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The poor savage wretch was holding a stone knife in his teeth when he beheld her, but it did not remain there long, for opening his great jaws he uttered the most terrified and piercing yell that Nanea had ever heard. Then the others saw her also, and presently the forest was ringing with shrieks of fear.
See him and plead with him as you know how, but as yet do not tell him that I dream of flight, for then I should be watched." "In truth, I will, Inkoos," she answered earnestly, "and oh! I thank you for your goodness. Fear not that I will betray you first would I die. Farewell." "Farewell, Nanea," and taking her hand he raised it to his lips.
"Do not grieve, Nanea, a hedge is never so tall and thick but that it cannot be climbed or crept through." She let fall her hands and looked at him eagerly, but he did not pursue the subject. "Tell me, how did I come here, Nanea?" "Nahoon and his companions carried you, Inkoos." "Indeed, I begin to be thankful to the leopard that struck me down.
Now you who are chief of the border and guardian of that drift, must hide at night with some men among the rocks in the shallows of the drift and await our coming. First Nanea will cross driving the cows and calves, for so it is arranged, and I shall help her; then will follow Umgona and Nahoon with the oxen and heifers.
At dawn on the fourth day from now it is the purpose of Umgona, his daughter Nanea, and Nahoon, to cross the river into Natal by the drift that is called Crocodile Drift, taking their cattle with them and flying from the king. I also shall be of their company, for they know that I have learned their secret, and would murder me if I tried to leave them.
"A little thing, Chief, a thing of no account, only the girl Nanea, to whom as it chances I have taken a fancy." "I wanted her for myself, White Man, but he who sits at Ulundi has laid his hand upon her." "That is nothing, Chief; I can arrange with him who 'sits at Ulundi. It is with you who are great here that I wish to come to terms.
Then Umgona gave it out that in obedience to the command of the king he was about to start for Ulundi, taking with him his daughter Nanea to be delivered over into the Sigodhla, and also those fifteen head of cattle that had been lobola'd by Nahoon in consideration of his forthcoming marriage, whereof he had been fined by Cetywayo.
"Wow!" broke in the chief Maputa, "this pretty one speaks truth, for the white man would have made a bargain with me under which Umgona, the wizard, and Nahoon, the soldier, were to be killed at the Crocodile Drift, and he himself suffered to escape with the girl. I spoke him softly and said 'yes, and then like a loyal man I reported to the king." "You hear," sighed Nanea.
It was not a nice scheme, and some men might have shrunk from it, but as he had no intention of suffering himself to be defeated by a Zulu girl, he decided with regret, it is true that having failed to attain his ends by means which he considered fair, he must resort to others of more doubtful character. "Nanea," he said, "you are a good and honest woman, and I respect you.
While she wondered thus, one of the dreadful-looking little creatures advanced to the fire, and taking from it a burning bough, held it over the thing that lay upon the ground, to give light to a companion who was about to do something to it with the stone knife. Next instant Nanea drew back her head from the hole, a stifled shriek upon her lips. She saw what it was now it was the body of a man.
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