"Down it swept--down like a flash of light--down to my breast which was thrust forward to receive it. But it did not enter. It halted-- motionless but for a slight quiver--within a hand"s-breadth of my heart.
Still, my eyes left not those of the King, and for a moment thus we stood. Then Umzilikazi spoke:
""Once more I grant thee thy life, Untuswa, son of Ntelani, for I think thou art the bravest warrior that ever lived, and fearest death in its cold form no more than in the heat and shock of battle. And I love such. Yet, but for my promise, thou wert already dead. The King"s a.s.segai is thine. Take it."
"Then it was that my self-command was sorely tried. I was not to die, but to receive honour, for I held in my hand the King"s royal weapon.
But my mind had gone through so much that it was hardened--cool and cutting even as the blade of the splendid spear; wherefore I laid the weapon softly down, for I might not address the King armed; and raising both hands aloft, I poured forth words of _bonga_, such as had surely never been heard before. And the whole nation joined in, and, indeed, even in the far mountains the foul _Izimu_ and such _abatagati_ must have quaked in their dens, for even thither must have reached the vast roaring chorus of the praises of the King.
""It is well, my children," said Umzilikazi when he again spoke. "Never before has such a deed met with other reward than death, never shall it again; and here my "word" will stand as fast as it did in my promise to Untuswa. And thou, son of Ntelani. Go now forth from among us until the moon is full, and speak to no man the while, and the man or woman who speaks to thee shall die. Then it may be that what thou hast done shall be put away. Depart, for he who has done what thou hast done must not mix with his fellows for awhile, lest they make too light of a most weighty matter. Go."
"So singing aloud the praises of the King, I took up the dark-handled spear and went forth, and built a hut within sight of Ekupumuleni, and in that hut I dwelt alone; yet daily I would stand before it and chant in praise of the King, and all who heard me turned aside. Also I sang many songs of battle. And when the moon was at the full the Great Great One sent for me and ordered me to _tunga_, and soon afterwards created me second _induna_ in command of the army, Kalipe holding the chief command. Thus, _Nkose_, did I win the King"s dark-handled spear, and my head-ring at the same time, but the path by which I travelled to reach it would have surely been, but for the King"s promise, the path of death."
EPILOGUE.
"WELL, UNTUSWA, I BELIEVE NOW, AT ANY RATE, THAT ALL THE GOLD THIS WAGGON COULD CARRY WOULD NOT PURCHASE THAT a.s.sEGAI FROM YOU," I SAID, AS SOON AS THE OLD MAN HAD FINISHED. "BUT WHAT OF NANGEZA? WAS SHE PUT TO DEATH?"
"She was not. The King pardoned her, too; and when I put on the head-ring he gave her to me to wife."
"And did she make a good _Inkosikazi_?"
"_Wou_!" and the old man brought his hand to his mouth, while his rugged face lighted up with sly fun. "I had better have placed my head beneath the paw of the lion for some other girl. Nangeza wanted to be chief and chieftainess, too. That would not do. We Zulus never allow our wives to be chiefs over us."
"What became of her?" I said.
But he looked at me a moment, and the mirth dancing in his eyes changed to a flash of satire as he only repeated:
"We Zulus never allow our wives to be chiefs over us, _Nkose_."
Then he took snuff.
"And what became of the old Mosutu witch-doctor?" I said, judiciously allowing the fate of Nangeza to remain shrouded in mystery.
"Masuka? Ha! After I was allowed to _tunga_ he came to me and declared that I must give him cattle, for his was the _muti_ which made me great; and, indeed, he told no lie there, for as far as a man"s thoughts can speak, while his tongue must keep silence, old Masuka"s thoughts spoke to me through his eyes that day that I should remind the King of his promise. So I gave him cattle, and from time to time more, for it was a great day for me, that whereon I had saved his life; and the King favoured him, and the old Mosutu lived to a great age and died peacefully."
"And why did you leave the Amandebili, Untuswa?" I said.
"The man who is high in favour with one King is not always high in favour with him who reigns next, nor with those who sit at his right hand," he answered. "Umzilikazi has long been dead. Then I heard that a great and merciful King sat in Zululand in the seat of Tshaka. So I returned to _konza_ to Cetywayo, who received me well; nor was I too old to strike a blow for him, for I was enrolled in the Undi regiment, and fought against you English _Kwa Jim_ [at Rorke"s Drift], and again at Kambula. Yes, after all my wanderings, I returned to die in Zululand.
And now, _Nkose_, the sun is getting low, and I have some distance to travel, wherefore I must be gone."
The like held good as regarded myself. The heat of the day was over, and my "boys," who all this time had been asleep beneath the waggon, were waking up and preparing to in span for the evening trek. So I loaded up Untuswa with sundry unconsidered trifles, but very precious in Zulu eyes at that time. He was loud in his thanks.
"The story I have told, _Nkose_, is but that of a small portion of my own life--of a small portion of the earlier wanderings of the Amandebili. Afterwards, how we met and fought the Boers and other peoples--_au_! that would take long in telling. But if you are in this part again before leaving the Zulu country, it may be that we shall meet, and other strange tales and wonders I shall relate."
And, uttering a sonorous farewell, the fine old warrior turned, and soon his tall, straight form was out of sight.
Such was the story of the King"s a.s.segai, as told by Untuswa, the son of Ntelani, and as an episode in the early stages of the Amandebili migration it seems worthy of being retold.
The End.