child of storm-第25章

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to　Saduko；　being　among　the　dead。　　Although　wounded；　he　died　fighting　to
the　last；　then　fell　down；　shouting　to　me：

〃Chief；　have　I　done　well？〃　and　expired。

I　was　breathless　and　spent；　but　as　in　a　dream　I　saw　some　Amangwane　drag
up　a　gaunt　old　savage；　crying：

〃Here　is　Bangu；　Bangu　the　Butcher；　whom　we　have　caught　alive。〃

Saduko　stepped　up　to　him。

〃Ah！　Bangu；〃　be　said；　〃now　say；　why　should　I　not　kill　you　as　you　would
have　killed　the　little　lad　Saduko　long　ago；　had　not　Zikali　saved　him？　
See；　here　is　the　mark　of　your　spear。〃

〃Kill；〃　said　Bangu。　　〃Your　Spirit　is　stronger　than　mine。　　Did　not　Zikali
foretell　it？　　Kill；　Saduko。〃

〃Nay；〃　answered　Saduko。　　〃If　you　are　weary　I　am　weary；　too；　and　wounded
as　well。　　Take　a　spear；　Bangu；　and　we　will　fight。〃

So　they　fought　there　in　the　moonlight；　man　to　man；　fought　fiercely　while
all　watched；　till　presently　I　saw　Bangu　throw　his　arms　wide　and　fall
backwards。


Saduko　was　avenged。　　I　have　always　been　glad　that　he　slew　his　enemy
thus；　and　not　as　it　might　have　been　expected　that　he　would　do。



CHAPTER　VII




SADUKO　BRINGS　THE　MARRIAGE　GIFT





We　reached　my　wagons　in　the　early　morning　of　the　following　day；　bringing
with　us　the　cattle　and　our　wounded。　　Thus　encumbered　it　was　a　most
toilsome　march；　and　an　anxious　one　also；　for　it　was　always　possible　that
the　remnant　of　the　Amakoba　might　attempt　pursuit。　　This；　however；　they
did　not　do；　for　very　many　of　them　were　dead　or　wounded；　and　those　who
remained　had　no　heart　left　in　them。　　They　went　back　to　their　mountain
home　and　lived　there　in　shame　and　wretchedness；　for　I　do　not　believe
there　were　fifty　head　of　cattle　left　among　the　tribe；　and　Kafirs　without
cattle　are　nothing。　　Still；　they　did　not　starve；　since　there　were　plenty
of　women　to　work　the　fields；　and　we　had　not　touched　their　corn。　　The　end
of　them　was　that　Panda　gave　them　to　their　conqueror；　Saduko；　and　he
incorporated　them　with　the　Amangwane。　　But　that　did　not　happen　until
some　time　afterwards。

When　we　had　rested　a　while　at　the　wagons　the　captured　beasts　were
mustered；　and　on　being　counted　were　found　to　number　a　little　over　twelve
hundred　head；　not　reckoning　animals　that　had　been　badly　hurt　in　the
flight；　which　we　killed　for　beef。　　It　was　a　noble　prize；　truly；　and；
notwithstanding　the　wound　in　his　thigh；　which　hurt　him　a　good　deal　now
that　it　had　stiffened；　Saduko　stood　up　and　surveyed　them　with　glistening
eyes。　　No　wonder；　for　he　who　had　been　so　poor　was　now　rich；　and　would
remain　so　even　after　he　had　paid　over　whatever　number　of　cows　Umbezi
chose　to　demand　as　the　price　of　Mameena's　hand。　　Moreover；　he　was　sure；
and　I　shared　his　confidence；　that　in　these　changed　circumstances　both
that　young　woman　and　her　father　would　look　upon　his　suit　with　very
favourable　eyes。　　He　had；　so　to　speak；　succeeded　to　the　title　and　the
family　estates　by　means　of　a　lawsuit　brought　in　the　〃Court　of　the
Assegai；〃　and　therefore　there　was　hardly　a　father　in　Zululand　who　would
shut　his　kraal　gate　upon　him。　　We　forgot；　both　of　us；　the　proverb　that
points　out　how　numerous　are　the　slips　between　the　cup　and　the　lip；
which；　by　the　way；　is　one　that　has　its　Zulu　equivalents。　　One　of　them；
if　I　remember　right　at　the　moment；　is：　〃However　loud　the　hen　cackles；
the　housewife　does　not　always　get　the　egg。〃

As　it　chanced；　although　Saduko's　hen　was　cackling　very　loudly　just　at
this　time；　he　was　not　destined　to　find　the　coveted　egg。　　But　of　that
matter　I　will　speak　in　its　place。

I；　too；　looked　at　those　cattle；　wondering　whether　Saduko　would　remember
our　bargain；　under　which　some　six　hundred　head　of　them　belonged　to　me。　
Six　hundred　head！　　Why；　putting　them　at　#5　apiece　all　roundand　as　oxen
were　very　scarce　just　at　that　time；　they　were　worth　quite　as　much；　if
not　morethat　meant　#3；000；　a　larger　sum　of　money　than　I　had　ever　owned
at　one　time　in　all　my　life。　　Truly　the　paths　of　violence　were
profitable！　　But　would　he　remember？　　On　the　whole　I　thought　probably
not；　since　Kafirs　are　not　fond　of　parting　with　cattle。

Well；　I　did　him　an　injustice；　for　presently　he　turned　and　said；　with
something　of　an　effort：

〃Macumazahn；　half　of　all　these　belong　to　you；　and　truly　you　have　earned
them；　for　it　was　your　cunning　and　good　counsel　that　gained　us　the
victory。　　Now　we　will　choose　them　beast　by　beast。〃

So　I　chose　a　fine　ox；　then　Saduko　chose　one；　and　so　it　went　on　till　I
had　eight　of　my　number　driven　out。　　As　the　eighth　was　taken　I　turned　to
Saduko　and　said：

〃There；　that　will　do。　　These　oxen　I　must　have　to　replace　those　in　my
teams　which　died　on　the　trek；　but　I　want　no　more。〃

〃Wow！〃　said　Saduko；　and　all　those　who　stood　with　him；　while　one　of　them
addedI　think　it　was　old　Tshoza：

〃He　refuses　six　hundred　cattle　which　are　fairly　his！　　He　must　be　mad！〃

〃No　friends；〃　I　answered；　〃I　am　not　mad；　but　neither　am　I　bad。　　I
accompanied　Saduko　on　this　raid　because　he　is　dear　to　me　and　stood　by　me
once　in　the　hour　of　danger。　　But　I　do　not　love　killing　men　with　whom　I
have　no　quarrel；　and　I　will　not　take　the　price　of　blood。〃

〃Wow！〃　said　old　Tshoza　again；　for　Saduko　seemed　too　astonished　to　speak；
〃he　is　a　spirit；　not　a　man。　　He　is　_holy！_〃

〃Not　a　bit　of　it；〃　I　answered。　　〃If　you　think　that；　ask　Mameena〃a　dark
saying　which　they　did　not　understand。　　〃Now；　listen。　　I　will　not　take
those　cattle　because　I　do　not　think　as　you　Kafirs　think。　　But　as　they
are　mine；　according　to　your　law；　I　am　going　to　dispose　of　them。　　I　give
ten　head　to　each　of　my　hunters；　and　fifteen　head　to　the　relations　of　him
who　was　killed。　　The　rest　I　give　to　Tshoza　and　to　the　other　men　of　the
Amangwane　who　fought　with　us；　to　be　divided　among　them　in　such
proportions　as　they　may　agree；　I　being　the　judge　in　the　event　of　any
quarrel　arising。〃

Now　these　men　raised　a　great　cry　of　〃Inkoosi！〃　and；　running　up；　old
Tshoza　seized　my　hand　and　kissed　it。

〃Your　heart　is　big；〃　he　cried；　〃you　drop　fatness！　　Although　you　are　so
small；　the　spirit　of　a　king　lives　in　you；　and　the　wisdom　of　the
heavens。〃

Thus　he　praised　me；　while　all　the　others　joined　in；　till　the　din　was
awful。　　Saduko　thanked　me　also　in　his　magnificent　manner。　　Yet　I　do　not
think　that　he　was　altogether　pleased；　although　my　great　gift　relieved
him　from　the　necessity　of　sharing　up　the　spoil　with　his　companions。　　The
truth　was；　or　so　I　believe；　that　he　understood　that　henceforth　the
Amangwane　would　love　me　better　than　they　loved　him。　　This；　indeed；
proved　to　be　the　case；　for　I　am　sure　that　there　was　no　man　among　all
those　wild　fellows　who　would　not　have　served　me　to　the　death；　and　to
this　day　my　name　is　a　power　among　them　and　their　descendants。　　Also　it
has　grown　into　something　of　a　proverb　among　all　those　Kafirs　who　know
the　story。　　They　talk　of　any　great　act　of　liberality　in　an　idiom　as　〃a
gift　of　Macumazana；〃　and　in　the　same　way　of　one　who　makes　any　remarkable
renunciation；　as　〃a　wearer　of　Macumazana's　blanket；〃　or　as　〃he　who　has
stolen　Macumazana's　shadow。〃

Thus　did　I　earn　a　great　reputation　very　cheaply；　for　really　I　could　not
have　taken　those　cattle；　also　I　am　sure　that　had　I　done　so　they　would
have　brought　me　bad　luck。　　Indeed；　one　of　the　regrets　of　my　life　is　that
I　had　anything　whatsoever　to　do　with　the　business。


Our　journey　back　to　Umbezi's　kraalfor　thither　we　were　headingwas
very　slow；　hampered　as　we　were　with　wounded　and　by　a　vast　herd　of
cattle。　　Of　the　latter；　indeed；　we　got　rid　after　a　while；　for；　except
those　which　I　had　given　to　my　men；　and　a　hundred　or　so　of　the　best
beasts　that　Saduko　took　with　him　for　a　certain　purpose；　they　were　sent
away　to　a　place　which　he　had　chosen；　in　charge　of　about　half　of　his
people；　under　the　command　of　his　uncle；　Tshoza；　there　to　await　his
coming。

Over　a　month　had　gone　by　since　the　night　of　the　ambush　when　at　last　we
outspanned　quite　close　to　Umbezi's；　in　that　bush　where　first　I　had　met
the　Amangwane　free…spears。　　A　very　different　set　of　men　they　looked　on
this　triumphant　day　to　those　fierce　fellows　who　had　slipped　out　of　the
trees　at　the　call　of　their　chief。　　As　we　went　through　the　country　Saduko
had　bought　fine　moochas　and　blankets　for　them；　also　head…dresses　had
been　made　with　the　long　black　feathers　of　the　sakabuli