CHAPTER II
THE MESSENGERS
I did not rest as I should that night who somehow was never able tosleep well in the neighbourhood of the Black Kloof. I suppose thatZikali's constant talk about ghosts, with his hints and innuendoesconcerning those who were dead, always affected my nerves till, in asubconscious way, I began to believe that such things existed and werehanging about me. Many people are open to the power of suggestion, and Iam afraid that I am one of them.
However, the sun which has such strength to kill noxious things, puts anend to ghosts more quickly even than it does to other evil vapours andemanations, and when I woke up to find it shining brilliantly in a pureheaven, I laughed with much heartiness over the whole affair.
Going to the spring near which we were outspanned, I took off myshirt to have a good wash, still chuckling at the memory of all thehocus-pocus of my old friend, the Opener-of-Roads.
While engaged in this matutinal operation I struck my hand againstsomething and looking, observed that it was the hideous little ivoryimage of Zikali, which he had set about my neck. The sight of thething and the memory of his ridiculous talk about it, especially of itsassertion that it had come down to him through the ages, which it couldnot have done, seeing that it was a likeness of himself, irritated me somuch that I proceeded to take it off with the full intention of throwingit into the spring.
As I was in the act of doing this, from a clump of reeds mixed withbushes, quite close to me, there came a sound of hissing, and suddenlyabove them appeared the head of a great black _immamba_, perhaps thedeadliest of all our African snakes, and the only one I know which willattack man without provocation.
Leaving go of the image, I sprang back in a great hurry towards where mygun lay. Then the snake vanished and making sure that it had departed toits hole, which was probably at a distance, I returned to the pool, andonce more began to take off the talisman in order to consign it to thebottom of the pool.
After all, I reflected, it was a hideous and probably a blood-stainedthing which I did not in the least wish to wear about my neck like alady's love-token.
Just as it was coming over my head, suddenly from the other side ofthe bush that infernal snake popped up again, this time, it wasclear, really intent on business. It began to move towards me in thelightning-like way _immambas_ have, hissing and flicking its tongue.
I was too quick for my friend, however, for snatching up the gun that Ihad lain down beside me, I let it have a charge of buckshot in theneck which nearly cut it in two, so that it fell down and expired withhideous convulsive writhings.
Hearing the shot Hans came running from the waggon to see what was thematter. Hans, I should say, was that same Hottentot who had been thecompanion of most of my journeyings since my father's day. He was withme when as a young fellow I accompanied Retief to Dingaan's kraal,and like myself, escaped the massacre.[*] Also we shared many otheradventures, including the great one in the Land of the Ivory Child wherehe slew the huge elephant-god, Jana, and himself was slain. But of thisjourney we did not dream in those days.
[*] See the book called "Marie."--Editor.
For the rest Hans was a most entirely unprincipled person, but as theBoers say, "as clever as a waggonload of monkeys." Also he drank when hegot the chance. One good quality he had, however; no man was ever morefaithful, and perhaps it would be true to say that neither man nor womanever loved me, unworthy, quite so well.
In appearance he rather resembled an antique and dilapidated baboon;his face was wrinkled like a dried nut and his quick little eyes werebloodshot. I never knew what his age was, any more than he did himself,but the years had left him tough as whipcord and absolutely untiring.Lastly he was perhaps the best hand at following a spoor that ever Iknew and up to a hundred and fifty yards or so, a very deadly shotwith a rifle especially when he used a little single-barrelled,muzzle-loading gun of mine made by Purdey which he named _Intombi_ orMaiden. Of that gun, however, I have written in "The Holy Flower" andelsewhere.
"What is it, Baas?" he asked. "Here there are no lions, nor any game."
"Look the other side of the bush, Hans."
He slipped round it, making a wide circle with his usual caution, then,seeing the snake which was, by the way, I think, the biggest _immamba_I ever killed, suddenly froze, as it were, in a stiff attitude thatreminded me of a pointer when it scents game. Having made sure that itwas dead, he nodded and said,
"Black _'mamba_, or so you would call it, though I know it for somethingelse."
"What else, Hans?"
"One of the old witch-doctor Zikali's spirits which he sets at the mouthof this kloof to warn him of who comes or goes. I know it well, and sodo others. I saw it listening behind a stone when you were up the klooflast evening talking with the Opener-of-Roads."
"Then Zikali will lack a spirit," I answered, laughing, "which perhapshe will not miss amongst so many. It serves him right for setting thebrute on me."
"Quite so, Baas. He will be angry. I wonder why he did it?" he addedsuspiciously, "seeing that he is such a friend of yours."
"He didn't do it, Hans. These snakes are very fierce and give battle,that is all."
Hans paid no attention to my remark, which probably he thought onlyworthy of a white man who does not understand, but rolled his yellow,bloodshot eyes about, as though in search of explanations. Presentlythey fell upon the ivory that hung about my neck, and he started.
"Why do you wear that pretty likeness of the Great One yonder over yourheart, as I have known you do with things that belonged to women inpast days, Baas? Do you know that it is Zikali's Great Medicine, nothingless, as everyone does throughout the land? When Zikali sends an orderfar away, he always sends that image with it, for then he who receivesthe order knows that he must obey or die. Also the messenger knows thathe will come to no harm if he does not take it off, because, Baas, theimage is Zikali himself, and Zikali is the image. They are one and thesame. Also it is the image of his father's father's father--or so hesays."
"That is an odd story," I said.
Then I told Hans as much as I thought advisable of how this horridlittle talisman came into my possession.
Hans nodded without showing any surprise.
"So we are going on a long journey," he said. "Well, I thought it wastime that we did something more than wander about these tame countriesselling blankets to stinking old women and so forth, Baas. Moreover,Zikali does not wish that you should come to harm, doubtless because hedoes wish to make use of you afterwards--oh! it's safe to talk now whenthat spirit is away looking for another snake. What were you doing withthe Great Medicine, Baas, when the _'mamba_ attacked you?"
"Taking it off to throw it into the pool, Hans, as I do not like thething. I tried twice and each time the _immamba_ appeared."
"Of course it appeared, Baas, and what is more, if you had taken thatMedicine off and thrown it away _you_ would have disappeared, since the_'mamba_ would have killed you. Zikali wanted to show you that, Baas,and that is why he set the snake at you."
"You are a superstitious old fool, Hans."
"Yes, Baas, but my father knew all about that Great Medicine before me,for he was a bit of a doctor, and so does every wizard and witch for athousand miles or more. I tell you, Baas, it is known by all though noone ever talks about it, no, not even the king himself. Baas, speakingto you, not with the voice of Hans the old drunkard, but with that ofthe Predikant, your reverend father, who made so good a Christian ofme and who tells me to do so from up in Heaven where the hot fires arewhich the wood feeds of itself, I beg you not to try to throw away theMedicine again, or if you wish to do so, to leave me behind on thisjourney. For you see, Baas, although I am now so good, almost like oneof those angels with the pretty goose's wings in the pictures, I feelthat I should like to grow a little better before I go to the Place ofFires to make report to your reverend father, the Predikant."
Thinking of how horrified my dear father would be if he could hear allthis string of ridiculous
nonsense and learn the result of his moral andreligious lessons on raw Hottentot material, I burst out laughing. ButHans went on as gravely as a judge,
"Wear the Great Medicine, Baas, wear it; part with the liver inside youbefore you part with that, Baas. It may not be as pretty or smell assweet as a woman's hair in a little gold bottle, but it is much moreuseful. The sight of the woman's hair will only make you sick in yourstomach and cause you to remember a lot of things which you had muchbetter forget, but the Great Medicine, or rather Zikali who is in it,will keep the assegais and sickness out of you and turn back bad magicon to the heads of those who sent it, and always bring us plenty to eatand perhaps, if we are lucky, a little to drink too sometimes."
"Go away," I said, "I want to wash."
"Yes, Baas, but with the Baas's leave I will sit on the other side ofthat bush with the gun--not to look at the Baas without his clothes,because white people are always so ugly that it makes me feel ill to seethem undressed, also because--the Baas will forgive me--but because theysmell. No, not for that, but just to see that no other snake comes."
"Get out of the road, you dirty little scoundrel, and stop yourimpudence," I said, lifting my foot suggestively.
Thereon he scooted with a subdued grin round the other side of the bush,whence as I knew well he kept his eye fixed on me to be sure that I madeno further attempt to take off the Great Medicine.