CHAPTER IX
THE TAKING OF NOIE
Presently Mrs. Dove, who seemed to have quite recovered from, her curiousseizure, went to bed.
"I don't like it, father," said Rachel when the door had closed behindher. "Of course it is contrary to experience and all that, but I believethat mother is fore-sighted."
"Nonsense, dear, nonsense," said her father. "It is her Scotchsuperstition, that is all. We have been married for five-and-twenty yearsnow, and I have heard this sort of thing again and again, but although wehave lived in wild places where anything might happen to us, nothing outof the way ever has happened; in fact, we have always been most mercifullypreserved."
"That's true, father, still I am not sure; perhaps because I am ratherthat way myself, sometimes. Thus I _know_ that she is right about me; noharm will happen to me, at least no permanent harm. I feel that I shalllive out my life, as I feel something else."
"What else, Rachel?"
"Do you remember the lad, Richard Darrien?" she asked, colouring a little.
"What? The boy who was with you that night on the island? Yes, I rememberhim, although I have not thought of him for years."
"Well, I feel that I shall see him again."
Mr. Dove laughed. "Is that all?" he said. "If he is still alive and inAfrica, it wouldn't be very wonderful if you did, would it? And at anyrate, of course, you will one day when we all cease to be alive. Really,"he added with irritation, "there are enough bothers in life withoutrubbish of this kind, which comes from living among savages and absorbingtheir ideas. I am beginning to think that I shall have to give way andleave Africa, though it will break my heart just when, after all thestriving, my efforts are being crowned with success."
"I have always told you, father, that I don't want to leave Africa,still, there is mother to be considered. Her health is not what it was."
"Well," he said impatiently, "I will talk to her and weigh the thing.Perhaps I shall receive guidance, though for my part I cannot see what itmatters. We've got to die some time, and if necessary I prefer that itshould be while doing my duty. 'Take no thought for the morrow, sufficientunto the day is the evil thereof,' has always been my motto, who amcontent with what it pleases Providence to send me."
Then Rachel, seeing no use in continuing the conversation, bade himgood-night, and went to look for Noie, only to discover that she was notin the house. This disturbed her very much, although it occurred to herthat she might possibly be with friends in the village, hiding till shewas sure the Zulu embassy had gone. So she went to bed without troublingher father.
At daybreak next morning she rose, not having slept very well, and wentout to look for the girl, without success, for no one had heard or seenanything of her. As she was returning to the house, however, she met asolitary Zulu, a dignified middle-aged man, whom she thought sherecognised as one of the embassy, although of this she could not be sure,as she had only seen these people in the moonlight. The man, who was quiteunarmed, except for a kerry which he carried, crouched down on catchingsight of heir in token of respect. As she approached he rose, and gave herthe royal salute. Then she was sure.
"Speak," she said.
"Inkosazana," he answered humbly, "be not angry with me, I am Tamboosa,one of the King's indunas. You saw me with the others last night."
"I saw you."
"Inkosazana, there has been dwelling with you one Noie, the daughter ofSeyapi the wizard, who with all his house was slain at this place by orderof the King. She also should have been slain, but we have learned that youcalled down lightning from Heaven, and that with it you slew the soldierwho had run her down, slew him and burned him up, as you had the right todo, and took the girl to be your slave, as you had the right to do."
"Speak on," said Rachel, showing none of the surprise which she felt.
"Inkosazana, we know that you have come to love this girl. Therefore,yesterday before we spoke with you we seized her as we were commanded, andhid her away, awaiting your answer to our message. Had you consented tovisit the King at his Great Place, we would have let her go. But as youdid not consent my companions have taken her to the King."
"An ill deed. What more, Tamboosa?"
"This; the King says by my mouth--Let the Inkosazana come and command, andher servant Noie shall go free and unharmed, for is she not a dog in herhut? But if she comes not and at once, then the girl dies."
"How know I that this tale is true, Tamboosa?" asked Rachel, controllingherself with an effort, for she loved Noie dearly.
The man turned towards some bushes that grew at a distance of about twentypaces, and cried: "Come hither."
Thereon from among the bushes where she lay hidden, rose a little maid ofabout fourteen, whom Rachel knew well as a girl that Noie often took withher to carry baskets and other things.
"Tell now the tale of the taking of Noie and deliver the message that shegave to you," commanded Tamboosa.
Thereon the trembling child began, and after the native fashion,suppressing no detail or circumstance, however small, narrated how theZulus had surprised her and Noie while they were gathering flowers, andhaving bound their arms, had caused them to be hurried away unseen to somedense bush about four miles off. Here they had been kept hidden till inthe night the embassy returned. Then they had spoken with Noie, who in theend called her and gave her a message. This was the message: "Say to theInkosazana that the Zulus have caught me, and are taking me to Dingaan theKing. Say that they declare that if she is pleased to come and speak theword, I shall be set free unharmed, that is, if she comes at once. But ifshe does not come, then I shall be killed. Say to her that I do not askthat she should come who am ready to die, and that though I believe thatno harm will happen to her in Zululand, I think that she had better notcome. Say that, living or dead, I love her."
Then the maid described how the embassy went on with Noie, leaving her inthe charge of the man Tamboosa, who at the first break of dawn brought herback to Ramah, and made her hide in the bush.
Now Rachel had no more doubts. Clearly the tale was true, and the questionwas--what must be done? She thought a while, then bade Tamboosa and thechild to follow her to the mission-house. On the stoep she found herfather and mother sitting in the sun and drinking coffee, after the SouthAfrican fashion.
"What is it?" asked Mr. Dove, looking at the man anxiously.
Rachel ordered him to repeat his story, and this he did, addressing Rachelalone, for of her father and mother he would take no notice. When he haddone the child told her tale also.
"Go now, and wait without," said Rachel, when it was finished.
"Inkosazana, I go," answered the man, "but if it pleases you to save yourservant, know that you must come swiftly. If you are not across the Tugelaby sunset this night, word will be passed to the King, and she dies atonce. Know also that you must come alone with me, for if any, white orblack, accompany you, they will be killed."
"Now," said Rachel when the three of them were left alone, "now what is tobe done?"
Mrs. Dove shook her head helplessly, and looked at her husband, who brokeinto a tirade against the Zulus, their superstitions, cruelties, customs,and everything that was theirs, and ended by declaring that it was ofcourse utterly impossible that Rachel should go upon such a mad errand,and thus place herself in the power of savages.
"But, father," she said when he had done, "do you understand that you arepronouncing Noie's death sentence? If you were in my place, would you notgo?"
"Of course I would. In fact I propose to do so as it is. No doubt Dingaanwill listen to me."
"You mean that Dingaan will kill you. Did you not hear what that manTamboosa said? Father, you must not go."
"No, John," broke in Mrs. Dove, "Rachel is right, you must not go, for youwould never come back again. Also, how can you be so cruel as to think ofleaving me here alone?"
"Then I suppose that we must abandon that poor girl to her fate,"exclaimed Mr. Dove.
"How can you suppose anything so merciles
s, father, when it is in my powerto save her?" asked Rachel. "If I let those horrible Zulus kill her Ishall never be happy again all my life."
"And what if the horrible Zulus kill you?"
"They will not kill me, father; mother knows they will not, and so do I.But as they have got this madness into their heads, I am sure that if I donot go they will send an impi here to kill everybody else, and take meprisoner. The kidnapping of Noie is only a first move. It is one of twothings: either I must visit Zululand, save Noie, and play my part there asbest I can, or we must desert Noie, and all leave this place at once,tomorrow if possible. But then, as I told you, I shall never forgivemyself, especially as I am not in the least afraid of the Zulus."
"It is true that God can protect you as much in Zululand as He can here,"replied Mr. Dove, beginning to weaken in face of this desperatealternative.
"Of course, father, but if I go to Zululand I want you and mother to trekto Durban, and remain there till I return."
"Why, Rachel? It is absurd."
"Because I do not think that you are safe here, and it is not at allabsurd," she answered stubbornly. "These people choose to believe that Iam in some way in bondage to you; you remember all their talk about theheavens and the cloud. Of course it may mean nothing, but you will be muchbetter in Durban for a while, where you can take to the water ifnecessary."
Now Mr. Dove's obstinacy asserted itself. He refused to entertain any suchidea, giving reason after reason why he should not do so. Thus for anotherhalf hour the argument raged till at length a compromise was arrived at,as usual in such cases, not of too satisfactory an order. Rachel was to beallowed to undertake her mission on behalf of Noie, and her parents wereto remain at Ramah. On her return, which they hoped would be within a weekor eight days, the question of the abandonment of the mission was to besettled by the help of the experience she had gained. To this arrangement,then, they agreed, reluctantly enough all of them, in order, to saveNoie's life, and for no other reason.
The momentous decision once taken, in half an hour Rachel was ready forher journey, which she determined she would make upon her own horse, agrey mare that she had ridden for a long while, and could rely on in everyway. The white riding-ox that Dingaan had sent as a present was also toaccompany her, to carry her spare garments and other articles packed inskin bags, such as coffee, sugar and a few medicines, and to serve as aremount in case anything should happen to the horse. When it was ladenRachel sent for the Zulu, Tamboosa, and, pointing to the ox, said:
"I come to visit Dingaan the king, and to claim my servant. Lead the beaston, I will overtake you presently."
The man saluted and began to _bonga_, that is, to give her titles ofpraise, but she cut him short with a wave of her hand, and he departedleading the ox.
Now while Mr. Dove saw to the saddling of the horses, for he was to ridewith her as far as the Tugela, Rachel went to bid farewell to her mother.She found her by herself in the sitting-room, seated at an open window,and looking out sadly towards the sea.
"I am quite ready, dear," she said in a cheerful voice. "Don't look sosad, I shall be back again in a week with Noie."
"Yes," answered Mrs. Dove, "I think that you and Noie will come backsafely, but--" and she paused.
"But what, mother?"
"Oh! I don't know. I am very much oppressed, my heart is heavy in me. Ihate parting with you, Rachel. Remember we have never been separated sinceyou were born."
Her daughter looked at her, and was filled with grief and compunction.
"Mother," she said, "if you feel like that--well, I love Noie, but afterall you are more to me than Noie, and if you wish I will give up thisbusiness and stop with you. It is very terrible, but it can't be helped;Noie will understand, poor thing," and her eyes filled with tears at thethought of the girl's dreadful fate.
"No, Rachel, somehow I think it best that you should go, not only forNoie's sake, but for your own. If your father would leave here to-day orto-morrow, as you suggested, it might be otherwise, but he won't do that,so it is no use talking of it. Let us hope for the best."
"As you wish, mother."
"Now, dear kiss me and go. I hear your father calling you; and, Rachel, ifwe should not meet again in this world, I know you won't forget me, orthat there is another where we shall. I did not want to frighten you withmy fancies, which come from my not being well. Goodbye, my love, good-bye.God be with you, and make you happy, always--always."
Then Rachel kissed her in silence, for she could not trust herself tospeak, and turning, left the room whence her mother watched her go, alsoin silence. In another minute she was mounted, and, accompanied by herfather, riding on the road along which Tamboosa had led the white ox.
Presently they overtook him, whereon he stopped, and looking at Mr. Dove,said:
"Inkosazana, the King's orders are that none should accompany you intoZululand."
"Be silent," answered Rachel, proudly. "He rides with me as far as theriver bank."
Then they went on, and Rachel was relieved to find that whatever mighthave been her mother's mood, that of her father was fairly cheerful.Indeed, his mind was so occupied with the details and object of herjourney that he quite forgot its dangers.
Two hours' steady riding brought them to the ford of the Tugela river,across which lay Zululand. On the hills beyond it they could see a numberof Kaffirs watching, who on catching sight of Rachel, ran down to theriver and entered it, shouting and beating the water with their sticks, asshe guessed, to scare away any crocodiles that might be lurking there.
Now that the moment of separation had come, Mr. Dove grew loth to partwith his daughter, and again suggested to Tamboosa that he shouldaccompany her to Dingaan's Great Place.
"If you set a foot across that river, Praying Man," answered the indunagrimly, "you shall die; look, there are the spears that will kill you."
As he spoke he pointed to the crest of the opposing hill over which,running swiftly in ordered companies, now appeared a Zulu regiment whocarried large white shields and wore white plumes rising from their headrings.
"It is the escort of the Inkosazana," he added. "Do you think that she cantake hurt among so many? And do you think, if you dare to disobey thewords of Dingaan, that you can escape so many? Go back new, lest theyshould come over and kill you where you are."
Then, seeing that both argument and resistance were useless, and thatTamboosa would brook no delay, Mr. Dove hurriedly embraced his daughter infarewell. Indeed, Rachel was glad that there was no time for words, forthis parting was more terrible to her than she cared to own, and shefeared lest she should break down before the Zulu who was watching her,and thereby be lowered in his eyes and in those of his people.
It was over and done. She had entered the water, riding her grey marewhile Tamboosa led the white ox at her side. Presently she looked, back,and saw her father kneeling in prayer upon the bank.
"What does the man?" asked Tamboosa, uneasily. "Is he bewitching us?"
"Nay," she answered, "he prays to the Heavens for us."
On they went between the two lines of natives, who ceased their beating ofthe water, and were silent as she passed. The river was shallow, and theycrossed it with ease. By now the regiment was gathered on its furtherbank, two thousand men or more, brought hither to do honour to this whitegirl in whom they chose to consider that the guardian spirit of theirpeople was incarnate. Contemplating them, Rachel wondered how it cameabout that they should be thus prepared for her advent. The answer rose inher mind. If she had refused to visit Zululand, it was their mission tofetch her. It was wise, therefore, that she had come of her own will.
Forward she rode, a striking figure in her long white cloak, down whichher bright hair hung, sitting very proud and upright on her horse, withouta sign of doubt or fear. As she approached, the captains of the regimentran forward to meet her with lifted shield and crouching bodies.
"Hail!" cried their leader. "In the name of the Great Elephant, of Dingaanthe King, hail to thee, Prin
cess of the Heavens, Holder of the Spirit ofNomkubulwana."
Rachel rode on, taking no notice, marvelling who Nomkubulwana, whosespirit she was supposed to enshrine, might be. Afterwards she discoveredthat it was only another name for the Inkosazana-y-Zoola, that mysteriouswhite ghost believed by this people to control their destinies, with whomit had pleased them to identify her. As her horse left the wide river andset foot upon dry land, every man of the two thousand soldiers, who werewatching, as it seemed to her, with wonder and awe, began to beat hisox-hide shield with the handle of his spear. They beat very softly atfirst, producing a sound like the distant murmur of the sea, then harderand harder till its volume grew to a mighty roar, impossible to describe,a sound like the sound of thunder that echoed along the water and fromhill to hill. The mighty noise sank and died away as it had begun, and fora moment there was silence. Then at some signal every spear flashed aloftin the sunlight, and from every throat came the royal salute--_Bayete_. Itwas a tremendous and most imposing welcome, so tremendous that Rachelcould no longer doubt that this people regarded her as a being apart, andabove the other white folk whom they knew.
At the time, however, she had little space for such thoughts, since themare she rode, terrified by the tumult, bucked and shied so violently thatshe could scarcely keep her seat. She was a good rider, which wasfortunate for her, since, had she been ignominiously thrown upon such anoccasion, her prestige must have suffered, if indeed it were notdestroyed. As it proved, it was greatly enhanced by this accident. Many ofthe Zulus of that day had never even seen a horse, which was considered byall of them to be a dangerous if not a magical beast. That a woman couldremain seated on such a wild animal when it sprang into the air, andswerved from side to side, struck them, therefore, as something marvellousand out of experience, a proof indeed that she was not as others are.
She quieted the mare, and rode on between the white-shielded ranks, who,their greeting finished, remained absolutely still like bronze statueswatching her with wondering eyes. When at length they were passed, thecaptains and a guard of about fifty men ran ahead of her.
Then she came, and after her Tamboosa, leading the white ox, followed byanother guard, which in turn was followed by the entire regiment. Thusroyally escorted, asking no questions, and speaking no word, did Rachelmake her entry into Zululand. Only in her heart she wondered whither shewas going, and how that strange journey would end, wondered, too, how itwould fare with her father and her mother till she returned to them.
Well might she wonder.
When she had ridden thus for about two hours an incident occurred whichshowed her how great, and indeed how dreadful was the eminence on whichshe had been set among these people. Suddenly some cattle, frightened bythe approach of the impi, rushed through it towards their kraal, and abull that was with them, seeing this unaccustomed apparition of a whitewoman mounted on a strange animal, put down its head and charged herfuriously. She saw it coming, and by pulling the mare on to its haunches,avoided its rush. Now at the time she was riding on a path which ran alongthe edge of a little rock-strewn donga not more than eight or ten feetdeep, but steep-sided. Into this donga the bull, which had shut its eyesto charge after the fashion of its kind, plunged headlong, and as itchanced struck its horns against a stone, twisting and dislocating theneck, so that it lay there still and dead.
When the Zulus saw what had happened they uttered a long-drawn _Ow-w_ ofamazement, for had not the beast dared to attack the White Spirit, and hadnot the Spirit rewarded it with instant death? Then a captain made amotion with his hand and instantly men sprang upon the remaining cattle,four or five of them that were following the bull, and despatched themwith assegais. Before Rachel could interfere they were pierced with ahundred wounds. Now there was a little pause, while the carcases of thebeasts were dragged out of her path, and the bloodstains covered from hereyes with fresh earth. Just as this task was finished there appeared,scrambling up the denga, and followed, by some men, a fat andhideous-looking woman, with fish bladders in her hair, and snake-skinstied about her, who, from her costume, Rachel knew at once must be an_Isanuzi_ or witch-doctoress. Evidently she was in a fury, as might be seenby the workings of her face, and the extraordinary swiftness with whichshe moved notwithstanding her years and bulk.
"Who has dared to kill my cattle?" she screamed. "Is it thou whom men nameNomkubulwana?"
"Woman," answered Rachel quietly, "the Heavens killed the bull which wouldhave hurt me. For the rest, ask of the captains of the King."
The witch-doctoress glanced at the dead bull which lay in the donga, itshead twisted up in an unnatural fashion at right angles to the body, andfor a moment seemed afraid. Then her rage at the loss of her herd brokeout afresh, for she was a person in authority, one accustomed to be fearedbecause of her black arts and her office.
"When the Inkosazana is seen in Zululand," she gasped, "death walks withher. There is the token of it," and she pointed to the dead cattle. "So ithas ever been and so shall it ever be. Red is thy road through life, WhiteOne. Go back, go back now to thine own kraal, and see whether or no mywords are true," and springing at the horse she seized it by the bridle asthough she would drag it round.
Now in her hand Rachel held a little rod of white rhinoceros horn whichshe used as a riding whip, and with this rod she pointed at the woman,meaning that some of those with her should cause her to loose the bridle.Too late she remembered that in this savage land such a motion when madeby the King or one in supreme command, had another dreadfulinterpretation--death without pity or reprieve.
In an instant, before she could interfere, before she could speak, thewitch-doctoress lay dead upon the carcase of the dead bull.
"What of the others, Queen, what of the others?" asked the chief of theslayers, bending low before her, and pointing with his spear to theattendants of the witch-doctoress, who fled aghast. "Do they join thisevil-doer who dared to lift her hand against thee?"
"Nay," she answered in a low voice, for horror had made her almost dumb."I give them life. Forward."
"She gives them life!" shouted the praisers about her. "The Bearer of lifeand death gives life to the children of the evil-doer," and as the greatcavalcade marched forward, company after company took up these words andsang them as a song.