawford made no reply.
This conversation caused the journey to appear shorter than might
otherwise have been the case. Lionel and Percy, who generally kept
together, amused themselves by talking away in a lively fashion, while
Hendricks rode ahead, thinking over his plans for the future, and
considering how he could best get free from King Panda and his son, the
Prince Regent, for such was the rank held by Cetchwayo at that time. At
length a kraal was seen on the slope of a hill, rising gradually from
the plain. It was at present the habitation of Panda. The warriors
raised a shout, intended as a compliment to the king, and again beating
their shields and shaking their assegais, they made signals to the
drivers to urge on the waggon at a faster speed than heretofore. The
Hottentots, observing their threatening gestures, obeyed, and the ground
being even, the oxen pulled away, incited by the lash of the drivers,
which came down with incessant whisks on their flanks.
Hendricks, knowing the customs of the country, put his horse into a
trot, Crawford and Denis and the two boys imitating him, and thus the
warriors and their captives appeared to be rushing forward eagerly
towards the palace of the king. The chief who had captured them hurried
on first to announce the success of his expedition. Just before he
reached the kraal he was met by a tall stout chief, evidently a person
of much consideration, for as he approached he bowed again and again,
and then crouched down to the ground, apparently not daring to look up
at his face. The tall chief wore, like the others, a cap stuck full of
ostrich and crane feathers, with lappets of monkey skins, a kilt of the
same skins round his waist, and a sort of cloak hanging over his
shoulders, fastened in front by numerous white ox-tails. His features
were handsome for a Kaffir; in height he towered above those surrounding
him; and though still young, he was remarkably stout. He was evidently
also a powerful man, and he possessed the supposed attributes of high
birth--wonderfully small hands and feet for a person of his size.
"Who can he be?" asked Crawford.
"A whopping big fellow, at all events," answered Denis; "I'll ask
Hendricks."
"That is no other than Cetchwayo, the real ruler of Zululand," said
Hendricks; "he has come here probably on a visit to his father, and he
it was who ordered our seizure. I have always been on good terms with
him, and must try and induce him not to detain us. It will not do,
however, to approach him on horseback. We must show him some respect,
though we need not bow and cringe as that fellow is doing."
When the party had approached to about a hundred yards or so from the
prince, a halt was called, when Hendricks, dismounting, summoned Umgolo,
and leaving the horses in charge of the other attendants, they proceeded
together towards the prince.
Hendricks saluted him in Kaffir fashion, and having paid the usual
compliments, begged to inquire why he and his party had been summoned.
The prince replied that he wished to see him face to face. That no harm
was intended him, but that he required his services for an important
object. Hendricks asked what that object was, saying at the same time,
that he should be always ready to do anything to serve him.
"That is well!" answered Cetchwayo; "but you are equally ready to do
anything to serve Umbulazi, to whose camp I find you have paid a visit."
Hendricks replied that he had been compelled to visit the camp for the
purpose of rescuing some of his followers who had been made prisoners,
and that he had neither promised his assistance nor expressed his
approbation of the proceedings of Umbulazi.
"You must show which side you espouse by joining me, and assisting in
defeating the traitor who is planning to deprive me of my father's
favour, and to rule the country in my stead," said Cetchwayo.
In vain Hendricks pleaded that although friendly to Cetchwayo, he was
anxious to proceed on his journey for an important object, and that it
was not becoming in white men to interfere in the quarrels of the
natives, with all of whom they wished to be at peace.
Cetchwayo smiled grimly, remarking, "That whether Hendricks and his
followers fought or not, they must accompany him to see the way in which
he would punish his enemies."
When he pleaded still more earnestly, the prince began to grow angry,
and hinted that if his white friend did not accompany him willingly he
should be compelled to use more powerful arguments.
Hendricks, seeing that it would be imprudent to press the point further,
had at length to submit, and Cetchwayo then told him that he might camp
where his waggon stood, and that wood, water, and food would be sent to
him.
The oxen were accordingly offspanned, the horses were knee-haltered, and
the other usual preparations made. In a short time a party of boys
appeared bringing firewood, which they deposited near the waggon. They
were followed by the same number of girls, who came along laughing and
singing, bringing some large calabashes of water on their heads.
Finding that no meat appeared, Hendricks did up a packet of blankets and
other articles, and bidding one of his men accompany him, proceeded to
the chief kraal. Percy and Lionel followed at a short distance, as they
said to each other, to see the fun. As they got near the kraal, they
observed a number of half-naked blacks dragging at what looked like a
huge gun carriage, but which proved to be a hand-waggon, very similar to
a big chest on wheels. In it was seated an immensely fat man. As he
approached, the people who were standing outside immediately went down
on their hands and knees, shouting out, "Bayete, bayete!" or King of all
other kings; "Zulu-lion, Monarch of the world," and similar
complimentary cries.
"Why, who is that fat old fellow?" asked Percy.
"Who should he be but King Panda, to be sure?" answered Denis. "He is
too fat for his legs to support him, so he has to be dragged about in
that fashion."
The king looked about him in a complaisant manner, and gave some order,
when half a dozen of the courtiers darted off as fast as their legs
could carry them, eager to obey it. On seeing Hendricks, he desired him
to approach. The hunter advanced without considering it necessary to
make a salute in the style the black king's subjects adopted; but taking
the bundle of blankets from his attendant, he offered it, saying that he
had brought a present which he hoped his Majesty would deign to accept.
The king, on seeing the blankets, which were ornamented with
gay-coloured borders, expressed his great satisfaction, and without
referring to the way in which the hunter and his party had been taken
prisoners, inquired the news from Natal, the price of cattle, and talked
about other similar subjects.
Hendricks, knowing that it would be useless to plead with Panda against
Cetchwayo's decision, having answered his questions, simply expressed
his pleasure at seeing the king look so well.
The old fellow grimly smiled, and stroked his stomach as if he
considered himself still capable of swallowing an unlimited quantity of
beef and mealy cakes. Yet this mountain of flesh had unlimited power
over the lives of his subjects, which he showed before the day was over
by ordering one of his courtiers, who had offended him somehow or other,
to be put to death. Some thirty of those standing round darted off with
their assegais in their hands. Just at that instant the unhappy
offender appeared, coming to ask pardon of the king, and to explain the
reason of his apparent negligence. He was met by the executioners of
the king's pleasure, and before he could open his mouth he was pierced
through and through by a score of assegais. When his dead body was
dragged up to the waggon, the king simply nodded his approval of the
act. The body was then dragged off again to be buried. None of the
man's relatives or friends dared to utter a word of complaint. Soon
after Hendricks and his companions had reached the waggon, an ox was
driven towards them by some of the attendants of the king, who had sent
it as a return for the presents he had received. It was at once
slaughtered, and the meat was spitted, and placed before the fire to
cook, greatly to the satisfaction of the Kaffir and Hottentot servants,
who had begun loudly to complain of being starved. Hendricks had still
some hopes that Cetchwayo would allow him to continue his journey the
next morning; but the prince sent word that he must remain another day,
as he was not prepared to commence his march.
This was a further trial of temper to Hendricks, and by the way he bore
it he set a good example to his young followers. Guards were placed
round the camp by Cetchwayo's orders, so that no one could leave it
without permission. It was thus very evident that he intended to adhere
to his first intention, of compelling the white men to accompany him on
his expedition against his brother. There was no help for it. The
whole party turned in to sleep, satisfied, at all events, that they were
not likely to be disturbed by a lion or rhinoceros, or any other wild
beast, making an inroad into the camp.
Next day a messenger from the king made his appearance, and presented an
invitation to the great white hunter to dine with His Majesty, and to
bring his young white companions.
Hendricks groaned. "I know what that means," he observed to Crawford.
"We shall have to drink beer and eat beef until we are ready to die of
repletion. I would thankfully avoid the honour if we could possibly do
so; but if we were to refuse, the king might grow angry, and perhaps
confiscate our goods, if he did not order us all to be put to death."
"Let us go by all means," said Crawford. "It will be great fun, and we
shall, at all events, be able to boast that we dined with the king of
Zululand."
"We must go, I fear, but I doubt if you or any of us will find it much
fun," answered Hendricks.
He then turned to the messenger, who, of course, had no conception of
the remarks which had been made, and begged him to inform the great king
that his white friends would do themselves the immense honour of obeying
his commands.
At the appointed time Hendricks and his four companions set off, leaving
the waggon under the charge of Umgolo, with directions to keep a strict
watch upon it, lest any of Cetchwayo's brave soldiers should take it
into their heads to appropriate the contents. They then proceeded
towards the kraal at the side of the hill. The heat was excessive, the
sun beat down with intense force upon their heads, so that they were not
inclined to move very fast. Having arrived at the kraal, they were
ushered into the outer circle, where, in a hut considerably larger than
those inhabited by the common people, they found the king seated on a
pile of mats, he being utterly unable to squat down in the fashion of
his less obese subjects. Hendricks saluted him in due form, and
Crawford and Percy imitated their leader as well as they could. They
then arranged themselves so as to form part of a circle on one side of
His Majesty.
Panda looked at Lionel. "That boy knows how to behave," he remarked,
observing the proper Kaffir salutation which he made on entering.
"Yes, O King! I have long lived in Zululand, and I know good manners,"
answered Lionel, with perfect gravity, while Denis turned away his head
to indulge in a quiet laugh, to which he could not openly venture to
give way.
Presently several girls appeared, each carrying a bowl holding about a
gallon of beer, one of which they set down before each of the guests.
Others then brought in wooden platters, huge pieces of beef, large
masses of which an attendant cut off with an assegai, and handed to the
king, who munched away at them with infinite satisfaction. The guests
were desired to help themselves with their knives which they carried in
their belts. There were, in addition, baskets of mealy cakes, which
Percy declared were more to the purpose than the tough half-roasted
beef. The king every now and then looked round the circle, exclaiming,
"Eat! eat!" The guests did their utmost, but were very soon satisfied.
"Pray tell him that I can do no more," said Crawford. "This hot day I
should prefer some cold lamb and a salad, but this coarse beef beats
me."
Hendricks apologised as best he could.
"Tell them to drink, then," said the king, "if they cannot eat. The
beer will slip down without any difficulty. Don't you like beer?" asked
the king, when he saw that after taking a few mouthfuls they stopped.
"Pray tell him that we like beer in moderation, but shall never be able
to finish off one of these bowls," exclaimed Crawford.
Hendricks assured the king that his young companions were anxious to
please him; but that Englishmen's insides were not of the same
magnificent capacity as His Majesty's, and that therefore it would be
impossible for them to do as he desired.
A frown gathered on the king's brow. "Drink, I say, drink! They must
drink," he exclaimed.
"Tell the king that I'll see him at Jericho first," said Denis; an
observation which set Percy off laughing.
"Command yourselves, lads," said Hendricks, turning to them. "This may
become no laughing matter. Although you cannot drink, and I don't wish
you to do so, you must show the king that you desire to please him."
"Sure I'll do that," said Denis, putting the bowl to his mouth, and
pretending to swallow a huge draught, and then placed it on the ground
and gasped for breath. "Please tell His Majesty, that unless he wishes
to kill me, he'll let me off this time," cried the irrepressible young
Irishman. "Poor Percy and Lionel will burst outright if they have to
swallow this stuff."
"That I shall," exclaimed Percy. "I'll not swallow another drop to
please him or all the nigger kings in Africa."
Lionel did not venture to make any remark, but looked as resolute as the
rest not to turn himself into a beer barrel.
Hendricks began to wish heartily that he had left his companions in the
camp, but had now to get out of the difficulty in the best way he could.
He therefore reminded Panda that they were very young, and that English
manners were not like Zulu manners, but he hoped the next time they
visited the country, should the king give them the honour of an
invitation, that they would behave themselves better.
Both Hendricks and Crawford had already swallowed more of the beer than
they liked. Although its intoxicating qualities were very weak, the
latter declared he felt its effects in his head, and that should he take
much more, he could not answer for himself.
At last Hendricks thought of an expedient which might possibly prove
successful in enabling his companions to escape from a further
infliction of the king's hospitable intentions. "The Lion of Africa"
(such was one of the titles the obese old savage delighted to be
addressed by) "was inquiring about affairs in Natal," he observed. "Not
long ago, there lived in England,--which, as your Majesty is aware of,
is a long way off,--a man named Jones. He was a worthy man, and had he
been born in Zululand, he might have become a great warrior. But Jones
was a man of peace. He had a family of ten children, six boys and four
girls, very like him in all respects. Jones had a brother, and Jones's
brother had twelve children, they were equally divided between boys and
girls. As there was every prospect of there being a good many more
little Jones's born, they agreed that the country might not be large
enough to hold them, and they therefore determined to come out to Natal.
Jones's brother came in a ship called the _Swan_, while Jones himself
embarked in one named the _Duck_. They sailed almost at the same time.
When the sea was smooth, the little Jones's were tolerably well, but
when it grew rough, they became very sick, and wished that they had not
come."
Hendricks, while he was speaking, kept his eye on the king, who, before
he had got thus far, began to nod. He continued, therefore, in a low
voice, giving the history of the Jones's, which, as it would be
uninteresting to most readers, was especially so to the king, who,
therefore, before the hunter had got much farther, fell fast asleep.
"Now my lads," said Hendricks, turning to his young companions, "you may
take the opportunity of slipping off. Make a bow to the king as you
leave the hut, more to please his attendants than His Majesty, who will
certainly not see it, and I will follow."
His directions were obeyed, and they all breathed more freely when they
found themselves in the open air. They guessed that the courtiers would
not let the king discover that any beer had been left in the bowls, by
drinking it up themselves, and they therefore were not troubled on that
account.
"It is the first time I ever dined with a king, and it's the last, I
hope, ever to have that honour--at least with a black one," exclaimed
Denis, as they strolled back towards the waggon. "I wish we could send
Cetchwayo to sleep as easily as Hendricks has done his fat old father,
and then we might at once continue our journey."
Cetchwayo, however, was not a man to be sent asleep by any amount of
Kaffir beer, whatever might have been the effect of half a dozen of
London stout. He visited the camp in the evening, to have a talk, as he
said, with his friend the great hunter.
He intended, he said, to commence his march at daylight the next
morning, to attack Umbulazi, and he should depend upon his friends to
afford him the assistance of their rifles.
"Do you wish, O Prince, to destroy me and my companions?" exclaimed
Hendricks. "Know you not that I am subject to the laws of my country?
Those laws forbid me to kill my fellow-creatures, except in
self-defence, or in such warfare as is sanctioned by my government. If
I were to kill any of Umbulazi's people, who have not attacked me, and
who are at peace with my country, I should make myself liable to the
penalty of death. Remember, O Prince, that although your warriors are
brave and numerous, yet Umbulazi has a strong force, and should the
fortune of war turn against you, your women and children would be
exposed to great danger. Now if you will place them under my charge, I
will undertake to defend them, and will fight to the last, rather than
allow them to be killed."
To this proposal Cetchwayo would not consent, but at last he agreed that
Hendricks and his men should remain in the reserve, and that in the
event of any of his regiments being defeated, they should afford them
protection, and enable them to rally, so as to renew the attack.
Very unwillingly Hendricks was compelled to consent to this arrangement,
for he feared being drawn into the conflict, which he especially desired
to avoid. Next morning, at daybreak, the army began its march. The
main body advanced so slowly, that the waggon was able to keep up with
it; but active scouts were sent ahead, to feel every inch of the way,
while the rest kept themselves concealed, so that there was no
possibility of their being taken by surprise. For three days they
advanced, when it was supposed that they were approaching their enemies;
but the scouts brought in word that they had retreated to a position
nearer the border. This showed that Umbulazi was not so confident of
victory as he had appeared to be--possibly he had discovered that his
forces were far outnumbered by those of his brother.
On receiving this information, Cetchwayo ordered his whole army to
advance. Hendricks was in hopes of being allowed to remain behind, but
the prince would not hear of it.
"I will grant you this favour," he answered. "I will leave two of your
people, and six of my own, who are sick, to assist in taking care of the
waggon; but you and the rest must accompany me on horseback, and view
the battle, even if you do not take a part in it. I want to show you
how we Zulus fight, and how we treat our enemies when we gain the
victory."