The Induna's Wife

by Bertram Mitford

  CHAPTER NINETEEN.

  THE VENGEANCE OF THE REFUGEES.

  "An _impi_ sent by Dingane," was my first thought, as I gassed upon thefierce countenances and the spears poised aloft with threatening flash.

  "Who art thou--and whence?" said he who appeared to be the leader, atall man and savage of mien.

  "Rather, who are ye?" I answered, with another question, affronted bythe insolent tone employed by the speaker.

  "See these," he answered swiftly. "Speak or die! You are one man, andthese are several."

  "Yet I have fought with several before this day, O Unknown," I retorted,with a swift movement, throwing up my shield in defence, at the sametime backing towards the rock, so that they could not get round me. SoI stood ready for a merry fight, for the leader alone would have takenup all my attention, so tall and strong was he--and there were others.

  To my surprise they did not come on. The leader again spoke.

  "Once more, who art thou? He who wanders in the retreat of theBapongqolo must needs give an account of himself."

  "_E-he_!" assented the others.

  Then I lowered shield and weapons at once.

  "I am Untuswa, the son of Ntelani. Perchance ye have heard of him, yewho are refugees."

  By the look which they exchanged I knew they had heard of me. Then theleader said:

  "What seek you here, Untuswa, for in truth that is a name which isknown?"

  "I seek a refuge among the people who are in refuge," I said.

  "Why then, thou art welcome, Untuswa," he replied. "I am Sifadu, theson of Kona, and I wielded a sharp spear in the ranks of theImbele-bele, of which I was a captain. But Tola, that jackal-spawnedcheat, did name my father at a witch-finding, and he, being old, diedthe death of the black ants; but I and the remainder of his houseescaped--and here we are."

  "Tola will name no more, Sifadu," I said. "The knob-sticks of theKing's slayers have put that form of pleasure beyond his reach."

  "He is dead, then! _Haul_ I am glad, and yet not, for one day I hadpromised myself the delight of having him enticed here that he might diethe death my father suffered through him. I would pay ten cows as theprice of that pleasure--yes, willingly." And the look on the face ofSifadu was such that it was perhaps as well for Tola in the long runthat he had died the swift and painless death of the knobstick.

  Thus we conversed, Sifadu and I, and as we journeyed I told him and theothers a great deal of what had happened; of the invasion of theAmabuna, and how we had destroyed many of them. They had heardsomething of this, but I, who had taken part in it, was able to tellthem everything. But what they especially wanted to know about was therumour of plotting in favour of Mpande. Of this, however, I could nottell them much, because I knew but little myself.

  The principal place of the Bapongqolo consisted not of one large kraal,but a number of small ones; and so scattered were these, and socarefully hidden, away in the dense forest which covered the slopes of avast hollow or bowl, that it would be well-nigh impossible to strikethem all at one blow; and to this end was such concealment planned.Impossible, too, would it have been for any considerable number of mento have penetrated the hollow without their advance having been longsince known to the inhabitants, so dense and rock-strewn were theapproaches; and, indeed, all such were under the observation of smalloutpost kraals, which served the purposes of pickets.

  I gathered that these refugees were counted by hundreds. They were ofall ages, from quite old men down to boys. Most of them, however, weremiddle-aged men in their prime; but whether the fact of being refugeeskept them ever on the alert, all had a quick, ready, and fearless look,together with fine and well-knit frames, that stamped them as a warriorclan of no contemptible strength. And to Sifadu all seemed to look upas to a recognised chief.

  Of this Sifadu I knew not quite what to make. He was friendly at first,but as time went by he seemed to look at me with jealous and suspiciouseyes, as though he thought that a man of my standing and prowess wouldhardly be content with the position of one among many, wherein he wasright, perhaps. Of one thing, however, I was certain. Did I or anyother man desire the chieftainship of these outlaws Sifadu would firsthave to be dead.

  For the present, however, I had no such thoughts. I was content todwell quietly and unmolested, and await the turn events might take. So,as time went by, I seemed to have become as one of the Bapongqolo.Together we hunted the wild game of the forest--together we madedescents in search of plunder into the Swazi country or the lands of theAmatonga, or levied tribute from the kraals lying beyond the outskirtsof our own fastnesses; and so feared were we that none thought ofresistance or retaliation.

  "Of a truth, Untuswa, the day might come when Dingane himself would beglad to join us," said Sifadu to me, as we were returning from one ofthese forays. "With our help, even we might save him his seat. Thenshould we not be among the highest of the nation? Then would there notbe some who might groan aloud because the son of Kona had returned?"

  Such a thought as this had been in my own mind, but I desired not tofoster it in that of others, at least, not until I had determined uponmy own plans; so to Sifadu I replied lightly on the matter, treating itas of no importance.

  Lalusini had kept her word, and twice had arranged that we should meetand hold long converse together. But on the second of these occasionsher news was great. The Amabuna had crossed the Tugela in great force,intending to march upon Nkunkundhlovu. There had been a tremendousbattle, but the army of Dingane had defeated them and had driven themback; and but for their horses would have stamped them out entirely.Then the English at Tegwini had undertaken to interfere in this quarrel,and had crossed the Tugela with a large _impi_ of Amakafula. These,however, got no further than the bank of the Tugela, for the King'swarriors made meat of that _impi_ until the river ran red with theirblood; and, in his wrath and disgust at this breach of faith on the partof the whites at Tegwini, Dingane sent an _impi_ there to eat them up,too. _Whau_! and they would have been eaten up but that they took tothe water--took refuge on a ship that was there--for these whites,_Nkose_, had no business to interfere in a quarrel which concerned themnot. They were not of the blood of the Amabuna, and they had ever beentreated as friends by the house of Senzangakona since the great Tshakahad allowed them the use of the lands on which they then dwelt. So theywere rightly served.

  Now all these tales of war and of great battles fired my blood, for Iwould fain have been in them; yet here I was, hiding away as a fugitive.But when I would have boldly returned, craving only that Dingane wouldallow me to wield a spear in the ranks of his troops, Lalusini dissuadedme. The hostility of Tambusa and Umhlela burned as hot against me asever, and indeed I had fled not any too soon. She bade me wait. Sheherself was high in favour with the King by reason of the victorieswhich had attended the Zulu arms, for she had foretold them.

  Not without risk did I thus meet Lalusini. I could not reveal the realrelationship between us, and the suspicions of the fierce Bapongqoloonce fairly aroused, I might be slain suddenly and without warning, andno opportunity given me of explanation or self-defence. Indeed, afterthe first time, I thought I noticed a frost of suspiciousness in theconverse of those people towards me as we sat around our fires at night.But the second time something so unlooked for happened that it gavethem all something else to think about.

  Lalusini had finished telling me all there was of news when, of asudden, her manner became strange and suspicious.

  "We are being watched, Untuswa," she said quietly.

  "Watched? Why then, it will be bad--ah, very bad--for the watcher."

  And hardly had the words escaped me than I darted from her side. Ihurled myself through the thickness of the bush, but something wasalready crashing through it away from me. I made out the form of a man.

  "Now, stop!" I cried--a casting assegai poised for a throw. "Stop! orI cleave thee to the heart."

  I was about to hurl the spear fair between the shoulders of the flee
ingman--who was now not many paces in front--when he stopped suddenly. Iwent at him. He turned round and faced me, a glare of hate and fury inhis eyes that seemed to scorch--to burn. And I--_Whau_! I stood as onesuddenly turned to stone, the uplifted assegai powerless in my stiffenedgrasp. For the face was that of a ghost--the dreadful glare of hate andfury that paralysed me was upon the face of a ghost. I was gazing uponone whom I had seen slain, whom my own eyes had beheld clubbed to deathby the King's slayers--Tola, the chief of the witch doctors.

  We stood for a moment thus, motionless, I gazing upon the horrible formof one I knew to be dead, as it stood there, shadowed in the gloom ofthe trees. Then, slowly raising an arm, the voice came, deep andhollow--

  "Retire--or I put that upon thee which shall blast and wither thy heartand turn to water thy courage; which shall change the most valiant offighting-men into the most cowardly of women."

  Awful as were the words, the effect upon me was not that intended. Hehad better have kept silence, for now I knew him to be alive, and Isprang upon him. He had a spear, and struck furiously at me with it;but I turned the blow, and then we closed. He fought and bit andkicked, and, powerful as I was, the lithe and slippery witch doctor forlong defied my efforts to secure him, for I was anxious to take himalive. At last it seemed I should be obliged to kill him, whensomething was dropped over his head which, the next moment, was rolledround and round in a thick covering of stuff. It was Lalusini'sblanket. She had come to my aid just at the right time. We had nodifficulty in securing him now, and with strips cut from his own skincloak we bound his hands firmly behind him, and his feet. Then weremoved the blanket.

  "Greeting, Tola!" I said. "I thought thou wert dead; but I hadforgotten, a great _izanusi_ such as thou could not die, which is well,for not far off is one who longeth to welcome thee."

  "Have a care, Untuswa, have a care," he snarled. "Dost thou not fear?"

  "Why, no," I answered. "The _muti_ which protects me is greater thanany which can be turned against me. But thou, what canst thou fear, Ogreat _izanusi_ who cannot die?"

  I was but mocking him, _Nkose_, for now I saw through the plot. He hadpurposely been allowed to escape in the turmoil what time all the other_izanusi_ had been slain; and I laughed at myself for my fears on firstbeholding him.

  We left Tola lying there helpless; and, removing a little distance, wesaid out all we had to say. Then we took leave of each other.

  "Use care, Untuswa, for it is that man's life or thine," said Lalusini,as we parted. "On no account let him escape."

  "Have no fear as to that, Lalusini," I answered. "There is one who willtake even better care of him than I could."

  When she had gone I unbound Tola's ankles, and told him to walk. Now,seeing himself in my power, he began to talk fair. He promised to doall for me if I would but let him go--to rid me of my enemies, to makeme the greatest man, next to the King. But I only mocked him.

  "A live _izanusi_ may do great things," I said. "But a dead_izanusi_--_whau_!--of what use is he? And, Tola, I seem to rememberthat thou art dead--dead by order of the Great Great One. How thencanst thou serve me?"

  Then he began on another story. He could teach me things--could revealmysteries which would render me all-powerful against every form of harm.But I only laughed at this, saying that he would soon have anopportunity of testing his powers in his own favour; and thus, ever witha watchful eye upon him, we travelled on together until we entered thehollow where were the kraals of the Bapongqolo.

  "There are many here who will give thee warm greeting, chief of the_izanusi_," I said. "Some even, upon whom thou hast looked before."

  Now people began to crowd around us, and, recognising my prisoner,shouts of hatred and threats were hurled at him. They would have tornhim from me, but I restrained them.

  "Go, call Sifadu," I said. "I have brought him a long-desired guest."

  At the mention of Sifadu's name the terror stamped upon the face of Tolawas frightful to behold. We, standing around, enjoyed this, forscarcely a man there but had seen some relative haled to the place ofdoom at the bidding of this hyena; some indeed to writhe in torment forlong before they died. Then Tola, foaming at the mouth, rolled on theground in convulsions; but for this they cared nothing, as a merewitch-finding trick. They pricked him with their assegais until he cameto again, roaring with laughter the while. And as he came to again,Sifadu appeared.

  "Welcome, Tola," he cried. "Welcome! We have long awaited thee. Ha,and a right warm welcome shall be thine, ah, ah! a right warm welcome."

  And thrusting his face close to that of the witch doctor he gnashed histeeth in a grin of such hardly-to-be-restrained fury that I thought hewould have seized the other with his churning jaws like a beast.

  "Welcome, Tola," he went on. "A warm welcome to thee, in the name ofall my house whom thou didst eat up. _Whau_! There were my two youngwives. How nicely their tender limbs shrivelled and burned as they diedthe death of the hot stones as witches, smelt out by thee Tola--by thee,Tola--thou prince of smellers out!" and with the two repetitions hesliced off the witch doctor's ears with the keen blade of his broadassegai. A frightful howl escaped the sufferer.

  "Then there was my mother and another of my father's wives; they werelashed to death with switches to make them confess--by thy orders.Tola. _Haul_ Does this feel good--and this--and this?" And he lashedthe prisoner's naked body with a green hide thong until the air rangwith screams.

  "Then there was my father, Kona. He was eaten by black ants--at thyword, Tola--by black ants. It took nearly a day for him to die in thattorment, raving and roaring as a madman. And now I think this shall bethine own end. _Whau_! The black ants--the good black ants--the fierceblack ants--the hungry black ants. They shall be fed--they shall befed."

  Now, _Nkose_, looking at Sifadu, I thought he came very near being amadman at that moment, so intense was his hate and fury, so difficultthe restraint he put upon himself not to hack the vile witch doctor intopieces there and then with his own hand. He foamed at the month, heground his teeth, his very eyeballs seemed about to roll from theirsockets. But the face of Tola, ah! never did I see such terror uponthat of any living man. The crowd, looking on, roared like lions,stifling Sifadu's voice. They called to him the death of relatives--offathers, of brothers, of wives, all of whose deaths lay at the doors ofthe _izanusi_. They wished that this one had a hundred lives that theymight take a hundred days in killing him. There were several nests ofblack ants at no distance. Then somebody cried out that there was aparticularly large one under a certain tree.

  "Under a tree!" cried Sifadu. "Ha. I have an idea! Bring him along."

  They flung themselves upon Tola, whose wild howling was completelydrowned by the ferocious yells of the crowd. But as they were dragginghim roughly over the ground Sifadu interposed.

  "_Gahle_, brothers. Do not bruise him. The ants like their meatuninjured."

  Amid roars of delight the miserable wretch was dragged to the place oftorment. Already some had knocked the top off the ants' nest, and werestirring it with sticks to infuriate the insects. Right over the nestgrew a long bough a little more than the height of a tall man from theground. Now Sifadu's idea took shape.

  A wedge of wood was inserted between the victim's teeth. This had theeffect of holding his jaws wide open, nor by any effort could hedislodge the gag. Then his ankles being strongly bound together, he washoisted up to the branch above, and left hanging by the feet, so thathis head and gaping mouth just touched the broken top of the ant heap.Then as he writhed and twisted and howled in his agony--for theinfuriated insects swarmed all over him--into his nostrils, mouth,severed ears, everywhere--the Bapongqolo crowded around gloating overhis torments, and shouting into his ears the names of those whom hehimself had doomed to a like torment. It was long indeed before hedied, but though I have seen many a terrible form of death, never did Isee any man suffer as did this one. And yet, _Nkose_, it was just thathe should, for
had not he himself been the means of dooming manyinnocent persons to that very death? Wherefore the revenge of therefugees was a meet and a just one.