Scarcely had morning dawned, than Metilulu, surrounded by his
counsellors, coming up, warmly thanked me in words full of the sincerest
gratitude for having saved the lives of his tribe, as assuredly, but for
my warning, they would all have been massacred before the men could have
even had time to seize their weapons in defence. The little Chief
seemed indeed so vastly pleased that I thought his praises would never
cease, and I began to be rather tired of listening, when he suddenly put
to me a question, which I had expected he would from the first. This
was, "How it happened that I had been so lucky to see the enemy's
approach at so late an hour?" Of course, I dared not give the right
reason; but, on the contrary, seized the opportunity this occasion
offered to improve my position and consequence in Metilulu's eyes by
saying,--
"That I had been much concerned respecting the drought, which threatened
such great suffering to his people and cattle, particularly after
sending the message to him regarding the coming rain. The thought that
he would fancy I only intended to deceive him made it impossible for me
to sleep; therefore, I had walked outside the huts to note what aspect
the moon would possess on rising, feeling sure, if she displayed the
slightest mistiness on her disc, that rain could not be far off. It was
at the time when so engaged that, happening to glance through an opening
in the fence towards the bush, I had become conscious of dark, moving
figures in the distance, and, guessing foul play, had immediately given
the alarm to the kraal."
Metilulu listened very attentively, as did his counsellors, and, when I
had finished, asked with much anxiety,--
"Did you see the moon rise? If so, what was its appearance?"
"It appeared with a slight halo about it," I rejoined.
"We shall have rain, then?" he said interrogatively.
To answer this in the affirmative, I had only to look up to the heavens,
without any aid from my previous knowledge of the halo, and I told him
that I believed rain would fall very shortly, perhaps even before night.
He smiled with great satisfaction at this, saying, if it proved true, I
should be his rain-maker for the future. Then taking his leave, I saw
him proceed direct to the prophet and address that withered, sour
specimen of humanity.
I learned afterwards, from Tugela, that Metilulu had accused him of
wishing to destroy the man who had turned out to be the best friend the
tribe had, while he ended by asserting, on the strength of my word
alone, that the rain was coming, and very speedily too, though the white
man yet lived. The rain-maker, perceiving the champion I had in the
Chief, had muttered out something about a mistake; it must have been
some one of their own people, whose evil spirit had caused his spells to
fail till now. I rather admired that "till now," the conceit was so
extremely cool.
Such a flagrant act of imposture as this in our country would have
speedily ruined all the prestige of a conjuror, much less a prophet; but
there it had not the least effect, and if the rain had not come as I had
predicted, no doubt the prophet would have triumphed enormously, and
again been set to work to smell out another unfortunate victim, if he
had not still persisted--as very likely he might--that the worker of all
this evil was myself.
As it was, however, plenteous and refreshing rains fell that day; the
rivers again began to flow, and the springs and wells to fill--all of
which had an effect wonderful to behold upon the natives. They danced,
they shouted, they sang, and fairly embraced each other and their dear
cattle, the destruction of their kraal appearing to sink into quite a
minor affair. It was far from doing so with Metilulu, a brave little
fellow, despite his obesity. Before the day was out, he had called his
chief warriors together, to arrange with them how and when to take dire
vengeance upon his enemy. Not one of the tribe was loathe to do this;
therefore, it was determined that, directly they could erect a kraal
sufficiently large to keep the cattle and women in safety, the whole
body of Kaffirs, with Metilulu himself at their head, should, leaving
only enough behind to protect the women and cows, depart for the enemy's
dwellings, upon whom they swore to have a terrible retribution.
Consequently three days after, when an isibaya had been hurriedly
constructed for the cattle and huts for the females, children, and those
who were to remain as their guards, the war party set out, I among their
number, by permission of the chief, who now seemed ready to grant
anything I desired--a willingness on his Majesty's part which I hoped
soon to put to a great test, by stating my earnest desire to return to
my own people and land.
We set forth after sun-down, so as to reach the enemy's quarters in the
middle of the night, which we succeeded in doing, for after having
marched for nearly four hours, we came abruptly on the kraal, laying,
bathed in moonlight, all silent and still just at the foot of a slight
incline.
I think it need not be stated that I had no intention to play any part
in the affair about to take place, for the men I was with were acting no
better than had those who had attacked them, while from experience I
knew they could be quite, as cruel. But aware my presence or absence
could do neither harm nor good, I had really come hoping thereby to gain
still further Metilulu's friendship, so that perhaps he might the more
readily grant my request to be passed on to a white settlement.
Falling back, therefore, to the rear as the Kaffirs advanced, I
manoeuvred to remain in the shadow of the bush while they went on. In
the kraal before me there was, unfortunately, no wakeful eye to warn the
sleepers of their danger, and the Kaffirs, approaching silently with the
stealthy tread of a cat, had even scaled the fences before a sound was
heard. Then the dogs began to bark and the cows to low, for in
Caffraria cattle can at times be made to serve in place of the watchful
canine animals themselves; but, before their masters could be aroused by
the warning, they were startled into consciousness of their peril by
their huts being pierced by the assagais of the enemy, whose loud yells
of triumph rang awfully through the still air.
A terrible scene ensued--warriors who had had only time to seize their
weapons issued forth but to be slaughtered, while women and children
mostly shared the same fate. Some of the fragile huts were crushed down
altogether--the inmates under them--into which heaps the enemy
frequently thrust their spears to destroy the miserable beings beneath.
I waited impatiently for an end to this frightful scene of bloodshed,
and each moment expected to see the cattle drawn out to a place of
safety and the kraal set on fire as ours had been; but there appeared no
signs of this. Owing to the unfairness of the fight, it speedily began
to subside; yet the cattle remained in the isibaya. Had the enemy been
exterminated, or had they yielded?
I waited yet a little longer, then became certain one or other was the
case, for the fight seemed over, while Metilulu's regiment were already
forming into order. Consequently, thinking it as well now to join them,
I hastened from the bush and entered the kraal. It presented a horrible
sight to one who, like myself, was unused to bloodshed and battlefields,
though no doubt it was not so ghastly as that presented by one of our
civilised engagements; for here were no shattered limbs, no torn gaping
wounds, no headless trunks, and bodies rent in twain by cannon shot.
The assagai, or, occasionally, the knob-kerrie, had alone been used; and
strewn over the ground were the dead forms of the Kaffirs, the spears
which had caused their deaths yet remaining buried deep up the shaft in
the victims, the victors not having had time to collect them. In some
parts, where the fight had been the thickest, they laid in heaps; yet,
with but few exceptions, the positions of all retained a look of
graceful, easy repose. Notwithstanding, to me, it was a sickening sight
to behold so many who, but an hour before, had been full of healthful
life, now lying there extended on the plain--dead.
On going a little further I perceived Metilulu standing in the isibaya,
inspecting the numbering the cattle by some of his men, while others
were forming the survivors into their proper regiments, to discover
which of the tribe had fallen. Having no wish to join either I strolled
on, wondering in my own mind as to what they intended to do with the
slain, for to leave them where they were under the tropical sun of day
would soon render the spot unbearable and detrimental to the existence
of the survivors.
Just at this moment I chanced to come across Tugela, bearing a message
from Metilulu to one of his warriors, and, as I was going his way, I
asked him with some curiosity, "How the fight had terminated."
"All those who had not been slain," he said, "had finally yielded and
consented to submit to Metilulu, accepting him for their chief.
Therefore, as the kraal was ready for immediate occupation, and stood in
a much better situation regarding vegetation and water than his, the
little Chief had issued orders for all the huts to be taken care of, as
he intended at once to make the place his own abode, while the
vanquished were to build themselves a kraal a little distance off."
"But what will you do with these heaps of slain?" I asked. "If they
remain here long the air will be full of pestilential vapours."
"Those who like to bury their friends have permission to do so,"
rejoined Tugela, "The others will be dragged far into the bush for the
wild beasts to devour, or thrown into the rivers for the crocodiles. We
never bury them as you English do."
Saying which he hurried on with his message; and, even as he went, I
perceived numerous parties of "boys" removing the fallen men for the
purpose Tugela had stated. Whether they ascertained if all they took
were really dead, particularly when the bodies were those of the enemy,
I cannot tell, but I rather think not.
On being once more alone I continued my walk, and had the satisfaction
of relieving from under the debris of a fallen hut a poor woman with an
assagai wound in her side, who immediately, with much chattering,
scurried off to the bush, clasping a baby in her arms, and leaving me no
time to tell her that she would be quite safe if she liked to remain at
the kraal.
It was soon after this that I came to a second demolished dwelling, from
whence I fancied there issued murmuring sounds of life. Thinking I
might be so fortunate as to rescue another unfortunate being, I listened
attentively, and speedily, by the slight upheaving of the rubbish, was
convinced some person was beneath--whereupon I set to work as fast as I
could to clear away the heap so as to make an opening, all the while
assuring those inside that there was no cause for fear, the fight was
over, and peace concluded. I had nearly effected my purpose, when
suddenly a grizzled head was thrust up into the moonlight--the ruined
hut looking something like a hencoop fastened about the neck. After
glancing quickly round, the possessor of the head exclaimed, to my utter
amazement, "Well, jib-booms and top-sails, but this is a queer scene,
this is."
I reeled back mute with astonishment at the words, which recalled to me
the apparition's attention, and he continued--
"Well, you black nigger, how long are you going to stand there? Why
don't you help a fellow out, instead of jabbering your confounded lingo,
which I don't understand a word of, though I've heerd nothin' but it for
nigh a year, and what's more, I _won't_ understand it if I stay another;
for it's the devil's own tongue itself, that it are."
By this time I had recovered myself, and, dashing forward, tore away the
remains of the ruins; then, as the other started up, I threw myself on
his neck overcome with emotion.
"Now, I say, you nigger, what are you up to?" he exclaimed.
"Oh, Thompson. Dear old Jack. My old, old companion," I cried, while
actual tears rolled from my eyes, "don't you know me--me, Dick
Galbraith?"
"Dick Galbraith! and alive! By the Lord, is it possible; but how--how
_could_ I know you, dear Dick, my boy, with your face like a nigger's,
and rigged out in those queer togs. Oh, lor'! I'm glad of this
indeed," exclaimed the old fellow, laughing and crying at the same time
as he hugged me and I hugged him, while both of us sobbed like very
children for joy at once more looking into the face of a white man--and
a friend.