"We saw no more of Tshaka's _impi_. Perhaps it was that a great cloud
came upon the mountains after our passage and rested there for days, and
they attempted to follow, and failed because of the darkness and the
mist, or refrained from following at all. Anyhow, this cloud came, as I
have said, and all men hailed it as a good omen and that Umzilikazi's
_muti_ [Medicine, mystery, magic. In this sense, the latter] had caused
it to gather thus, in order that we might evade further pursuit.
"But as we swept down upon this new land like a swarm of devastating
locusts--ah, the terror of its people! The report was cried from kraal
to kraal that the great Zulu sea had overflowed the mountains, and was
sweeping on to engulf all within the black fury of its wrath. Wherefore
soon we found nothing but empty kraals, whose people had fled, but we
took their cattle and their grain, and laughed and went on. Then, as
our march progressed further and further, we began to find kraals which
were not empty, and whose people had neglected to remove out of our
destroying path. _Au_! it was something to see the faces of these as we
sprang upon them with our fierce, roaring war-shout, which was as the
thunders of heaven. Their faces were those of men already dead, and
dead they soon were, for our spears devoured them as they stood, or as
they lay, screaming for mercy. But mercy was no part of our plan in
those days--not that Umzilikazi loved bloodshed for its own sake, or was
wantonly cruel, as some of the white men say, but it was necessary to
stamp out all the people in our path, to leave none behind who should
say to Tshaka's _impis_ pursuing us: `This way has Umzilikazi gone.' So
a broad trail of fire and blood marked our course, which, indeed, a man
might trace by watching the clouds of vultures aloft in the heavens.
But time went on, and we moved further and further from Zululand, and
still no pursuit.
"Now, of all this killing I and many others of the younger warriors soon
grew tired. It was too much like cattle-slaying, falling upon these
unresisting people, who had no fight in them. What we desired was to
meet an enemy in arms, and some, fired with all this blood-shedding,
even whispered of turning back to meet the _impis_ of Tshaka in fair
fight. However, when we came near the country of the Basutu we got
fighting enough, for these people were brave, and though they would not
meet us in the open, would retire to their cliff dwellings and hill
forts and resist us fiercely, studding the approaches to their
strongholds with assegai points to cut our feet and legs to pieces as we
drew near, or rolling down showers of rocks upon us, so that we must
flee or be crushed. This sort of fighting was not to our tastes, and we
would taunt them and call them cowards for skulking behind rocks instead
of coming forth to meet us in the open, man to man; and yet they were
not cowards, for every race has its own method of fighting--besides, had
not we ourselves adopted that very plan?--and the Basutu were brave
enough in their own way.
"At that time I had found great favour with the King, who had created my
father, Ntelani, one of his _indunas_. Boy as I was, I was tall and
straight and active, and afraid of nothing. I could outstrip the
fastest runner among us, and, indeed, all the younger ones were ordered
to compete in foot-racing, both short and long distances. I was first
in all these, and the King appointed me his chief messenger. I was
incorporated into his bodyguard, and was never far from the King's
person. Indeed, he would often talk with me alone, as though I were his
son; and being young and unthinking in those days, I soon began to fancy
myself a much bigger man than my own father. So one day I went boldly
to the King, and asked leave to _tunga_ [Literally `sew' the head-ring;
i.e., to marry], for by this time we had many women-captives among us,
over and above those we had been able to bring with us from Zululand.
"Umzilikazi burst out laughing.
"`What!' he said. `You, a boy--a mere child yesterday--thinking to
_tunga_! Go, go! You are fleet of foot, Untuswa, but I have never
heard that you had done anything especially brave--braver than your
fellows, that is. What claim, then, have you to sue for the privilege
which is granted to tried warriors alone?'
"`Give me but the chance, O King; give me but the chance!' I cried. `I
will surpass everyone for valour, for I know not what fear is.'
"Umzilikazi had abandoned his good-humoured laugh. He now looked grave,
even severe. In truth, I knew I was doing a bold thing in daring so
much as to reply upon `the word' of the King. It was an act which might
have cost many a man his life. Yet there I stood, about ten paces from
him, in a slightly bent attitude of humility, but meeting his gaze full
and fearlessly.
"`Do you presume upon the favour I have ever shown you, Untuswa?' he
said sternly. `Do you perchance forget that the slayers are ever within
hail?'
"`I lie beneath the foot of the King--the Great Elephant whose tread
shaketh the world,' I replied, launching into the most extravagant of
_bonga_ [Acclamatory praise, as applied to the King], but still meeting
his threatening gaze unquailingly.
"`I believe you speak truly, boy, and that you do not know fear,' he
answered, `eke you had not dared to stand before me thus. Well now,
this is my "word": Go and distinguish yourself; perform some act bolder
than any I have ever heard tell of. Then, child as you are, you shall
wear the head-ring--because are you not, after all, my chief runner?'
"`Who am I, to keep on filling the King's ears with words?' I said.
`But give me the chance to distinguish myself. Give me the chance,
Father!'
"`You must make the chance, Untuswa; you must make it for yourself. But
I say again, because you are my chief runner and my faithful servant, I
will do more for you than I would for many, O son of Ntelani. Perform
some act bolder than any act I have ever heard tell of, and you shall be
allowed to _tunga_. Not only that, but I will give you this _umkonto_
[The broad-bladed, short-handled assegai] which I hold in my hand, and
with it you shall lead my armies to battle. Now go.'
"I bent low to the earth, then straightened myself up, and with hand,
uplifted shouted:--
"`_Bayete_! I walk on air, O Elephant! for have I not the King's
promise?' Then I went out from the presence.
"You must know, _Nkose_, that in those days Umzilikazi was in the prime
of his youth and strength, being tall and active, and with the stamp of
a chief among chiefs. His countenance was noble and stately as that of
a lion, and in his unbending moments he had a way with him that bound us
to him in such wise that we, his younger warriors, would have died all
deaths at his word. For his rule was lighter than that of Tshaka. He,
like Tshaka, knew not fear, and was as daring and skilful a leader as
the great Zulu King; indeed, this it was that aroused the jealousy of
Tshaka, as I have told you, and led to the building up of a new nation.
And although, for necessity's sake, as regards other tribes, Umzilikazi
was ruthless and unsparing, among us, his followers, he was merciful, if
strict, and rarely spilt blood. Yet, while we loved him, we feared
him--oh yes, we feared him.
"Now, although I had the King's promise, I felt sorely perplexed; for
how was I to fulfil its conditions? For days and nights I thought and
dreamed of nought else; saying nothing, however, to my father, Ntelani,
who was already jealous of the great; favour Umzilikazi had shown me,
and might have devised some means of thwarting me.
"It happened that on the evening after I had obtained the King's promise
I was returning alone from a hunt. I was empty-handed; for although my
fleetness of foot enabled me to traverse long distances, yet game was
scarce in our neighbourhood, owing to the passage of such an immense
body of people, which had scared it. Tired and dispirited, I threw down
my assegais and small shield, and sank down against a rock to rest.
Suddenly my tawny, black-muzzled hound leaped up and dashed round the
rock with a growl. But this was soon changed to a whine of pleasure.
"Clearly the intruder was known to him. Raising my eyes, I beheld a
girl.
"I am an old man now, _Nkose_, and have lived to learn that women, like
assegais, are all made very much on the same lines--like assegais, are
keen and sharp to cut and destroy. But, old man as I am, I cannot even
now quite forget that evening after I had talked with the King.
"`Of what are your thoughts that they are so heavy, O son of Ntelani?'
she said, with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.
"I gazed upon her for a moment without replying; for I knew who she was,
though we had never before spoken. Picture to yourself, _Nkose_, a tall
fine girl--indeed, nearly as tall as myself--as straight as a
spear-shaft and as strong and firm as a yellow-wood tree, with large and
rounded limbs, and a face all sparkling with intelligence and mirth.
She was rather light-coloured, though, and we Zulus, _Nkose_, prefer our
women very black.
"`Perhaps it was of you I was thinking, Nangeza,' I answered. `Is not
that enough to produce heavy thoughts?'
"`_Yau_!' she cried. `It may be that there are those who think the
reverse. _They_ do not feel heavy when their thoughts are of me.'
"`But they are _amakehla_ [Head-ringed men, and privileged to marry].
Any one of them has only to send in enough cattle and you are his. Now
look at me. I am young. It may be half a lifetime before the King
allows me to _tunga_. Wherefore, when I think of you I feel heavy,
Nangeza, for this is not the first time I have looked upon you.'
"`I know that, son of Ntelani,' she answered, looking shy. Then all of
a sudden she came and sat down beside me. `Listen, Untuswa,' she said,
throwing an arm round my neck. `You are but an _umfane_, but I have
loved you for some time unknown to you, for you are so strong and brave.
And are you not the King's chief runner? Now, put your ear to my lips
while I whisper. Well, then, it is breathed among the old men that
Umzilikazi intends to relax the severe laws of the Great Great One whose
land we have left [Tshaka], and to allow his warriors to _tunga_ while
young--when we gain the land wherein we are to dwell. Now, Untuswa, if
any man can win this privilege, it is yourself, for you are as brave as
any, and, for the rest, you are the King's chief runner, and have very
much the ear of the King.'
"This struck me as a good omen, coming as it did so close upon the
King's promise. I looked upon Nangeza's splendid form, for, of course,
she wore nothing but the girl's _mutya_, or little apron of beads, and
thought that to make her mine but for a little while, I would pay the
sure and certain penalty--viz., death; but then the penalty would be
suffered by her, too. Should I tell her of the King's promise? Wisdom
said `No'; but then my brain was reeling with love for her, and my evil
spirit whispered that a woman's brain and wit are subtle, and might
devise a plan where I failed to see one. So I told her of the King's
promise; and having done so, my good spirit cried out upon me for a
fool, for a secret which is shared by a woman--might it not as well be
cried aloud from kraal to kraal from sunrise to sunset?
"My news, however, caused Nangeza to clap her hands delightedly.
"`You are indeed a man, Untuswa!' she cried. `Keep well within the
favour of the King. One day you will be an _induna_. Who knows? One
day you may command the whole army in battle.'
"`Why not propose that one day I may reign as King?' I said
banteringly. `The one is as likely as the other.'
"`Well, what then? Even that may be,' was her cool reply. `A man who
is brave and cautious may climb to any height; and did not the King
promise you his dark-handled assegai? What is the history of Umzilikazi
himself?'
"`Speak low, girl, or speak not of these things at all,' I whispered
warningly. `One word of such talk falling upon other ears would
certainly cost both of us our lives.'
"But, in truth, I was amazed, bewildered, the while more in love with
her than ever, on account of this bold and scheming talk.
"`What, then?' she answered. `The King may have us killed, but he
cannot prevent us from loving each other. Come now, Untuswa, and let us
love each other while we may.'
"_Au, Nkose_, who shall put grey hair upon--a cool brain into--a young
head? The place was lonely, and my good dog would keep watch. And so
Nangeza and I loved each other, and not until darkness had fallen did we
separate from each other's arms and wend by different ways back to the
camp.
"But we had both incurred the death penalty. For the stern and rigorous
law of Tshaka had as yet undergone no relaxation, and even Umzilikazi
himself would hardly have dared to pardon a breach thereof. Yet, such
is the hot-blooded rashness of youth, this, though the first, was
destined to be by no means the last time we should incur that awful
penalty."