Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek

  That morning Suzanne, mounted upon the great _schimmel_, which by nowhad almost recovered from his weariness, although he was still somewhatstiff, and followed by Sihamba and Zinti riding the horse and themule, passed up and down before Sigwe's regiments that saluted her aschieftainess. Then amongst much wailing of women and children, the impistarted northward, Suzanne, preceded only by scouts and a guard to feelthe way, riding in front of it that she might escape the dust raised byso many feet and the hoofs of the great herd of oxen that were drivenalong to serve as food for the soldiers.

  For fourteen days' journey they travelled thus, and during that timenothing of note happened to them, except that twelve men and Sihamba'sbrown mule were lost in crossing a flooded river, whereof there weremany in their path. The country through which they passed was populatedby Kaffirs, but these tribes were too small and scattered to attempt tooppose so large an army, nor did the men of Sigwe do them any mischiefbeyond taking such grain and meal as they required for food.

  On the fourteenth day, however, they reached the boundary of theterritories of a very powerful tribe of Pondo blood, and here theyhalted while messengers were sent forward to the Pondo chief, sayingthat with him Sigwe had no quarrel, and asking for a safe-conductfor the army while passing through his lands. On the third day thesemessengers returned, accompanied by an embassy from the Pondo chief,that after much talk, though to all appearance unwillingly, gave Sigwethe promise of safe-conduct upon condition that he made a present ofceremony of one ox to their ruler. Now Sihamba noticed that while theenvoys were talking, their eyes wandered all about, taking note of everything, and especially of the number of the soldiers and of Suzanne, whosat beside Sigwe during the _indaba_, or council.

  "These are no true men," she thought to herself, and made a plan. In theevening she visited the camp of the envoys who had heard already thatshe was a famous doctoress, and offered her services to them for paymentshould any of them chance to need the boon of her magic arts. Theylaughed, answering that they wanted neither charms nor divinations, butthat she should see a certain young man, a servant in their train, whowas very sick with love and had bought philtres from every doctor intheir country without avail, wherewith to soften the heart of a girlwho would have nothing to do with him. When Sihamba, without seeming tospeak much of it, had drawn from them all that she wished to know of thestory of this man and girl, and with it other information, though theywon little enough from her, she took her leave, and so set her trap thatat night when all were asleep the young man came to consult her in aplace apart.

  Now she looked at him and said at once, without suffering him to speak:

  "Let me see. Your name is so-and-so, and you are in love with such agirl, who turns away from you;" and she went on to tell him things whichhe thought were known only to himself.

  "Wonderful," he said, "wonderful! But say, lady doctoress, can you helpme, for my heart is water because of this girl?"

  "It is difficult," she answered. "Do you know that when you come toconsult a wise woman you should keep your mind fixed upon the matterabout which you would take counsel with her from the first moment thatyou set out to visit her until you stand in her presence? Now this youhave not done, for as you came you were thinking of other things; yes,you were thinking about the ambush which is to be set for these peoplein the pass yonder, and therefore I cannot see the girl's heart clear,and do not quite know what medicine I should give you to soften it."

  "It is true, lady," answered the stupid fellow, "that I was thinkingabout the ambush of which I have heard some talk, though I do not knowwho told you of it."

  "Who told me? Why to my sight your thoughts are written on your face,yes, they ran before you and reached me as I heard your footsteps. Butnow, think no more of that matter, which has nothing to do with you orme, think only of the girl, and go on thinking of her, and of her only,until you get back home, and give her the medicine--that is if you wishit to work."

  "I am thinking, lady," he muttered, turning his stupid face up to theskies.

  "Fool, be quiet. Do I not know that? Ah! now I see her heart, and I tellyou that you are lucky, for when you have done as I bid you, she willlove you more than if you were the greatest chief in all the land." ThenSihamba gave him a certain harmless powder to sprinkle in the hut wherethe girl slept, and bade him wait for her on six different days when shecame up from bathing, giving her on each day a garland of fresh flowers,a new flower for every day.

  The man thanked her and asked what he must pay her for a fee, to whichshe replied that she took no fee in matters of love, since her rewardwas to know that she had made two people happy; but she added:

  "Remember what I tell you, or instead of earning love you will earnhate. Say nothing of your visit to me, and if you can avoid it, do notspeak at all until you have sprinkled the powder in the hut; especiallyput all things which do not concern you and her out of your mind andthink only of her face and how happy you will be when you have marriedher, which, if you follow my instructions, you will shortly do."

  Now the young man went away as though he were walking upon air, andindeed so closely did he obey her that he was dismissed by his mastersas a dumb fool before he reached home again. But whether or no Sihamba'smedicine softened the heart of the maid I have not heard.