The Adventures of Dick Maitland Part 9

d.i.c.k, meanwhile, accompanied only by Mafuta to act as interpreter, sauntered slowly on his way, for the double purpose of arranging mentally the plan of his impending interview with Sekosini, and giving Ingona time to say whatever he might wish to say to the witch doctor.

It was about a quarter of an hour later that, as d.i.c.k and his henchman approached the witch doctor's hut, Ingona emerged from it with the gratifying intimation that he had succeeded in inducing Sekosini graciously to accord the white man an audience. Whereupon the white man, having suitably expressed the satisfaction which was his at so great an honour, stooped and pa.s.sed into the hut, preceded by Ingona and followed by Mafuta, whose original wholesome fear of wizards had by this time become completely swamped by his belief in the power of his master to circ.u.mvent the most powerful wizard that ever lived.

The hut of Sekosini afforded no indication of the importance of its owner, for it was of the same size as, and in all other respects similar to, the other huts of the ordinary natives, that is, as regarded its external appearance. Inside, however, there was a very marked difference; for whereas the ordinary native is content to sleep on the bare floor, Sekosini was satisfied with nothing less than a bed, consisting of a quadrangular framework of hardwood supported, at the height of a foot above the floor, by four stout posts driven firmly into the ground, the skeleton framework being strapped across and lengthways by a great number of tightly strained raw-hide thongs upon which were piled several very valuable karosses, or skin rugs. Also the interior of the hut was thickly hung with bunches of dried herbs and other objects, the precise nature of which d.i.c.k was at first unable to determine in the comparative obscurity of the interior, pa.s.sing at once, as he did, from the blazing sunshine of the open direct into an interior which was unilluminated save by such light as penetrated through the low, narrow entrance.

For a full minute he stood, mute and motionless, waiting for his eyes to accustom themselves to the change; then the various objects of the interior gradually began to reveal themselves to him with increasing distinctness, and he found himself face to face with a thin, wizened, shrunken creature of apparently incredible age, without a particle of hair on head or face, but with a pair of eyes that glowed like carbuncles within their cavernous sockets. He was seated cross-legged upon the floor, was absolutely naked, save for a necklace of snake skin, and was toying with an enormous green _mamba_--one of the most deadly of South African snakes--that lay coiled between his legs with its cruel, vindictive eyes fixed immovably upon the visitor. Beside Sekosini stood Ingona, apparently impa.s.sive, but his quick, irregular breathing betrayed the fact that he was labouring under a considerable amount of excitement. As for the witch doctor, his face wore a smile of concentrated malice, as though he antic.i.p.ated something in the nature of a conflict with this audacious white _mfana_ and was already exulting in the prospect of a quick and overwhelming victory.

Suddenly he fixed his eyes intently upon d.i.c.k's, and said, in soft, sibilant tones:

"Well, _'mlungu_, what want ye with Sekosini?"

It was the moment and the opportunity for which d.i.c.k had been waiting.

Gazing intently into the eyes of the savage, in the peculiar manner that he had learned from Humphreys, the young doctor suddenly concentrated his will upon the effort to bring his foe--for as such he intuitively recognised Sekosini--under subjugation. For a moment the strangely contrasted pair gazed at each other, and then some strange sensation experienced by the witch doctor seemed to warn him of what was happening. But it was too late; d.i.c.k had caught him unawares, and so absolutely instantaneous was the hypnotic method which Humphreys had taught his pupil that before Sekosini could offer any effective resistance his will had completely succ.u.mbed to d.i.c.k's, and he was in the latter's power. In response to d.i.c.k's unspoken thought he said:

"Ask what you will, and I will answer."

"You hear?" demanded d.i.c.k, turning his gaze for a moment upon Ingona.

"I hear," answered Ingona, unsuspectingly meeting d.i.c.k's gaze as he replied, and in that moment he, too, was brought under the young doctor's influence. For a few seconds longer d.i.c.k kept his unwinking gaze steadfastly fixed upon the chief, mentally commanding him to forget everything that he might see and hear during the interview; and then he again turned his attention to the witch doctor. He recalled to mind a declaration of Humphreys' upon which the latter had laid great stress: "The spoken word, where you can use it, is always more potent than the unspoken, but whether it is understood or not is really a minor matter; it is the emphasis, the insistence which is conveyed by speech, added to the will power employed, that renders the operator absolutely irresistible." As it was of the utmost importance that Sekosini should remain completely under his influence until the whole affair was brought to an end, he now once more sent his compelling gaze into the unblinking eyes of the ancient savage, and finally said to him, in English:

"Henceforth, until I release you, your will is mine; you will think and act only as I direct. You understand?"

"I understand, and will obey," answered Sekosini.

"Good!" returned d.i.c.k. "Now I command you to tell me the absolute truth. Know you anything relative to the sickness from which the chief 'Nkuni is suffering, or the sickness from which 'Mtatu and the other five chiefs died?"

"Yes," answered Sekosini--and the answer in nowise surprised d.i.c.k; "I know all. 'Nkuni is slowly dying of poison administered by me, the same poison that sent 'Mtatu and the other five chiefs along the Dark Path.

The destruction of these men is preliminary to the destruction of the king, of whose method of government I and others disapprove. I might have destroyed Lobelalatutu alone; but if the chiefs whom I have destroyed had been allowed to live it would a.s.suredly have led to trouble, therefore have I destroyed them first. When 'Nkuni dies the chiefs who think as I do will be strong enough to act without fear of opposition, and we shall be able to destroy Lobelalatutu and restore the system which prevailed when M'Bongwele reigned, the system by which the chiefs and the witch doctors were able to acquire much wealth instead of living, as we do now, in comparative poverty."

"Then," demanded d.i.c.k, "do I understand that under Lobelalatutu's rule you have not a sufficiency to meet all your wants?"

"I have a sufficiency, yes," answered Sekosini; "but I would have much more than that. I would have wealth, great wealth, and, above all, power, the power that the witch doctors wielded in M'Bongwele's time.

True, I have much power even now; but it is as nothing to the power that was wielded by Mtusa, the chief witch doctor whom the accursed Spirits of the Winds sent along the Dark Path with M'Bongwele, the king."

"I see," said d.i.c.k meditatively. "And are there any others concerned with you in this precious scheme of yours to remove Lobelalatutu?"

"Yes," answered Sekosini, "there are Ingona, Lambati, Mapela, Moroosi, Amakosa, N'Ampata, and Sekukuni, all chiefs."

"Quite a formidable little crowd," mused d.i.c.k, as he drew forth his pocket book to make a few notes. "Just repeat those names again-- slowly, if you please," he commanded.

Sekosini did so, and d.i.c.k noted down the names very carefully, so that there should be no mistake, for some of the native names are quite embarra.s.singly similar in sound.

"Now," resumed d.i.c.k, when he had done this, "to return to 'Nkuni. What is the poison that you have been administering to him?"

"It is a decoction of the leaves of the plant that hangs immediately over your head," answered Sekosini.

d.i.c.k reached up and touched a thick branch depending from the roof of the hut. "This?" he asked.

Sekosini a.s.sented, and d.i.c.k took down the branch and examined it. It seemed quite an ordinary shrub to all appearance. He handed it over to Mafuta for safekeeping.

"Next question," said d.i.c.k. "Is there an antidote to this particular poison?"

"Oh yes!" answered the witch doctor cheerfully; "I never use a poison that has no antidote, because it is sometimes desirable to alter one's plans at the last moment."

"Quite so," a.s.sented d.i.c.k; "and I am going to alter your plans with regard to 'Nkuni straight away. Where is your antidote, and how is it prepared?"

"It is contained in those roots," answered Sekosini, pointing to a bundle of bulb-like objects also suspended from the roof. "The method of preparation is simple. A root is taken, cleaned from the adhering soil, and boiled in water until it is soft enough to crush between the fingers. Then the liquid is allowed to cool and strained through cloth.

This liquid is of a dark colour, almost black. To administer it, add enough water to stain it very pale yellow, and let the patient drink as he will; the more he drinks the quicker will be his cure."

"Excellent! I shall easily remember that," murmured d.i.c.k. Then, addressing the witch doctor, he said:

"That is all I want to know at present. Now, remain here until I summon you to the presence of the king. Mafuta, take these roots, and we will be going."

Two hours later he had prepared a sufficient quant.i.ty of the antidote to fill an eight-ounce medicine bottle; and as the stuff was exceedingly strong, he believed that this ought to be nearly, or quite, sufficient to effect a complete cure. Armed with this, he made his way to 'Nkuni's hut, and was gratified to find that the emetic had been productive of very satisfactory results, the pain being greatly eased, while the temperature of the body had become almost normal. He now administered a good stiff dose of the antidote, and left the bottle containing it in charge of the patient's wife, giving her the most minute instructions respecting its administration. This done, he proceeded to the enclosed part of the village containing the king's house and its dependencies, and informed the sentries at the gate of the palisade that he desired to report personally to the king the state of the chief 'Nkuni, from whose hut he had just come. The sentries had already received orders to admit the white men whenever they should present themselves, and in a few minutes d.i.c.k found himself standing in the presence of Lobelalatutu.

CHAPTER TEN.

d.i.c.k'S "MAGIC".

The king was reclining upon a sort of sofa, with two or three of his wives fanning him to drive away the flies, when The Healer was announced; but a word caused the women to scuttle off to their own quarters like frightened rabbits, while Lobelalatutu rose to a sitting position as d.i.c.k entered, followed by Mafuta.

"I see you, O Healer!" exclaimed the king with cordiality, before d.i.c.k could say a word. "Draw near and sit beside me. It is said that you have news of 'Nkuni for me. Have you seen him?"

"Twice this day have I seen him," answered d.i.c.k; "once when I went forth from your presence this morning, and again but a short time since. I came hither directly from his hut."

"And has your skill enabled you to find out what is wrong with him?"

demanded the king.

"It has," answered d.i.c.k. "Your friend 'Nkuni was slowly dying from the effects of the same poison that slew the others. But I can save him, and he shall live, it may be to serve you better than some of those chiefs who, professing to be loyal to you, are secretly planning your overthrow and death."

"_Au_!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Lobelalatutu; "is it so? Then my suspicions were not ill-founded. But, tell me, how came you to learn this?"

"When I first visited the hut of 'Nkuni this morning, conducted thither by the chief Ingona, whom you thought to be 'Nkuni's friend," answered d.i.c.k, "I found that Sekosini, the chief witch doctor, had been administering to the sick man certain medicines with the alleged purpose of healing him of his sickness. When I entered his hut 'Nkuni seemed to be nigh unto death, having endured much pain after swallowing a draught of milk containing medicine supplied by Sekosini. The symptoms were those of poisoning; I, therefore, took possession of the unwashed vessel which had contained the milk, and also the remainder of the medicine supplied by Sekosini, with the object of examining both. I have not yet done that, for the examination would take time, and 'Nkuni's case seemed urgent; therefore I went to Sekosini's hut to talk with him about it.

And when at length I stood face to face with the witch doctor I laid my magic upon him, so that he was perforce obliged to tell me all the truth of the matter; and he confessed that 'Nkuni's illness was part of a conspiracy to remove your friends from you, that you might be deposed and slain, and the iniquitous system of government practised by M'Bongwele restored."

"_Au_, it is well!" exclaimed the king in a low stern voice; "it is very well. The vile, treacherous witch doctor shall be brought hither and placed before a slow fire until he gives up the names of those who are conspiring with him, and then--"

"Nay," interrupted d.i.c.k, "there is no need; Sekosini has already voluntarily given me the names of those chiefs who are his partners in the conspiracy against you. They are,"--d.i.c.k drew out his pocket book and read--"Ingona, Lambati, Mapela, Moroosi, Amakosa, N'Ampata, and Sekukuni--nay, do nothing rashly, I pray you, but sit still and hear what I have to say." For at the mention of those seven names the king had sprung to his feet in an access of fury, and seemed about to summon his guard. But at d.i.c.k's persuasion he seated himself again, though he was much too excited for the moment to listen to his white visitor, muttering over to himself the names of the conspirators.

"Ingona--Ingona," he hissed through his clenched teeth, "the man whom I believed to be the most loyal of all my chiefs, the man who evidently feigned friendship with 'Nkuni only to betray him to his death! But I will make a terrible example of these rebels; they shall die such deaths that--"

"Stop!" commanded d.i.c.k. "Is this how the Four Spirits who placed you on the throne of the Makolo taught you to administer justice?"

"Nay," answered the king. "But this is no ordinary crime; it is as vile, in intention at least, as that of those who conspired against Seketulo and restored M'Bongwele. Those chiefs were not only responsible for the death of Seketulo, but also for the horrors that followed; they were--"

"Just so," interrupted d.i.c.k; "they were all that and more. But even that does not justify you in torturing these men to death. Destroy them, by all means, if you will, so that they may never again have the opportunity to do perhaps irreparable mischief; and let their death be so ignominious that it shall be a warning to all others; but let it be humane. In a word, hang them, even as M'Bongwele and M'Pusa, his chief witch doctor, were hanged. That surely ought to suffice for all practical purposes, should it not?"