SWALLOW

A TALE OF THE GREAT TREK

BY

H. RIDER HAGGARD

Ditchingham, 20th May, 1898. 

My dear Clarke, Over twenty years have passed since we found some unique opportunitiesof observing Boer and Kaffir character in company; therefore it is notperhaps out of place that I should ask you to allow me to put your nameupon a book which deals more or less with the peculiarities of thoseraces--a tale of the great Trek of 1836. 

You, as I know, entertain both for Dutchman and Bantu that regardtempered by a sense of respectful superiority which we are apt to feelfor those who on sundry occasions have but just failed in bringing ourearthly career to an end. The latter of these admirations I share to thefull; and in the case of the first of them, as I hope that the dour butnot unkindly character of Vrouw Botmar will prove to you, time softensa man's judgment. Nor have I ever questioned, as the worthy Vrouw tellsus, that in the beginning of the trouble the Boers met with muchof which to complain at the hands of English Governments. Theirmaltreatment was not intentional indeed, but rather a result ofsystematic neglect--to use a mild word--of colonies and theirinhabitants, which has culminated within our own experience, only, thanks to a merciful change in public opinion, to pass away for ever. Sympathy with the Voortrekkers of 1836 is easy; whether it remains so inthe case of their descendants, the present masters of the Transvaal, isa matter that admits of many opinions. At the least, allowance shouldalways be made for the susceptibilities of a race that finds itsindividuality and national life sinking slowly, but without hope ofresurrection, beneath an invading flood of Anglo-Saxons. 

But these are issues of to-day with which this story has little to do. 

Without further explanation, then, I hope that you will accept thesepages in memory of past time and friendship, and more especially of theprovidential events connected with a night-long ride which once we tookon duty together among the "schanzes" and across the moon-lit paths ofSecocoeni's mountain. 

Believe me, my dear Clarke, Your sincere friend, H. Rider Haggard. 

To Lieut. -Colonel Sir Marshal Clarke, R. A. , K. C. M. G. 

SWALLOW

CHAPTER I

WHY VROUW BOTMAR TELLS HER TALE

It is a strange thing that I, an old Boer _vrouw_, should even thinkof beginning to write a book when there are such numbers already inthe world, most of them worthless, and many of the rest a scandal andoffence in the face of the Lord. Notably is this so in the case of thosecalled novels, which are stiff as mealie-pap with lies that fill theheads of silly girls with vain imaginings, causing them to neglect theirhousehold duties and to look out of the corners of their eyes at youngmen of whom their elders do not approve. In truth, my mother and thosewhom I knew in my youth, fifty years ago, when women were good andworthy and never had a thought beyond their husbands and their children, would laugh aloud could any whisper in their dead ears that SuzanneNaudé was about to write a book. Well might they laugh indeed, seeingthat to this hour the most that I can do with men and ink is to signmy own name very large; in this matter alone, not being the equal of myhusband Jan, who, before he became paralysed, had so much learningthat he could read aloud from the Bible, leaving out the names and longwords. 

No, no, _I_ am not going to write; it is my great-granddaughter, who isnamed Suzanne after me, who writes. And who that had not seen her at thework could even guess how she does it? I tell you that she has broughtup from Durban a machine about the size of a pumpkin which goestap-tap--like a woodpecker, and prints as it taps. Now, my husband Janwas always very fond of music in his youth, and when first the girlbegan to tap upon this strange instrument, he, being almost blind andnot able to see it, thought that she was playing on a spinet suchas stood in my grandfather's house away in the Old Colony. The noisepleases him and sends him to sleep, reminding him of the days whenhe courted me and I used to strum upon that spinet with one finger. Therefore I am dictating this history that he may have plenty of it, andthat Suzanne may be kept out of mischief. 

There, that is my joke. Still there is truth in it, for Jan Botmar, myhusband, he who was the strongest man among the fathers of the greattrek of 1836, when, like the Israelites of old, we escaped from theEnglish, our masters, into the wilderness, crouches in the corner yondera crippled giant with but one sense left to him, his hearing, and alittle power of wandering speech. It is strange to look at him, hiswhite hair hanging upon his shoulders, his eyes glazed, his chin sunkupon his breast, his great hands knotted and helpless, and to rememberthat at the battle of Vechtkop, when Moselikatse sent his regiments tocrush us, I saw those same hands of his seize the only two Zulus whobroke a way into our laager and shake and dash them together till theywere dead. 

Well, well, who am I that I should talk? For has not the dropsy got holdof my legs, and did not that doctor, who, though an Englishman, is nofool, tell me but yesterday that it was creeping up towards my heart?We are old and soon must die, for such is the will of God. Let us thenthank God that it is our lot to pass thus easily and in age, and notto have perished in our youth, as did so many of our companions, theVoortrekkers, they and their children together, by the spear of thesavage, or by starvation and fever and wild beasts in the wilderness. Ah! I think of them often, and in my sleep, which has grown light oflate, I see them often, and hear those voices that none but I would knowto-day. I think of them and I see them, and since Suzanne has the skillto set down my words, a desire comes upon me to tell of them andtheir deeds before God takes me by the hand and I am borne through thedarkness by the wings of God. 

Also there is another reason. The girl, Suzanne Kenzie, mygreat-granddaughter, who writes this, alone is left of my blood, sinceher father and grandfather, who was our adopted son, and the husband ofour only child, fell in the Zulu war fighting with the English againstCetywayo. Now many have heard the strange story of Ralph Kenzie, theEnglish castaway, and of how he was found by our daughter Suzanne. Manyhave heard also the still stranger story of how this child of ours, Suzanne, in her need, was sheltered by savages, and for more than twoyears lived with Sihamba, the little witch doctoress and ruler of theTribe of the Mountains, till Ralph, her husband, who loved her, soughther out and rescued her, that by the mercy of the Lord during all thistime had suffered neither harm nor violence. Yes, many have heard ofthese things, for in bygone years there was much talk of them as ofevents out of nature and marvellous, but few have heard them right. Therefore before I go, I, who remember and know them all, would set themdown that they may be a record for ever among my descendants and thedescendants of Ralph Kenzie, my foster-son, who, having been brought upamongst us Boers, was the best and bravest Englishman that ever lived inAfrica. 

And now I will tell of the finding of Ralph Kenzie many years ago. 

To begin at the beginning, my husband, Jan Botmar, is one of thewell-known Boer family of that name, the most of whom lived in theGraafreinet district in the Old Colony till some of them trekked intothe Transkei, when I was still a young girl, to be as far as they couldfrom the heart of the British power. Nor did they trek for a littlereason. Listen and judge. 

One of the Bezuidenhouts, Frederick, was accused of treating someblack slave of his cruelly, and a body of the accursed _Pandours_, the Hottentots whom the English had made into a regiment, were sent toarrest him. He would not suffer that these black creatures should layhands upon a Boer, so he fled to a cave and fought there till he wasshot dead. Over his open grave his brethren and friends swore to takevengeance for his murder, and fifty of them raised an insurrection. Theywere pursued by the _Pandours_ and by burghers more law abiding or morecautious, till Jan Bezuidenhout, the brother of Frederick, was shotalso, fighting to the last while his wife and little son loaded therifles. Then the rest were captured and put upon their trial, and to therage and horror of all their countrymen the brutal British governor ofthat day, who was named Somerset, ordered five of them to be hanged, among them my husband's father and uncle. Petitions for mercy availednothing, and these five were tied to a beam like Kaffir dogs yonder atSlagter's Nek, they who had shed the blood of no man. Yes, yes, it istrue, for Jan, my man, saw it; he saw his father and his uncle hangedlike dogs. When they pushed them from the beam four of the ropesbroke--perhaps they had been tampered with, I know not--but still thedevils who murdered them would show no mercy. Jan ran to his father andcast his arms about him, but they tore him away. 

"Do not forget, my son, " he gasped as he lay there on the ground withthe broken rope about his neck, nor did Jan ever forget. 

It was after this that the Botmars trekked into the Transkei, and withthem some other families, amongst whom were the Naudes, my parents. Herein the Transkei the widow Botmar and my father were near neighbours, their steads being at a distance from each other of about three hoursupon horseback, or something over twenty miles. In those days, I may sayit without shame now, I was the prettiest girl in the Transkei, a greatdeal prettier than my granddaughter Suzanne there, although some thinkwell of her looks, but not so well as she thinks of them herself, forthat would be impossible. I have been told that I have noble Frenchblood in my veins, though I care little for this, being quite content tobe one of the Boers, who are all of noble blood. At least I believethat my great-grandfather was a French Huguenot Count who fled from hiscountry to escape massacre because of his religion. From him and hiswife Suzanne, so it is said, we women of the Naudes get our beauty, forwe have always been beautiful; but the loveliest of the race by far wasmy daughter Suzanne who married the Englishman, Ralph Kenzie, from whichtime our good looks have begun to fall off, though it is true that hewas no ill-favoured man. 

Whatever the cause, in my youth, I was not like the other Boer girls, who for the most part are stout, heavy, and slow of speech, even beforethey are married, nor did I need to wear a _kapje_ to keep a pink andwhite face from burning in the sun. I was not tall, but my figure wasrounded and my movements were as quick as my tongue. Also I had brownhair that curled and brown eyes beneath it, and full red lips, which allthe young men of that district--and there were six of them who can becounted--would have given their best horse to kiss, with the saddle andbridle thrown in. But remember this, Suzanne, I never suffered them todo so, for in my time girls knew better what was right. 

Well, among all these suitors I favoured Jan Botmar, the old cripple whosits yonder, though in those days he was no cripple but the properestman a girl could wish to see. My father was against such a match, forhe had the old French pride of race in him, and thought little of theBotmar family, as though we were not all the children of one God--exceptthe black Kaffirs, who are the children of the devil. But in the end hegave way, for Jan was well-to-do; so after we had "opsitted" togetherseveral times according to our customs, and burnt many very longcandles, [*] we were married and went to live on a farm of our own at adistance. For my part I have never regretted it, although doubtless Imight have done much better for myself; and if Jan did, he has been wiseenough not to say so to me. In this country most of us women must choosea man to look after--it is a burden that Heaven lays upon us--so onemay as well choose him one fancies, and Jan was my fancy, though why heshould have been I am sure I do not know. Well, if he had any wits lefthe would speak up and tell what a blessing I have been to him, and howoften my good sense has supplied the lack of his, and how I forgave him, yes, and helped him out of the scrape when he made a fool of himselfwith--but I will not write of that, for it makes me angry, and as likelyas not I should throw something at him before I had finished, which hewould not understand. 

 [*] It is customary among the Boers for the suitor to sit up alone at night with the object of his choice. Should the lady favour him, she lights long candles, but if he does not please her she produces "ends, " signifying thereby that she prefers his room to his company. --Author. 

No, no; I do not regret it, and, what is more, when my man dies I shallnot be long behind him. Ah! they may talk, all these wise young people;but, after all, what is there better for a woman than to love some man, the good and the bad of him together, to bear his children and to sharehis sorrows, and to try to make him a little better and a little lessselfish and unfortunate than he would have been alone? Poor men! Withoutus women their lot would be hard indeed, and how they will get on inheaven, where they are not allowed to marry, is more than I can guess. 

So we married, and within a year our daughter was born and christened bythe family name of Suzanne after me, though almost from her cradlethe Kaffirs called her "Swallow, " I am not sure why. She was a verybeautiful child from the first, and she was the only one, for I was illat her birth and never had any more children. The other women with theircoveys of eight and ten and twelve used to condole with me about this, and get a sharp answer for their pains. I had one which always shuttheir mouths, but I won't ask the girl here to set it down. An onlydaughter was enough for me, I said, and if it wasn't I shouldn't havetold them so, for the truth is that it is best to take these things aswe find them, and whether it be one or ten, to declare that that is justas we would wish it. I know that when we were on the great trek and Isaw the _kinderchies_ of others dying of starvation, or massacred indozens by the Kaffir devils, ah! then I was glad that we had no morechildren. Heartaches enough my ewe lamb Suzanne gave me during thosebitter years when she was lost. And when she died, having lived out herlife just before her husband, Ralph Kenzie, went on commando with hisson to the Zulu war, whither her death drove him, ah! then it ached forthe last time. When next my heart aches it shall be with joy to findthem both in Heaven. 

CHAPTER II

HOW SUZANNE FOUND RALPH KENZIE

Our farm where we lived in the Transkei was not very far from the ocean;indeed, any one seated in the _kopje_ or little hill at the back of thehouse, from the very top of which bubbles a spring of fresh water, cansee the great rollers striking the straight cliffs of the shore andspouting into the air in clouds of white foam. Even in warm weather theyspout thus, but when the south-easterly gales blow then the sight andthe sound of them are terrible as they rush in from the black waterone after another for days and nights together. Then the cliffs shiverbeneath their blows, and the spray flies up as though it were drivenfrom the nostrils of a thousand whales, and is swept inland in clouds, turning the grass and the leaves of the trees black in its breath. Woeto the ship that is caught in those breakers and ground against thoserocks, for soon nothing is left of it save scattered timbers shivered asthough by lightning. 

One winter--it was when Suzanne was seven years old--such a south-eastgale as this blew for four days, and on a certain evening after the windhad fallen, having finished my household work, I went to the top of the_kopje_ to rest and look at the sea, which was still raging terrible, taking with me Suzanne. I had been sitting there ten minutes or morewhen Jan, my husband, joined me, and I wondered why he had come, for he, as brave a man as ever lived in all other things, was greatly afraidof the sea, and, indeed, of any water. So afraid was he that he did notlike the sight of it in its anger, and would wake at nights at the soundof a storm--yes, he whom I have seen sleep through the trumpetings offrightened elephants and the shouting of a Zulu impi. 

"You think that sight fine, wife, " he said, pointing to the spoutingfoam; "but I call it the ugliest in the world. Almighty! it turns myblood cold to look at it and to think that Christian men, ay, and womenand children too, may be pounding to pulp in those breakers. "

"Without doubt the death is as good as another, " I answered; "not that Iwould choose it, for I wish to die in my bed with the _predicant_ sayingprayers over me, and my husband weeping--or pretending to--at the footof it. "

"Choose it!" he said. "I had sooner be speared by savages or hanged bythe English Government as my father was. "

"What makes you think of death in the sea, Jan?" I asked. 

"Nothing, wife, nothing; but there is that fool of a Pondowitch-doctoress down by the cattle kraal, and I heard her telling astory as I went by to look at the ox that the snake bit yesterday. "

"What was the story?"

"Oh! a short one; she said she had it from the coast Kaffirs--that faraway, up towards the mouth of the Umzimbubu, when the moon was young, great guns had been heard fired one after the other, minute by minute, and that then a ship was seen, a tall ship with three masts and many'eyes' in it--I suppose she meant portholes with the light shiningthrough them--drifting on to the coast before the wind, for a storm wasraging, while streaks of fire like red and blue lightnings rushed upfrom her decks. "

"Well, and then?"

"And then, nothing. Almighty! that is all the tale. Those waves whichyou love to watch can tell the rest. "

"Most like it is some Kaffir lie, husband. "

"May be, but amongst these people news travels faster than a good horse, and before now there have been wrecks upon this coast. Child, put downthat gun. Do you want to shoot your mother? Have I not told you that youmust never touch a gun?" and he pointed to Suzanne, who had picked upher father's _roer_--for in those days, when we lived among so manyKaffirs, every man went armed--and was playing at soldiers with it. 

"I was shooting buck and Kaffirs, papa, " she said, obeying him with apout. 

"Shooting Kaffirs, were you? Well, there will be a good deal of that todo before all is finished in this land, little one. But it is not workfor girls; you should have been a boy, Suzanne. "

"I can't; I am a girl, " she answered; "and I haven't any brothers likeother girls. Why haven't I any brothers?"

Jan shrugged his shoulders, and looked at me. 

"Won't the sea bring me a brother?" went on the child, for she had beentold that little children came out of the sea. 

"Perhaps, if you look for one very hard, " I answered with a sigh, littleknowing what fruit would spring from this seed of a child's talk. 

On the morrow there was a great to do about the place, for the blackgirl whose business it was to look after Suzanne came in at breakfasttime and said that she had lost the child. It seemed that they had gonedown to the shore in the early morning to gather big shells such as arewashed up there after a heavy storm, and that Suzanne had taken with hera bag made of spring-buck hide in which to carry them. Well, the blackgirl sat down under the shadow of a rock, leaving Suzanne to wander toand fro looking for the shells, and not for an hour or more did she getup to find her. Then she searched in vain, for the spoor of the child'sfeet led from the sand between the rocks to the pebbly shore above, which was covered with tough sea grasses, and there was lost. Now at thegirl's story I was frightened, and Jan was both frightened and so angrythat he would have tied her up and flogged her if he had found time. Butof this there was none to lose, so taking with him such Kaffirs as hecould find he set off for the seashore to hunt for Suzanne. It was nearsunset when he returned, and I, who was watching from the _stoep_, sawwith a shiver of fear that he was alone. 

"Wife, " he said in a hollow voice, "the child is lost. We have searchedfar and wide and can find no trace of her. Make food ready to put in mysaddle-bags, for should we discover her to-night or to-morrow, she willbe starving. "

"Be comforted, " I said, "at least she will not starve, for the cook girltells me that before Suzanne set out this morning she begged of her abottle of milk and with it some biltong and meal cakes and put them inher bag. "

"It is strange, " he answered. "What could the little maid want withthese unless she was minded to make a journey?"

"At times it comes into the thoughts of children to play truant, husband. "

"Yes, yes, that is so, but pray God that we may find her before the moonsets. "

Then while I filled the saddle-bags Jan swallowed some meat, and a freshhorse having been brought he kissed me and rode away in the twilight. 

Oh! what hours were those that followed! All night long I sat thereon the _stoep_, though the wind chilled me and the dew wet my clothes, watching and praying as, I think, I never prayed before. This I knewwell--that our Suzanne, our only child, the light and joy of our home, was in danger so great that the Lord alone could save her. The countrywhere we lived was lonely, savages still roamed about it who hated thewhite man, and might steal or kill her; also it was full of leopards, hyenas, and other beasts of prey which would devour her. Worst of all, the tides on the coast were swift and treacherous, and it well mighthappen that if she was wandering among the great rocks the sea wouldcome in and drown her. Indeed, again and again it seemed to me that Icould hear her death-cry in the sob of the wind. 

At length the dawn broke, and with it came Jan. One glance at his facewas enough for me. "She is not dead?" I gasped. 

"I know not, " he answered, "we have found nothing of her. Give me brandyand another horse, for the sun rises, and I return to the search. Thetide is down, perhaps we shall discover her among the rocks, " and hegroaned and entered the house with me. 

"Kneel down and let us pray, husband, " I said, and we knelt down weepingand praying aloud to our God who, seated in the Heavens, yet sees andknows the needs and griefs of His servants upon the earth; prayed thatHe would pity our agony and give us back our only child. Nor, blessedbe his name, did we pray vainly, for presently, while we still knelt, we heard the voice of that girl who had lost Suzanne, and who all nightlong had lain sobbing in the garden grounds, calling to us in wildaccents to come forth and see. Then we rushed out, hope burning upsuddenly in our hearts like a fire in dry grass. 

In front of the house and not more than thirty paces from it, was thecrest of a little wave of land upon which at this moment the rays of therising sun struck brightly. There, yes, there, full in the glow of them, stood the child Suzanne, wet, disarrayed, her hair hanging about herface, but unharmed and smiling, and leaning on her shoulder anotherchild, a white boy, somewhat taller and older than herself. With a cryof joy we rushed towards her, and reaching her the first, for my feetwere the swiftest, I snatched her to my breast and kissed her, whereonthe boy fell down, for it seemed that his foot was hurt and he could notstand alone. 

"In the name of Heaven, what is the meaning of this?" gasped Jan. 

"What should it mean, " answered the little maid proudly, "save that Iwent to look for the brother whom you said I might find by the sea ifI searched hard enough, and I found him, though I do not understand hiswords or he mine. Come, brother, let me help you up, for this is ourhome, and here are our father and mother. "

Then, filled with wonder, we carried the children into the house, andtook their wet clothes off them. It was I who undressed the boy, andnoted that though his garments were in rags and foul, yet they were of afiner stuff than any that I had seen, and that his linen, which was softas silk, was marked with the letters R. M. Also I noted other things:namely, that so swollen were his little feet that the boots must be cutoff them, and that he was well-nigh dead of starvation, for his bonesalmost pierced his milk-white skin. 

Well, we cleaned him, and having wrapped him in blankets and soft-tannedhides, I fed him with broth a spoonful at a time, for had I let himeat all he would, he was so famished that I feared lest he should killhimself. After he was somewhat satisfied, sad memories seemed to comeback to him, for he cried and spoke in England, repeating the word"Mother, " which I knew, again and again, till presently he droppedoff to sleep, and for many hours slept without waking. Then, little bylittle, I drew all the tale from Suzanne. 

It would seem that the child, who was very venturesome and full ofimaginings, had dreamed a dream in her bed on the night of the day whenshe played with the gun and Jan and I had spoken together of the sea. She dreamed that in a certain kloof, an hour's ride and more away fromthe stead, she heard the voice of a child praying, and that although heprayed in a tongue unknown to her, she understood the words, whichwere: "O Father, my mother is dead, send some one to help me, for I amstarving. " Moreover, looking round her in her dream, though she couldnot see the child from whom the voice came, yet she knew the kloof, foras it chanced she had been there twice, once with me to gather whitelilies for the burial of a neighbour who had died, and once with herfather, who was searching for a lost ox. Now Suzanne, having lived somuch with her elders, was very quick, and she was sure when she woke inthe morning that if she said anything about her dream we should laugh ather and should not allow her to go to the place of which she had dreamt. Therefore it was that she made the plan of seeking for the shells uponthe seashore, and of slipping away from the woman who was with her, andtherefore also she begged the milk and the biltong. 

Now before I go further I would ask, What was this dream of Suzanne's?Did she invent it after the things to which it pointed had come to pass, or was it verily a vision sent by God to the pure heart of a littlechild, as aforetime He sent a vision to the heart of the infant Samuel?Let each solve the riddle as he will, only, if it were nothing but animagination, why did she take the milk and food? Because we had beentalking on that evening of her finding a brother by the sea, you mayanswer. Well, perhaps so; let each solve the riddle as he will. 

When Suzanne escaped from her nurse she struck inland, and thus ithappened that her feet left no spoor upon the hard, dry veldt. Soon shefound that the kloof she sought was further off than she thought for, or, perhaps, she lost her way to it, for the hillsides are scarred withsuch kloofs, and it might well chance that a child would mistake one forthe other. Still she went on, though she grew frightened in the lonelywilderness, where great bucks sprang up at her feet and baboons barkedat her as they clambered from rock to rock. On she went, stopping onlyonce or twice to drink a little of the milk and eat some food, till, towards sunset, she found the kloof of which she had dreamed. For awhile she wandered about in it, following the banks of a stream, tillat length, as she passed a dense clump of mimosa bushes, she heard thefaint sound of a child's voice--the very voice of her dream. Now shestopped, and turning to the right, pushed her way through the mimosas, and there beyond them was a dell, and in the centre of the dell a largeflat rock, and on the rock a boy praying, the rays of the setting sunshining in his golden, tangled hair. She went to the child and spoke tohim, but he could not understand our tongue, nor could she understandhis. Then she drew out what was left of the bottle of milk and some mealcakes and gave them to him, and he ate and drank greedily. 

By this time the sun was down, and as they did not dare to move in thedark, the children sat together on the rock, clasped in each other'sarms for warmth, and as they sat they saw yellow eyes staring at themthrough the gloom, and heard strange snoring sounds, and were afraid. Atlength the moon rose, and in its first rays they perceived standing andwalking within a few paces of them three tigers, as we call leopards, two of them big and one half-grown. But the tigers did them no harm, for God forbade them; they only looked at them a little and then slippedaway, purring as they went. 

Now Suzanne rose, and taking the boy by the hand she began to lead himhomeward, very slowly, since he was footsore and exhausted, and for thelast half of the way could only walk resting upon her shoulder. Stillthrough the long night they crawled forward, for the _kopje_ at the backof our stead was a guide to Suzanne, stopping from time to time to resta while, till at the breaking of the dawn with their last strength theycame to the house, as has been told. 

Well it was that they did so, for it seems that the searchers hadalready sought them in the very kloof where they were hidden, withoutseeing anything of them behind the thick screen of the mimosas, andhaving once sought doubtless they would have returned there no more, forthe hills are wide and the kloofs in them many. 

CHAPTER III

THE STORY OF THE SHIPWRECK

"What shall we do with this boy whom Suzanne has brought to us, wife?"asked Jan of me that day while both the children lay asleep. 

"Do with him, husband!" I answered; "we shall keep him; he is the Lord'sgift. "

"He is English, and I hate the English, " said Jan, looking down. 

"English or Dutch, husband, he is of noble blood, and the Lord's gift, and to turn him away would be to turn away our luck. "

"But how if his people come to seek him?"

"When they come we will talk of it, but I do not think that they willcome; I think that the sea has swallowed them all. "

After that Jan said no more of this matter for many years; indeed Ibelieve that from the first he desired to keep the child, he who wassonless. 

Now while the boy lay asleep Jan mounted his horse and rode for twohours to the stead of our neighbour, the Heer van Vooren. This VanVooren was a very rich man, by far the richest of us outlying Boers, andhe had come to live in these wilds because of some bad act that he haddone; I think that it was the shooting of a coloured person when he wasangry. He was a strange man and much feared, sullen in countenance, andsilent by nature. It was said that his grandmother was a chieftainessamong the red Kaffirs, but if so, the blood showed more in his son andonly child than in himself. Of this son, who in after years was namedSwart Piet, and his evil doings I shall have to tell later in my story, but even then his dark face and savage temper had earned for him thename of "the little Kaffir. "

Now the wife of the Heer van Vooren was dead, and he had a tutor for hisboy Piet, a poor Hollander body who could speak English. That man knewfigures also, for once when, thinking that I should be too clever forhim, I asked him how often the wheel of our big waggon would turn roundtravelling between our farm and Capetown Castle, he took a rule andmeasured the wheel, then having set down some figures on a bit of paper, and worked at them for a while, he told me the answer. Whether it wasright or wrong I did not know, and said so, whereon the poor creaturegrew angry, and lied in his anger, for he swore that he could tell howoften the wheel would turn in travelling from the earth to the sun ormoon, and also how far we were from those great lamps, a thing that isknown to God only, Who made them for our comfort. It is little wonder, therefore, that with such unholy teaching Swart Piet grew up so bad. 

Well, Jan went to beg the loan of this tutor, thinking that he wouldbe able to understand what the English boy said, and in due course thecreature came in a pair of blue spectacles and riding on a mule, for hedared not trust himself to a horse. Afterwards, when the child woke upfrom his long sleep, and had been fed and dressed, the tutor spoke withhim in that ugly English tongue of which I could never even bear thesound, and this was the story that he drew from him. 

It seems that the boy, who gave his name as Ralph Kenzie, though Ibelieve that really it was Ralph Mackenzie, was travelling with hisfather and mother and many others from a country called India, which isone of those places that the English have stolen in different partsof the world, as they stole the Cape and Natal and all the rest. Theytravelled for a long while in a big ship, for India is a long way off, till, when they were near this coast, a storm sprang up, and after thewind had blown for two days they were driven on rocks a hundred miles ormore away from our stead. So fierce was the sea and so quickly did theship break to pieces that only one boat was got out, which, except fora crew of six men, was filled with women and children. In this boatthe boy Ralph and his mother were given a place, but his father didnot come, although the captain begged him, for he was a man of someimportance, whose life was of more value than those of common people. But he refused, for he said that he would stop and share the fate ofthe other men, which shows that this English lord, for I think he wasa lord, had a high spirit. So he kissed his wife and child and blessedthem, and the boat was lowered to the sea, but before another could begot ready the great ship slipped back from the rock upon which she hungand sank (for this we heard afterwards from some Kaffirs who saw it), and all aboard of her were drowned. May God have mercy upon them!

When it was near to the shore the boat was overturned, and some of thosein it were drowned, but Ralph and his mother were cast safely on thebeach, and with them others. Then one of the men looked at a compass andthey began to walk southwards, hoping doubtless to reach country wherewhite people lived. All that befell afterwards I cannot tell, for thepoor child was too frightened and bewildered to remember, but it seemsthat the men were killed in a fight with natives, who, however, did nottouch the women and children. After that the women and the little onesdied one by one of hunger and weariness, or were taken by wild beasts, till at last none were left save Ralph and his mother. When they werealone they met a Kaffir woman, who gave them as much food as they couldcarry, and by the help of this food they struggled on southward foranother five or six days, till at length one morning, after their foodwas gone, Ralph woke to find his mother cold and dead beside him. 

When he was sure that she was dead he was much frightened, and ran awayas fast as he could. All that day he staggered forward, till in theevening he came to the kloof, and being quite exhausted, knelt upon theflat stone to pray, as he had been taught to do, and there Suzanne foundhim. Such was the story, and so piteous it seemed to us that we wept aswe listened, yes, even Jan wept, and the tutor snivelled and wiped hisweak eyes. 

That it was true in the main we learned afterwards from the Kaffirs, abit here and a bit there. Indeed, one of our own people, while searchingfor Suzanne, found the body of Ralph's mother and buried it. He saidthat she was a tall and noble-looking lady, not much more than thirtyyears of age. We did not dig her up again to look at her, as perhaps weshould have done, for the Kaffir declared that she had nothing onher except some rags and two rings, a plain gold one and another ofemeralds, with a device carved upon it, and in the pocket of her gown alittle book bound in red, that proved to be a Testament, on the fly leafof which was written in English, "Flora Gordon, the gift of her mother, Agnes Janey Gordon, on her confirmation, " and with it a date. 

All these things the Kaffir brought home faithfully, also a lock of thelady's fair hair, which he had cut off with his assegai. That lock ofhair labelled in writing--remember it, Suzanne, when I am gone--is inthe waggon box which stands beneath my bed. The other articles Suzannehere has, as is her right, for her grandfather settled them on herby will, and with them one thing which I forgot to mention. When weundressed the boy Ralph, we found hanging by a gold chain to his neck, where he said his mother placed it the night before she died, a largelocket, also of gold. This locket contained three little picturespainted on ivory, one in each half of it and one with the plain goldback on a hinge between them. That to the right was of a handsome man inuniform, who, Ralph told me, was his father (and indeed he left all thisin writing, together with his will); that to the left, of a lovelylady in a low dress, who, he said, was his mother; that in the middle aportrait of the boy himself, as anyone could see, which must have beenpainted not more than a year before we found him. This locket and thepictures my great-granddaughter Suzanne has also. 

Now, as I have said, we let that unhappy lady lie in her rude graveyonder by the sea, but my husband took men and built a cairn of stonesover it and a strong wall about it, and there it stands to this day, fornot long ago I met one of the folk from the Old Colony who had seen it, and who told me that the people that live in those parts now reverencethe spot, knowing its story. Also, when some months afterwards aminister came to visit us, we led him to the place and he read theBurial Service over the lady's bones, so that she did not lack forChristian Burial. 

Well, this wreck made a great stir, for many were drowned in it, andthe English Government sent a ship of war to visit the place where ithappened, but none came to ask us what we knew of the matter; indeed, wenever learned that the frigate had been till she was gone again. Soit came about that the story died away, as such stories do in this sadworld, and for many years we heard no more of it. 

For a while the boy Ralph was like a haunted child. At night, and nowand again even in the daytime, he would be seized with terror, and soband cry in a way that was piteous to behold, though not to be wonderedat by any who knew his history. When these fits took him, strange asit may seem, there was but one who could calm his heart, and that oneSuzanne. I can see them now as I have seen them thrice that I remember, the boy sitting up in his bed, a stare of agony in his eyes, and thesweat running down his face, damping his yellow hair, and talkingrapidly, half in English, half in Dutch, with a voice that at timeswould rise to a scream, and at times would sink to a whisper, of theshipwreck, of his lost parents, of the black Indian woman who nursedhim, of the wilderness, the tigers, and the Kaffirs who fell on them, and many other things. By him sits Suzanne, a soft kaross of jackalskins wrapped over her nightgown, the dew of sleep still showing uponher childish face and in her large dark eyes. By him she sits, talkingin some words which for us have little meaning, and in a voice nowshrill, and now sinking to a croon, while with one hand she clasps hiswrist, and with the other strokes his brow, till the shadow passes fromhis soul and, clinging close to her, he sinks back to sleep. 

But as the years went by these fits grew rarer till at last they ceasedaltogether, since, thanks be to God, childhood can forget its grief. What did not cease, however, was the lad's love for Suzanne, or her lovefor him, which, if possible, was yet deeper. Brother may love sister, but that affection, however true, yet lacks something, since natureteaches that it can never be complete. But from the beginning--yes, evenwhile they were children--these twain were brother and sister, friendand friend, lover and lover; and so they remained till life left them, and so they will remain for aye in whatever life they live. Theirthought was one thought, their heart was one heart; in them was neithervariableness nor shadow of turning; they were each of each, to each andfor each, as one soul in their separate spirits, as one flesh in theirseparate bodies. I who write this am a very old woman, and though inmany things I am most ignorant, I have seen much of the world and ofthe men who live in it, yet I say that never have I known any marvel tocompare with the marvel and the beauty of the love between Ralph Kenzie, the castaway, and my sweet daughter, Suzanne. It was of heaven, not ofearth; or, rather, like everything that is perfect, it partook both ofearth and heaven. Yes, yes, it wandered up the mountain paths of earthto the pure heights of heaven, where now it dwells for ever. 

The boy Ralph grew up fair and brave and strong, with keen grey eyes anda steady mouth, nor did I know any lad of his years who could equal himin strength and swiftness of foot; for, though in youth he was not overtall, he was broad in the breast and had muscles that never seemed totire. Now, we Boers think little of book learning, holding, as we do, that if a man can read the Holy Word it is enough. Still Jan and Ithought as Ralph was not of our blood, though otherwise in all ways ason to us, that it was our duty to educate him as much in the fashion ofhis own people as our circumstances would allow. Therefore, after he hadbeen with us some two years, when one day the Hollander tutor man, withthe blue spectacles, of whom I have spoken, rode up to our house uponhis mule, telling us that he had fled from the Van Voorens because hecould no longer bear witness to the things that were practised at theirstead, we engaged him to teach Ralph and Suzanne. He remained with ussix years, by which time both the children had got much learning fromhim; though how much it is not for me, who have none, to judge. Theylearnt history and reading and writing, and something of the Englishtongue, but I need scarcely say that I would not suffer him to teachthem to pry into the mystery of God's stars, as he wished to do, for Ihold that such lore is impious and akin to witchcraft of which I haveseen enough from Sihamba and others. 

I asked this Hollander more particularly why he had fled from the VanVoorens, but he would tell me little more than that it was because ofthe wizardries practised there. If I might believe him, the HeerVan Vooren made a custom of entertaining Kaffir witch doctors anddoctoresses at his house, and of celebrating with them secret anddevilish rites, to which his son, Swart Piet, was initiated in hispresence. That this last story was true I have no doubt indeed, seeingthat the events of after years prove it to have been so. 

Well, at last the Hollander left us to marry a rich old vrouw twentyyears his senior, and that is all I have to say about him, except thatif possible I disliked him more when he walked out of the house thanwhen he walked in; though why I should have done so I do not know, forhe was a harmless body. Perhaps it was because he played the flute, which I have always thought contemptible in a man. 

CHAPTER IV

THE SHADOW OF THE ENGLISHMEN

Now I will pass on to the time when Ralph was nineteen or thereabouts, and save for the lack of hair upon his face, a man grown, since in ourclimate young people ripen quickly in body if not in mind. I tellof that year with shame and sorrow, for it was then that Jan and Icommitted a great sin, for which afterwards we were punished heavilyenough. 

At the beginning of winter Jan trekked to the nearest dorp, some fiftymiles away, with a waggon load of mealies and of buckskins which he andRalph had shot, purposing to sell them and to attend the Nachtmahl, orFeast of the Lord's Supper. I was somewhat ailing just then and did notaccompany him, nor did Suzanne, who stayed to nurse me, or Ralph, whowas left to look after us both. 

Fourteen days later Jan returned, and from his face I saw at once thatsomething had gone wrong. 

"What is it, husband?" I asked. "Did not the mealies sell well?"

"Yes, yes, they sold well, " he answered, "for that fool of an Englishstorekeeper bought them and the hides together for more than theirvalue. "

"Are the Kaffirs going to rise again, then?"

"No, they are quiet for the present, though the accursed missionaries ofthe London Society are doing their best to stir them up, " and he made asign to me to cease from asking questions, nor did I say any more tillwe had gone to bed and everybody else in the house was asleep. 

"Now, " I said, "tell me your bad news, for bad news you have had. "

"Wife, " he answered, "it is this. In the dorp yonder I met a man whohad come from Port Elizabeth. He told me that there at the port were twoEnglishmen, who had recently arrived, a Scotch lord, and a lawyer withred hair. When the Englishmen heard that he was from this part of thecountry they fell into talk with him, saying that they came upon astrange errand. It seems that when the great ship was wrecked upon thiscoast ten years ago there was lost in her a certain little boy who, if he had lived, would to-day have been a very rich noble in Scotland. Wife, you may know who that little boy was without my telling you hisname. "

I nodded and turned cold all over my body, for I could guess what wascoming. 

"Now for a long while those who were interested in him supposed thatthis lad was certainly dead with all the others on board that ship, buta year or more ago, how I know not, a rumour reached them that one malechild who answered to his description had been saved alive and adoptedby some boers living in the Transkei. By this time the property and thetitle that should be his had descended to a cousin of the child's, butthis relation being a just man determined before he took them to cometo Africa and find out the truth for himself, and there he is at PortElizabeth, or rather by this time he is on his road to our place. Therefore it would seem that the day is at hand when we shall see thelast of Ralph. "

"Never!" I said, "he is a son to us and more than a son, and I will notgive him up. "

"Then they will take him, wife. Yes, even if he does not wish it, for heis a minor and they are armed with authority. "

"Oh!" I cried, "it would break my heart, and, Jan, there is anotherheart that would break also, " and I pointed towards the chamber whereSuzanne slept. 

He nodded, for none could live with them and not know that this youthand maiden loved each other dearly. 

"It would break your heart, " he answered, "and her heart; yes, and myown would be none the better for the wrench; yet how can we turn thisevil from our door?"

"Jan, " I said, "the winter is at hand; it is time that you and Ralphshould take the cattle to the bush-veldt yonder, where they will liewarm and grow fat, for so large a herd cannot be trusted to the Kaffirs. Had you not better start to-morrow? If these English meddlers shouldcome here I will talk with them. Did Suzanne save the boy for them? Didwe rear him for them, although he was English? Think how you will feelwhen he has crossed the ridge yonder for the last time, you who aresonless, and you must go about your tasks alone, must ride alone andhunt alone, and, if need be, fight alone, except for his memory. Think, Jan, think. "

"Do not tempt me, woman, " he whispered back in a hoarse voice, forRalph and he were more to each other than any father and son that I haveknown, since they were also the dearest of friends. "Do not tempt me, "he went on; "the lad must himself be told of this, and he must judge;he is young, but among us at nineteen a youth is a burgher grown, with aright to take up land and marry. He must be told, I say, and at once. "

"It is good, " I said, "let him judge;" but in the wickedness of my heartI made up my mind that I would find means to help his judgment, for thethought of losing him filled me with blind terror, and all that night Ilay awake thinking out the matter. 

Early in the morning I rose and went to the _stoep_, where I foundSuzanne drinking coffee and singing a little song that Ralph had taughther. I can see her now as she stood in her pretty tight-fitting dress, a flower wet with dew in her girdle, swinging her _kapje_ by its stringswhile the first rays of the sun glistened on the waves of her brown andsilk-like hair. She was near eighteen then, and so beautiful that myheart beat with pride at her loveliness, for never in my long life haveI seen a girl of any nation who could compare with my daughter Suzannein looks. Many women are sweet to behold in this way or in that; butSuzanne was beautiful every way, yes, and at all ages of her life; as achild, as a maiden, as a matron and as a woman drawing near to eld, shewas always beautiful if, like that of the different seasons, her beautyvaried. In shape she was straight and tall and rounded, light-footed asa buck, delicate in limb, wide-breasted and slender-necked. Her face wasrich in hue as a kloof lily, and her eyes--ah! no antelope ever hadeyes darker, tenderer, or more appealing than were the eyes of Suzanne. Moreover, she was sweet of nature, ready of wit and good-hearted--yes, even for the Kaffirs she had a smile. 

"You are up betimes, Suzanne, " I said when I had looked at her a little. 

"Yes, mother; I rose to make Ralph his coffee, he does not like that theKaffir women should boil it for him. "

"You mean that you do not like it, " I answered, for I knew that Ralphthought little of who made the coffee that he drank, or if he did it wasmine that he held to be the best, and not Suzanne's, who in those dayswas a careless girl, thinking less of household matters than she shouldhave done. 

"Did Swart Piet come here yesterday?" I asked. "I thought that I saw hishorse as I walked back from the sea. "

"Yes, he came. "

"What for?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Oh! mother, why do you ask me? You knowwell that he is always troubling me, bringing me presents of flowers, and asking me to _opsit_ with him and what not. "

"Then you don't want to _opsit_ with him?"

"The candle would be short that I should burn with Swart Piet, " answeredSuzanne, stamping her foot; "he is an evil man, full of dark words andways, and I fear him, for I think that since his father's death he hasbecome worse, and the most of the company he keeps is with those Kaffirwitch-doctors. "

"Ah! like father, like son. The mantle of Elijah has fallen upon Elisha, but inside out. Well, it is what I expected, for sin and wizardry wereborn in his blood. Had you any words with him?"

"Yes, some. I would not listen to his sweet talk, so he grew angry andbegan to threaten; but just then Ralph came back and he went away, forhe is afraid of Ralph. "

"Where has Ralph gone so early?" I asked, changing the subject. 

"To the far cattle-kraal to look after the oxen which the Kaffirbargained to break into the yoke. They are choosing them this morning. "

"So. He makes a good Boer for one of English blood, does he not? And yetI suppose that when he becomes English again he will soon forget that hewas ever a Boer. "

"When he becomes English again, mother! What do you mean by thatsaying?" she asked quickly. 

"I mean that like will to like, and blood to blood; also that there maybe a nest far away which this bird that we have caged should fill. "

"A nest far away, mother? Then there is one here which would be leftempty; in your heart and father's, I mean;" and dropping her sun-bonnetshe turned pale and pressed her hands upon her own, adding, "Oh! speakstraight words to me. What do you mean by these hints?"

"I mean, Suzanne, that it is not well for any of us to let our love wrapitself too closely about a stranger. Ralph is an Englishman, not a Boer. He names me mother and your father, father; and you he names sister, butto us he is neither son nor brother. Well, a day may come when he learnsto understand this, when he learns to understand also that he has otherkindred, true kindred far away across the sea; and if those birds call, who will keep him in the strange nest?"

"Ah!" she echoed, all dismayed, "who will keep him then?"

"I do not know, " I answered; "not a foster father or mother. But Iforgot. Say, did he take his rifle with him to the kraal?"

"Surely, I saw it in his hand. "

"Then, daughter, if you will, get on a horse, and if you can find Ralph, tell him that I shall be very glad if he can shoot a small buck andbring it back with him, as I need fresh meat. "

"May I stay with him while he shoots the buck, mother?"

"Yes, if you are not in his way and do not stop too long. "

Then, without more words, Suzanne left me, and presently I saw hercantering across the veldt upon her grey mare that Ralph had broken forher, and wondered if she would find him and what luck he would have withthe hunt that day. 

Now it seems that Suzanne found Ralph and gave him my message, and thatthey started together to look for buck on the strip of land which liesbetween the seashore and the foot of the hills, where sometimes theblesbok and springbok used to feed in thousands. But on this day therewere none to be seen, for the dry grass had already been burnt off, sothat there was nothing for them to eat. 

"If mother is to get her meat to-day, " said Ralph at length, "I thinkthat we must try the hill side for a duiker or a bush-buck. "

So they turned inland and rode towards that very kloof where yearsbefore Suzanne had discovered the shipwrecked boy. At the mouth of thiskloof was a patch of marshy ground, where the reeds still stood thick, since being full of sap they had resisted the fire. 

"That is a good place for a riet-buck, " said Ralph, "if only one couldbeat him out of it, for the reeds are too tall to see to shoot in them. "

"It can be managed, " answered Suzanne. "Do you go and stand in the neckof the kloof while I ride through the reeds towards you. "

"You might get bogged, " he said doubtfully. 

"No, no, brother; after all this drought the pan is nothing more thanspongy, and if I should get into a soft spot I will call out. "

To this plan Ralph at length agreed, and having ridden round the pan, which was not more than fifty yards across, he dismounted from his horseand hid himself behind a bush in the neck of the kloof. Then Suzannerode in among the reeds, shouting and singing, and beating them with hersjambock in order to disturb anything that might be hidden there. Norwas her trouble in vain, for suddenly, with a shrill whistle of alarm bythe sound of which this kind of antelope may be known even in the dark, up sprang two riet-buck and dashed away towards the neck of the kloof, looking large as donkeys and red as lions as they vanished into thethick cover. So close were they to Suzanne that her mare took fright andreared; but the girl was the best horsewoman in those parts, andkept her seat, calling the while to Ralph to make ready for the buck. Presently she heard a shot, and having quieted the mare, rode out of thereeds and galloped round the dry pan to find Ralph looking foolish withno riet-buck in sight. 

"Have you missed them?" she asked. 

"No, not so bad as that, for they passed within ten yards of me, butthe old gun hung fire. I suppose that the powder in the pan was a littledamp, and instead of hitting the buck in front I caught him somewherebehind. He fell down, but has gone on again, so we must follow him, forI don't think that he will get very far. "

Accordingly, when Ralph had reloaded his gun, which took some time--forin those days we had scarcely anything but flintlocks--yes, it was withweapons like these that a handful of us beat the hosts of Dingaan andMoselikatse--they started to follow the blood spoor up the kloof, whichwas not difficult, as the animal had bled much. Near to the top of thekloof the trail led them through a thick clump of mimosas, and there inthe dell beyond they found the riet-buck lying dead. Riding to it theydismounted and examined it. 

"Poor beast, " said Suzanne; "look how the tears have run down its face. Well, I am glad that it is dead and done with, " and she sighed andturned away, for Suzanne was a silly and tender-hearted girl whonever could understand that the animals--yes, and the heathen Kaffirs, too--were given to us by the Lord for our use and comfort. 

Presently she started and said, "Ralph, do you remember this place?"

He glanced round and shook his head, for he was wondering whether hewould be able to lift the buck on to the horse without asking Suzanne tohelp him. 

"Look again, " she said; "look at that flat stone and the mimosa treelying on its side near it. "

Ralph dropped the leg of the buck and obeyed her, for he would always doas Suzanne bade him, and this time it was his turn to start. 

"Almighty!" he said, "I remember now. It was here that you found me, Suzanne, after I was shipwrecked, and the tigers stared at us throughthe boughs of that fallen tree, " and he shivered a little, for the sightof the spot brought back to his heart some of the old terrors which hadhaunted his childhood. 

"Yes, Ralph, it was here that I found you. I heard the sound of yourvoice as you knelt praying on this stone, and I followed it. God heardthat prayer, Ralph. "

"And sent an angel to save me in the shape of a little maid, " heanswered; adding, "Don't blush so red, dear, for it is true that eversince that day, whenever I think of angels, I think of you; and wheneverI think of you I think of angels, which shows that you and the angelsmust be close together. "

"Which shows that you are a wicked and silly lad to talk thus to a Boergirl, " she answered, turning away with a smile on her lips and tears inher eyes, for his words had pleased her mind and touched her heart. 

He looked at her, and she seemed so sweet and beautiful as she stoodthus, smiling and weeping together as the sun shines through summerrain, that, so he told me afterwards, something stirred in his breast, something soft and strong and new, which caused him to feel as though ofa sudden he had left his boyhood behind him and become a man, aye, andas though this fresh-faced manhood sought but one thing more from Heavento make it perfect, the living love of the fair maiden who until thishour had been his sister in heart though not in blood. 

"Suzanne, " he said in a changed voice, "the horses are tired; let themrest, and let us sit upon this stone and talk a little, for though wehave never visited it for many years the place is lucky for you and mesince it was here that our lives first came together. "

Now although Suzanne knew that the horses were not tired she did notthink it needful to say him nay. 

CHAPTER V

A LOVE SCENE AND A QUARREL

Presently they were seated side by side upon a stone, Suzanne lookingstraight before her, for nature warned her that this talk of theirs wasnot to be as other talks, and Ralph looking at Suzanne. 

"Suzanne, " he said at length. 

"Yes, " she answered; "what is it?" But he made no answer, for thoughmany words were bubbling in his brain, they choked in his throat, andwould not come out of it. 

"Suzanne, " he stammered again presently, and again she asked him what itwas, and again he made no answer. Now she laughed a little and said:

"Ralph, you remind me of the blue-jay in the cage upon the _stoep_ whichknows but one word and repeats it all day long. "

"Yes, " he replied, "it is true; I am like that jay, for the word Itaught it is 'Suzanne, ' and the word my heart teaches me is 'Suzanne, 'and--Suzanne, I love you!"

Now she turned her head away and looked down and answered:

"I know, Ralph, that you have always loved me since we were childrentogether, for are we not brother and sister?"

"No, " he answered bluntly, "it is not true. "

"Then that is bad news for me, " she said, "who till to-day have thoughtotherwise. "

"It is not true, " he went on, and now his words came fast enough, "thatI am your brother, or that I love you as a brother. We are no kin, andif I love you as a brother that is only one little grain of my love foryou--yes, only as one little grain is to the whole sea-shore of sand. Suzanne, I love you as--as a man loves a maid--and if you will it, dear, all my hope is that one day you will be my wife, " and he ceased suddenlyand stood before her trembling, for he had risen from the stone. 

For a few moments Suzanne covered her face with her hands, and when shelet them fall again he saw that her beautiful eyes shone like the largestars at night, and that, although she was troubled, her trouble madeher happy. 

"Oh! Ralph, " she said at length, speaking in a voice that was differentfrom any he had ever heard her use, a voice very rich and low and full, "Oh! Ralph, this is new to me, and yet to speak the truth, it seemsas old as--as that night when first I found you, a desolate, starvingchild, praying upon this stone. Ralph, I do will it with all my heartand soul and body, and I suppose that I have willed it ever since Iwas a woman, though until this hour I did not quite know what it was Iwilled. Nay, dear, do not touch me, or at the least, not yet. First hearwhat I have to say, and then if you desire it, you may kiss me--if onlyin farewell. "

"If you will it and I will it, what more can you have to say?" he askedin a quick whisper, and looking at her with frightened eyes. 

"This, Ralph; that our wills, who are young and unlearned, are not allthe world; that there are other wills to be thought of; the wills of ourparents, or of mine rather, and the will of God. "

"For the first, " he answered, "I do not think that they stand in ourpath, for they love you and wish you to be happy, although it is truethat I, who am but a wanderer picked up upon the veldt, have no fortuneto offer you--still fortune can be won, " he added doggedly. 

"They love you also, Ralph, nor do they care over much for wealth, either of them, and I am sure that they would not wish you to leave usto go in search of it. "

"As for the will of God, " he continued, "it was the will of God that Ishould be wrecked here, and that you should save me here, and that thelife you saved should be given to you. Will it not, therefore, be thewill of God also that we, who can never be happy apart, should be happytogether and thank Him for our happiness every day till we die?"

"I trust so, Ralph; yet although I have read and seen little, I knowthat very often it has been His will that those who love each othershould be separated by death or otherwise. "

"Do not speak of it, " he said with a groan. 

"No, I will not speak of it, but there is one more thing of which I mustspeak. Strangely enough, only this morning my mother was talking of you;she said that you are English, and that soon or late blood will call toblood and you will leave us. She said that your nest is not here, butthere, far away across the sea, among those English; that you are aswallow that has been fledged with sparrows, and that one day you willfind the wings of a swallow. What put it in her mind to speak thus, I donot know, but I do know, Ralph, that her words filled me with fear, andnow I understand why I was so much afraid. "

He laughed aloud very scornfully. "Then, Suzanne, " he said, "you maybanish your fears, for this I swear to you, before the Almighty, thatwhoever may be my true kin, were a kingdom to be offered to me amongthem, unless you could share it, it would be refused. This I swearbefore the Almighty, and may He reject me if I forget the oath. "

"You are very young to make such promises, Ralph, " she answereddoubtfully, "nor do I hold them binding on you. At nineteen, so I amtold, a lad will swear anything to the girl who takes his fancy. "

"I am young in years, Suzanne, but I grew old while I was yet a child, for sorrow aged me. You have heard my oath; let it be put to the test, and you shall learn whether or no I speak the truth. Do I look like onewho does not know his mind?"

She glanced up at the steady, grey eyes and the stern, set mouth andanswered, "Ralph, you look like one who knows his mind, and I believeyou. Pray God I may not be deceived, for though we are but lad and girl, if it prove so I tell you that I shall live my life out with a brokenheart. "

"Do not fear, Suzanne. And now I have heard what you had to say, and Iclaim your promise. If it be your will I will kiss you, Suzanne, but notin farewell. "

"Nay, " she answered, "kiss me rather in greeting of the full andbeautiful life that stretches before our feet. Whether the path be shortor long, it will be good for us and ever better, but, Ralph, I thinkthat the end will be best of all. "

So he took her in his arms, and they kissed each other upon the lips, and, as they told me afterwards, in that embrace they found some joy. Why should they not indeed, for if anywhere upon the earth, if it begiven and received in youth before the heart has been seared and taintedwith bitterness and disillusion, surely in such a pledge as theirs truejoy can be found. Yes, and they did more than this, for, kneeling thereupon that rock where once the starving child had knelt in bygone years, they prayed to Him who had brought them together, to Him who had giventhem hearts to love with and bodies to be loved, and the immortalityof Heaven wherein to garner this seed of love thus sown upon the earth, that He would guide them, bless them, and protect them through alltrials, terrors, sorrows, and separations. As shall be seen, this indeedHe did. 

Then they rose, and having, not without difficulty, lifted the riet-buckram upon Ralph's horse and made it fast there, as our hunters know howto do, they started homewards, walking the most part of the way, for theload was heavy and they were in no haste, so that they only reached thefarm about noon. 

Now I, watching them as we sat at our mid-day meal, grew sure thatsomething out of the common had passed between them. Suzanne was verysilent, and from time to time glanced at Ralph shyly, whereon, feelingher eyes, he would grow red as the sunset, and seeing his trouble, shewould colour also, as though with the knowledge of some secret that madeher both happy and ashamed. 

"You were long this morning in finding a buck, Ralph, " I said. 

"Yes, mother, " he answered; "there were none on the flats, for the grassis burnt off; and had not Suzanne beaten out a dry pan for me where thereeds were still green, I think that we should have found nothing. As itwas I shot badly, hitting the ram in the flank, so that we were obligedto follow it a long way before I came up with it. "

"And where did you find it at last?" I asked. 

"In a strange place, mother; yes, in that very spot where many years agoSuzanne came upon me starving after the shipwreck. There in the gladeand by the flat stone on which I had lain down to die was the buck, quite dead. We knew the dell again, though neither of us had visited itfrom that hour to this, and rested there awhile before we turned home. "

I made no answer but sat thinking, and a silence fell on all of us. By this time the Kaffir girls had cleared away the meat and brought incoffee, which we drank while the men filled their pipes and lit them. Ilooked at Jan and saw that he was making up his mind to say something, for his honest face was troubled, and now he took up his pipe, and nowhe put it down, moving his hands restlessly till at length he upset thecoffee over the table. 

"Doubtless, " I thought to myself, "he means to tell the tale of theEnglishmen who have come to seek for Ralph. Well, I think that he maysafely tell it now. "

Then I looked at Ralph and saw that he also was very ill at ease, struggling with words which he did not know how to utter. I noted, moreover, that Suzanne touched his hand with hers beneath the shelter ofthe table as though to comfort and encourage him. Now watching these twomen, at last I broke out laughing, and said, addressing them:

"You are like two fires of green weeds in a mealie patch, and I amwondering which of you will be the first to break into flame or whetheryou will both be choked by the reek of your own thoughts. "

My gibe, harmless though it was, stung them into speech, and both atonce, for I have noticed, however stupid they may be, that men neverlike to be laughed at. 

"I have something to say, " said each of them, as though with a singlevoice, and they paused, looking at one another angrily. 

"Then, son, wait till I have finished. Almighty! for the last twentyminutes you have been sitting as silent as an ant-bear in a hole, and Itell you that it is my turn now; why, then, do you interrupt me?"

"I am very sorry, my father, " said Ralph, looking much afraid, forhe thought that Jan was going to scold him about Suzanne, and hisconscience being guilty caused him to forget that it was not possiblethat he should know anything of the matter of his love-making. 

"That is good, " said Jan, still glaring at him; "but I am not yourfather. "

"Then why do you call me son?" asked Ralph. 

"Almighty! do you suppose that I sit here to answer riddles?" repliedJan, pulling at his great beard. "Why do I call you son, indeed? Ah!" headded in a different voice, a sorrowful voice, "why do I when I have noright? Listen, my boy, we are in sore trouble, I and your mother, orif she is not your mother at least she loves you as much as though shewere, and I love you too, and you know it; so why do you seek to make afool of me by asking me riddles?"

Now, Ralph was about to answer, but Suzanne held up her hand, and he wasquiet. 

"My son, " went on Jan with a kind of sob, "they are coming to take youaway from us. "

"They! Who?" asked Ralph. 

"Who? The English, damn them! Yes, I say, damn the English and theEnglish Government. "

"Peace, Jan, " I broke in, "this is not a political meeting, where suchtalk is right and proper. "

"The English Government is coming to take me away!" exclaimed Ralphbewildered. "What has the Government to do with me?"

"No, " said Jan, "not the English Government, but two Scotchmen, which ismuch the same thing. I tell you that they are travelling to this placeto take you away. "

Now, Ralph leaned back in his chair and stared at him, for he saw thatit was little use to ask him questions, and that he must leave him totell the tale in his own fashion. At last it came out. 

"Ralph, " said my husband, "you know that you are not of our blood; wefound you cast up on the beach like a storm-fish and took you in, andyou grew dear to us; yes, although you are English or Scotch, which isworse, for if the English bully us the Scotch bully us and cheat us intothe bargain. Well, your parents were drowned, and have been in Heavenfor a long time, but I am sorry to say that all your relations were notdrowned with them. At first, however, they took no trouble to hunt foryou when we should have been glad enough to give you up. "

"No, " broke in Suzanne and I with one voice, and I added, "How do youdare to tell such lies in the face of the Lord, Jan?"

"----When it would not have been so bad to give you up, " he went on, correcting himself. "But now it seems that had you lived you would haveinherited estates, or titles, or both. "

"Is the boy dead then?" I asked. 

"Be silent, wife, I mean--had he lived a Scotchman. Therefore, havingmade inquiries, and learned that a lad of your name and age had beenrescued from a shipwreck and was still alive among the Boers in theTranskei, they have set to work to hunt you, and are coming here to takeyou way, for I tell you that I heard it in the dorp yonder. "

"Is it so?" said Ralph, while Suzanne hung upon his words with whiteface and trembling lips. "Then I tell you that I will not go. I may beEnglish, but my home is here. My own father and mother are dead, andthese strangers are nothing to me, nor are the estates and titles faraway anything to me. All that I hold dear on the earth is here in theTranskei, " and he glanced at Suzanne, who seemed to bless him with hereyes. 

"You talk like a fool, " said Jan, but in a voice which was full of joythat he could not hide, "as is to be expected of an ignorant boy. Now Iam a man who has seen the world, and I know better, and I tell you thatalthough they are an accursed race, still it is a fine thing to be alord among the English. Yes, yes, I know the English lords. I saw oneonce when I went to Capetown; he was the Governor there, and drivingthrough the streets in state, dressed as bravely as a blue-jay in hisspring plumage, while everybody took off their hats to him, except I, Jan Botmar, who would not humble myself thus. Yet to have such clothesas that to wear every day, while all the people salute you and make apath for you, is not a thing to be laughed at. See boy, it just comes tothis: here you are poor and little, there you may be rich and much, andit is our duty not to stand in your road, though it may break our heartsto lose you. So you had best make up your mind to go away with thedamned Scotchmen when they come, though I hope that you will thinkkindly of us when you get to your own country. Yes, yes, you shallgo, and what is more, you may take my best horse to ride away on, thethoroughbred _schimmel_, and my new black felt hat that I bought in thedorp. There, that is done with, praise be to God, and I am going out, for this place is so thick with smoke that I can't see my own hand, " andhe rose to go, adding that if the two Scotchmen did not want a bulletthrough them, it would be as well if they kept out of his way when theycame upon the farm. 

Now in saying that the room was thick with smoke Jan lied, for both themen's pipes went out when they began to talk. But as I knew why he liedI did not think so much of it. To tell the truth, at that moment I couldsee little better than he could, since, although I would have poisonedthose two Scotchmen before I suffered them to take Ralph away, the verythought of his going was enough to fill my eyes with tears, and to causeSuzanne to weep aloud shamelessly. 

"Wait a bit, father--I beg your pardon, Jan Botmar, " said Ralph in aclear and angry voice; "it is my turn now, for you may remember thatwhen we began to talk I had something to say, but you stopped me. Now, with your leave, as you have got off the horse I will get on. "

Jan slowly sat down again and said:

"Speak. What is it?"

"This: that if you send me away you are likely to lose more than youbargain for. "

Now Jan stared at him perplexedly, but I smiled, for I guessed what wasto come. 

"What am I likely to lose, " he asked, "beyond my best horse and my felthat? Allemachter! Do you want my span of black oxen also? Well, youshall have them if you like, for I should wish you to trek to your newhome in England behind good cattle. "

"No, " answered Ralph coolly, "but I want your daughter, and if you sendme away I think that she will come with me. "

CHAPTER VI

THE COMING OF THE ENGLISHMEN

Now on hearing this Suzanne said, "Oh!" and sank back in her chair asthough she were going to faint; but I burst out laughing, half becauseRalph's impertinence tickled me and half at the sight of my husband'sface. Presently he turned upon me in a fine rage. 

"Be silent, you silly woman, " he said. "Do you hear what that mad boysays? He says that he wants my daughter. "

"Well, what of it?" I answered. "Is there anything wonderful in that?Suzanne is of an age to be married and pretty enough for any young manto want her. "

"Yes, yes; that is true now I come to think of it, " said Jan, pullinghis beard. "But, woman, he says that he wants to take her away withhim. "

"Ah!" I replied, "that is another matter. That he shall never do withoutmy consent. "

"No, indeed, he shall never do that, " echoed Jan. 

"Suzanne, " said I in the pause that followed, "you have heard all thistalk. Tell us, then, openly what is your mind in the matter. "

"My mind is, mother, " she answered very quietly, "that I wish to obeyyou and my father in all things, as is my duty, but that I have a deeperduty towards Ralph whom God gave me out of the sea. Therefore, if yousend away Ralph without a cause, if he desires it I shall follow him assoon as I am of age and marry him, or if you keep me from him by forcethen I think that I shall die. That is all I have to say. "

"And quite enough, too, " I answered, though in my heart I liked thegirl's spirit, and guessed that she was playing a part to prevent herfather from sending away Ralph against his will. 

"All this is pretty hearing, " said Jan, staring from one to the other. "Why, now that I think of it, I never heard that you two were more thanbrother and sister to each other. Say, you shameless girl, when did allthis come about, and why do you dare to promise yourself in marriagewithout my consent?"

"Because there was no time to ask it, father, " said Suzanne, lookingdown, "for Ralph and I only spoke together this morning. "

"He spoke to you this morning, and now it seems that you are ready toforsake your father and your mother and to follow him across the world, you wicked and ungrateful child. "

"I am not wicked and I am not ungrateful, " answered Suzanne; "it is youwho are wicked, who want to send Ralph away and break all our hearts. "

"It is false, miss, " shouted her father in answer, "for you know wellthat I do not want to send him away. "

"Then why did you tell him that he must go and take your roan horse andnew hat?"

"For his own good, girl. "

"Is it for his own good that he should go away from all of us who lovehim and be lost across the sea?" and choking she burst into tears, whileher father muttered:

"Why, the girl has become like a tiger, she who was milder than asheep!"

"Hush, Suzanne, " broke in Ralph, "and you who have been father andmother to me, listen I pray you. It is true that Suzanne and I love eachother very dearly, as we have always loved each other, though how muchwe did not know till this morning. Now, I am a waif and a castaway whomyou have nurtured, and have neither lands nor goods of my own, thereforeyou may well think that I am no match for your daughter, who is sobeautiful, and who, if she outlives you, will inherit all that you have. If you decide thus it is just, however hard it may be. But you tell me, though I have heard nothing of it till now, and I think that it may bebut idle talk, that I have both lands and goods far away in England, and you bid me begone to them. Well, if you turn me out I must go, forI cannot stay alone in the veldt without a house, or a friend, or ahoof of cattle. But then I tell you that when Suzanne is of age I shallreturn and marry her, and take her away with me, as I have a right todo if she desires it, for I will not lose everything that I love inthe world at one stroke. Indeed nothing but death shall part me fromSuzanne. Therefore, it comes to this: either you must let me stay hereand, poor as I am, be married to Suzanne when it shall please you, or, if you dismiss me, you must be ready to see me come back and take awaySuzanne. "

"Suzanne, Suzanne, " I interrupted angrily, for I grew jealous of thegirl; "have you no thought or word, Ralph, for any save Suzanne?"

"I have thoughts for all, " he answered, "but Suzanne alone has thoughtfor me, since it seems that your husband would send me away, and you, mother, sit still and say not a word to stop him. "

"Learn to judge speech and not silence, lad, " I answered. "Look you, allhave been talking, and I have shammed dead like a stink-cat when dogsare about; now I am going to begin. First of all, you, Jan, are a fool, for in your thick head you think that rank and wealth are everything toa man, and therefore you would send Ralph away to seek rank and wealththat may or may not belong to him, although he does not wish to go. Asfor you, Ralph, you are a bigger fool, for you think that Jan Botmar, your foster-father here, desires to be rid of you when in truth he onlyseeks your good to his own sore loss. As for you, Suzanne, you are thebiggest fool of all, for you wish to fly in everybody's face, like a catwith her first litter of kittens; but there, what is the use of arguingwith a girl in love? Now listen, and I will ask you some questions, allof you. Jan, do you wish to send Ralph away with these strangers?"

"Almighty! vrouw, " he answered, "you know well that I would as soon sendaway my right hand. I wish him to stop here for ever, and whatever Ihave is his; yes, even my daughter. But I seek what is best for him, and I would not have it said in after years that Jan Botmar had kept anEnglish lad not old enough to judge for himself from his rank and wealthbecause he took pleasure in his company and wished to marry him to hisgirl. "

"Good, " I said. "And now for you, Suzanne; what have you to say?"

"I have nothing to add to my words, " she replied; "you know all myheart. "

"Good again. And you, Ralph?"

"I say, mother, that I will not budge from this place unless I amordered to go, and if I do go, I will come back for Suzanne. I love youall, and with you I wish to live and nowhere else. "

"Nay, Ralph, " I answered sighing, "if once you go you will never comeback, for out yonder you will find a new home, new interests, and, perchance, new loves. Well, though nobody has thought of me in thismatter, I have a voice in it, and I will speak for myself. That ladyonder has been a son to me for many years, and I who have none love himas such. He is a man as we reckon in this country, and he does not wishto leave us any more than we wish him to go. Moreover, he loves Suzanne, and Suzanne loves him, and I believe that the God who brought themtogether at first means them to be husband and wife, and that such loveas they bear to each other will give them more together than any wealthor rank can bring to them apart. Therefore I say, husband, let our son, Ralph, say here with us and marry our daughter, Suzanne, decently and indue season, and let their children be our children, and their love ourlove. "

"And how about the Scotchmen who are coming with power to take himaway?"

"Do you and Ralph go to the bush-veldt with the cattle to-morrow, " Ianswered, "and leave me to deal with the Scotchmen. "

"Well, " said Jan, "I consent, for who can stand up against so manywords, and the Lord knows that to lose Ralph would have broken my heartas it would have broken that girl's, perhaps more so, since girls changetheir fancies, but I am too old to change. Come here, my children. "

They came, and he laid one of his big hands upon the head of each ofthem, saying:--

"May the God in Heaven bless you both, who to me are one as dear as theother, making you happy with each other for many long years, and may Heturn aside from you and from us the punishment that is due to all of usbecause, on account of our great love, we are holding you back, Ralph, from the home, the kin and the fortune to which you were born. " Then hekissed each of them on the forehead and let them go. 

"If there be any punishment for that which is no sin, on my head be it, "said Ralph, "since never would I have gone from here by my own will. "

"Aye, aye, " answered Jan, "but who can take account of the talk of a ladin love? Well, we have committed the sin and we must bear the sorrow. Now I go out to see to the kraaling of the cattle, which we will driveoff to the bush-veldt to-morrow at dawn, for I will have naught to dowith these Scotchmen; your mother must settle with them as she wills, only I beg of her that she will tell me nothing of the bargain. Nay, donot come with me, Ralph; stop you with your dear, for to-morrow you willbe parted for a while. "

So he went, and did not return again till late, and we three sattogether and made pretense to be very happy, but somehow were a littlesad, for Jan's words about sin and sorrow stuck in our hearts, as thehonest words of a stupid, upright man are apt to do. 

Now on the morrow at dawn, as had been arranged, Jan and Ralph rode awayto the warm veldt with the cattle, leaving me and Suzanne to look afterthe farm. Three days later the Scotchmen came, and then it was that forlove of Ralph and for the sake of the happiness of my daughter I sinnedthe greatest sin of all my life--the sin that was destined to shape thefates of others yet unborn. 

I was seated on the _stoep_ in the afternoon when I saw three white menand some Cape boys, their servants, riding up to the house. 

"Here come those who would steal my boy from me, " I thought to myself, and, like Pharaoh, I hardened my heart. 

Now in those days my sight was very good, and while the men were yetsome way off I studied them all and made up my mind about them. Firstthere was a large young man of five-and-twenty or thereabouts, and Inoted with a sort of fear that he was not unlike to Ralph. The eyes werethe same and the shape of the forehead, only this gentleman had a weak, uncertain mouth, and I judged that he was very good-humoured, but of anindolent mind. By his side rode another man of quite a different stamp, and middle-aged. "The lawyer, " I said to myself as I looked at hisweasel-like face, bushy eyebrows, and red hair. Indeed, that was aneasy guess, for who can mistake a lawyer, whatever his race may be? Thattrade is stronger than any blood, and leaves the same seal on all whofollow it. Doubtless if those lawyers of whom the Lord speaks hardthings in the Testament were set side by side with the lawyers who drawmortgage bonds and practise usury here in South Africa, they would proveto be as like to each other as are the grains of corn upon one mealiecob. Yes, when, all dressed the same, they stand together among thegoats on the last day few indeed will know them apart. 

"A fool and a knave, " said I to myself. "Well, perhaps I can deal withthe knave and then the fool will not trouble me. "

As for the third man, I took no pains to study him, for I saw at oncethat he was nothing but an interpreter. 

Well, up they rode to the _stoep_, the two Englishmen taking off theirhats to me, after their foolish fashion, while the interpreter, whocalled me "Aunt, " although I was younger than he was, asked for leave tooff-saddle, according to our custom. I nodded my head, and having giventhe horses to the Cape boys, they came up onto the _stoep_ and shookhands with me as I sat. I was not going to rise to greet two Englishmenwhom I already hated in my heart, first because they _were_ Englishmen, and secondly because they were about to tempt me into sin, for suchsooner or later we always learn to hate. 

"Sit, " I said, pointing to the yellow-wood bench which was seated withstrips of _rimpi_, and the three of them squeezed themselves into thebench and sat there like white-breasted crows on a bough; the young manstaring at me with a silly smile, the lawyer peering this way andthat, and turning up his sharp nose at the place and all in it, and theinterpreter doing nothing at all, for he was a sensible man, who knewthe habits of well-bred people and how to behave in their presence. After five minutes or so the lawyer grew impatient, and said somethingin a sharp voice, to which the interpreter answered, "Wait. "

So they waited till, just as the young man was beginning to go to sleepbefore my very eyes, Suzanne came onto the verandah, whereupon he wokeup in a hurry, and, jumping off the bench, began to bow and scrape andto offer her his seat, for there was no other. 

"Suzanne, " I said, taking no notice of his bad manners, "get coffee, "and she went, looking less displeased at his grimaces than I would havehad her do. 

In time the coffee came, and they drank it, or pretended to, afterwhich the lawyer began to grow impatient once more, and spoke to theinterpreter, who said to me that they had come to visit us on a matterof business. 

"Then tell him that it can wait till after we have eaten, " I answered. "It is not my habit to talk business in the afternoon. Why is the lawyerman so impatient, seeing that doubtless he is paid by the day?"

This was translated, and the lawyer asked how I knew his trade. 

"In the same way that I know a weasel by its face and a stink-cat by itssmell, " I replied, for every minute I hated that advocate more. 

At this answer the lawyer grew white with anger, and the young lordburst into a roar of laughter, for, as I have said, these English peoplehave no manners. However, they settled themselves down again on theyellow-wood bench and looked at me; while I, folding my hands, satopposite, and looked at them for somewhere about another hour, as theinterpreter told them that if they moved I should be offended, and, for my part, I was determined that I would not speak to them of theirbusiness until Suzanne had gone to bed. 

At last, when I saw that they would bear it no longer, for they werebecoming very wrathful, and saying words that sounded like oaths, Icalled for supper and we went in and ate it. Here again I noticed theresemblance between the young man and Ralph, for he had the same tricksof eating and drinking, and I saw that when he had done his meat heturned himself a little sideways from the table, crossing his legs in apeculiar fashion just as it always had been Ralph's habit to do. 

"The two had one grandfather, or one grandmother, " I said to myself, andgrew afraid at the thought. 

CHAPTER VII

THE SIN OF VROUW BOTMAR

When the meat was cleared away I bade Suzanne go to bed, which she didmost unwillingly, for knowing the errand of these men she wished to hearour talk. As soon as she was gone I took a seat so that the light ofthe candles left my face in shadow and fell full on those of the threemen--a wise thing to do if one is wicked enough to intend to tell liesabout any matter--and said:

"Now, here I am at your service; be pleased to set out the business thatyou have in hand. "

Then they began, the lawyer, speaking through the interpreter, asking, "Are you the Vrouw Botmar?"

"That is my name. "

"Where is your husband, Jan Botmar?"

"Somewhere on the veldt; I do not know where. "

"Will he be back to-morrow?"

"No. "

"When will he be back?"

"Perhaps in two months, perhaps in three, I cannot tell. "

At this they consulted together, and then went on:

"Have you living with you a young Englishman named Ralph Mackenzie?"

"One named Ralph Kenzie lives with us. "

"Where is he?"

"With my husband on the veldt. I do not know where. "

"Can you find him?"

"No, the veldt is very wide. If you wish to see him you must wait tillhe comes back. "

"When will that be?"

"I am not his nurse and cannot tell; perhaps in three months, perhapssix. "

Now again they consulted, and once more went on:

"Was the boy, Ralph Mackenzie, or Kenzie, shipwrecked in the _India_ inthe year 1824?"

"Dear Lord!" I cried, affecting to lose my patience, "am I an oldKaffir wife up before the Landdrost for stealing hens that I should becross-questioned in this fashion? Set out all your tale at once, man, and I will answer it. "

Thereon, shrugging his shoulders, the lawyer produced a paper which theinterpreter translated to me. In it were written down the names of thepassengers who were upon the vessel _India_ when she sailed from a placecalled Bombay, and among the names those of Lord and Lady Glenthirsk andof their son, the Honourable Ralph Mackenzie, aged nine. Then followedthe evidence of one or two survivors of the shipwreck, which stated thatLady Glenthirsk and her son were seen to reach the shore in safety inthe boat that was launched from the sinking ship. After this came aparagraph from an English newspaper published in Capetown, dated nottwo years before, and headed "Strange Tale of the Sea, " which paragraph, with some few errors, told the story of the finding of Ralph--though howthe writing man knew it I know not, unless it was through the tutor withthe blue spectacles of whom I have spoken--and said that he was stillliving on the farm of Jan Botmar in the Transkei. This was all that wasin the paper. I asked to look at it and kept it, saying in the morningthat the Kaffir girl seeing it lying about the kitchen had used itto light the fire; but to this day it is with the other things in thewaggon chest under my bed. 

When the paper was done with, the lawyer took up the tale and told methat it was believed in England that Lord Glenthirsk had been drowned inthe sea, as indeed he was, and that Lady Glenthirsk and her son perishedon the shore with the other women and children, for so those sent by theEnglish Government to search out the facts had reported. Thus it cameabout that after a while Lord Glenthirsk's younger brother was admittedby law to his title and estates, which he enjoyed for some eight years, that is, until his death. About a year before he died, however, someonesent him the paragraph headed "Strange Tale of the Sea, " and he was muchdisturbed by it, though to himself he argued that it was nothing but anidle story, such as it seems are often put into newspapers. The end ofthe matter was that he took no steps to discover whether the tale weretrue or false, and none knew of it save himself, and he was not mindedto go fishing in that ugly water. So it came about that he kept silentas the grave, till at length, when the grave yawned at his feet, andwhen the rank and the lands and the wealth were of no more use to him, he opened his mouth to his son and to his lawyer, the two men who satbefore me, and to them only, bidding them seek out the beginning of thetale, and if it were true, to make restitution to his nephew. 

Now--for all this, listening with my ears wide open, and sometimesfilling in what was not told me in words, I gathered from the men beforethey left the house--as it chanced the dying lord could not have chosentwo worse people for such an errand, seeing that although the son washonest, both of them were interested in proving the tale to be false. Since that time, however, often I have thought that he knew thishimself, and trusted by the choice both to cheat his own conscienceand to preserve the wealth and dignity for his son. God, to whom he hasgone, alone knows the truth of it, but with such a man it may very wellhave been as I think. I say that both were interested, for it seems, ashe told me afterwards, that the lawyer was to receive a great sum--tenthousand pounds--under the will of the dead lord for whom he had donemuch during his lifetime. But if Ralph were proved to be the heir thissum would have been his and not the lawyer's, for the money was partof his father's inheritance; therefore it was worth just ten thousandpounds to that lawyer to convince himself and the false lord that Ralphwas not the man, and therefore it was that I found him so easy to dealwith. 

Now after his father was dead the lawyer tried to persuade the son totake no notice of his dying words, and to let the matter rest where itwas, seeing that he had nothing to gain and much to lose. But this hewould not consent to, for, as I have said, he was honest, declaring thathe could not be easy in his mind till he knew the truth, and that if hedid not go to find it out himself he would send others to do so for him. As the lawyer desired this least of anything, he gave way, and they setout upon their journey--which in those days was a very great journeyindeed--arriving at last in safety at our stead in the Transkei; for, whether he liked it or not, his companion--who now was called LordGlenthirsk--would not be turned aside from the search or suffer him toprosecute it alone. 

At length, when all the tale was told, the lawyer looked at me with hissharp eyes and said, through the interpreter:

"Vrouw Botmar, you have heard the story, tell us what you know. Is theyoung man who lives with you he whom we seek?"

Now I thought for a second, though that second seemed like a year. Alldoubt had left me, there was no room for it. Ralph and no other was theman, and on my answer might hang his future. But I had argued the thingout before and made up my mind to lie, though, so far as I know, it isthe only lie I ever told, and I am not a woman who often changes hermind. Therefore I lied. 

"It is not he, " I said, "though for his sake I might wish that it were, and this I can prove to you. "

Now, when I had told this great falsehood, prompted to it by my love forthe lad and my love for Suzanne, his affianced wife, my mind grew as itwere empty for a moment, and I remember that in the emptiness I seemedto hear a sound of laughter echoing in the air somewhere above the roofof the house. Very swiftly I recovered myself, and looking at the menI saw that my words rejoiced them, except the interpreter indeed, whobeing a paid servant coming from far away, from the neighbourhood ofCapetown I believe, had no interest in the matter one way or the otherbeyond that of earning his money with as little trouble as possible. Yes, they smiled at each other, looking as though a great weight hadbeen lifted off their minds, till presently the lawyer checked himselfand said:

"Be so good as to set out the proofs of which you speak, Vrouw Botmar. "

"I will, " I answered, "but tell me first, the ship _India_ was wreckedin the year 1824, was she not?"

"Undoubtedly, " answered the lawyer. 

"Well, have you heard that another ship called the _Flora_, travellingfrom the Cape I know not whither, was lost on this coast in the samemonth of the following year, and that a few of her passengers escaped?"

"I have heard of it, " he said. 

"Good. Now look here, " and going to a chest that stood beneath thewindow, I lifted from it the old Bible that belonged to my grandfatherand father, on the white pages at the beginning of which are written therecord of many births, marriages, deaths and other notable events thathad happened in the family. Opening it I searched and pointed to acertain entry inscribed in the big writing of my husband Jan, and in inkwhich was somewhat faint, for the ink that the traders sold us in thosedays had little virtue in it. Beneath this entry were others made by Janin later years, telling of things that had happened to us, such as thedeath of his great-aunt who left him money, the outbreak of small-poxon the farm, and the number of people who died from it, the attack of aband of the red Kaffirs upon our house, when by the mercy of God we beatthem off, leaving twelve of their dead behind them, but taking as manyof our best oxen, and so forth. 

"Read, " I said, and the interpreter read as follows:

"On the twelfth day of September in the year 1825 (the date beingwritten in letters) our little daughter Suzanne found a starving Englishboy in a kloof, who had been shipwrecked on the coast. We have taken himin as a gift of the Lord. He says that his name is Rolf Kenzie. "

"You see the date, " I said. 

"Yes, " answered the lawyer, "and it has not been altered!"

"No, " I added, "it has not been altered;" but I did not tell them thatJan had not written it down till afterwards, and then by mistake hadrecorded the year in which he wrote, refusing to change it, although Ipointed out the error, because, he said, there was no room, and that itwould make a mess in the book. 

"There is one more thing, " I went on; "you say the mother of him youseek was a great lady. Well, I saw the body of the mother of the boywho was found, and it was that of a common person very roughly clad withcoarse underclothes and hands hard with labour, on which there was butone ring, and that of silver. Here it is, " and going to a drawer I tookfrom it a common silver ring which I once bought from a pedlar becausehe worried me into it. "Lastly, gentlemen, the father of our lad was nolord, unless in your country it is the custom of lords to herd sheep, for the boy told me that in his own land his father was a shepherd, and that he was travelling to some distant English colony to follow histrade. That is all I have to say about it, though I am sorry that thelad is not here to tell it you himself. "

When he had heard this statement of mine, which I made in a cold andindifferent voice, the young lord, Ralph's cousin, rose and stretchedhimself, smiling happily. 

"Well, " he said, "there is the end of a very bad nightmare, and I amglad enough that we came here and found out the truth, for had we notdone so I should never have been happy in my mind. "

"Yes, " answered the lawyer, the interpreter rendering their words allthe while, "the Vrouw Botmar's evidence is conclusive, though I shallput her statement in writing and ask her to sign it. There is only onething, and that is the strange resemblance of the names, " and he glancedat him with his quick eyes. 

"There are many Mackenzies in Scotland, " answered Lord Glenthirsk, "andI have no doubt that this poor fellow was a shepherd emigrating with hiswife and child to Australia or somewhere. " Then he yawned and added, "Iam going outside to get some air before I sleep. Perhaps you will drawup the paper for the good lady to sign. "

"Certainly, my lord, " answered the lawyer, and the young man went awayquite convinced. 

After he had gone the lawyer produced pen and ink and wrote out thestatement, putting in it all the lies that I had told, and copying theextract from the fly-leaf of the Bible. When he had done the interpretertranslated it to me, and then it was that the lawyer told me aboutthe last wishes of the dying lord, and how it would have cost him tenthousand pounds and much business also had the tale proved true. Nowat last he gave me the paper to sign. Besides the candles on the table, which being of mutton fat had burnt out, there was a lamp fed withwhale's oil, but this also was dying, the oil being exhausted, so thatits flame, which had sunk low, jumped from time to time with a littlenoise, giving out a blue light. In that unholy blue light, which turnedour faces ghastly pale, the lawyer and I looked at each other as Isat before him, the pen in my hand, and in his eyes I read that he wascertain that I was about to sign to a wicked lie, and in mine he readthat I knew it to be a lie. 

For a while we stared at each other thus, discovering each other'ssouls. "Sign, " he said, shrugging his shoulders, "the light dies. "

Then I signed, and as I wrote the lamp went out, leaving us in darkness, and through the darkness once more I heard that sound of laughterechoing in the air above the house. 

CHAPTER VIII

THE WISDOM OF SUZANNE

Now, although Suzanne heard not a word of our talk, still she graspedits purport well enough, for she knew that I proposed to throw dust intothe eyes of the Englishmen. This troubled her conscience sorely, forthe more she thought of it the more did it seem to her to be wickedthat just because we loved him and did not wish to part with him, Ralph should be cheated of his birthright. All night long she lay awakebrooding, and before ever the dawn broke she had settled in her mindthat she herself would speak to the Englishmen, telling them the truth, come what might of her words, for Suzanne, my daughter, was a determinedgirl with an upright heart. Now feeling happier because of her decision, at length she fell asleep and slept late, and as it happened thisaccident of fate was the cause of the miscarriage of her scheme. 

It came about in this way. Quite early in the morning--at sun-up, indeed--the Englishmen rose, and coming out of the little guest-chamber, drank the coffee that I had made ready for them, and talked togetherfor a while. Then the young lord--Ralph's cousin--said that as theyjourneyed yesterday at a distance of about an hour on horseback from thefarm he had noticed a large _vlei_, or _pan_, where were many ducks andalso some antelope. To this _vlei_ he proposed to ride forward with oneservant only, and to stay there till the others overtook him, shootingthe wild things which lived in the place, for to be happy theseEnglishmen must always be killing something. So he bade me farewell, making me a present of the gold chain which he took off his watch, whichchain I still have. Then he rode away, smiling after his fashion; andas I watched him go I was glad to think that he was no knave but only aneasy tool in the hands of others. We never met again, but I believe thatdeath finished his story many years ago; indeed, all those of whom Itell are dead; only Jan and I survive, and our course is well-nigh run. 

When Suzanne awoke at length, having heard from a Kaffir girl that thestrangers had ordered their horses, but not that the young lord hadridden forward, she slipped from the house silently, fearing lest Ishould stay her, and hid herself in a little patch of bush at the cornerof the big mealie field by which she knew the Englishmen must pass ontheir return journey. Presently she heard them coming, and when shesaw that the young lord was not with them, she went to the lawyer, whopulled up his horse and waited for her, the rest of the party riding on, and asked where his master was, saying that she wished to talk with him. And here I must say, if I have not said it before, that Suzanne couldspeak English, though not well. The Hollander tutor had instructed herin that tongue, in which Ralph also would converse with her at timeswhen he did not wish others to understand what they were saying, for henever forgot his mother language, though he mixed many Dutch words withit. 

"He has ridden forward an hour or more ago. Can I take any message tohim for you?" said the lawyer. "Or if you wish to talk of business, tospeak to me is to speak to him. "

"That may be so, " answered Suzanne, "still I like to draw my water atthe fountain itself. Yet, as he has gone, I beg you to listen to me, forwhen you have heard what I have to say I think that you will bring himback. You came here about Ralph Kenzie, did you not, and my mother toldyou that he is not the man whom you seek, did she not?"

The lawyer nodded. 

"Well, I tell you that all this tale is false, for he is the very man, "and she poured out the true story of Ralph and of the plot that had beenmade to deceive them about him. 

Now, as I have said, Suzanne's English was none of the best and it ispossible that the lawyer did not understand. For my part, however, Ithink that he understood well enough, for she told me afterwards that isface grew grey and anxious as he listened, and that at length he said:

"All this you tell me is very strange and weighty, so much so that Imust bring my friend back to look more closely into the matter. Returnnow to the farm and say nothing of having met me, for by this evening, or to-morrow at the latest, we will come there again and sift out thetruth of this question. "

To this she agreed, being guileless, and the lawyer rode away after theother. All that day and all the next Suzanne scarcely spoke to me, butI saw that she was expecting something to happen, and that she glancedcontinually towards the path by which the Englishmen had journeyed, thinking to see them riding back to the farm. But they rode back nomore, and I am sure that the cunning lawyer never breathed one word ofhis meeting with Suzanne and of what took place at it to the young lord. That book was shut and it did not please him to reopen it, since to doso might have cost him ten thousand pounds. On the third morning I foundSuzanne still looking down the path, and my patience being exhausted byher silence, I spoke to her sharply. 

"What are you doing, girl?" I asked. "Have we not had enough visitors oflate that you must stand here all day awaiting more?"

"I seek no new visitors, " Suzanne said, "but those who have been hereonly, and I see now that I seek in vain. "

"What do you mean, Suzanne?"

Now of a sudden she seemed to make up her mind to speak, for she turnedand faced me boldly, saying:

"I mean, mother, that I told the Englishman with the red hair, theagent, that all the fine tale you spun to him about Ralph was false, andthat he _was_ the man they came to find. "

"You dared to do that, girl?" I said, then checked myself and added, "Well, what did the man say?"

"He said that he would ride on and bring the young lord back that Imight talk with him, but they have not come. "

"No, nor will they, Suzanne, for if they sought they did not wish tofind, or at least the lawyer did not wish it, for he had too much atstake. Well, things have gone finely with you, seeing that your handsare clean from sin, and that Ralph still stays at your side. "

"The sin of the parents is the sin of the child, " she answered, and thenof a sudden she took fire as it were, and fell upon me and beat me withher tongue; nor could I hold my own before this girl of eighteen, thetruth being that she had right on her side, and I knew it. She told methat we were wicked plotters who, to pleasure ourselves, had stolen fromRalph everything except his life; and many other such hard sayings shethrew at me till at last I could bear it no more, but gave her back wordfor word. Indeed, it would be difficult to say which had the best ofthat quarrel, for if Suzanne's tongue was the nimbler and her words werewinged with truth, I had the weight of experience on my side and thecustom of authority. At last, as she paused breathless, I cried out:

"And for whose sake was all this done, you ungrateful chit, if it wasnot for your own?"

"If that was so, which is not altogether true, " she answered, "it wouldhave pleased me better, if, rather than make me a partner in this crime, and set me as bait to snare Ralph, you had left me to look after my ownwelfare. "

"What!" I exclaimed, "are you then so shallow hearted that you wereready to bid farewell to him who for many years has been as yourbrother, and is now your affianced husband? You know well whatever hemight promise now, that if once he had gone across the sea to England, you would have seen him no more. "

"No, " she answered, growing calm of a sudden, "I was not so prepared, for sooner would I die than lose Ralph. "

"How, then, do you square this with all your fine talk?" I asked, thinking that at length I had trapped her. "If he had gone you must havelost him. "

"Not so, " she answered, innocently, "for I should have married himbefore he went, and then I could have been certain that he would returnhere whenever I wished it. "

Now when I heard this I gasped, partly because the girl's clevernesstook the breath from me, and partly with mortification that I shouldhave lived to learn wisdom from the mouth of a babe and a suckling. Forthere was no doubt of it, this plan, of which I had not even thought, was the answer to the riddle, since by means of it Ralph might have kepthis own, and we, I doubt not, should have kept Ralph. Once married toSuzanne he would have returned to her, or if she had gone with him fora little while, which might have been better, she would certainly havebrought him back, seeing that she loved us and her home too well toforsake them. 

Yes, I gasped, and the only answer that I could make when I reflectedhow little need there had been for the sin which we had sinned, was toburst into weeping, whereon Suzanne ran to me and kissed me and we madefriends again. But all the same, I do not think that she ever thoughtquite so well of me afterwards, and if I thought the more of her, stillI made up my mind that the sooner she was married and had a husband ofher own to preach to, the better it would be for all of us. 

Thus ended the story of the coming of the Englishmen, and of how Ralphlost his wealth and rank. We never heard or saw more of them, seeingthat in those days before the great Trek we did not write letters, and if we had we should not have known where to send them, nor did thepost-cart pass the door twice a week as it does in this overcrowded landof Natal. 

Now I must go on to tell of the doings of that devil upon earth, SwartPiet, and of how the little Kaffir witch-doctoress, Sihamba Ngenyanga, which means She-who-walks-by-the-moonlight, became the slave and saviourof Suzanne. 

At this time the Heer van Vooren, Swart Piet's father, had been dead fortwo years, and there were strange stories as to the manner of his deathwhich I do not think it necessary to set out here. Whether or no SwartPiet did or did not murder his father I cannot say, nor does it matter, for at the least he worked other crimes as bad. After the death of theHeer van Vooren, however he may have chanced to die, this is certain, that Swart Piet inherited great riches as we used to reckon riches inthose days; that is, he had vast herds of cattle and goats and sleep, some of which were kept for him by native chiefs far away, as much landas he wanted, and, it was said, a good sum in English gold. But he wasa strange man, not like to other men, for he married no wife and courtedno misses, that is until he took to courting Suzanne, and his onlypleasure was to keep the company of Kaffir chiefs and women and to mixhimself up with the devilments of the witch-doctors. Still, as every manhas his fate, at last he fell in love with Suzanne, and in love with herhe remained during all his wicked life, if that can be love which seeksto persecute and bring misery upon its object. It was just before thecoming of the Englishmen that this passion of his manifested itself, forwhenever he met the girl--outside the house for the most part, sinceJan did not like to have him in it--he made sweet speeches and passedfoolish pleasantries which, to be just, I am sure Suzanne neverencouraged, since all her heart was elsewhere. 

Now Swart Piet had information of everything, for his Kaffir spiesbrought it to him; therefore he very soon learned that Jan and Ralph hadgone away with the cattle to the warm veldt, and that we two womenwere alone in the house. This was his opportunity, and one of which heavailed himself, for now two or three times a week he would rideover from his place, take supper and ask leave to sleep, which it wasdifficult to refuse, all this time wearying the poor girl with hisattentions. At last I spoke my mind to him about it, though not withouthesitation, for to tell truth Swart Piet was one of the few men of whomI have ever been afraid. He listened to me politely and answered:

"All this is very true, Aunt, but if you desire a fruit and it will notfall, then you must shake the tree. "

"What if it sticks to the bough?" I asked. 

"Then, Aunt, you must climb the tree and pluck it. "

"And what if by that time it is in another man's pouch?"

"Then, Aunt, " he answered with one of those dark smiles that turned myblood cold, "then, Aunt, the best thing which you can do is to kill theother man and take it out, for after that the fruit will taste all thesweeter. "

"Get you gone, Swart Piet, " I said in anger, "for no man who talks thusshall stay in my house, and it is very well for you that neither myhusband nor Ralph Kenzie are here to put you out of it. "

"Well, " he answered, "they are not here, are they? And as for yourhouse, it is a pretty place, but I only seek one thing in it, and thatis not built into the walls. I thank you for your hospitality, Aunt, andnow, good-day to you. "

"Suzanne!" I called, "Suzanne!" for I thought that she was in herchamber; but the girl, knowing that Piet van Vooren was here, hadslipped out, and of this he was aware. He knew, moreover, where she hadgone, for I think that one of his Kaffir servants was watching outsideand told him, and thither he followed her and made love to her. 

In the end--for he would not be put off--he asked her for a kiss, whereat she grew angry. Then, for he was no shy wooer, he tried to takeit by force; but she was strong and active and slipped from him. Insteadof being ashamed, he only laughed after his uncanny fashion, and said:

"Well, missy, you have the best of me now, but I shall win that kissyet. Oh! I know all about it; you love the English castaway, don't you?But there, a woman can love many men in her life, and when one is deadanother will serve her turn. "

"What do you mean, myn Heer van Vooren?" asked Suzanne, afraid. 

"Mean? Nothing, but I shall win that kiss yet, yes, and before verylong. "

CHAPTER IX

HOW SUZANNE SAVED SIHAMBA

Now in a valley of the hills, something over an hour's ride from thefarm, and not far from the road that ran to Swart Piet's place, livedthe little Kaffir witch-doctoress, Sihamba Ngenyanga. This woman did notbelong to any of the Transkei or neighbouring tribes, but had drifteddown from the North; indeed, she was of Swazi or some such blood, thoughwhy she left her own people we did not know at that time. In appearanceSihamba was very strange, for, although healthy, perfectly shaped andcopper-coloured rather than black, she was no taller than a child oftwelve years old--a thing that made many people believe that she was abush woman, which she most certainly was not. For a Kaffir also she waspretty, having fine small features, beautiful white teeth, and a fringeof wavy black hair that stood out stiffly round her head something afterthe fashion of the gold plates which the saints wear in the pictures inour old Bible. 

This woman Sihamba, who might have been a little over thirty years ofage, had been living in our neighbourhood for some three or four yearsand practising as a doctoress. Not that she was a "black" doctoress, forshe never took part in the "smelling-out" of human beings for witchcraftor in the more evil sort of rites. Her trade was to sell charms andmedicines to the sick, also to cure animals of their ailments, at which, indeed, she was very clever, though there was some who said that whenshe chose she could "throw the bones" and tell the future better thanmost, and this without dressing herself up in bladders and snake skins, or falling into fits, or trances, and such mummery. Lastly, amongst thenatives about, and some of the Boers too, I am sorry to say, she had thereputation of being the best of rainmakers, and many were the head ofcattle that she earned by prophesying the break-up of a drought, or theend of continual rains. Indeed, it is certain that no one whom I everknew had so great a gift of insight into the omens of the weather at allseasons of the year, as this strange Sihamba Ngenyanga, a name thatshe got, by the way, because of her habit of wandering about in themoonlight to gather the herbs and the medicine roots which she used inher trade. 

On several occasions Jan had sent animals to be doctored by thisSihamba, for she would not come out to attend to them whatever fee wasoffered to her. At first I did not approve of it, but as she alwayscured the animals, whatever their ailments might be, I gave in on thematter. 

Now it happened that a few months before some travellers who had guestedat our house gave Suzanne a little rough-haired dog bred of parentswhich had been brought from England. Of this dog Suzanne grew very fond, and when it fell sick of the distemper she was in much distress. Soit came about that one afternoon Suzanne put the dog in a basket, andtaking with her an old Hottentot to carry it, set out upon her grey marefor the valley where Sihamba lived. Now Sihamba had her hut and the hutsof the few people in her service in a recess at the end of the valley, so placed that until you were quite on to them you would never haveguessed that they were there. Down this valley Suzanne rode, theHottentot with the basket on his head trotting by her side, till turningthe corner she came upon a scene which she had very little expected. Inone part of the open space beyond her, herded by some Kaffirs, were anumber of cattle, sheep and goats. Opposite to them in the shadow underthe hillside stood the huts of Sihamba, and in front of these grew alarge tree. Beneath this tree was Sihamba herself with scarcely anyclothing on her, for she had been stripped, her tiny wrists boundtogether behind her back and a rope about her neck, of which one endwas thrown over a bough of the tree. In front of her, laughing brutally, stood none other than Swart Piet and with him a small crowd of men, mostly half-breed wanderers of the sort that trek from place to placeclaiming hospitality on the grounds of cousinship or poverty, until theyare turned off as a nuisance. Also there were present a few Kaffirs, either headmen in Swart Piet's pay or some of his dark associates inwitchcraft. 

At first Suzanne was inclined to turn her horse and fly, but she was abrave girl, and the perilous state of the little doctoress moved her topity, for where Swart Piet was there she suspected cruelty and wickedmotive. So she rode on, yes, straight up to Swart Piet himself. 

"In the name of Heaven what passes here, myn Heer?" she asked. 

"Ah! Miss Suzanne, is it you?" he answered. "Well, you have not chosena nice time for your visit, for we are about to--hang--this thief andwitch, who has been duly convicted after a fair trial. "

"A fair trial, " said Suzanne, glancing scornfully at the rabble abouther, "and were these friends of yours the jury? What is her offence?"

"Her offence is that she who lives here on my land has stolen my cattleand hid them away in a secret kloof. It has been proved against her byample evidence. There are the cattle yonder mixed up with her own. I, asVeld-Cornet of the district, have tried the case according to law, andthe woman having been found guilty must die according to law. "

"Indeed, myn Heer, " said Suzanne, "then if I understand you right, youare both accuser and judge, and the law which permits this is one thatI never heard of. Oh!" she went on angrily, "no wonder that the Englishsing a loud song about us Boers and our cruelty to the natives when sucha thing as this can happen. It is not justice, myn Heer; it is acrime for which, if you escape the hand of man, God will bring you toaccount. "

Then for the first time Sihamba spoke in a very quiet voice, whichshowed no sign of fear. 

"You are right, lady, " she said; "it is not justice, it is a crime bornof revenge, and my life must pay forfeit for his wickedness. I am a freewoman, and I have harmed none and have bewitched none. I have cured sickpeople and sick creatures, that is all. The Heer says that I live uponhis land, but I am not his slave; I pay him rent to live here. I neverstole his cattle; they were mixed up with mine by his servants in afar-off kloof in order to trump up a charge against me, and he knows it, for he gave orders that the thing should be done, so that afterwards hemight have the joy of hanging me to this tree, because he wishes to beavenged upon me for other matters, private matters between me and him. But, lady, do not trouble yourself about the fate of such a poorblack creature as I am. Go away and tell the story if you will, but goquickly, for these sights of death are not fit for young eyes like yoursto see. "

"I will not go, " exclaimed Suzanne, "or if I go, it shall be to bringdown upon you, Swart Piet, the weight of the law which you have broken. Ah! would that my father were at home; he does not love Kaffirs but hedoes love justice. "

Now when they heard Suzanne speaking such bold words and saw the firein her eyes, Swart Piet and those with him began to grow afraid. Thehanging of a witch-doctoress after a formal trial upon the charge oftheft of cattle was no great matter in those days, for such theftswere common and a cause of much trouble to out-lying farmers, nor wouldanyone in these half-settled regions be likely to look too closely intothe rights and wrongs of an execution on account of them. But if a whiteperson who was present went away to proclaim to the authorities, perhapseven to the Governor of the Cape, whose ear could always be won throughthe missionaries of the London Society, that this pretended executionwas nothing but a murder, then the thing became serious. From the momentthat Suzanne began to speak on behalf of Sihamba, Swart Piet had seenthat it would be impossible to hang her unless he wished to risk hisown neck. But he guessed also that the girl could not know this, andtherefore he determined to make terms by working on her pity, such termsas should put her to shame before all those gathered there; yes, andleave something of a stain upon her heart for so long as she shouldlive. 

"I do not argue law with young ladies, " he said, with a little laugh, "but I am always ready to oblige young ladies, especially this younglady. Now, yonder witch and cattle-thief has richly earned her doom, yet, because you ask it, Suzanne Botmar, I am ready to withdraw theprosecution against her, and to destroy the written record of it in myhand, on two conditions, of which the first is that she pays over to meby way of compensation for what she has stolen, all her cattle and otherbelongings. Do you consent to that, witch?"

"How can I refuse?" said Sihamba, with a bitter laugh, "seeing that if Ido you will take both life and goods. But what is the second condition?"

"I am coming to that, witch, but it has nothing to do with you. Suzanne, it is this: that here, before all these people, as the price of thisthief's life, you give me the kiss which you refused to me the otherday. "

Now, before Suzanne could answer, Sihamba broke in eagerly, "Nay, lady, let not your lips be stained and your heart be shamed for the sakeof such as I. Better that I should die than that you should sufferdefilement at the hands of Swart Piet, who, born of white blood andblack, is false to both and a disgrace to both. "

"I cannot do it, " gasped Suzanne, turning pale and not heeding heroutburst, "and, Heer van Vooren, you are a coward to ask it of me. "

"Can't you?" he sneered. "Well, you need not, unless you please, andit is true that young women like best to be kissed alone. Here, youKaffirs, pull that little devil up; slowly now, that she may learn whata tight string feels like about her throat before it chokes her. "

In obedience to his command three of the evil fellows with him caughthold of the end of the rope which hung over the bough, and began topull, dragging the light form of Sihamba upwards till only the tips ofher big toes touched the ground. 

"Doesn't she dance prettily?" said Swart Piet with a brutal laugh, atthe same time motioning to the men to keep her thus a while. 

Now Suzanne looked at the blackening lips and the little form convulsedin its death struggle, and could bear the sight no more. 

"Let her down!" she cried, and, springing from the saddle, for all thiswhile she had been seated upon her horse, she walked up to Piet, saying, "Take what you seek, but oh! for your sake I wish to God that my lipswere poison. "

"No, no, " gasped Sihamba, who now was lying half choked upon the ground. 

"That is not our bargain, dear, " said Piet; "it is that you should kissme, not I you. "

Again Suzanne shrank back, and again at his signal the men began topull upon the rope. Then seeing it, with her face as pale as death, shelearned forward and touched his lips with hers, whereon he seized herround the middle, and, drawing her to him, covered her with kisses tilleven the brutes with him called to him not to push his jest too far andto let the girl go. This he did, uttering words which I will not repeat, and so weak was Suzanne with shame that when his arms were taken fromher she fell to the ground, and lay there till the old Hottentot, herservant, ran to her, cursing and weeping with rage, and helped her toher feet. For a while she stood saying nothing, only wiping her face, asthough filth had bespattered it, with the sun _kapje_ which had fallenfrom her head, and her face was whiter than the white cap. At last shespoke in a hoarse voice:

"Loose that woman, " she said, "who has cost me my honour. "

They obeyed her, and snatching up her skin rug Sihamba turned and fledswiftly down the valley. Then Suzanne went to her horse, but before shemounted it she looked Swart Piet straight in the eyes. At the timehe was following her, begging her not to be angry at a joke, for hismadness was satisfied for a while and had left him. But she only lookedin answer, and there was something so terrible to him in the dark eyesof this young unfriended girl that he shrank back, seeing in them, perhaps, the shadow of fate to come. Then Suzanne rode away, and SwartPiet, having commanded his ruffians to fire the huts of Sihamba, and tocollect her people, goods, and cattle, went away also. 

Just at the mouth of the valley something stirred in a bush, causingthe horse to start, so that Suzanne, who was thinking of other things, slipped from it to the ground. Next moment she saw that it was Sihamba, who knelt before her, kissing her feet and the hem of her robe. 

"Rise, " she said kindly; "what has been cannot be helped, and at leastit was no fault of yours. "

"Nay, Swallow, " said Sihamba, for I think I have said that was thename which the natives had given to Suzanne from childhood, I believe, because of the grace of her movements and her habit of running swiftlyhither and thither--"Nay, Swallow, in a way it was my fault. "

"What do you mean, Sihamba?"

"I mean, Swallow, that although I am so small some have thought mepretty, and the real reason of Black Piet's hate for me is--but whyshould I defile your ears with the tale?"

"They would only match my face if you did, " answered Suzanne grimly, "but there is no need; I can guess well enough. "

"You can guess, Swallow; then you will see why it was my fault. Yes, yes, you will see that what I, a black woman, who am less than dirt inthe eyes of your people, would not do to save my own life; you, a whitechieftainess, and the fairest whom we know, have done of your own willto keep it in me. "

"If the act was good, " answered Suzanne, "may it go to my credit in theBook of the Great One who made us. "

"It will go to your credit, Swallow, " answered Sihamba with passion, "both in that Book and in the hearts of all who hear this story, butmost of all in this heart of mine. Oh! listen, lady; sometimes a cloudcomes over me, and in that cloud I who was born a doctoress see visionsof things that are to happen, true visions. Among them I see this: thatmany moons hence and far away I shall live to save you as you have savedme, but between that day and this the cloud of the future is black to myeyes, black but living. "

"It may be so, " answered Suzanne, "for I have heard that you have theSight. And now, farewell; you had best seek out some friends among yourpeople and hide yourself. "

"My people, " said Sihamba; "then I must seek long, for they are very, very far away, nor do they desire to see me. "

"Why not?"

"Because as it chances I am by blood their ruler, for I am the onlychild of my father's head-wife. But they would not have me set over themas chieftainess unless I married a man, and towards marriage I have nowish, for I am different from other women, both in body and heart. Sohaving quarrelled with them on this and another matter of policy I setout to seek my fortune and left them to theirs. "

"Your fortune was not a good one, Sihamba, for it led you to Swart Pietand the rope. "

"Nay, lady, it led me to the Swallow and freedom; no, not to freedom butto slavery, for I am your slave, whose life you have bought at a greatprice. Now I have nothing left in the world; Swart Piet has taken mycattle which I earned cow by cow and bred up heifer by heifer, and savefor the wit within my brain and this kaross upon my shoulders, I havenothing. "

"What, then, will you do, Sihamba?"

"What you do, Swallow, that I shall do, for am I not your slave boughtat a great price? I will go home with you and serve you, yes, to mylife's end. "

"That would please me well enough, Sihamba, but I do not know how itwould please my father. "

"What pleases you pleases him, Swallow; moreover, I can save my foodtwice over by curing his cattle and horses in sickness, for in suchneeds I have skill. "

"Well, " she said, "come, and when my father returns we will settle howit shall be. "

CHAPTER X

THE OATH OF SIHAMBA

Suzanne came home and told me her story, and when I heard it I was likea mad woman; indeed, it would have gone ill with Swart Piet's eyes andhair if I could have fallen in with him that night. 

"Wait till your father returns, girl, " I said. 

"Yes, mother, " she answered, "I wait for him--and Ralph. "

"What is to be done with the little doctoress, Sihamba?" I asked, adding, "I do not like such people about the place. "

"Let her bide also till the men come back, mother, " she answered, "andthen they will see to it. Meanwhile there is an empty hut down by thecattle kraal where she can live. "

So Sihamba stopped on and became a body servant to Suzanne, the best Iever saw, though she would do no other work save that of attending tosick animals. 

Ten days afterwards Jan and Ralph returned safe and sound, leaving someKaffirs in charge of the cattle in the bush-veldt. Very glad we were tosee them, since, putting everything else aside, it was lonely work fortwo women upon the place with no neighbour at hand, and in those days tobe lonely meant to be in danger. 

When we were together Jan's first question to me was:

"Have those Englishmen been here?"

"They have been here, " I answered, "and they have gone away. "

Jan asked me nothing more of the matter, for he did not wish to knowwhat had passed between us. Only he looked at me queerly, and, as Ithink, thought the worse of me afterwards, for he found out thatSuzanne and I had quarrelled about the song I sang in the ears of theEnglishmen, and what that song was he could guess very well. Yes, yes, although he had been a party to the fraud, in his heart Jan put all theblame of it upon me, for that is the way of men who are mean, and alwayslove to say "The woman tempted me, " a vile habit which has come down tothem with their blood. 

Meanwhile another talk was passing between Ralph and Suzanne. They hadrushed to meet each other like two separated colts bred in the samemeadow, but when they came together it was different. Ralph put out hisarms to embrace her, but she pushed him back and said, "No, not until wehave spoken together. "

"This is a cold greeting, " said Ralph, amazed and trembling, for hefeared lest Suzanne should have changed her mind as to their marriage. "What is it that you have to tell me? Speak on, quickly. "

"Two things, Ralph, " she answered, and taking the least of them first, she plunged straightway into a full account of the coming of theEnglishmen, of all that had passed then, and of her quarrel with me uponthe matter. 

"And now, Ralph, " she ended, "you will understand that you have beencheated of your birthright, and this I think it just that you shouldknow, so that, if you will, you may change your mind about staying here, for there is yet time, and follow these Englishmen to wherever it isthey have gone, to claim from them your heritage. "

Ralph laughed and answered, "Why, Sweet, I thought that we had settledall this long ago. That your mother did not tell the men quite the truthis possible, but if she played with it, it was for the sake of all of usand with my leave. Let them go and the fortune with them, for even if Icould come to England and find it there, I should be but as a wildbuck in a sheep kraal, out of place and unhappy. Moreover, we should beseparated, dear, for even if you would all consent, I could never takeyou from your own people and the land where you were born. So now thatthere is an end to this, once and for ever, let me kiss you in greeting, Suzanne. "

But she shook her head and denied him, saying, "No, for I have anothertale to tell you, and an uglier--so ugly indeed that after the hearingof it I doubt much whether you will wish to kiss me any more. "

"Be swift with it then, " he answered, "for you torment me, " and shebegan her story. 

She told how that, after he had gone away, Swart Piet began to persecuteher; how he had wished to kiss her and she had refused them, so that heleft her with threats. Then she paused suddenly and said:

"And now, before I finish the story, you shall swear an oath to me. Youshall swear that you will not attempt to kill Swart Piet because of it. "

At first he would swear nothing, for already he was wild with angeragainst the man, whereupon she answered that she would tell him nothing. 

At last, when they had wrangled for a while, he asked her in a hoarsevoice, "Say now, Suzanne, have you come to any harm at the hands of thisfellow?"

"No, " she answered, turning her head away. "God be thanked! I have cometo no harm of my body, but of my mind I have come to great harm. "

Now he breathed more freely and said:

"Very well, then, on with your story, for I swear to you that I will nottry to kill Swart Piet because of this offence, whatever it may be. "

So she went on, setting out everything exactly as it had happened, and before she had finished Ralph was as one who is brain sick, for heground his teeth and stamped upon the earth like an angry bull. At last, when Suzanne had told him all, she said:

"Now, Ralph, you will understand why I would not let you kiss me beforeyou had heard my story. It was because I feared that after hearing ityou would not wish to kiss me any more. "

"You talk like a foolish girl, " he answered, taking her into his armsand embracing her, "and though the insult can only be paid back inblood, I think no more of it than if some beast had splashed mud intoyour face, which you had washed away at the next stream. "

"Ah!" she cried, "you swore that you would not try to kill him for thisoffence. "

"Yes, Sweet, I swore, and I will keep my oath. This time I will not tryto kill Swart Piet. "

Then they went into the house, and Ralph spoke to Jan about this matter, of which indeed I had already told him something. Jan also was veryangry, and said that if he could meet Piet van Vooren it would gohard with him. Afterwards he added, however, that this Piet was a verydangerous man, and one whom it might be well to leave alone, especiallyas Suzanne had taken no real hurt from him. 

Nowadays, and here in Natal, such a villain could be made to answerto the law, either for attempting the life of the Kaffir, or for theassault upon the girl, or for both, but in those times it was different. Then the Transkei had but few white people in it, living far apart, norwas there any law to speak of; indeed each man did what was right inhis own eyes, according to the good or evil that was in his heart. Therefore, as Jan said, it was not well to make a deadly enemy of onewho was restrained by the fear of neither God nor man, and who had greatwealth and power, since it might come about that he would work murder inrevenge or raise the Kaffirs on us, as he who had authority among themcould do very easily. Indeed as will be seen he did both these things, or tried to do them. 

When his anger had cooled a little Jan spoke to us in this sense and wewomen agreed with him; but Ralph, who was young, fearless, and full ofrage, set his mouth and said nothing. 

As for Sihamba Jan wished to send her away, but Suzanne, who had grownfond of her, begged him that he would not do so, at least until hehad spoken with her. So he ordered one of the slaves to fetch her, andpresently the little woman came, and having saluted him, sat herselfdown on the floor of the sitting room after the Kaffir fashion. She wasa strange little creature to see in her fur kaross and bead broideredgirdle, but for a native she was very clean and pretty, with her wisewoman's face set upon a body that had it been less rounded might almosthave been that of a child. Also she had adorned herself with great care, not in the cast-off clothes of white people but after her own manner, for her wavy hair which stood out from her head was powdered over withthat sparkling blue dust which the Kaffir women use, and round her neckshe wore a single string of large blue beads. 

At first Jan spoke to her crossly, saying:

"You have brought trouble and disgrace upon my house, Sihamba, and Iwish you to begone from it. "

"It is true, " she answered, "but not of my own will did I bring thetrouble, O Father of Swallow, " for so she always called Jan. Indeed, forSihamba, Suzanne was the centre of all things, and thus in her mouth thethree of us has no other names than "Father" or "Mother" or "Lover" ofSwallow. 

"That may be so, " answered Jan, "but, doubtless, Black Piet, who hatesyou, will follow you here, and then we shall be called upon to defendyou, and there will be more trouble. "

"It is not I whom Black Piet will follow, " she replied, "for he hasstolen all I have, and as my life is safe there is nothing more to getfrom me, " and she looked at Suzanne. 

"What do you mean, Sihamba? Speak plain words, " said Jan. 

"I mean, " she answered, "that it is not I who am now in danger, but mymistress, the Swallow, for he who has kissed her once will wish to kissher again. "

Now at this Ralph cursed the name of Swart Piet aloud, and Jan answered, "It is a bullet from my _roer_ that he shall kiss if he tries it, that Iswear. "

"I hope it may be so, " said Sihamba; "yet, Father of Swallow, I pray yousend me not away from her who bought me at a great price, and to whom mylife belongs. Look; I cost you but little to keep, and that little Ican earn by doctoring your horses and cattle, in which art I have someskill, as you know well. Moreover I have many eyes and ears that can seeand hear things to which yours are deaf and blind, and I tell you that Ithink a time will come when I shall be able to do service to all of youwho are of the nest of the Swallow. Now, if she bids me to go I willgo--for am I not her servant to obey?--yet I beseech you do not socommand her. "

Sihamba had risen as she spoke, and now she stood before Jan, her headthrown back, looking up into his eyes with such strange power that, though he was great and strong and had no will to it, yet he foundhimself forced to look down into hers. More, as he told me afterwards, he saw many things in the eyes of Sihamba, or it may be that he thoughtthat he saw them, for Jan was always somewhat superstitious. At leastthis is true that more than once during the terrible after years, whensome great event had happened to us he would cry out, "I have seen thisplace, or thing, before, I know not where. " Then if I bade him think hewould answer, "Now I remember; it was in the eyes of Sihamba that I sawit, yonder in the Transkei before Ralph and Suzanne were married. "

Presently she freed his eyes and turned her head, whereon Jan grew paleand swayed as though he were about to fall. Recovering himself, however, he said shortly, "Stay if you will, Sihamba; you are welcome for so long as it shallplease you. "

She lifted her little hand and saluted him, and I noticed that it wasafter another fashion to that of the Kaffirs who lived thereabouts, after the Zulu fashion indeed. 

"I hear your words, chief, " she said, "and I stay. Though I be but alizard in the thatch, yet the nest of the Swallow shall be my nest, andin the fangs of the lizard, Sihamba, there is poison and woe to the hawkof the air or the snake of the grass that would rob this nest whereinyou dwell. Listen now to my oath--you whom she loves. Cold shall thisheart be and stiff this hand, empty shall this head be of thoughts andthese eyes of sight, before shame or death shall touch the swift wingsof yonder Swallow who stained her breast for me. Remember this always, you whom she loves, that while I live, I, Sihamba Ngenyanga, Sihamba thewalker by moonlight, she shall live, and if she dies I will die also. "

Then once more she saluted and went, leaving us wondering, for we sawthat this woman was not altogether as other Kaffirs are, and it cameinto our minds that in the time of need she would be as is a sharp spearin the hand of one who is beset with foes. 

That night as we lay abed I talked with Jan, saying:

"Husband, I think there are clouds upon our sky, which for many yearshas been so blue. Trouble gathers round us because of the beauty ofSuzanne, and I fear Swart Piet, for he is not a man to be stopped by atrifle. Now, Ralph loves Suzanne and Suzanne loves Ralph, and, thoughthey are young, they are man and woman full grown, able to keep a houseand bear its burdens. Why then should they not marry with as littledelay as may be, for when once they are wed Van Vooren will cease fromtroubling them, knowing his suit to be hopeless?"

"As you will, wife, as you will, " Jan answered, somewhat sharply, "but Idoubt if we shall get rid of our danger thus, for with you I think thatthe tide of our lives has turned, and that it sets towards sorrow. Ay, "he went on, sitting up in the bed, "and I will tell you when it turned;it turned upon the day that you lied to the Englishmen. "

CHAPTER XI

A FIGHT AND A SHOT

Early the next morning I sought for Ralph to speak to him on thematter of his marriage, which, to tell truth, I longed to see safelyaccomplished. But I could not find him anywhere, or learn where he hadgone, though one of the slaves told me that they had seen him mount hishorse at the stable. 

I went down to the cattle kraal to look if he were there, and as Ireturned, I saw Sihamba seated by the door of her hut engaged in combingher hair and powdering it with the shining blue dust. 

"Greeting, Mother of Swallow, " she said. "Whom do you seek?"

"You know well, " I answered. 

"Yes, I know well. At the break of dawn he rode over yonder rise. "

"Why?" I asked. 

"How can I tell why? But Swart Piet lives out yonder. "

"Had he his gun with him?" I asked again and anxiously. 

"No, there was nothing but a sjambock, a very thick sjambock, in hishand. "

Then I went back to the house with a heavy heart, for I was sure thatRalph had gone to seek Piet van Vooren, though I said nothing of itto the others. So it proved indeed. Ralph had sworn to Suzanne that hewould not try to kill Piet, but here his oath ended, and thereforehe felt himself free to beat him if he could find him, for he wasaltogether mad with hate of the man. Now he knew that when he was athome it was Swart Piet's habit to ride of a morning, accompanied by oneKaffir only, to visit a certain valley where he kept a large number ofsheep. Thither Ralph made his way, and when he reached the place he sawthat, although it was time for them to be feeding, the sheep were stillin their kraal, baa-ing, stamping, and trying to climb the gate, forthey were hungry to get at the green grass. 

"So, " thought Ralph, "Swart Piet means to count the flock out himselfthis morning. He will be here presently. "

Half an hour afterwards he came sure enough, and with him the one Kaffiras was usual. Then the bars of the gate were let down, and the sheepsuffered to escape through them, Swart Piet standing upon one side andthe Kaffir upon the other, to take tale of their number. When all thesheep were out, and one of the herds had been brought before him andbeaten by the Kaffir, because some lambs were missing, Swart Piet turnedto ride homewards, and in a little gorge near by came face to face withRalph, who was waiting for him. Now he started and looked to see if hecould escape, but there was no way of doing it without shame, so he rodeforward and bid Ralph good-day boldly, asking him if he had ever seen afiner flock of sheep. 

"I did not come here to talk of sheep, " answered Ralph, eyeing him. 

"Is it of a lamb, then, that you come to talk, Heer Kenzie, a ewe lamb, the only one of your flock?" sneered Piet, for he had a gun in his handand he saw that Ralph had none. 

"Aye, " said Ralph, "it is of a white ewe lamb whose fleece has beensoiled by a bastard thief who would have stolen her, " and he looked athim. 

"I understand, " said Piet coldly, for he was a bold man; "and now, HeerKenzie, you had best let me ride by. "

"Why should I let you ride by when I have come out to seek you?"

"For a very good reason, Heer Kenzie; because I have a gun in my handand you have none, and if you do not clear the road presently it may gooff. "

"A good reason, indeed, " said Ralph, "and one of which I admit theweight, " and he drew to one side of the path as though to let Piet pass, which he began to do holding the muzzle of the gun in a line with theother's head. Ralph sat upon his horse staring moodily at the ground, asthough he was trying to make up his mind to say something or other, butall the time he was watching out of the corner of his quick eye. Just asSwart Piet drew past him, and was shaking the reins to put his horse toa canter, Ralph slid from the saddle, and springing upon him like light, he slipped his strong arm round him and dragged him backwards to theground over the crupper of the horse. As Piet fell he stretched outhis hands to grip the saddle and save himself, so that the gun which hecarried resting on his knees dropped upon the grass. Ralph seized itand fired it into the air; then he turned to face his enemy, who by thistime had found his feet. 

"Now we are more equally matched, myn Heer van Vooren, " he said, "andcan talk further about that ewe lamb, the only one of the flock. Nay, you need not look for the Kaffir to help you, for he has run after yourhorse, and at the best he will hardly dare to thrust himself between twoangry white men. Come, let us talk, myn Heer. "

Black Piet made no answer, so for a while the two stood facing eachother, and they were a strange pair, as different as the light from thedarkness. Ralph fair-haired, grey-eyed, stern-faced, with thinnostrils, that quivered like those of a well-bred horse, narrow-flanked, broad-chested, though somewhat slight of limb and body, for he was butyoung, and had scarcely come to a man's weight, but lithe and wiry as atiger. Piet taller and more massive, for he had the age of him by fiveyears, with round Kaffir eyes, black and cruel, coarse black hair thatgrew low upon his brow, full red lips, the lower drooping so that thelarge white teeth and a line of gums could be seen within. Great-limbedhe was also, firm-footed and bull-strengthed, showing his face thecruelty and the cunning of a black race, mingled with the mind andmastery of the white; an evil and a terrible man, knowing no lordsave his own passions, and no religion but black witchcraft and vilesuperstition; a foe to be feared indeed, but one who loved better tostab in the dark than to strike in the open day. 

"Well, myn Heer van Vooren, " mocked Ralph, "you could fling your armsabout a helpless girl and put her to shame before the eyes of men, nowdo the same by me if you can, " and he took one step towards him. 

"What is this monkey's chatter?" asked Piet, in his slow voice. "Is itbecause I gave the girl a kiss that you would fix a quarrel upon me?Have you not done as much yourself many times, and for a less stake thanthe life of one who has been doomed to die?"

"If I have kissed her, " answered Ralph, "it is with her consent, andbecause she will be my wife; but you worked upon her pity to put her toshame and now you shall pay the price of it. Do you see that whip?" andhe nodded toward the sjambock that was lying on the grass. "Let him whoproves the best man use it upon the other. "

"Will be your wife----" sneered Piet, "the wife of the English castaway!She might have been, but now she never shall, unless she cares to weda carcase cut into rimpis. You want a flogging, and you shall have it, yes, to the death, but Suzanne shall be--not your wife but----"

He got no further, for at that moment Ralph sprang at him like a wildcat, stopping his foul mouth with a fearful blow upon the lips. Thenthere followed a dreadful struggle between these two. Black Piet rushedagain and again, striving to clasp his antagonist in his great arms andcrush him, whereas Ralph, who, like all Englishmen, loved to use hisfists, and knew that he was no match for Piet in strength, soughtto avoid him and plant blow after blow upon his face and body. This, indeed, he did with such success that soon the Boer was covered withblood and bruises. Again and again he charged at him, roaring with painand rage, and again and again Ralph first struck and then slipped to oneside. 

At length Piet's turn came, for Ralph in leaping back caught his footagainst a stone and stumbled, and before he could recover himselfthe iron arms were round his middle, and they were wrestling for themastery. 

Still, at the first it was Ralph who had the best of it, for he wasskilful at the game, and before Swart Piet could put out his fullstrength he tripped him so that he fell heavily upon his back, Ralphstill locked in his arms. But he could not keep him there, for the Boerwas the stronger; moreover, as they fought they had worked their way upthe steep side of the kloof so that the ground was against him. Thus itcame about that soon they began to roll down hill fixed to each other asthough by ropes, and gathering speed at every turn. Doubtless, the endof this would have been Ralph's defeat, and perhaps his death, for Ithink that, furious as he was, Black Piet would certainly have killedhim had he found himself the master. But it chanced that his hand wasstayed, and thus. Near the bottom of the slope lay a sharp stone, andas they rolled in their fierce struggle, Piet's head struck against thisstone so that for a few moments he was rendered helpless. Feelingthe grip of his arms loosen, Ralph freed himself, and running to thesjambock snatched it from the ground. Now Piet sat up and stared athim stupidly, but he made no effort to renew the fight, whereon Ralphgasped:

"I promised you a flogging, but since it is chance that has conqueredyou more than I, I will take no advantage of it, save this----" and hestruck him once or twice across the face with the whip, but not so as todraw blood, and added, "Now, at least, I am free from a certain promisethat I made--that I would not kill you--and should you attempt furtherharm or insult towards Suzanne Botmar, kill you I will, Piet vanVooren. "

At first Swart Piet did not seem to feel the blows, but presently heawoke, as it were, and touched his cheeks where the sjambock had struckhim as though to assure himself that he was not dreaming some evildream. Then he spoke in a hollow, unnatural voice. "You have won forthis time, Ralph Kenzie, " he said, "or, rather, Fate fighting for youhas won. But it would have been better for you and your dear also, ifyou had never struck those blows, for I tell you, Ralph Kenzie, that asyour whip touched me something broke in my brain, and now I think that Iam mad. "

"Mad or bad, it is all one to me, " replied Ralph. "You have had yourwarning, and you had best keep sane enough to remember it. " Then turninghe went to his horse, which was standing close by, mounted and rodeaway, the other answering him nothing. 

Still Ralph did not get home without another adventure, for when he hadgone a little way he came to a stream that ran from a hillside which wasthick with trees, and here he stopped to doctor his hurts and bruises, since he did not wish to appear at the house covered with blood. Nowthis was a foolish enough thing to do, seeing the sort of man withwhom he had to deal, and that there was bush where anyone could hideto within a hundred and twenty yards of his washing place. So it provedindeed, for just as Ralph had mounted his horse and was about to rideon, he felt a sharp stinging pain across his shoulders, as thoughsomeone had hit him on the back with a stick, and heard the sound ofa gunshot fired from the cover of the bush, for there above the greenleaves hung a cloud of smoke. 

"That is Swart Piet who has crept round to cut me off, " Ralph thought tohimself, and for a moment was minded to ride to the smoke to seek him. Then he remembered that he had no gun, and that that of his enemy mightbe loaded again before he found him, and judged it wisest to canter intothe open plain and so homewards. Of the hurt which he had taken from thebullet he thought little, yet when he reached the house it was seen thathis escape had been narrow indeed, for the great ball had cut throughhis clothes beneath his shoulders, so that they hung down leaving hisback naked. Also it had furrowed the skin, causing the blood to flowcopiously, and making so horrible a sight of him that Suzanne nearlyfainted when she saw it. For my part I made certain that the lad wasshot through the body, although, as it turned out, in a week, except forsome soreness he was as well as ever. 

Now this matter caused no little stir among us, and Jan was so angrythat, without saying a word to anyone, he mounted his horse and, takingsome armed servants with him, set out to seek Black Piet, but not tofind him, for the man had gone, nobody knew whither. Indeed this was aswell, or so we thought at the time, for though Jan is slow to move, whenonce he is moved he is a very angry man, and I am sure that if he hadmet Piet van Vooren that day the grasses would have been richer by theblood of one or both of them. But he did not meet him and so the thingpassed over, for afterwards we remembered that Ralph had been theaggressor, since no one would take count of this story of the kissing ofa girl, and also that there was no proof at all that it was Piet who hadattempted his life, as that shot might have been fired by anyone. 

Now from this day forward Suzanne went in terror of Swart Piet, andwhenever Ralph rode, he rode armed, for though it was said that he hadgone on one of his long journeys trading among the Kaffirs, both of themguessed that they had not seen the last of Van Vooren. Jan and I wereafraid also, for we knew the terrible nature of the man and of hisfather before him, and that they came of a family which never forgot aquarrel or left a desire ungratified. 

About fourteen days after Ralph had been shot at and wounded, a Kaffirbrought a letter for Jan, which, on being opened, proved to have beenwritten by Swart Piet, or on his behalf, since his name was set at thebottom of it. It read thus:--

"To the Heer Jan Botmar, "Well-beloved Heer, this is to tell you that your daughter, Suzanne, holds my heart, and that I desire to make her my wife. As it is notconvenient for me to come to see you at present, I write to ask you thatyou will consent to our betrothal. I will make a rich woman of her as Ican easily satisfy you, and you will find it better to have me as a dearson-in-law and friend than as a stranger and an enemy, for I am a goodfriend and a bad enemy. I know there has been some talk of love betweenSuzanne and the English foundling at your place; but I can overlookthat, although you may tell the lad that if he is impertinent to meagain as he was the other day, he will not for the second time get offwith a whipping only. Be so good as to give your answer to the bearer, who will pass it on to those that can find me, for I am travelling abouton business, and do not know where I shall be from day to day. Give alsomy love to Suzanne, your daughter, and tell her that I think often ofthe time when she shall be my wife. 

"I am, well-beloved Heer, your friend, "Piet van Vooren. "

Now, when Ralph had finished reading this letter aloud, for it had beengiven to him as the best scholar among us, you might have thought therewere four crazy people in the room, so great was our rage. Jan and Ralphsaid little indeed, although they looked white and strange with anger, and Suzanne not over much, for it was I who talked for all of them. 

"What is your answer, girl?" asked her father presently with an angrylaugh. 

"Tell the Heer Piet van Vooren, " she replied, smiling faintly, "that ifever his lips should touch my face again it will be only when that faceis cold in death. Oh! Ralph, " she cried, turning to him suddenly andlaying her hand upon his breast, "it may be that this man will bringtrouble and separation on us; indeed, my heart warns me of it, but, whatever chances, remember my words, dead I may be, but faithful I shallbe--yes, to death and through death. "

"Son, take pen and write, " said Jan before Ralph could answer. So Ralphwrote down these words as Jan told them to him:

"Piet van Vooren, "Sooner would I lay my only child out for burial in the grave than leadher to the house of a coloured man, a consorter with witch-doctors andblack women and a would-be murderer. That is my answer, and I addthis to it. Set no foot within a mile of my house, for here we shootstraighter than you do, and if we find you on this place, by the help ofGod we will put a bullet through your carcase. "

At the foot of this writing, which he would not suffer to be altered, Jan printed his name in big letters; then he went out to seek themessenger, whom he found talking to Sihamba, and having given him thepaper bade him begone swiftly to wherever it was he came from. The man, who was a strong red-coloured savage, marked with a white scar acrossthe left cheek, and naked except for his moocha and the kaross rolled upupon his shoulders, took the letter, hid it in his bundle, and went. 

Jan also turned to go, but I who had followed him and was watching him, although he did not know it, saw him hesitate and stop. 

"Sihamba, " he said, "why were you talking to that man?"

"Because it is my business to know of things, Father of Swallow, and Iwished to learn whence he came. "

"Did you tell you then?"

"Not altogether, for someone whom he fears has laid a weight uponhis tongue, but I learned that he lives at a kraal far away in themountains, and that this kraal is owned by a white man who keeps wivesand cattle at it, although he is not there himself just now. The rest Ihope to hear when Swart Piet sends him back again, for I have given theman a medicine to cure his child, who is sick, and he will be gratefulto me. "

"How do you know that Swart Piet sent the man?" asked Jan. 

She laughed and said: "Surely that was easy to guess; it is my businessto twine little threads into a rope. "

Again he turned to go and again came back to speak to her. 

"Sihamba, " he said, "I have seen you talking to that man before. Iremember the scar upon his face. "

"The scar upon his face you may remember, " she answered, "but you havenot seen us talking together, for until this hour we never met. "

"I can swear it, " he said angrily. "I remember the straw hat, the shapeof the man's bundle, the line where the shadow fell upon his foot, andthe tic-bird that came and sat near you. I remember it all. "

"Surely, Father of Swallow, " Sihamba replied, eyeing him oddly, "youtalk of what you have just seen. "

"No, no, " he said, "I saw it years ago. "

"Where?" she asked, staring at him. 

He started and uttered some quick words. "I know now, " he said. "I sawit in your eyes the other day. "

"Yes, " she answered quietly, "I think that, if anywhere, you saw itin my eyes, since the coming of this messenger is the first of all thegreat things that are to happen to the Swallow and to those who live inher nest. I do not know the things; still, it may happen that anotherwho has Vision may see them in the glass of my eyes. "

CHAPTER XII

WHAT THE COW SHOWED ZINTI

Twelve days passed, and one morning when I went out to feed thechickens, I saw the red Kaffir with the scar on his face seated beyondthe _stoep_ taking snuff. 

"What is it?" I asked. 

"A letter, " he answered, giving me a paper. 

I took it into the house, where the others were gathered for breakfast, and as before Ralph read it. It was to this effect:

"Well-beloved Heer Botmar, --I have received your honoured letter, and Ithink that the unchristian spirit which it shows cannot be pleasing toour Lord. Still, as I seek peace and not war, I take no offence, norshall I come near your place to provoke the shedding of the blood ofmen. I love your daughter, but if she rejects me for another, I havenothing more to say, except that I hope she may be happy in the life shehas chosen. For me, I am leaving this part of the country, and if you, Heer Botmar, like to buy my farm, I shall be happy to sell it to you ata fair price; or perhaps the Heer Kenzie will buy it to live on after heis married; if so, he can write to me by this messenger. Farewell. "

Now, when they heard this letter, the others looked more happy; but formy part I shook my head, seeing guile in it, since the tone of it wastoo humble for Swart Piet. There was no answer to it, and the messengerwent away, but not, as I learned, before he had seen Sihamba. It seemsthat the medicine which she gave him had cured his child, for which hewas so grateful that he drove her down a cow in payment, a fine beast, but very wild, for handling was strange to it; moreover, it had beenbut just separated from its calf. Still, although she questioned himclosely, the man would tell Sihamba but little of the place where helived, and nothing of the road to it. 

Here I will stop to show how great was the cunning of this woman, andyet how simple the means whereby she obtained the most of her knowledge. She desired to learn about this hiding-place, since she was sure that itwas one of the secret haunts of Swart-Piet, but when she asked him themessenger grew deaf and blind, and she could find no one else who knewanything of the matter. Still she was certain that the cow which hadbeen brought to her would show the way to its home, if there wereanybody to follow it thither and make report of the path. 

Now when Sihamba had been robbed and sentenced to death by Swart Piet, the most of her servants and people who lived with her had been takenby him as slaves. Still two or three had escaped, either then orafterwards, and settled about in the neighbourhood of the farm wherethey knew that their mistress dwelt. From among these people, who stilldid her service, she chose a young man named Zinti, who, although hewas supposed to be stupid, was still very clever about many things, especially the remembering of any path that he had once trodden, and ofevery _kopje_, stream, or pan by which it could traced. This youth shebade to herd the cow which had been given her, telling him to follow itwhithersoever it should wander, even if it led him a ten days' journey, and when he saw that it had reached home, to return himself withoutbeing seen, and to give to her an exact report of the road which it hadtravelled. 

Now all happened as Sihamba expected, for on the first day that the cowwas turned out, watched by the lad, who was provided with food and ablanket, so soon as it had filled itself it started straight over thehills, running at times, and at times stopping to graze, till night cameon. Then it lay down for a while and its herd beside it, for he hadtied his wrist to its tail with a rimpi lest it should escape in thedarkness. 

At the first breaking of the light the cow rose, filled itself withgrass and started forward on its homeward path, followed by Zinti. Forthree days they travelled thus, the herd milking the cow from time totime when its udder was full. On the evening of the third day, however, the beast would not lie down, but walked forward all night, lowing nowand again, by which Zinti, who found it difficult to keep it in sightbecause of the darkness, guessed that it must be near its home. So itproved indeed, for when the sun rose Zinti saw a kraal before himhidden away in a secret valley of the mountains over which they had beentravelling. Still following the cow, though at a distance, he moveddown towards the kraal and hid himself in a patch of bush. Presently thecattle were let out to graze, and the cow rushed to them lowing loudly, till a certain calf came to it, which it made much of and suckled, forit was its own calf. 

Now Zinti's errand was done, but still he lay hid in the bush a while, thinking that he might learn some more, and lying thus he fell asleep, for he was weary with travel. When he woke the sun was high, and heheard women talking to each other close by him, as they laboured attheir task of cutting wands, such as are used for the making of huts. He rose to run away, then thought better of it and sat down again, remembering that should he be found, it would be easy to tell them thathe was a wanderer who had lost his path. Presently one of the womenasked:

"For whom does Bull-Head build this fine new hut in the secret krantzyonder?"

Now Zinti opened his ears wide, for he knew that this was the name whichthe natives had given to Swart Piet, taking it from his round head andfierce eye, according to their custom when they note any peculiarity ina man. 

"I do not know, " answered a second woman, who was young and very pretty, "unless he means to bring another wife here; if so, she must be achief's daughter, since men do not build such huts for girls of commonblood. "

"Perhaps, " said the other; "but then I think that he has stolen her fromher father without payment; else he would not wish to hide her away inthe secret krantz. Well, let her come, for we women must work hard herewhere there are so few men, and many hoes clean a field quickly. "

"For my part I think there are enough of us already, " said the younggirl, looking troubled, for she was Swart Piet's last Kaffir wife, anddid not desire to be supplanted by a new favourite. "But be silent, Ihear Bull-Head coming on his horse, " and she began to work very hard atcutting the wands. 

A few minutes later Zinti saw Swart Piet himself ride up to the women, who saluted him, calling him "Chief" and "Husband. "

"You are idle, " he said, eyeing them angrily. 

"These wands are tough to cut, husband, " murmured the young woman inexcuse. 

"Still you must cut them quicker, girl, " he answered, "if you would notlearn how one of them feels upon your back. It will go hard with all ofyou if the big hut is not finished in seven days from now. "

"We will do our best, " said the girl, "but who is to dwell in the hutwhen it is done?"

"Not you, be sure of that, " he answered, roughly, "nor any black woman, for I am weary of you, one and all. Listen: I go to-morrow with myservants to fetch a chieftainess, a white lady, to rule over you, but ifany of you speak a word of her presence here you will pay for it, for Ishall turn you away to starve. Do you understand?"

"We hear you, husband, " they replied, somewhat sullenly, for now theyunderstood that this new wife would be a mistress, and not a sister tothem. 

"Then be careful that you do not forget my words, and--hearken--so soonas you have cut a full load of hut-poles, let two of you carry them upto the krantz yonder, where they are wanted, but be careful that no onesees you going in or coming out. "

"We hear you, husband, " they said again, whereon Swart Piet turned androde away. 

Now, although Zinti was said to be foolish, chiefly, as I think, becausehe could not, or would not, work, yet in many ways he was cleverer thanmost Kaffirs, and especially always did he desire to see new places, themore so if they chanced to be secret places. Therefore, when he heardSwart Piet command the women to carry the rods for the hidden krantz, hedetermined that he would follow them, and this he did so skilfully thatthey neither heard nor saw him. At first he wondered whither they couldbe going, for they walked straight to the foot of what seemed to be anunclimbable wall of rock more than a hundred feet high. On the face ofthis rock, however, shrubs grew here and there like the bristles on theback of a hog, and having first glanced round to see that no one waswatching them, the women climbed to one of these shrubs, which wasrooted in the cliff about the height of a man above the level of theground, and vanished so quickly that Zinti, who as watching, rubbed hiseyes in wonder. After waiting a while, however, he followed in theirsteps to find that behind the shrub was a narrow cleft or crack such asare often to be seen in cliffs, and that down this cleft ran a pathwaywhich twisted and turned in the rock, growing broader as it went, tillat last it ended in the hidden krantz. This krantz was a very beautifulspot about three morgen, or six English acres, in extent, and walled allround with impassable cliffs. Down the face of one of these cliffs fella waterfall forming a deep pool, out of which a stream ran, and on thebanks of this stream the new hut was being built in such a position thatthe heat of the sun could strike it but little. 

While he was taking note of these and other things Zinti saw some ofthose who were working at the hut leave it and start to walk towards thecleft. So having learnt everything that he could he thought it was timeto go, and slipped away back to the bush, and thence homewards by theroad which the cow had shown him. 

Now, it chanced that as he went Zinti pierced his foot with a largethorn so that he was only able to travel slowly. On the fifth night ofhis journey he limped into a wood to sleep, which wood grew not muchmore than two hours on horseback from our farm. When he had been asleepfor some hours he woke up, for all his food was done, and he could notrest well because of his hunger, and was astonished to see the light ofa fire among the trees at some distance from him. Towards this fire hecrept, thinking that there were herds or travellers who would give himfood, but when he came to it he did not ask for any, since the firstthing he saw was Swart Piet himself walking up and down in front of thefire, while at some distance from it lay a number of his men asleep intheir karosses. Presently another man appeared slipping through the treetrunks, and coming to Swart Piet saluted him. 

"Tell me what you have found out, " he said. 

"This, Baas, " answered the man; "I went down to Heer Botmar's place andbegged a bowlful of meal there, pretending that I was a stranger on ajourney to court a girl at a distant kraal. The slaves gave me mealand some flesh with it, and I learned in talk with them that the HeerBotmar, his vrouw, his daughter Suzanne and the young Englishman, Heer Kenzie, all rode away yesterday to the christening party of thefirst-born of the Heer Roozen, who lives about five hours on horsebackto the north yonder. I learned also that it is arranged for them toleave the Heer Roozen to-morrow at dawn, and to travel homewards bythe Tiger's Nek, in which they will off-saddle about two hours beforemid-day, for I forgot to say that they have two servants with them tosee to their horses. "

"That makes six in all, " said Swart Piet, "of whom two are women, whereas we are twenty. Yes, it is very good, nothing could be better, for I know the off-saddling place by the stream in Tiger's Nek, and itis a nice place for men to hide behind the rocks and trees. Listennow for the plan, and be sure you understand it. When these people areoff-saddled and eating their food, you Kaffirs will fall on them--withthe spear and the kerry alone, mind--and they will come to their end. "

"Does the master mean that we are to kill them?" asked the mandoubtfully. 

"Yes, " answered Swart Piet, with some hesitation. "I do not want tokill them indeed, but I see no other way, except as regards the girl, ofcourse, who must be saved. These people are to be attacked and robbedby Kaffirs, for it must never be known that I had a hand in it, andyou brutes of Kaffirs always kill. Therefore, they must die, alas!especially the Englishman, though so far as I am concerned I shouldbe glad to spare the others if I could, but it cannot be done withoutthrowing suspicion upon me. As for the girl, if she is harmed the livesof all of you pay for it. You will throw a kaross over her head, andbring her to the place which I will tell you of to-morrow, where I shallcome upon you with some men and seem to rescue her. Do you understand, and do you think the plan good?"

"I understand, and I think the plan good--for you--and yet, Baas, thereis one thing that I have not told you which may mar it. "

"What is it?"

"This: When I was down there at the Heer Botmar's place, I saw thewitch-doctoress Sihamba, who has a hut upon the farm. I was some wayoff, but I think that she recognised me, as she might well do seeingthat it was I who set the rope about her neck when you wished to hangher. Now if she did know me all your plans may be in vain, for thatwoman has the Sight and she will guess them. Even when the cord wasround her she laughed at me and told me that I should die soon, butthat she would live for years, and therefore I fear her more than anyoneliving. "

"She laughed at you, did she?" said Swart Piet; "well, I laugh at her, for neither she nor anyone who breathes shall stand between me and thisgirl, who has preferred the suit of another man to mine. "

"Ah, master!" said the Kaffir, with admiration, "you are a great one, for when a fruit pleases you, you do not wait for it to drop into yourlap, you pluck it. "

"Yes, " said Swart Piet, striking his breast with pride, "if I desire afruit I pluck it as my father did before me. But now go you and sleep, for to-morrow you will need all your wit and strength. "

When the herd Zinti had heard this talk he crept away, heading straightfor the farm, but his foot was so bad, and he was so weak from want offood, that he could only travel at the pace of a lame ox, now hoppingupon one leg and now crawling upon his knees. In this fashion it wasthat at length, about half-past eight in the morning, he reached thehouse, or rather the hut of Sihamba, for she had sent him out, andtherefore to her, after the Kaffir fashion, he went to make report. Now, when he came to Sihamba, he greeted her and asked for a little food, which she gave him. Then he began to tell his story, beginning asnatives do at the first of it, which in his case were all the wanderingsof the cow which he had followed, so that although she hurried him much, many minutes went by before he came to that part of the tale which toldof what he had heard in the wood some eight hours before. 

So soon as he began to speak of this, Sihamba stopped him, and callingto a man who lingered near, she bade him bring to her Jan's famous younghorse, the roan _schimmel_, bridled but not saddled. Now this horse wasthe finest in the whole district, for his sire was the famous stallionwhich the Government imported from England, where it won all the races, and his dam the swiftest and most enduring mare in the breeding herds atthe Paarl. What Jan gave for him as a yearling I never learned, becausehe was afraid to tell me; but I know that we were short of money fortwo years after he bought him. Yet in the end that _schimmel_ proved thecheapest thing for which ever a man paid gold. 

Well, the Kaffir hesitated, for, as might be guessed, Jan was very proudof this horse, and none rode it save himself, but Sihamba sprang up andspoke to him so fiercely that at last he obeyed her, since, although shewas small in stature, all feared the magic of Sihamba, and would do herbidding. Nor had he far to go, for the _schimmel_ did not run wild uponthe veldt, but was fed and kept in a stable, where a slave groomed himevery morning. Thus it came about that before Zinti had finished histale, the horse was standing before Sihamba bridled but not saddled, arching his neck and striking the ground with his hoof, for he was proudand full of corn and eager to be away. 

"Oh! fool, " said Sihamba to Zinti, "why did not you begin with thispart of your story? Now, to save five from death and one from dishonour, there is but a short hour left and twenty long miles to cover in it. Ho!man, help me to mount this horse. "

The slave put down his hand, and setting her foot in it, the littlewoman sprang on to the back of the great stallion, which knew and lovedher as a dog might do, for she had tended it day and night when it wasill from the sickness we call "thick head, " and without doubt had savedits life by her skill. Then, gripping its shoulders with her knees, Sihamba shook the reins and called aloud to the _schimmel_, wavingthe black rod she always carried in her hand, so that the fiery beast, having plunged once, leapt away like an antelope, and in another minutewas nothing but a speck racing towards the mountains. 

CHAPTER XIII

THE SCHIMMEL'S FIRST RACE

So hard did Sihamba ride, and so swift and untiring proved the horse, to whose strength her light weight was as nothing, that, the veldtover which they travelled being flat and free from stones or holes, shereached the mouth of Tiger's Nek, twenty miles away, in very few minutesover the hour of time. But the Nek itself was a mile or more in length, and for aught she knew we might already be taken in Black Piet's trap, and she but riding to share our fate. Still she did not stay, butthough it panted like a blacksmith's bellows, and its feet stumbled withweariness among the stones of the Nek, she urged on the _schimmel_ at agallop. Now she turned the corner, and the off-saddling place was beforeher. Swiftly and fearfully Sihamba glanced around, but seeing no signsof us, she uttered a cry of joy and shook the reins, for she knew thatshe had not ridden in vain. Then a voice from the rocks called out:

"It is the witch-doctoress, Sihamba, who rides to warn them. Kill herswiftly. " With the voice came a sound of guns and of bullets screamingpast her, one of which shattered the wand she carried in her hand, numbing her arm. Nor was that all, for men sprang up across the furtherend of the off-saddling place, where the path was narrow, to bar herway, and they held spears in their hands. But Sihamba never heeded themen or the spears, for she rode straight at them and through them, andso soon was she gone that, although six or seven assegais were hurledat her, only one of them struck the horse, wounding it slightly in theshoulder. 

A few minutes later, three perhaps, or five, just as the four of us withour Kaffir servants were riding quietly up to the mouth of the Nek, wesaw a great horse thundering towards us, black with sweat and fleckedwith foam, its shoulder bloody, its eyes staring, its red nostrilsagape, and perched upon its bare back a little woman who swayed fromside to side as though with weariness, holding in her hand a shatteredwand. 

"Allemachter!" cried Jan. "It is Sihamba, and the witch rides my roan_schimmel_!"

By this time Sihamba herself was upon us. "Back, " she screamed as shecame, "death waits you in the pass;" whereon, compelled to it as it wereby the weight of the words and the face of she who spoke them, we turnedour horses' heads and galloped after the _schimmel_ for the half of amile or more till we were safe in the open veldt. 

Then of a sudden the horse stopped, whether of its own accord or becauseits rider pulled upon the reins I know not. At the least it stood theretrembling like a reed and Sihamba lay upon its back clinging to themane, and as she lay I saw blood running down her legs, for her skin waschafed to the flesh beneath. Ralph sprang to her and lifted her to theground and Suzanne made her take a draught of peach brandy from Jan'sflask, which brought the life to her face again. 

"Now, " she said, "if you have it to spare, give the _schimmel_ yondera drink of that stuff, for he has saved all your lives and I think heneeds it. "

"That is a wise word, " said Jan, and he bade Ralph and the Kaffirs pourthe rest of the spirit down the horse's throat, which they did, thereby, as I believe, saving its life, for until it had swallowed it the beastlooked as though its heart were about to burst. 

"Now, " said Jan, "why do you ride my best horse to death in thisfashion?"

"Have I not told you, father of Swallow, " she answered, "that it wasto save you from death? But a few minutes over an hour ago, fifteenperhaps, a word was spoken to me at your stead yonder and now I am here, seven leagues away, having ridden faster than I wish to ride again, or than any other horse in this country can travel with a man upon itsback. "

"To save us from death! What death?" asked Jan astounded. 

"Death at the hands of Swart Piet and his Kaffir tribesmen for the threeof you and the two slaves, and for the fourth, the lady Swallow there, a love which she does not seek, the love of the murderer of her father, her mother, and her chosen. "

Now we stared at each other; only Suzanne ran to Sihamba, and puttingher arms about her, she kissed her. 

"Nay, " said the little woman smiling, "nay, Swallow, I do but repay toyou one-hundredth part of my debt, and all the rest is owing still. "

Then she told her story in few words, and when it was done, havingfirst looked to see that Swart Piet and his men were not coming, at thebidding of Jan we all knelt down upon the veldt and thanked the Almightyfor our deliverance. Only Sihamba did not kneel, for she was a heathen, and worshipped no one unless it were Suzanne. 

"You should pray to the horse, too, " she said, "for had it not been forhis legs, I could never have reached you in time. "

"Peace, Sihamba, " I answered, "it is God who made the horse's legs, asGod put it into your mind to use them;" but I said no more, though atany other time I should have rated her well for her heathen folly. 

Then we consulted together as to what was to be done and decided to makeour way to the house by a longer path which ran through the open veldt, since we were sure that there, where is no cover, Swart Piet would notattack us. Ralph, it is true, was for going into the Nek and attackinghim, but, as Jan showed him, such an act would be madness, for theywere many, and we were few; moreover, they could have picked us off frombehind the shelter of the rocks. So we settled to leave him alone, andthat night came home safely, though not without trouble, for we carriedSihamba the most of the way, and after he grew stiff the _schimmel_could only travel at a walking pace. Very soon that horse recovered, however, for he was a good feeder, and lived to do still greaterservice, although for a while his legs were somewhat puffed and had tobe poulticed with cabbage leaves. 

Now Jan and Ralph were mad against Swart Piet, and would have broughthim to justice. But this road of justice was full of stones andmud-holes, since the nearest land-drost, as we call a magistrate, liveda hundred miles off, and it would not have been easy to persuade Pietto appear and argue the case before him. Moreover, here again we had noevidence against the man except that of a simple black fellow, who wouldnever have been believed, for, in fact, no attack was made upon us, while that upon Sihamba might very well have been the work of some ofthe low Kaffirs that haunt the kloofs, runaway slaves, and other rascalswho desired to steal the fine horse upon which she rode. Also we learnedthat our enemy, acting through some agent, had sold his farm to astranger for a small sum of money, giving it out that he had no need ofthe land, as he was leaving this part of the country. 

But if we saw Piet's face no more, we could still feel the weight ofhis hand, since from that time forward we began to suffer from thefts ofcattle and other troubles with the natives, which--so Sihamba learnedin her underground fashion--were instigated by him, working through hissavage tools, while he himself lay hidden far away and in safety. Alsohe did us another ill turn--for it was proved that his money was atthe bottom of it--by causing Ralph to be commandeered to serve on somedistant Kaffir expedition, out of which trouble we were obliged to buyhim, and at no small cost. 

All these matters weighed upon us much, so much, indeed, that I wishedJan to trek from the Transkei and found a new home; but he would not, for he loved the place which he had built up brick by brick, and plantedtree by tree; nor would he consent to be driven out of it through fearof the wicked practices of Swart Piet. To one thing he did consent, however, and it was that Ralph and Suzanne should be married as soon aspossible, for he saw that until they were man and wife there would belittle peace for any of us. When they were spoken to on the matter, neither of them had anything to say against this plan; indeed, I believethat in their hearts, for the first and last time in their lives, theyblessed the name of Black Piet, whose evil-doing, as they thought, washurrying on their happiness. 

Now it was settled that the matter of this marriage should be keptsecret for fear it should come to the ears of Van Vooren through hisspies, and stir him up to make a last attempt to steal away Suzanne. And, indeed, it did come to his ears, though how to this hour I donot know, unless, in spite of our warning, the _predicant_ who was toperform the ceremony, a good and easy man but one who loved gossip, blabbed of it on his journey to the farm, for he had a two days' ride toreach it. 

It was the wish of all of us that we should continue to live togetherafter the marriage of Ralph and Suzanne, though not beneath the sameroof. Indeed, there would have been no room for another married pair inthat house, especially if children came to them, nor did I wish toshare the rule of a dwelling with my own daughter after she had takena husband, for such arrangements often end in bitterness and quarrels. Therefore Jan determined to build them a new house in a convenient spotnot far away, and it was agreed that during the two or three monthswhile this house was building Ralph and his wife should pay a visit to acousin of mine, who owned a very fine farm on the outskirts of the dorpwhich we used to visit from time to time to partake of _Nachtmahl_[*]. This seemed wise to us for several reasons beyond that of the buildingof the new house. It is always best that young people should begin theirmarried life alone, as by nature they wish to do, and not under the eyesof those who have bred and nurtured them, for thus face to face, withnone to turn to, they grow more quickly accustomed to each other'sfaults and weaknesses, which, perhaps, they have not learned or takencount of before. 

 [*] That is, Holy Communion. 

Moreover, in the case of Ralph and Suzanne we thought it safer thatthey should be absent for a while from their own district and theneighbourhood of Swart Piet, living in a peopled place where they couldnot be molested, although, not knowing the wickedness of his heart, wedid not believe it possible that he _would_ molest them when once theywere married. Indeed, there was some talk of their going to the dorpfor the wedding, and I wish that they had done so, for then much troublemight have been spared to us. But their minds were set against thisplan, for they desired to be married where they had met and lived solong, so we did not gainsay them. 

At length came the eve of the wedding day and with it the _predicant_, who arrived hungry and thirsty but running over with smiles andblessings. That night we all supped together and were full of joy, norwere Ralph and Suzanne the least joyous of us, though they said little, but sat gazing at each other across the table as though the moon hadstruck them. 

Before I went to bed I had occasion to go out of the house for Iremembered that some linen which Suzanne was to take with her had beenleft drying upon bushes after the wash, and I feared that if it remainedthere the Kaffir women might steal it. This linen was spread at a littledistance from the house, near the huts where Sihamba lived, but I tookno lantern with me, for the moon was bright. 

As I drew near the spot I thought that I heard a sound of chanting whichseemed to come from a little circle of mimosa trees that grew a spear'sthrow to my left, of chanting very low and sweet. Wondering who it wasthat sung thus, and why she sang--for the voice was that of a woman--Icrept to the nearest of the trees, keeping in its shadow, and peepedthrough the branches into the grassy space beyond, to perceive Sihambacrouched in the centre of the circle. She was seated upon a low stonein such fashion that her head and face shone strangely in the moonlight, while her body was hidden in the shadow. Before her, placed upon anotherstone, stood a large wooden bowl, such as the Kaffirs cut out of thetrunk of a tree, spending a month of labour, or more, upon the task, and into this bowl, which I could see was filled with water, for itreflected the moonrays, she was gazing earnestly, and, as she gazed, chanting that low, melancholy song whereof I could not understand themeaning. 

Presently Sihamba ceased her singing, and turning from the bowl asthough she had seen in it something that frightened her, she covered hereyes with her hands and groaned aloud, muttering words in which the nameof Suzanne was mixed up, or of Swallow, as she called her. Now I guessedthat Sihamba was practising that magic of which she was said to be sogreat a mistress, although she denied always that she knew anything ofthe art. At first I made up my mind to call to her to cease from suchwickedness, which, as the Holy Book tells us, is a sin in the eyes ofthe Lord, and a cause of damnation to those who practise it. But I wascurious and longed greatly in my heart to know what it was that Sihambasaw in the bowl, and what it had to do with my daughter Suzanne. So Ichanged my mind, thereby making myself a partaker of the sin, and comingforward said instead:

"What is it that you do here by night, in this solitary place, Sihamba?"

Now although, as I suppose, she had neither seen nor heard me, for Icame up from behind her, Sihamba did not start or cry out as any otherwoman would have done; she did not even turn to look at me as sheanswered in a clear and steady voice:

"Now while she is still a girl I read the fate of Swallow and of thosewho love her according to my lore, O mother of Swallow. Look, I read itthere. "

I looked and saw that the large bowl was filled to the brim with purewater. At the bottom of it lay some white sand, and on the sand wereplaced five pieces of broken looking-glass, all of which had been filedcarefully to a round shape. The largest of these pieces was of the sizeof a crown of English money. This lay in the exact centre of the bowl. Above it and almost touching its edge, was another piece the size of ahalf-crown, then to the right and left at a little distance, two morepieces of the size of a shilling, and below, but some way off, where thebowl began to curve, a very small piece not larger than a six-penny bit. 

"Swallow, " said Sihamba, pointing to the two largest of the fragments, "and husband of Swallow. There to the right and left father and motherof Swallow, and here at her feet, a long way off and very small, Sihamba, servant of Swallow, made all of them from the broken glass thatshows back the face, which she gave me, and set, as they must be set, like the stars in the Cross of the Skies. "

Now I shivered a little, for in myself I was afraid of this woman'smagic, but to her I laughed and said roughly:

"What fool's plaything made of bits of broken glass is this that youhave here, Sihamba?"

"It is a plaything that will tell a story to those who can read it, " sheanswered without anger, but like one who knows she speaks the truth. 

"Make it tell its story to me, and I will believe you, " I said laughingagain. 

She shook her head and answered, "Lady, I cannot, for you have not theSight; but bring your husband here, and perhaps he will be able to readthe story, or some of it. "

Now at this I grew angry, for it is not pleasant to a woman to hear thata man whom all know to be but a child compared to her can see things inwater which she is not able to see, even though the things are bornonly of the false magic of a witch-doctoress. Still, as at that momentI chanced to hear Jan seeking me, for he wondered where I had gone, Icalled to him and set out the matter, expecting that he would be veryangry and dismiss Sihamba, breaking up her magic bowl. But all the whilethat I talked to him the little woman sat, her chin resting upon herhand, looking into his face, and I think that she had some power overhim. At the least, he was not at all angry, although he said that I mustnot mention the business to the _predicant_, who was well known to bea prejudiced man. Then he asked Sihamba to show him the wonders of thebowl. Replying that she would if she might, and always keeping her eyesfixed upon his face, she bade him kneel down and look into the water insuch fashion that he did not shut the moonlight off from it, and to tellus what he saw. 

So he knelt and looked, whispering presently that on the midmostpiece of glass there appeared the image of Suzanne, and on the othersrespectively those of Ralph, Jan himself, me his wife, and Sihamba. Iasked him what they were doing, but he could give me no clear answer, soI suppose that they were printed there like the heads on postage stamps, if indeed they existed anywhere except in Jan's brain, into whichSihamba had conjured them. 

"What do you see more?" asked Sihamba. 

"I see a shadow in the water, " he answered, "a dark shadow, and--it islike the head of Swart Piet cut out of black paper--it spreads till italmost hides all the faces on the bits of glass. Almost, I say, butnot quite, for things are passing beneath the shadow which I cannotdistinguish. Now it shrinks quite small, and lies only over yourlikeness, Sihamba, which shows through it red--yes, and all the waterround it is red, and now there is nothing left;" and Jan rose palewith fright, and wiped his brow with a coloured pocket-handkerchief, muttering "Allemachter! this is magic indeed. "

"Let me look, " I said, and I looked for a long while and saw nothingexcept the five bits of glass. So I told Jan outright that he was a foolwhom any conjurer could play with, but he waited until I had done andthen asked Sihamba what the vision meant. 

"Father of Swallow, " she answered, "what I saw in the water mirror youhave seen, only I saw more than you did because my sight is keener. Youask me what it means, but I cannot tell you altogether, for such visionsare uncertain; they sum up the future but they do not show it all. This, however, is sure, that trouble waits us every one because of Swart Piet, for his shadow lay thick upon the image of each of us; only notethis, that while it cleared away from the rest, it remained upon mine, staining it blood-red, which means that while in the end you will escapehim, I shall die at his hands, or through him. Well, so be it, butmeanwhile this is my counsel--because of other things that I saw in thewater which I cannot describe, for in truth I know not rightly what theywere--that the marriage of the Swallow and her husband should be putoff, and that when they are married it should be at the dorp yonder, nothere. "

Now when I heard this my anger overflowed like water in a boiling pot. "What!" I cried, "when all is settled and the _predicant_ has ridden fortwo days to do the thing, is the marriage to be put off because forsooththis little black idiot declares that she sees things on bits of glassin a bowl, and because you, Jan, who ought to know better, take the liefrom her lips and make it your own? I say that I am mistress here andthat I will not allow it. If we are to be made fools of in this fashionby the peepings and mutterings of Kaffir witch-doctors we had bettergive up and die at once to go and live among the dead, whose business itis to peep and mutter. Our business is to dwell in the world and to faceits troubles and dangers until such time as it pleases God to call usout of the world, paying no heed to omens and magic and such like sinand folly. Let that come which will come, and let us meet it like menand women, giving glory to the Almighty for the ill as well as for thegood, since both ill and good come from His hands and are part of Hisplan. For my part I trust to Him who made us and who watches us, and Ifear not Swart Piet, and therefore chance what may the marriage shall goon. "

"Good words, " said Jan, "such as my heart approves of;" but he stillmopped his head with the coloured pocket-handkerchief and lookedtroubled as he added, "I pray you, wife, say nothing of this to anybody, and above all to the predicant, or he will put me out of the church as awizard. "

"Yes, yes, " said Sihamba, "good words, but the Sight is still the Sightfor those who have the power to see. Not that I wished you to see, indeed I did not wish it, nor did I think that you would be turned fromyour purpose by that which you have seen. Father and mother of Swallow, you are right, and now I will tell you the truth. What you beheld in thewater was nothing but a trick, a clever trick of the little doctoress, Sihamba, by the help of which and others like it, she earns her living, and imposes on the foolish, though she cannot impose upon you, who arewise, and have the Lord of the skies for a friend. So think no more ofit, and do not be angry with the little black monkey whose nature itis to play tricks;" and with a motion of her foot she upset the bowlof water, and collecting the pieces of mirror hid them away in her skinpouch. 

Then we went, but as I passed through the thorn trees I turned andlooked at Sihamba, and lo! she was standing in the moonlight, her facelifted towards the sky, weeping softly and wringing her hands. Then forthe first time I felt a little afraid. 

CHAPTER XIV

THE WEDDING

The marriage morning of Ralph and Suzanne broke brightly; never have Iseen a fairer. It was spring time, and the veldt was clothed with thefresh green grass and starred everywhere with the lily blooms thatsprang among it. The wind blew softly, shaking down the dewdrops fromthe growing corn, while from every bush and tree came the cooingof unnumbered doves. Beneath the eave of the _stoep_ the pair ofred-breasted swallows which had built there for so many years werefinishing their nest, and I watched them idly, for to me they were oldfriends, and would wheel about my head, touching my cheek with theirwings. Just then they paused from their task, or perhaps it was atlength completed, and flying to a bough of the peach tree a few yardsaway, perched there together amidst the bright bloom, and nestlingagainst each other, twittered forth their song of joy and love. 

It was at this moment that Sihamba walked up to the _stoep_ as though tospeak to me. 

"The Swallow and the Swallow's mate, " she said, following my eyes towhere the little creatures swung together on the beautiful bough. 

"Yes, " I answered, for her fancy seemed to me of good omen, "they havebuilt their nest, and now they are thanking God before they begin tolive together and rear their young in love. "

As the words left my lips a quick shadow swept across the path of sunlitground before the house, two strong wings beat, and a brown hawk, smallbut very fierce, being of a sort that preys upon small birds, swoopeddownwards upon the swallows. One of them saw it, and slid from thebough, but the other the hawk caught in its talons, and mounted withit high into the air. In vain did its mate circle round it swiftly, uttering shrill notes of distress; up it went steadily as pitiless asdeath. 

"Oh! my swallow, " I cried aloud in grief, "the accursed hawk has carriedaway my swallow. "

"Nay, look, " said Sihamba, pointing upwards. 

I looked, and behold! a black crow that appeared from behind the house, was wheeling about the hawk, striking at it with its beak until, thatit might have its talons free to defend itself, it let go the swallow, which, followed by its mate, came fluttering to the earth, while thecrow and the falcon passed away fighting, till they were lost in theblue depths of air. 

Springing from the _stoep_ I ran to where the swallow lay, but Sihambawas there before me and had it in her hands. 

"The hawk's beak has wounded it, " she said pointing to a blood stainamong the red feathers of the breast, "but none of its bones are broken, and I think that it will live. Let us put it in the nest and leave it toits mate and nature. "

This we did, and there in the nest it stayed for some days, its matefeeding it with flies as though it were still unfledged. After that theyvanished, both of them together, seeking some new home, nor did theyever build again beneath our eaves. 

"Would you speak with me, Sihamba?" I asked when this matter of theswallows was done with. 

"I would speak with the Baas, or with you, it is the same thing, " sheanswered, "and for this reason. I go upon a journey; for myself I havethe good black horse which the Baas gave me after I had ridden to warnyou in Tiger Kloof yonder, the one that I cured of sickness. But Ineed another beast to carry pots and food and my servant Zinti, whoaccompanies me. There is the brown mule which you use little because heis vicious, but he is very strong and Zinti does not fear him. Will yousell him to me for the two cows I earned from the Kaffir whose wife Isaved when the snake bit her? He is worth three, but I have no more tooffer. "

"Whither do you wish to journey, Sihamba?" I asked. 

"I follow my mistress to the dorp, " she answered. 

"Did she bid you follow her, Sihamba?"

"No! is it likely that she would think of me at such a time, or carewhether I come or go? Fear not, I shall not trouble her, or put her tocost; I shall follow, but I shall not be seen until I am wanted. "

Now I had made up my mind to gainsay Sihamba, not that I could find anyfault with her plan, but because if such arrangements are to be made, Ilike to make them myself, as is the business of the head of the house. Ithink Sihamba guessed this; at any rate she answered me before I spoke, and that in an odd way, namely, by looking first at the swallow's nest, then at the blooming bough of the peach tree, and lastly into the fardistances of air. 

"It was the black crow that drove the hawk away, " she said, reflectively, as though she were thinking of something else, "though Ithink, for my eyes are better than yours, that the hawk killed the crow, or perhaps they killed each other; at the least I saw them falling tothe earth beyond the crest of the mountain. "

At this I was about to break in angrily, for if there was one thing inthe world I hated it was Sihamba's nonsense about birds and omens andsuch things, whereof, indeed, I had had enough on the previous night, when she made that lump Jan believe that he saw visions in a bowl ofwater. And yet I did not--for the black crow's sake. The cruel hawk hadseized the swallow which I loved, and borne it away to devour it in itseyrie, and it was the crow that saved it. Well, the things that happenedamong birds might happen among men, who also prey upon each other, and--but I could not bear the thought. 

"Take the mule, Sihamba, " I said; "I will answer for it to the Baas. Asfor the two cows, they can run with the other cattle till your return. "

"I thank you, Mother of Swallow, " she answered, and turned to go, when Istopped her and asked:

"Have you heard anything that makes you afraid, Sihamba?"

"I have heard nothing, " she replied, "still I am afraid. "

"Then you are a fool for your pains, to be afraid of nothing, " Ianswered roughly; "but watch well, Sihamba. "

"Fear not, I will watch till my knees are loosened and my eyes growhollow. " Then she went away, and that was the last I saw of her for manya weary month. Ah! Suzanne, child, had it not been for the watching oflittle Sihamba, the walker-by-moonlight, you had not been sitting thereto-day, looking much as she used to look, the Suzanne of fifty yearsago. 

The marriage was to take place at noon, and though I had much to seeto, never have I known a longer morning. Why it was I cannot say, but itseemed to me as though twelve o'clock would never come. Then, whereverI went there was Ralph in my way, wandering about in a senseless fashionwith his best clothes on, while after him wandered Jan holding his newhat in his hand. 

"In the name of Heaven, " I cried at length as I blundered into both ofthem in the kitchen, "be off out of this. Why are you here?"

"Allemachter!" said Jan, "because we have nowhere else to go. They aremaking the sitting-room ready for the service and the dinner after it;the _predicant_ is in Ralph's room writing; Suzanne is in yours tryingon her clothes, and the _stoep_ and even the stables are full ofKaffirs. Where, then, shall we go?"

"Cannot you see to the waggon?" I asked. 

"We have seen to it, mother, " said Ralph; "it is packed, and the oxenare already tied to the yokes for fear lest they should stray. "

"Then be off and sit in it and smoke till I come to call you, " Ireplied, and away they walked shamefacedly enough, Ralph first, and Janfollowing him. 

At twelve o'clock I went for them, and found them both seated on thewaggon-chest smoking like chimneys, and saying nothing. 

"Come, Ralph, " I said, "it is quite time for you to be married, " and hecame, looking very pale, and walking unsteadily as though he had beendrinking, while after him, as usual, marched Jan, still pulling at thepipe which he had forgotten to take out of his mouth. 

Somehow I do not recollect much of the details of that wedding; theyseem to have slipped my mind, or perhaps they are buried beneath thememories of all that followed hard upon it. I remember Suzanne standingbefore the little table, behind which was the _predicant_ with his book. She wore a white dress that fitted her very well, but had no veilupon her head after the English fashion, which even Boer girls follownowadays, only in her hand she carried a bunch of rare white flowersthat Sihamba had gathered for her in a hidden kloof where they grew. Her face was somewhat pale, or looked so in the dim room, but her lipsshowed red like coral, and her dark eyes glowed and shone as she turnedthem upon the lover at her side, the fair-haired, grey-eyed, handsomeEnglish lad, whose noble blood told its tale in every feature andmovement, yes, and even in his voice, the man whom she had saved fromdeath to be her life-mate. 

A few whispered words, the changing of a ring, and one long kiss, andthese two, Ralph Kenzie and Suzanne Botmar, were husband and wife in theeyes of God and man. Ah! me, I am glad to think of it, for in the end, of all the many marriages that I have known, this proved the very bestand happiest. 

Now I thought that it was done with, for they had knelt down and the_predicant_ had blessed them; but not so, for the good man must have hisword, and a long word it was. On and on he preached about the duties ofhusbands and wives, and many other matters, till at last, as I expected, he came to the children. Now I could bear it no longer. 

"That is enough, reverend Sir, " I said, "for surely it is scarcelyneedful to talk of children to people who have not been married fiveminutes. "

That pricked the bladder of his discourse, which soon came to an end, whereon I called to the Kaffirs to bring in dinner. 

The food was good and plentiful, and so was the Hollands, or Squarefaceas they call it now, to say nothing of the Constantia and peach-brandywhich had been sent to me many years before by a cousin who lived atStellenbosch; and yet that meal was not as cheerful as it might havebeen. To begin with, the _predicant_ was sulky because I had cut himshort in his address, and a holy man in the sulks is a bad kind ofanimal to deal with. Then Jan tried to propose the health of the newmarried pair and could not do it. The words seemed to stick in histhroat, for at the best Jan was never a speaker. In short, he made afool of himself as usual, and I had to fill up the gaps in his head. 

Well, I talked nicely enough till in an evil moment I overdid it alittle by speaking of Ralph as one whom Heaven had sent to us, and ofwhose birth and parents we knew nothing. Then Jan found his tongueand said: "Wife, that's a lie, and you know it, " for, doubtless, theHollands and the peach-brandy had got the better of his reason andhis manners. I did not answer him at the time, for I hate wrangling inpublic, but afterwards I spoke to him on the subject once and for all. Luckily, the _predicant_ took no notice of this incident, for he wasthinking about himself as he was too prone to do. 

Then, to make matters worse, Suzanne must needs throw her arms round herfather's neck and begin to cry--thanks be to my bringing up of her, sheknew better than to throw them round mine. "Good Lord!" I said, losingmy temper, "what is the girl at now? She has got the husband for whomshe has been craving, and the first thing she does is to snivel. Well, if I had done that to my husband I should have expected him to box myears, though Heaven knows that I should have had excuse for it. "

Here the _predicant_ woke up, seeing his chance. 

"Vrouw Botmar, " he said, blinking at me like an owl, "it is my duty toreprove your irreverent language even at this festive board, for aword must be spoken both in and out of season, and without respectof persons. Vrouw Botmar, I fear that you do not remember the ThirdCommandment, therefore I will repeat it to you, " and he did so, speakingvery slowly. 

What I answered I cannot recollect, but even now I seem to see that_predicant_ flying out of the door of the room holding his hands abovehis head. Well, for once he met his match, and I know that afterwards healways spoke of me with great respect. 

After this again I remember little more till the pair started upon theirjourney. Suzanne asked for Sihamba to say good-bye to her, and when shewas told that she was not to be found she seemed vexed, which shows thatthe little doctoress did her injustice in supposing that just becauseshe was married she thought no more of her. Then she kissed us all infarewell--ah! we little knew for how long that farewell was to be--andwent down to the waggon to which the sixteen black oxen, a beautifulteam, were inspanned, and standing there ready to start. But Ralph andSuzanne were not going to ride in the waggon, for they had horsesto carry them. At the last moment, indeed, Jan, whose head was stillbuzzing with the peach-brandy, insisted upon giving Ralph the great_schimmel_, that same stallion which Sihamba had ridden when she warnedus of the ambush in the pass, galloping twenty miles in the hour. Thisshows me that Providence can turn even a man's vices to account, forafterwards the _schimmel_ was very useful. 

So there was much kissing and many good-byes; Ralph and Suzanne sayingthat they would soon be back, which indeed was the case with one ofthem, till at last they were off, Jan riding with them a little waytowards their first outspan by the sea, fourteen miles distant, wherethey were to sleep that night. 

When they had gone I went into my bedroom, and sitting down, I cried, for I was sorry to lose Suzanne, even for a little and for her own good, and my heart was heavy. Also my quarrel with the _predicant_ had putme out of temper. When I had got over this fit I set to work to tidySuzanne's little sleeping place, and that I found a sad task. Then Janreturned from the waggon, having bid farewell to the young couple, anhour's trek away, and his head being clear by now, we talked over theplans of the new house which was to be built for them to live in, and, going down to the site of it, set it out with sticks and a rule, whichgave us occupation till towards sunset, when it was time for him to goto see to the cattle. 

That night we went to bed early, for we were tired, and slept a heavysleep, till at length, about one in the morning, we were awakened by theshoutings of the messengers who came bearing the terrible news. 

CHAPTER XV

RALPH RETURNS INTO THE SEA

Ralph and Suzanne reached their outspan place in safety a little beforesunset. I used to know the spot well; it is where one of the numerouswooden kloofs that scar the mountain slopes ends on a grassy plainof turf, short but very sweet. This plain is not much more than fivehundred paces wide, for it is bordered by the cliff, that just here isnot very high, against which the sea beats at full tide. 

When the oxen had been turned loose to graze, and the voorlooper set towatch them, the driver of the waggon undid the cooking vessels and builta fire with dry wood collected from the kloof. Then Suzanne cooked theirsimple evening meal, of which they partook thankfully. After it wasdone the pair left the waggon and followed the banks of the littlekloof stream, which wandered across the plain till it reached the cliff, whence it fell in a trickling waterfall into the sea. Here they sat downupon the edge of the cliff, and locked in each other's arms, watched themoon rise over the silver ocean, their young hearts filled with a joythat cannot be told. 

"The sea is beautiful, is it not, husband?" whispered Suzanne into hisear. 

"To-night it is beautiful, " he answered, "as our lives seem to be; yet Ihave seen it otherwise, " and he shuddered a little. 

She nodded, for she knew of what he was thinking, and did not wish tospeak of it. "Neither life nor ocean can be always calm, " she said, "butoh! I love that great water, for it brought you to me. "

"I pray that it may never separate us, " answered Ralph. 

"Why do you say that, husband?" she asked. "Nothing can separate us now, for even if you journey far away to seek your own people, as sometimes Ithink you should, I shall accompany you. Nothing can separate us exceptdeath, and death shall bind us more closely each to each for ever andfor ever. "

"I do not know why I said it, Sweet, " he answered uneasily, and justthen a little cloud floated over the face of the moon, darkening theworld, and a cold wind blew down the kloof, causing its trees to rustleand chilling the pair, so that they clung closer to each other forcomfort. 

The cloud and the wind passed away, leaving the night as beautiful asbefore, and they sat on for a while to watch it, listening to the musicof the waterfall that splashed into the deep sea pool below, and to thesoft surge of the waves as they lapped gently against the narrow beach. 

At length Ralph spoke in a low voice. "Sweet, it is time to sleep, " hesaid, and kissed her. 

"It is time, " she whispered back, "but, husband, first let us kneeltogether here and pray to the Almighty to bless our married life andmake us happy. "

"That is a good thought, " he answered, for in those days young men whohad been brought up as Christians were not ashamed to say their prayerseven in the presence of others. 

So they knelt down side by side upon the edge of the cliff, with theirfaces set towards the open sea. 

"Pray for us both aloud, Ralph, " said Suzanne, "for though my heart isfull enough I have no words. "

So Ralph prayed very simply, saying: "Oh, God, Who madest us, hear us, Thy son and daughter, and bless us. This night our married life begins;be Thou with us ever in it, and if it should please Thee that we shouldhave children, let Thy blessing go with them all their days. Oh! God, Ithank Thee that Thou didst save me alive from the sea and lead the feetof the child who is now my wife to the place where I was starving, andSuzanne thanks Thee that through the whisperings of a dream her feetwere led thus. Oh! God, as I believe that Thou didst hear my prayer whenas a lost child I knelt dying on the rock, so I believe that Thou dosthear this the first prayer of our wedded life. We know that all life isnot made up of such joy as Thou hast given us this day, but that it hasmany dangers and troubles and losses, therefore we pray Thee to comfortus in the troubles, to protect us in the dangers, and to give usconsolation in the losses; and most of all we pray Thee that we who loveeach other, and whom Thou hast joined together, may be allowed to liveout our lives together, fearing nothing, however great our peril, sinceday and night we walk in the shadow of Thy strength, until we pass intoits presence. "

This was Ralph's prayer, for he told it to me word by word afterwardswhen he lay sick. At the time the answer to it seemed to be a strangeone, an answer to shake the faith out of a man's heart, and yet it wasnot lost or mocked at, for the true response came in its season. Nay, itcame week by week and hour by hour, seeing that every day through thoseawful years the sword of the Strength they had implored protected thosewho prayed, holding them harmless in many a desperate peril to reunitethem at the last. The devil is very strong in this world of ours, or soit seems to me, who have known much of his ways, so strong that perhapsGod must give place to him at times, for if He rules in heaven, I thinkthat Satan shares His rule on earth. But in the end it is God who wins, and never, never, need they fear who acknowledge Him and put their faithin Him, trying the while to live uprightly and conquer the evil of theirhearts. Well, this is only an old woman's wisdom, though it should notbe laughed at, since it has been taught to her by the experience of along and eventful life. Such as it is I hope that it may be of serviceto those who trust in themselves and not in their Maker. 

As the last words of his prayer left Ralph's lips he heard a man laughbehind him. The two of them sprang to their feet at the sound, and facedabout to see Swart Piet standing within five paces of them, and with himeight or ten of his black ruffians, who looked upon him as their chief, and did his needs without question, however wicked they might be. 

Now Suzanne uttered a low cry of fear and the blood froze about Ralph'sheart, for he was unarmed and their case was hopeless. Black Piet sawtheir fear and laughed again, since like a cat that has caught a mousefor which it has watched long, he could not resist the joy of torturebefore he dealt the death blow. 

"This is very lucky, " he said, "and I am glad that I have to do withsuch pious people, since it enabled us to creep on you unawares; alsoI much prefer to have found you engaged in prayer, friend Englishman, rather than in taking the bloom off my peach with kisses, as I fearedmight be the case. That was a pretty prayer, too; I almost felt asthough I were in church while I stood listening to it. How did it end?You prayed that you might be allowed to live together, fearing nothing, however great your peril, since you walked always in the shadow of God'sstrength. Well, I have come to answer your petition, and to tell youthat your life together is ended before it is begun. For the rest, yourperil is certainly great, and now let God's strength help you if it can. Come, God, show Your strength. He does not answer, you see, or perhapsHe knows that Swart Piet is god here and is afraid. "

"Cease your blasphemy, " said Ralph in a hoarse voice, "and tell me whatyou want with us. "

"What do I want? I want her whose scorn and beauty have driven me mad, her for whom I have been seeking this long time--Suzanne Botmar. "

"She is my wife, " said Ralph; "would you steal away my wife?"

"No, friend, for that would not be lawful. I will not take your wife, but I shall take your widow, as will be easy, seeing that you are armedwith God's strength only. "

Now understanding all this man's devilish purpose, Suzanne fell uponher knees before him, imploring him with many piteous words. Butknowing that death was at hand Ralph's heart rose to it, as that of ahigh-couraged man will do, and he bade her to cease her supplicationsand rise. Then in a loud, clear voice he spoke in the Kaffir tongue, sothat those who were with Piet Van Vooren should understand him. 

"It seems, Piet Van Vooren, " he said, "that you have stolen upon ushere to carry off my wife by violence after you have murdered me. Thesecrimes you may do, though I know well that if you do them they will berevenged upon you amply, and upon you men also who take part in them. And now I will not plead to you for mercy, but I ask one thing which youcannot refuse, because those with you, Kaffirs though they be, will notsuffer it--five short minutes of time in which to bid farewell to mynew-wed wife. "

"Not an instant, " said Swart Piet, but at the words the black men whowere with him, and whose wicked hearts were touched with pity, began tomurmur so loudly, that he hesitated. 

"At your bidding, Bull-Head, " said one of them, "we have come to killthis man and to carry away the white woman, and we will do it, for youare our chief and we must obey you. But, if you will not give him thelittle space for which he asks, wherein to bid farewell to his wifebefore she becomes your wife, then we will have nothing more to dowith the matter. I say that our hearts are sick at it already, and, Bull-Head, you kill a man, not a dog, and that by murder, not in fairfight. "

"As you will, fool, " said Swart Piet. "Englishman, I give you fiveminutes, " and he drew a large silver watch from his pocket and held itin his hand. 

"Get out of hearing then, murderer, " said Ralph, "for I have no breathleft to waste on you, " and Piet obeying him, fell back a little andstood gnawing his nails and staring at the pair. 

"Suzanne, wife Suzanne, " whispered Ralph, "we are about to part, since, as you see, I must die, and your fate lies in the Hand of God. Yes, youare made a widow before you are a wife; and, Suzanne, ah! that is theworst of it, another takes you, even my murderer. "

Now Suzanne, who till this moment had been as one stupefied, seemed togather up her strength and answered him calmly, saying:

"Truly, husband, things appear to be as you say, though what we havedone that they should be so, I cannot tell. Still comfort yourself, fordeath comes to all of us soon or late, and whether it comes soon or latemakes little difference in the end, seeing that come it must. "

"No, not death, it is your fate that makes the difference. How can Ibear to die and leave you the prey of that devil? Oh my God! my God! howcan I bear to die!"

"Have no fear, husband, " went on Suzanne in the same clear, indifferentvoice, "for you do not leave me to be his prey. Say, now; if we walkbackwards swiftly before they could catch us we might fall together intothe pit of the sea beneath. "

"Nay, wife, let our deaths lie upon their heads and not upon ours, forself-murder is a crime. "

"As you will, Ralph; but I tell you, and through you I tell Him whomade me, that it is a crime which I shall dare if need be. Have no fear, Ralph, as I leave your arms, so shall I return to them, whether it bein Heaven or upon earth. That man thinks he has power over me, but I saythat he has none, seeing that at the last God will protect me with Hishand, or with my own. "

"I cannot blame you, Suzanne, for there are some things which are not tobe borne. Do therefore as your conscience teaches you, if you have themeans. "

"I have the means, Ralph. Hidden about me is a little knife which I havecarried since I was a child; and if that fails me there are other ways. "

"Time is done, " said Swart Piet, replacing the watch in his pocket. 

"Farewell, sweet, " whispered Ralph. 

"Farewell, husband, " she answered bravely, "until we meet again, whetherit be here on earth or above in Heaven; farewell until we meet again, "and she flung her arms about his neck and kissed him. 

For a moment Ralph clung to her muttering some blessing above her bowedhead; then he unloosed her clasping arms, letting her fall gently uponthe ground and saying: "Lie thus, shutting your ears and hiding youreyes till all is done. Afterwards you must act as seems best to you. Escape to your father if you can, if not--tell me, do you understand?"

"I understand, " she murmured, and hid her face in a tuft of thick grass, placing her hands upon her ears. 

Ralph bowed his head for an instant in prayer. Then he lifted it andthere was no fear upon his face. 

"Come on, murderer, " he said, addressing Swart Piet, "and do yourbutcher's work. Why do you delay? You cannot often find the joy ofslaughtering a defenceless man in the presence of his new-made wife. Come on then and win the everlasting curse of God. "

Now Swart Piet glanced at him out of the corners of his round eyes; thenhe ordered one of the Kaffirs to go up to him and shoot him. 

The man went up and lifted his gun, but presently he put it down againand walked away, saying that he could not do this deed. Thrice did VanVooren issue his command, and to three separate men, the vilest of hisflock, but with each of them it was the same; they came up lifting theirguns, looked into Ralph's grey eyes and slunk away muttering. Then, cursing and swearing in his mad fury, Swart Piet drew the pistol fromhis belt and rushing towards Ralph fired it into him so that he fell. He stood over him and looked at him, the smoking pistol in his hand, butthe wide grey eyes remained open and the strong mouth still smiled. 

"The dog lives yet, " raved Swart Piet; "cast him into the sea, and letthe sea finish him. "

But no man stirred; all stood silent as though they had been cut instone, and there, a little nearer the cliff edge, lay the silent form ofSuzanne. 

Then Van Vooren seized Ralph and dragged him by the shoulders to thebrink of the precipice. His hair brushed the hair of Suzanne as his bodywas trailed along the ground, and as he passed he whispered one word, "Remember, " into her ear, and she raised her head to look at him andanswered, "Now, and always. " Then she let her head fall again. 

Stooping down, Swart Piet lifted Ralph in his great arms, and cryingaloud: "Return into the sea out of which you came, " he hurled him overthe edge of the cliff. Two seconds later the sound of a heavy splashechoed up its sides; then, save for the murmur of the waterfall and thesurge of the surf upon the beach, all was still again. 

CHAPTER XVI

HOW RALPH CAME BACK TO THE STEAD

For a few moments Swart Piet and his black ruffians stood staring nowat each other and now over the edge of the cliff into the deep sea-hole. There, however, they could see nothing, for the moonbeams did not reachits surface, and the only sound they heard was that of the drippingof the little waterfall, which came to their ears like the tinkle ofdistant sheep-bells. Then Swart Piet shivered and laughed aloud, a laughthat had more of fear than of merriment in it. 

"The Englishman called down the everlasting curse of God on me, " hecried. "Well, I have waited for it, and it does not come, so now forman's reward, " and going to where Suzanne lay, he set his arms beneathher and turned her over upon her back. "She has swooned, " he said;"perhaps it is as well, " and he stood looking at her, for thus in herfaint she seemed wonderfully fair with the moonbeams playing upon herdeathlike face. 

"He had good taste, that Englishman, " went on Swart Piet. "Well, nowour account is squared; he has sown and I shall harvest. Follow me, youblack fellows, for we had best be off, " and, stooping down he liftedSuzanne in his arms and walked away with her as though she were a child. For a while they followed the windings of the stream, keeping undercover of the reeds and bushes that grew upon its banks. Then they struckout to the right, taking advantage of a cloud which dimmed the face ofthe moon for a time, for they wished to reach the kloof without beingseen from the waggon. Nor, indeed, were they seen, for the driver andvoorlooper were seated by the cooking-fire on its further side, smoking, and dozing as they smoked. Only the great thoroughbred horse windedthem and snorted, pulling at the riem with which he was tied to the hindwheel of the waggon. 

"Something has frightened the _schimmel_, " said the driver waking up. 

"It is nothing, " answered the other boy drowsily; "he is not used tothe veldt, he who always sleeps in a house like a man; or, perhaps, hesmells a hyena in the kloof. "

"I thought I heard a sound like that of a gun a while ago down yonder bythe sea, " said the driver again. "Say, brother, shall we go and find outwhat made it?"

"By no means, " answered the voorlooper, who did not like walking aboutat night, fearing lest he should meet spooks. "I have been wide awakeand listening all this time, and I heard no gun; nor, indeed, do peoplego out shooting at night. Also it is our business to watch here by thewaggon till our master and mistress return. "

"Where can they have gone?" said the driver, who felt frightened, heknew not why. "It is strange that they should be so long away when it istime for them to sleep. "

"Who can account for the ways of white people?" answered the other, shrugging his shoulders. "Very often they sit up all night. Doubtlessthese two will return when they are tired, or perhaps they desire tosleep in the veldt. At any rate it is not our duty to interfere withthem, seeing that they can come to no harm here where there are neithermen nor tigers. "

"So be it, " said the driver, and they both dozed off again till themessenger of ill came to rouse them. 

Now Black Piet and his men crept up the kloof carrying Suzanne withthem, till they came to a little patch of rocky ground at the head of itwhere they had left their horses. 

"That was very well managed, " said Piet as they loosed them andtightened their girths, "and none can ever know that we have made thisjourney. To-morrow the bride and bridegroom will be missed, but the seahas one and I have the other, and hunt as they may they will never findher, nor guess where she has gone. No, it will be remembered that theywalked down to the sea, and folk will think that by chance they fellfrom the cliff into the deep water and vanished there. Yes, it was wellmanaged and none can guess the truth. "

Now the man to whom he spoke, that same man with whom the boy Zinti hadheard him plot our murder in the Tiger Kloof, shrugged his shoulders andanswered:

"I think there is one who will guess. "

"Who is that, fool?"

"She about whose neck I once set a rope at your bidding, Bull-Head, and whose life was bought by those lips, " and he pointed to Suzanne, "Sihamba Ngenyanga. "

"Why should she guess?" asked Piet angrily. 

"Has she not done so before? Think of the great _schimmel_ and its riderin Tiger Kloof. Moreover, what does her name mean? Does it not mean'Wanderer-by-moonlight, ' and was not this great deed of yours a deed atthe telling of which all who hear of it shall grow sick and silent, donein the moonlight, Bull-Head?"

Now as we learned afterwards from a man whom Jan took prisoner, and whotold us everything which passed that night, hoping to buy his life, Piet made no answer to this saying, but turned to busy himself with hissaddle, for, after his ill dealings with her, he was always afraid ofSihamba, and would never mention her name unless he was obliged. Soonthe horses, most of which were small and of the Basuto breed, were readyto start. On one of the best of them there was a soft pad of sheepskins, such as girls used to ride on when I was young, before we knew anythingabout these new-fangled English saddles with leather hooks to hold therider in her place. On this pad, which had been prepared for her, theyset Suzanne, having first tied her feet together loosely with a riem sothat she might not slip to the ground and attempt to escape by running. Moreover, as she was still in a swoon, they supported her, Black Pietwalking upon one side and a Kaffir upon the other. In this fashion theytravelled for the half of an hour or more, until they were deep in amongthe mountains, indeed, when suddenly with a little sigh Suzanne awoke, and glanced about her with wide, frightened eyes. Then memory cameback to her, and she understood, and, opening her lips, she uttered oneshriek so piercing and dreadful that the rocks of the hills multipliedand echoed it, and the blood went cold even in the hearts of thosesavage men. 

"Suzanne, " said Swart Piet in a low, hoarse voice, "I have dared much towin you, and I wish to treat you kindly, but if you cry out again, formy own safety's sake and that of those with me, we must gag you. "

She made no answer to him, nor did she speak at all except one word, andthat word "_Murderer_. " Then she closed her eyes as though to shut outthe sight of his face, and sat silent, saying nothing and doing nothing, even when Piet and the other man who supported her had mounted andpushed their horses to a gallop, leading that on which she rode by ariem. 

It might be thought after receiving a pistol bullet fired into him at adistance of four paces, and being cast down through fifty feet of spaceinto a pool of the sea, that there was an end of Ralph Kenzie for everon this earth. But thanks to the mercy of God this was not so, for theball had but shattered his left shoulder, touching no vital part, andthe water into which he fell was deep, so that, striking against norock, he rose presently to the surface, and the pool being but narrow, was able to swim to one side of it where the beach shelved. Up thatbeach Ralph could not climb, however, for he was faint with loss ofblood and shock. Indeed, his senses left him while he was in the water, but it chanced that he fell forward and not backward, so that his headrested upon the shelving edge of the pool, all the rest of his bodybeing beneath its surface. Lying thus, had the tide been rising, hewould speedily have drowned, but it had turned, and so, the water beingwarm, he took no further harm. 

Now Sihamba did not leave the stead till some hours after Ralph and hisbride had trekked away. She knew where they would outspan, and as shedid not wish that they should see her yet, or until they were too farupon their journey to send her back, it was her plan to reach the spot, or rather a hiding-place in the kloof within a stone's throw of it, after they had gone to rest. So it came about that at the time whenRalph and Suzanne were surprised by Swart Piet, Sihamba was riding alongquietly upon the horse which Jan had given her, accompanied by the ladZinti, perched on the strong brown mule in the midst of cooking pots, bags of meal, biltong, and rolls of blankets. Already, half a mileoff or more, she could see the cap of the waggon gleaming white in themoonlight, when suddenly away to the left they heard the sound of apistol shot. 

"Now who shoots in this lonely place at night?" said Sihamba to Zinti. "Had the sound come from the waggon yonder I should think that someonehad fired to scare a hungry jackal, but all is quiet at the waggon, andthe servants of Swallow are there, for, look, the fire burns. "

"I know not, lady, " answered Zinti, for Sihamba was given the title ofChieftainess among the natives who knew something of her birth, "but Iam sure that the sound was made by powder. "

"Let us go and see, " said Sihamba turning her horse. 

For a while they rode on towards the place whence they had heard theshot, till, suddenly, when they were near the cliff and in a little foldof ground beyond the ridge of which ran the stream, Sihamba stopped andwhispered, "Be silent, I hear voices. " Then she slipped from her horseand crept like a snake up the slope of the rise until she reached itscrest, where at this spot stood two tufts of last season's grass, forno fires had swept the veldt. From between these tufts, so well hiddenherself that unless they had stepped upon her body, none could havediscovered her, she saw a strange sight. 

There beneath her, within a few paces indeed, for the ground slopedsteeply to the stream, men were passing. The first of these was white, and he carried a white woman in his arms; the rest were Kaffirs, some ofwhom wore karosses or cotton blankets, and some tattered soldiers' coatsand trousers, while all were well armed with "_roers_" or other guns, and had powder flasks hung about their necks. Sihamba knew at once thatthe white man was Swart Piet, and the woman in his arms her mistress, Suzanne. She could have told it from her shape alone, but as ithappened, her head hung down, and the moonlight shone upon her face sobrightly that she could see its every feature. Her blood boiled in heras she looked, for now she understood that her fears were just, and thatthe Swallow whom she loved above everything in the world, had falleninto the power of the man she hated. At first she was minded to follow, and if might be, to rescue her. Then she remembered the pistol-shot, andremembered also that this new-made wife would have been with her husbandand no other. Where, then, was he now? Without doubt, murdered byBull-Head. If so, it was little use to look for him, and yet somethingin her heart told her to look. 

At that moment she might not help Suzanne, for what could one woman anda Kaffir youth do against so many men? Moreover, she knew whither VanVooren would take her, and could follow there, but first she must learnfor certain what had been the fate of the Baas Ralph her husband. SoSihamba lay still beneath the two tufts of grass until the last of themen had passed in silence, glancing about them sullenly as though theyfeared vengeance for a crime. Then, having noted that they were headingfor the kloof, she went back to where Zinti stood in the hollow holdingthe horse with one hand and the mule with the other, and beckoned him tofollow her. 

Very soon, tracing the spoor backwards, they reached the edge of thecliff just where the waterfall fell over it into the sea pool. Here shesearched about, noting this thing and that, till at last all grew clearto her. Yonder Suzanne had lain, for the impress of her shape couldstill be seen upon the grass. And there a man had been stretched out, for his blood stained the ground. More, he had been dragged to the edgeof the cliff, for this was the track of his body and the spoor of hismurderer's feet. Look how his heels had sunk into the turf as he tookthe weight of the corpse in his arms to hurl it over the edge. 

"Tie the horse and the mule together, Zinti, " she said, "and let us finda path down this precipice. "

The lad obeyed, wondering, though he too guessed much of what hadhappened, and after a little search they found a place by which theycould descend. Now Sihamba ran to the pool and stood upon its brinkscanning the surface with her eyes, till at length she glanceddownwards, and there, almost at her feet, three parts of his body yethidden in the water, lay the man she sought. 

Swiftly she sprang to him, and, aided by Zinti, dragged him to dryground. 

"Alas! lady, " moaned the Kaffir, "it is of no use, the Baas is dead. Look, he has been shot. "

Taking no heed of the words, Sihamba opened Ralph's garments, placingfirst her hand, then her ear, upon his heart. Presently she lifted herhead, a light of hope shining in her eyes, and said:

"Nay, he lives, and we have found him in time. Moreover, his woundis not to death. Now help me, for between us we must bear him up thecliff. "

So Zinti took him on his back as a man takes a sack of flour, whileSihamba supported his legs, and thus between them, with great toil, forthe way was very steep, they carried him by a sloping buck's path to thetop of the precipice, and laid him upon the mule. 

"Which way now?" gasped Zinti, for being strong he had borne the weight. 

"To the waggon if they have not yet stolen it, " said Sihamba, andthither they went. 

When they were near she crept forward, searching for Swart Piet and hisgang, but there were no signs of them, only she saw the driver and hiscompanion nodding by the fire. She walked up to them. 

"Do you then sleep, servants of Kenzie, " she said, "while the Swallow isborne away to the Hawk's Nest and the husband of Swallow, your master, is cast by Bull-Head back into the sea whence he came?"

Now the men woke up and knew her. "Look, it is Sihamba, " stammeredone of them to the other, for he was frightened. "What evil thing hashappened, Lady Sihamba?"

"I have told you, but your ears are shut. Come then and see with youreyes, " and she led them to where Ralph lay in his blood, the water yetdripping from his hair and clothes. 

"Alas! he is dead, " they groaned and wrung their hands. 

"He is not dead, he will live; for while you slept I found him, " sheanswered. "Swift now, bring me the waggon box that is full of clothes, and the blankets off the cartel. "

They obeyed her, and very quickly and gently--for of all doctors Sihambawas the best--with their help she drew off his wet garments, and, havingdried him and dressed his wounds with strips of linen, she put a flannelshirt upon him and wrapped him in blankets. Then she poured brandy intohis mouth, but, although the spirit brought a little colour into hispale face, it did not awaken him, for his swoon was deep. 

"Lay him on the cartel in the waggon, " she said, and, lifting him, they placed him upon the rimpi bed. Then she ordered them to inspanthe waggon, and this was done quickly, for the oxen lay tied to thetrek-tow. When all was ready she spoke to the two men, telling them whathad happened so far as she knew it, and adding these words:

"Trek back to the stead as swiftly as you may, one of you sitting in thewaggon to watch the Baas Kenzie and to comfort him should he wake out ofhis swoon. Say to the father and mother of Swallow that I have taken thehorses to follow Swart Piet and to rescue her by cunning if so I can, for as will be plain to them, this is a business that must not wait;also that I have taken with me Zinti, since he alone knows the path toBull-Head's secret hiding-place in the mountains. Of that road Zintiwill tell you all he can and you will tell it to the Baas Botmar, whomust gather together such men as he is able, and start to-morrow tofollow it and rescue us, remembering what sort of peril it is in whichhis daughter stands. If by any means I can free the Swallow, we willcome to meet him; if not, who knows? Then he must act according to hisjudgment and to what he learns. But let him be sure of this, and let herhusband be sure also, that while I have life in me I will not cease frommy efforts to save her, and that if she dies--for I know her spirit andno worse harm than death will overtake her--then if may be, I will diewith her or to avenge her, and I have many ways of vengeance. Lastly, let them not believe that we are dead until they have certain knowledgeof it, for it may chance that we cannot return to the stead, but mustlie hid in the mountains or among the Kaffirs. Now hear what Zinti hasto say as to the path of Bull-Head's den and begone, forgetting no oneof my words, for if you linger or forget, when I come again I, Sihamba, will blind your eyes and shrivel your livers with a spell. "

"We hear you, " they answered, "and remember every word of your message. In three hours the Baas shall know it. "

Five minutes later they trekked away and so swiftly did they driveand so good were the oxen, that in less than the three hours we wereawakened by the barking of the dogs and one knocking on our door, andran out to learn all the dreadful tidings and to find Ralph bleedingand still senseless, stretched upon that cartel where we thought himsleeping happily with his bride. 

Oh! the terror and the agony of that hour, never may I forget them!Never may I forget the look that sprang into Ralph's eyes when at lasthe awoke and, turning them to seek Suzanne, remembered all. 

"Why am I here and not dead?" he asked hoarsely. 

"Sihamba saved you and you have been brought back in the waggon, " Ianswered. 

"Where then is Suzanne?" he asked again. 

"Sihamba has ridden to save her also, and Jan starts presently to followher, and with him others. "

"Sihamba!" he groaned. "What can one woman do against Piet Van Voorenand his murderers, and for the rest they will be too late. Oh! my God, my God, what have we done that such a thing should fall upon us? Thinkof it, think of her in the hands of Piet Van Vooren. Oh! my God, my God, I shall go mad!"

Indeed I, who watched him, believe that this would have been so, or elsehis brain must have burst beneath its shock of sorrow, had not naturebeen kind to him and plunged him back into stupor. In this he lay long, until well on into the morrow indeed, or rather the day, for by now itwas three o'clock, when the doctor came to take out the pistol ball andset his shattered bone. For, as it chanced, a doctor, and a clever one, had been sent for from the dorp to visit the wife of a neighbour who laysick not more than twenty miles away, and we were able to summon him. Indeed but for this man's skill, the sleeping medicines he gave him toquiet his mind, and, above all, a certain special mercy which shall betold of in its place, I think that Ralph would have died. As it was, seven long weeks went by before he could sit upon a horse. 

CHAPTER XVII

THE HIDDEN KRANTZ

Before the waggon left her, Sihamba took from it Ralph's gun, a verygood _roer_, together with powder and bullets. Also she took tinder, abottle of peach-brandy, a blanket, mealies in a small bag, wherewith tobait the horses in case of need, and some other things which she thoughtmight be necessary. These she laded among her own goods upon the mulethat with her horse had been fetched by Zinti and hastily fed with corn. Now, at her bidding, Zinti set Suzanne's saddle upon the back of the_schimmel_, and Ralph's on that of Suzanne's grey mare, which he mountedthat the mule might travel lighter. Then Sihamba got upon her own horse, a good and quiet beast which she rode with a sheepskin for a saddle, andthey started, Sihamba leading the _schimmel_ and Zinti the mule that, asit chanced, although bad tempered, would follow well on a riem. 

Riding up the kloof they soon reached the spot where Van Vooren's bandhad tethered their horses and tracked the spoor of them with ease forso long as the ground was soft. Afterwards when they reached the opencountry, where the grass had been burnt off and had only just begun tospring again, this became more difficult, and at length, in that light, impossible. Here they wasted a long time, searching for the hoof-marksby the rays of the waning moon, only to lose them again so soon as theywere found. 

"At this pace we shall take as long to reach Bull-Head's kraal as didthe cow you followed, " said Sihamba presently. "Say, now, can you findthe way to it?"

"Without a doubt, lady; Zinti never forgets a road or a landmark. "

"Then lead me there as fast as may be. "

"Yes, lady, but Bull-Head may have taken the Swallow somewhere else, and if we do not follow his spoor how shall we know where he has hiddenher?"

"Fool, I have thought of that, " she answered angrily, "else should Ihave spent all this time looking for hoof-marks in the dark? We mustrisk it, I say. To his house he has not taken her, for other white folkare living in it, and it is not likely he would have a second, or abetter hiding-place than that you saw. I say that we must be bold andrisk it since we have no time to lose. "

"As you will, mistress, " answered Zinti. "Who am I that I shouldquestion your wisdom?" and, turning his horse's head, he rode forwardacross the gloomy veldt as certainly as a homing rock-dove wings itsflight. 

So they travelled till the sun rose behind a range of distant hills. Then Zinti halted and pointed to them. 

"Look, lady, " he said. "Do you see that peak among the mountains whichhas a point like a spear, the one that seems as though it were on fire?Well, behind it lies Bull-Head's kraal. "

"It is far, Zinti, but we must be there by night. "

"That may be done, lady, but if so we must spare our horses. "

"Good, " she answered. "Here is a spring; let us off-saddle a while. "

So they off-saddled and ate of the food which they had brought, whilethe horses filled themselves with the sweet green grass, the _schimmel_being tied to the grey mare, for he would not bear a knee-halter. 

All that day they rode, not so very fast but steadily, till towardssunset they off-saddled again beneath the shadow of the spear-pointedpeak. There was no water at this spot, but seeing a green place uponthe slope of a hill close by, Zinti walked to it, leading the thirstybeasts. Presently he threw up his hand and whistled, whereon Sihamba setout to join him, knowing that he had found a spring. So it proved to be, and now they learned that Sihamba had been wise in heading straight forSwart Piet's hiding-place, since round about this spring was the spoorof many horses and of men. Among these was the print of a foot that sheknew well, the little foot of Suzanne. 

"How long is it since they left here?" asked Sihamba, not as one whodoes not know, but rather as though she desired to be certified in herjudgment. 

"When the sun stood there, " answered Zinti, pointing to a certain heightin the heavens. 

"Yes, " she answered, "three hours. Bull-Head has travelled quicker thanI thought. "

"No, " said Zinti, "but I think that he knew a path through the big_vlei_, whereas we rode round it, two hours' ride, fearing lest weshould be bogged. Here by this spring they stayed till sunset, for itwas needful that the horses should feed and rest, since they would savetheir strength in them. 

"Lady, " went on Zinti presently, "beyond the neck of the hill yonderlies the secret kraal of Bull-Head. Say, now, what is your plan when youreach it?"

"I do not know, " she answered, "but tell me again of the hidden krantzwhere the women built the new hut, and of the way to it. "

He told her and she listened, saying nothing. 

"Good, " she said, when he had done. "Now lead me to this place, and thenperhaps I will tell my plan if I have one. "

So they started on again, but just as they reached the crest of theNek a heavy thunderstorm came up, together with clouds and rain, hidingeverything from them. 

"Now I suppose that we must stay here till the light comes, " saidSihamba. 

"Not so, lady, " answered Zinti, "I have been the path once and I can goit again in storm or shine, " and he pressed forward, with the lightningflashes for a candle. 

Well was that storm for them indeed, since otherwise they would havebeen seen, for already Swart Piet had set his scouts about the kraal. 

At length Sihamba felt that they were riding among trees, for waterdripped from them upon her and their branches brushed her face. 

"Here is the wood where the women cut poles for the new hut, " whisperedZinti in her ear. 

"Then let us halt, " she answered, and dismounting they tied the threehorses and the mule to as many small trees close together, but not nearenough for them to kick each other. 

Now Sihamba took a piece of biltong from a saddle-bag and began to eatit, for she knew that she would need all her cleverness and strength. "Take the bag of mealies, " she said, "and divide it among the horses andthe mule, giving a double share to the _schimmel_. "

Zinti obeyed her, and presently all four of the beasts were eating well, for though they had travelled far their loads were light, nor had thepace been pressed. 

Sihamba turned, and, holding out her hands towards the horses, mutteredsomething rapidly. 

"What are you doing, mistress?" asked Zinti. 

"Perhaps I am throwing a charm upon these animals, that they may neitherneigh nor whinny till we come again, for if they do so we are lost. Now let us go, and--stay, bring the gun with you, for you know how toshoot. "

So they started, slipping through the wet wood like shadows. For tenminutes or more they crept on thus towards the dark line of cliff, Zintigoing first and feeling the way with his fingers, till presently hehalted. 

"Hist!" he whispered. "I smell people. "

As he spoke, they heard a sound like to that of someone sliding downrocks. Then a man challenged, saying, "Who passes from the krantz?" anda woman's voice answered, "It is I, Asika, the wife of Bull-Head. " "Ihear you, " answered the man. "Now tell me, Asika, what happens yonder. "

"What happens? How do I know what happens?" she answered crossly. "Aboutsunset Bull-Head brought home his new wife, a white chieftainess, forwhom we built the hut yonder; but the fashions of marriage among thesewhite people must be strange indeed, for this one came to her husband, her feet bound, and with a face like to the face of a dead woman, theeyes set wide, and the lips parted. Yes, and they blindfolded her in thewood there and carried her through this hole in the rock down to the hutwhere she is shut in. "

"I know something of this matter, " answered the man; "the white lady isno willing wife to Bull-Head, for he killed her husband and took her byforce. Yes, yes, I know, for my uncle was one of those with him when thedeed was done, and he told me something of it just now. "

"An evil deed, " said Asika, "and one that will bring bad luck upon allof us; but then, Bull-Head, our chief, is an evil man. Oh! I know it whoam of the number of his Kaffir wives. Say, friend, " she went on, "willyou walk a little way with me, as far as the first huts of the kraal, for there are ghosts in the wood, and I fear to pass it alone at night. "

"I dare not, Asika, " he answered, "for I am set here on guard. "

"Have no fear, friend, the chief is within, seeing to the comfort of hisnew wife. "

"Well, I will come with you a little way if you wish it, but I mustbe back immediately, " he said, and the listeners heard them walk offtogether. 

"Now, Zinti, " whispered Sihamba, "lead me through the hole in the rock. "

So he took her by the hand and felt along the face of the cliff till hefound the bush which covered the entrance. To this he climbed, draggingher after him, and presently they were in the secret krantz. 

"We have found our way into the spider's nest, " muttered Zinti, who grewafraid; "but say, lady, how shall we find our way out of it?"

"Lead on and leave that to me, " she answered. "Where I, a woman, can go, surely you who are a man can go also. "

"I trust to your magic to protect us--therefore I come, " said Zinti, "though if we are seen our death is sure. "

On they crept across the glen, till presently they heard the sound ofthe small waterfall and saw it glimmering faintly through the gloom anddrizzling rain. To their left ran the stream, and on the banks of itstood something large and round. 

"There stands the new hut where Swallow is, " whispered Zinti. 

Now Sihamba thought for a moment and said:

"Zinti, I must find out what passes in that hut. Listen: do you lie hidamong the rocks under the bank of the stream, and if you hear me hootlike an owl, then come to me, but not before. "

"I obey, " answered Zinti, and crept down among the reeds, where hecrouched for a long time up to his knees in water, shivering with coldand fear. 

CHAPTER XVIII

WHAT PASSED IN THE HUT

Going on to her hands and knees Sihamba crawled towards the hut. Now shewas within ten paces of it and could see that a man stood on guard atits doorway. "I must creep round to the back, " she thought, and began todo so, heading for some shrubs which grew to the right. Already she hadalmost reached them, when of a sudden, and for an instant only, the moonshone out between two thick clouds, revealing her, though indistinctly, to the eyes of the guard. Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made ofwild dog's hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to bea wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head forthe ruff upon the animal's neck. 

"Take that, you four-legged night thief, " he said aloud, and hurled theassegai in his hand straight at her. The aim was good; indeed, had shebeen a dog it would have transfixed her. As it was, the spear passedjust beneath her body, pinning the hanging edges of the cape andremaining fixed in the tough leather. Now if Sihamba's wit had left her, as would have happened with most, she was lost, but not for nothing hadshe been a witch-doctoress from her childhood, skilled in every artificeand accustomed to face death. From his words she guessed that the sentryhad mistaken her for a wild beast, so instead of springing to her feetshe played the part of one, and uttering a howl of pain scrambledaway among the bushes. She heard the man start to follow her, then themoonlight went out and he returned to his post grumbling over his lostassegai and saying that he would find it in the jackal's body on themorrow. Sihamba, listening not far away, knew his voice; it was that ofthe fellow who had set the noose about her neck at Swart Piet's biddingand who was to have done the murder in the pass. 

"Now, friend, you are unarmed, " she thought to herself, "for you have nogun with you, and perhaps we shall settle our accounts before you go toseek that dead jackal by to-morrow's light. " Then drawing the assegaifrom the cloak and keeping it in her hand, she crept on till she came tothe back of the hut in safety. Still she was not much nearer to her end, for the hut was new and very well built, and she could find no crackto look through, though when she placed her ear against its sideshe thought that she could hear the sound of a man's voice. In herperplexity Sihamba cast her eyes upwards and saw that a fine line oflight shone from the smoke-hole at the very top of the hut, which washive-shaped, and a thought came into her head. 

"If I climb up there, " she said to herself, "I can look down throughthe smoke-hole and see and hear what passes in the hut. Only then ifthe moon comes out again I may be seen lying on the thatch; well, that Imust chance with the rest. "

So very slowly and silently, by the help of the rimpis which bound thestraw, she climbed the dome of the hut, laughing to herself to thinkthat this was the worst of omens for its owner, till at length shereached the smoke-hole at the top and looked down. 

This was what she saw: Half seated, half lying upon a rough bedsteadspread with blankets, was Suzanne. Her hair had come undone and hungabout her, her feet were still loosely bound together, and as theKaffir, Asika, had said, her face was like that of a dead woman, and hereyes were set in a fixed unnatural stare. Before her was a table cutby natives out of a single block of wood, on which were two candles ofsheep's fat set in bottles, and beyond the table stood Swart Piet, whowas addressing her. 

"Suzanne, " he said, "listen to me. I have always loved you, Suzanne, yes, from the time when I was but a boy: we used to meet now andagain, you know, when you were out riding with the Englishman whois dead"--here Suzanne's face changed, then resumed its deathlikemask--"and always I worshipped you, and always I hated the Englishmanwhom you favoured. Well, as you grew older you began to understand anddislike me, and Kenzie began to understand and insult me, and from thatseed of slight and insult grew most that is bad in me. Yes, Suzanne, youwill say that I am wicked; and I am wicked. I have done things of whichI should not like to tell you. I have done such things as you saw lastnight; I have mixed myself up with Kaffir wizardries and cruelties; Ihave forgotten God and taken another master, and so far from honouringmy own father, why, I struck him down when he was drunk and dared me todo it, and of that blow they say he died. Well, I owed him nothing lessfor begetting me into such a world as this, and teaching me how to findthe devil before my time. 

"And now, " he went on after a pause, for Suzanne answered nothing, "standing before you as I do here with your husband's blood upon myhands, and seeking your love over his grave, you will look at me andsay--'This man is a monster, a madman, one who should be cast from theearth and stamped deep, deep into hell!' Yes, all these things I am, and let the weight of them rest upon your head, for you made me them, Suzanne. I am mad, I know that I am mad, as my father and grandfatherwere before me, but my madness is mixed with knowledge, for in me runsthe blood of the old Pondo witch-doctoress, my grandmother, she who knewmany things that are not given to white men. When I saw you and lovedyou I became half mad--before that I was sane--and when the Englishman, Kenzie, struck me with the whip after our fight at the sheep-kraal, ah!then I went wholly mad, and see how wisely, for you are the first-fruitsof my madness, you and the body that to-night rolls to and fro in theocean. 

"You do not answer: Well, look you, Suzanne, I have won you by craft andblood, and by craft and blood I will keep you. Here you are in my power, here Heaven itself could not save you from me, in Bull-Head's secretkrantz which none knew of but some few natives. Choose, therefore;forget the sins that I have committed to win you and become my wifewillingly, and no woman shall ever find a better husband, for then thefire and the tempest will leave my brain and it will grow calm as it wasbefore I saw you. 

"Have you still no answer? Well, I will not hurry you. See, I mustgo--do you know what for? To set scouts lest by any chance your fatheror other fools should have found my hiding-place, though I think thatthey can never find it except it be through the wisdom of Sihamba, whichthey will not seek. Still I go, and in an hour I will return for youranswer, which you must make then, Suzanne, since whether you desire it, or desire it not, fortune has given you to me. Have you no word for mebefore I go?"

Now during all this long, half-insane harangue, Suzanne had sat quitesilent, making no reply at all, not even seeming to hear the demon, forsuch he was, whose wicked talk defiled her ears. But when he asked herwhether she had nothing to say to him before he went, still looking notat him, but beyond him, she gave him his answer in one word, the samethat she had used when she awoke from her swoon:

"_Murderer_. "

Something in the tone in which she spoke, or perhaps in the substanceof that short speech, seemed to cow him; at the least he turned and leftthe hut, and presently Sihamba heard him talking to the sentry without, bidding him to keep close watch till he came back within an hour. 

When Piet went out he left the door-board of the hut open, so thatSihamba dared neither act nor speak, fearing lest the guard should hearor see her through it. Therefore she still lay upon the top of the hut, and watched through the smoke-hole. For a while Suzanne sat quiet uponthe bed, then of a sudden she rose from it, and shuffling across the hutas well as her bound feet would allow her, she closed the opening withthe door-board, and secured it by its wooden bar. Next she returnedto the bed and, seating upon it, clasped her hands and began to pray, muttering aloud and mixing with her prayer the name of her husbandRalph. Ceasing presently, she thrust her hand into her bosom and drewfrom it a knife, not large, but strong and very sharp. Opening thisknife she cut the thong that bound her ankles, and made it into a noose. Then she looked earnestly first at the noose, next at the knife, andthirdly at the candles, and Sihamba understood that she meant to doherself to death, and was choosing between steel and rope and fire. 

Now all this while, although she dared not so much as whisper, Sihambahad not been idle, for with the blade of the assegai she was workinggently at the thatch of the smoke-hole, and cutting the rimpis thatbound it, till at last, and not too soon, she thought that it was wideenough to allow of the passage of her small body. Then watching untilthe guard leaned against the hut, so that the bulge of it would cuther off from his sight, during the instant that her figure was outlinedagainst the sky, she stood up, and thrusting her feet through the hole, forced her body to follow them, and then dropped lightly as a cat to thefloor beneath. But now there was another danger to be faced, and a greatone, namely, that Suzanne might cry out in fear, which doubtless shewould have done, had not the sudden sight of some living creature in thehut where she thought herself alone, so startled her that for amoment she lost her breath. Before she could find it again Sihamba waswhispering in her ear, saying:

"Keep silence for your life's sake, Swallow. It is I, Sihamba, who amcome to save you. "

Suzanne stared at her, and light came back into the empty eyes, thenthey grew dark again, as she answered below her breath:

"Of what use is my life? Ralph is dead, and I was about to take it thatI may save myself from shame and go to seek him, for surely God willforgive the sin. "

Sihamba looked at her and said:

"Swallow, prepare yourself for great joy, and, above all, do not cryout. Your husband is not dead, he was but wounded, and I drew him livingfrom the sea. He lies safe at the stead in your mother's care. "

Suzanne heard her, and, notwithstanding the caution, still she wouldhave cried aloud in the madness of her joy, had not Sihamba, seeing herlips opened, thrust her hands upon her mouth and held them there tillthe danger was past. 

"You do not lie to me?" she gasped at length. 

"Nay, I speak truth, I swear it. But this is no time to talk. Yonderstand food and milk; eat while I think. "

As Sihamba guessed, nothing but a little water had passed Suzanne'slips since that meal which she and her husband took together beside thewaggon, nor one minute before she could have swallowed anything had herlife been the price of it. But now it was different, for despair hadleft her, and hope shone in her heart again, and behold! of a sudden shewas hungry, and ate and drank with gladness, while Sihamba thought. 

Presently the little woman looked up and whispered:

"A plan comes into my head; it is a strange one, but I can find noother, and it may serve our turn, for I think that good luck goes withus. Swallow, give me the noose of hide which you made from the riem thatbound your feet. "

Suzanne obeyed her wondering, whereon Sihamba placed the noose about herown neck, then bade Suzanne stand upon the bed and thrust the end of theriem loosely into the thatch of the hut as high up as she could reach, so that it looked as though it were made fast there. Next, Sihambaslipped off her fur cloak, leaving herself naked except for the moocharound her middle, and, clasping her hands behind her back with theassegai between them, she drew the riem taut, and leaned against thewall of the hut after the fashion of one who is about to be pulled fromthe ground and strangled. 

"Now, mistress, listen to me, " she said earnestly. "You have seen melike this before, have you not, when I was about to be hanged, and youbought my life at a price? Well, as it chances, that man who guards thehut is he who took me at Bull-Head's bidding and set the rope round myneck, whereon I said some words to him which made him afraid. Now ifhe sees me again thus in a hut where he knows you to be alone, he willthink that I am a ghost and his heart will turn to ice and the strengthof his hands to water, and then before he can find his strength againI shall make an end of him with the spear, as I know well how to doalthough I am so small, and we will fly. "

"Is there no other way?" murmured Suzanne aghast. 

"None, Swallow. For you the choice lies between witnessing this deedand--Swart Piet or--Death. Nay, you need not witness it even, if youwill do as I tell you. Presently, when I give the word, loosen the barof the door-board, then crouch by the hole and utter a low cry of fear, calling to the man on guard for help. He will enter and see me, whereonyou can creep through the door-hole and wait without, leaving me to dealwith him. If I succeed I will be with you at once; if I fail, run to thestream and hoot like an owl, when Zinti, who is hidden there, will joinyou. Then you must get out of the krantz as best you can. Only one manwatches the entrance, and if needful Zinti can shoot him. The _schimmel_and other horses are hidden in the wood, and he will lead you to them. Mount and ride for home, or anywhere away from this accursed place, andat times when you talk of the matter of your escape with your husband, think kindly of Sihamba Ngenyanga. Nay, do not answer, for there islittle time to lose. Quick, now, to the door-hole, and do as I badeyou. "

So, like one in a dream, Suzanne loosened the bar, and, crouching bythe entrance to the hut, uttered a low wail of terror, saying, "Help me, soldier, help me swiftly, " in the Kaffir tongue. The man without heard, and, pushing down the board, crept in at once, saying, "Who harms you, lady?" as he rose to his feet. Then suddenly, in this hut, where therewas but one woman, a white woman, whom he himself had carried into it, he beheld another woman--Sihamba; and his hair stood up upon his headand his eyes grew round with terror. Yes, it was Sihamba herself, forthe light of the candles shone full upon her, or, rather, her ghost, and she was hanging to the roof, the tips of her toes just touching theground, as once he had seen her hang before. 

For some seconds the man stared in his terror, and while he staredSuzanne slipped from the hut. Then muttering, "It is the spirit of thewitch, Sihamba, who prophesied my death--her spirit that haunts me, " hedropped to his knees, and, trembling like a leaf, turned to creep fromthe hut. Next second he was _dead_, dead without a sound, for Sihambawas a doctoress, and knew well where to thrust with the spear. 

Of all this Suzanne heard nothing and saw nothing, till presentlySihamba stood by her side holding the skin cape in one hand and thespear in the other. 

"Now one danger is done with, " she said quietly, as she put on the cape, "but many still remain. Follow me, Swallow, " and, going to the edgeof the stream, she hooted like an owl, whereupon Zinti came out of thereeds, looking very cold and frightened. 

"Be swift, " whispered Sihamba, and they started along the krantz at arun. Before they were half way across it, the storm-clouds, which hadbeen thinning gradually, broke up altogether, and the moon shone outwith a bright light, showing them as plainly as though it were day; butas it chanced they met nobody and were seen of none. 

At length they reached the cleft in the rock that led to the plainbelow. "Stay here, " said Sihamba, "while I look, " and she crept to theentrance. Presently she returned and said:

"A man watches there, and it is not possible to slip past him becauseof the moonlight. Now, I know of only one thing that we can do; and you, Zinti, must do it. Slip down the rock and cover the man with your gun, saying to him that if he stirs a hand or speaks a word you will shoothim dead. Hold him thus till we are past you on our way to the wood, then follow us as best you can, but do not fire except to save your lifeor ours. "

Now the gifts of Zinti lay rather in tracking and remembering paths anddirections than in fighting men, so that when he heard this order he wasafraid and hesitated. But when she saw it, Sihamba turned upon him sofiercely that he feared her more than the watchman, and went at once, so that this man who was half asleep suddenly saw the muzzle of a _roer_within three paces of his head and heard a voice command him to standstill and silent or die. Thus he stood indeed until he perceived thatthe new wife of his chief was escaping. Then remembering what would behis fate at the hands of Bull-Head he determined to take his chance ofbeing shot, and, turning suddenly, sped towards the kraal shouting as heran, whereon Zinti fired at him, but the ball went wide. A cannon couldscarcely have made more noise than did the great _roer_ in the silenceof the night as the report of it echoed to and fro among the hills. 

"Oh! fool to fire, and yet greater fool to miss, " said Sihamba. "To thehorses! Swift! swift!"

They ran as the wind runs, and now they were in the wood, and now theyhad found the beasts. 

"Praise to the Snake of my house!" said Sihamba, "they are safe, allfour of them, " and very quickly they untied the riems by which they hadfastened the horses to the trees. 

"Mount, Swallow, " said Sihamba, seizing the head of the great_schimmel_. 

Suzanne set her foot upon the shoulder of Zinti, who knelt to receiveit, and sprang into the saddle. Then having lifted Sihamba on thegrey mare Zinti mounted the other horse himself, holding the mule by aleading riem. 

"Which way, mistress?" he asked. 

"Homewards, " she answered, and they cantered forward through the wood. 

On the further side of this wood was a little sloping plain not morethan three hundred paces wide, and beyond it lay the seaward Nek throughwhich they must pass on their journey to the stead. Already they wereout of the wood and upon the plain, when from their right a body ofhorsemen swooped towards them, seven in all, of whom one, the leader, was Swart Piet himself, cutting them off from the Nek. They halted theirhorses as though to a word of command, and speaking rapidly, Sihambaasked of Zinti: "Is there any other pass through yonder range, for thisone is barred to us?"

"None that I know of, " he answered; "but I have seen that the groundbehind us is flat and open as far as the great peak which you saw risingon the plain away beyond the sky-line. "

"Good, " said Sihamba. "Let us head for the peak, since we have nowhereelse to go, and if we are separated, let us agree to meet upon itssouthern slope. Now, Zinti, loose the mule, for we have our lives tosave, and ride on, remembering that Death is behind you. "

CHAPTER XIX

HOW THE SCHIMMEL CROSSED THE RED WATER

When they turned their horses' heads, Swart Piet and his men were notmuch more than a hundred paces from them, but in the wood they gainedmuch ground, for he did not think that they would dare to leave it, andhunted for them there while they were racing over the open plain morethan a mile away. At last he caught sight of them crossing a distantridge, and the long chase began. For hour after hour they galloped onthrough the moonlight across the wide and rolling veldt until the moonsank, and they must pick their way as best they could in the darkness. Then came the dawn, and still they rode forward, though now the horseswere beginning to grow weary, except the _schimmel_, who pulled uponhis bit as though he were fresh from the stable. In front of them, sometwenty miles away, rose the lofty peak for which they were heading, andbehind lay the great expanse of plain which they had passed. Suzannelooked back over her shoulder, but there was no one in sight. 

"Let us halt, " she said, "and rest ourselves and the horses. " So theypulled up by a stream and suffered the beasts to drink some water, though not much, while they themselves devoured biltong, of which theyhad a little in the saddle-bags. 

"Why do we ride for the peak?" asked Suzanne. 

"Because there are places where we may lie hid, " Sihamba answered, "andthence we can make our way down to the seashore and so back homewards, whereas here upon the plain we can be seen from miles away. "

"Do any people live on the peak?"

"Yes, Swallow; it is the home of the great chief Sigwe, thechief-paramount of the Red Kaffirs, who counts his spears by thousands, but I have heard that he is away to the north upon a war which he makesagainst some of the Swazi tribes with whom he has a quarrel. "

"Will the people of Sigwe protect us, Sihamba?"

"Perhaps. We shall see. At least, you are safer with them than in thehands of Swart Piet. "

At this moment, Zinti, who was watching the plain over which they hadtravelled, uttered a cry of warning. Looking back, they saw the reasonof it, for there, crossing the crest of a wave of ground, not more thana mile away, were five horsemen riding hard upon their spoor. 

"Swart Piet and four of his men, " said Sihamba, "and by my Spirit, they have fresh horses; they must have taken them from the kraal of thehalf-breed which we passed at daybreak, and that is why we lost sight ofthem for a while. "

Now even as Zinti helped her to mount the _schimmel_ Suzanne turned sofaint with terror that she almost fell to the ground again. 

"Have no fear, Swallow, " said Sihamba, "he has not caught us yet, and avoice in me says that we shall escape him. "

But though she spoke thus bravely, in her heart Sihamba was much afraid, for except the _schimmel_ their horses were almost spent, whereas VanVooren was fresh mounted, and not a mile behind. Still they gallopedforward till they reached a more broken stretch of veldt, where treesgrew singly, and here and there were kloofs with bush in them. 

"Mistress, " cried Zinti, "my horse can go no more, and Bull-Head is hardupon us. Of your wisdom tell me what I should do or presently I must bekilled. "

"Ride into that kloof and hide yourself, " answered Sihamba, "forBull-Head will never seek you there; he hunts the white Swallow, not theblack finch. Afterwards you can follow on our spoor, and if you cannotfind us, make your way back to the Baas Botmar and tell him all youknow. Quick, into the kloof, for here they cannot see you. "

"I hear you, lady, " said Zinti, and the next minute they saw him leadinghis weary horse into the shelter of the thick bush, for the poor beastcould carry him no more. 

For the next three miles the ground trended downwards to the banks of agreat river, beyond which were the gentle rising slopes that surroundedthe foot of the high peak. On they galloped, the _schimmel_ neverfaltering in his swinging stride, although his flanks grew thin and hiseyes large. But with the grey mare it was otherwise, for though she wasa gallant nag her strength was gone. Indeed, with any heavier riderupon her back, ere this she would have fallen. But still she answered toSihamba's voice and plunged on, rolling and stumbling in her gait. 

"She will last till the river, " she said, seeing Suzanne look at themare. 

"And then----?" gasped Suzanne, glancing behind her to where, not fivehundred yards away, Swart Piet and his Kaffirs hunted them sullenly andin silence, as strong dogs hunt down a wounded buck. 

"And then--who knows?" answered Sihamba, and they went on without morewords, for they had no breath to spare. 

Now, not half a mile away, they came in sight of the river, which hadbeen hidden from them before by the lie of the ground, and a groan ofdespair broke from their lips, for it was in flood. Yes, the storms inthe mountains had swollen it, and it rolled towards the sea a red floodof foam-flecked water, well-nigh two hundred yards from bank to bank. Still they rode on, for they dared not stop, and presently behind themthey heard a shout of triumph, and knew that their pursuers had alsoseen the Red Water, and rejoiced because now they had them in a trap. 

Within ten yards of the lip of the river, the grey mare stoppedsuddenly, shivered like a leaf in the wind and sank to the ground. 

"Now, Swallow, " said Sihamba as she slipped from the saddle, "you mustchoose between that raging torrent and Swart Piet. If you choose thetorrent the great horse is still strong and he may swim through; I cansay no more. "

"And you?" asked Suzanne. 

"I? I bide here, and oh! I would that Zinti had left the gun with me. "

"Never, " cried Suzanne. "Together we will live or die. Mount, Isay--mount. Nay, if you refuse I will throw myself into the water beforeyour eyes. "

Then seeing that she would indeed do no less, Sihamba took heroutstretched hand, and placing her foot upon the foot of Suzanne, scrambled up upon the pad in front of her, whereat the pursuers, whonow were little over two hundred yards away, laughed out loud, andSwart Piet shouted to Suzanne to yield. But they did not laugh long, for Sihamba, having first bent her head and kissed Suzanne on the hand, leaned forward and began to stroke the _schimmel's_ neck and to whisperinto his ear, till indeed it seemed as though the great brute that lovedher understood. At the least he pricked his ears and tossed his head, then looked, first round at the horses that drew near, and next at thefoaming flood in front. 

"Sit fast, Swallow, " said Sihamba, and then she cried a word aloud tothe horse, and struck it lightly with her hand. At the sound of thatword the stallion drew himself together, sprang forward with two boundsover the ten paces of level bank and leapt far out into the flood thatfoamed beneath. Down sank the horse and his riders till the Red Waterclosed over their heads, then they rose again and heard the shout ofwonder of their enemies, who by now had almost reached the bank. Witha yell of rage Black Piet rode his horse at the river, for to do himjustice he was a brave man, but do what he might it would not face it, so with the others he sat still and watched. 

Now the _schimmel_ struck out bravely, heading for the other bank, butin the fierce current it was not possible that any horse should reach itswimming in a straight line, for the weight of the stream was too great. Sihamba had noted, however, that from the further shore, but twoor three hundred paces lower down the river, a little point of landprojected into it, and this the horse had seen also, or perhaps she toldhim of it, at least for that point he swam steadily. In five minutesthey were in the centre of the torrent, and here it ran with a roarand mighty force so that its waves began to break over the _schimmel's_head, and they feared that he would drown. So much did Sihamba fear it, indeed, that she slipped from his back, and leaving Suzanne to clingto the saddle, caught hold of his mane, floating alongside of himand protected by his neck from the whirl of the water. Lying thus shecontinued to call to the horse and to urge him forward, and ever heanswered to her words, so that although twice he nearly sank, in theend he set his feet upon a sandbank and, having rested there a while, plunged forward, half wading and half swimming, to the projecting pointof land, up which he scrambled, still carrying Suzanne and draggingSihamba with him, until once more they found themselves safe upon thesolid earth, where he stood shaking himself and snorting. 

Suzanne slipped from the saddle and lay flat upon the ground, looking atthe awful water they had passed, and by her lay Sihamba. Presently thelittle doctoress spoke. 

"It is well to have lived, " she said, "if only to have dared that deed, for no others have ever made the passage across the Red Water in flood, two of them on one tired horse, " and she caught in her arms the muzzleof the _schimmel_ that hung above her, pressing it to her breast asthough it had been a child, whereon the brute whinnied faintly, knowingwell that she was thanking him for his toil and courage. 

"I pray God that I may never be called upon to make it again, " answeredSuzanne, staggering to her feet, the water running from her drippingdress as she turned to look across the river. 

Now, when Van Vooren's horse refused to face the stream, he had riddenup and down shouting like a madman; once even he lifted his gun andpointed it, then let it fall again, remembering that he could not makesure of hitting the horse, and that if he did so Suzanne must certainlybe drowned. When they were quite beyond his reach in the middle of thestream, he stood still and watched until he saw them come to the furthershore in safety. Then he called his men about him and consulted withthem, and the end of it was that they rode off in a body up the bank ofthe river. 

"They go to seek a ford, " said Suzanne. 

"Yes, Swallow, but now we shall have the start of them. Come, let usmount. "

So they climbed upon the back of the _schimmel_, and once more he wenton with them, not fast, for now he could not even canter, but amblingor walking, according to the nature of the ground, at a rate perhaps ofseven miles the hour. Soon they had left the river and were toilingup the slopes of the peak, until presently they struck a well-wornfootpath. 

"I think that this must lead to the town of Sigwe, " said Sihamba. 

"I pray that it does, " answered Suzanne, "and that it is not far, for Ifeel as though Death were near to me. "

"Keep a great heart, " said Sihamba, "for we have met Death face to faceand conquered him. "

So still they toiled on till at length the path took a turn, and there, in a fold of the hill, they beheld the great kraal of Sigwe, a verylarge Kaffir town. Before the kraal was a wide open space, and on thatspace armed men were assembled, several full regiments of them. In frontof this impi was gathered a company of chiefs. 

"Now we have no choice, " said Sihamba, and turned the _schimmel_ towardsthem, while all that army stared at this strange sight of two women, one tall and fair, one black and little, riding towards them mountedtogether upon a great blood horse which was so weary that he couldscarcely set one foot before the other. 

When they reached the captains Sihamba slipped to the ground, butSuzanne remained seated upon the _schimmel_. 

"Who are you?" asked a broad man in a leopard-skin cloak, of Sihamba;but although she was small and dishevelled, her hair and garments beingwet with water, he did not laugh at her, for he saw that this strangerhad the air of one who is of the blood of chiefs. 

"I am Sihamba Ngenyanga, the doctoress, of whom you may have heard, " sheanswered; and some of the people said, "We have heard of her; she is agreat doctoress. "

"To what people do you belong, Sihamba?" asked the captain again. 

"I belong to the people of Zwide, whom Chaka drove from Zululand, andby birth I am a chieftainess of the Umpondwana, who live in the mountainUmpondwana, and who were the Children of Zwide, but are now the Childrenof Chaka. "

"Why then do you wander so far from home, Sihamba?"

"For this reason. When Zwide and his people, the Endwandwe, were drivenback, my people, the Umpondwana, who were subject to Zwide, made peacewith Chaka against my will. Therefore, because I would not live as aZulu dog, I left them. "

"Although your body is small you have a large heart, " said the captain, and one of his people cried out: "The story of Sihamba is true, forwhen you sent me as messenger to the Endwandwe, I heard it--it is a talethere. "

Then the captain asked, "And who is the beautiful white woman who sitsupon the great horse?"

"She is my mother and my sister and my mistress, whom I serve tilldeath, for she saved me from death, and her name is Swallow. "

Now at this word _Swallow_, most of those present started, and someuttered exclamations of wonder, especially a little band of people, menand women, who stood to the left, and who from their dress and othertokens it was easy to see were witch-doctors and diviners. Sihamba notedthe movements and words of wonder, but pretending to see nothing shewent on:

"The lady Swallow and I have fled hither from far, hoping to find thechief Sigwe, for we need his counsel and protection, but he is away, making war to the north, is it not so?"

"Nay, " answered the captain. "I am the chief Sigwe, and I have not yetbegun my war. "

"I am glad, " said Sihamba. "Chief, listen to my tale and suffer us tocreep into the shadow of your strength----" and in a few words she toldthem the story of the capture of Suzanne by Swart Piet and of theirflight from him. Now when she spoke of Van Vooren, or of Bull-Headrather, for she called him by his native name, she saw that Sigwe andthe captains looked at each other, and when she told how they had swumthe Red Water in flood, the two of them upon one horse, she was surethat they did not believe her, for such a deed they thought to beimpossible. But still Sihamba went on and ended--"Chief, we seek thisfrom you; protection from Bull-Head, who doubtless will be here erelong, and an escort of spears to lead us down the coast to the homeof the Swallow, a hundred miles away, where they and you will be wellrewarded for the service. Answer us quick, chief, I pray you, for ourneed is great and we are weary. "

CHAPTER XX

THE OMEN OF THE WHITE SWALLOW

Now Sigwe and two of his captains walked to where the diviners stood andtook counsel with them, speaking low and earnestly. Then he returned andsaid:

"Sihamba, Walker-by-Moonlight, and you, Lady Swallow, listen to me. Awonderful thing has come to pass in the kraal of Sigwe this day, sucha thing as our fathers have not known. You see that my host is gatheredyonder: well, to-morrow they start to make war upon these very Endwandweof whom you have spoken because of a deadly insult which they have putupon me and my house. Therefore, according to custom, this morning thesoldiers were assembled at dawn to be doctored and that the divinersmight search out the omens of the war. So the diviners searched, and shewho was chosen among them ate the medicine and sank into the witch sleephere before us all. Yes, this one, " and he pointed to a tall woman withdreamy eyes who was bedizened with bones and snakeskins. 

"Now in her sleep she spoke, and we hung upon her words, for we knewthat they would be the words of omen. Sihamba, these were the words, asall can testify:

"'Thus say the spirits of your fathers, and thus speaks the Snake ofyour tribe. Unless a _White Swallow_ guide your footsteps in the warwith the Men of the Mountains you shall perish and your impis shall bescattered, but if a _White Swallow_ flies before your spears than butlittle of your blood shall be shed, and you shall return with honour andwith one whom you seek. Only the Swallow shall not return with you, forif she set her face southward, then, Sigwe, woe to you and your armies. '

"Sihamba, these were the words of the dreamer. Scarcely was she awakeagain, while we wondered at their strangeness, and asked her questionsof their meaning, which she could not answer, for here the wisdom ofthe wisest was at fault, lo! you rode over the hill, and with you abeautiful white woman whose name you say is Swallow. Yes, this is theWhite Swallow who shall fly in front of my regiments, bringing me honourand good fortune in the war, and therefore, Sihamba, your prayer isgranted, though not all of it, for you shall go northward and notsouthward, and among your own people I will leave you and the Swallowwith you, and for her sake I will spare your people, the people ofUmpondwana, although they are subject to my foe, the Endwandwe, and ofthe same blood. Moreover, while you are among us all honour shall bedone to you and the Swallow, and of the cattle we capture a tenth partshall be the Swallow's. Still, I tell you this, that had it not been forthe omen of the diviner I would have refused your prayer and deliveredyou and the Swallow over to Bull-Head, for with him I have swornfriendship long ago. But now the face of things is changed, and shouldhe come with a hundred men armed with guns yet I will protect you fromhim, and the Swallow also; yes, though oaths must be broken to do it. "

When they heard this saying, Suzanne and Sihamba looked at each other indismay. 

"Alas!" said Suzanne, "it seems that we do but change one prison foranother, for now we must be borne away to the far north to do battlewith this Kaffir chief, and there be left among your people, so thatnone will know what has become of us, and the heart of Ralph will breakwith doubt and sorrow; yes, and those of my parents also. "

"It is bad, " answered Sihamba, "but had not yonder diviner dreamed thatdream of a swallow, it would have been worse. Better is it to travel inall honour with the impis of Sigwe than to be dragged back by Bull-Headto his secret kraal--I to be done to death there and you to the choiceof which you know. For the rest we must take our chance and escape whenthe time comes, and meanwhile we will send a message to the stead. "

Now Suzanne heard her, and sat upon the horse thinking, for her troublewas sore; still, she could see no way out of the net which had meshedher. As she thought, a man who was herding cattle on the mountainsran up to the chief and saluted him, saying that five men, one of themwhite, rode towards his kraal. When Suzanne heard this she hesitated nomore, but cried out to the chief Sigwe, speaking in the Kaffir tongue, which she knew well:

"Chief Sigwe, swear to me that you will not suffer Bull-Head so much asto touch me or my sister Sihamba, and that while we dwell with you youwill treat us with all honour, and I, who am named Swallow, yes, I, the White Swallow of the diviner's dream, will lead your armies to thenorthern land, bringing you the good fortune which is mine to give toothers, though myself I know it not. "

"I swear by the spirits of my fathers, lady, " answered Sigwe, "and thesemy counsellors and headmen swear it also. "

"Yes, " echoed the counsellors, "we swear it, all of it, and while oneof us is left alive the oath shall be fulfilled, O White Bird of goodomen. "

Then Sigwe gave an order, and at his bidding five hundred soldiers, the half of a regiment, ran up and formed a circle about Sihamba andSuzanne, who still sat upon the _schimmel_, white faced and wearied, herhair hanging down her back. Scarcely was the circle made when fromround the shoulder of the hill appeared Swart Piet and with him his fourafter-riders. 

Seeing all the great array, he halted for a moment astonished, thencatching sight of Suzanne set up above the heads of the ring ofsoldiers, he rode straight to Sigwe, who, with his counsellors andguards, was standing outside the circle. 

"Chief Sigwe, " he said, "a wife of mine with her servant has escapedfrom me, and as I suspected taken refuge in your kraal, for I see hersitting yonder surrounded by your soldiers. Now, in the name of ourfriendship, I pray you hand them over to me that I may lead them back totheir duty. "

"I give you greeting, Bull-Head, " answered Sigwe courteously, "and Ithank you for your visit to my town; presently an ox shall be sent foryou to eat. As for this matter of the white lady and her companion it isone that we can inquire into at leisure. I hear that she is the daughterof the big Boer whom the natives of the coast name Thick-Arm; also thatyou murdered the lady's husband and carried her off by force to be yourwife instead of his. Now here, as you know, I am chief paramount, forhaving of our blood in your veins, you understand our customs, and, therefore, I must see justice done, especially as I do not wish to bringa quarrel with the white people upon our heads. So off-saddle a while, and to-morrow before I start upon a certain journey, I will summon mycounsellors and we will try the case. "

Now by this time Swart Piet, who, as Sigwe had said, understood thecustoms of the Kaffirs, knew very well that the chief was makingexcuses, and would not surrender Suzanne to him. For a while he kepthimself calm, but when this knowledge came home to his mind hisreason left him, and he grew more than commonly mad with rage anddisappointment, for after all his crimes and toil Suzanne was now as farfrom him as ever. Springing from his horse, but still keeping the gun inhis hand, he ran up to the triple ring of soldiers, pausing only at thehedge of assegais which shone about it. 

"Open, " he said, "open, you red dogs!" but not a spear moved. Twice heran round the circle, then he stopped and cried, "Sihamba. Is Sihambahere?"

"Surely, Bull-Head, " answered the little woman, walking forward fromwhere she stood behind the _schimmel_. "Where else should I be? Ipray you, soldiers, draw a little way but not far apart, that yonderhalf-breed may satisfy his eyes with the sight of me. So, a littleway, but not far, for I who know him like him best at a distance. Now, Bull-Head, " she went on, "what is it that you wish to talk about--theEnglishman, Ralph Kenzie, the husband of Swallow yonder? You thought youkilled him. Well, it was not so; I lifted him living from the water, and I, who am a doctoress, tell you that his wound is of no account, and that soon he will be strong again and seeking a word with you, Half-breed. No, not of him? Then perhaps it is of your hidden krantz andthe new hut you built in it. Bah! I knew its secret long ago and--thathut has too wide a smoke-hole. Go back and ask him who guarded it ifthis is not true. What! Not of that either? Then would you speak of theride which we have taken? Ah! man, I thought at least that you were nocoward, and yet even when you had us in your hand, you did not dare toface the Red Water which two women swam on one tired horse. Look athim, soldiers, look at the brave cross-bred chief who dared not swim hishorse across one little stream. "

Now while the soldiers laughed Swart Piet stamped upon the ground, foaming with rage, for Sihamba's bitter words stuck in him like barbedassegais. 

"Snake's wife, witch!" he screamed, "I will catch you yet, and then youshall learn how slowly a woman may die, yes, and her also, and she shalllearn other things, for if that husband of hers is not dead I willkill him before her eyes. I tell you I will follow you both throughall Africa and across the sea if needful; yes, whenever you lie down tosleep, you may be sure that Piet van Vooren is not far from you. "

"Do you say so?" mocked Sihamba. "Well, now I think of it you have noluck face to face with me, Half-breed, and were I you, I should look theother way when you saw me coming, for I who have the Sight tell you thatwhen you behold the Walker-by-Moonlight for the last time, you will verysoon become a walker in the darkness for ever. Bah!" she went on, herclear voice rising to a cry. "Bastard, dog, thief, murderer that youare! I, Sihamba, who have met and beaten you in every pool of thestream, will beat you for the last time where the stream falls into thesea. Be not deceived, yonder Swallow never shall be yours; for many andmany a year after you are dead, your rival shall fold her close, andwhen men name your name they shall spit upon the ground. Nothing, nothing shall be yours, but shame and empty longing and black death, andafter it the woe of the wicked. Get you back to your secret krantz andyour Kaffir wives, Half-breed, and tell them the tale of your ride, andof how you did not dare to face the foam of the Red Water. "

Now Van Vooren went mad indeed; so mad that, forgetting he was not onthe lonely veldt, he lifted his gun and fired straight at Sihamba. Buther eye was quick, and seeing the muzzle rise, she threw herself uponthe ground, so that the ball passed over her. 

"Why, Half-breed, have you even forgotten how to shoot?" she called, springing to her feet again and mocking him. Then the voice of Sigwebroke in, for his anger was deep. 

"One thing you have certainly forgotten, Bull-Head, " he said, "thatthese two are my guests and wrapped in my kaross, and therefore fromthis hour we are enemies. Ho! men, " he cried to his guard, "I spareBull-Head's life because once we were friends, therefore do not take hislife, but beat him and those with him out of my town with the shafts ofyour assegais, and if ever he sets foot within it again then use theirblades upon him. "

At their chief's bidding the soldiers of the guard sprang forward, and, falling upon Van Vooren and those with him, they flogged them withsticks and the shafts of their spears until from head to foot they werenothing but blood and bruises, and thus they drove them out of the townof Sigwe back to the ford of the Red River. 

When they were gone, Suzanne, who through it all had sat upon the horsewatching in silence, now urged him forward to where Sigwe stood, andsaid:

"Chief, I thank you for that deed, and now, I pray you, give us foodand a hut to rest in, for we are wet and hungry and worn out with longtravel. "

So the guest masters led them into the fence of the town and gave themthe guest hut, the largest in the kraal, and the best food that theyhad--milk and meal and beef and eggs, as much as they would of it. The_schimmel_ also was fastened to a post in the little courtyard of thehut, and a Kaffir who once had served as groom to a white man, washedhim all over with warm water. Afterwards he was given a mash of meal toeat, and, later, when he was a little rested, his fill of good forage, which he ate gladly, for, though he was very tired and his legs weresomewhat swollen, otherwise he was none the worse for that great ride. 

In the shelter of the hut Suzanne took off her clothes, remembering witha sort of wonder how she had put them on on the morning of her marriage, which now seemed years ago, and bathed herself with water. Then Sihambahaving given the garments to a waiting woman to wash, wrapped her in asoft kaross of fur, and after drinking some milk and eating a little, Suzanne laid herself down upon a mattress made of the husks of mealiecobs, and even as she thanked God Who had brought her safely through somany dangers past, and prayed Him to protect her in those that wereto come, and to comfort the heart of her husband in his sickness andaffliction, she fell asleep. When she saw her sleeping, but not before, Sihamba crept to her feet, for now that all was over she could scarcelywalk, and laying herself down there slept also. 

All the rest of the day they slept, and all the night that followed, nor did they wake till sunrise of the next morning, when women of thehousehold of the chief knocked upon the door-board to ask if they neededaught. Then they rose feeling well and strong again except for thestiffness of their limbs, and Suzanne clothed herself in the garmentsthat the woman had washed, combing her dark hair with a Kaffir comb. Afterwards they ate heartily of the good food that was brought tothem, and left the hut to visit the _schimmel_, that they found almostrecovered and devouring Kaffir sugar-cane, though like themselves he wassomewhat stiff. 

Presently, while they stroked and fondled him, a messenger came, sayingthat if it pleased the lady Swallow, the chief Sigwe would take counselwith her in the place of audience. So after a little while they went, and as they passed out of the kraal fence, Suzanne was received with achief's salute by the escort that was waiting for her. Then surroundingher and Sihamba, they led them to the place of audience, a circle ofground enclosed by a high double fence, and as Suzanne entered it oncemore all present there, including Sigwe himself, gave her the salute ofchiefs. 

But though it was strange enough that such a thing should happen to awhite woman, at the time Suzanne took little notice of the salute oraught else, for there standing before her, looking much bewildered andvery weary, was none other than Zinti and with him Sihamba's horse, andalso that mule laden with goods, which they had abandoned in the woodnearly a hundred miles away, when they came face to face with VanVooren and his riders and turned to begin their long flight for life andliberty. 

CHAPTER XXI

THE VISION OF RALPH AND SUZANNE

"Sihamba, " said the chief Sigwe, "this man who was found wandering uponthe outskirts of the town, declares that he is your servant, and that hecomes to seek you. Is it so?"

"It is so, indeed, chief, " she answered, "though I scarcely expected tosee him again, " and she told how they two and Zinti had parted. 

Then Zinti was commanded to tell his tale, and from it it seemed thatafter he had rested some hours in the kloof he crept to the mouth of it, and, hidden behind a stone, saw Swart Piet and his servants pass quiteclose to him on their homeward way. A sorry sight they were, for threeof their horses were lame, so that the riders were obliged to walkand lead them, and the men themselves had been so bruised with thespear-shafts that they seemed more dead than alive. Swart Piet rode lastof all, and just then he turned, and looking towards the peak shook hisfist as though threatening it, and cursed aloud in Dutch and Kaffir. Indeed, Zinti said that his head and face were so swollen with blowsthat had it not been for his large round eyes he could not have knownhim, and Sihamba thought that very good tidings. 

Well, when they had gone Zinti took heart, for it was plain that theyhad been roughly handled, and had failed to catch his mistress or theSwallow. So he went back to where he had left his horse eating a littlegrass, and since it was too weak to carry him he led it, following VanVooren's spoor backwards till in the evening he came to the ford of theRed River. Here he halted for the night, knee-haltering the horse, andleaving it loose to graze, though he himself had nothing to eat. At thefirst grey of dawn he awoke, and was astonished to see a second animalfeeding with the horse, which proved to be none other than the mulethat, as these creatures sometimes will, had followed the spoor ofhis companion, Sihamba's horse, till it found it again. After this hecrossed the drift, riding slowly and leading the mule, till shortlyafter sunrise he came to the outskirts of the town, where Sigwe'swatchmen found him and brought him to the chief. 

"This man is a servant worth having, " said Sigwe when he had heard thestory. "Let food be given to him and to the beasts. "

When Zinti had gone Sigwe spoke to Suzanne. 

"Lady Swallow, " he said, "as you have heard, by the command of thespirits of my ancestors speaking through the mouth of the diviner, whileyou are with us, you and not I are the captain of my army, and mustlead it in this great war which I make against the Endwandwe. Now theregiments are ready to march, and I ask if it be your pleasure thatwe should set out to-morrow at the dawn, for time presses, and theEndwandwe live very far away?"

"Your will is my will, chief, " she answered, for she could see no wayof escape from this strange journey, "but I desire to learn the causeof this war which I must lead by the decree of the spirits of yourancestors. "

Now Sigwe gave an order to some attendants waiting upon him, who wentaway to return presently leading with them a woman. This woman was aboutfifty years of age, very fat in person, sour-faced, yellow-toothed, andwith one eye only. 

"There is the cause, " exclaimed the chief, at the same time turning hisback upon the woman and spitting upon the ground as though in disgust. 

"I do not understand, " said Suzanne. 

"Then listen, Lady Swallow. Sikonyana, the chief of the Endwandwe, has asister named Batwa, whose beauty is famous throughout all the world, and for her by my envoys I made an offer of marriage, intending thatshe should be my head wife, for I desired to be the husband of the mostbeautiful woman in the world. "

"I saw Batwa when she was still a child, " broke in Sihamba; "indeed, sheis my cousin, and it is true that she is most beautiful. "

"The chief Sikonyana, " went on Sigwe, "answered me that he was muchhonoured by my offer since he knew me to be the greatest man of all thiscountry, but that at the same time his sister was not to be won with asmall price; yet if I would send a thousand head of cattle, half ofthem black and half white, she should be mine. Then with much painI collected these cattle, two years did it take me to gather themtogether, for here oxen and cows pure white and pure black are notcommon, and I sent them with an impi to guard them, for nothing lesswould suffice, to the kraal of the chief of the Endwandwe. 

"Four moons was that impi gone, while I awaited its return, eating outmy heart with impatience. At length it did return, bringing with it mybride. At nightfall it marched into the town hungry and tired, for ithad suffered much upon the journey, and twice had been forced to givebattle to the armies of other chiefs, but although I was eager tosee her I did not look upon my new wife that night. No, I sent outmessengers and gathered together all my army and all the people youngand old, yonder in the plain of assembly. Then when they were musteredfrom far and near, I commanded that Batwa, the sister of Sikonyana, should be produced in the face of the people that her loveliness mightshine upon me and upon them as the sun shines equally upon us all. 

"Lady Swallow, the moment came, and this old woman was brought out;yes, she strutted before us proudly, this one-eyed hag, this cat of themountains. For her I had sent an impi, for her I had paid a thousandhead of cattle, half of them pure black and half pure white----" andSigwe ceased, gasping with rage. 

Now at this story Suzanne, who had not smiled for days, laughed aloud, while even Sihamba the wise looked down studying the earth. But therewas one who did not laugh, and it was the one-eyed woman. No, she sprangup and screamed aloud:

"Dog of a red Kaffir, who are you that dare to talk thus of a princessof the blood of the Endwandwe, a princess whom Chaka, the great king, wished to take to wife? You asked for Batwa in marriage, Batwa, thesister to Sikonyana, and I am Batwa the sister of Sikonyana. "

"Then, hag, there must be two Batwas, " shouted Sigwe in answer. 

"Two Batwas!" she screamed. "Fool and beast, there are _four_! In ourrace all the women of the royal blood are named Batwa, and I am theeldest and the wisest and the best of them, for I am older than mybrother Sikonyana by twenty years, I, who have had three husbands andoutlived them all; whereas the chit of whom you talk, a thing with awaist like a reed and an eye like a sick buck, is his junior by tenyears, being a child of our father's last wife. "

"It may be so, " answered Sigwe, "for aught I know, every woman of youraccursed tribe is named Batwa, but this I say, that every soon therewill be few Batwas left to look upon the sun, for to-morrow I marchagainst them and I will stamp the house of Batwa flat, and you I willhang to the roof-tree of the hut of the chief your brother; yes, I keepyou alive that I may hang you there, so until then you have nothing tofear from me. "

"Is it is, is it so, indeed?" shrieked the virago; "then I am safe, for, little red Kaffir, I shall live to see you and your cowards beaten outof the country of the Endwandwe with whips of hide. "

"Take her away, " groaned Sigwe, "before I break my word and hang her atonce, which I do not wish to do, " and Batwa the eldest was led off stillscreaming curses. 

When she had gone, after consulting apart for a while with Sihamba, Suzanne spoke. 

"Now, chief, " she said, "I understand the cause of this war and in truthit is a strange one. Still, as I must lead your armies, and as I do notlove to see men killed for such a quarrel, here and before we start Iwill lay down the terms of peace if it should please Sikonyana and thepeople of the Endwandwe to accept them. Subject to your wisdom theyshall be these: If Sikonyana will give to you that Batwa whom you desirein the place of the Batwa whom you do not desire, paying back to you thethousand head of cattle, and by way of fine for his deceit, if indeed hemeant to deceive you, for you do not seem to have told him which of themany Batwas you sought, two thousand other head of cattle, then no bloodshall be shed and you and your impi shall return in peace and honour. If he will not do this, then the war must go as it is fated. Say, do youconsent as I counsel you to do? for otherwise, although I go with you mygoodwill will not go, since I am the Swallow of peace and not the Hawkof war. "

Now there followed a great _indaba_ or debate between Sigwe and hiscounsellors and captains, some of them taking one view of the matter, and some of them the other, but the end of it was that the party ofpeace prevailed, it being agreed between them that if the Endwandwewould grant these terms and in addition an ox for every man who mightdie or be killed upon the journey, the impi should return withoutputting the matter to the chance of war, and this the chief and hiscounsellors swore solemnly to Suzanne. Indeed Sigwe was glad to swearit, for he sought that Batwa for whom he longed rather than the dangersof battle and the risk of defeat in a far land, while those who were forfighting at all costs thought that the oath meant little, since they didnot believe that the great Sikonyana would make peace upon such terms. 

When this matter was settled Suzanne prayed the chief that he wouldallow her to send Zinti as a messenger to her husband and father to tellthem that she lived and was well. But on this matter, and this only, Sigwe would not listen to her, and though he gave many reasons for hisrefusal, the true one was that he feared lest the white men, on learningher whereabouts, should gather a commando and send it to take her fromhim, as doubtless we should have done had it been in any way possible. 

Indeed, the foolish dream of the diviner as to the leading of his armyby a white swallow, followed as it chanced to be by the arrival athis town of a woman who was named Swallow, had taken such a hold ofSigwe--who, like all savages, was very superstitious--that for nothingwhich could have been offered to him would he have consented to letSuzanne go until the war with the Endwandwe was finished. Rather thando so he would have fought till the last, and he issued an order thatif any man, woman, or child spoke of Suzanne's presence in his town tostrangers they should be put to death without mercy. Moreover, in histerror lest she should escape, he set a guard over her and Sihamba dayand night and other guards over the horses and the lad Zinti, so thatthey soon learned that all hopes of flight must be abandoned and that itwas not possible even to send a messenger or a letter. 

As may be guessed this was a sore grief to Suzanne, so great a griefthat when they were back in the guest-hut she wept long and bitterly, for her heart ached with her own sorrow, and she knew well how deepwould be the torment of mind of Ralph if he still lived, and of us, herfather and mother, when we learned that she had vanished quite away, and that none could tell what her fate had been. At first she thought ofbidding Zinti slip away under cover of the night, but Sihamba showed herthat even if he could do so, which was not likely, the end of it mustbe that he would be followed and put to death, and that then his bloodwould be upon their hands and no good done. Afterwards she tried tobribe and to command several men of her guard to take the message, butin this matter alone the people of Sigwe would not obey her, for theyknew the doom which awaited them if they listened to her pleading. So, when she spoke, they looked into the air over her head, and did not seemto hear, although afterwards they reported her words to Sigwe, whereuponthat chief doubled the guard, setting a second to watch the first. 

And now I have to tell you one of the strangest things in the strangestory of the love of Ralph Kenzie and my daughter Suzanne. It willbe remembered that it was by means of a dream--or so the childdeclared--that Suzanne was led to where the boy Ralph lay alone andstarving in the kloof. So now in this second great crisis of theirlives, it was by means of a dream that comfort was brought to the heartsof both of them, enabling them, as I believe, to bear the terrors ofthose long years of tidingless terror and separation, that otherwisewould have broken down their minds and perhaps have killed them. 

It seems, as Suzanne told me in after days, that before she slept thatnight, there in the guest-hut of Sigwe, she prayed long and earnestlyas those who have faith do pray when they lie under the shadow of anoverwhelming grief. She prayed that God would bring about what she wasunable to bring about, namely, that her husband should learn that shewas unharmed and well, and that she might learn how it went with him, seeing that for aught she knew, by now he might be dead of his wounds. Well, that prayer was heard, for I myself can testify to it, asthe prayer of faith is so often heard; yes, that which seemed to beimpossible was done, for in the watches of the night these two who lay ahundred miles apart, one of them a prisoner in the town of a savage, and the other helpless upon a bed of pain, had sight and speech of eachother. 

Still praying, Suzanne fell asleep. Then of a sudden it seemed as thoughspace had no bars for her, for she awoke, or thought that she awoke, inthe guest-hut of Sigwe, since she could hear the breathing of Sihamba ather side, and stretching out her hand she touched her face. But in thetwinkling of an eye there came a change, for, still wide awake, nowshe was standing in the stead at home just within the door of herown sleeping-room. There upon the bed lay her husband, fevered andunconscious, but muttering to himself, while bending over him were I, her mother, and a strange man whom she did not know, but who, asshe guessed, must have been roused from his sleep, for his hair wasdishevelled and he was half-clothed. 

To this man she heard me--her mother--talking. "The fever runs so high, doctor, " I said, "that I made bold to wake you from your rest, for Ifear lest it should burn his life away. " Thereupon she saw the man lookat Ralph, feeling his pulse, and heard him answer as he examined thebandages of the wound, "His hurt does well, and I do not think that thefever comes from it. It comes from his mind, and it is there that thedanger lies, for who can doctor a broken heart?"

"Heaven only, " I replied. 

"Yes, " he said. "Heaven only. And now, Vrouw Botmar, go and rest awhile, hoping for the best, for you will hear him if he wakes up, but he willnot wake, since the sleep-draught that I gave him holds him fast. "

Then she saw us both go--the doctor back to his bed and me to a settlewith mattress on it, which was placed just outside his door. 

Here I would stop my tale to say that _this thing happened_, and thatthose words which Suzanne heard while her body lay in Sigwe's guest-hut, passed between the doctor, who was sleeping at the stead, and myselfat one o'clock of the morning on the third night after the night ofthe taking of Suzanne, and moreover, that I never spoke of them to anyliving creature until Suzanne repeated them to me in later years. Norcould the doctor have told them to her, for he went away to the provinceof Graff Reinet, where shortly afterwards he was killed by a fall fromhis horse. 

Then it seemed to Suzanne that she moved to the bedside of her husband, and bending down, kissed him upon the forehead, which was hot to herlips, saying, "Awake, dear love. " Instantly, in her vision, he awokewith a cry of joy, and said, "Suzanne, how came you here?" to which sheanswered, "I am not here. I have escaped unharmed from Swart Piet, butI am a prisoner in the hands of red Kaffirs, and to-morrow I lead theirarmy to the north. Yet it has been permitted me to visit you, husband, and to tell you to be of good comfort and to fear no evil tidings, foryou will recover and we shall meet again, unharmed in any way, thoughnot till many days are passed. "

"Where shall we meet?" he asked. "I do not know, " she answered. "Yes, Isee now. Look before you. "

Then they looked, both of them, and there painted in the air they sawthe picture of a great mountain, standing by itself upon a plain, butwith other mountains visible to the north and south of it. This mountainwas flat-topped, with precipices of red rock, and down its eastern sloperan five ridges shaped like the thumb and fingers of a mighty hand, while between the thumb and the first finger, as it were, a streamgushed out, upon the banks of which grew flat-topped trees with thickgreen leaves and white bloom. 

"You have seen and you will remember, fearing nothing, " she said in hervision. 

"I have seen and I shall remember, fearing nothing, " Ralph answered, andwith the sound of his voice still echoing in her ears, Suzanne awokein the guest-hut of Sigwe, and once more heard Sihamba breathing at herside, and felt the hand which she had outstretched to find her, pressedagainst her cheek. But now there was a new sense of comfort in herheart, for she believed that without any doubt she had seen her husband, and that although they were separated, still the day would come whenthey should meet again, not in the spirit but in the flesh. 

Now I, Suzanne Botmar, who tell this tale, had scarcely left Ralph'sroom upon that very night and laid myself down upon the settle when hecalled to me. I ran back to the bed to find him sitting up in it wideawake and calm-eyed. 

"Mother, " he said, for so he still named me, "did you see Suzanne?"

"Hush, Ralph, " I answered, "you are talking foolishly; wherever Suzannemay be, alas! she is not here. "

"She was here just now, " he said, smiling, "for we have been talkingtogether. She has escaped from Swart Piet and is unharmed, but aprisoner among the Kaffirs. And, mother, she and I will meet again upona great mountain like a fortress, which has ridges on its eastern sideresembling the thumb and fingers of a man, and a stream of water gushingout between the thumb and first finger. "

"Doubtless, doubtless, " I said, for I saw that he was wandering in hismind. 

"Ah!" Ralph answered, "you do not believe me, but it is true. I tell youthat I saw Suzanne just now wearing a fine kaross of tiger skins uponher shoulders, and that she kissed me on the forehead, " and even ashe spoke he sank into a deep and quiet sleep, and when he awoke in themorning we found that the fever had left him and that he was out ofdanger of his life. 

CHAPTER XXII

THE WAR OF THE CLEAN SPEAR

When Sihamba arose next day, Suzanne asked her if the home of herpeople, the Umpondwana, was a great mountain faced round with slab-sidedprecipices and having ridges on its eastern face like to the thumb andfingers of a hand, with a stream of water gushing from between the thumband first finger, upon the banks of which grew flat-topped trees withthick green leaves and white flowers. 

Sihamba stared at her, saying:

"Such is the place indeed, and there are no trees like to those youspeak of to be found anywhere else. The maidens use the flowers of themto adorn their hair, and from the leaves is made a salve that is verygood for wounds. But, say, Swallow, who told you about the mountainUmpondwana that is so far away, since I never described it to you?"

"Nobody told me, " she answered, and she repeated the vision to her, oras much of it as she wished. 

Sihamba listened, and when the tale was done she nodded her little head, saying:

"So even you white people have something of the power which has beengiven to us Kaffir witch-doctors from the beginning. Without a doubtyour spirit spoke to the spirit of your husband last night and I am gladof it, for now, although you are apart from each other, the hearts ofboth of you will be rested. Now also I am sure that we must go to mypeople and live among them for so long as may be appointed, seeingthat there and nowhere else you and the Baas Kenzie will come togetheragain. "

"I had sooner go back to the stead, " sighed Suzanne. 

"That cannot be, Swallow, for it is not fated, and for the rest, if youmeet, what does it matter where you meet?"

That morning Suzanne, mounted upon the great _schimmel_, which by nowhad almost recovered from his weariness, although he was still somewhatstiff, and followed by Sihamba and Zinti riding the horse and themule, passed up and down before Sigwe's regiments that saluted her aschieftainess. Then amongst much wailing of women and children, the impistarted northward, Suzanne, preceded only by scouts and a guard to feelthe way, riding in front of it that she might escape the dust raised byso many feet and the hoofs of the great herd of oxen that were drivenalong to serve as food for the soldiers. 

For fourteen days' journey they travelled thus, and during that timenothing of note happened to them, except that twelve men and Sihamba'sbrown mule were lost in crossing a flooded river, whereof there weremany in their path. The country through which they passed was populatedby Kaffirs, but these tribes were too small and scattered to attempt tooppose so large an army, nor did the men of Sigwe do them any mischiefbeyond taking such grain and meal as they required for food. 

On the fourteenth day, however, they reached the boundary of theterritories of a very powerful tribe of Pondo blood, and here theyhalted while messengers were sent forward to the Pondo chief, sayingthat with him Sigwe had no quarrel, and asking for a safe-conductfor the army while passing through his lands. On the third day thesemessengers returned, accompanied by an embassy from the Pondo chief, that after much talk, though to all appearance unwillingly, gave Sigwethe promise of safe-conduct upon condition that he made a present ofceremony of one ox to their ruler. Now Sihamba noticed that while theenvoys were talking, their eyes wandered all about, taking note of everything, and especially of the number of the soldiers and of Suzanne, whosat beside Sigwe during the _indaba_, or council. 

"These are no true men, " she thought to herself, and made a plan. In theevening she visited the camp of the envoys who had heard already thatshe was a famous doctoress, and offered her services to them for paymentshould any of them chance to need the boon of her magic arts. Theylaughed, answering that they wanted neither charms nor divinations, butthat she should see a certain young man, a servant in their train, whowas very sick with love and had bought philtres from every doctor intheir country without avail, wherewith to soften the heart of a girlwho would have nothing to do with him. When Sihamba, without seeming tospeak much of it, had drawn from them all that she wished to know of thestory of this man and girl, and with it other information, though theywon little enough from her, she took her leave, and so set her trap thatat night when all were asleep the young man came to consult her in aplace apart. 

Now she looked at him and said at once, without suffering him to speak:

"Let me see. Your name is so-and-so, and you are in love with such agirl, who turns away from you;" and she went on to tell him things whichhe thought were known only to himself. 

"Wonderful, " he said, "wonderful! But say, lady doctoress, can you helpme, for my heart is water because of this girl?"

"It is difficult, " she answered. "Do you know that when you come toconsult a wise woman you should keep your mind fixed upon the matterabout which you would take counsel with her from the first moment thatyou set out to visit her until you stand in her presence? Now this youhave not done, for as you came you were thinking of other things; yes, you were thinking about the ambush which is to be set for these peoplein the pass yonder, and therefore I cannot see the girl's heart clear, and do not quite know what medicine I should give you to soften it. "

"It is true, lady, " answered the stupid fellow, "that I was thinkingabout the ambush of which I have heard some talk, though I do not knowwho told you of it. "

"Who told me? Why to my sight your thoughts are written on your face, yes, they ran before you and reached me as I heard your footsteps. Butnow, think no more of that matter, which has nothing to do with you orme, think only of the girl, and go on thinking of her, and of her only, until you get back home, and give her the medicine--that is if you wishit to work. "

"I am thinking, lady, " he muttered, turning his stupid face up to theskies. 

"Fool, be quiet. Do I not know that? Ah! now I see her heart, and I tellyou that you are lucky, for when you have done as I bid you, she willlove you more than if you were the greatest chief in all the land. " ThenSihamba gave him a certain harmless powder to sprinkle in the hut wherethe girl slept, and bade him wait for her on six different days when shecame up from bathing, giving her on each day a garland of fresh flowers, a new flower for every day. 

The man thanked her and asked what he must pay her for a fee, to whichshe replied that she took no fee in matters of love, since her rewardwas to know that she had made two people happy; but she added:

"Remember what I tell you, or instead of earning love you will earnhate. Say nothing of your visit to me, and if you can avoid it, do notspeak at all until you have sprinkled the powder in the hut; especiallyput all things which do not concern you and her out of your mind andthink only of her face and how happy you will be when you have marriedher, which, if you follow my instructions, you will shortly do. "

Now the young man went away as though he were walking upon air, andindeed so closely did he obey her that he was dismissed by his mastersas a dumb fool before he reached home again. But whether or no Sihamba'smedicine softened the heart of the maid I have not heard. 

So soon as he was gone Sihamba sent Zinti to bring Sigwe and two of hisgenerals to the place where she and Suzanne were encamped in a boothmade of branches and long grass. When they were come, she told them ofwhat she had learned from the love-stricken lad, adding that this planof making sure of what already she had suspected, had been born in thebrain of the Swallow, although she had carried it out. For when shedeemed that she could serve her mistress or win her honour, Sihambathought less of the truth than she should have done. 

On learning this tidings Sigwe and his captains were full of wrath, andspoke of making war upon the Pondo chief at once, but Sihamba said:

"Listen; the Swallow has whispered a better way into my ear. It isthis: the embassy of the Pondos leaves at dawn, and you must bid themfarewell, telling them that you will follow and camp to-morrow nightat the mouth of the pass, which you will enter at the next daybreak. Meanwhile now at once we will send out my servant, Zinti, dressed like aPondo lad, to search the country, and find if there is not anotherpath by which the pass can be turned, for if such a way exists he willdiscover it and report to us to-morrow at nightfall, since he, who isstupid in many things, was born with the gift of seeking out roads andremembering them; also he knows how to be silent if questioned. "

The chief and his captains thought this plan good, and thanked theSwallow for it, praising her wisdom, and within an hour, having beeninstructed what he must do and where he should meet them, Zinti wasdespatched upon his errand. 

Next morning the envoys departed suspecting nothing, and taking withthem gifts and the ox of ceremony; and that night the army of Sigweencamped within a mile of the pass, to the right and left of whichstretched tall and difficult cliffs. 

About an hour after sunset Zinti crept into the camp and asked for foodto eat, for he had travelled far and was hungry; moreover, he had beenchased by some Pondo soldiers to whom, feigning the fool he was commonlysupposed to be, he would make no answer when they questioned him. Whenhe had eaten he made his report to Sigwe, Suzanne, and Sihamba, and thegist of it was that he had found a good road by which men might safelyascend the cliffs, though not so easily as they could travel through thegorge. Following this road, he added, they could pass round the Pondotown, avoiding its fortifications, and coming out at the cattle kraalsat the back of the town, for he had climbed a high tree and mapped outthe route with his eye. Then followed a council of war, and the upshotof it was that, under the leadership of Zinti, the army marched off insilence an hour before midnight, leaving its cooking fires burning todeceive the Pondos. 

They climbed the cliffs by the path he showed them, and, travelling allnight, at dawn found themselves before the cattle kraals, which, asno enemy was expected, were unguarded except by the herds. These theycleared of the cattle, some thousands of them, and marched on at speed, sending a message back to the town by the herds that this was the luckwhich those must expect who attempted to trap the Swallow in a snare setfor a rock-rabbit. 

The Pondos were very angry at their loss, and, gathering their strength, followed them for some days, but before they could come up with themSigwe and his army had reached country so difficult and so far away thatthe Pondo chief thought it wisest to leave them alone. So they marchedon, taking the captured cattle with them, and after this bloodlessvictory Suzanne and Sihamba were greatly honoured by the soldiers, andeven the lad Zinti was treated like a chief. 

Now once more they reached wild lands, inhabited only by scatteredtribes, and passed through them at their leisure, for they had plenty offood to eat, although from time to time they were obliged to encamp uponthe banks of flooded rivers, or to hunt for a road over a mountain. Itwas on the thirty-first day of their journey that at length they enteredthe territories of the Endwandwe, against whom they had come to makewar, where at once they were met by messengers sent by Sikonyana, thechief of the Endwandwe, desiring to know why they came upon him with sogreat a force. To these men the case was set out by Sigwe, speaking inhis own name and in that of the Swallow. As he had promised Suzanne, forthis was a savage who kept his word, he offered to refrain from attackif the young Batwa was exchanged for her one-eyed sister and sent tohim, together with the thousand head of cattle which he had paid, andtwo thousand more by way of fine. At first these terms were refused, butafterwards an embassy came of whom the captain was the brother of theking, who said that he was charged to discuss the matter with the whitechieftainess named Swallow, herself, and with none other. 

So Suzanne, accompanied only by Sihamba, and mounted upon the great_schimmel_ that had come safe and well through all the journey, thoughthe black horse had died of sickness, rode out a hundred paces in frontof the army and met the man. There she spoke to him well and wisely, pointing out to him that without doubt a trick had been played uponSigwe which he was mad to avenge. The captain answered that they werewell able to fight. She replied that this might be so, that they mighteven conquer Sigwe and drive him back, but it could not be done withoutgreat loss to themselves, and that if his tribe were at all weakenedthe Zulus, who hated them, would hear of it, and take the opportunity tostamp them out. 

Well, the end of it was that the Endwandwe yielded, and upon the promiseof Suzanne--for they would take no other--that no spear should be liftedagainst them, they sent the true Batwa, a beautiful but sullen girl, toSigwe, taking back the old Batwa, who departed cursing him and all hisrace. With her they returned also the thousand head of cattle which hehad paid and twelve hundred more by way of fine, for the balance wasremitted by agreement. 

And so came to an end the war of Sigwe with the Endwandwe, which amongthe Kaffirs is still spoken of as the "War of the White Swallow, " orsometimes as "The War of the Clean Spear, " because no blood at all wasshed in it, and not a man was killed by violence, although when Sigwepassed through that country on his journey home, by means of a clevertrick the Pondo chief re-captured most of the cattle that had been takenfrom him. 

CHAPTER XXIII

HOW SUZANNE BECAME A CHIEFTAINESS

So the cattle were handed over, and the girl Batwa was given to Sigwe, whom by the way she made unhappy for the rest of his days. Indeed, shebrought about his ruin, for being ambitious she persuaded him to makewar upon the white people in the Transkei, of which the end was thatfrom a great chief he became a very small one. When all was accomplishedSigwe waited upon Suzanne. 

"Lady Swallow, " he said, "in three days I begin my homeward march, andnow I have come to ask whither you wish to go, since you cannot stophere in the veldt alone. "

"I would return with you to the Transkei, " she answered, "and seek outmy own home. "

"Lady, " he said shamefacedly, "alas! that may not be. You remember thedream of the diviner, and you know how that all which she foretold, andmore, has come to pass, for you, the White Swallow, appeared and flewin front of my impi, and from that hour we have had the best of luck. By your wisdom we outwitted the Pondos and seized their cattle; by yourwisdom we have conquered the Endwandwe without lifting a single spear, and that Batwa, whom I desired, is mine; while of the great force whichcame out with me to war but twenty-one are dead, twelve by drowning, eight by sickness, and one by snakebite. All things have gone well, and she who dreamed the dream of the White Swallow is the greatest ofdiviners. 

"But, lady, this was not all the dream, for it said that if you, theSwallow, should set your face southward with us then the best of luckwould turn to the worst, for then utter misfortune should overwhelm meand my regiments. Now, lady, I cannot doubt that as the first part ofthe prophecy has come true, so the last part would come true also didI tempt the spirits of my ancestors by disregarding it, and, therefore, White Swallow, though all I have is yours, yet you cannot fly home withus. "

Now Suzanne pleaded with him long and earnestly, as did Sihamba, butwithout avail, for he could not be moved. Indeed, had he consented thecaptains and the army would have disobeyed his order in this matter, for they believed, every man of them, that to take the Swallow with themhomewards would be to run to their own deaths. Nor was it safe that sheshould attempt to follow in the path of the impi, since then in theirsuperstitious fear they might send back and kill her to avert the evilfate. 

"Now, Swallow, " said Sihamba, "there is but one thing for us to do, andit is to seek refuge among my people, the Umpondwana, whose mountainstronghold lies at a distance of four days' journey from this place. Butto speak truth, I am not sure how they will receive me, seeing that Iparted from them in anger twelve years ago, having quarrelled with them, first about a matter of policy, and secondly about a matter of marriage, and that my half-brother, the son of my father by a slave, was promotedto rule in my place. Still to them we must go, and with them we muststay, if they will suffer it, until we find an opportunity of travellingsouth in safety. "

"If it must be so, " answered Suzanne, sighing, "perhaps Sigwe willescort us to the house of the Umpondwana before he turns homewards, forthey will think the more of us if they see us at the head of a greatarmy. "

To this plan Sigwe and his captains assented with gladness, for theyloved and honoured the Swallow, and were sore at heart because theirfears forced them to leave her alone in the wilderness. But first theymade sure that the mountain Umpondwana lay to the west, and not to thesouth, for not one step to the southward would they allow Suzanne totravel with them. 

On the morrow, then, they marched, and the evening of the third daythey set their camp in a mountain pass which led to a wide plain. Beforesunrise next morning Sihamba woke Suzanne. 

"Dress yourself, Swallow, " she said, "and come to see the light break onthe house of my people. "

So they went out in the grey dawn, and climbing a koppie in the mouth ofthe pass, looked before them. At first they could distinguish nothing, for all the plain beneath was a sea of mist through which in thedistance loomed something like a mountain, till presently the raysof the rising sun struck upon it and the veils of vapour partedlike curtains that are drawn back, and there before them was themountain-fortress of Umpondwana separated from the pass by a great spaceof mist-clad plain. Suzanne looked and knew it. 

"Sihamba, " she said, "it is the place of my vision and none other. See, the straight sides of red rock, the five ridges upon the eastern slopefashioned like the thumb and fingers of the hand of a man. Yes, andthere between the thumb and first finger a river runs. "

"I told you that it was so from the beginning, Swallow, for in all thecountry there is no other such hill as this, and because of the aspectof those ridges when seen from a distance it is named the Mountain ofthe Great Hand. "

Before the words had left her lips another voice spoke, at the sound ofwhich Suzanne nearly fell to the earth. 

"Good day to you, Suzanne, " it said in Dutch and was silent. 

"Sihamba, did you hear, Sihamba?" she gasped. "Do I dream, or did PietVan Vooren speak to me?"

"You did not dream, " answered Sihamba, "for that voice was the voice ofSwart Piet and no other, and he is hidden somewhere among the rocksof yonder cliff wall. Quick, Swallow, kneel behind this stone lest heshould shoot. "

She obeyed, and at that moment the voice spoke again out of the shadowsof the cliff that bordered the pass twenty or thirty paces from them. 

"What, Suzanne, " it said, "is that little witch-doctoress telling youthat I shall fire on you? Had I wished I could have shot you three timesover while you were standing upon that rock. But why should I desire tokill one who will be my lover? Sihamba I wished to shoot indeed, but herfamiliar set her so that the bullet must pass through you to reach herheart. Suzanne, you are going to hide yourself among the people of theUmpondwana. Oh! yes, I know your plan. Well, when once you are behindthe walls of that mountain it may be difficult to speak to you for awhile, so listen to me. You thought that you had left me far away, didyou not? but I have followed you step by step and twice I have beenvery near to you, although I could never find a chance to carry you offsafely. Well, I wish to tell you that sooner or later I shall find thatchance; sooner or later you will come out of the mountain or I shall getinto it, and then it will be my turn; so, love, till that hour fare youwell. Stay, I forgot, I have news for you; your husband, the Englishcastaway, is dead. "

At this tidings a low moan of pain broke from Suzanne's lips. 

"Be silent and take no heed, " whispered Sihamba, who was kneeling at herside behind the shelter of the stone, "he does but lie to torment you. "

"The bullet and the water together were too much for him, " went on SwartPiet, "and he died on the second night after he reached the stead. Yourfather came to seek me in the place you know, and was carried home badlywounded for his pains, but whether he lived or died I cannot tell you, but I heard that your mother, the good Vrouw Botmar, is very sick, forthings have so fallen out lately that her mind is troubled, and sheflies to drink to comfort it. "

Now when she heard this, Sihamba could keep silence no longer, but criedin a mocking voice:

"Get you gone, Bull-Head, and take lessons in lying from your friendsof my trade, the Kaffir witch-doctors, for never before did I hear a manbear false witness so clumsily. On the third night of his illness thehusband of Swallow was alive and doing well; the Heer Jan Botmar was notwounded at all, and as for the Vrouw Botmar, never in her life did shedrink anything stronger than coffee, for the white man's firewater ispoison to her. Get you gone, you silly half-breed, who seek to deceivethe ears of Sihamba, and I counsel you, hold fast to your business oftheft and murder and give up that of lying, in which you will neversucceed. Now be off, you stink-cat of the rocks, lest I send some tohunt you from your hole who this time will use the points and not theshafts of their assegais. Come, Swallow, let us be going. "

So they went, keeping under cover all the way to the camp, which, indeed, was quite close to them, and if Swart Piet made any answer theydid not hear it. So soon as they reached it Sihamba told Sigwe what hadpassed and he sent men to scour the cliff and the bush behind it, but ofVan Vooren they could find no trace, no, not even the spot where he hadbeen hidden, so that Sigwe came to believe that they had been fooled byechoes and had never heard him at all. 

But both Suzanne and Sihamba knew that this was not so; indeed, thishearing of the voice of Swart Piet filled Suzanne with fear, since wherethe voice was, there was the man, her hateful enemy, who had given hislife to her ruin and to that of those she loved. Whatever lies he mighthave spoken--and her heart told her that all his ill tidings were but acruel falsehood--this at least was true, that he had dogged her step bystep through the vast wilderness, and so craftily that none guessed hispresence. What might not be feared from such a foe as this, half mad andall wicked, armed with terrible cunning and untiring patience? If theUmpondwana would not receive her she must fall into his hands at once, and if they did receive her she would never dare to leave their kraal, for always, always he would be watching and waiting for her. Littlewonder then that she felt afraid, though, just as the sun shines everbehind the blackest cloud, still in her heart shone the sure comfort ofher hope, and more than hope that in the end God would give her backher husband and her to him unharmed. Yet, which ever way she looked thecloud was very black, and through it she could see no ray of light. 

When the mists had vanished and the air was warm with the sun, the armyof Sigwe marched from the pass heading for the great mountain. As theydrew near they saw that the Umpondwana were much terrified at the sightof them, for from all the kraals, of which there were many on the slopesof the mountain, they ran hither and thither like ants about a brokennest, carrying their goods and children upon their shoulders, anddriving herds of cattle in towards the central stronghold. Noting this, Sigwe halted and sent heralds forward to say that he came in peace andnot in war, and he desired to speak with their chief. In less than twohours the heralds returned, bringing with them some of the headmen ofthe Umpondwana, who stared round with frightened eyes, for they did notbelieve that any general would come upon a message of peace with so manyregiments. When the _indaba_ was set Sigwe told them his name andtribe, of both of which they had heard, and then, before speaking of hisbusiness, asked which of them was the chief of the Umpondwana. 

"Alas!" answered an old man, "we are in sore trouble here, and wander inthe darkness, for our chief, who was named Koraanu, died two days agoof the small-pox which has raged among us for many months, leaving nochildren behind him, for the sickness killed them also. Moreover, we aresuffering from a great drought, for as you may see, the veldt is stillbrown, and there is no green upon the cornfields, and if rain does notfall soon famine will follow the sickness, and then it will only needthat the Zulus should follow the famine to make an end of us once andfor all. "

"It seems that your tribe must have sinned deeply and brought down uponitself the curse of the spirits of its ancestors, " said Sigwe, whenthey had done their melancholy tale, "that so many misfortunes shouldovertake you. Tell me now, who by right is ruler of the Umpondwana?"

"We do not know, chief, " they answered, "or rather, we cannot tell ifour ruler is alive or dead, and if she is dead then none are left of thetrue blood. She was a small woman, but very pretty and full of wisdom asa mealie-cob with grains of corn, for in all this country there was nodoctoress or diviner like to her. Her name was Sihamba Ngenyanga, theWanderer-by-Moonlight, which name was given her when she was little, because of her habit of walking in the dark alone, and she was the onlychild of our late chief's _inkosikaas_, a princess of the Swazis, thefather of that lord, Koraanu, who lies dead of the small-pox. But whenthis chief died and Sihamba was called upon to rule our tribe, quarrelsarose between her and the _indunas_ of the tribe, for she was a veryheadstrong woman. 

"We, the _indunas_, wished her to marry, but for her own reasons shewould not marry; also we wished to swear allegiance to Chaka, but shewas against it, saying that as well might a lamb swear allegiance to awolf as the Umpondwana to the Zulus. The end of it was that in a tempershe took a bowl of water, and before us all washed her hands of us, andthat same night she vanished away we know not where, though rumours havereached us that she went south. From the day of her departure, however, things have gone ill with us; the Zulus with whom we made peace threatenus continually; her half-brother, Koraanu, the slave-born, was not agood chief, and now he is dead of the sickness. So our heart is heavyand our head is in the dust, and when we saw your impi we thought thatDingaan, who now rules over the Zulus, had sent it to eat us up and totake the cattle that still remain to us. 

"But you say that you come in peace, so tell us, chief, what it is youdesire, and I trust that it may be little, for here we have nothing togive, unless, " he added with meaning, "it be the small-pox, although weare ready to fight to the death for what is left to us, our liberty andour cattle; and, chief, even a larger army than yours might fail to takethat stronghold which has but one gate. "

When the councillor had finished speaking, Sigwe called aloud:

"Lady Sihamba, I pray you come hither, and with you the lady Swallow, your companion. "

Then Sihamba, who was prepared for this event, for her hair was freshlydressed and powdered with blue mica, wearing her little cape of fur andthe necklace of large blue beads, stepped from the screen of bush behindwhich she had hidden. With her, and holding her hand, came Suzanne, who covered the raggedness of her clothes beneath a splendid karossof leopards' skins that Sigwe had given her, down which her dark hairflowed almost to her knee. A strange pair they made, the tall Suzanne inthe first bloom of her white beauty which had suffered nothing in theirjourneying, and the small, quick-eyed, delicate-featured Kaffir woman. 

"Who are these?" asked Sigwe of the council. 

The old man looked at them and answered:

"Of the white lady we can say nothing except that she is very beautiful;but, unless our eyes deceive us, she whom she holds by the hand isSihamba Ngenyanga, who was our chieftainess, and who left us because shewas angry. "

"She is Sihamba and no one else, " said Sigwe. "Sihamba come back to ruleyou in the hour of need, and with her own tongue she shall tell you herstory and the story of the White Swallow who holds her by the hand. "

So Sihamba began, and for an hour or more she spoke to them, for whenshe chose this little woman had the gift of words, telling them allabout herself, and telling them also the story of the Swallow, and ofhow she had brought good luck to the army of Sigwe, and how she wasdestined to bring good luck wherever she made her home. At the end ofher speech she said:

"Now, my people, although I have wandered from you, yet my eyes, whichare far-seeing, have not been blind to your griefs, and in the hour ofyour need I return to you, bringing with me the White Swallow to sojournamong you for a while. Receive us if you will and be prosperous, orreject us and be destroyed; to us it matters nothing, it is for you tochoose. But if we come, we come not as servants but as princes whoseword cannot be questioned, and should you accept us and deal ill with usin any way, then your fate is sure. Ask the chief Sigwe here whether orno the flight of the Swallow is fortunate, and whether or no there iswisdom in the mouth of Sihamba, who is not ashamed to serve her. "

Then Sigwe told them of all the good fortune that had come to himthrough Suzanne, and of how wise had been the words of Sihamba, and toldthem, moreover, that if they dealt ill by either of them he would returnfrom his own country and stamp them flat. 

Thus it came about that the _indunas_ of the Umpondwana took backSihamba to be their chieftainess with all powers, and with her Suzanneas her equal in rule, and this their act was confirmed that same day bya great council of the tribe. So that evening Suzanne, mounted on the_schimmel_, rode down the ranks of the Red Kaffirs, while they shoutedtheir farewells to her. Then having parted with Sigwe, who almost weptat her going, she passed with Sihamba, the lad Zinti, and a great herdof cattle--her tithe of the spoil--to the mountain Umpondwana, where allthe tribe were waiting to receive them. They rode up to the flanks ofthe mountain, and through the narrow pass and the red wall of rockto the tableland upon its top, where stood the chief's huts and thecattle-kraal, and here they found the people gathered. 

"Give us a blessing, " these cried. "Grant to us that rain may fall. "

Sihamba spoke with Suzanne and answered:

"My people, I have entreated of the White Swallow, and for your sake shewill pray that rain may fall ere long. "

Now Sihamba knew the signs of the water, and as it happened rain beganto fall that night in torrents, and fell for three days almost withoutceasing, washing the sickness away with it. So the Umpondwana blessedthe name of Sihamba and the White Swallow, and these two ruled over themwithout question, life and death hanging upon their words. 

And there, a chieftainess among savages, Suzanne was fated to dwell formore than two long years. 

CHAPTER XXIV

THE MADNESS OF RALPH KENZIE

Now my story goes back to that night at the stead when I, Suzanne Botmarand my husband, Jan Botmar, were awakened from our sleep to learn thatour daughter had been carried off by that mad villain, Piet Van Vooren, and that her husband Ralph lay senseless and wounded in the waggonat the door. We carried him in, groaning in our bitter grief, anddespatched messengers to arouse all the Kaffirs on and about the placewhom we could trust and to a party of Boers, six men in all, who chancedto have outspanned that night upon the borders of our farm to shootvildebeest and blesbok. Also we sent another messenger mounted on agood horse to the house of that neighbour who was being attended by thedoctor from the dorp, praying that he would come with all speed to visitRalph, which indeed he did, for he was with us by half-past eight in themorning. 

Within an hour of the despatch of the messengers the Boers rode up fromtheir waggons, and to them, as well as to ourselves and to the Kaffirswho had gathered, the driver and voorlooper told all they knew of theterrible crime that had been done upon the persons of Ralph Kenzie andhis wife by Piet Van Vooren and his band. Also they repeated all thatZinti had taught them of the road to the secret krantz whither it wasbelieved that he had carried off Suzanne. Then Jan asked those presentif they would help him in this trouble, and being true men, one andall, they answered yes, so by seven in the morning the little commando, numbering twenty-one guns--eight white men and thirteen Kaffirs--startedto seek for Swart Piet's hiding-place, and to rescue Suzanne if theymight. 

"Alas!" I said to Jan as he bade me farewell, "at the best I fear thatyou will be too late. "

"We must trust in God, " he answered heavily. 

"Never had we more need of trust, husband, but I think that God turnsHis face from us because of the lies we told to the Englishmen, for nowthe punishment which you foresaw has fallen. "

"Then, wife, it were more just that it should have fallen on us who wereguilty, and not on those two who are innocent. But still I say I trustin God--and in Sihamba"--he added by an afterthought, "for she is braveand clever, and can run upon a path which others cannot even see. "

Then they went, and were away five days, or it may have been six. Theystarted early on Tuesday, and upon the Thursday morning, after muchtrouble, by the help of a native whom they captured, they found SwartPiet's kraal, but of Swart Piet or Suzanne or the hidden krantz theycould see nothing. Indeed, it was not until they had gathered togetherevery man they could find in the kraal and tied them to trees, sayingthat they would shoot them, that a woman, the wife of one of the men, led them to a rock wall and showed the secret of the kloof. They enteredand found the big hut with the body of the man whom Sihamba had killedstill lying in it, and also the knife with which Suzanne had intended todestroy herself, and which her father knew again. 

Then by degrees they discovered the whole story, for the woman pointedout to them the man who had guarded the entrance to the kloof, at whomZinti had fired, and under fear of death this man confessed all he knew, which was that Suzanne, Sihamba and Zinti had escaped northward upontheir horses, followed by Swart Piet and his band. 

Accordingly northwards they rode, but they never found any traces ofthem, for rain had fallen, washing out their spoor, and as might beexpected in that vast veldt they headed in the wrong direction. Soat last worn out, they returned to the stead, hoping that Suzanne andSihamba would have found their way back there, but hoping in vain. 

After that for days and weeks they searched and hunted, but quitewithout result, for as it chanced the Kaffirs who lived between theterritory of Sigwe and the stead rose in arms just then, and began toraid the Boer farms, stealing the cattle, including some of our own, sothat it was impossible to travel in their country, and therefore nobodyever reached the town of Sigwe to make inquiries there. 

The end of it was that, exhausted by search and sorrow, Jan sat down athome and abandoned hope; nor could the prayers and urgings of Ralph, whoall this while was unable even to mount a horse, persuade him to go outagain upon so fruitless an errand. 

"No, son, " he answered, "long before this the girl is either dead orshe is safe far away, and in either event it is useless to look for herabout here, since Van Vooren's kraal is watched, and we know that she isnot in it. " To which Ralph would answer:

"She is not dead, I know that she is not dead, " and we understood thathe spoke of the vision which had come to him, for I had told the tale ofit to Jan. But in his heart Jan put no faith in the vision, and believedthat Suzanne, our beloved child, had been dead for many days, for he wascertain that she would die rather than fall again into the hands of VanVooren, as I was also, and indeed of this we were glad to be sure. 

To Ralph, however, that we might comfort him in his sorrow, which waseven more terrible than our own, we made pretence that we believedSuzanne to be hiding far away, but unable to communicate with us, as infact she was. 

Oh! our lives were sad during those bitter months. Yes, the lighthad gone out of our lives, and often we wished, the three of us, thatalready we were resting in the grave. As he recovered from his woundsand the strength of his body came back to him, a kind of gentlemadness took hold of Ralph which it wrung our hearts to see. For hours, sometimes for days indeed, he would sit about the place brooding andsaying no word. At other times he would mount his horse and ride awaynone knew whither, perhaps not to return that night or the next, or thenext, till we were terrified by the thought that he too might nevercome back again. It was useless to be angry with him, for he would onlyanswer with a little smile:

"You forget; I must be seeking my wife, who is waiting for me upon theMountain of the Hand, " and then we learned that he had ridden to a faroff hill to examine it, or to see some travellers or natives and ask ofthem if they knew or had heard of such a mountain, with ridges upon itseastern slopes fashioned like the thumb and fingers of a man's hand. Indeed, in all that countryside, among both Boers and natives, Ralphwon the by-name of the "Man of the Mountain" because he rarely spokeof aught else. But still folk, black and white, knew the reason of hismadness and bore with him, pitying his grief. 

It was, I remember, in the season after Suzanne had vanished that theKaffirs became so angry and dangerous. For my part I believe that thosein our neighbourhood were stirred up by the emissaries of Swart Piet, for though he had gone none knew where, his tools and agents remainedbehind him. However this may have been, all over the country the blackmen began to raid the stock, and in our case they ended by attacking thestead also, a great number of them armed with guns. Fortunately we had alittle warning, and they were very sad Kaffirs that went away next day;moreover, forty of them never went away at all. Just at dawn, when theyhad been besieging the house for some hours, shouting, banging off theirguns, and trying to fire the roof by means of assegais with tufts ofblazing grass tied on to them, Jan, Ralph, and about twenty of ourpeople crept down under cover of the orchard wall and sallied out uponthem. 

Almighty! how those men fought, especially Jan and Ralph. It was apleasure to see them, for I watched the whole thing from the _stoep_, though I admit that I was anxious, since it was evident that neither ofthem seemed to care whether he lived or died. However, as it turned out, it was not they who died, but the Kaffirs, who went off with some fewcattle and afterwards left us in peace. 

And now comes the strange part of the affair, though I scarcely like totell it, lest after all these years it should not be believed. Someoneconnected with the London Missionary Society reported us to theGovernment at the Cape for shooting poor, innocent black men, and it wasthreatened that Jan and Ralph would be put upon their trial for murderby the British Government. Indeed, I believe that this would have beendone had not we and others of our neighbourhood let it be clearly knownthat before they were dragged to the common gaol there would be killingnot only of black but of white men. 

Our case was only one of many, since in those times there was nosecurity for us Boers--we were robbed, we were slandered, we weredeserted. Our goods were taken and we were not compensated; the Kaffirsstole our herds, and if we resisted them we were tried as murderers; ourslaves were freed, and we were cheated of their value, and the word of ablack man was accepted before our solemn oath upon the Bible. 

No wonder that we grew tired of it and trekked, seeking to shake thedust of British rule from off our feet, and to find a new homefor ourselves out of the reach of the hand of the accursed BritishGovernment. Oh! I know that there are two sides to the story, and Idaresay that the British Government meant well, but at the least it wasa fool, and it always will be a fool with its Secretaries of State, whoknow nothing sitting far away there in London, and its Governors, whoseonly business is to please the Secretaries of State, that when thecountry they are sent to rule grows sick of them, they may win anotherpost with larger pay. 

Well, this tale is of people and not of politics, so I will say no moreof the causes that brought about the great trek of the Boers from theold Colony and sent them forth into the wilderness, there to make warwith the savage man and found new countries for themselves. I know thosecauses, for Jan and Ralph and I were of the number of the voortrekkers;still, had it not been for the loss of Suzanne, I do not think that weshould have trekked, for we loved the home we had made upon the face ofthe wild veldt. 

But now that she was gone it was no home for us; every room of thehouse, every tree in the garden, every ox and horse and sheep remindedus of her. Yes, even the distant roar of the ocean and the sighingof the winds among the grasses seemed to speak of her. These were theflowers she loved, that was the stone she sat on, yonder was the pathwhich day by day she trod. The very air was thick with memories of her, and the tones of her lost voice seemed to linger in the echoes of thehills at night. 

It was upon the anniversary of the marriage of Ralph and Suzanne, yes, on the very day year of her taking by Piet Van Vooren, that we made upour minds to go. We had dined and Ralph sat quite silent, his head boweda little upon his breast, as was his custom, while Jan spoke loudly ofthe wrongs of the Boers at the hand of the British Government. I donot think that he was much troubled with those wrongs just then, but hetalked because he wished to interest Ralph and turn his mind from sadthoughts. 

"What think you of it, son?" said Jan at length, for it is hard worktalking all by oneself, even when one has the British Government toabuse, which was the only subject that made Jan a wordy man. 

"I, father?" answered Ralph with a start, which showed me that his mindwas far away. "I do not quite know what I think. I should like to hearwhat the English Government say about the matter, for I think that theymean to be fair, only they do not understand the wants and troubles ofus Boers who live so far away. Also, without doubt the missionaries meanwell, but they believe that a black man has a bigger soul than a whiteman, whereas we who know the black man see that there is a difference. "

"Allemachter, son, " said Jan, looking at him out of the corner of hiseye, "cannot you show some spirit? I hoped that being an Englishmanyou would have stood up for your own people, and then we might havequarrelled about it, which would have done us both good, but you onlysit and talk like a magistrate in his chair, looking at both sides ofthe case at once, which is an evil habit for men who have to make theirway in the world. Well, I tell you that if you had seen the cursedBritish Government hang your father and uncle at Slagter's Nek, and notsatisfied with that, hang them a second time, when the ropes broke, justbecause they tried to shoot a few Hottentot policemen, you would notthink much of its fairness. And as for the missionaries of the LondonSociety, well, I should like to hang _them_, as would be right andproper, seeing that they blacken the names of honest Boers. "

Ralph only smiled at this onslaught, for he was not to be stirred fromhis lethargy by talk about Slagter's Nek and the missionaries. For awhile there was silence, which presently was broken by Jan roaring at mein a loud voice as though I were deaf. 

"_Vrouw, let ons trek_, " and, to give weight to his words, he broughthis great fist down with a bang upon the table, knocking off a plate andbreaking it. 

I stooped to pick up the pieces, rating him for his carelessness as Igathered them, for I wished to have time to think, although for a longwhile I had expected this. When I had found them all I placed them uponthe table, saying:

"They cannot be mended, and--hearts or plates--what cannot be mended hadbest be hidden away. Hearts and plates are brittle things, but the lastcan be bought in iron, as I wish the first could be also. Yes, husband, we will trek if you desire it. "

"What say you, son?" asked Jan. 

Ralph answered his question by another. "In which direction will theemigrants trek?"

"North, I believe, to the Vaal River. "

"Then, father, I say let us go, " he replied with more spirit than he hadshown for a long while, "for I have searched and inquired to the southand the east and the west, and in them I can hear of no mountain thathas ridges upon its eastern slopes shaped like the thumb and fingers ofa man's hand with a stream of water issuing from between the thumb andfirst finger. "

Now once more we were silent, for we saw that his madness had againtaken hold of Ralph's mind, and that was a sad silence. 

CHAPTER XXV

THE GREAT TREK

On the morrow we began to make ready, and a month later we trekked fromour much loved home. Jan tried to sell the farm, which was a very goodone of over six thousand morgen, or twelve thousand English acres, wellwatered, and having on it a dwelling house built of stone, with largekraals and out-buildings, an orchard of fruit-trees, and twenty morgenof crop lands that could be irrigated in the dry season, well fenced inwith walls built of loose stones. But no one would make a bid for it, for there were few English about, and most of the farmers were trekking, so at last he parted with it to a cowardly fellow, a Boer by birth, but, as I believe, a spy of the British Government, who gave him fifty poundsand an old waggon in exchange for the place and everything upon itexcept the stock which we took with us. 

Some years ago I heard that this man's grandson sold that same farm fortwenty thousand pounds in cash, and that now it is a place where theybreed horses, angora goats, and ostriches in great numbers. It makes memad to think that the descendant of that low spy should have profitedso largely out of the land which was ours, but so it often chances thatthose whose hearts are small and mean reap the reward of the courage andmisfortunes of braver men. Nor should we grumble indeed, seeing that theLord has blessed us greatly in land and goods. 

Ah! It was a sad home leaving. The day before we trekked Ralph rodeto visit his mother's grave for the last time, and then, following thetrack which he had taken as a child, he went to the kloof where Suzannehad found him, and sat down upon that stone on which as a child he hadknelt in prayer, and where in after years he and his lost wife had toldtheir love. Jan accompanied him upon this dismal journey, for to speaktruth we did not like to leave him more alone than we could help, sincehis manner remained strange, and when he set out on his solitary rideswe could not be certain that we should ever see him come back again. 

Next morning we trekked away, and my eyes were so full of tears as I satbeneath the tent of the first waggon that the familiar landscape and thehome where I lived for twenty years and more were blotted from my sight. But I could still hear the long-nosed spy who had bought the farm, andwho as waiting to enter into possession, talking to Jan. 

"Good-bye, Heer Botmar, " he said, "and good fortune to you upon yourjourney. For my part I cannot understand you emigrants. The EnglishGovernment is an accursed Government, no doubt; still I would not sella farm and a house like this for fifty pounds and an old waggon in orderto wander in the wilderness to escape from it, there to be eaten bylions or murdered by Kaffirs. Still, good-bye, and good luck to you, andI hope that you are as content with your bargain as I am with mine. "

"The Lord will be our guide, as He was to the Israelites of old, "answered Jan in a somewhat troubled voice. 

"Yes, yes; they all say that, Heer Botmar, and I trust that they areright, for you will need nothing less than a cloud by day and a pillarof fire in the darkness to protect you from all the dangers in yourpath. Also I hope that the hosts of Pharaoh, in the shape of Englishsoldiers, will not fetch you back before you cross the border, for then, when you have sold your birthright in Egypt, and are cut off from thePromised Land, your lot will be hard, Heer Botmar. "

"The Lord will guide and protect us, " repeated Jan, and gave the word totrek. 

In my heart at the time I was inclined to agree with that cheat'ssneering words; and yet Jan was right, and not I, for of the truth theLord did guide and protect us. Has anything more wonderful happened inthe world than this journey of a few farmers, cumbered with women andchildren, and armed only with old-fashioned muzzle-loading guns, into avast, unknown land, peopled by savages and wild beasts? Yet, look whatthey did. They conquered Moselikatse; they broke the strength of Dingaanand all his Zulu impis; they peopled the Free State, the Transvaal, andNatal. That was the work of those few farmers, and I say that of theirown strength they could never have done it; the strength was given tothem from above; the Sword of God was in their hand, and He guided thathand and blessed it. 

Our first outspan was at the spot where Van Vooren had tried to murderRalph and carried off Suzanne upon her wedding-day. We did not stopthere long, for the place was bad for Ralph, who sat upon the box of thewaggon staring moodily at some blackened stones, which, as one of thedrivers told me--the same man who accompanied them upon their weddingjourney--had been brought from the kloof and used by Suzanne to set thekettle on when they took their meal together. Led by this same driverI walked to the edge of the cliff--for I had never visited the placebefore--and looked at the deep sea-pool, forty feet below me, into whichSwart Piet had thrown Ralph after he had shot him. Also I went down tothe edge of the pool and climbed up again by the path along which Zintiand Sihamba had staggered with his senseless body. Afterwards I returnedto the waggons with a heart full of thankfulness and wonder that heshould still be alive among us to-day, although alas, there was much forwhich I could not feel thankful, at least not then. 

Now it is of little use that I should set down the history of thistrek of ours day by day, for if I did my story would have no end. Itis enough to tell that in company with other emigrants we crossed theOrange River, heading for Thaba Nchu, which had been the chief townof Maroko before Moselikatse drove him out of the Marico country. Hereseveral bands of emigrants were to meet, and here they did meet, but notuntil a year or more had passed since we left the colony and wanderedout into the veldt. 

Ah! I tell you, my child, the veldt in those days was different indeedfrom what it is now. The land itself remains the same except where whitemen have built towns upon it, but all else is changed. Then it was blackwith game when the grass was green; yes, at times I have seen it soblack for miles that we could scarcely see the grass. There wereall sorts of them, springbucks in myriads, blesbok and quagga andwildebeeste in thousands, sable antelope, sassaby and hartebeeste inherds, eland, giraffe and koodoo in troops; while the forests werefull of elephant and the streams of sea-cow. They are all gone now, thebeautiful wild creatures; the guns of the white men have killed themout or driven them away, and I suppose that it is as well that they aregone, for while the game is in such plenty the men will not work. StillI for one am sorry to lose the sight of them, and had it not been fortheir numbers we Boers should never have lasted through that long trek, for often and often we lived upon buck's flesh and little else for weekstogether. 

At Thaba Nchu we camped, waiting for other bands of emigrants, butafter four or five months some of our number grew so impatient that theystarted off by themselves. Among these were the companies under the HeerTriegaart and the Heer Rensenburg, who wished us to accompany him, butJan would not, I do not know why. It was as well, for the knob-nosedKaffirs killed him and everybody with him. Triegaart, who had separatedfrom him, trekked to Delagoa Bay, and reached it, where nearly all hispeople died of fever. 

After that we moved northwards in detachments, instead of keepingtogether as we should have done, with the result that several of ourparties were fallen upon and murdered by the warriors of Moselikatse. Our line of march was between where Bloemfontein and Winburg now standin the Orange Free State, and it was south of the Vaal, not far from theRhenoster River that Moselikatse attacked us. 

I cannot tell the tale of all this way, I can only tell of what I sawmyself. We were of the party under the leadership of Carl Celliers, afterwards an elder of the church at Kronnstadt. Celliers went on acommission to Zoutpansberg to spy out the land, and it was while he wasaway that so many families were cut off by Moselikatse, the remainderof them, with such of their women and children as were left alive, retreating to our laager. Then Celliers returned from his commission, and we retired to a place called Vechtkop, near the Rhenoster River;altogether we numbered not more than fifty or sixty souls, includingwomen and children. 

Here we heard that Moselikatse was advancing to make an end of us, sowe made our laager as strong as we could, lashing the disselboom of eachwaggon beneath the framework of that before it and filling the spacesbeneath and between with the crowns and boughs of sharp-thorned mimosatrees, which we tied to the trek tows and brake chains so that theycould not be torn away. Also in the middle of the laager we made aninner defence of seven waggons, in which were placed the women andchildren, with the spare food and gunpowder, but the cattle we wereobliged to leave outside. Early on the morning when we had finished thelaager we heard that the impi of Moselikatse was close to us, and themen to the number of over thirty rode out to look for it, leaving but afew to defend the camp. 

About an hour's ride away they found the Kaffirs, thousands of them, anda Hottentot who could speak their tongue was instructed to call to themand ask them why they attacked us. By way of answer they shouted out thename of their chief and began to charge, whereupon our men dismountedfrom their horses and opened fire upon them, mounting again before theycould come near. So the fight went on until the laager was reached, andmany Kaffirs were killed without any loss to the Boers, for luckily inthose days the natives had no firearms. 

I remember that we women were moulding bullets when the men rode in, and very thankful we were to find that not one of them was even wounded. While they ate something we washed out their guns, and at intervals nearthe places where each man must stand behind the waggons we piled littleheaps of powder and bullets upon buckskins and pieces of canvas laid onthe ground; also we did all we could to strengthen our defences stillfurther by binding ox-hides over the waggon wheels and thrusting in morethorns between them. 

Then, as the enemy was still preparing to attack us, the Heer Cellierscalled us together, and there in the laager, while all knelt around him, even to the smallest child, he put up a prayer to God asking that wemight be forgiven our sins, and that He would look upon us and protectus in our great need. 

It was a strange sight. There we all knelt in the quiet sunshine whilehe prayed in an earnest voice, and we followed his words with ourhearts, every one of us, men and women, holding guns or axes in ourhands. Never had human beings more need for prayer, for through thecracks between the waggons we could see Moselikatse's Zulus, six orseven thousand of them, forming themselves into three bodies to rushupon us and murder us, and that was a dreadful sight for fifty or sixtypeople, of whom some were little children. 

When we had finished praying, husbands and wives and parents andchildren kissed each other, and then the little ones and some of thewomen who were sick or aged were put behind the seven waggons in thecentre of the laager, round which were tied the horses, while the restof us went to our stations, men and women together. I stood behind Janand Ralph, who fought side by side, and, assisted by a girl of fourteenyears of age, loaded their spare guns. Now there was a great silence inthe camp, and suddenly in the silence, Jan, who was looking through hisloophole, whispered:

"Allemachter! here they come. "

And come they did, with a rush and a roar from three sides at once, while men drew in their breath and set their faces for the struggle. Still no one fired, for the order was that we were to save our powderuntil Celliers let off his gun. Already the savages were within thirtypaces of us, a countless mass of men packed like sheep in a kraal, theirfierce eyes shewing white as ivory in the sunlight, their cruel spearsquivering in their hands, when the signal was given and every gun, someloaded with slugs and some with bullets, was discharged point-blank intothe thick of them. 

Over they rolled by dozens, but that did not stop the rest, who, inspite of our pitiless fire, rushed up to the waggons and gripped themwith their hands, striving to drag them apart, till the whole line ofthem rocked and surged and creaked like boats upon the sea, whilethe air grew thick with smoke rising straight up towards the sky, andthrough the smoke assegais flashed as thick as rain. 

But although some of the heavy laden waggons were dragged a foot ormore outward they held together, and the storm of spears flying overour heads did little harm. Heavens! what a fight was that, the fight offifty against six thousand. 

Not more than seven feet of space divided us from that shrieking sea offoes into which we poured bullets at hazard, for there was no need toaim, as fast as the guns could be loaded. Suddenly I heard the girl callout:

"_Kek, tante, da is een swartzel!_" (Look, aunt, there is a black man. )

I looked, and just at my side I saw a great savage who had forced hisway through the thorns and crawled beneath the waggon into the laager. The gun in my hand was empty, but by me lay an axe which I snatched up, and as he rose to his knees I struck him with all my strength upon theneck and killed him at a blow. Yes, my child, that was the kind of workto which we wives of the voortrekkers had to put a needle. 

Jan had just fired his gun, and seeing the man he sprang to help me, whereon three more Kaffirs following on the dead soldier's path crawledout from under the waggon. Two of them gained their feet and ran at himlifting their assegais. I thought that all was lost, for one hole in ourdefence was like a pin prick to a bladder, but with a shout Jan droppedthe empty gun and rushed to meet them. He caught them by the throat, thetwo of them, one in each of his great hands, and before they could spearhim dashed their heads together with such desperate strength that theyfell down and never stirred again. This was always thought something ofa feat, for as everybody knows the skulls of Kaffirs are thick. 

By this time the girl had handed Ralph his second gun loaded, and withit he shot the third Kaffir; then he also did a brave thing, for seeingthat more Zulus were beginning to creep through the hole, he snatchedthe assegai from a dead man's hand, and stopped the gap with his ownbody, lying flat upon his stomach and thrusting at their heads with thespear. Soon we dragged him out with only one slight wound, pushing thebodies of the Kaffirs into his place, and over them spare branches ofthorn, so that the breach was made good. 

This was the turning point of the fight, for though after it one otherKaffir managed to get into the laager, where he was cut down, and twoBoers, Nicholas Potgieter and Pieter Botha were killed by assegaisthrown from without, from that moment the attack began to slacken. Inthirty minutes from the time that Celliers had fired the first shot, Moselikatse's general, whose name was Kalipi, had given the order toretire, and his hosts drew off sullenly, for we had beaten them. 

Thirty minutes! Only thirty minutes--the shadows had shifted but a fewinches on the grass, and yet now that it was done with it seemed likehalf a lifetime. Panting and begrimed with smoke and powder, we stoodlooking at each other and around us. The tents of the waggons wereripped to pieces, in our own I counted more than sixty spear cuts, and the trampled turf inside the laager was like the back of an angryporcupine, for from it we gathered nearly fourteen hundred heavyassegais. For the rest, the two men lay dead where they had fallen, their faces turned towards the sky, each of them pierced through by aspear, and out of our little number twelve others were wounded, thoughnone of them died of their wounds. Not a woman or a child was touched. 

Outside the laager there was a sight to see, for there on the redgrass, some lying singly and some in heaps, were over four hundred Zulusoldiers, most of them dead, and how many wounded they carried away withthem I cannot tell. 

Now we saw that the Kaffirs were collecting our cattle, and about twentymen under Potgieter saddled up and rode out to try and recapture them, since without oxen to draw the waggons we were helpless. Till sunsetthey followed them, killing many, but being so few they could notrecapture the cattle, and in the end were obliged to return emptyhanded. Ralph went with his party, and, because of an act of mercy whichhe did then it came about in the end that Suzanne was found and manylives were saved. So plenteously do our good deeds bear fruit, even inthis world. 

Yes, you may have thought that this tale of the battle of Vetchkop wasonly put in here because it is one of the great experiences of an oldwoman's life. But it is not so; it has all to do with the story of Ralphand of my daughter Suzanne. 

CHAPTER XXVI

HOW GAASHA BROUGHT GOOD LUCK

When Ralph returned from pursuing the Zulus, as he drew near to thelaager he lingered a little behind the others, for he was very weary ofall this work of killing, also the flesh-wound that he had got fromthe Kaffir's spear having stiffened pained him when his horse cantered. There was no more danger now, for the savages were gone, leaving theirpath marked by the corpses of those who had been shot down by the Boers, or of men who had limped away wounded either to die upon the road or tobe killed by their comrades because their case was hopeless. Followingthis black trail of death backwards Ralph rode on, and when he waswithin a hundred yards of the waggons halted his horse to study thescene. He thought that he would never see such another, although, infact, that at the Blood River when we conquered the Zulu king, Dingaan, was even more strange and terrible. 

The last crimson rays of the setting sun were flooding the plain withlight. Blood-red they shone upon the spear-torn canvas of the waggonsand upon the stained and trampled veldt. Even the bodies of the Kaffirslooked red as they lay in every shape and attitude; some as though theyslept; some with outstretched arms and spears gripped tight; some withopen mouths as they had died shouting their way-cry. Ralph looked atthem and was thankful that it was not we white people who lay thus, as it might well have been. Then, just as he was turning towards thelaager, he thought that he saw something move in a tussock of thickgrass, and rode towards it. Behind the tussock lay the body of a youngKaffir, not an uncommon sight just there, but Ralph was so sure that hehad seen it move that, stirred by an idle curiosity, he dismounted fromhis horse to examine it. This he did carefully, but the only hurt thathe could see was a flesh wound caused by a slug upon the foot, notserious in any way, but such as might very well prevent a man fromrunning. 

"This fellow is shamming dead, " he thought to himself, and lifted hisgun, for in those times we could not afford to nurse sick Kaffirs. 

Then of a sudden the young man who had seemed to be a corpse rose tohis knees, and, clasping his hands, began to beg for mercy. Insteadof shooting him at once, as most Boers would have done, Ralph, whowas tender-hearted, hesitated and listened while the Kaffir, apleasant-faced lad and young, besought him for his life. 

"Why should I spare you, " asked Ralph, who understood his talk well, "seeing that, like all the rest of these, you set upon my people tomurder them?"

"Nay, chief, " answered the young man, "it is not so. I am no Zulu. Ibelong to another tribe, and was but a slave and a carrier in the armyof Kalipi, for I was taken prisoner and forced to carry mats and foodand water, " and he pointed to a bundle and some gourds that lay besidehim. 

"It may be so, " answered Ralph, "but the dog shares his master's fate. "

"Chief, " pleaded the man, "spare me. Although it prevented me fromrunning away with the others, my wound is very slight and will be healedin a day or two, and then I will serve you as your slave and be faithfulto you all my life. Spare me and I shall bring you good luck. "

"I need that enough, " said Ralph, "and I am sure that you are no Zulu, for a Zulu would not stoop to beg for his life thus, " and he stoodthinking. 

While he thought, Jan, who had seen him from the laager, came up behind. 

"What are you doing, son, " he asked in an angry voice, "talking to thisblack devil here alone among the dead? Stand aside and let me settle himif you have not the heart, " and he lifted his gun. 

"No, father, " said Ralph, pushing it aside, "this man is not a Zulu; heis but a slave-carrier and he has prayed me to spare his life, swearingthat he will serve me faithfully. Also he says that he brings goodluck. "

"Certainly he brought good luck to these, " answered Jan, pointing to thescattered dead with his hand, and laughing grimly. "Allemachter! son, you must be mad to play the fool thus, for doubtless the sneakingvillain will murder you the first time your back is turned. Come, standaside and I will finish it. "

Now the young man, whose name was Gaasha, seeing that he was about to beshot, threw himself upon the ground, and clasping Ralph round the knees, implored for mercy. 

"Save me, Baas, " he prayed, "save me, and you will always be glad of it, for I tell you I bring you good luck, I tell you I bring you good luck. "

"Father, " said Ralph, setting his mouth, "if you kill this Kaffir itwill be a cause of quarrel between us, and we never quarrelled yet. "

"Quarrel or no quarrel, he shall die, " said Jan in a rage, for hethought it the strangest folly that Ralph should wish to spare a blackman. 

At that moment, however, something seemed to strike his mind, for hisface grew puzzled, and he looked about him almost anxiously. 

"Where have I seen it before?" he said, as though he were speaking tohimself. "The veldt all red with blood and sunset, the laager behindand the Kaffir with the wounded foot holding Ralph by the knees. Allemachter! I know. It was that day in the _sit-kammer_[*] at the steadyonder, when the little doctoress, Sihamba, made me look into her eyes;yes, yes, I have seen it all in the eyes of Sihamba. Well, let the ladlive, for without a doubt Sihamba did not show me this picture thatshould be for nothing. Moreover, although I am stupid, as your mothersays, I have learned that there are many things in the world which wecannot understand but which play a part in our lives nevertheless. "

 [*] Sitting room. 

So the lad Gaasha was brought to the laager, and upon the prayer of Janand Ralph, the commandant gave him his life, ordering, however, that heshould sleep outside the waggons. 

"Well, " I said when I heard the tale, "one thing is, that you will neversee him again, for he will be off during the night back to his friendsthe Zulus. " But I was wrong, for next morning there was Gaasha, andthere he remained even after his foot was quite well, making the bestKaffir servant that ever I had to do with. 

After that day we saw no more of the Zulus at Vetchkop, although laterwith the help of other Boers we attacked them twice, killing more thanfour thousand of them, and capturing six thousand head of cattle, sothat they fled north for good and all, and founded the nation of theMatabele far away. 

But oh! our fate was hard there at Vetchkop; never have I known worsedays. The Zulus had taken away all our cattle, so that we could noteven shift the waggons from the scene of the fight, but must camp thereamidst the vultures and the mouldering skeletons, for the dead wereso many that it was impossible to bury them all. We sent messengers toother parties of Boers for help, and while they were gone we starved, for there was no food to eat, and game was very scarce. Yes, it wasa piteous sight to see the children cry for food and gnaw old bits ofleather or strips of hide cut from Kaffir shields to stay the cravingof their stomachs. Some of them died of that hunger, and I grew so thinthat when I chanced to see myself in a pool of water where I went towash I started back frightened. 

At length, when we were all nearly dead, some oxen came and with them wedragged a few of the waggons to Moroko, where an English clergymanand his wife, taking pity on us, gave us corn, for which reason I havealways held that among the British the clergymen must be a great dealbetter than the rest of that proud and worthless race, for it is truethat we judge of people as they deal by us. Yes, and I will go so faras to say that I do not believe that the Reverend Mr. Owen, the Englishmissionary at the kraal of the Zulu King Dingaan, did in truth advisehim to massacre Retief and his seventy Boers, as was generally reportedamong my countrymen. 

Well, after Moselikatse's Zulus were finally defeated the question arosewhether we should proceed to Zoutpansberg and settle there, or followour brethren who in large numbers had already crossed the QuathlambaMountains into Natal under the leadership of Retief. In the end wedecided for Natal because it was nearer the sea, for in those days wenever dreamed that the treacherous British Government would steal thatland also; so trekking slowly, we headed for Van Reenen's Pass, ourparty then numbering thirty waggons and about sixty white people. 

It was when we were about four days trek, or sixty miles, from thepass that one evening, as we sat eating our food, Jan, Ralph, and I--Iremember it was the fried steaks of an eland that Ralph had shot--thelad Gaasha, who had now served us for some six months, came up to thefire, and having saluted Ralph, squatted down before him Kaffir fashion, saying that he had a favour to ask. 

"Speak on, " said Ralph. "What is it?"

"Baas, " replied Gaasha, "it is this; I want a week or ten days leave ofabsence to visit my people. "

"You mean that you want to desert, " I put in. 

"No, lady, " answered Gaasha; "you know that I love the Baas who savedmy life far too well ever to wish to leave him. I desire only to see myparents and to tell them that I am happy, for doubtless they think medead. The Baas proposes to cross into Natal by Van Reenen's Pass, doeshe not? Well, not so very far from my home, although none would guessit unless he knew the way, is another pass called Oliver's Hook, andby that pass, after I have spoken with my father and my mother if theystill live, I would cross the Quathlamba, finding the Baas again on thefurther side of the mountains, as I can easily do. "

"I think that I will let you go as I can trust you, Gaasha, " said Ralph, "but tell me the name of your home, that I may know where to send toseek you if you should not come back as you promise. "

"Have I not said that I will come back, Baas, unless the lions or theZulus should eat me on the way? But the name of the house of my tribe isUmpondwana. It is only a little tribe, for the Zulus killed many of usin the time of Chaka, but their house is a very fine house. "

"What does Umpondwana mean?" asked Ralph idly as he lit his pipe. 

"It means the Mountain of the Man's Hand, Baas. "

Ralph let his pipe fall to the ground, and I saw his face turn whitebeneath the sunburn, while of a sudden his grey eyes looked as thoughthey were about to leap from their sockets. 

"Why is it called the Mountain of the Man's Hand?" he asked in a hollowvoice. "Speak quick now, and do not lie to me. "

Gaasha looked up at him astonished. "How should I know, Baas, when theplace was named so before I was born, and none have told me? But I thinkthat it may be because upon one of the slopes of the mountain, which hasgreat cliffs of red rock, are five ridges, which, seen from the plainbelow, look like the four fingers and thumb of a man. Also the placehas another name, which means 'where the water springs out of the rock, 'because from between two of the ridges, those that are like the thumband first finger, flows a stream which comes from the heart of themountain. "

"On which side of the mountain are the ridges and the stream?" askedRalph in the same unnatural voice. 

"Baas, when the sun rises it strikes on them. "

Now Ralph swung to and fro like a drunken man, and had I not put my armabout him I believe that he would have fallen. 

"It is the mountain of my vision, " he gasped. 

"Be not foolish, " I answered, for I feared lest when he found thatall this strange resemblance was a chance, the bitterness of hisdisappointment might overwhelm him. "Be not foolish, son; are there notmany hills in this great land with ridges on their flanks, and streamsof water running down them?"

Then, as Ralph seemed unable to answer me, I asked of Gaasha:

"Who is the chief of this tribe of yours?"

"He is named Koraanu, " he answered, "if he still lives, but a man I metsome months ago told me that he has been dead these two years, and thatshe who used to rule us when I was a little child had come back fromthe lands whither she had wandered, and is now _Inkoosikaas_ of theUmpondwana. "

"What is the name of this chieftainess?" I asked in the midst of a greatsilence. 

Gaasha answered at once; that is, after he had taken a pinch of snuff, but to us it seemed a year before the words crossed his lips. 

"Her name, lady, " and he sneezed, "is"--and he sneezed again, rockinghimself to and fro. Then slowly wiping away the tears which the snuffhad brought to his eyes with the back of his hand he said, "Ow! this isthe best of snuff, and I thank the Baas for giving it to me. "

"Answer, " roared Jan, speaking for the first time, and in such a fiercevoice that Gaasha sprang to his feet and began to run away. 

"Come back, Gaasha, come back, " I called, and he came doubtfully, forGaasha was not very brave, and ever since he had wished to shoot him hetrembled even at the sight of Jan. "Be silent, you fool, " I whispered tothe latter as the lad drew near, then said aloud, "Now, Gaasha. "

"Lady, " he answered, "it is indeed as I have told you; the Baas gave methe snuff a long time ago; he took it out of the ear-boxes of the deadmen at Vetchkop. He gave it to me. I did not steal it. He will say sohimself. "

"Never mind the snuff, Gaasha, " I said in a voice half-choked with doubtand anxiety, for the sight of Ralph's piteous face and the strangenessof it all were fast overwhelming me, "but tell us what is the name ofthis chieftainess whom you have heard is now the ruler of your tribe?"

"Her name, lady, " he answered, much relieved, "why it is well known, forthough she is small, it is said that she is the best of doctoresses andrain-makers. "

Now Jan could no longer be restrained, for stretching out his great handhe gripped Gaasha by the throat, saying:

"Accursed _swartzel_, if you do not tell us the name at once I will killyou. "

"Madman, " I exclaimed, "how can the lad speak while you are chokinghim?"

Then Jan shifted his grip and Gaasha began to cry for pity. 

"The name, the name, " said Jan. 

"Why should I hide it? Have I not told it? Baas, it is _SihambaNgenyanga_. "

As the words passed his lips Jan let go of him so suddenly that Gaashafell to the ground and sat there staring at us, for without doubt hethought that we had all gone mad. 

Jan looked up to the skies and said, "Almighty, I thank Thee, Who canstmake dreams to fly to the heart of a man as a night-bird to its nestthrough the darkness, and Who, because of what I saw in the eyes ofSihamba, didst turn aside my gun when it was pointed at the breast ofthis Kaffir. "

Then he looked at Ralph, and was quiet, for Ralph had swooned away. 

CHAPTER XXVII

SWART PIET SETS A SNARE

It was a strange life that Suzanne led among the Umpondwana during thetwo years or more that, together with Sihamba, she ruled over them aschieftainess. Upon the top of the mountain was a space of grass landmeasuring about five hundred morgen, or a thousand acres in extent, where were placed the chief's huts and those of the head men andsoldiers, surrounding a large cattle kraal, which, however, was onlyused in times of danger. The rest of the people dwelt upon the slopes ofthe mountain, and even on the rich plains at the foot of it, but if needwere they could all retreat to the tableland upon its crest. Here theymight have defied attack for ever, for beneath the cattle kraal grainwas stored in pits, only there was but one spring, which in dry seasonswas apt to fail. Therefore it was that the Umpondwana had built stoneschanzes or fortifications about the mouth of the river which gushedfrom the mountain between the thumb and finger like ridges on theeastern slope, although it lay below their impregnable walls of rock, seeing that to this river they must look for their main supply of water. 

The table-top of the hill, which could only be approached by one paththat wound upwards through a ravine cut by water, being swept by everywind of heaven, and so high in the air, was very cold and naked. Indeed, in the winter season, rain fell there twice or thrice a week, and therewere many days when it was wrapt in a dense white mist. Still, duringthe two years and more that she dwelt with the Umpondwana, Suzannescarcely left this plain, not because she did not desire to do so, butbecause she did not dare, for word was brought that the foot, and eventhe slopes, of the mountain were patrolled by men in the employ of SwartPiet. Moreover, soon it became clear that he had knowledge of allher movements, doubtless from spies in his pay who dwelt among theUmpondwana themselves. During the first few months of her sojourn on themountain, it is true that now and again Suzanne rode out on the veldtmounted on the _schimmel_, but this pastime she was forced to abandonbecause one day Swart Piet and his men saw her and gave chase, so thatshe was only saved from him by the fleetness of the great horse. 

After this, both she and the _schimmel_ stayed upon the tableland, wheredaily they took exercise together, galloping round a prepared path whichwas laid about the fence of the cattle kraal, and thus kept themselvesin good health. 

Swart Piet had Kaffir blood in his veins, as I have said, and fromboyhood it had been his custom to live two lives, one as a white manwith white men, and one as a Kaffir with Kaffirs. About three milesdistant from the Umpondwana Mountain was a strong koppie with fertilevalleys to the back of it, and here, being rich and having a great nameas a white man, he found it no trouble to establish himself as a nativechief, for refugees of all sorts gathered themselves about him, sothat within a year he ruled over a little tribe of about a hundred mentogether with women. 

With these men Van Vooren began to harass the Umpondwana, cutting offtheir cattle if they strayed, and from time to time killing or enslavingsmall parties of them whom he caught wandering on the plains out ofreach of help from the mountain. Whenever he captured such a partyhe would spare one of them, sending him back with a message to theUmpondwana. They were all to one effect, namely, that if the tribe woulddeliver over to him the lady Swallow who dwelt among them he would ceasefrom troubling it, but if this were not done, then he would wage waron it day and night until in this way or in that he compassed itsdestruction. 

To these messages Sihamba would reply as occasion offered, that if hewanted anything from the Umpondwana he had better come and take it. 

So things went on for a long while. Swart Piet's men did them no greatharm indeed, but they harassed them continually, until the people ofthe Umpondwana began to murmur, for they could scarcely stir beyond theslopes of the mountain without being set upon. Happily for them theseslopes were wide, for otherwise they could not have found pasturage fortheir cattle or land upon which to grow their corn. So close a watch waskept upon them, indeed, that they could neither travel to visit othertribes, nor could these come to them, and thus it came about thatSuzanne was as utterly cut off from the rest of the world as though shehad been dead. She had but one hope to keep her heart alive, and it wasthat Ralph and Jan would learn of her fate through native rumours and beable to find her out. Still, as she knew that this could not be countedon, she tried to let us have tidings of her, for when she had been onlya week on the mountain Umpondwana she despatched Zinti and two men tobear him company, with orders to travel back over all the hundreds ofmiles of veldt to the far-off stead in the Transkei. 

As she had neither pen nor ink, nor anything with which she could write, Suzanne was obliged to trust a long message to Zinti's memory, makinghim repeat it to her until she was sure that he had it by heart. In thismessage she told all that had befallen her, and prayed us to take Zintifor a guide and to come to her rescue, since she did not dare to setfoot outside the walls of rock, for fear that she should be captured byVan Vooren, who watched for her continually. 

Zinti, being brave and faithful, started upon his errand, though it wasone from which many would have shrunk. But as ill-luck would have it, one night when they were camped near the kraal of a small Basuto tribe, his companions becoming hungry, stole a goat and killed it. Zinti ate ofthe goat, for they told him that they had bought it for some beads, andwhile they were still eating the Basutos came upon them and caught themred-handed. Next day they were tried by the councillors of the tribe andcondemned to die as thieves, but the chief, who wanted servants, sparedtheir lives and set them to labour in his gardens, where they werewatched day and night. 

Zinti was a prisoner among these Basutos for nearly a year, but atlength he made his escape, leaving his two companions behind, for theywere afraid lest if they ran away with him they should be recaptured andkilled. As soon as he was free Zinti continued his journey, for he wasa man not easily turned from his purpose, nor because it was now over ayear old did he cease from his attempt to deliver the message that hadbeen set in his mouth. 

Well, after many dangers, footsore and worn-out with travelling, atlength he reached the stead, to find that we had all gone, none knewwhither, and that the long-nosed cheat to whom we had sold the farmruled in our place. Zinti sought out some Kaffirs who lived upon theland, and abode with them awhile till he was rested and strong again. Then once more he turned his face northward towards the mountainUmpondwana, for though he greatly feared the journey, he knew that theheart of Suzanne would be sick for news. War raged in the country thathe must pass, and food was scarce; still at length he won through, although at the last he was nearly captured by Black Piet's thieves, andone year and nine months after he had left it, a worn and weary figure, he limped up the red rock path of Umpondwana. 

Suzanne had been watching for him. It seems strange to say it, but aftersix months had gone by, which time at the best must be given to hisjourney, she watched for him every day. On the top of the highest andmost precipitous cliff of the mountain fortress of Umpondwana was alittle knoll of rock curiously hollowed out to the shape of a chair, difficult to gain and dizzy to sit in, for beneath it was a sheer fallof five hundred feet, which chair-rock commanded the plain southward, and the pass where Van Vooren had spoken to Suzanne from hishiding-place among the stones. By this pass and across this plain helpmust reach her if it came at all, or so she thought; therefore in thateagle's eyrie of a seat Suzanne sat day by day watching ever for thosewho did not come. A strange sight she must have been, for now long agosuch garments as she had were worn to rags, so that she was forced toclothe herself in beautiful skins fashioned to her fancy, and to gosandal-footed, her lovely rippling hair hanging about her. 

At length one day from her lonely point of outlook she saw a solitaryman limping across the plain, a mere black speck dragging itself forwardlike a wounded fly upon a wall. Descending from her seat she sought outSihamba. 

"Swallow, " said the little woman, "there is tidings in your eyes. Whatis it?"

"Zinti returns, " she answered, "I have seen him from far away. "

Now Sihamba smiled, for she thought Zinti lost; also she did not believeit possible that Sihamba could have recognized him from such a distance. Still before two hours were over Zinti came, gaunt and footsore, buthealthy and unharmed, and sitting down before Suzanne in her privateenclosure, began at the very beginning of his long story, after thenative fashion, telling of those things which had befallen him upon theday when he left the mountain nearly two years before. 

"Your news? Your news?" said Suzanne. 

"Lady, I am telling it, " he answered. 

"Fool!" exclaimed Sihamba. "Say now, did you find the Baas Kenzie andthe Baas Botmar?"

"No, indeed, " he replied, "for they were gone. "

"Gone where? Were they alive and well?"

"Yes, yes, they were alive and well, but all the Boers in those partshave trekked, and they trekked also, believing the lady Swallow to bedead. "

"This is a bitter cup to drink, " murmured Suzanne, "yet there is somesweetness in it, for at least my husband lives. "

Then Zinti set out all his story, and Suzanne listened to it in silence, praising him much and thanking him when he had done. But after thatday her heart failed her, and she seemed to give up hope. Ralph hadvanished, and we, her parents, had vanished, and she was left alone aprisoner among a little Kaffir tribe, at the foot of whose strongholdher bitter enemy waited to destroy her. Never was white woman in amore dreadful or more solitary state, and had it not been for Sihamba'stender friendship she felt that she must have died. 

Now also Swart Piet grew bolder, appearing even on the slopes of themountain where his men harried and stole. He did more than this even, for one morning just before dawn he attacked the pass leading to thestronghold so secretly and with such skill that his force was halfwayup it before the sentries discovered them. Then they were seen, and thewar-horns blew, and there followed a great fight. Indeed, had it notbeen for a lucky chance, it is doubtful how that fight would have ended, for his onslaught was fierce, and the Umpondwana, who at the best werenot the bravest of warriors, were taken by surprise. 

It will be remembered that Zinti had brought Ralph's gun with him whenfirst they fled north, and this gun he still had, together with a littlepowder and ball, for, fearing lest it should be stolen from him, he hadnot taken it on his great journey to the Transkei and back. Now, hearingthe tumult, he ran out with it, and fired point blank at the stormers, who were pushing their way up the narrow path, driving the Umpondwanabefore them. The _roar_ was loaded with slugs, which, scattering, killedthree men; moreover, by good fortune, one of the slugs struck Van Voorenhimself through the fleshy part of the thigh, causing him to fall, whereon, thinking him mortally wounded, in spite of his curses andcommands, his followers lost heart and fled, bearing him with them. Sihamba called upon her people to follow, but they would not, for theyfeared to meet Swart Piet in the open. 

In truth they began to weary of this constant war, which was broughtupon them through no fault or quarrel of their own, and to ask wherewas that good luck which the White Swallow had promised them. Had itnot been that they loved Suzanne for her beauty and her gentle ways, andthat Sihamba, by her cleverness and good rule, had mastered their minds, there is little doubt indeed but that they would have asked Suzanne todepart from among them. 

On the day following the attack Sihamba learned that Swart Piet layvery sick, having lost much blood, and sought to persuade her peopleto attack him in turn, and make an end of him and his robbers. Butthey would not, and so the council broke up, but not before Sihamba hadspoken bitter words, telling them that they were cowards, and would meetthe end of cowards, whereat they went away sullenly. Afterwards theylearned through their spies that Van Vooren had gone to Zululand tovisit the King Dingaan, which Sihamba thought evil tidings, for shescented fresh danger in this journey, and not without reason. But toSuzanne she said nothing. 

Two more months went by peacefully, when one morning a herd who wastending the cattle that belonged to Suzanne and Sihamba, sought audienceof the chieftainess. 

"What is it?" asked Sihamba, for she saw by the man's face thatsomething strange had happened. 

"This, lady, " he answered. "When I went down to the kloof at dawn, whereyour cattle and those of the Lady Swallow are kraaled, I found amongthem strange oxen to the number of more than a hundred. They arebeautiful oxen, such as I have never seen, for every one of them is purewhite--white from the muzzle to the tail, and I cannot understand howthey came among your cattle, for the mouth of the kraal was closed asusual last night; moreover, I found it closed this morning. "

When Sihamba heard this she turned cold to the heart, for she knewwell that these spotless white cattle must come from the royal herd ofDingaan, king of the Zulus, since none other were known like them in allthe land. Also she was sure that Swart Piet had stolen them and placedthem among her cattle so as to bring down upon her and her tribe theterrible wrath of Dingaan, for she remembered that this mingling ofcattle was a trick which he had played before. But to the herd she saidonly that doubtless they were cattle which had strayed, and that shewould make enquiry as to their owner. Then she dismissed him, biddinghim to keep a better watch in future. 

Scarcely had he gone when another man appeared saying that he had met aKaffir from beyond the mountains, who told him that a party of white menwith women and children had crossed the Quathlamba range by what is nowknown as Bezuidenhout's Pass, and were camped near the Tugela River. This was strange news to Sihamba, who had heard nothing of thewhereabouts of the Trek Boers, so strange that she would not speak ofit to Suzanne, fearing lest it should fill her with false hopes. But shesent for Zinti, and bade him cross the Quathlamba by a little-used passthat was known to her near the place where the Tugela takes its rise, and which to-day is called Mont aux Sources, and following the riverdown, to find out whether or no it was true that white men were encampedupon its banks. When he had done this he was to return as swiftly aspossible with whatever information he could gather. 

This task Zinti undertook gladly, for he loved following a spoor, whichwas a gift that Nature had given him; also he was weary of being coopedup like a fatting fowl upon the mountain Umpondwana. 

When Zinti had gone Sihamba summoned other messengers, and commandedthem to travel swiftly to the kraal Umgungundlhovo, bearing her homageto Dingaan, king of the Amazulus, and asking whether he had lost any ofthe cattle from his royal herds, since certain white oxen had been foundamong her beasts, though how they came there she could not tell. Thesemen went also, though in fear and trembling, since in those days noneloved to approach the Lion of the Zulu with tales of cattle of his thathad strayed among their herd. Still they went, and with doubt in herheart Sihamba sat awaiting their return. 

CHAPTER XXVIII

THE COMING OF THE IMPI

Sihamba had not very long to wait, for on the evening of the fifthday from the starting of the messengers they came back at great speed, having run so fast that they could scarcely speak for want of breath, and telling her that a Zulu impi, numbering more than three thousandspears, was advancing upon the Umpondwana to destroy them. It seemedthat long before the king's oxen had been found mixed with her herd ithad been reported to Dingaan that Sihamba had stolen them, which was notaltogether strange, seeing that Swart Piet travelled with the impi. Asshe suspected, he had caused the oxen to be stolen, and now he had fixedthe deed upon her, knowing well that Dingaan only sought a pretext todestroy her tribe, with which the Zulus had an ancient quarrel. 

Now there was but one thing to be done--to make ready their defence, so, without more ado, Sihamba summoned her council and told them that a Zuluimpi was at hand to eat them up because of the white cattle that hadbeen placed among the herds. Then the councillors wrung their hands, andsome of them shed tears even, although they were aged men, for the nameof the Zulus struck terror to their hearts, and they expected nothingless than death for themselves, their wives, and their children. 

"It is best that we should fly while there is yet time, " said thecaptain of the council. 

"There is no time, " answered Sihamba; "the impi will be here by dawn andwill cut you up upon the plain. "

"What then shall we do?" they asked; "we who are already dead. "

"Do?" she cried. "You shall fight as your fathers fought before you, andbeat back these dogs of Dingaan. If you will but be brave, what have youto fear from them? You have water, you have food, you have spears, andeven the Zulus have not wings like eagles with which to fly over yourwalls of cliff. Let them come, and if you will but obey me, I promiseyou that they shall return again to make report to the 'Elephant' manyfewer than they left his kraal. "

So the Umpondwana made ready to fight, not because they loved it, butbecause they must, for they knew that no humbleness would help them inface of the spears of Dingaan. The cattle were driven into the centrekraal, and great supplies of grass and green corn were cut to feed them. Except for one manhole the pass leading to the top of the mountain wasclosed, and the schanzes, or walls, which protected the mouth of theriver that welled from the hillside between the eastern ridges werestrengthened and garrisoned. Here, as Sihamba knew, was their weakplace, for this river flowed out beneath the impregnable precipices ofrock, and to it they must look for their main supply of water, since, although the spring upon the tableland, if husbanded, would suffice fora supply to the tribe, it was not sufficient for the cattle. It was forthis reason that Sihamba wished to turn the kine loose and let the Zuluscapture them if they would, for she knew that then they could never takethe mountain or harm a hair of the head of one of its inhabitants. Butthe Umpondwana were greedy, and would not consent to the loss of theircattle, forgetting that cattle are of no value to dead men. They saidthat they could very well defend the schanzes which surrounded thesource of the river, and that from it sufficient water could be carriedto keep the beasts alive, even if the siege were long. 

"As you will, " answered Sihamba shortly, "but see that you do defendthem when the Zulu warriors leap upon the walls, for if you fail thenyou will lose cattle and life together. "

All this time, according to her daily custom, Suzanne had been seatedin her chair of rock upon the highest point of the precipice looking forthat help which never came. Presently, as she watched with sad eyes, faraway upon the plain she saw a cloud of dust in which moved and shonethe sheen of spears. Now she climbed down from her seat, and ran to seekSihamba, whom she found surrounded by her councillors. 

"What is it, Swallow?" asked the little chieftainess looking up, thoughalready she had guessed the answer. 

Suzanne told her, adding, "Who can it be that travels towards themountain with so great a force?"

"Lady Swallow, " said Sihamba gravely, "it is an army of the Zulus sentby Dingaan to destroy us, and with them marches Bull-Head. " And she toldher of the trick of the cattle and of what the messengers had seen. 

Suzanne heard, and her face grew white as the goatskin cloak she wore. 

"Then at last the long story is at an end, " she faltered, for she knewthe terrible prowess of the Zulus, and how none could stand before theironslaught. 

"Yes, of that impi there is an end, " answered Sihamba proudly, "if thesechildren of mine will but take heart and fight as their fathers fought. Fear not, Lady Swallow, nothing that has not wings can storm themountain of Umpondwana. "

But for all that she could say Suzanne still felt much afraid, which wasnot strange, for she knew that the heart was out of these soldiersof Sihamba, and knew, moreover, that a Zulu army did not dare to bedefeated, for which reason it must either take the mountain or fighttill it was destroyed. 

Now all was confusion; the horns blew and women wailed, while thecaptains of the Umpondwana issued their commands, and the men piled upstones upon the brink of the precipice to roll down upon the foe, anddrove the herds of cattle into the great kraal upon the tableland. 

Marching quickly, the impi drew near and the defenders could see thatit numbered about four thousand spears and was composed of two separateregiments. At a distance of a mile it halted and throwing out horns orwings surrounded the mountain, up the slopes of which it advanced in athin circle, much as beaters do who are driving game to a certain point. As the circle drew nearer to the cliffs, it thickened, having lessground to cover, though still there was a gap here and there. 

Presently those who were watching saw a man dart through one of thesegaps and run up hill at great speed, followed by Zulu soldiers, whotried to kill him. But he was the swifter of foot, moreover he knew thepath, so that before they could come up with him he reached the greatstone walls which were built about the source of the river, and wasdragged over them by the defenders. 

A while later this man appeared upon the top of the mountain and provedto be none other than Zinti, who had returned from his errand, and, having news to tell, risked his life to pass through the impi beforethe stronghold was altogether surrounded. Sihamba received him at once, Suzanne standing at her side, and bade him be brief for she had littletime to listen to long stories. 

"I will be brief, " Zinti answered. "Lady, as you bade me I crossed themountains by the road of which you told me. It is a good road for men onfoot or horseback, but waggons could not travel it. Having reachedthe plain on the further side I followed the bank of the river, tillsuddenly I came in sight of thirty waggons drawn up in a laager upon aknoll of ground, and among the waggons I saw Boers with their wives andchildren. I tried to go up to speak to them, but a young Boer, seeingme, shot at me with his gun, so I thought it safer to lie hid. Atnightfall, however, I met the driver of one of the waggons, a Kaffirman, at some distance from the laager, where he was watching by a pitmade to catch bucks, and fell into talk with him. He told me that thiswas a party of the Boers who had trekked from Cape Colony, and weretaking possession of Natal, and that there were other such partiesscattered about the country. He said that in this party there werefive-and-twenty men with women and children, but he did not know thenames of any of them. Also he told me that he meant to run away, as heheard that Dingaan was going to attack the white people, and was surethat if he did so they would be eaten up, for these Boers, thinkingthemselves quite safe, had grown very careless, and neither made theirlaager as strong as it should be nor set any watch at night. Havinglearned this I returned at once to make report to you, nor did I cometoo quickly, for the Zulus nearly caught me as I passed their ranks. I saw Bull-Head as I ran; he is riding a brown horse, and seems quiterecovered from his wound. "

"How far is the Boer laager from this place?" asked Sihamba beforeSuzanne could speak. 

"Lady, a man on a good horse could reach it in seven hours, nor is itpossible to mistake the way. After crossing the plain you enter thegorge by the saw-edged rock yonder, and follow its windings across themountains till you come out the other side, where the river runs down tothe flat country. Then you can keep along the bank of the river as I didwhen I went, or if you wish to go more quickly you must head for a largewhite-topped hill, or koppie, which can be seen from the mountains, andwhen you come to it you will find the Boer laager upon the knoll at itsfoot, but near to the banks of the river, which winds round it. "

"Oh! let us go; let us go quickly, " said Suzanne springing to her feet, for the thought even of seeing a white man again made her drunk withhope. 

"Alas! sister, " answered Sihamba sadly, "an hour ago we might have gone, or rather you might have gone, mounted on the great _schimmel_, butnow--look, " and she pointed to where the Zulus clustered like bees alongthe banks of the river by which the path ran. "See, " she added, "thereis but one road out of this stronghold, for nowhere else can thesurest-footed climber in the world descend its cliffs, no, not with arope to help him, and that road is thick with Zulu spears; moreover, acertain man whom you do not wish to see waits for you upon it. "

Suzanne looked. "Too late, " she moaned. "Oh! surely my God has forsakenme! Within six hours of safety and doomed to perish here; oh! surely myGod has forsaken me!" and she burst out weeping in the bitterness of herdisappointed hope. 

"Say not so, " answered Sihamba gently, "for I think that the Great onewhom you worship will save you yet. "

As she spoke a messenger arrived saying that the Zulus had sent forwardheralds who desired to speak with her, and that these heralds waitedwithin earshot of the first wall. 

"I will come, " said Sihamba, and she passed down the cleft and throughthe man hole into the fortifications which were built about the sourceof the river. But she would not allow Suzanne to accompany her. 

When she reached the outer wall she climbed it and stood upon it, forSihamba was a woman who knew no fear, and there, about forty paces away, she saw three great Zulus standing, and with them him whom she dreadedmore than all the Zulus on the earth--Piet Van Vooren himself. When theZulu captains caught sight of her upon the wall, they jeered aloud andasked whether this was indeed Sihamba Ngenyanga, or if a she-monkey hadbeen sent to talk with them. 

"I am Sihamba, " she answered quietly, "or I am a monkey, as it mayplease you, though the white man with you can tell you what I am. "

"I can, " said Piet with a laugh. "You are a witch and a thief, and thefate that I promised you long ago is with you at last. "

"Murderer, " mocked Sihamba in answer, "I see Death standing behind you, and with him shadows of the Fear to come. But I would speak with thesechiefs and not with an outcast half-breed. Tell me, chiefs, why do youcome up against my stronghold with so great a force?"

"Because that 'Elephant whose tread shakes the earth, ' our master, Dingaan the king, has sent us, " answered the spokesman of the captains. 

"Say, now, on what errand, chief?"

"On this errand; to take your stronghold and cattle, to burn your kraal, and to kill your people, all of them save the marriageable girls andsuch children as are old enough to travel, who must be brought with thecattle to Dingaan. But you yourself and the white woman who is calledSwallow who rules with you are to be handed over to Bull-Head here to dowith as he will, for that is the bargain between him and the king. "

"And why are these things to come upon us who have done no wrong?" askedSihamba. 

"Why, little woman!" answered the chief, "because you have dared tosteal cattle from the king's herd, even the royal white cattle; yes, andthey have been traced to your mountain and seen among your oxen. "

"It is true that the cattle are here, " said Sihamba, "but it is not truethat we have stolen them, seeing that they were lifted by the white man, Bull-Head, and mixed up with our herds to bring us into trouble with theking. "

"A fit tale for the king's ears, " replied the captain, laughing. "Why itwas Bull-Head who told the king of the theft; but let that pass. Dingaanthe king is merciful, and he makes you this offer through my mouth: Ifyou will return the cattle together with all your own by way of fine, and hand over your councillors and head men to be killed, then he willgrant the rest their lives. But all the young men and the girls mustcome with me to pass into the service of the king, the married womenand the children going where they will. Perhaps Bull-Head here willtake them with yourself and White Swallow. What is your word, littlechieftainess?"

"My word is that we will have none of such mercy. It is better that weshould die together, but I tell you, men of Dingaan, that these rockswill be white with your bones before ever you drive our cattle andmaidens back to Dingaan. "

"As you will, little chieftainess. We captains of the Zulus have heardmany such proud words in our time, but ah! where are those who spokethem? Ask the jackals and the vultures, little chieftainess. "

CHAPTER XXIX

THIRST

When Sihamba finished her talk with the captains of Dingaan the sunwas already sinking. Still the Umpondwana thought that the Zulus wouldattack at once, but these shouted to the defenders that they might resteasily till the dawn, since they wished to have daylight by which todivide the spoil. And at daylight the attack came. Driving the men ofBull-Head in front of them much against their will, for they knew theseto be cowards, and wished to make mock of them, company by company theZulus rushed at the stone wall, though many of them were killed andoften they were driven back. But always they came on laughing andshouting their war-cry till the arms of the Umpondwana grew weary withstabbing at them as their plumed heads appeared above the level of thewall. Still, fighting under the eye of Sihamba, whose bitter tonguethey feared, her people held their own, for indeed the place was almostimpregnable to the attacks of men armed only with spears however bravethey might be, and had it been defended by warriors of true Zulu bloodit could never have been taken. 

When the fight had raged for an hour or more the Zulu captains withdrewtheir men, and went apart to consult with Van Vooren, for their loss washeavy, and they saw that if they were to capture the head waters of theriver they must seek some other plan. Very soon they found it. The riverissued from the side of the mountain not as a little stream but as abroad fierce water. So deep and rapid was it that the triple line ofdefence works of the Umpondwana were built only to its edge, for thewater ran through a rocky gorge, although thorn trees fastened by theirtrunks were thrust out for ten or twelve feet over the banks of thegorge from either side of the stream. Now, in the centre of this river, which may have been thirty paces wide, was a long ridge or saddle ofrock over which the water boiled furiously, although here it was notmore than three feet deep. This ridge began at a point within the lastline of walls and ran down to some five-and-twenty paces below the firstwall. Swart Piet had noted the ridge. 

"There is a saddle on which you may ride to victory, " he said. 

"How so, Bull-Head?" asked the captain. 

"Thus. Yonder stand trees with tall stems and green tops; cut them downand make a bridge from the bank to the saddle; then wade up the saddlewhere the water is not more than waist deep, till you are past the thirdwall and reach the bank inside it as best you can. "

Now although he was a brave man, as were all the Zulus in those days, the captain looked long and doubtfully at the white water which foamedupon the ridge. 

"There is death in that water, " he said. 

"Death for some and victory for others, " answered Van Vooren, "but ifyou fear it, go back to Dingaan and tell him so, for in no other way canthis mountain be taken, seeing that it is impregnable, and that thirstalone can conquer it. "

"I fear nothing, white man, " answered the Zulu, "but if you are sobrave, why, show us black people the way along yonder ridge!"

Piet shrugged his shoulders. "I wish to keep alive for reasons of myown; besides, I am not a soldier of Dingaan, " he answered. 

Then the captain turned and commanded such men as had battle axes to cutdown three of the longest trees, which they did, although the task wasdifficult, for the wood was hard and their axes were light. When atlength the trees were down they rolled them uphill to a spot where theridge of rock ended, which was not more than thirty paces from the faceof the outer wall. Now it was that Sihamba guessed their purpose for thefirst time, for until then she had believed that they were cutting thetrees to use them as battering rams against the walls. 

"They are coming on us by the path of the river, " she said, and calledfor men to sally out and prevent them making the bridge from the bank tothe saddle. But none answered her, for they dared not face the Zulus inthe open. 

"The water will sweep them away, " they said; "moreover, when they try toland we can spear them. "

"Cowards, " she moaned, "on your own heads be your doom. "

So the Umpondwana contented themselves with standing behind the firstwall and casting volleys of spears at those who thrust out the treeswithin thirty paces of them, while Zinti shot at them with his gun, killing several. But coming between, the Zulus made a shield hedge toprotect their comrades, so that the light throwing assegais did littlehurt, and of the few that the gun killed they thought nothing. 

Presently the ends of the trees lay beneath the water on the ridgeof rock, and the captain commanded a certain _induna_ to lead his menacross. Now all natives fear a wet death, and though he was a brave manwho would gladly have rushed the fortifications alone had he been socommanded, this soldier to whom the captain spoke looked askance at thefurious torrent and hesitated. But that captain had served under Chaka, and knew how to deal with those who showed doubt or fear. Lifting hisheavy assegai, he drove it through the man, so that he fell dead, and ashe smote cried, "Coward, take this gift from the king!"

Then, calling to the soldiers, he himself ran out upon the bridge oftree-trunks and leaped into the water that rose to his middle. In aninstant he would have been swept away, for the current was very fierce, had not those who followed sprang down at his side and behind him. Fora moment they managed to keep their feet till others came, giving themsupport and being themselves protected by a breakwater built of the menwho had gone first. Then, forming in a double line, each man linkedhis arms round the middle of his comrade in front, as Kaffir girlslink themselves in a dance, and very slowly this human chain began tostruggle forward along the back of the ridge. At times, indeed, theweight of the stream was almost too much for them, and swept some ofthem off into the deep water which ran on either side, but the strongrope of human muscles held, and they were dragged back again. Now theywere between the lip of the first walls, and the Umpondwana soldiershurled spears at them from the banks, killing many. But if a man wasslain, or even badly wounded, his companions who held him let go, and, if needful, thrust him into the water, who could no longer serve theking. Then he gripped the soldier who stood in front of the lost one, and the chain dragged on. 

"Oh! men of the Umpondwana, " cried Sihamba, "had you but half the heartof these, who are brave, we need fear nothing from Dingaan, " and theZulus in the stream who heard her called in answer:--

"You are right, little chieftainess, we are brave. "

Slowly the black snake-like line pressed forward through the white foam, never heeding the storm of spears that slew continually, till the pointof it was well within the third line of walls. Then the captain, who bysome chance had escaped, called an order to those behind him, and thehead of the double line leapt off the ridge of rock into deep water, andswimming with their feet, but still gripping with their hands, sufferedthemselves to be swung round by the current towards the bank, twentyyards away. Here some rocks jutted out, and these, after a greatstruggle, they were able to grasp and hold. 

Then followed what Suzanne, who was watching from above, afterwardsdeclared to be the strangest sight she had ever seen, for these men, whoswung to and fro in the current, anchored, as it were, to the ridge andthe bank, made of their living bodies a bridge for their fellows. Yes, their companions ran and crawled over them, springing from shoulder toshoulder, and driving their heads beneath the water with the push oftheir clinging feet. Half-drowned and almost torn in two as they were, still they held on till enough men were safe on shore to finish thefray. For when the Umpondwana saw that the Zulus had won the bank theydid not stay to kill them while they landed, as might easily have beendone; no, dragging Sihamba with them, they ran into the gorge leading tothe flat top of the mountain, and blocked it with great stones that wereready. And so it came about that the Zulus won this fight, though withgreat loss to themselves, and cut off the Umpondwana from their mainsupply of water. 

But though they had won the fight they had not won the mountain. Afterresting a while they began the work of storming the narrow gorge thatled upwards to the tableland, for this gorge was its only gate, andat first were suffered to pull down or climb over the walls which werebuilt across it with but little resistance. Soon, however, they foundout the reason of this, for when a number of them were in the gorgestones began to roll upon them from the edges of the cliffs above, crushing the life out of many, so that presently they were driven backto the head of the river. Afterwards they searched long and earnestlybut could find no other path by which to attack, for there was none. 

"Well, " said the Zulu captain, "it seems that we must fight the fight of'sit-down, ' and since these rock-rabbits will not let us come to them wemust wait till they come to us to ask for water. "

So they waited for seven whole days, setting guards about the mountainin case there should be secret ways of egress of which they knewnothing. 

When they reached the tableland Sihamba spoke words so bitter to hercouncillors and captains that some of them stopped their ears that theymight hear no more, while others answered that they could do nothingagainst men who walked upon the boiling waters. 

"Now, indeed, you can do nothing against them, " Sihamba cried, "forThirst will fight for them, and he is the best of friends. Because ofyour cowardice we must perish, everyone of us, and for my part I shouldbe glad of it were it not that you have given the Lady Swallow to deathalso. "

Then she buried her face in the ground and would say no more, even whenthey told her that the Zulus had been beaten back by the rocks that wererolled down upon them. 

For some days the little spring gave enough water for the thousands ofpeople who were crowded upon the mountain top, though there was noneto spare for the cattle. But on the third night the poor beasts beingmaddened by thirst, broke out of the kraal and rushing to the spring, so trampled it with their hoofs that its waters were sealed up, and onlyvery little could be obtained even by digging, for here the rock camenear to the surface of the soil, and it would seem as though the courseof the spring was turned or choked beneath it. 

Then all those upon that mountain began to suffer the horrors of thirst. Soon the cattle were altogether mad and rushing to and fro in herds, bellowing furiously and goring everyone they met, or trampling them tothe earth. Now the Umpondwana strove to be rid of them by driving themdown the gorge, but the Zulus, guessing the trouble that the presenceof these beasts was bringing upon the besieged would not suffer them topass. Next they attempted to force them over the edge of the precipice, but when they were driven to it the oxen turned and charged throughthem, killing several men. After this they contented themselves withstabbing the most dangerous of the animals, and leaving the rest to rushto and fro as they would, for they did not care to kill them all lesttheir carcasses should breed a pestilence. 

The sixth day came, and, oh! the great kraal of the Umpondwana was butas a hell wherein lost souls wandered in torment, for the sun beat downupon it fiercely and everywhere roamed or lay men, women and childrenovercome with the torture of thirst; indeed, of the last, some werealready dead, especially those who were at the breast, for theirmothers' milk was dry. Here three men had dragged an old wife from herhut, and were beating her to make her reveal the store of water whichshe was believed to have hidden; there others were cutting the throatof an ox that they might drink its blood, and yonder a little girlwas turning stones to lick the damp side of them with her poor parchedtongue. 

In the midst of these scenes which passed outside her hut, sat Sihambabrooding. As chieftainess she still had about a pint of water storedin a jar, but though she had made Suzanne drink, herself she drank butlittle, for she would not consent to suffer less than those about her. 

Now Sihamba's eyes fell upon the child who was licking stones, and herheart was wrung with pity. Going into the hut she fetched most of thewater in a gourd, and calling to the child, who staggered towards her, for she could scarcely walk, she gave it to her, bidding her drinkslowly. 

In a moment it was gone, every drop of it, and, behold! the dim eyesbrightened, and the shrunken limbs seemed to grow round again, while theyoung voice, no longer high and cracked, praised and blessed her name. Sihamba motioned the child away, then she went into the hut to weep, only weep she could not, since her eyes were too dry for tears. 

"Three more days, " she thought to herself, "and they will all bedead unless rain should fall. Yes, the cowards, and those whom theircowardice has betrayed will all be dead together. "

As she thought thus, Suzanne entered the hut, and there was tidings inher eyes. 

"What is it, sister, " asked Sihamba, "and whence do you come?"

"I come from the high seat upon the edge of the cliff, " she answered, "where I have sat all day, for I can no longer bear these sights, and Ihave this to tell, that the Zulus are marching across the plain, but nottowards Zululand, since they head for the Quathlamba Mountains. "

CHAPTER XXX

SIHAMBA PREVAILS

Now a fire of hope shot up in Sihamba's eyes, but soon it died outagain. 

"It is a trick, it must be a trick, " she said, "for who ever heard of aZulu loosing the prey that was in his hand? Never dare he do it saveby the command of the king, " and she left the hut to be met by othersrunning with the same tidings. Of these she sent some down the gorgeto bring her report of what had happened, and with them Zinti, for shecould not altogether trust the word of her own people. 

Within an hour the messengers returned, and on their faces was a strangelook which, clever as she was, Sihamba did not understand. 

"Is the path clear?" she asked. 

"No, chieftainess, " they replied, "it is still blocked, for thoughthe Zulus have gone we know not where by order received from Dingaan, Bull-Head holds it with such of his own men as are left alive. "

"Had you speech with the white man?" she asked. 

"Yes, lady. "

"Say on. "

Now they looked about them like people who are ashamed, but at last theoldest of them spoke. 

"Chieftainess, " he said, "Bull-Head made us this offer and in thesewords: 'You people of the Umpondwana, you are dying of thirst and I knowit; yes, though the Zulus have gone and but few of us are left here, yetyou cannot force the narrow way against us, so that I have only to sithere for a few days longer and you will be dead of thirst, everyone ofyou, you and your cattle together. But I do not wish that you shoulddie, for with you I have no quarrel; also if you die one will perishamong you whom I desire to keep alive. Therefore I make you this offer. Hand over to me your ruler, Sihamba Ngenyanga, and with her the whitewoman named Swallow, and you yourselves shall go free, everyone of you;more, although I will take this stronghold of yours to live in myself, Iwill give back to you the half of the cattle. Now, answer. '

"Lady, when he had finished speaking we consulted together and answeredBull-Head thus: 'We cannot give over to you our chieftainess and herwhite sister, for it is better to die than that such dishonour shouldlie upon our names. But if you will let us go, you can take them fromamong our number as we pass before you, for that will be no fault ofours, or if they do not choose to accompany us, after we have gone byyou can ascend the mountain and take them. '

"To this Bull-Head assented, saying, 'Set the Lady Swallow in her chairupon the cliff edge and Sihamba at her side so that my eyes seeing themmay know that they are safe, and you shall go. ' So it was agreed betweenus that to-morrow at the dawn he will open the wall and let us down tothe river to drink, after which we may pass whither we will. "

Now when Sihamba heard these shameful words her rage was so great thatfor a while she could not even speak. At length she found her tongue andgasped out:

"Oh! father of cowards, do you dare to sing such a song in my ears? Whydo not you, who are many, storm the pass and take the water?"

"Lady, " answered the old man coldly, "we dare because we must, forhonour cannot live before the assegai of thirst. You talk to us ofstorming the pass; we cannot storm it, for ten men can hold that placeagainst a hundred; also our arms are weak and we are weary of war. Listen; on the one hand are the lives of thousands, with them yourown and that of the White Swallow, and on the other this dishonour. Wechoose the dishonour, since if you and the Swallow do not desire to fallinto the hands of Bull-Head, you can still do what you must have donehad we chosen honour. Lady, you can die, knowing that by your death youhave saved the lives of the multitude over whom you rule. 

"Listen again, lady, we did not seek you, it was you who came back to usafter the death of the chief, your brother. We accepted you and youhave ruled us justly for these two years, but you wish to make of usa fighting people who are and who desire to remain a people of peace. Moreover, you promised that the white chieftainess, your companion, would bring us prosperity and good, whereas to us she has been a bird ofill-omen, for since she came here on her account there has been warand nothing but war. Yes, because of her we have been cooped up onthis mountain and killed whenever we ventured on to the plains beyond;therefore we will have no more of her, she must find her own fortune, for we have our lives and those of our wives and children to save. 

"Further, I say this: the news of the offer of Bull-Head has gone abroadamong the people, and had we refused they would have torn us limb fromlimb, yes, and you and the White Swallow also. Our hearts are sad, butlady, who can fight against fate?"

"I can, " answered Sihamba, "but have no fear; to-morrow at the dawn youshall see us sit out upon the cliff point; and now, father of cowards, begone, and let me see your face no more. Betray us if you will, you whowere not men enough to hold the water, you who are not men enough to cuta path to it as you might, and therefore must complete your cowardicewith treachery. Betray us if you will, but I tell you that you shall notgo free from this disgrace. The curse of Chaka shall fall upon you andthe blade of the spear shall be the inheritance of you who are afraid tograsp its shaft. Begone!" and withered by her words and the fire of hereyes, the spokesmen of the Umpondwana crept like beaten hounds from thepresence of their deserted chieftainess. 

Here I will stop the tale to say that this prophecy of Sihamba's cametrue, as did all the prophecies of that strange woman, who, with othergifts, without doubt had that of foresight. A few years later, whenPanda was king, and their wars with us Boers were ended, the Zulus, whonever forgot a quarrel, swooped down upon the Umpondwana unawares, andstorming the mountain by night, put all the men on it to the spear, andcarried away the women and children to Zululand, so that of this tribethere remains nothing but some crumbling walls and a name of shame. 

Now the sun had set upon that home of thirst, and all was silent in itsave for the sound of the hoofs of the galloping cattle as they rushedhither and thither, and the groaning of the women and children, whowandered about seeking grass to chew, for the sake of the night dampsthat gathered on it. Sihamba went into the great hut where she alwaysslept with Suzanne, whom she found seated upon a stool, wan-faced, andher eyes set wide with misery of mind and body. 

"What passes now?" asked Suzanne. 

The little woman came to her, and throwing her arms about her neck shekissed her, answering:

"Alas! sister, all things pass, and with them our lives, " and she toldher of the surrender of the Umpondwana and its terms. 

Suzanne listened in silence, for grief and despair had done their worstwith her, and her heart could hold no more pain. 

"So it is finished at last, " she said, when Sihamba had spoken, "andthis is the end of all our toil and strivings and of our long fightagainst fate. Yes, this is the end: that we must die, or at the least Imust die, for I will choose death rather than that Van Vooren shouldlay a finger upon me. Well, I should care little were it not that nowI believe my husband to be still alive, and it is hard to go before himinto yonder darkness, though I believe also that the darkness which wefear will prove such a happy light as does not shine upon this earth, "and she laid her head upon Sihamba's breast and they wept together. 

Presently Sihamba said, "My mind, that was wont to be so clear, isdarkened. Pray to your God, you who are of His people that He may sendlight upon it, so that I can think once more while there is yet time. Now we wander in the forest of despair, but never yet was there a forestso thick that it cannot be passed. Pray then that I may be given light, for your life hangs upon it. "

So Suzanne prayed, and presently, as she prayed, her weariness overcameher and she slept, and Sihamba slept also. When Sihamba awoke it waswithin an hour of midnight. A little lamp of oil burnt in the hut, andby the light of it she could see the white face of Suzanne lying at herside, and groaned in her bitterness to think that before the sun setagain that face must be whiter still, for she knew that the Swallow wasnot of the mind of the Umpondwana, who preferred dishonour to death. "Oh! that my wisdom might come back to me, " she murmured. "Oh!Great-Great, God of my sister, give me back my wisdom and I will pay mylife for it. Oh! Lighter of the stars, for myself I ask nothing, who amnot of Thy children. Let eternal death be my portion, but give me backmy wisdom that I may save my sister who serves Thee. "

Thus prayed Sihamba out of the depth of her untutored heart, not forherself but for another, and it would seem that her prayer was heard;though many among our people think that God does not listen to the blackcreatures. At the least, as her eyes wandered around the hut, they fellupon certain jars of earthenware. Now during the years that she dweltamong the Umpondwana Suzanne had but two pastimes. One of them was tocarve wood with a knife, and the other to paint pictures upon jars, forwhich art she always had a taste, these jars being afterwards burnt inthe fire. For pigments she used certain clays or ochres, red and blackand white and yellow, which were found in abundance on the slopes ofthe mountain, and also a kind of ink that she made by boiling down thekernels of the fruit of the green-leaved tree which grew by the banks ofthe river. 

Now it was as she gazed at these jars of pigments and the brushes ofgoat's hair that the wisdom which she sought came to Sihamba; yes, in amoment it came to her, in a moment her plan was made, and she knew thatit would not fail. To-morrow at the dawn the Umpondwana, to the numberof several thousands, would pour through the pass on to the plainbeyond. Well, Suzanne should go with them, she should go _as a blackwoman!_ Already her hair and eyes were dark, and with those pigments hersnow-white flesh could be darkened also, and then in the crowd who wouldknow her from a Kaffir girl, she who could talk the language as thoughshe had been born a Kaffir. Stay! Bull-Head was artful and clever, andperhaps he might be ready for such a trick. How could she deceive him?

Again she looked at the jars, and again wisdom came to her. It wasthe habit of Suzanne to sit in her dizzy chair of rock and watch thesunrise, hoping ever that in the light of it she might see white menriding to rescue her, and this Van Vooren knew, for she could be seenfrom the mouth of the pass below, where from hour to hour he would standgazing at her five hundred feet above his head. 

Well, to-morrow at the dawn another white woman should be seated yonderto satisfy his eyes, or at least a woman who seemed to be white. On thecliff edge, not far from this very rock lay the body of a poor girl whothat day had died of thirst. If its face and arms and feet were paintedwhite, and Suzanne's cloak of white goat's hair were set upon itsshoulders, and the corpse itself placed upright in the chair, who, looking at it from hundreds of feet beneath, could guess that it was notSuzanne, and who, seeing it set aloft, would seek for Suzanne among thecrowd of escaping Kaffirs? The plan was good; it could scarcely fail, only time pressed. 

"Sister, awake, " whispered Sihamba. Suzanne sat up at once, for thesleep of the doomed is light. "Listen, sister, " went on Sihamba, "thatwisdom for which you prayed has come to me, " and she told her all theplan. 

"It is very clever, and it may serve, " answered Suzanne, "for Iunderstand these paints and can stain myself so that if my hair is cutnone would know me from a Kaffir. But, Sihamba, there is one thing whichI do not understand. What will you do? For if you attempt to escape yourstature will betray you. "

"I?" hesitated the little woman, "nay, I do not know, I have neverthought of it. Doubtless I shall win through in this way or in that. "

"You are deceiving me, Sihamba. Well, there is an end, I will not gowithout you. "

"Can you think of death and say that you will not go without me?"

"I can Sihamba. "

"Can you think of your father and your mother and say that you will notgo without me?"

"I can, Sihamba. "

"Can you think of your husband and say that you will not go without me?"

"I can, " faltered Suzanne. 

"Truly you are brave, " laughed the little woman. "There is more couragein that white heart of yours than in those of all the Umpondwana. Well, sister, I also am brave, or at the least for these many moons I have setmyself a task, nor will I shrink from it at the end, and that is to saveyou from Piet Van Vooren as once at a dearer price you saved me. Now, hearken, for myself I have no fear; as I have said, doubtless in thisway or in that I shall win through, but it cannot be at your side. Imust rejoin you afterwards. What, you refuse to go? Then, Lady Swallow, you send me down to death and your hands are red with my blood. I amweary, I will not live to see more trouble; life is hard and death iseasy. Finish your own battle, Swallow, and fly out your flight alone, "and drawing a knife from her girdle Sihamba laid it upon her knee. 

"Do you mean that you will kill yourself if I refuse your prayer?"

"Nothing less, sister, and at once, for I thirst, and would seek someland where there is water, or where we need none. It comes to this, then: if you consent I may live, if you refuse I must die. "

"I cannot do it, " moaned Suzanne. "Let us die together. "

Now Sihamba crept to her and whispered in her ear:

"Think of Ralph Kenzie and of what his life must be if you should die. Think of those children who will come, and of that first kiss of lovefound again which you must miss in death, whatever else it may have togive. Think of the knife's point that you would change for it, or thelast sick rush down a mountain height of space. Think of your husband. Hark! I hear him calling you. "

Then Suzanne yielded. 

"O woman with a noble heart, " she murmured, "I listen to your tempting;may God forgive me and God reward you, O woman with the noble heart. "

CHAPTER XXXI

SIHAMBA'S FAREWELL

Then they began the work, for much must be done before the daylightcame. First Sihamba took a sharp knife, and with it cut off Suzanne'sbeautiful hair close to the head, over which what was left of it curlednaturally. To disguise it further, for though it was dark it was toofine for the hair of a native, she put grease upon it and powderedit with the blue dust that Kaffir women use. This done, the poor girlstripped herself, and with the help of Sihamba smeared all her body, every inch of it down to the soles of her feet, with the ink-like juicemixed with the black earth and grease, which when it was dry made herthe colour of a Kaffir. Next Sihamba dressed her in a native woman'smoocha made of skin and beads, and gave her an old skin blanket to wearupon her shoulders and hide sandals for her feet, together with ankletsof beads and copper wire. Then having examined her all over to see thatno sign of her white skin could be seen through the pigments, and burnedthe long tresses of her hair, Sihamba went to the door of the hut. 

"Where are you going?" asked Suzanne. 

"To find Zinti, " she answered, "for now we must have his help. "

"No, no, " cried Suzanne, "I am ashamed to be seen thus by any man. "

"Wherefore, Swallow, seeing that for some days you are but a Kaffirwoman, and this is their dress, of which none think harm? Nay, you must, for remember that if you show doubt or shame, you will betray yourself. "

Then with a groan Suzanne yielded, and crouching upon the floor like anative, awaited the return of Sihamba. Presently she came, followed byZinti, who was in good case, though somewhat thin, for Zinti was cleverand provident, and, foreseeing what would come, he had hidden water forhimself among the rocks. 

"Zinti, " said Sihamba, "I would speak with you of secret matters. "

"Speak on, lady, " he answered--here his eyes fell upon Suzanne crouchedon the ground in the full light of the lamp--"but there is a strangerpresent. "

"This is no stranger, Zinti, " said Sihamba, "but one whom you knowwell. "

"Indeed, lady, I know her not. Should I forget one so beautiful? Andyet--and yet--" and he rubbed his eyes and stared, gasping, "it cannotbe. "

"Yes, it is, Zinti. There sits the lady Swallow and none other. "

Now although there was little mirth left in him, Zinti burst outlaughing till the tears ran from his eyes, and Sihamba struck him withher hands, calling him "Fool, " and commanding him to be silent. 

"Wow!" he said, "this is wonderful. This is magic indeed. She who waswhite as snow has become black as coal, and yes, she looks best black. Oh! this is magic indeed. "

At his words Suzanne sprang up looking as though she were about to weep, and Sihamba stopped his lips with fierce words and blows, though he tooksmall heed of either, but stood staring. 

"Zinti, " Sihamba said, "you have done me many services, but to-day youmust do me the greatest of all. This morning at the daylight the ladySwallow will pass with the multitude down the cleft yonder and none willknow her in that disguise. You must go with her, but not too near her, and cross the plain, meeting her by the saw-edged rock which standsyonder at the mouth of the gorge in the Quathlamba mountains. Then youmust lead her as fast as you can travel to that camp of the Boers whichis near the Tugela River, where she will be safe. Do you understand?"

"I understand, lady. But what of yourself?"

"It is my plan to hide on the mountain, " Sihamba answered quickly, "ina secret place I know of, seeing that it is impossible that I shouldescape because my stature would betray me. I will join you at the Boercamp later; or, failing that, you can return in a while--say on thefirst night of the new moon--to search for me. But talk no more, for wehave still much to do. Yes, we who have made a white woman black, mustmake a black woman white. Follow me, both of you, " and giving Zinti ajar of pigment and the long goat-skin cloak, which Suzanne wore for anouter garment, she left the hut, carrying in her hand strips of ox-hidetanned white. 

Avoiding the groups of thirst-tormented people who sat or wandered aboutin the coolness of the night, they passed through the gates of thekraal unheeded, and walking quickly across the wide stretch of tablelandreached the eastern edge of the cliff. Now upon the very verge of thiscliff rose a sharp pinnacle of rock fifty feet or more into the air, andupon the top of this pinnacle was that stone shaped like a great chair, in which Suzanne sat day by day, poised like an eagle over the dizzygulf of space, for the slopes of the mountain swelled five hundred feetbeneath, watching for the help that never came. Not far from the base ofthis point Sihamba began to search in the starlight till she foundwhat she wanted, the body of a young woman who had crept here to die ofthirst, and whose death and the place of it had been reported to her. 

Now she took the jar of white clay, and, aided by Zinti, set about herghastly task, daubing the stuff thickly upon the cold features and theneck and arms and feet. Soon it was done, for such work needed littlecare, but then began their true toil since the corpse must be carried upthe sharp point of rock, and that by no easy path. Had not Zinti been sostrong it could never have been done; still, with the aid of Suzanne andSihamba herself, at last it was finished. 

Up that steep place they toiled, the three of them, dragging the deadbody from knob to knob of rock, well knowing that one false step in thegloom would send them to be broken to pieces hundreds of feet beneath. At length they reached the little platform where there was scarcely roomfor all of them to stand with their burden, and climbing on to the stonewhich was called the Chair, Zinti drew the dead woman into the seat ofit. 

Then as Sihamba bade him he wrapped her in Suzanne's long white cape ofgoat-skin, putting the hood of it upon her head, after which he made thecorpse fast in a sitting posture, lashing it round the neck and middleto the back of the stone with the white tanned rimpis in such fashionthat it could not fall or even slip. 

"So, " said Sihamba grimly, "there sits the bridge upon whom Swart Pietcan feast his eyes while you seek safety across the mountains. Now backto the town, for from this height I can already see light glimmering inthe east. "

Accordingly they returned to the hut and entered it, leaving Zintiwithout, none noting them since by now the multitudes were throngingthe narrow way. Here Sihamba lit the lamp, and by its light once moreexamined Suzanne carefully, retouching the dye in this place and inthat, till she was sure that no gleam of white showed through it. 

"It is good, " she said at length; "unless you betray yourself, your skinwill not betray you. And now, lady Swallow, the hour has come for usto part, and I rejoice to think that some of the debt I owe you I haverepaid. Long ago I told you that very far away I should live to save youas you saved me, and I am sure that I have saved you; there is no doubtof it in my heart. Yes, yes, Swallow, I see you most happy in the loveof husband and of children, thinking of all these things as a far-offevil dream, as of a dream that never will return. What more do I desire?What more have I to ask?

"I say that I have repaid to you part of the debt I owe, but all of itI can never repay, for, Swallow, you have given me love which elsewherehas been denied to me. Others have parents and brothers and sisters andhusbands to love them; I have none of these. I have only you who are tome father and mother and sister and lover. 

"How then can I repay you who have taught this cold heart of mine tolove, and have deigned to love me in return? Oh! and the love will notdie; no, no, it will live on when all else is dead, for although I ambut a Kaffir doctoress, at times light shines upon my heart, and in thatlight I see many new things. Yes, yes, I see that this life of ours isbut a road, a weary road across the winter veldt, and this death but theblack gate of a garden of flowers----"

"Oh! why do you speak thus?" broke in Suzanne. "Is this then our lastfarewell, and does your wisdom tell you that we part to meet no more?"

"I know not, Swallow, " answered Sihamba hastily, "but if it should beso I care nothing, for I am sure that through all your days you will notforget me, and that when your days are done I shall meet you at thefoot of the death-bed. Nay, you must not weep. Now go swiftly, for it istime, and even in your husband's love be mindful always that a womancan love also; yes, though she be but a dwarfed Kaffir doctoress. Swallow--Sister Swallow, fare you well, " and, throwing herself uponher breast, Sihamba kissed her again and again. Then, with a strangestrength, she thrust her from the hut, calling to Zinti to take chargeof her and do as she had bidden him, adding that if he failed in thistask she would blast his body and haunt his spirit. 

Thus parted Sihamba, the Kaffir witch-doctoress, and my daughterSuzanne, whom she kept safe for nearly three years, and saved at last atthe cost of her own life. Yes, thus they parted, and for always in theflesh, since it was not fated that they should meet again in this world, and whether it has been permitted to Sihamba--being a Kaffir, and noChristian--to enter a better one is more than I can say. In her case, however, I hope that she has found some hole to creep through, foralthough she was a black witch-doctoress, according to her knowledge shewas a good woman and a brave one, as the reader will say also before hecomes to the end of this story. 

Outside the hut Zinti took Suzanne by the arm and led her through themazes of the town to the open ground that lay between it and the mouthof the steep cleft which ran down to the slopes of the mountain. 

All this space was crowded with people, for as yet they could not enterthe cleft, which nowhere was more than ten feet wide, because it wasfilled with cattle, some alive and some dead, that, drawn by the smellof water beneath, had gathered as near to it as the stone walls whichblocked the pass would allow. 

Suzanne and Zinti mingled with this crowd of fugitives, taking aposition almost in the midst of it, for they did not wish to pass outeither among the first or the last. There they waited a while, none noting them, for in their great agony of thirst all thought ofthemselves and not of their neighbours. Indeed, husbands deserted theirsick wives and mothers their children, which were too heavy to carry;yes, they deserted them to be trampled by the feet of men and the hoofsof cattle. 

Now, the eastern sky grew grey, and though the sun had not yet risen thelight was such that a man could see the veins upon the back of his handand the white moons on his finger-nails. Presently, as though moved byone impulse, thousands of voices uttered a hoarse cry of "It is dawn!Open, open!"

But it would seem that the wall still stood, for the cattle remainedpacked in so dense a mass that a man could have walked upon their backs, as, indeed, some tried to do. 

At last the sun rose, or rather its rays shot upwards across the easternskies like a fan of fire. Suzanne turned her head and watched tillpresently the arrows of light struck upon the tall chair rock which wasthe highest point of all the mountain. Yes, there in the chair sat thewhite figure and by its side stood what seemed to be a black child. Itwas Sihamba. Far below other eyes were watching also, the eyes of SwartPiet, for he would not let the people go until he knew that Suzanne andSihamba stayed behind. But now he saw them, Suzanne in her accustomedplace, and at her side Sihamba. 

"Pull down the walls, " he shouted to his men, for he was eager to clearthe pass of cattle and Kaffirs that he might go up it, and they obeyedhim. Before they were more than half down the oxen, pushing and leapingforward madly, cleared what was left of them and, open-mouthed, theirlolling tongues hanging from their dry jaws, rushed downward to thewater, goring or trampling to death some of those who worked at thewall. 

"The schanzes are down, " screamed the people, seeing the long line ofcattle move, and immediately they began to press forward also. 

At Suzanne's side was a young woman so weak with thirst that she couldscarcely walk, and on her back a year-old boy, insensible but living, for a red froth bubbled from his lips. A man thrust this woman to oneside and she fell; it was that aged councillor who on the yesterday hadbrought news of the surrender to Sihamba. She tried to struggle to herfeet but others trampled upon her. 

"Sister, sister!" she cried, catching Suzanne by the hide blanket whichshe wore, "I am dead, but oh! save my child. "

"Let it be, " whispered Zinti, but Suzanne could not deny those piteouseyes, and as she passed she snatched up the boy and the sling in whichhe was carried by the dying woman, setting the band of it beneath herown breast. So she went forward, bearing him upon her hip, nor did thatact of mercy lack its reward, for as shall be seen it was her salvation. Also the child lived, and to this day is a faithful servant in ourhouse, though now his beard is white. 

Down the narrow way surged the crowd, scrambling over rocks and deadcattle and crushed women and children, till at the last Suzannedrew near its opening, where stood Swart Piet and some twenty of hisfollowers, watching the multitude pass out. 

"Lady, " whispered Zinti into her ear, "now I fall behind, for Bull-Headmay know me. If I win through I will rejoin you on the plain, or by thesaw-edged rock; if I do not, throw away that child, and follow the roadof which I have told you, you can scarcely mistake it. Go on, showingno fear, and--stay, let that blanket hang open in front, it is not thecustom of these women to wear their garments wrapped so closely. "

Suzanne groaned, but she obeyed. 

CHAPTER XXXII

THE PASS OF THE QUATHLAMBA

Like wild beasts escaping from a pen, that red-eyed, gasping mob rushedand staggered to the edge of the water, and, plunging their heads intoit with hoarse grunts and cries, drank and drank and drank. Indeed, several lost their lives there, for some filled themselves so full thattheir vitals were ruptured, and some were thrust into the river by thecattle or those pressing behind them, to be carried away by the swiftstream. 

Just at the mouth of the pass Suzanne, laden with the child, was pusheddown by those who followed, and doubtless would have been trampled todeath, had not one of Swart Piet's men, desiring to clear the way, or, perhaps, moved to pity at her plight, dragged her to her feet again. Butwhen he had done this he did not let her go, but held her, staring ather beauty with greedy eyes. 

"Here is a rock-rabbit whom I shall keep for a wife, " he cried. "I wouldrather take her than twenty fat oxen. "

Now Suzanne's heart nearly stood still with terror. 

"Water, water, " she moaned; "let me drink, I pray you. "

"Do not fear, I will take you to drink, my pretty, " went on the man, still staring at her. 

Then, losing command of herself, Suzanne screamed and struggled, andthe sound of her cries reached the ears of Swart Piet, who was standingclose at hand. 

"What is this?" he asked of the man. 

"Nothing, Bull-Head, except that I have taken a woman whom I wish for awife because she is so fair. "

Van Vooren let his eyes rest upon her, but dreamily, for all histhoughts were given to her who sat aloft five hundred feet above hishead, and, feeling their glance, Suzanne's blood froze in her veins. 

"Yes, she is fair, " he answered, "but she is a married woman, and I willhave no Umpondwana brats among my people. Let her go, and take a girlif you will. " For Van Vooren did not wish that the few men who remainedwith him should cumber themselves just then with women and children, since they were needed to look after the cattle. 

"Maid or wife, I choose this one and no other, " said the man sulkily. 

Then Black Piet, whose sullen temper could not brook to be crossed, broke into a blaze of rage. 

"Do you dare to disobey me?" he shouted with an awful Kaffir oath. "Lether go, dog, or I will kill you. "

At this the man, who knew his master, loosed hold of Suzanne, who ranaway, though it was not until she reached the water that she noticed awhite ring round her arm, where his grip had rubbed the paint off theskin beneath. Strangely enough Van Vooren saw the ring, and at thatdistance mistook it for an ivory ornament such as Kaffir women oftenwear above the elbow. Still more strangely its white colour made himthink again of the white woman who sat aloft yonder, and he turned hisface upwards, forgetting all about the black girl with the child. 

Thrusting herself through the crowd, Suzanne ran on for a while till shewas clear of the worst of it, then terrified though she was, she couldresist the temptation of the water no longer, for her mouth and throatfelt dry and rough. Climbing down to the edge of the river she drankgreedily under the shelter of a rock, and when she had satisfied someof her thirst, she poured water into the mouth of the child, dippingits shrunken little body into the stream, whereon it seemed to increasebefore her eyes like a dry sponge that is left out in the rain. 

While she tended the child thus, and just as it began to find its sensesand to wail feebly, she chanced to look up, and to her terror saw thatman from whom she had escaped walking along the bank looking for her. Happy was it for Suzanne that the rock under which she was crouched hidher, for the man stood for thirty seconds or more within two paces, sothat she was obliged to plunge the body of the boy under water to stifleits crying. 

Then, as it happened, the Kaffir caught sight of another woman andinfant, more than a hundred yards away, and ran off towards them. Thereon Suzanne, replacing the half-choked child upon her back, climbedthe bank, hiding the white mark upon her arm beneath the blanket, andtaking such shelter as she could behind stones or cattle, or knots ofpeople who, their thirst appeased, were hastening to escape, she slippedacross the shoulder of the slope. 

Now she was out of sight of Swart Piet and his men, and for the firsttime for many a day began to breathe freely. For a while she crepton round the flank of the mountain, then at the best of her speed shestruck across the plain straight for the saw-edged rock ten miles away, which marked the entrance to the pass over the Quathlamba range. 

From time to time Suzanne looked behind her, but none followed her, nor, search as she would, could she discover any trace of Zinti, who, shebegan to fear, must have come to some harm. One thing she could see, however--the whitened corpse set on high in the chair of rock, and bythe side of it a black dot that she knew to be Sihamba. Twice she turnedround and gazed at it, but the second time the dot had become almostimperceptible, although it still was there. Long and earnestly shelooked, sending her farewell through space to that true friend anddeliverer whose eyes, as she knew well, watched her flight and whoseheart went with her. 

Then she travelled on sadly, wondering what was that plan of escape ofwhich Sihamba had spoken, and why it was that she stood there by thecorpse and did not put it into practice, wondering also when they shouldmeet again and where. A third time she turned, and now the dead womanon the rock was but as a tiny point of white, and now it had altogethervanished away. 

After this Suzanne halted no more, but pressed on steadily towards thesaw-edged spur, which she reached about twelve o'clock, for the grasswas so tall, the untrodden veldt so rough, and the sun so hot that, weakas she felt with grief and the effects of thirst, and laden with a heavychild, her progress was very slow. At length, however, she stood gaspingin its shadow, gazing dismayed at the huge range of mountains before herand the steep rough cliffs up which she must climb. 

"Never shall I cross them without foot and weighted with this child, sothe end of it will be that I must die after all, " thought Suzanne as shesank down by the banks of a little rivulet, resting her swollen feet inits cool stream, for then, and indeed for weeks after, it seemed toher that she could never have enough of the taste and smell and feel ofwater. 

As she sat thus, striving to still the wailing of the hungry boy, suddenly the shadow of a man fell upon her. With a cry she sprang to herfeet to find herself face to face with Zinti. 

"Oh! I thought that they had taken you, " she exclaimed. 

"No, lady, I escaped, but I crossed the plain far to your left, for itseemed better that we should not be seen travelling together from themountain. Now let us eat who have eaten little for so many days, lackingwater to wash down the food, " and from the large skin wallet which hebore Zinti drew out dried flesh and roasted corn. 

Suzanne looked at the food with longing, but before she touched anyshe took some corn, and having pounded it into a pulp with a stone, shemixed it with water and fed the child, who devoured the stuff greedilyand presently fell asleep. Then they ate as much as they wanted, sinceZinti carried enough for three such meals, and never did Suzanne takemeat with a greater relish. Afterwards, though she yearned to sleep, they pressed on again, for Zinti said it was not safe to stay, sincelong before this Van Vooren would be seeking her far and wide, and if hechanced to discover the secret of her flight he would travel furtherin one hour on horseback than they could in four on foot. So they wentforward up the pass much refreshed, Zinti carrying the child. 

All day long they walked thus, resting at intervals, till by sunsetthey reached the crest of the pass, and saw the wide plains of Natalstretched out like a map beneath them, and on them, not so very faraway and near to the banks of the river that wound at their feet, awhite-topped koppie, beneath which, said Zinti, was the Boer camp. 

Suzanne sat down and looked, and there, yes, there the caps of thewaggons gleamed in the fading light; and oh! her heart leapt at thesight of them, for in those waggons were white men and women such as shehad not seen for years, and with whom at length she would be safe. Buteven as her breast heaved at the thought of it, an icy, unnatural windseemed to stir her hair, and of a sudden she felt, or seemed to feel, the presence of Sihamba. For a moment, and one only, it was with her, then it was gone, nor during all her life did it ever come back again. 

"Oh! Sihamba is dead!" she cried. 

Zinti looked at her in question. 

"It may well be so, " he said sadly, "but I pray that it is not so, forshe is the best of chieftainesses. At least we have our own lives tosave, so let us go on, " and again they pressed forward through thegathering gloom. 

Soon it grew dark, and had her guide been any other man than ZintiSuzanne must have stopped where she was till the moon rose at midnight. But Zinti could find any path that his feet had trod even in the dark;yes, although it ran through piled-up rocks on the mountain side, andwas cut with the course of streams which must be forded. 

In wading through one of these rivulets, Suzanne struck her bare ankleagainst a stone and lamed herself, so that from this time forward, shivering and wet with water, for her hurt was so sharp and sudden thatshe had fallen in the stream, she was forced to walk leaning on Zinti'sshoulder, and indeed over some rough places he was obliged to carry her. Now again Zinti wished to abandon that heavy child, for strong though hewas the weight of the two of them proved almost more than he could bear, but Suzanne would not listen to him. 

"Nay, " she said, "this child that was sent to me by Heaven has saved mefrom shame and death, and shame and death be my portion if I will leaveit while I live. Go on alone if you will, Zinti, and I will stay herewith the child. "

"Truly white people are strange, " answered Zinti, "that they should wishto burden themselves with the child of another when their own lives areat stake, but be it as you will, lady, " and he struggled forward as besthe could, carrying the one and supporting the other. 

Thus for hour after hour, slowly they crept onward with only the starsto light and guide them, till at length about midnight the moon rose andthey saw that they were near the foot of the mountain. Now they restedawhile, but not long enough to grow stiff, then hastening down the slopethey reached the plain, and headed for the white-topped koppie whichshone in the moonlight some six miles away. On they crept, Suzanne nowlimping painfully, for her ankle had begun to swell, and now crawlingupon her hands and knees, for Zinti had no longer the strength to carryher and the child. Thus they covered three miles in perhaps as manyhours. At last, with something like a sob, Suzanne sank to the earth. 

"Zinti, I can walk no more, " she said. "Either I must rest or die. "

He looked at her and saw that she spoke truth, for she was quiteoutworn. 

"Is it so?" he said, "then we must stay here till the morning, nor do Ithink that you will take hurt, for Bull-Head will scarcely care to crossthat pass by night. "

Suzanne shook her head and answered:

"He will have begun to climb it at the rising of the moon. Hear me, Zinti. The Boer camp is close and you still have some strength left;take the child and go to it, and having gained an entrance in this wayor in that tell them my plight and they will ride out and save me. "

"That is a good thought, " he said; "but, lady, I do not like to leaveyou alone, since here there is no place for you to hide. "

"You could not help me if you stayed, Zinti, therefore go, for thesooner you are gone, the sooner I shall be rescued. "

"I hear your command, lady, " he answered, and having given her most ofthe food that was left, he fastened the sleeping child upon his shoulderand walked forward up the rise. 

In something less than an hour Zinti came to the camp, which was formedof unlaagered waggons and tents pitched at the foot of a koppie, alongone base of which ran the river. About fifty yards in front of the campstood a single buck-waggon, and near to it sill glowed the embers of acooking-fire. 

"Now if I try to pass that waggon those who watch by it will shoot atme, " thought Zinti, though, indeed, he need have had no fear, for theywere but camp-Kaffirs who slept soundly. 

Not knowing this, however, he stood at a distance and called aloud, tillat last a Hottentot crept out with a gun, and, throwing back the blanketfrom his head, asked who he was and what he wanted. 

"I want to see the Baas of the camp, " he answered, "for my mistress, awhite woman, lies exhausted upon the veldt not far away and seeks hishelp. "

"If you want to see the Baas, " yawned the man, "you must wait tilldaylight when he wakes up. "

"I cannot wait, " answered Zinti, and he made as though to pass towardsthe camp, whereupon the man raised his gun and covered him, saying:

"If you go on I will shoot you, for stray Kaffir dogs are not allowed toprowl about the camp at night. "

"What then must I do?" asked Zinti. 

"You can go away, or if you will you may sit by the waggon here till itis light, and then when the Boers, my masters, wake up you can tell yourstory, of which I believe nothing. "

So, having no choice, Zinti sat down by the waggon and waited, while theman with the gun watched him, pretending to be asleep all the while. 

Now Suzanne was left alone upon the great veldt, and fear took holdof her, for she was broken in body and mind, and the place was verydesolate; also she dreaded lest lions should take her, for she couldhear them roaring in the distance, or Swart Piet, who was worse than anylion. Still she was so weary that after washing her face and hands in aspring close by, presently she fell asleep. When she awoke the east wastinged with the first grey light of the coming dawn, and it seemed toher as though some cold hand of fear had gripped her heart of a suddenand aroused her from heavy sleep. A sound caused her to look up, andthere on the crest of the rise before her, some three hundred yardsaway, she saw dark forms moving, and caught sight of spears thatglimmered in the moonlight. 

"Now there is an end, " thought Suzanne to herself, "for without doubtyonder stands a Zulu impi; the same that attacked the Umpondwana, forI can see the crane's feathers in their head-dresses, " and she crouchedupon the ground in an extremity of dread. 

CHAPTER XXXIII

RALPH FINDS THE DREAM MOUNTAIN

Now I must go back to that evening when we learned the great tidingsfrom the lips of the lad Gaasha, whose life Ralph had saved after theattack by the Kaffirs upon the laager. There sat Gaasha on the groundstaring, and there, not far away, Ralph was lying in his swoon, whileJan and I looked at each other like people who have suddenly beheld asign from heaven. 

"What evil magic is there in my words, " said Gaasha presently, "thatthey should strike the Baas yonder dead like a spear?"

"He is not dead, " I answered, "but for long he has sought that mountainUmpondwana of which you speak. Tell us now, did you hear of any whitewoman dwelling with the chieftainess Sihamba?"

"No, lady, I heard of none. "

This answer of Gaasha's saddened me, for I made sure that if so strangea thing had happened as that a white woman had come to live among histribe, the man who told him of the return of Sihamba would have told himof this also. Therefore, so I argued, either Suzanne was dead or shewas in the power of Piet Van Vooren, or Sihamba had deserted her, thoughthis last I did not believe. As it turned out afterwards, had not Gaashabeen the stupidest of Kaffirs, we should have been saved those longdays of doubt and trouble, for though he had not heard that Sihamba wasaccompanied by a white woman, he had heard that she brought with hera white _bird_ to the mountain Umpondwana. Of course if he had told usthis we should have guessed that the white bird could be none other thanSuzanne, whose native name was Swallow. 

Well, we set about reviving Ralph, which was done by throwing wateron to his face. When he had found his senses again I prayed him not tosuffer himself to be carried away with hope, since although Gaasha hadheard of Sihamba, he had heard nothing of Suzanne. 

To this he answered that now when God had pointed out to him themountain of his vision and in so strange a manner, he had no fear butthat he would find his wife upon it, since God was merciful and did notdesire to mock or torment His servants. 

I replied that I trusted it might be so, but the ways of the Almightywere beyond our understanding, nor did it become us to pass judgmentupon them. Ralph scarcely heeded my words, but, springing to his feet, said:

"Come, let us be going to the mountain Umpondwana. "

"First we must consult with the commandant and get aid from him, " saidJan, "for it would not be safe that we should wander into these wildplaces alone, where there are many Kaffirs who doubtless would murderus. "

In his eagerness Ralph would not listen to this, for he desired to startat once. But I pointed out to him that we had no horses, all ours beingdead of the sickness; moreover, that the night was dark, and we couldnot trek till the moon rose, so at length he consented. Then we wentinto the laager, and Jan called the older men together in a quiet place. 

"What is it, Heer Botmar?" asked the commandant when they wereassembled. 

"It is this, cousin, " said Jan. "I desire to ask you to go a three days'trek out of your march to a mountain called Umpondwana, whither thisservant of mine, Gaasha, can guide you. "

"For what reason?" asked the commandant astonished. 

"Friend, " said Jan, "you have all of you heard the story of how thatoutcast devil Piet Van Vooren, stole away my only child, Suzanne, thewife of Ralph Kenzie the Englishman here. "

"That is an old tale, " said the commandant, "and, doubtless, the poorgirl is dead long ago; why then do you speak of it now, and what has itto do with your request that we should trek to the mountain Umpondwana?"

"Only this, cousin; we think that my daughter Suzanne is living thereamong the Kaffirs, and we seek to rescue her. At least this is certain, for only now we have learnt it from the lips of Gaasha that Sihamba, herfriend and servant whom we believe was with her, rules over this tribeas chieftainess. "

"That may be so, " said the commandant, "but did Gaasha tell you thatyour daughter was there also?"

"No, " answered Jan. 

"Then how do you know it?"

Now Jan hesitated and turned red as he replied:

"We know it because Ralph Kenzie here saw this very mountain in a visionmore than two years ago, and in that vision was told that there he wouldfind the wife who was taken from him on his marriage day. "

Now, on hearing this most of the Boers broke out laughing, for, though very religious, we are not a people who place faith in visions. Thereupon I grew angry, and spoke to them more strongly, perhaps, than Ishould have done, reducing them to silence, for they were all of them alittle afraid of my tongue. Also I told them the story of that dream ofRalph's and of what had just passed with Gaasha, showing them that therewas more in it than they imagined. After I had done Ralph spoke also, saying:

"Friends, doubtless this tale sounds foolish in your ears; but Iask what has been my nickname among you? Has it not been 'Man of theMountain, ' because I have always spoken and inquired for a certainmountain which had ridges on it shaped like the fingers of a man's hand, and have you not thought me mad for this reason? Now I have heard ofsuch a mountain and I have heard also that Sihamba, who was with mywife, rules there as chieftainess. Is it strange, therefore, that I, believing now as ever in that vision, should wish to visit this mountainwhere, as I am sure, I shall find the wife that is lost to me?"

After this the Boers laughed no more but consulted apart till at lastthe elder, Heer Celliers, spoke. 

"Heeren Botmar and Kenzie, " he said, "of all this story of a vision wecan say little. For aught we know it may be true, but if true then itis the work of magic and we will have nothing to do with it. Should youwish to go to seek this mountain Umpondwana you must go alone, for wecannot alter our plans to trek there with you. But we counsel you not togo, since no good can come of visions and magic. "

When I heard this I answered him back, but Jan and Ralph went away, andpresently I found them talking together outside the laager. 

"Let me go alone, " Ralph was saying. 

"Nay, " Jan answered, "I will accompany you, for two are better thanone; also I shall not sleep till I find out the truth and know whetherSuzanne lives or is dead. "

"Indeed! and what is to become of me?" I asked. 

"You, vrouw, can stop with the neighbours here, and we will join you inNatal. "

"You will do no such thing, Jan Botmar, " I answered, "for where you twogo there I can go. What! Am I not sick also with love for my daughterand anxious to learn her fate?"

"As you will, wife, " answered Jan; "perhaps it is well that we threeshould not separate who have been together always, " and he went to seeabout the waggon. 

As soon as the moon rose, which was about eleven o'clock, the oxenwere inspanned. Before we started, however, several of our friendscame praying us not to venture on so perilous a journey; indeed, theythreatened even to use force to prevent us, and I think would have doneso had not Jan told them outright that we were our own masters and freeto go where we wished. So they departed, grieving over our obstinacy, and little guessing that their danger was far greater than our own, since as it chanced just as they had trekked through the Van Reenen'sPass a few days later a Zulu impi, returning from the Weenen massacres, fell upon them unawares and killed more than half their number beforethey were beaten off. 

So we trekked with the moon, Gaasha guiding us, and did not outspantill dawn. As I have said, we had no horses, but never until I made thatjourney did it come home to me how slow are oxen, for never before thenwas I in a hurry, nor, indeed, have I been since that time. It is theEnglishmen who are always in a hurry, and that is one of the reasons whywe Boers are so superior to them, and when we choose can master them ineverything, except shopkeeping, and especially in fighting. Well, at thebest the cattle could not drag the waggon over the roadless veldt at agreater rate than two miles an hour, or cover more than twenty miles aday in all. It was pitiful to see Ralph's impatience; again and again hewalked on and returned; indeed, had we allowed it, I think that he wouldhave pressed forward on foot, leaving us to follow in the waggon. 

At daylight on the third day we inspanned as usual, and trekked throughthe morning mists until the sun sucked them up. Then Gaasha, who wassitting on the waggon-box beside Ralph, touched his shoulder, andpointed before him. Ralph looked, and far away upon the plain saw whatseemed to be a white cloud, above which towered the flat cliffs of amountain of red rock. 

"See, Baas, " he said, "yonder is Umpondwana, my home, and now bynightfall I shall know whether my parents are still alive, or, if theyare dead, whether they have left any cattle that I can claim by law, "and he began to whistle cheerfully. 

"And I, " said Ralph aloud, "shall know whether my life is to be a heavenor a hell, " and all day long, neither eating nor drinking, he sat uponthe waggon-box and stared at the mountain, not lifting his eyes from it. 

It was about one o'clock in the afternoon when we seemed to be quiteclose to the green flanks of Umpondwana, that of a sudden we cut a widespoor trampled by thousands of naked feet. Jan and Gaasha got off thewaggon to examine it, but Ralph did not move. 

"An impi has passed here, " said Jan presently. 

"Yes, and a Zulu impi as I think, Baas, but more than one whole dayago, " and Gaasha began to hunt about amongst some low bushes which grewnear the trail. Presently he held up his hand and shouted, and Jan ranto him. 

"Look, Baas, " he said, pointing to a bush. 

Jan looked, and there beneath the bush lay a man, a Zulu soldier, forhis tall grey plume was still fixed upon his head, and near him was hisbroad assegai. At that moment the man, who was still alive, although hewas very near his death from dysentry, seemed to hear, for he sat upand opened his eyes, saying, "_Manzie, umlungho, manzie_. " (Water, whiteman, water. )

"Bring a pannikin of water, here lies a sick Kaffir, " shouted Jan toRalph, who was still seated on the waggon-box staring at the mountain. 

Ralph brought the water, and the soldier drank it greedily. 

"Who are you, and how come you here?" asked Jan. 

"I am a soldier of Dingaan, " answered the man, "but when we wereattacking the little people on that mountain I fell sick. Still I cameaway with the impi, but here my strength failed me, and here I have lainfor a round of the sun and a round of the moon. I begged them to killme, but my brothers would not, for they said that I might recover andjoin them. "

"Where have they gone?" asked Jan. 

"They have gone to eat up the Boers in Natal, " the Zulu answered ina hollow voice, his empty eyes wandering towards the mountains of theQuathlamba range. "Yes, they have gone to do the King's bidding on thewhite men, for his word came to us while we besieged yonder stronghold. To-morrow at the dawn they attack the little laager beneath the whitekoppie by the banks of the Tugela, and I must reach them by then--yes, yes, now I am strong again, and I shall attack with them to-morrow atthe dawn. Farewell, white men, I will not kill you because you gave methe water which has made me strong again, " and, rising from the ground, he grasped his spear and started forward at a run. 

"Stay, " cried Ralph. "I would question you as to what has happened onthat mountain;" but the man did not seem to hear him. For thirty pacesor so he ran on, then suddenly he halted and saluted with his spear, crying in a loud voice:

"Chief, I report myself, I am present. "

Next he stretched his arms wide and fell forward upon his face. Whenthey reached him he was quite dead. 

"This is a strange story that we have heard about the Zulus and the folkin Natal, " said Jan, rubbing his forehead. 

"I think that the man was wandering in his mind, " answered Ralph, "stillthere may be truth in it; but, father, " he added, with a gasp offear, and, catching Jan by the arm, "what has happened on the mountainUmpondwana? The Zulus have been there, and--what has happened on themountain?"

Jan shook his head, but did not answer, for he knew too well whathappens where the Zulu impis pass. 

Notwithstanding that Ralph was mad with impatience we halted the waggonfor a few minutes to take counsel, and in the end decided to send thevoorlooper back to the camp which we had left to warn our friends ofwhat we had learned as to the onslaught on our brethren in Natal, thoughwe had small faith in the story. But either the lad ran away, or someaccident befell him, or he failed to find the Boers who had alreadytrekked, at the least our message never reached them, nor did we see himagain. Then we went on, Gaasha leading the oxen as quickly as they couldwalk. All that afternoon we travelled almost in silence, following thespoor of the impi backwards, for our hearts were full of fear. We met noman, but once or twice we saw groups of cattle wandering unherded, and this astonished us, giving us hope, for it was not the custom of avictorious impi to leave the cattle of its enemy behind it, thoughif the people of the Umpondwana had conquered, it was strange that weshould see no herds with the beasts. 

At length, within two hours of sunset, we passed round the shoulder ofthe mountain and beheld its eastern slope. 

"It is the very place of my vision, " cried Ralph, and certainly therebefore us were the stone ridges shaped like the thumb and fingers of aman, while between the thumb and first finger gushed the river, upon thebanks of which grew flat-topped green-leaved trees. 

"Onward, onward!" he cried again, and, taking the long waggon whip, hethrashed the oxen till they bellowed in the yokes. But I, who was seatedbeneath the tent of the waggon, turned to look behind me, and in thefar distance saw that men were driving herds of cattle towards themountains. 

"We are too late, " I thought in my heart, "for, without doubt, whetherit be the Zulus or others, the place has been taken, since yonder go thevictors with the cattle. Now they will fall upon us and kill us. Well, should God will it, so let it be, for if Suzanne is dead indeed I carelittle if we die also; and to Ralph at least death will be welcome, forI think that then death alone can save him from madness. "

Now we had reached the banks of the river, and were trekking upthem towards the spot where it issued from the side of the mountain. Everywhere was spoor, but we saw no people, although here and therethe vultures were hissing and quarrelling over the bones of a man or abeast. 

"There has been war in this place, " whispered Jan, "and now the peace ofdeath has fallen upon it, " but Ralph only flogged the weary oxen, sayingnothing. 

At length they could drag the waggon no further, for the path grew toosteep for them, whereupon Ralph, seizing the first weapon that came tohand, which, as it chanced, was the broad assegai that Gaasha hadtaken that day from the side of the dead Zulu, ran forward up the trailfollowed by Jan and myself. Another two hundred yards and the path tooka turn which led to the entrance of the first scherm, the same that theZulus had captured by forcing the passage of the river. The gateway wasopen now, and Ralph entered. 

At first he could see no one, but presently he heard a voice saying:

"Will you not tell, for death is very near you? Drink, witch, tell anddrink. "

"Fool, " answered another voice, a grating, broken voice, "I say thatdeath is near to both of us, and since she is saved I die gladly, takingmy secret with me. "

"Then witch, I will try steel, " said the first voice. 

Now Ralph looked over the rock from behind which the sound of voicescame and saw the body of a little woman tied to a stone by the edge ofthe water, while over her leant a man, a white man, holding a knife inone hand and in the other a gourd of water, which he now placed closeto her lips, and now withdrew from them. He knew that woman, it wasSihamba. Just at this moment the man looked up and their eyes met, andRalph knew him also. 

It was Piet Van Vooren. 

CHAPTER XXXIV

THE AVENGER OF BLOOD

For a moment the two men stood looking at each other, yes, the shedderof blood and the avenger of blood stood quite still and silent, andlooked each other in the eyes, as though a spell had fallen upon themstriking them into stone. It was the voice of Sihamba that broke thespell, and it issued from her parched throat with a sound like the soundof a death-rattle. 

"Ah! devil and torturer, " it said, "did I not tell you that doom was athand? Welcome, Ralph Kenzie, husband of Swallow. "

Then with a roar like that of a wounded beast, Ralph sprang forward, inhis hand the uplifted spear. For one instant Swart Piet hesitated, butat the words of Sihamba a sudden terror had taken hold of him and hedared not wait. Like a startled buck he turned and fled up the mountain, but as he passed her he struck downwards with the knife he held, stabbing Sihamba in the body. 

Once also he looked round for help, but there was none, for duringthe long torment of Sihamba all the black villains who served him hadslipped away, fearing lest others should secure their share of thestolen cattle. Then he sped on up the pass and never did a man runmore swiftly. But after him came one who was swifter than he, thelight-footed, long-limbed Englishman with rage in his heart, and anawful fire of vengeance blazing in his eyes. 

Up the pass they ran, leaping over stones and dead cattle till at lengththey reached the tableland at the top. Here once again Van Vooren pausedfor an instant, for he bethought him that, perhaps, he might hold themouth of the cleft against his pursuer. But his wicked heart was toofull of fear to let him stay, so at full speed he set forward across theplain, heading for that chair rock where still sat the whitened corpse, for there he thought he could defend himself. Ralph followed himsomewhat more slowly, for of a sudden he had grown cold and cunning, and, knowing that his foe could not escape him, he desired to save hisbreath for the last struggle. 

For six hundred yards or more they ran thus, and when Van Voorenbegan to climb the pedestal of rock Ralph was fifty paces behind him. Presently he also reached the pedestal and paused to look. Already SwartPiet was standing by the stone chair, but it was not at him that helooked, but rather at the figure which was tied in the chair that he nowsaw for the first time. That figure no longer sat upright, draped in itswhite fur cloak, for it had been disturbed, as I shall tell presently, and the cloak was half torn from it. Now it hung over the arm of thechair, the ghastly white face looking down towards Ralph and beneath itthe bare black breast. 

Ralph stared, wondering what this might mean. Then the answer to theriddle flashed into his mind, and he laughed aloud, for here he sawthe handiwork of Sihamba. Yes, that grisly shape told him that his lovestill lived and that it was to win the secret of her whereabouts thatthe devil above him had practised torment upon the little doctoress. 

Ralph laughed aloud and began to climb the pinnacle. He might havewaited till Jan, who was struggling up the pass after them, arrived withhis gun, but he would not wait. He had no fear of the man above and hewas certain of the issue of the fray, for he knew that God is just. Asfor that man above, he grinned and gibbered in his disappointed rage andthe agony of his dread; yes, he stood there by the painted corpse andgibbered like an ape. 

"Your evil doing has not prospered over much, Piet Van Vooren, " calledRalph, "and presently when you are dead you will taste the fruits of it. Suzanne shall be mine till the end as she was mine from the beginning, but look upon the Death-wife that your wickedness has won, " and hepointed at the body with his spear. 

Black Piet made no answer, nor did Ralph speak any more, for he must sethimself to finish his task. The Boer took a heavy stone and threw itat him, but it missed him and he could find no more. Then gripping thewrist of the corpse in his left hand to steady himself upon that giddyplace, he leant forward and prepared to stab Ralph with the knife ashe set foot upon the platform. Ralph saw his plan, and stopping in hisclimb, he took off his coat and wound it round his left arm as a shield. Then he came on slowly, holding the broad spear in front of him. At thelast he made a rush and reached the flat space of rock. Piet stabbedat him, but the strength of the thrust lost itself in the folds of thecoat. 

Now who can say what happened. Round and round the rock chair theyswung, Van Vooren still holding fast to the arm of the dead woman whowas lashed in it. Yes, even from where I stood five hundred feet below Icould see the flash of spear and knife as they struck and struck again. 

At length a blow went home; the Zulu assegai sank deep into Van Vooren'schest and he hung backwards over the edge of the abyss, supported onlyby his grip of the dead arm--from below it looked as though he weredrawing the corpse to him against its will. Yes, he hung back andgroaned aloud. Ralph looked at him and laughed again, since though hewas gentle-hearted, for this man he had no pity. He laughed, and crying"That curse of God you mocked at falls at last, " with a sudden stroke hedrew the sharp edge of the spear across the lashing that held the bodyto the seat. 

The rimpi parted, and with a swift and awful rush, like that of aswooping bird, the dead woman and the living man plunged headlong intospace. One dreadful yell echoed down the pitiless precipices, followedpresently by a soft thudding sound, and there, lodged upon a flat rockhundreds of feet beneath, lay what had been Piet Van Vooren, though, indeed, none could have told that it was he. 

Thus ended the life of this man, this servant of the devil upon earth, and even now, after all these years, I can find but one excuse for him, that the excess of his own wickedness had made him drunk and mad. Yes, I believe that he who was always near to it, went quite mad when Ralphstruck him with the whip after the fight by the sheep kraal, mad withhate of Ralph and love of Suzanne. Also his father was wicked beforehim, and he had Kaffir blood in his veins. Ah! for how much must ourblood be called upon to answer, and how good is that man who can conquerthe natural promptings of his blood!

Jan and I were following Ralph when he entered the river scherm, andreached it just in time to see pursued and pursuer vanishing up thenarrow cleft. I caught sight of Van Vooren's back only, but although Ihad not seen him for years, I knew it at once. 

"We have found the tiger at home, " I said, "yonder goes Swart Piet. "

"Allemachter! it is so, " answered Jan. "Look, there lies the tiger'sprey, " and pointing to Sihamba he followed them up the mountain side asfast as his weight would allow, for in those days Jan was a very heavyman. 

Meanwhile I made my way to the little figure that was stretched uponthe rock at the edge of the river. She had fainted, but even before Ireached her I saw from her small size and the strange hoop of stiffhair that she wore about her head, that it was none other than Sihamba, Sihamba whom I had last seen upon the eve of that unlucky marriage day. 

But oh! she was sadly changed. One of her legs, I forget which, had beenbroken by a gunshot; the blood trickled from the wound where Van Voorenhad stabbed her in the back; her little body was wasted by the want ofwater, and her face had shrunk to the size of that of a small child, although strangely enough it still was pretty. I knelt down by her, and placing my hand upon her heart felt that it still beat, though veryslowly. Then I took water and sprinkled it upon her, and at the touch ofit she opened her eyes at once. 

"Give me to drink, " she moaned, and I did so, pouring the water down herthroat, which was ridged and black like a dog's palate. Her eyes openedand she knew me. 

"Greeting, mother of Swallow, " she said, "you come in a good hour, fornow I shall be able to tell you all before I die, and I am glad that Iwas strong enough to endure the torment of thirst for so many hours. "

"Tell me one thing, Sihamba, " I said. "Does Suzanne live, and is shesafe?"

"Yes, she lives, and I hope that this night she will be safe with yourown people, the Boers, for she has crossed the mountains to seek shelterin that laager which is by the white-topped koppie near the banks of theTugela in Natal. "

"The laager by the white-topped koppie----" I gasped. "Oh, my God! thatmust be the camp which the Zulus attack to-morrow at the dawn. "

"What do you say?" Sihamba asked. 

In a few words I told her the tale that we had heard from the dyingsoldier, and she listened eagerly. 

"I fear it must be true, " she said, when I had finished, "for while hewas tormenting me Bull-Head let it fall that Dingaan's regiments hadgone hence by order of the King to make war upon the Boers in Natal, butI took little heed, thinking that he lied. 

"Well, " she went on after resting a while, "they may be beaten off, or--stay, in the glade yonder is the great _schimmel_ horse; Bull-Head'speople brought him down for him and I know that hours ago he has beenwell fed and watered. If her husband mounts him at sunset, he can bewith the Swallow in the laager well before the dawn, in time to warnthem all. Presently, when he returns from killing Bull-Head, I will showhim the road, for I shall live till sunset. Give me more water, I prayyou. "

Now I saw that nothing could be done till Ralph and Jan returned, ifthey ever should return, so I prayed of Sihamba to tell me what hadpassed, for I saw that she could not live long, and desired to know thetruth before she died. And she told me, with many rests and at no greatlength indeed, but very clearly, and as I listened I marvelled more andmore at this Kaffir woman's love, faithfulness, and courage. At last shecame to the tale of how she had disguised Suzanne, and set up the corpsein her place in the chair of rock. 

"Step but a few paces there to the right, " she said, "and you will seeit. "

I did as she bade me, and then it was that on looking upwards I sawRalph and Swart Piet struggling together. They were so high above methat their shapes seemed small, but I could see the light flashing fromthe stabbing steel and I called out to Sihamba what I saw. 

"Have no fear, lady, " she answered, "it will only end one way. " Soindeed it did as has been told, for presently Van Vooren and the corpserushed downwards to vanish in the abyss, while Ralph remained standingby the empty chair of stone. 

"It is finished, " I said, returning to Sihamba. 

"I know it, lady, " she answered. "Bull-Head's last cry reached my ears, and do you give thanks to the Spirit you worship that he is dead. Youwished to know what happened after the Swallow and I parted. Well, Iwent and stood by the body on the pinnacle of rock, and there, as Iexpected, came Bull-Head to seek his captive. He commanded us to comedown, but I refused, telling him that if he attempted to take theSwallow--for he thought that the body wrapped in the white cloak wasshe--she would certainly escape him by hurling herself from the cliff. Thus I gained much time, for now from my height I could see her whomI knew to be the lady Swallow travelling across the plain towards thesaw-edge rock, although I was puzzled because she seemed to carry achild upon her back; but perhaps it was a bundle. 

"At last he grew impatient, and without warning lifted his gun andfired at me, aiming low, for he feared lest the ball should pierce mymistress. The shot struck my leg where you see, and being unable to stopmyself, although I broke my fall by clutching with my hands, I rolleddown the rock to the ground beneath, but not over the edge of theprecipice as I could have wished to do, for at the last I had intendedto escape him by throwing myself from it. 

"Leaving me unable to move he began to ascend the pinnacle, callingyour daughter Swallow by sweet names as a man calls a shy horse whichhe fears will escape him. I watched from below, and even in my painI laughed, for now I knew what must come. Since the Swallow did notanswer, Bull-Head, wishing to be cunning, crept behind her in silence, and of a sudden seized the cloak and the arm beneath it, for he fearedlest she should choose death and cheat him. 

"Then it was that the body rolled over toward him; then it was that hesaw the whitened face and the black breast beneath. Ah! lady, you shouldhave heard his oaths and his yell of rage as he scrambled down the rockstowards me. 

"'What think you of your bride?' I asked him as he came, for I knew thatI must die and did not care how soon. 

"'This is your trick, witch, ' he gasped, 'and now I will kill you. '

"'Kill on, butcher, ' I answered, 'at least I shall die happy, havingbeaten you at last. '

"'No, not yet, ' he said presently, 'for if you grow silent, how shall Ilearn where you have hidden Suzanne Botmar?'

"'Suzanne Kenzie, wife of the Englishman, butcher, ' I answered again. 

"'Also, ' he went on, grinding his teeth, 'I desire that you should dieslowly. ' Then he called some of his men, and they carried me in a karossto this place. Here by the river he lashed me to the stone, and, knowingthat already, from loss of blood and lack of drink, I was in the agoniesof thirst, he tormented me by holding water to my lips and snatching itaway. 

"All day long, lying in the burning sun, have I suffered thus, waitingfor death to heal my pain. But in vain did he torture and question, fornot one word could he wring from my lips as to where he should seekfor the lady Swallow. He thought that she was hidden somewhere on themountain, and sent men to search for her till they grew tired and ranaway to steal the cattle; he never guessed that disguised as a blackwoman she had passed beneath his very eyes. 

"Yet this was so, for I, Sihamba, know it from the talk I overheardbetween Bull-Head and one of his servants, who had held her awhilewishing to take her for a wife. [*] Yes, she passed beneath his eyes andescaped him, and I--I have won the game. "

 [*] In after days, when there was talk far and wide of the wonderful escape of my daughter Suzanne, disguised as a Kaffir woman, the man who had sought to take her captive told the story of the white mark which his grip left upon her arm. He said, indeed, that both he and Bull-Head saw the mark when she was at a little distance from them, but believing it to be an ivory ring they took no heed. 

Now the effects of the water, which for a little while had given newlife to Sihamba, began to pass off, and she grew weak and silent. Presently I saw Ralph returning down the steep cleft, and with him Jan, and went to meet them. 

"It is finished, " Ralph said, looking at me with quiet eyes. 

"I know it, " I answered, "but, son, there is still work to do if youwant to save your wife----" and I told him what I had learned. 

"The _schimmel_, " he exclaimed, growing pale to the lips, "where is the_schimmel_?" and he turned to seek him. 

"No, no, " I said, "let Jan fetch the horse. Come you to Sihamba, thatshe may show you the path before she dies. "

Now Jan went to the glade that I pointed out to find the _schimmel_, while I led Ralph to Sihamba. She heard him coming and opened her eyes. 

"Welcome, husband of Swallow, " she said, "you have done well andbravely, yet it was the hand of fate and not yours that smote yonderon the rock point. Now hearken----" and she told the road which he mustfollow across the Quathlamba, if he would hope to reach the white koppiecamp by dawn. 

Before she had done, for the dying Sihamba spoke slowly and with pain, Jan came leading the _schimmel_ saddled and bridled, for Swart Piet'ssaddle had been put upon it, the mare he was riding having been taken byone of his men whom he had sent to drive in the captured cattle. 

The great roan horse, which I rejoiced to see once more, was somewhatthin, for he had lacked water like the rest, but throughout the siege hehad been well tended by Sihamba and Zinti, and fed with green corn, andsince that morning he had drunk all he would, so that now he was strongagain and fit to run. 

"Bring me the _schimmel_, " said Sihamba, but there was no need, for thebrute which loved her now as always, had winded her, and coming to whereshe lay, put down his head and fondled her with his black lips. Catchinghim by the forelock, she drew herself up, and as once before she haddone when he swam the Red Water, she whispered into his ear, and as Ilive the beast seemed to listen and understand. 

"Not I, not I, " she said aloud when she had finished whispering, "not Ibut the Englishman, yet, Horse, I think that I shall ride you again, but it will be beyond the darkness. Stay not, stumble not, for you goon your last and greatest gallop. Speed like the swallow to save theSwallow, for so shall you live on when your swift bones are dust. Now, Englishman, away. "

Ralph stooped down and kissed the woman, the angel whom God had sent tosave him and his, and with her dying lips she blessed him and Suzanne, prophesying to them life and joy. Then he leapt into the saddle, andwith a snort and a quick shake of its head the _schimmel_ plungedforward in the red glow of the sunset. 

Sihamba leaned against the rock and watched the light pass. As itslast ray fell upon her quivering face, she lifted her arms and cried, "Swallow, I have kept my oath. Swallow, I have served you well and savedyou. Sister, forget me not. "

With these words upon her lips Sihamba Ngenyanga died; yes, she and thedaylight died together, while Jan and I stood over her and wept. 

CHAPTER XXXV

THE SCHIMMEL'S LAST RACE

Ralph cleared the mountain slope, but before he had covered a mile ofway the darkness began to fall, till presently the night was black. Nowhe must ride slowly, steering his path by the stars, and searching thedim outline of the mountains with his eyes. 

But search as he would Ralph could not see the saw-edged rock. Hereached the range indeed, and for hour after hour roamed up and down it, his heart torn with helpless haste and fears, but it was of no use, soat last he dismounted, and holding the _schimmel_ by the bridle allowedhim to eat a little grass while he waited for the moon to rise. Oh!never was the moon so long in coming, but at length it came, and withit clear, soft light. He looked, and there, not half a mile away, justshowing in the shadows, was the saw-edged rock he sought. 

"There is little time to lose, " Ralph muttered to himself as thestallion swept across the plain towards the rock. "In three hours itwill be dawn, and these mountains are sheer and wide. "

Now he was in the pass and galloping up its rocky steeps as fast as thehorse dare travel and not fall. Up he went through the moonlit silencethat was broken only by the distant roaring of lions; up for one hourand for two. Now he was at the crest of the mountains, and beneathhim, miles away, lay the dim veldt, and there--yes, there in the fardistance--the moonbeams sparkled upon a white-topped koppie and thewaters of a river that washed its base. Miles and miles away, and butone hour left to cover them. One short hour, and if it was not enoughthen death by the Zulu assegai would be the portion of Suzanne and ofthose among whom she sheltered. For a moment Ralph breathed the horse, then he shook the reins, and with a snort of pride the _schimmel_started upon his last gallop. 

Ah! what a ride was that. Had ever man the like of it? Rushing downan untrodden mountain way swifter than others dare travel on a plain, bounding from rock to rock like a buck, dashing through streams, andleaping dim gullies at a stride. On, on went the _schimmel_, with nevera slip and never a stumble. On, swifter than a sassaby and surer-footedthan a fox; now the worst of the road was passed, and a long, smoothslope, almost free from stones, led them to the grassy plain beneath. The _schimmel_ swept down it at a fearful pace and reached the levelland in safety, but the strain of that mad gallop told its tale uponhim, for he was drenched with sweat, his eye was red with blood, and thebreath whistled in his throat. 

Ralph raised himself in his stirrups and scanned the sky, which began tobrighten with the coming dawn. 

"There is time, " he muttered, "for the koppie is near, and the Zuluswill not attack till they can see the white moons upon their fingernails. "

Now he was speeding up a long rise, for here the land lies in waveslike a frozen sea. He topped it, and in an instant--almost before he sawthem--he had swept through a Zulu impi marching stealthily in a tripleline with companies thrown forward to the right and left. They shoutedin astonishment, but before they could harm him or the horse he was outof reach of their spears and galloping forward with a glad heart, fornow he thought the danger done with. 

Down the slope he thundered, and the sound of his horse's hoofs came tothe ears of Suzanne, who, frozen with terror, crouched in the grass nearthe spring at the foot of it. Turning her eyes from the ridge whereshe had seen the Zulus, she looked behind her. At first she couldsee nothing except a great horse with a man upon its back, but as shestared, presently she recognised the horse--it was the _schimmel_, andnone other. 

And the man. Whose shape was that? No, this one had a golden beard. Ah!He lifted his head, from which the hat had fallen, and--did she dream?Nay, by Heaven, it was her husband, grown older and bearded, but stillher husband. In the piercing agony of that happiness she sank backhalf-fainting, nor was it till he was almost upon her that she couldgain her feet. He saw her, and in the dim light, mistaking her fora Zulu soldier who way-laid him, lifted the gun in his hand to fire. Already he was pressing the trigger when--when she found her voice andcried out:

"Ralph, Ralph, I am Suzanne, your wife. "

As the words left her lips it seemed to her as though some giant hadthrown the big horse back upon its haunches, for he slipped pasther, his flanks almost touching the ground, which he ploughed withoutstretched hoofs. Then he stopped dead. 

"Have I found you at last, wife?" cried Ralph, in a voice of joy sostrange that it sounded scarcely human. "Mount swiftly, for the Zulusare behind. "

Thus, then, these two met again, not on the Mountain of the Man's Handindeed, as the vision had foretold, but very near to it. 

"Nay, " Suzanne answered, as she sprang on to the saddle before him, "they are in front, for I saw them. "

Ralph looked. Yes, there they were in front and to the side and behind. All round them the Zulu impi gathered and thickened, crying, "_Bulalaumlungu_" (Kill the white man) as they closed in upon them at a run. 

"Oh! Ralph, what can we do?" murmured Suzanne. 

"Charge them and trust to God, " he answered. 

"So be it, husband, " and, turning herself upon the pommel of thesaddle, she threw her arms round his neck and kissed him on the lips, whispering, "At least we have met again, and if we die it shall betogether. "

"Hold fast, " said Ralph, and calling aloud to the horse he set his teethand charged. 

By now the Zulus in front were running down the opposing slope inclusters not much more than a hundred yards away; indeed, the spacebetween them was so narrow that the _schimmel_, galloping up hill underhis double load, could scarcely gather speed before they were amongthem. When they were within ten yards Ralph held out the gun in onehand and fired it, killing a man. Then he cast it away as useless, andplacing his right arm about the waist of Suzanne, he bent his body overher to protect her if he might, urging on the horse with feet and voice. 

Now they were in them and ploughing through their ever-thickening ranks, throwing their black bodies to this side and to that as a ship throwsthe water from its bows. Here, there, everywhere spears flashed andstabbed, but as yet they were unhurt, for the very press saved them, although an assegai was quivering in the flank of the _schimmel_. Ah!a pang as of the touch of red-hot iron and a spear had pierced Ralph'sleft shoulder, remaining fast in the wound. Still lower he bent his bodytill his head was almost hidden in the flowing mane of the _schimmel_, but now black clutching hands caught feet and bridle rein, and slowlythe great horse lost way and stopped. A tall Zulu stabbed it in thechest, and Ralph gasped, "It is over!"

But it was not over, for, feeling the pain of this new wound, of asudden the stallion went mad. He shrieked aloud as only a horse canshriek, and laying back his ears till his face was like the face ofa wolf, he reared up on his hind legs and struck out with his hoofs, crushing the skulls and bodies of his tormentors. Down he came again, and with another scream rushed open-mouthed at the man who had stabbedhim; his long white teeth gripped him across the body where the ribsend, and then the awful sight was seen of a horse holding in his mouth aman who yelled in agony, and plunging forward with great bounds while heshook him to and fro, as a dog will shake a rat. [*]

 [*] The reader may think this incident scarcely credible, but for an authenticated instance of such behaviour on the part of a horse he may be referred to the "Memoirs of General Marbot. "

Yes, he shook and shook till the flesh gave, and the man fell dyingon the veldt. Again the furious beast opened his jaws from which goredripped and rushed upon another, but this one did not wait for him--nonewaited. To the Zulus in those days a horse was a terrible wild beast, and this was a beast indeed, that brave as they were they dared notface. 

"It is a devil! and wizards ride it!" they cried, as they opened a pathbefore its rush. 

They were through, and behind them like the voice of hounds that huntswelled the cry of the war-dogs of Dingaan. They were through andliving yet, though one broad _bangwan_ was fast in Ralph's shoulder, andanother stood in the _schimmel's_ chest. 

Not two miles away rose the koppie. "The horse will die, " thought Ralphas he drew Suzanne closer to him, and gripped the saddle with his knees. Indeed, he was dying; yet never since he was a colt did the _schimmel_cover two miles of plain so fast as those that lay between the impi andthe camp. Slowly and surely the spear worked its way into his vitals, but stretching out his head, and heedless of his burden, he rushed onwith the speed of a racer. 

The Boers in the laager were awake at last, the sound of the gun and thewar-cry of the Zulus had reached them faintly. Half-clad, men and womentogether, they stood upon their waggon-boxes looking towards the west. Behind them the pencils of daylight were creeping across the sky, andpresently in their low rays they saw such a sight as they would neversee again. Fast, fast towards them thundered a great roan horse, blood dripping from his chest, and jaws, and flank, and on its back ayellow-bearded man, in whose shoulder stood a spear, and who held infront of him a fainting woman. 

"Soon he will fall suddenly, and we shall be crushed, " thought Ralph, and had the horse died while travelling at that speed it must have beenso. But he did not. When within fifty yards of the laager suddenlyhe began to lurch and roll in his stride; then with three bounds hestopped, and standing still, looked round with piteous blood-shot eyes, and whinnied faintly as though he heard some voice that he knew andloved. 

Ralph slipped from his back, dragging Suzanne after him, and watched. 

For a moment the _schimmel_ stood, his head touching the ground, tillpresently a bloody foam came upon his mouth, and blood poured from hiseyes and ears. Now for the last time he arched his neck and shook hismane, then roaring straight up on his hind legs as he had done when hebeat down the Zulus, he pawed the air with his fore feet and fell overupon his back to move no more. 

Suzanne had fainted, and Ralph carried her to the camp. There they drewout the spear from his shoulder and tended them both, though beyondgasping the words "Prepare, for the Zulus are upon you, " it was longbefore either of them could speak. 

Yes, yes, they beat off the impi with the loss of only one man, butRalph took no part in that fight. Indeed, when we joined them four dayslater, for after burying Sihamba Jan and I trekked round through thewaggon pass, by the mercy of Heaven escaping the Zulus, they still layprostrate on a cartel, clasping each other's hands and smiling, butspeaking little. The Boers, being warned and awake, beat off the Zuluswith great loss to Dingaan, for they had the waggons in front, thekoppie behind, and the river to one side. 

But there were many on that dreadful night whom no _schimmel_ gallopedto warn. Ah! God, six hundred of them, men and women, maids andchildren, and little babies at the breast, went down beneath the Zuluassegai in that red dawn. Six hundred of them slaughtered!

Is not the name of the land Weenen--"The Land of Weeping"--to this day?

We avenged them at the battle of the Blood River indeed; but couldvengeance give us back their lives which it had pleased the Lord to takethus fearfully?

So, so, that is the end of my story of the forgotten bygone years. As I, old Suzanne Botmar, tell it the shadow of that white-topped koppie fallsupon this house and beneath my feet is the very spot where the brave_schimmel_ died. Ralph and Jan would not leave it--no, not even when theBritish hoisted their flag in Natal, making us English again after allthat we had undergone to escape their usurping rule. We suffered much atthat event, Jan and I, but though he said nothing, for indeed he didnot dare to in my presence, I believe that Ralph did not suffer at all. Well, he was of English blood and it was natural that he should likehis own flag best, though to this day I am very angry with my daughterSuzanne, who, for some reason or other, would never say a hard word ofthe accursed British Government--or listen to one if she could help it. 

Yet, to be just, that same Government has ruled us well and fairly, though I never could agree with their manner of dealing with thenatives, and our family has grown rich under its shadow. Yes, we wererich from the beginning, for Ralph and some Boers fetched back thecattle of Suzanne and Sihamba which Swart Piet's thieves had stolen, andthey were a very great herd. 

For many long and happy years after all these events that I have toldof did Ralph and Suzanne live together, till at last God took my childSuzanne as she began to grow old. From that day life had no joys forRalph, or indeed for any of us, and he fought with the English againstCetywayo at Isandlhwana, and fell there bravely, he and his sontogether, for his son's wife, an English-woman of good blood was deadalso in childbirth. 

Then all the world grew dark for Jan and me, but now in my extreme ageonce more it lightens like the dawn. 

O God, who am I that I should complain? Nay, nay, to Thee, Almighty God, be praise and thanks and glory. Quite soon I must fall asleep, and howrich and plentiful is that store which awaits me beyond my sleep; thatstore of friends and kindred who have passed me in the race and won theimmortal crown of peace, which even now their dear hands prepare for me. Therefore to Thee, Maker of the world, be praise and thanks and glory. Yes, let all things praise Thee as do my aged lips. 

NOTE BY THE BARONESS GLENTHIRSK, FORMERLY KNOWN AS SUZANNE KENZIE. 

It is something over three years since my great-grandmother, the VrouwSuzanne Botmar, finished dictating to me this history of her early daysand of my grandparents, Ralph Kenzie, the English castaway, and SuzanneBotmar, her daughter. Now, if it be only as an instance of the wonderfulworkings of fate, or, as I prefer to call it, of Providence, I add thisnote to her narrative. As I write there stretches before me, not thebushy veldt of Weenen in Natal cut by the silver line of the Tugela, but a vast prospect of heather-clad mountains, about whose feet brawlsa salmon river. For this is Scotland, and I sit in the castle ofGlenthirsk, while on the terrace beneath my window passes my little son, who, if he lives, will one day be lord of it. But I will tell the story, which is indeed a strange one. 

As I think my great-grandmother has said, I was educated at a school inDurban, for, although she was in many ways so prejudiced and narrow, shewished that I should be able to hold my own with other girls in learningas in all things. Also she knew well that this would have been thedesire of my dear father, who was killed in the Zulu war with _his_father, the Ralph Kenzie of the story, whom, by the way, I can rememberas a handsome grey-headed man. For my father was a thorough Englishman, with nothing of the Boer about him, moreover he married an Englishlady, the daughter of a Natal colonist, and for these reasons he and hisgrandmother did not get on very well. 

After I had finished my schooling I used to stay with friends in Durban, the parents of one of my schoolfellows, and it was at their house thatI met my husband, Mr. Ralph Mackenzie, who then was called LordGlenthirsk, his father having died about six months previous to ouracquaintance. 

Ralph, my husband, was then quite young, only three-and-twenty indeed, and a subaltern in a Scotch regiment which was quartered at Durban, whither it had come from India. As the term of this regiment's foreignservice was shortly to expire, and as at the time there was a prospectof further troubles in South Africa, my husband did not resign hiscommission on succeeding to the peerage, as his mother wished him todo, for he said that this was a step which he could consider when theregiment returned home, as it would do shortly. 

Well, we met, and since we are now quite old married people I may aswell admit at once that we fell in love with each other, though to me itseemed a marvellous thing that this handsome and brilliant young lord, with his great wealth and all the world before him, should come to carefor a simple Dutch girl who had little to recommend her except herlooks (of which my great-grandmother thought, or pretended to think, solittle) and some small inheritance of South African farms and cattle. Indeed, when at last he proposed to me, begging me to be his wife, asthough I were the most precious thing on the whole earth, I told himso plainly, having inherited some sense with my strain of Huguenot andDutch blood, and though I trembled at the risk I ran, when everythinglay in my own hand, I refused to become engaged to him until he hadobtained the consent of his mother and relations, or, at the least, until he had taken a year to think the matter over. 

The truth is that, although I was still so young I had seen and heardenough of the misfortunes of unsuitable marriages, nor could I bear thatit should ever be said of me that I had taken advantage of some passingfancy to entangle a man so far above me in wealth and station. ThereforeI would permit him to say nothing of our engagement, nor did I speak asingle word of it to my great-grandmother or my friends. Still Ralph andI saw a great deal of each other during the month which I remained inDurban, for it is a gay town, and almost every day there were parties, and when there were none we rode out together. 

It was during one of these rides on the Berea that I told him what Iknew of the strange history of my grandfather and grandmother, not allof it indeed, for it was not until the book was dictated to me that Ilearned the exact facts, the matter being one of which our family spokelittle. Ralph listened very attentively, and when I had done asked if Ihad the ring and locket of which I spoke. 

"Here they are, " I answered, for since my father's death I had alwaysmade a practice of wearing both of them. 

He examined the ring with its worn device and proud motto of "Honourfirst, " and as he deciphered it I saw him start, but when he came tolook at the miniatures in the locket he turned quite pale. 

"Do you know, Suzanne, " he said presently, "I believe that we must bedistant cousins; at the least I am sure that I have seen the picturefrom which one of these miniatures was originally copied, and the crestand motto are those of my family. "

Now I became very curious, and plied him with questions, but he wouldsay no more, only he led me on to talk of my grandfather, Ralph Kenzie, the castaway, and from time to time made a note in his pocket-book. Alsoafterwards I showed him the writing in the testament which was found onthe body of the shipwrecked lady, my great-grandmother, and he asked mefor an impression of the ring, and to allow the ivory miniatures and thewriting to be photographed, which I did. 

Within three days of that ride we separated for a while, not withoutheartache on both our parts and some tears on mine, for I feared thatonce he had lost sight of me he would put me from his mind, and as Iloved him truly that thought was sore. But he, speaking very quietly, said that outside death only one thing should divide us from each other, namely, my own decree. 

"Then, Ralph, we shall be one for ever, " I answered, for at the moment Iwas too sad for any artifice of maiden coyness. 

"You think so now, dear, " he said, "but time will show. Supposing that Iwere not----" and he stopped, nor would he complete the sentence. Indeedthose words of his tormented me day and night for weeks, for I finishedthem in a hundred ways, each more fatal than the last. 

Well, I returned to the farm, and immediately afterwards mygreat-grandmother took the fancy of dictating her history, the endingof which seemed to affect her much, for when it was done she told mesharply to put the typed sheets away and let her hear or see no more ofthem. Then she rose with difficulty, for the dropsy in her limbs madeher inactive, and walked with the help of a stick to the _stoep_, where she sat down, looking across the plain at the solemn range of theDrakensberg and thinking without doubt, of that night of fear when mygrandfather had rushed down its steeps upon the great _schimmel_ to saveher daughter and his wife from an awful death. 

The stead where we lived in Natal was built under the lea of aprojecting spur of the white-topped koppie, and over that spur runs afootpath leading to the township. Suddenly the old lady looked up and, not twenty yards away from her, saw standing on the ridge of it, asthough in doubt which way to turn, a gentleman dressed in the kilteduniform of an officer of a Highland regiment the like of which she hadnever seen before. 

"Dear Lord!" I heard her exclaim, "here is a white man wearing the_moocha_ of a Kaffir. Suzanne! Suzanne! come and send away thishalf-clad fellow. "

Putting down my papers I ran from the room and at a single glance sawthat "the half-clad fellow" was none other than Ralph himself. Inmy delight I lost my head, and forgetting everything except that mybetrothed was there before me, I sprang from the _stoep_ and, flying upthe little slope, I fell into his open arms. For a few seconds there wassilence, then from behind me rose a dreadful shriek followed by criesfor help. Freeing myself from Ralph's embrace, I looked round to see mygreat-grandmother hobbling towards us with uplifted stick. Ralph put hiseye-glass in his eye and looked at her. 

"Who is this old lady, Suzanne?" he asked. 

Before I could answer there came from her lips such a torrent ofindignation as I had never heard before. 

"What is she saying?" asked Ralph again, who could not understand oneword of Dutch. "She seems put out. "

"It is my great-grandmother, the Vrouw Botmar, " I faltered, "and shedoes not understand--I have never told her. "

"Ah! I see. Well, perhaps it would be as well to explain, " he answered, which I accordingly began to do as best I could, feeling more foolishthan ever I did before. As I stammered out my excuses I saw her facechange, and guessed that she was no longer listening to me. 

"Who does the man remind me of?" she said, speaking aloud, but toherself. "Allemachter! his face is the face of that English lord whovisited us with the lawyer more than fifty years ago. Yes, his face isthe face of Ralph's cousin. Girl, " she added, turning on me fiercely, "tell me that man's name. "

"His name is Lord Glenthirsk"

"Lord Glenthirsk! The same face and the same name and _you_ in his arms. Is God then making a sequel to the story which I finished this day?Come, " and she hobbled back to the _stoep_. "Be seated, " she said whenwe had reached it. "Now, speak; no, Suzanne, give me that kaross. "

I handed her the rug, wondering what she meant to do with it, anddisturbed as I was, nearly burst into hysterics when I saw her solemnlyplace it upon Ralph's knees saying, "The man has lost his garments andwill catch a chill. "

"Would you kindly explain, " said Ralph blandly, "what the old lady is atnow? Really I do not feel cold. "

"Your kilt surprises her, " I stammered; whereat he began to laugh. 

"Silence, " she exclaimed in so vigorous a voice that he stopped at once. "Now tell your story; no, I forgot, the man is not educated, do youinterpret for him, Suzanne. "

"First I have something to say for myself, grandmother, " I answered, andin a few words I told that Ralph and I were affianced, though I had saidnothing of it, because I wished to give him opportunity to change hismind if he should desire to do so. 

"Change his mind!" said the old lady, with a glare of indignation, "Ishould like to see him dare to change his mind, this Englishman whomyou seem to have honoured thus, _opsitting_ with him without my leave. Alord indeed? What do I care for lords? The question is whether I shouldnot order the English creature off the place; yes, and I would do itwere not his face the face of Ralph's cousin, and his name the nameGlenthirsk. "

When I had interpreted as much of this speech as I thought necessary, there was a little silence, after which Ralph began to speak verysolemnly. 

"Listen, Suzanne, " he said, "and repeat my words to yourgreat-grandmother. She says that my name is Lord Glenthirsk, but withinthe last few days I have come to believe that it is nothing of the sort, but only plain Ralph Mackenzie. "

"What do you mean?" I asked, astonished. 

"I mean, Suzanne, that if your legitimate descent from that RalphMackenzie who was cast away about sixty years ago on the coast of theTranskei can be proved--as I believe it can, for I have made inquiries, and find that his marriage to your grandmother to which her mother whostill lives can bear witness, was duly registered--then _you_ are theBaroness Glenthirsk of Glenthirsk, and I, the descendant of a youngerson, am only Lieutenant Ralph Mackenzie of Her Majesty's--Highlanders. "

"Oh! Ralph, how can this be?" I gasped. "I thought that in England mentook rank, not the women. "

"So they do generally, " he answered; "but as it happens in our familythe title descends in the female line, and with it the entailed estates, so that you would succeed to your father's rights although he neverenjoyed them. Suzanne, I am not speaking lightly; all this while that Ihave kept away from you I have been inquiring in Scotland and the Cape, for I sent home photographs of those miniatures and a statement of thefacts, and upon my word I believe it to be true that you and no otherare the heiress of our house. "

Almost mechanically, for I was lost in amazement, I translated hiswords. My great-grandmother thought a while and said:

"Wonderful are the ways of the Lord who thus in my old age answers myprayers and rolls from my back the load of my sin. Suzanne, ask thatScotchman if he still means to marry you, " and seeing me hesitate, aswell I might, she struck her stick upon the floor and added, "Obey, girl, and ask. "

So with great shame I asked, explaining that I was forced to it. 

"Do I still mean to marry you, Suzanne?" he said, astonished. "Whysurely you must understand that the question is, do you still intendto marry me? When I begged you to take me some months ago I had much tooffer; to-day if things be as I am sure they are, I am but a pennilessScottish gentleman, while you are one of the richest and most nobleladies in Great Britain. "

By way of answer I looked at him in a fashion which I trust heunderstood, but before I could speak, Vrouw Botmar broke in, for, asusual, I had translated. 

"Tell the man to stop talking about money and rank after his godlessEnglish manner. I wish to inquire of his character and religion. " And soshe did clearly and at length, but I do not think that I need set downher questions or his answers. 

At last, when we were both overwhelmed and gasping for breath, I refusedflatly to ask anything more, whereon she ceased her examinations, saying:

"Well, if he speaks the truth, which is doubtful, he does not seem tobe any worse than other men, though that is saying little enough. Is hesound in wind and limb, and what illnesses has he had?"

"You must ask him yourself, " I replied, losing patience, whereon shecalled me a "mealy-mouthed little fool" and laughed. Then of a suddenshe said, "Kneel, both of you, " and, strange as it may seem, we obeyedher, for we, and especially Ralph, were afraid of the old lady. Yes, there we knelt on the _stoep_ before her, while a Kaffir girl stoodoutside and stared with her mouth open. 

"Ralph Kenzie, " she said, "whatever else you may be, at least you arean honest man like your grandfather before you, for were it not soyou would never have come to tell this child that your fortune is herfortune, and your title her title, though whether this be the case ornot, I neither know nor care, since at least you are of the blood of mylong-dead adopted son, and that is more to me than any wealth or rank. 

"As for you, Suzanne, you are pert and deceitful, for you have keptsecret from me that which I had a right to learn; also you have too goodan opinion of your own looks, which as I tell you now for the lasttime, are nothing compared to mine at your age, or even to those of mydaughter Suzanne, your grandmother. But this I will say, you have a goodheart and some of the spirit of your forbears, therefore"--and shelaid one of her heavy hands on the head of each of us--"I, old SuzanneBotmar, bless you both. You shall be married next week, and may you behappy in your marriage, and have children that would be a credit to meand your great-grandfather, could we have lived to see them. 

"There, there, Ralph and Suzanne--the first ones, my own lost Ralph andSuzanne--will be glad to hear of this when I come to tell them of it, asI shall do shortly. Yes, they will be glad to hear of it--" and she roseand hobbled back to the _sit-kammer_, turning at the open door to callout:

"Girl, where are your manners? Make that Scotchman some of your coffee. "

So we were married, and within the week, for, all my protestationsnotwithstanding, the Vrouw Botmar would suffer no delay. Moreover, by means of some other interpreter, Ralph, playing traitor, secretlybrought my arguments to nothing, and indeed there was a cause for hurry, for just then his regiment was ordered to return to England. 

It was a strange sight, that marriage, for my great-grandmother attendedit seated on the _voor-kisse_ of her best waggon drawn by eighteen whiteoxen, the descendants of Dingaan's royal cattle that Swart Piet stole tobring destruction upon the Umpondwana. By her side was her husband, oldJan Botmar, whom she caused to be carried to the waggon and tied in itin his chair. He, poor old man, knew nothing of what was passing, butfrom some words he let fall we gathered that he believed that he wasonce more starting on the great trek from the Transkei. My Ralph, he thought, was his adopted child, perhaps because of some inheritedsimilarity of voice, for he called him "son, " but my own presencepuzzled him, for he said once or twice, "So Suzanne has escaped fromthat hell-hound, Swart Piet. Have you killed the dog, Ralph? Ralph, haveyou killed the dog?"

Thus we went to the little church where the chaplain of the regimentwas to wed us, the pipers going first, playing a wild marriage march ontheir bagpipes. Next came Ralph and I walking side by side, and after usthe waggon with my great-grandparents, while the rear was brought upby a guard of honour formed of every available soldier in the company. Outside the open door of the church the waggon was halted, and fromit the Vrouw Botmar witnessed the ceremony, causing the register to bebrought to her to sign. This she did, resting the book upon the head ofthe Kaffir driver, down whose back she managed to upset the ink. 

"Never mind, " she said, not the least disturbed, "it cannot make thepoor creature any blacker than he is. "

"Oh! how can I leave you, grandmother?" I said to her afterwards. 

"Child, " she answered, with a stern face, "in my youth, to keep one Iloved near me, I committed a great sin. Now by way of penance I partfrom one I love; yes, being yet alive I say farewell for ever to thelast of my race. Thus in our age do we pay for the sins of youth. Go, and God with you. "

So I placed my hand in that of my husband and went. When we reached thiscountry it was proved that the rank and estates were mine by law, forthe evidence of my descent was too strong to be disputed. I did not wishto take either, but Ralph insisted on it and I was overruled. Indeed, had I not done so, it seems that confusion and endless law-suits mighthave resulted in the future, perhaps after I am dead. 

Six months afterwards, in this castle of Glenthirsk, I received aletter, at the foot of which was faintly scrawled the signature ofSuzanne Botmar. It was short and ran thus:

"Grand-daughter Suzanne, "Last night your great-grandfather died. To-day I buried him, andto-morrow I shall die also, for after being together for so many yearsI miss his company and mean to seek it again. Till we meet in Heaven, if your pomp and riches will allow you to come there through the eye ofwhatever needle it has pleased God to choose for you, farewell to youand your husband, whom I love because Ralph Kenzie's blood is in hisveins. "

As I learnt by other letters on that morrow of which she spoke mygreat-grandmother, the Vrouw Botmar, did die, for even in this she wouldnot be thwarted, and was buried on the evening of the same day by theside of her husband, Jan Botmar.