Now it was after this, on the northern borders of Zululand, thatZikali's Great Medicine, as Hans called it, really played its chiefpart, for without it I think that we should have been killed, every oneof us. I do not propose to set out the business in detail; it is toolong and intricate. Suffice it to say, therefore, that it had to do withthe plots of Umslopogaas against Cetywayo, which had been betrayed byhis wife Monazi and her lover Lousta, both of whom I have mentionedearlier in this record. The result was that a watch for him was kept onall the frontiers, because it was guessed that sooner or later he wouldreturn to Zululand; also it had become known that he was travelling inmy company.
So it came about that when my approach was reported by spies, a companywas gathered under the command of a man connected with the Royal House,and by it we were surrounded. Before attacking, however, this captainsent men to me with the message that with me the King had no quarrel,although I was travelling in doubtful company, and that if I woulddeliver over to him Umslopogaas, Chief of the People of the Axe, and hisfollowers, I might go whither I wished unharmed, taking my goods withme. Otherwise we should be attacked at once and killed every one ofus, since it was not desired that any witnesses should be left of whathappened to Umslopogaas. Having delivered this ultimatum and declinedany argument as to its terms, the messengers retired, saying that theywould return for my answer within half an hour.
When they were out of hearing Umslopogaas, who had listened to theirwords in grim silence, turned and spoke in such fashion as might havebeen expected of him.
"Macumazahn," he said, "now I come to the end of an unlucky journey,though mayhap it is not so evil as it seems, since I who went out toseek the dead but to be filled by yonder White Witch with the meat ofmocking shadows, am about to find the dead in the only way in which theycan be found, namely by becoming of their number."
"It seems that this is the case with all of us, Umslopogaas."
"Not so, Macumazahn. That child of the King will give you safe-conduct.It is I and mine whose blood he seeks, as he has the right to do, sinceit is true that I would have raised rebellion against the King, I whowearied of my petty lot and knew that by blood his place was mine. Inthis quarrel you have no share, though you, whose heart is as white asyour skin, are not minded to desert me. Moreover, even if you wishedto fight, there is one in the waggon yonder whose life is not yours togive. The Lady Sad-Eyes is as a child in your arms and her you must bearto safety."
Now this argument was so unanswerable that I did not know what to say.So I only asked what he meant to do, as escape was impossible, seeingthat we were surrounded on every side.
"Make a glorious end, Macumazahn," he said with a smile. "I will go outwith those who cling to me, that is with all who remain of my men, sincemy fate must be theirs, and stand back to back on yonder mound and therewait till these dogs of the King come up against us. Watch a while,Macumazahn, and see how Umslopogaas, Bearer of the Axe, and the warriorsof the Axe can fight and die."
Now I was silent for I knew not what to say. There we all stood silent,while minute by minute I watched the shadow creeping forward towards amark that the head messenger had made with his spear upon the ground,for he had said that when it touched that mark he would return for hisanswer.
In this rather dreadful silence I heard a dry little cough, which I knewcame from the throat of Hans, and to be his method of indicating that hehad a remark to make.
"What is it?" I asked with irritation, for it was annoying to see himseated there on the ground fanning himself with the remains of a hat andstaring vacantly at the sky.
"Nothing, Baas, or rather, only this, Baas: Those hyenas of Zulus areeven more afraid of the Great Medicine than were the cannibals up north,since the maker of it is nearer to them, Baas. You remember, Baas, theyknelt to it, as it were, when we were going out of Zululand."
"Well, what of it, now that we are going into Zululand?" I inquiredsharply. "Do you want me to show it to them?"
"No, Baas. What is the use, seeing that they are ready to let youpass, also the Lady Sad-Eyes, and me and the cattle with the driver and_voorlooper_, which is better still, and all the other goods. So whathave you to gain by showing them the medicine? But perchance if it wereon the neck of Umslopogaas and _he_ showed it to them and brought it totheir minds that those who touch him who is in the shadow of Zikali'sGreat Medicine, or aught that is his, die within three moons in thisway or in that--well, Baas, who knows?" and again he coughed drily andstared up at the sky.
I translated what Hans had said in Dutch to Umslopogaas, who remarkedindifferently,
"This little yellow man is well named Light-in-Darkness; at least theplan can be tried--if it fails there is always time to die."
So thinking that this was an occasion on which I might properly do so,for the first time I took off the talisman which I had worn for so long,and Umslopogaas put it over his head and hid it beneath his blanket.