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Now, at this speech Saduko shifted his feet uneasily; it seemed to me as though he felt there was truth in Umbezi's estimate of his daughter's character. But he only said: "Cattle can be acquired." "Or stolen," suggested Umbezi. "Or taken in war," corrected Saduko. "When I have a hundred head I will hold you to your word, O father of Mameena."
Half an hour later the four of us who were armed with guns were posted behind rocks on either side of the steep, natural roadway cut by water, which led down to the vlei, and with us some of Umbezi's men. That chief himself was at my side a post of honour which he had insisted upon taking.
"If I were as selfish as you seem to believe, Inkoosi, should I advise you to stop with your wagons, and thereby lose the good gun with two mouths that you have promised me? Still, it is true that I should like well enough to stay at Umbezi's kraal with Mameena, especially if Umbezi were away."
About eighteen months had gone by, and once again, in the autumn of the year 1856, I found myself at old Umbezi's kraal, where there seemed to be an extraordinary market for any kind of gas-pipe that could be called a gun. Well, as a trader who could not afford to neglect profitable markets, which are hard things to find, there I was.
"Neither do I, Macumazahn; but without doubt we shall learn in time. If the crocodile is patient and silent the buck always drops into its jaws at last." This mission lasted ten days, and before it was concluded an important event happened at Umbezi's kraal. One evening Mameena came to me in a great rage, and said that she could bear her present life no longer.
But this is not the place to tell it, that tale of my first love and of the terrible events which befell us in the time of Dingaan. Still, as I say, I have written it down, and perhaps one day it will be read. I slept very well that night, I suppose because I was so dog-tired I could not help it; but next day, on our long walk back to Umbezi's kraal, I thought a great deal.
I lifted my rifle and fired at the charging beast, but knew that the bullet glanced from its skull. I threw down the gun for the buffalo was right on me and tried to jump aside. Almost I did so, but that cleft horn, to which hung the remains of Umbezi's moocha, scooped me up and hurled me off the river bank backwards and sideways into the deep pool below.
I shouted, but got no farther, for just at this moment the first of the buffalo, which I could see was an enormous bull, probably the leader of the herd, accepted Umbezi's invitation and came, with its nose stuck straight out in front of it. Umbezi's gun went off, and next instant he went up.
Yes, yes, my friend, I should have been in some such place as yours to-day, and that is the last thing that I wish. And now, Umbezi, you have had quite enough 'squareface, so I will take the bottle away with me. Good-night." On the following morning I trekked very early from Umbezi's kraal before he was up indeed, for the "squareface" made him sleep sound.
Our journey back to Umbezi's kraal for thither we were heading was very slow, hampered as we were with wounded and by a vast herd of cattle.
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