Allan's Wife

  CHAPTER XII

  THE MAGIC OF INDABA-ZIMBI

  We gained the spot by the stream where Stella had been taken. Thenatives looked at the torn fragments of the dogs, and at the marks ofviolence, and I heard them swearing to each other, that whether theStar lived or died they would not rest till they had exterminated everybaboon on Babyan's Peak. I echoed the oath, and, as shall be seen, wekept it.

  We started on along the stream, following the spoor of the baboons as webest could. But the stream left no spoor, and the hard, rocky banks verylittle. Still we wandered on. All night we wandered through the lonelymoonlit valleys, startling the silence into a thousand echoes with ourcries. But no answer came to them. In vain our eyes searched the sidesof precipices formed of water-riven rocks fantastically piled oneupon another; in vain we searched through endless dells and fern-cladcrannies. There was nothing to be found. How could we expect to findtwo human beings hidden away in the recesses of this vast stretch ofmountain ground, which no man yet had ever fully explored. They werelost, and in all human probability lost for ever.

  To and fro we wandered hopelessly, till at last dawn found us footsoreand weary nearly at the spot whence we had started. We sat down waitingfor the sun to rise, and the men ate of such food as they had broughtwith them, and sent to the kraals for more.

  I sat upon a stone with a breaking heart. I cannot describe my feelings.Let the reader put himself in my position and perhaps he may get someidea of them. Near me was old Indaba-zimbi, who sat staring straightbefore him as though he were looking into space, and taking note ofwhat went on there. An idea struck me. This man had some occult power.Several times during our adventures he had prophesied, and in every casehis prophecies had proved true. He it was who, when we escaped from theZulu Impi, had told me to steer north, because there we should find theplace of a white man who lived under the shadow of a great peak that wasfull of baboons. Perhaps he could help in this extremity--at any rate itwas worth trying.

  "Indaba-zimbi," I said, "you say that you can send your spirit throughthe doors of space and see what we cannot see. At the least I know thatyou can do strange things. Can you not help me now? If you can, and willsave her, I will give you half the cattle that we have here."

  "I never said anything of the sort, Macumazahn," he answered. "I dothings, I do not talk about them. Neither do I seek reward for what I dolike a common witch-doctor. It is well that you have asked me to use mywisdom, Macumazahn, for I should not have used it again without beingasked--no, not even for the sake of the Star and yourself, whom I love,for if so my Spirit would have been angry. In the other matters I had apart, for my life was concerned as well as yours; but in this matter Ihave no part, and therefore I might not use my wisdom unless you thoughtwell to call upon my Spirit. However, it would have been no good to askme before, for I have only just found the herb I want," and he produceda handful of the leaves of a plant that was unfamiliar to me. It hadprickly leaves, shaped very much like those of the common Englishnettle.

  "Now, Macumazahn," he went on, "bid the men leave us alone, and thenfollow me presently to the little glade down there by the water."

  I did so. When I reached the glade I found Indaba-zimbi kindling a smallfire under the shadow of a tree by the edge of the water.

  "Sit there, Macumazahn," he said, pointing to a stone near the fire,"and do not be surprised or frightened at anything you see. If you moveor call out we shall learn nothing."

  I sat down and watched. When the fire was alight and burning brightly,the old fellow stripped himself stark naked, and, going to the foot ofthe pool, dipped himself in the water. Then he came back shivering withthe cold, and, leaning over the little fire, thrust leaves of the plantI have mentioned into his mouth and began to chew them, muttering as hechewed. Most of the remaining leaves he threw on to the fire. A densesmoke rose from them, but he held his head in this smoke and drewit down his lungs till I saw that he was exhibiting every sign ofsuffocation. The veins in his throat and chest swelled, he gaspedloudly, and his eyes, from which tears were streaming, seemed as thoughthey were going to start from his head. Presently he fell over on hisside, and lay senseless. I was terribly alarmed, and my first impulsewas to run to his assistance, but fortunately I remembered his caution,and sat quiet.

  Indaba-zimbi lay on the ground like a person quite dead. His limbs hadall the utter relaxation of death. But as I watched I saw them beginto stiffen, exactly as though _rigor mortis_ had set in. Then, to myastonishment, I perceived them once more relax, and this time thereappeared upon his chest the stain of decomposition. It spread andspread; in three minutes the man, to all appearance, was a livid corpse.

  I sat amazed watching this uncanny sight, and wondering if any furthernatural process was about to be enacted. Perhaps Indaba-zimbi wasgoing to fall to dust before my eyes. As I watched I observed thatthe discoloration was beginning to fade. First it vanished from theextremities, then from the larger limbs, and lastly from the trunk.Then in turn came the third stage of relaxation, the second stage ofstiffness or _rigor_, and the first stage of after-death collapse. Whenall these had rapidly succeeded each other, Indaba-zimbi quietly wokeup.

  I was too astonished to speak; I simply looked at him with my mouthopen.

  "Well, Macumazahn," he said, putting his head on one side like a bird,and nodding his white lock in a comical fashion, "it is all right; Ihave seen her."

  "Seen who?" I said.

  "The Star, your wife, and the little maid. They are much frightened, butunharmed. The Babyan-frau watches them. She is mad, but the baboons obeyher, and do not hurt them. The Star was sleeping from weariness, so Iwhispered in her ear and told her not to be frightened, for you wouldsoon rescue her, and that meanwhile she must seem to be pleased to haveHendrika near her."

  "You whispered in her ear?" I said. "How could you whisper in her ear?"

  "Bah! Macumazahn. How could I seem to die and go rotten before youreyes? You don't know, do you? Well, I will tell you one thing. I had todie to pass the doors of space, as you call them. I had to draw all thehealthy strength and life from my body in order to gather power to speakwith the Star. It was a dangerous business, Macumazahn, for if I had letthings go a little further they must have stopped so, and there wouldhave been an end of Indaba-zimbi. Ah, you white men, you know so muchthat you think you know everything. But you don't! You are alwaysstaring at the clouds and can't see the things that lie at your feet.You hardly believe me now, do you, Macumazahn? Well, I will show you.Have you anything on you that the Star has touched or worn?"

  I thought for a moment, and said that I had a lock of her hair in mypocket-book. He told me to give it him. I did so. Going to the fire, helit the lock of hair in the flame, and let it burn to ashes, which hecaught in his left hand. These ashes he mixed up in a paste with thejuice of one of the leaves of the plant I have spoken of.

  "Now, Macumazahn, shut your eyes," he said.

  I did so, and he rubbed his paste on to my eyelids. At first it burntme, then my head swam strangely. Presently this effect passed off, andmy brain was perfectly clear again, but I could not feel the ground withmy feet. Indaba-zimbi led me to the side of the stream. Beneath us was apool of beautifully clear water.

  "Look into the pool, Macumazahn," said Indaba-zimbi, and his voicesounded hollow and far away in my ears.

  I looked. The water grew dark; it cleared, and in it was a picture.I saw a cave with a fire burning in it. Against the wall of the caverested Stella. Her dress was torn almost off her, she looked dreadfullypale and weary, and her eyelids were red as though with weeping. But sheslept, and I could almost think that I saw her lips shape my name in hersleep. Close to her, her head upon Stella's breast, was little Tota;she had a skin thrown over her to keep out the night cold. The child wasawake, and appeared to be moaning with fear. By the fire, and in such aposition that the light fell full upon her face, and engaged in cookingsomething in a rough pot shaped from wood, sat the Baboon-woman,Hendrika. She was clothed in baboon skins, a
nd her face had beenrubbed with some dark stain, which was, however, wearing off it. Inthe intervals of her cooking she would turn on Stella her wild eyes,in which glared visible madness, with an expression of tenderness thatamounted to worship. Then she would stare at the child and gnash herteeth as though with hate. Clearly she was jealous of it. Round theentrance arch of the cave peeped and peered the heads of many baboons.Presently Hendrika made a sign to one of them; apparently she did notspeak, or rather grunt, in order not to wake Stella. The brute hoppedforward, and she gave it a second rude wooden pot which was lying byher. It took it and went. The last thing that I saw, as the visionslowly vanished from the pool, was the dim shadow of the baboonreturning with the pot full of water.

  Presently everything had gone. I ceased to feel strange. There beneathme was the pool, and at my side stood Indaba-zimbi, smiling.

  "You have seen things," he said.

  "I have," I answered, and made no further remark on the matter. What wasthere to say?[*] "Do you know the path to the cave?" I added.

  [*] For some almost equally remarkable instances of Kaffir magic the reader is referred to a work named "Among the Zulus," by David Leslie.--Editor.

  He nodded his head. "I did not follow it all just now, because itwinds," he said. "But I know it. We shall want the ropes."

  "Then let us be starting; the men have eaten."

  He nodded his head again, and going to the men I told them to makeready, adding that Indaba-zimbi knew the way. They said that was allright, if Indaba-zimbi had "smelt her out," they should soon find theStar. So we started cheerfully enough, and my spirits were so muchimproved that I was able to eat a boiled mealie cob or two as we walked.

  We went up the valley, following the course of the stream for about amile; then Indaba-zimbi made a sudden turn to the right, along anotherkloof, of which there were countless numbers in the base of the greathill.

  On we went through kloof after kloof. Indaba-zimbi, who led us, wasnever at a loss, he turned up gulleys and struck across necks of hillswith the certainty of a hound on a hot scent. At length, after aboutthree hours' march, we came to a big silent valley on the northern slopeof the great peak. On one side of this valley was a series of stonykoppies, on the other rose a sheer wall of rock. We marched alongthe wall for a distance of some two miles. Then suddenly Indaba-zimbihalted.

  "There is the place," he said, pointing to an opening in the cliff. Thisopening was about forty feet from the ground, and ellipse-shaped.It cannot have been more than twenty feet high by ten wide, and waspartially hidden by ferns and bushes that grew about it in the surfaceof the cliff. Keen as my eyes were, I doubt if I should ever havenoticed it, for there were many such cracks and crannies in the rockyface of the great mountain.

  We drew near and looked carefully at the place. The first thing Inoticed was that the rock, which was not quite perpendicular, had beenworn by the continual passage of baboons; the second, that somethingwhite was hanging on a bush near the top of the ascent.

  It was a pocket-handkerchief.

  Now there was no more doubt about the matter. With a beating heart Ibegan the ascent. For the first twenty feet it was comparatively easy,for the rock shelved; the next ten feet was very difficult, but stillpossible to an active man, and I achieved it, followed by Indaba-zimbi.But the last twelve or fifteen feet could only be scaled by throwing arope over the trunk of a stunted tree, which grew at the bottom of theopening. This we accomplished with some trouble, and the rest was easy.A foot or two above my head the handkerchief fluttered in the wind.Hanging to the rope, I grasped it. It was my wife's. As I did so Inoticed the face of a baboon peering at me over the edge of the cleft,the first baboon we had seen that morning. The brute gave a bark andvanished. Thrusting the handkerchief into my breast, I set my feetagainst the cliff and scrambled up as hard as I could go. I knew thatwe had no time to lose, for the baboon would quickly alarm the others. Igained the cleft. It was a mere arched passage cut by water, ending ina gulley, which led to a wide open space of some sort. I looked throughthe passage and saw that the gulley was black with baboons. On they cameby the hundred. I unslung my elephant gun from my shoulders and waited,calling to the men below to come up with all possible speed. The brutesstreamed on down the gloomy gulf towards me, barking, grunting, andshowing their huge teeth. I waited till they were within fifteen yards.Then I fired the elephant gun, which was loaded with slugs, right intothe thick of them. In that narrow place the report echoed like a cannonshot, but its sound was quickly swallowed in the volley of piercinghuman-sounding groans and screams that followed. The charge of heavyslugs had ploughed through the host of baboons, of which at least adozen lay dead or dying in the passage. For a moment they hesitated,then they came on again with a hideous clamour. Fortunately by this timeIndaba-zimbi, who also had a gun, was standing by my side, otherwise Ishould have been torn to pieces before I could re-load. He fired bothbarrels into them, and again checked the rush. But they came on again,and notwithstanding the appearance of two other natives with guns, whichthey let off with more or less success, we should have been overwhelmedby the great and ferocious apes had I not by this time succeeded inre-loading the elephant gun. When they were right on us, I fired, witheven more deadly effect than before, for at that distance every slugtold on their long line. The howls and screams of pain and rage werenow something inconceivable. One might have thought that we were doingbattle with a host of demons; indeed in that light--for the overhangingarch of rock made it very dark--the gnashing snouts and sombre glowingeyes of the apes looked like those of devils as they are represented bymonkish fancy. But the last shot was too much for them; they withdrew,dragging some of their wounded with them, and thus gave us time to getour men up the cliff. In a few minutes all were there, and we advanceddown the passage, which presently opened into a rocky gulley withshelving sides. This gulley had a water-way at the bottom of it; it wasabout a hundred yards long, and the slopes on either side were toppedby precipitous cliffs. I looked at these slopes; they literally swarmedwith baboons, grunting, barking, screaming, and beating their breastswith their long arms, in fury. I looked up the water-way; along it,accompanied by a mob, or, as it were, a guard of baboons, ran Hendrika,her long hair flying, madness written on her face, and in her arms wasthe senseless form of little Tota.

  She saw us, and a foam of rage burst from her lips. She screamed aloud.To me the sound was a mere inarticulate cry, but the baboons clearlyunderstood it, for they began to roll rocks down on to us. One boulderleaped past me and struck down a Kaffir behind; another fell from theroof of the arch on to a man's head and killed him. Indaba-zimbi liftedhis gun to shoot Hendrika; I knocked it up, so that the shot went overher, crying that he would kill the child. Then I shouted to the mento open out and form a line from side to side of the shelving gulley.Furious at the loss of their two comrades, they obeyed me, and keepingin the water-way myself, together with Indaba-zimbi and the other guns,I gave the word to charge.

  Then the real battle began. It is difficult to say who fought the mostfiercely, the natives or the baboons. The Kaffirs charged along theslopes, and as they came, encouraged by the screams of Hendrika, whorushed to and fro holding the wretched Tota before her as a shield, theapes bounded at them in fury. Scores were killed by the assegais, andmany more fell beneath our gun-shots; but still they came on. Nor didwe go scathless. Occasionally a man would slip, or be pulled over in thegrip of a baboon. Then the others would fling themselves upon him likedogs on a rat, and worry him to death. We lost five men in this way, andI myself received a bite through the fleshy part of the left arm, butfortunately a native near me assegaied the animal before I was pulleddown.

  At length, and all of a sudden, the baboons gave up. A panic seemed toseize them. Notwithstanding the cries of Hendrika they thought no moreof fight, but only of escape; some even did not attempt to get away fromthe assegais of the Kaffirs, they simply hid their horrible faces intheir paws, and, moaning piteously, waited to be slain.

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p; Hendrika saw that the battle was lost. Dropping the child from her arms,she rushed straight at us, a very picture of horrible insanity. I liftedmy gun, but could not bear to shoot. After all she was but a mad thing,half ape, half woman. So I sprang to one side, and she landed full onIndaba-zimbi, knocking him down. But she did not stay to do any more.Wailing terribly, she rushed down the gulley and through the arch,followed by a few of the surviving baboons, and vanished from our sight.