The King's Assegai Part 5

"Masuka stared in front of him for a few moments, his lips moving.

Suddenly he gave a convulsive start and fell over motionless. Time went by, yet no sign of life did he show. At last the King, tired of waiting, rose and went over to look at the apparently lifeless body.

"'He is as cold as a stone,' he said.

"'I think he is really dead, Great Great One!' I whispered, for, as the King's shield-bearer, I alone had accompanied him from his place. 'See he does not even breathe.'

"'He is not dead, Untuswa,' answered the King. '_Whau_! I have seen this trick before, but never better done. Yet he must show us something more than this if he is to keep his life. See; place snuff in his nostrils.'

"I hastened to obey, and as I bent over the set, rigid face, a glance into the wide-open but apparently sightless eyes all but unnerved me.

l.u.s.treless and filmy, there yet seemed such a demon-like power lying beneath their black depths. It made me feel as though I were looking into a dark and terrible pit, with some monster of unimaginable hideousness and cruelty lurking at the bottom. The hand which held the snuff spoon shook, and I could hardly carry out the King's command.

"But with his nostrils well filled with snuff--and, indeed, there must have been a good deal in his throat, for my unsteady hand had spilt some--the old Mosutu never sneezed, never choked. He was not emitting the very faintest breath.

"'He is dead!' said Umzilikazi at last. 'Remove him.'

"Now, for a long time we had been watching, and so, when the King's word was given, there were not wanting those who were eager to drag the wizard's body away out of the camp as soon as possible. There was a rush forward, but no sooner had the thong been placed around the ankles, than those who held it leaped high in the air with a cry of alarm. For the dead wizard had uttered a most thunderous sneeze. Another and another broke from his chest as he sat up, and, looking around, set to work coolly to loosen the thong from his ankles.

"'Thy snuff is strong, Untuswa,' said the King, bursting out laughing.

'Well, old man, that was well done; I have never seen it better done.

Still, I have seen it done before.'

"'Can these do it better, lord, son of Matyobane?' asked Masuka, pointing to our own magicians.

"'Not so well. Now, Masuka, let this be the new feat, and, by my head-ring, if it is not new, nothing shall save thee from the fate I promised.'

"A roar of _bonga_ went up from all. When it had subsided, the old man said:

"'Search me. Let the King see himself that it is done thoroughly.' And he stretched out his arms.

"'Search him, Untuswa,' said Umzilikazi. 'Search him while I watch.'

"Handing the royal shield to another of the body-guard, I stepped forward. So frail and puny did the little old man look, his head hardly reaching to my chest, his withered limbs like bits of broken stick, that it seemed as though I could have blown him away. Yet I feared him. I feared the glitter of his snake-like eyes. But I feared the King even more, wherefore I was careful to show no sign of hesitation.

"Save for a very scanty _mutya_ around his loins and a strip of hide which served as a bandage to his bruised and battered head, the old Mosutu was entirely naked. He no longer wore even his mystic adornments as witch-doctor. In a moment I was able to satisfy myself that there was absolutely nothing upon him.

"'Where hast thou deposited thy _muti_, old man?' said the King, when I had reported this. 'Shall it not be brought?'

"'I require it not, lord. Such as these,' with a sweep of the arm towards our own _iza.n.u.si_, 'such as these require many things--I, nothing.'

"'Proceed, then.'

"'Yonder is a mound upon the plain,' pointing to a small rise outside our lines about four times the distance a man could cast a spear. 'Does the King allow me to proceed yonder alone?'

"'Go,' said Umzilikazi.

"There lay upon our host a deep, dead silence, such as might be felt.

Every breath was drawn in, every head bent forward, every eye dilated upon the little shrivelled form of the old witch-doctor as he shambled forth from our midst to the spot indicated.

"Arrived there, he lay flat upon the ground, placing his ear against it as though he were talking to someone beneath and listening for an answer; and, indeed, talking he was, for we could hear the muttering of his voice. Then he raised himself to a sitting posture, with his back towards us and his face turned upward to the heavens, and, lo, a marvel!

There arose a thread of smoke, light, filmy, then thicker and blacker, till soon there poured upward a black column, in thickness as a man's leg; and while we gazed there leaped into the smoke-pillar a ball of flame, and as it did so it gave forth a booming roar even as the thunder of the _bai-nbai_ [Cannon], which wrought such havoc among us Zulus yonder at Kambula. Another and another followed, and then the blackness of the smoke ceased, and it rose blue and clear, and a gasp and shiver of wonder ran through our people, for the gra.s.s around the old Mosutu was blazing. He was standing in a ring of flame.

"'Bid your _iza.n.u.si_ put out this fire, O King of a new nation, if they dare approach the spot whence the Fire Spirit, who dwells in the heart of the world, has lifted up his voice,' cried Masuka, stepping through the flaming circle and advancing towards us.

"Though thrilling with awe and wonderment myself, I had not omitted to watch Umzilikazi's countenance during the witch-doctor's manifestation: Fear was upon all other faces, but upon that of the King was only curiosity, and I thought triumph. Now he turned to the _iza.n.u.si_, and said:

"'Do his bidding.'

"Their countenances told as plainly as possible that they liked not their errand. But to hesitate meant death, for Umzilikazi would not tolerate so much as a moment of hesitation in obeying his orders, not even from an _iza.n.u.si_. So with loud yells the whole band dashed forward, and with their green boughs beat out the flames, which, indeed, were spreading fiercely in the dry gra.s.s.

"'Is the King satisfied?' said Masuka, as, having prostrated himself, he rose to his knees.

"Umzilikazi looked at him steadily for a moment. Then his eyes grew stern, and we who saw it trembled.

"'Do you know what we do with _abatagati_?' he said.

"'My life is in the King's hands,' answered the old Mosutu without flinching.

"'Ha! the death of the hot stones. Let us see now if the fire-maker can also be the fire-quencher!' said the King, giving a sign. And in obedience thereto those in attendance for such purposes sprang forward to seize the old man; while others, with incredible rapidity, kindled fire and fanned it to a roaring blaze. Into this several flat stones were placed. _Au! Nkose_, it is a terrible thing, the death of the hot stones! A man may live a whole day in agony of torment, for the stones are placed upon his naked body and held on him with sticks until they burn their own way into his vitals.

"Those whose work it was to hold down the _Umtagati_ while he underwent this torment were not over-fond of the task, for the manifestation of his powers which old Masuka had afforded had struck fear into us all.

But even this was small in comparison with the wrath of the King, so there was no hesitation. In a moment the old man lay stretched on his back; already the slayers were bringing the stones hot from the fire to place upon him. Yet these preparations he was watching without the smallest sign of fear.

"'Hold!' cried the King.

"Those who bore the hot stones--which were carried resting in the middle of two sticks--paused.

"'Release him.'

"This, too, was immediately done.

"'I was but trying thee, old man,' said Umzilikazi; 'I was but trying thee, and right well hast thou come through the ordeal. Yet, I think, had I detected but a sign of fear, I would have left thee to the terrible death of torture. But I see thou art afraid of nothing, and I love such, wherefore I grant thee thy life.'

"'_Baba! Nkose_!' ['Father! Chief!'] cried old Masuka, prostrating himself and kissing the King's foot. And all men, with right hand uplifted, shouted with a mighty voice in praise of the King's justice and the King's mercy.

"Thus came it about that the Mosutu witch-doctor was adopted as one of ourselves."

CHAPTER SIX.

A FORMIDABLE RIVAL.

"Shortly after these things happened, it befell that I was alone in attendance upon the King, in his hut; for although, being on the march, no kraal could be built, yet if we came to a halting-place he liked, Umzilikazi would cause a few huts to be erected for himself and his wives.

"'Well, Untuswa,' he said to me, being in a chatty mood, for he would ofttimes unbend thus and talk familiarly with me when we were alone together, while keeping great _indunas_ like my father, or Gungana, at a distance, and in humble att.i.tude. But, then, me he regarded as a child.

'Well, Untuswa, and what think you of this stranger _iza.n.u.si_, whom Gungana has brought us? Is it for good or for ill that he is among us?'

"'Who am I, that I should presume to answer such a question, O Great Great One?' I said. 'Yet his _muti_ was wonderful--it caused all men to tremble.'