The White Shield Part 17

Yet, I would track her--would find her. And then I laughed at myself for a fool, for how knew I, after all this time, which way to turn to seek her? She might be far away by that time.

Sore at heart, I went up into the outer day again, and there upon the summit of the mountain I sought long and hard for footprints. But I sought in vain. There were none. Lalusini might have vanished like a bird into the air.

All that day I searched. There might be other hiding-places upon the mountain, even more secret than the one which was known only to me and to her. But if this was so I know not. I only know that, search as I would, no trace could I find of such.

Then I went down again into the rock hollow to pa.s.s the night, thinking she might chance to return. But when I lay down to sleep, sleep would not come, or if it did, only so lightly as to be more wakefulness than sleep; and it seemed that the face of the beautiful sorceress hung over me in my dreams, but when I would start to clasp her, calling her by name, there was nothing, no sound but the howling of beasts, ravening upon the mountain slopes throughout the night. And when the sun rose at last, then mounted higher into the sky, and still Lalusini did not return, I knew then that I had lost her forever, that never would I behold her more.

So, with heart heavy and sore, I dragged myself away from the place, and returning to where I had left the dead lion, cut off the head and forepaws and the tail-tuft of the mighty beast, and, thus laden, took my way back to Kwa'zingwenya, sorrowing exceedingly for the loss of her who had thus bewitched me.

Note. That this travelling priest was of French nationality was somewhat confirmed, for on hearing that language spoken, although unable to recognise any specific word, Untuswa declared that it seemed to bring back to his mind something of the stranger's speech.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

A LIFE FOR TEN LIVES.

I returned to Kwa'zingwenya with the head and paws of the great lion I had slain, and those who beheld it envied, crying, "What a hunter is Untuswa! In the chase, as in war, his is the weapon beneath which falls the mightiest!" The King, too, was pleased when he beheld those trophies. But Nangeza, seeing them, said:--

"Ah, ah, Untuswa. Thy skill is in truth wonderful, who went forth to find a young heifer and found an old lion."

This she said jeering, and with her eyes upon my face. But I, while affecting not to notice, found food for much thought in the words. Had Nangeza indeed discovered my secret? Was she concerned in the disappearance of Lalusini? Ha! I resolved to watch her narrowly, and were my suspicions verified, why then, indeed, there would be room in my house for a new _inkosikazi_.

Now at this time, things being quiet and our nation settling down in its new land, I gained the King's leave to build myself a kraal some little distance from Kwa'zingwenya, and thither I removed with all my possessions--my cattle and my wives--and my brother Mgwali also came with me with his wives, and two other sons of my father, and soon I was the head of a large kraal of a score and a half of huts. But as time went on, and my duties in the way of seeing to the strength and efficiency of my own half of the army became greater, so far from beginning to think less of Lalusini I thought of her more. In the sunshine, darting in gold through the forest trees, it seemed that I could see her eyes, in the soft whispers of the wind at evening I could hear her voice. In my dreams I beheld her, was with her. _Au_! I was bewitched indeed. But although I made more than one journey again to the mountain of death, never did I discover any sign which should show she had revisited her hiding-place. All there had fallen more and more into decay, as though she had gone never to return.

"Of a truth, Untuswa, thou shouldst be an _isa.n.u.si_ thyself," said the King one day when we were sitting alone together in debate. "Thou hast a gift for finding _iza.n.u.si_ and bringing them hither--first Masuka, now this white stranger; concerning which last my mind is in darkness, for I know not what to do with him."

"Is he not content, Black Elephant? Does he not fare well among us, teaching those who care to listen--ah, ah! those who care to listen?" I added with meaning.

"For a time yes," said Umzilikazi. "But the day will come when he will desire to travel again."

"Let him travel back by the way he came, Calf of a Black Cow," I answered, still with meaning. "For him the way of the South is not safe. There indeed are peoples that would do him harm."

The Great Great One shook his head in discontent.

"Verily, Untuswa, I know not how this will end," he said.

"Let be for the present, my father," I answered. "The stranger is happy now, teaching the slaves. It may be that things will right themselves in this matter."

I spoke darkly, _Nkose_, not seeing light. But both I and the Great Great One little guessed in what manner things would right themselves, and that at no great distance of time--ah, no! little could we we foresee that.

Now this was the meaning which underlay my words relating to the white _isa.n.u.si_ and his teaching of the slaves. The last thing the King desired was that this white man should journey South, to bear, mayhap, the word to the Amabuna or to Dingane: "Yonder, to the North, in a fair and well-watered land, dwells Umzilikazi, and his warriors number so many, of whom a large proportion are of no account--being dogs and slaves." The white stranger and the Gaza, Ngubazana, were but two men: what easier than to kill them secretly and thus end all trouble? There were not wanting some among the _izinduna_ who spoke darkly to this end.

But to such counsels Umzilikazi's ears were shut. The white stranger was his friend. He was not of the race of the greedy, lying Amabuna; moreover, for himself it was easy to see he desired nothing, neither lands nor possessions; and though his teachings were not such as to be accepted by a warrior nation, there was no harm in them, no subversion of the greatness of the King. Not upon any considerations should he be harmed--neither the Gaza, his follower.

But he must be kept among us; and in furtherance of this end the King gave secret orders that a few of the lowest of the slaves should listen to his teaching, and slowly and by degrees bring themselves to accept it, or pretend to. Then a few more were added to these; but ever with caution, lest the white _isa.n.u.si_ should suspect. But he did not suspect; on the contrary, his heart was filled with joy at the readiness wherewith, these received his teaching, and at length--for this took time--he put them under the same rites as those which he had performed over the little white girl. So he was content to dwell with us; and while we laughed among ourselves over the trick we had played upon him, yet we were glad that this other road lay open to him besides that to the South, which would have caused us trouble, and that into the Dark Unknown, which might have caused it to him.

I had left Kwa'zingwenya after this _indaba_ with the King, and was returning to my own kraal along the river bank, sad at heart, and pondering ever upon the disappearance of the Bakoni sorceress, when I came upon an old man, stumbling along, bent double, nosing and peering on the ground. It was old Masuka.

"Greeting, my father!" I cried. "Are you seeking _muti_ herbs?"

"Perhaps I am seeking for that which shall give sleep, son of Ntelani,"

he replied, laughing at me out of his eyes. "Ha! my dreams were strange last night--strange, and they were about thee, Untuswa, about thee!"

"About me, my father?" I cried.

"_E--he_! But, first give me _gwai_, thou holder of the King's a.s.segai, for I have none left."

I took out the long horn snuff-box which was stuck through the lobe of my ear, and, squatting down, we both took snuff in silence. Then the old man burst into a chuckle.

"My dreams took me to the summit of the mountain of death, son of Ntelani. The ghost of Tauane was there--searching for something."

"For what was it searching, my father?"

"For a strange thing. For an outward chamber in the cliff, like unto the place of an eagle's nest."

"Ha!" I cried, staring at him wildly, my snuff-spoon in mid-air.

How his old eyes laughed; for my confusion was great. And well it might be, for these were the very words wherewith I had taunted the chief of the Blue Cattle on his flaming bed of death. Yet old Masuka had been nowhere near at that time, nor had any who understood that tongue.

"And why could not the ghost of Tauane find that place, my father?" I said. "Being a ghost, he could fly through the air until he found the chamber in the cliff like an eagle's nest."

"Not thus would he find it, destroyer of the Bakoni," was the answer.

"'Through the darkness of the earth'--such were his words."

"Ha! Was it for good or for ill he spoke thus? Were those all the words of Tauane's ghost my father?"

"Not so, Untuswa. Soon the ghost went winging through the air, crying and wailing that the place like an eagle's nest was there, but that the she-eagle had flown away. Why art thou sad of late, son of Ntelani?"

"Thy _muti_ is wonderful, father," I replied. "Will the she-eagle return? Tell me. Will it return?"

"It will return. Ha! yonder alligators are hungry. They shall be fed.

Oh, yes, they shall be fed. The she-eagle will return."

I liked not his tones, _Nkose_, and my blood ran chill. For his speech, though dark, could have but one meaning. Lalusini I should behold again; but one or both of us should find death in the alligators' pool.

Well, what matter? One could but die once; and so great was the spell cast over me by the Bakoni sorceress that it seemed, once more to behold her, once more to have speech with her, I would gladly pay the price of death.

"I have a black cow, well in milk, which is one too many in my herd, father," I said. "It shall be driven forth to-morrow to the place where thy cattle graze."

But he paid scant heed, which was strange, for he loved cattle, and always welcomed such gifts. With his head on one side, as though listening intently, he repeated softly to himself:

"Yonder alligators are hungry. They shall be fed; oh, yes, they shall be fed!"

You will remember, _Nkose_, a certain pool in the river, which the King and I had lighted upon one evening soon after arriving at our new resting-place, and into which he had caused some calves to be driven that the alligators might seize them. Now this pool had been turned into a place of execution. No longer were those adjudged to doom led forth to die beneath the k.n.o.bsticks of the slayers, as formerly, but were forced to leap, or were thrown into the pool, and from it none emerged alive. As I sat and talked with Masuka, I remembered that the Pool of the Alligators lay at no great distance from us, and between ourselves and the great kraal. Upon it the old Mosutu seemed to be concentrating his attention; and, as I listened, sounds were wafted thence.

"Evil-doers are about to meet death!" he said, at last. "Come, we will witness it."

We rose and took our way along the river-bank. As we crested the rise, which brought us near the brow of the cliff from which the victims were thrown, we saw a mult.i.tude streaming down from the great kraal, and in the forefront of the crowd were men armed with sticks, and driving before them two other men, who were bound.