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"Hearken, fat pig," said Umslopogaas, Hans obligingly translating so that there might be no mistake, "if I come back, and come back I shall who travel with the Great Medicine and find even one of the cattle of the white lord, Macumazahn, Watcher-by-Night, missing, or one article stolen from his waggon, or the fields of your master not cultivated or his goods wasted, I swear by the Axe that I will hew you into pieces with the axe; yes, if to do it I have to hunt you from where the sun rises to where it sets and down the length of the night between.
I was afraid that the Watcher-by-Night would be watching by night; also the dog ran up to me, but he knew me and I sent him back again. Now while I was coming home, thoughts entered my heart. I saw, as one sees by a lightning flash, all that I had done. The king and his people were not sure that the Master was hiding white folk here and would never have sent back to kill them on the chance.
"I thought that you would like the sound of the word better than that of Hiya, though afterwards I will teach you to pronounce it as you should, O have you any other name save Watcher-by-Night, which seems also to be a title?" "Yes," I answered. "Allan." " O Allan.
By now we had reached our camp and here I found Umslopogaas sitting in the doorway and staring at the sky. "Good-evening to you, Umslopogaas," I said in my most unconcerned manner, and waited. "Good-evening, Watcher-by-Night, who I thought was lost in the night, since in the end the night is stronger than any of its watchers." At this cryptic remark I looked bewildered but said nothing.
"What does this glorious black hero say, Watcher-by-Night?" asked Billali in his most courteous tones. I told him word by word, whereon Billali lifted his hands in horror, turned and fled. Nor did I see him again until we arrived at Kôr.
But the old Amangwane, Tshoza, brother of the dead Matiwane, said: "No, Macumazahn, Watcher-by-Night, is wise. Why should we waste our strength on stone walls, of which none know the number or can find the gates in the darkness, and thereby leave our skulls to be set up as ornaments on the fences of the accursed Amakoba?
She ceased playing with the beads and stretched out her slender hand towards me. Her lips moved. She spoke in a sweet, slow voice, saying "O Watcher-by-Night, is it thus you greet her to whom you have given strength to stand once more beneath the moon? Come hither and tell me, have you no kiss for one from whom you parted with a kiss?" I heard.
Oh! yes, I have heard these and many other things concerning you, though until now it has never been my fortune to look upon your face, O Watcher-by-Night, and therefore I greet you well, Bold one, Cunning one, Upright one, Friend of us Black People." "Thank you," I answered, "but you said something about fighting. If there is to be anything of the sort, let us get it over.
"Why!" said one of them, an elderly man who seemed to be their leader, "this is none other than Macumazahn, Watcher-by-Night, the old friend of all us black people. Surely the spirits of our fathers have been with us who might have risked our lives to save a Boer or a half-breed." "Yes," I said, sitting up, "it is I, Macumazahn."
"My Lords the Spirits, speaking through Zikali as one who makes music speak through a pipe of reeds, say " "Never mind what the spirits say. Tell me what Zikali says," I interrupted. "So be it, Macumazahn. These are the words of Zikali: 'O Watcher-by-Night, the time draws on when the Thing-who-should-never-have-been-born will be as though he never had been born, whereat he rejoices.
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