"Is it so?" I said again. "And now what do you need of us?"
"That you should accompany us to the kraal of Dingaan."
"I understand. We are quite willing, since it lies upon our road. But then why do you come against us, who are peaceful travellers, with your spears lifted?"
"For this reason. The Boer told us that there is among you a "child of George"" (an Englishman), "a terrible man who would kill us unless we killed or bound him first. Show us this child of George that we may make him fast, or slay him, and we will not hurt the rest of you."
"I am the child of George," I answered, "and if you think it necessary to make me fast, do so."
Now the Zulus burst out laughing.
"You! Why, you are but a boy who weighs no more than a fat girl,"
exclaimed their captain, a great, bony fellow who was named Kambula.
"That may be so," I answered; "but sometimes the wisdom of their fathers dwells in the young. I am the son of George who saved these Boers from death far away, and I am taking them back to their own people. We desire to see Dingaan, your king. Be pleased therefore to lead us to him as he has commanded you to do. If you do not believe what I tell you, ask this man who is with me, and his companions who are of your own race. They will tell you everything."
Then the captain Kambula called my servant apart and talked with him for a long while.
When the interview was finished he advanced to me and said:
"Now I have heard all about you. I have heard that although young you are very clever, so clever that you do not sleep, but watch by night as well as by day. Therefore, that I, Kambula, name you Mac.u.mazahn, Watcher-by-night, and by that name you shall henceforth be known among us. Now, Mac.u.mazahn, son of George, bring out these Boers whom you are guiding that I may lead them in their moving huts to the Great Place, Umgungundhlovu, where dwells Dingaan the king. See, we lay down our spears and will come to meet them unarmed, trusting to you to protect us, O Mac.u.mazahn, Son of George," and he cast his a.s.segai to the ground.
"Come," I said, and led them to the wagons.
CHAPTER XII. DINGAAN"S BET
As I advanced to the wagons accompanied by Kambula and his two companions, I saw that Marais, in a state of great excitement, was engaged in haranguing the two Prinsloo men and Meyer, while the Vrouw Prinsloo and Marie appeared to be attempting to calm him.
"They are unarmed," I heard him shout. "Let us seize the black devils and hold them as hostages."
Thereon, led by Marais, the three Boer men came towards us doubtfully, their guns in their hands.
"Be careful what you are doing," I called to them. "These are envoys,"
and they hung back a little while Marais went on with his haranguing.
The Zulus looked at them and at me, then Kambula said:
"Are you leading us into a trap, Son of George?"
"Not so," I answered; "but the Boers are afraid of you and think to take you prisoners."
"Tell them," said Kambula quietly, "that if they kill us or lay a hand on us, as no doubt they can do, very soon every one of them will be dead and their women with them."
I repeated this ultimatum energetically enough, but Marais shouted:
"The Englishman is betraying us to the Zulus! Do not trust him; seize them as I tell you."
What would have happened I am sure I do not know; but just then the Vrouw Prinsloo came up and caught her husband by the arm, exclaiming:
"You shall have no part in this fool"s business. If Marais wishes to seize the Zulus, let him do so himself. Are you mad or drunk that you should think that Allan would wish to betray Marie to the Kaffirs, to say nothing of the rest of us?" and she began to wave an extremely dirty "vatdoek", or dishcloth, which she always carried about with her and used for every purpose, towards Kambula as a sign of peace.
Now the Boers gave way, and Marais, seeing himself in a minority, glowered at me in silence.
"Ask these white people, O Mac.u.mazahn," said Kambula, "who is their captain, for to the captain I would speak."
I translated the question, and Marais answered:
"I am."
"No," broke in Vrouw Prinsloo, "_I_ am. Tell them, Allan, that these men are all fools and have given the rule to me, a woman."
So I told them. Evidently this information surprised them a little, for they discussed together. Then Kambula said:
"So be it. We have heard that the people of George are now ruled by a woman, and as you, Mac.u.mazahn, are one of that people, doubtless it is the same among your party."
Here I may add that thenceforward the Zulus always accepted the Vrouw Prinsloo as the "Inkosikaas" or chieftainess of our little band, and with the single exception of myself, whom they looked upon as her "mouth," or induna, would only transact business with or give directions to her. The other Boers they ignored completely.
This point of etiquette settled, Kambula bade me repeat what he had already told me, that we were prisoners whom he was instructed by Dingaan to convey to his Great Place, and that if we made no attempt to escape we should not be hurt upon the journey.
I did so, whereon the vrouw asked as I had done, who had informed Dingaan that we were coming.
I repeated to her word for word what the Zulus had told me, that it was Pereira, whose object seems to have been to bring about my death or capture.
Then the vrouw exploded.
"Do you hear that, Henri Marais?" she screamed. "It is your stinkcat of a nephew again. Oh! I thought I smelt him! Your nephew has betrayed us to these Zulus that he may bring Allan to his death. Ask them, Allan, what this Dingaan has done with the stinkcat."
So I asked, and was informed they believed that the king had let Pereira go on to his own people in payment of the information that he had given him.
"My G.o.d!" said the vrouw, "I hoped that he had knocked him on the head.
Well, what is to be done now?"
"I don"t know," I answered. Then an idea occurred to me, and I said to Kambula:
"It seems to be me, the son of George, that your king wants. Take me, and let these people go on their road."
The three Zulus began to discuss this point, withdrawing themselves a little way so that I could not overhear them. But when the Boers understood the offer that I had made, Marie, who until now had been silent, grew more angry than ever I had seen her before.
"It shall not be!" she said, stamping her foot. "Father, I have been obedient to you for long, but if you consent to this I will be obedient no more. Allan saved my cousin Hernan"s life, as he saved all our lives. In payment for that good deed Hernan tried to murder him in the kloof--oh! be quiet, Allan; I know all the story. Now he has betrayed him to the Zulus, telling them that he is a terrible and dangerous man who must be killed. Well, if he is to be killed, I will be killed with him, and if the Zulus take him and let us free, I go with him. Now make up your mind."
Marais tugged at his beard, staring first at his daughter and then at me. What he would have answered I do not know, for at that moment Kambula stepped forward and gave his decision.
It was to the effect that although it was the Son of George whom Dingaan wanted, his orders were that all with him were to be taken also. Those orders could not be disobeyed. The king would settle the matter as to whether some of us were to be killed and some let free, or if all were to be killed or let free, when we reached his House. Therefore he commanded that "we should tie the oxen to the moving huts and cross the river at once."
This was the end of that scene. Having no choice we inspanned and continued our journey, escorted by the company of two hundred savages.