The girl sang softly to herself as she worked. The said work was of the
homeliest nature, being, in fact, the making of bread.
She looked up suddenly. A ray of the sun, coming round the angle of the
house, had struck warm warning upon her uncovered head. Picking up the
table on which were the implements of her occupation, she shifted it
well into the shade. This involved no sort of an effort. Then,
standing erect, she gazed forth upon the rolling waves of veldt which
fell away in front.
She was a splendid specimen of womanhood: tall and square-shouldered,
and built on generous lines, and if she had just missed being beautiful
she was endowed with what was better--a rare power of attractiveness.
She had clear hazel eyes, heavily lashed, and when these spoke, together
with the smile which displayed the strong white teeth, the face would
light up in a way that was dangerously irresistible.
Out on the sunlit expanse in front nothing moved, unless an odd thread
of smoke mounting lazily from two or three kraals could be counted. At
the back broken ground ran immediately up, in the shape of a dark kloof,
bushy and rock hung, cleaving the heart of a mountain range, whose crags
and krantzes soared skyward above. Below stood Ben Halse's trading
establishment, consisting of three or four native huts, a waggon shed,
and two quite unpicturesque buildings of corrugated iron. One of these
was used as a dwelling-house and store, the other as a stable, and in
the shade of the former the girl was working. And she was Ben Halse's
only daughter.
A lonely position this, for a girl, away in one of the wildest parts of
Zululand. But Verna Halse never felt lonely. She was always busy, for
she was her father's right hand, and no single detail of any branch of
his somewhat ramificatory business was unknown to her. Moreover, she
had interests, the nature of some of which we shall see into anon. And
she was healthy in mind and body, and utterly unspoiled. As for the
potentiality of danger attaching to the situation Verna would have
broken into one of her frank, winning laughs if anybody had suggested
such a thing. She knew abundantly how to take care of herself.
Now she called to a native servant, and bidding him go to the store and
fetch another pannikin of flour, her thoughts reverted to her absent
father.
"He'll enjoy this, all hot," she said to herself. "I'll make some of it
into _roster-koekjes_ on the gridiron, Ah, there he is!"
But with the clink of stones a little way off arose the sound of native
voices, deep-toned, sonorous. It was only some wandering Zulus, after
all. Yet it was time he was back.
Three Zulus came into sight, filing along the narrow path which led past
the store. Two saluted and passed on, while he who walked foremost came
leisurely up, and, halting, gave the girl greeting in a pleasant voice.
He was a magnificent sample of his race. Well over six feet, and built
in proportion, he stood erect as a palm-tree, with a perfectly natural,
because unconscious, dignity of mien and movement. Even from a European
standpoint the man was extremely handsome, the high, intellectual
forehead, and the lustrous clear eyes, with their frank, straight
glance, giving to the well-formed face an air of composure and
reliability. His skin was of a rich red copper colour, which rendered
his short, pointed beard and the ring which crowned his shaven head the
more jetty in contrast. For attire, besides the _mutya_, or kilt of
catskins and hide, an ample kaross of dressed leopard skin was flung
round him in graceful folds. It might have been noticeable that, unlike
nearly all of his countrymen up to date, he wore no trace of European
clothing or ornament.
"Where is U' Ben?" began the Zulu. This was Ben Halse's name among
them, being, of course, an adaptation of his Christian name.
She told him, and then went on to talk--and she spoke the Zulu language
fluently. This man, whose name was Sapazani, was the chief of one of
the powerful septs which went to make up the Zulu nation, and which
occupied the adjoining mountain fastnesses. He was on very friendly
terms with Ben Halse, a fact which might yet stand the latter in good
stead, for the secret heart of the nation was seething with unrest,
although long since under British rule. Further, it ensured him the
monopoly of a roaring trade.
"What is the news?" asked the chief at last.
"News?" echoed Verna, flashing at him a bright glance of merriment.
"Now what, I would ask, could have happened here that a great chief such
as Sapazani would care to hear about?"
"That I know not, unless that it came from the lips of _Izibu_," he
answered, with a merry twinkle in his eyes.
It is not as a rule respectful for a native to address the superior
white by his or her nickname. But "Izibu"--meaning water-lily--Verna
considered rather pretty and poetic, and did not discourage its use.
Moreover, she had been accustomed to natives all her life, and
understood them thoroughly. She appreciated, too, the position of her
father and herself among this once kingly race, where they dwelt in
perfect security as to person and property, so much so that they never
troubled to put a lock on anything, not even on the trading store. Now
she laughed gaily at the compliment which had accompanied the use of the
name, and went on chatting, easily, merrily, even banteringly--that to
any one unaware of the stern and rigid line of demarcation in such
matters, between white and coloured, which has ever saturated public
opinion throughout South Africa, it might have seemed that she was
carrying on a sort of mild flirtation with this splendid savage. The
latter had produced his snuff-box, and was absorbing a portion of its
contents in grave silence.
"But I am forgetting!" exclaimed Verna. "The day is hot, and a visitor
must not go away without food and drink."
"Why, as to the last it will be good," answered the chief, with a
sparkle in his fine eyes. "For the first, I am not hungry."
Herein again in this detail the man differed from his up-to-date
countryman, who will seldom, if ever, refuse anything offered.
Verna rose and went into the house, returning with a large bottle of the
excellent ale they brew in Maritzburg, and a long glass.
"Good!" exclaimed the guest, as he drained the foaming brew. "_Wou_!
Our people cannot make such _tywala_ as this." The while he had been
noting, with calm approval, every movement of the girl: the fine
erectness of her carriage, the firm walk, straight from the hips. As he
talked he noted, too, the quick movements of her floury hands and arms,
for she had resumed her occupation. At last he rose to take leave. The
sun was getting low, he said, and he had still far to travel.
"Wait," said the girl. Then she walked round to the store, returning
immediately with a few unconsidered trifles, such as a large
sheath-knife and belt, a packet of snuff and some brass buttons, also
strings of beads.
"This is something that even a chief may find useful," she said, handing
him the knife, which he accepted with a pleasant murmur of thanks.
"These," she went on, handing him the smaller things, "will please
Nonente and Malima," naming two of Sapazani's youngest and favourite
wives.
These, too, he took. Verna, putting up both hands to adjust the pins in
the large and rather untidy knot of brown hair at the back of her
well-shaped head, stood contemplating him with a flash of roguish
mischief in her eyes; the joke being that she was morally compelling so
great a chief as Sapazani to carry something, however small, for a
couple of mere women. But she reckoned without that potentate's power
of resource.
"Ho, Samhlu!" he called to the stable boy, who was passing, and now
turned hurriedly, obsequiously.
"Thou wilt bear these behind me," said Sapazani, handing him the other
things. Then, unconcernedly belting the knife round his own exalted
person, he took a pleasant farewell of his very attractive entertainer,
and, followed by the boy, who was one of his own people, strode away
over the veldt.
Verna, looking after him, laughed to herself. Her guest had not
merely--and readily--cut the knot of his own dilemma, but had turned the
tables on her by depriving her of the services of her boy for the rest
of the day. But she thoroughly enjoyed the joke. Soon the tramp of
hoofs struck upon her ear, and she turned with a smile of welcome to
meet her father.
"Well, girlie, and what have you been doing with yourself? Busy as
usual?" sung out the latter, as he swung himself from his horse and
shouted for the boy.
"Yes; bread-making. But it's no use calling Samhlu, dear. You won't
see him again to-day, because he's gone with Sapazani to carry five
strings of beads and a couple of dozen brass buttons, which that
debilitated weakling was too feeble to carry himself."
"Sapazani? Has he been here, then? Pity I missed him."
"Just gone." And then she told him about her little bit of innocent
mischief, at which the trader threw back his head and roared with
laughter.
"You mustn't play tricks on these big swells, darling," he said,
proceeding to do his own off-saddling. "But Sapazani's a real good 'un,
bang the opposite of his crusty, slippery old father."
Ben Halse was a tall, fine-looking man, with a large beard; just the
sort of man to command the respect of savages; in his dealings with whom
he was invariably straight and reliable. But as a setoff against this
there were stories about him--stories of shady transactions in the
gun-running and liquor-smuggling line, and those in charge of the
administration of the country held him in no very favourable regard.
Indeed, it was whispered that there was one even darker count against
him, which, though a thing of a tolerably remote past, the law might
take cognisance of even yet. But all these things, although known to
Verna, made no difference in the affection and confidence which existed
between the two. Of her--his only child--he was inordinately fond and
proud; and, so far as he was concerned, desired nothing more to complete
his happiness in life.
But she? In the full vitality of her splendid youth, was she not bound
to "pair"? This was a question he frequently asked himself, and--it
needed no answer.