CHAPTER VII
THE MESSAGE OF THE KING
So it chanced that Noie became a member of the Dove household. For obviousreasons she changed her name, and thenceforward was called Nonha. Also ithappened that Mr. Dove abandoned his idea of settling as a missionary inZululand, and instead, took up his residence at this beautiful spot. Hecalled it Ramah because it was a place of weeping, for here all the familyand dependents of Seyapi had been destroyed by the spear. Mrs. Dovethought it an ill-omened name enough, but after her manner gave way to herhusband in the matter.
"I think there will be more weeping here before everything is done," shesaid.
Rachel answered, however, that it was as good as any other, since namescould alter nothing. Here, then, at Ramah, Mr. Dove built him a house onthat knoll where first he had pitched his camp. It was a very good houseafter its fashion, for, as has been said, he did not lack for means, andwas, moreover, clever in such matters. He hired a mason who had drifted toNatal to cut stone, of which a plenty lay at hand, and two half-breedcarpenters to execute the wood-work, whilst the Kaffirs thatched the wholeas only they can do. Then he set to work upon a church, which was placedon the crest of the opposite knoll where the white man, Ishmael, hadappeared on the evening of their arrival. Like the house, it was excellentof its sort, and when at length it was finished after more than a year oflabour, Mr. Dove felt a proud man.
Indeed at Ramah he was happier than he had ever been since he landed uponthe shores of Africa, for now at length his dream seemed to be in the wayof realisation. Very soon a considerable native village sprang up aroundhim, peopled almost entirely by remnants of the Natal tribes whom Chakahad destroyed and who were but too glad to settle under the aegis of thewhite man, especially when they discovered how good he was. Of thedoctrines which he preached to them day and night, most of them, it istrue, did not understand much. Still they accepted them as the price ofbeing allowed "to live in his shadow," but in the vast majority of casesthey sturdily refused to put away all wives but one, as he earnestlyexhorted them to do.
At first he wished to eject them from the settlement in punishment of thissin, but when it came to the point they absolutely refused to go,demonstrating to him that they had as much right to live there as he had,an argument that he was unable to controvert. So he was obliged to submitto the presence of this abomination, which he did in the hope that in timetheir hard hearts would be softened.
"Continue to preach to us, O Shouter," they said, "and we will listen.Mayhap in years to come we shall learn to think as you do. Meanwhile giveus space to consider the point."
So he continued to preach, and contented himself with baptising thechildren and very old people who took no more wives. Except on this onepoint, however, they got on excellently together. Indeed, never sinceChaka broke upon them like a destroying demon had these poor folk been sohappy. The missionary imported ploughs and taught them to improve theiragriculture, so that ere long this rich, virgin soil brought forthabundantly. Their few cattle multiplied also in an amazing fashion, as didtheir families, and soon they were as prosperous as they had been in thegood old days before they knew the Zulu assegai, especially as, to theiramazement, the Shouter never took from them even a calf or a bundle ofcorn by way of tax. Only the shadow of that Zulu assegai still lay uponthem, for if Chaka was dead Dingaan ruled a few miles away across theTugela. Moreover, hearing of the rise of this new town, and of certainstrange matters connected with it, he sent spies to inspect and enquire.The spies returned and reported that there dwelt in it only a whitemedicine-man with his wife, and a number of Natal Kaffirs. Also theyreported in great detail many wonderful stories concerning the beautifulmaiden with a high name who passed as the white teacher's daughter, andwho had already become the subject of so much native talk and rumour. Onlearning all these things Dingaan despatched an embassy, who deliveredthis message:
"I, Dingaan, king of the Zulus, have heard that you, O White Shouter, havebuilt a town upon my borders, and peopled it with the puppies of thejackals whom Chaka hunted. I send to you now to say that you and yourjackals shall have peace from me so long as you harbour none of myrunaways, but if I find but one of them there, then an Impi shall wipe youout. I hear also that there dwells with you a beautiful white maiden saidto be your daughter, who is known, throughout the land asInkosazana-y-Zoola. Now that is the name of our Spirit who, the doctorssay, is also white, and it is strange to us that this maiden should bearthat great name. Some of the _Isanusis_, the prophetesses, declare thatshe is our Spirit in the flesh, but that meat sticks in my throat, Icannot swallow it. Still, I invite this maiden to visit me that I may seeher and judge of her, and I swear to you, and to her, by the ghosts of myancestors, that no harm shall come to her then or at any time. He who somuch as lays a finger upon her shall die, he and all his house. Because ofher name, which I am told she has borne from a child, all the territoriesof the Zulus are her kraal and all the thousands of the Zulus are herservants. Yea, because of her high name I give to her power of life anddeath wherever men obey my word, and for an offering I send to her twelveof my royal white cattle and a bull, also an ox trained to riding. Whenshe visits me let her ride upon the white ox that she may be known, butlet no man come with her, for among the people of the Zulus she must beattended by Zulus only. I have spoken. I pray that she who is namedPrincess of the Zulus will appear before my messengers and acknowledge thegift of the King of the Zulus, that they may see her in the flesh and makereport of her to me."
Now when Mr. Dove had received this message, one evening at sundown, hewent into the house and repeated it to Rachel, for it puzzled him much,and he knew not what to answer.
Rachel in her turn took counsel with Noie who was hidden, away lest someof the embassy should see and recognise her.
"Speak with the messengers," said Noie, "it is well to have power amongthe Zulus. I, who have some knowledge of this business, say, speak withthem alone, and speak softly, saying that one day you will come."
So having explained the matter to her father, and obtained his consent,Rachel, who desired to impress these savages, threw a white shawl abouther, as Noie instructed her to do. Then, letting her long, golden hairhang down, she went out alone carrying a light assegai in her hand, to theplace where the messengers, six of them, and those who had driven thecattle from Zululand, were encamped in the guest kraal, at the gate ofwhich, as it chanced, lay a great boulder of rock. On this boulder shetook her stand, unobserved, waiting there till the full moon shone outfrom behind a dark cloud, turning her white robe to silver. Now of asudden the messengers who were seated together, talking and taking snuff,looked up and saw her.
"_Inkosazana-y-Zoola_!" exclaimed one of them, rising, whereon they allsprang to their feet and perceiving this beautiful and mysterious figure,by a common impulse lifted their right arms and gave to her what no womanhad ever received before--the royal salute.
"Bayete!" they cried, "Bayete!" then stood silent.
"I hear you," said Rachel, who spoke their tongue as well as she did herown. "It has been reported to me that you wished to see me, O Mouths ofthe King. Behold I am pleased to appear before you. What would you ofInkosazana-y-Zoola, O Mouths of the King?"
Then their spokesman, an old man of high rank, with a withered hand,stepped forward from the line of his companions, stared at her for awhile, and saluted again.
"Lady," he said humbly, "Lady or Spirit, we would know how thou earnest bythat great name of thine."
"It was given me as a child far away from here," she answered, "because ina mighty tempest the lightnings turned aside and smote me not; because thewaters raged yet drowned me not; because the lions slept with me yetharmed me not. It came to me from the high Heaven that was my friend. I donot know how it came."
"We have heard the story," answered the old man (which indeed they hadwith many additions), "and we believe. We believe that the Heavens abovegave thee their own name which is the name of the Spirit of our people.That Spirit I have seen in a dream,
and she was like to thee, OInkosazana-y-Zoola."
"It may be so, Mouth of the King, still I am woman, not spirit."
"Yet in every woman there dwells a spirit, or so we believe, and in thee agreat one, or so we have heard and believe, O Lady of the Heavens. Tothee, then, again we repeat the words of Dingaan and of his council whichto-day we have said in the ears of him who thinks himself thy father. Tothee the roads are open; thine are the cattle and the kraals; here is anearnest of them. Thine are the lives of men. Command now, if thou wilt,that one of us be slain before thee, and whilst thou watchest, he shalllook his last upon the moon."
"I hear you," said Rachel, quietly, "but I seek the life of none who aregood. I thank the King for his gift; I wish the King well. I remember thatlife and death lie in my hands. Say these words to the King."
"We will say them, but wilt thou not come, O Lady, as the King desires? Aregiment shall meet thee on the river bank and lead thee to his house.Unharmed shalt thou come, unharmed shalt thou return, and what thou askestthat shall be given thee."
"One day, perchance, I will come, but not now. Go in peace, O Mouths ofthe King."
As she spoke another dark cloud floated across the moon, and when it hadpassed away she stood no more upon the rock. Then, seeing that she wasgone, those messengers gathered up their spears and mats, and returnedswiftly to Zululand.
When she readied the house again Rachel told her father and mother allthat had passed, laughing as she spoke.
"It seems scarcely right, my dear," said Mr. Dove, when she had done."Those benighted heathens will really believe that you are somethingunearthly."
"Then let them," she answered. "It can do no one any harm, and the powerof life and death with the rest of it, unless it was all talk as Isuspect, might be very useful one day. Who knows? And now the Princess ofthe Heavens will go and set the supper, as Noie--I beg pardon, Nonha--isoff duty for the present."
Afterwards she asked Noie who was the old man with a withered hand who hadspoken as the "King's Mouth."
"Mopo is his name, Mopo or Umbopo, none other, O Zoola," she answered. "Itwas he who stabbed T'Chaka, the Black One. It is said also that aloneamong men living, he has seen the White Spirit: the Inkosazana. Thrice hehas seen her, or so goes the tale that my father, who knew everything,told to me. That is why Dingaan sent him here to make report of you." Andshe told her all the wonderful story of Mopo and of the death of T'Chaka,which Rachel treasured in her mind. [Footnote: For the history of Mopo,see "Nada the Lily."--AUTHOR.]
Such was Rachel's first introduction to the Zulus, an occasion on whichher undoubted histrionic abilities stood her in good stead.
This matter of the embassy happened and in due course was almostforgotten, that is until a certain event occurred which brought it intomind. For some time, however, Rachel thought of it a good deal, wonderinghow it came about that her native name and the strange significance whichthey appeared to give to it had taken such a hold of the imagination ofthe Zulus. Ultimately she discovered that the white man, Ishmael, was thechief cause of these things. He had lived so long among savages that hehad caught something of their mind and dark superstitions. To him, as tothem, it seemed a marvellous thing that she should have acquired the titleof the legendary Spirit of the Zulu people. The calm courage, too, sounusual in a woman, which she showed when she shot the warrior, and at therisk of her own life saved that of the girl, Noie, impressed him assomething almost ultra-human, especially when he remembered his ownconduct on that occasion. All of this story, of course, he did not tell tothe Zulus for he feared lest they should take vengeance for his share init. But of Rachel he discoursed to the King and his _indunas_, or greatmen, as a white witch-doctoress of super-natural power, whose name showedthat she was mixed up with the fortunes of the race. Therefore, in theend, Dingaan sent Mopo, "he who knew the Spirit," to make report of her.
When he was not absent upon his hunting or trading expeditions, Ishmaelvisited Ramah a great deal and, as Rachel soon discovered, not without anobject. Indeed, almost from the first, her feminine instincts led her tosuspect that this man who, notwithstanding his good looks, repelled her sointensely, was falling in love with her, which in truth he had done onceand for all at their first meeting. In the beginning he did not, it istrue, say much that could be so interpreted, but his whole attitudetowards her suggested it, as did other things. For instance, when he cameto visit the Doves, he discarded his garments of hide, including thepicturesque zebra-skin trousers, and appeared dressed in smart Europeanclothes which he had contrived to obtain from Durban, and a large hat witha white ostrich feather, that struck Rachel as even more ludicrous thanthe famous trousers. Also he was continuously sending presents of game andof skins, or of rare karosses, that is, fur rugs, which he ordered to bedelivered to her personally--tokens, all of them, that she could notmisunderstand. Her father, however, misunderstood them persistently,although her mother saw something of the truth, and did her best to shieldher from attentions which she knew to be unwelcome. Mr. Dove believed thatit was his company which Ishmael sought. Indeed in this matter the man wasvery clever, contriving to give the clergyman the impression that herequired spiritual instruction and comfort, which, of course, he foundforthcoming in an abundant supply. When Mrs. Dove remonstrated, sayingthat she misdoubted her of him and his character, her husband answeredobstinately, that it was his duty to turn a sinner from his way, anddeclined to pursue the conversation. So Ishmael continued to come.
For her part Rachel did her best to avoid him, instructing Noie to keep aconstant look-out both with her eyes and through the Kaffirs, and to warnher of his advent. Then she would slip away into the bush or down to theseashore, and remain there till he was gone, or if he came when she couldnot do so, in the evening for instance, would keep Noie at her side, andon the first opportunity retire to her own room.
Now the result of this method of self-protection was to cause Ishmael tohate Noie as bitterly as she hated him. He guessed that the girl knew thedreadful truth about him; that it was he, and no other, who had counselledDingaan to kill her father and all his family, and take her by force intohis house, and although she said nothing of it, he suspected that she hadtold everything to Rachel. Moreover, it was she who always thwarted him,who prevented him time upon time from having a single word alone with hermistress. Therefore he determined to be revenged upon Noie whenever anopportunity occurred.
But as yet he could find none, since if he were to tell the Zulus thatshe still lived, and cause her to be killed or taken away, he was surethat it would mean a final breach with the Dove family, all of whom hadlearned to love this beautiful orphan maid. So he nursed his rage insecret.
Meanwhile his passion increased daily, burning ever more fiercely for itscontinued repression, until at length the chance for which he had waitedso long came to him.
Having become aware of Rachel's habit of slipping away whenever heappeared, he showed himself on horseback at a little distance, then waiteda while and, instead of going up to the mission station, rode round it,and hid in some bush whence he could command a view of the surroundingcountry. Presently he saw Rachel, who was alone, for she had not waited tocall Noie, hurrying towards the seashore, along the edge of that kloofdown which ran the stream where the crocodiles lived. Presently, when shehad gone too far to return to the house if she caught sight of him, hefollowed after her, and, leaving his horse, at last came up with herseated on a rock by the pool in which she had bathed on the morning of themassacre.
Walking softly in his veld-schoens, or shoes made of raw hide, on thesand, Rachel knew nothing of his coming until his shadow fell upon her.Then she sprang up and saw him, smiling and bowing, the ostrich-plume hatin his hand. Her first impulse was to run away, but recovering herself shenodded in a friendly fashion, and bade him "Good day," adding:
"What are you doing here, Mr. Ishmael, hunting?"
"Yes," he answered, "that's it. Hunting you. It has been a long chase, butI have caught you at last."
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p; "Really, I am not a wild creature, Mr. Ishmael," she said indignantly.
"No," he answered, "you are more beautiful and more dangerous than anywild creature."
Rachel looked at him. Then she made, as though she would pass him, sayingthat she was going home. Now Ishmael stood between two rocks filling theonly egress from this place.
He stretched out his arms so that his fingers touched the rocks on eitherside, and said:
"You can't. You must listen to me first. I came here to say what I havewanted to tell you for a long time. I love you, and I ask you to marryme."
"Indeed," she replied, setting her face. "How can that be? I understoodthat you were already married--several times over."
"Who told you that?" he asked, angrily. "I know--that accursed littlewitch, Noie."
"Don't speak any ill of Noie, please; she is my friend."
"Then you have a liar for your friend. Those women are only my servants."
"It doesn't matter to me what they are, Mr. Ishmael. I have no wish toknow your private affairs. Shall we stop this talk, which is notpleasant?"
"No," he answered. "I tell you that I love you and I mean to marry you,with your will or without it. Let it be with your will, Rachel," he added,pleadingly, "for I will make you a good husband. Also I am well-born, muchbetter than you think, and I am rich, rich enough to take you out of thiscountry, if you like. I have thousands of cattle, and a great deal ofmoney put by, good English gold that I have got from the sale of ivory.You shall come with me from among all these savage people back to England,and live as you like."
"Thank you, but I prefer the savages, as you seem to have done until now.No, do not try to touch me; you know that I can defend myself if Ichoose," and she glanced at the pistol which she always carried in thatwild land, "I am not afraid of you, Mr. Ishmael; it is you who are afraidof me."
"Perhaps I am," he exclaimed, "because those Zulus are right, you are_tagati_, an enchantress, not like other women, white or black. If it werenot so, would you have driven me mad as you have done? I tell you I can'tsleep for thinking of you. Oh! Rachel, Rachel, don't be angry with me.Have pity on me. Give me some hope. I know that my life has been rough inthe past, but I will become good again for your sake and live like aChristian. But if you refuse me, if you send me back to hell--then youshall learn what I can be."
"I know what you are, Mr. Ishmael, and that is quite enough. I do not wishto be unkind, or to say anything that will pain you, but please go away,and never try to speak to me again like this, as it is quite useless. Youmust understand that I will never marry you, never."
"Are you in love with somebody else?" he asked hoarsely, and at thequestion, do what she would to prevent it, Rachel coloured a little.
"How can I be in love here, unless it were with a dream?"
"A dream, a dream of a man you mean. Well, don't let him cross my path, orit will soon be the dream of a ghost. I tell you I'd kill him. If I can'thave you, no one else shall. Do you understand?"
"I understand that I am tired of this. Let me go home, please."
"Home! Soon you will have no home to go to except mine--that is, if youdon't change your mind about me. I have power here--don't you understand?I have power."
As he spoke these words the man looked so evil that Rachel shivered alittle. But she answered boldly enough:
"I understand that you have no power at all against me; no one has. It isI who have the power."
"Yes, because as I said, you are _tagati_, but there are others----"
As these words passed his lips someone slipped by him. Starting back, hesaw that it was Noie, draped in her usual white robe, for nothing wouldinduce her to wear European clothes. Passing him as though she saw himnot, she went to Rachel and said:
"Inkosazana, I was at my work in the house yonder and I thought that Iheard you calling me down here by the seashore, so I came. Is it yourpleasure that I should accompany you home?"
"For instance," he went on furiously, "there is that black slut whom youare fond of. Well, if I can't hurt you, I can hurt her. Daughter ofSeyapi, you know how runaways die in Zululand, or if you don't you shallsoon learn. I will pay you back for all your tricks," and he stopped,choking with rage.
Noie looked him up and down with her soft, dreamy brown eyes.
"Do you think so, Night-prowler?" she asked. "Do you think that what youdid to the father and his house, you will do to the daughter also? Well,it is strange, but last night, just before the cock crew, I sat bySeyapi's grave, and he spoke to me of you, White Man. Listen, now, and Iwill tell you what he said," and stepping forward she whispered in hisear.
Rachel, watching, saw the man's swarthy face turn pale as he hearkened,then he lifted his hand as though to strike her, let it fall again, andmuttering curses in English and in Zulu, turned and walked, or ratherstaggered away.
"What did you tell him, Noie?" asked Rachel.
"Never mind, Zoola," she answered. "Perhaps the truth; perhaps what cameinto my mind. At any rate I frightened him away. He was making love toyou, was he not, the low _silwana _(wild beast)? Ah! I thought so, forthat he has wished to do for long. And he threatened, did he not? Well,you are right; he cannot hurt you at all, and me only a little, I think.But he is very dangerous and very strong, and can hurt others. If yourfather is wise he will leave this place, Zoola."
"I think so too," answered Rachel. "Let us go home and tell him so."