'Tween Snow and Fire: A Tale of the Last Kafir War

  CHAPTER FORTY ONE.

  XALASA'S REVELATION.

  "You ought to consider yourself uncommonly fortunate, Milne," saidHoste, as the two men drew near Anta's Kloof. "You are the only one ofthe lot of us not burnt out."

  "That's a good deal thanks to Josane," replied Eustace, as the housecame into sight. "He thought he could manage to save it. I didn't.But he was right."

  "Ha-ha! I believe the old scamp has been enjoying himself all this timewith the rebels. I dare say he has been helping to do the faggottrick."

  "Quite likely."

  Hoste eyed his companion with a curious glance. The latter had beenrather laconic during their ride; otherwise he seemed to show no verygreat interest one way or another in the object of it. Yet there wasreason for believing that if Xalasa's tale should prove true it wouldmake every difference to the whole of Eustace Milne's future life.

  The sun was just setting as they reached Anta's Kloof. The Kafir hadstipulated that they should meet him at night. He did not want to incurpotential pains and penalties at the hands of his compatriots as an"informer" if he could possibly help it. The house, as Hoste had said,was the only one in the whole neighbourhood which had escaped the torch,but that was all that could be said, for it was completely gutted.Everything portable had been carried off, if likely to prove of any useto the marauders, what was not likely so to prove being smashed orotherwise destroyed. Windows were broken and doors hung loose on theirhinges; in fact, the place was a perfect wreck. Still it was somethingthat the fabric would not need rebuilding.

  Hardly had they off-saddled their horses, and, knee-haltering themclose, turned them out to graze around the house, than the night fell.

  "Xalasa should be here by now," remarked Hoste, rather anxiously."Unless he has thought better of it. I always expected we should learnsomething more about poor Tom when the war was over. Kafirs will talk.Not that I ever expected to hear that he was alive, poor chap--if he is,that's to say. But what had been the actual method of his death: thatwas bound to leak out sooner or later."

  Eustace made no reply. The remark irritated him, if only that hiscompanion had made it, in one form or another, at least half a dozentimes already. Then the sound of a light footstep was heard, and atall, dark figure stood before them in the gloom, with a mutteredsalutation.

  "Greeting, Xalasa!" said Eustace, handing the new arrival a large pieceof Boer tobacco. "We will smoke while we talk. The taste of thefragrant plant is to conversation even as the oil unto the axles of aheavily laden waggon."

  The Kafir promptly filled his pipe. The two white men did likewise.

  "Have you been in the war, Xalasa?" went on Eustace, when the pipes werein full blast. "You need not be afraid of saying anything to us. Weare not Government people."

  "_Au_!" said the Gaika, with a quizzical grin upon his massivecountenance. "I am a `loyal,' Ixeshane."

  "The chiefs of the Ama Ngqika, Sandili and the rest of them, have actedlike children," replied Eustace, with apparent irrelevance. "They haveallowed themselves to be dragged into war at the `word' of Kreli, andagainst the advice of their real friends, and where are they now? Inprison, with a lot of thieves and common criminals, threatened with thedeath of a dog!"

  The Kafir uttered an emphatic murmur of assent. Hoste, who wasexcusably wondering what the deuce the recent bad behaviour, andeventual fate of Sandili and Co., had to do with that of Tom Carhayes,could hardly restrain his impatience. But Eustace knew what he wasabout. The Briton may, as he delights to boast, prefer plain andstraightforward talking in matters of importance--or he may not. Thesavage, of whatever race or clime, unequivocally does not. He dearlyloves what we should call beating around the bush. However importantthe subject under discussion, it must be led up to. To dash straight atthe point is not his way. So after some further talk on the prospectsand politics of the Gaika nation, and of the Amaxosa race in general--past, present, and to come--Eustace went on:

  "You were not always a `loyal,' Xalasa?"

  "_Whau_!" cried the man, bringing his hand to his mouth, in expressivenative fashion. "When the fire trumpet first sounded in the midnightsky, I answered its call. While the chiefs of the Ama Ngqika yet satstill, many of their children went forth to war at the `word' of theParamount Chief. Many of us crossed into the Gcaleka country and foughtat the side of our brethren. Many of us did not return. _Hau_!"

  "Then you became a `loyal'?"

  "_Ihuvumente_ [The Government] was very strong. We could not standagainst it. Ha! _Amasoja_--_Amapolisi_--_bonke_. [Soldiers--police--all] I thought of all the men who had crossed the Kei with me. Ithought of the few who had returned. Then I thought, `Art thou a fool,Xalasa? Is thy father's son an ox that he should give himself to beslain to make strength for Sarili's fighting men?' _Hau_! I came homeagain and resolved to `sit still.'"

  "But your eyes and ears were open among the Ama-Gcaleka. They saw--theyheard of my brother, Umlilwane?"

  "Thy brother, Umlilwane, was alive at the time the white _Amagcagca_[Rabble] knocked me down and kicked me. He is alive still."

  "How do you know he is alive still?" said Eustace, mastering his voicewith an effort, for his pulses were beating like a hammer as he hungupon the other's reply. It came--cool, impassive, confident:

  "The people talk."

  "Where is he, Xalasa?"

  "Listen, Ixeshane," said the Kafir, glancing around and sinking hisvoice to an awed whisper. "Where is he! _Au! Kwa 'Zinyoka_."

  "_Kwa 'Zinyoka_! `The Home of the Serpents!'" Well he remembered thejeering, but ominous, words of the hideous witch-doctress at the timehis unfortunate cousin was being dragged away insensible under thedirections of his implacable foe, Hlangani. "_He will wake. But hewill never be seen again_." And now this man's testimony seemed to bearout her words.

  "What is this `Home of the Serpents,' Xalasa?" he said.

  "_Au_!" returned the Kafir, after a thoughtful pause, and speaking in alow and apprehensive tone as a timid person in a haunted room might talkof ghosts. "It is a fearsome place. None who go there ever return--none--no, not one," he added, shaking his head. "But they say yourmagic is great, Ixeshane. It may be that you will find your brotheralive. The war is nearly over now, but the war leaves every man poor.I have lost all I possessed. When you find your brother you willperhaps think Xalasa is a poor man, and I have too many cattle in mykraal. I will send four or five cows to the man who told me my brotherwas alive."

  In his heart of hearts Eustace thought how willingly he would send him ahundred for precisely the opposite intelligence.

  "Where is `The Home of the Serpents'?" he said.

  "Where? Who knows? None save Ngcenika, who talks with the spirits.None save Hlangani, who rejoices in his revenge as he sees his enemythere, even the man who struck him, and drew the blood of the GreatChief's herald. Who knows? Not I. Those who go there never return,"he added impressively, conveying the idea that in his particularinstance "ignorance is bliss."

  Eustace's first instinct was one of relief. If no one knew where theplace was, clearly no one could tell. Then it struck him that thisrather tended to complicate matters than to simplify them. There hadbeen quite enough insinuated as to himself, and though guiltless as tohis cousin's fate, yet once it got wind that the unfortunate man wasprobably alive somewhere, it would devolve upon himself to leave nostone unturned until that probability should become a certainty. Publicopinion would demand that much, and he knew the world far too well tomake the blunder of treating public opinion, in a matter of this kind,as a negligeable quantity.

  "But if you don't know where the place is, Xalasa, how am I to find it?"he said at length. "I would give much to the man who would guide me toit. Think! Is there no man you know of who could do so?"

  But the Kafir shook his head. "There is none!" he said. "None saveNgcenika. _Whau_, Ixeshane! Is not thy magic as powerful as hers?Will it not aid thee to find it? Now I must go. Where the `Home
of theSerpents' is, thy brother is there. That is all I can tell thee."

  He spoke hurriedly now and in an altered tone--even as a man who hassaid too much and is not free from misgiving as to the consequences. Heseemed anxious to depart, and seeing that nothing more was to be got outof him for the present, the two made no objection.

  Hardly had he departed than Josane appeared. He had noted the arrivalof Xalasa, though Xalasa was under the impression that he was many milesdistant. He had waited until the _amakosi_ [Literally "chiefs." Inthis connection "masters"] had finished their _indaba_ [Talk] and herehe was. He was filled with delight at the sight of Ixeshane and hiseyes felt good. His "father" and his "friend" had been away for manymoons, but now he was back again and the night was lighter than the day.His "father" could see, too, how he had kept his trust, the old manwent on. Where were the houses of all the other white _amakosi_! Heapsof ashes. The house of his "father" alone was standing--it alone thetorch had passed by. As for the destruction which had taken placewithin it, that could not be prevented. The people "saw red." It hadtaxed the utmost effort of himself and Ncanduku to preserve the house.Reft of hyperbole, his narrative was plain enough. A marauding band hadmade a descent upon the place on the very night they had quitted it,and, although with difficulty dissuaded from burning it down, thesavages had wrecked the furniture and looted the stores, as we haveshown. This, however, was comparatively a small evil.

  Hoste, wearied with all this talk, which moreover he understood butimperfectly, had waxed restive and strolled away. No sooner was he outof earshot than Josane, sinking his voice, remarked suddenly:

  "Xalasa is a fool!"

  Eustace merely assented. He saw that something was coming, and preparedto listen attentively.

  "Do you want to find Umlilwane?" went on the old Kafir with ever soslight an expression on the "want."

  "Of course I do," was the unhesitating reply. But for the space of halfa minute the white man and the savage gazed fixedly into each other'sfaces in the starlight.

  "_Au_! If I had known that!" muttered Josane in a disappointed tone."If I had known that, I could have told you all that Xalasa has--_couldhave told you many moons ago_."

  "You knew it, then?"

  "Yes."

  "And is it true--that--that he is alive now?"

  "Yes."

  "But, Josane, how is it you kept your knowledge to yourself? He mighthave been rescued all this time. Now it may be too late."

  "_Whau_, Ixeshane! Did _you_ want him rescued?" said the old fellowshrewdly. "Did the _Inkosikazi_ want him rescued?"

  This was putting matters with uncomfortable plainness. Eustace reddenedin the darkness.

  "Whatever we `wanted,' or did not want, is nothing," he answered. "Thisis a matter of life and death. He must be rescued."

  "As you will," was the reply in a tone which implied that in thespeaker's opinion the white man was a lunatic. And from his point ofview such was really the case. The old savage was, in fact, followingout a thoroughly virtuous line of conduct according to his lights. Allthis while, in order to benefit the man he liked, he had coolly anddeliberately been sacrificing the man he--well, did not like.

  "Where is `The Home of the Serpents,' Josane? Do you know?"

  "Yes. I know?"

  Eustace started.

  "Can you guide me to it?" he said, speaking quickly.

  "I can. But it is a frightful place. The bravest white man would taketo his heels and run like a hunted buck before he had gone far inside.You have extraordinary nerve, Ixeshane--but--You will see."

  This sounded promising. But the old man's tone was quiet and confident.He was not given to vapouring.

  "How do you know where to find this place, Josane?" said Eustace, halfincredulously in spite of himself. "Xalasa told us it was unknown toeverybody--everybody but the witch-doctress?"

  "Xalasa was right. I know where it is, because I have seen it. _I wascondemned to it_."

  "By Ngcenika?"

  "By Ngcenika. But my revenge is coming--my sure revenge is coming,"muttered the old Gcaleka, crooning the words in a kind of ferociousrefrain--like that of a war-song.

  As this juncture they were rejoined by Hoste.

  "Well, Milne," he said. "Had enough _indaba_? Because, if so, we mayas well trek home again. Seems to me we've had a lot of trouble fornothing and been made mortal fools of down to the ground by that_schelm_, Xalasa's, cock-and-bull yarns."

  "You're wrong this time," replied Eustace. "Just listen here a whileand you'll see that we're thoroughly on the right scent."

  At the end of half an hour the Kafir and the two white men arose. Theirplans were laid. The following evening--at sundown--was the time fixedon as that for starting upon their perilous and somewhat dimlymysterious mission.

  "You are sure three of us will be enough, Josane?" said Hoste.

  "Quite enough. There are still bands of the Gcaleka fighting men in theforest country. If we go in a strong party they will discover us and weshall have to fight--_Au_! `A fight is as the air we breathe,' you willsay, _Amakosi_," parenthesised the old Kafir, whimsically--"But it willnot help us to find `The Home of the Serpents.' Still, there would beno harm in having one more in the party."

  "Who can we get?" mused Hoste. "There's George Payne; but he's awaydown in the Colony--Grahamstown, I believe. It would take him days toget here and even then he might cry off. I have it; Shelton's the man,and I think he'll go, too. Depend upon it, Milne, Shelton's the veryman. He's on his farm now--living in a Kafir hut, seeing after therebuilding of his old house. We'll look him up this very night; we canget there in a couple of hours."

  This was agreed to, and having arranged where Josane was to meet themthe following evening, the two men saddled up and rode off into thedarkness.