The King's Assegai Part 6

"The King laughed.

"'Did _I_ tremble, son of Ntelani? Was there fear in my face?' he said.

"'Fear? Fear in the eyes of the Elephant whose tread shaketh the world!

Now, my father, how could such a thing be?' I answered.

"'Good,' he said, filling out a measure of snuff. Then, with his spoon arrested in mid-air: 'I think he has come among us for good, Untuswa.

Gungana did well to spare his life and bring him hither.'

"Now, I bethought me that this praise should have been mine. Had the King's mind been different on the matter, then Gungana was welcome to all the responsibility of it. Now, not so. Wherefore I said--being young, and believing as we still do when young, that right, and not might, is right:

"'That is but a blind side of the case, O Black Black One! I it was who spared the old Mosutu's life--who not only spared, but saved it--and that in order that he might show the powers of his _muti_ before the eyes of the King.'

"And then I told the whole tale of how I had saved the magician from the spears even of my brethren-in-arms. But I was not quite prepared for the manner in which it was received.

"'So, Untuswa, you are a bigger man than your _induna_?' said Umzilikazi, in that quiet, half-laughing, but terrible voice he took when he desired to make men's hearts tremble within them. 'And did you think, then, to tell me what I knew not--I, to whom all things are known; to whom not a single thing pa.s.ses unknown, Untuswa, not one single thing?'

"_Au, Nkose_! Then, as the King spoke these words, I knew what fear was if I had never known before. For I thought of Nangeza, and of the sure penalty that we had incurred. No wonder that, with the King's terrible eyes upon me, seeming to burn the very thoughts out of my breast--no wonder, _Nkose_, I should have felt myself growing grey with fear. But I cried aloud in praise of the wisdom of the Great Great One, and so akin is the most desperate fear to the most intrepid valour, that I--at that moment when the King was in the most to be dreaded of all his moods--took upon myself to urge my claim to the promised reward. Even while doing so I felt that I was digging my own grave. But to my surprise the King burst out laughing.

"'_Au_!' he cried. 'Ntelani has bred a lion-cub indeed, and one who knows not fear. But here again, Untuswa, are you not showing yourself, for all your valour, to be but a child? The firing of the kraal was a right valorous deed; yet where was the valour of it in comparison with that of standing before the King this day, to belittle one of the King's _indunas_, and to importune the King at a moment when he would fain sleep? Valour without wisdom means but the destruction of its owner, wherefore learn judgment before aspiring to the _isicoco_. Now go, Untuswa, the would-be _kehla_.' [Head-ringed man.]

"I shouted the King's t.i.tles and went out. But although flattery was on my tongue, hatred and fury were in my heart--the former begotten of those mocking words, the latter of bitter and galling disappointment. I had distinguished myself as surely no young warrior had ever done before. I had gone singlehanded and alone into the midst of swarming enemies, and had saved the day to our _impi_ on the point of defeat. I had, in sparing the Mosutu witch-doctor, performed an act which was gratifying to the King, and when I claimed credit for it, he had curtly given me to understand that I was a fool. I had made an enemy of a powerful _induna_ rather than forego one hair's-breadth of my claim to distinction. All this I had done deeming my reward near at hand, and sure; but the King had mocked me, and driven me forth with jeering laughter. Well, whether he knew everything or not, death could come but once, and the enjoyment of life was a thing of the present.

"Fired by these thoughts, I sped forth to the place where I knew I should find Nangeza helping to herd her father's cattle. She was there, even as I expected, with her little sister, Sitele. I gave her a sign as I pa.s.sed--for there were other women within sight and I dared not be seen speaking with her--and sped on as though I were going to look for game. But once out of sight of all, I doubled back until I came to a deep, bushy valley which was cleft by a watercourse, now dry. Here I sat down and waited; nor was it long before I was joined by Nangeza.

"'Ha! is that you, son of Ntelani!' she cried, pretending surprise in case our meeting was witnessed. 'I have come here to cut firewood,'

showing a thong for tying it in a bundle.

"'There is no one here. We are quite safe, for I have examined the place well,' I answered, drawing her into a still more hidden spot.

Then I told her all that had happened, and how the King had again refused my prayer to be allowed to _tunga_. And the worst of it was I dared not apply again for a long time to come. It would almost certainly cost me my life to do so.

"'Not that it matters,' I ended sorrowfully. 'It seems to me, Nangeza, that life has no more value--I, who am destined to remain an _umfane_ for ever, to do deeds of valour for which others get all the praise.'

"'I, too, have ill news for thee, Untuswa,' she said. 'This day has _lobola_ been sent to my father's house--for me.'

[Lobola: The price in cattle paid by the intending bridegroom to the parent or guardian of a girl.]

"'Ha!' I cried. Then a sort of cold despair came over me. 'And has your father accepted it?' I said.

"'No. He says it is not enough.'

"'They all say that at first,' I answered. 'But he will accept it or demand a little more. And now, Nangeza, who is the sender of the _lobola_?'

"'Gungana, the King's _induna_.'

"'U'gungana!' I roared, springing to my feet and gripping my a.s.segais.

'_Hau_! I will kill him, though I die myself in doing so!'

"'_Gahle, gahle_! [Gently, gently!] Untuswa!' she cried, flinging her arms round me, and dragging me back by main force.

"'U'Gungana! _Hau_! the jackal, the coward dog!' I went on, in the fury and ungovernable excitement into which the news had thrown me. 'He stole the praise that was due to me! he claimed credit for the deed he was too cowardly to perform himself! he it is who has poisoned the King's ear against me! He shall die--shall die this day!'

"'He shall not, Untuswa. Listen now--no, you cannot fling me off. I am too strong for even you to do that, and I will not let you go. Listen, now, to what I have to say.'

"She spoke truly. I could not shake her off. Calmed by her voice, I sat down gloomily to listen, and bit by bit she unfolded to me a most amazing plan.

"'It is even as the King has just told you, son of Ntelani,' she ended up. 'Valour without wisdom is the destruction of its owner. Be guided by me, and one day you shall be a greater man than Gungana. I shall be your _Inkosikazi_ yet.'

[Inkosikazi: The princ.i.p.al wife of a chief.]

"'Hail, _Inkosikazi_! We bow down to thee! We do thee obeisance, _Inkosikazi_!'

"And shrill screams of mocking laughter from the bush on the other side of the _donga_ accompanied this most startling interruption.

"'Now, these spies shall die, else are the two of us dead!' I muttered in desperation, gripping my a.s.segais and making to spring across the _donga_. But again Nangeza restrained me.

"'_Gahle, gahle_! Wilt thou never learn wisdom?' she whispered. 'They are but girls. Speak to them fair.'

"'Come forth,' I cried, 'lest I come to seek you!'

"'Spare yourself the trouble, son of Ntelani!' they cried, laughing, and stepping from their hiding-place.

"Three there were. Two of them were sisters; the other I recognised as a distant relation of my father Ntelani. And then the awful consternation which had entered my mind at the idea of our deadly plot having been overheard gave way to relief as I remembered that Nangeza's voice had been sunk to the lowest of whispers. Only the last words had been uttered aloud, and these, if absurd, were not perilous. Gungana, as the commander of my own regiment, would be a natural object of emulation; nor was my love's ambition to see me a leader of men the less natural.

"'Hail, _Izintombi_ [Maidens]!' I cried, with a loud laugh. 'You do well thus to greet Nangeza. For I intend to _lobola_ for all three of you, as well as for her. Then will she be your _Inkosikazi_ indeed.'

"'Has the King already granted you the head-ring, Untuswa?' asked one of the two sisters, when the screams of laughter with which they heard my remark had subsided.

"'You cannot _lobola_ for all of us,' said the other girl; 'for am I not Ntelani's "sister"?'

[Sister or Cousin means 'related.' The impediment of 'consanguinity' is respected with extraordinary rigour, and no Zulu will marry even the most distant cousin, or any girl whom there may be reason to suspect of sharing the very faintest strain of his blood.]

"'_Whau_! that is the more the pity,' I said. 'As things are, I meant to have sent _lobola_ for all three of you, although I am but poor. For how could I make choice of one or two where all are so perfect?'

"This I said in order to keep the good word of their tongues, lest they might whisper abroad evil concerning Nangeza and myself, for even then, _Nkose_, I knew that the surest way to a woman's heart was to tickle her ears with soft and pleasant speech.

"'_Yau_! Only hear him!' they cried. 'The son of Ntelani has found his tongue. Forget not, then, when the Great Great One allows thee to _tunga_. Forget not, then, thy word. Fare thee well now, Untuswa--also his _Inkosikazi_!'

"And away they sped, laughing and singing. Not until the sound of their voices had died out did I again speak.

"'I had rather we had not met these, Nangeza,' I said. 'What if they chatter?'

"'That they will not do. They know you are in the King's favour, Untuswa; besides, you are a famous fighter, and no girl among us would do anything to injure you. But this place is too open. Come, I know of a better.'

"We plunged into the most tangled recesses of the bush, and here, where the boughs met overhead, with creepers trailing in long lines like the white beards of old men, we rested. But our talk was of love, not of the weighty plan wherein life was the stake, about which we had talked before.

"Suddenly there was a rustling noise in the bushes close to us, and, lo!

in the most startling manner there rose up the heads of two great _mambas_. At sight of us they gave vent to a furious hiss, waving their crests to and fro.