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Suddenly the old man rose and made quite an impassioned speech, urging them to kill Hendrika at once or mischief would come of it. At last matters got very bad, for two of the Indunas came forward to drag her off to execution, and it was not until Stella burst into tears that the sight of her grief, backed by Mr. Carson's orders and my own remonstrances, carried the day.
None of them had been attacked; but in all there was a deep, half-instinctive belief that the Matabele in force were drawing step by step closer and closer around us. Lo-Bengula's old impis, or native regiments, had gathered together once more under their own indunas men trained and drilled in all the arts and ruses of savage warfare.
Suddenly Chaka was seen stalking through the ranks, followed by his captains, his indunas, and by me. He walked along like a great buck; death was in his eyes, and like a buck he sniffed the air, scenting the air of slaughter. He lifted his assegai, and a silence fell; only the sound of chanting still rolled along the hills.
By the time you have just taught them, with infinite pains and trouble, how to do their work, they depart, and you have to begin it all over again. I frequently see the chiefs or indunas of chiefs passing here on their way to some kraals which lie just over the hills. These kraals consist of half a dozen or more large huts, exactly like so many huge beehives, on the slope of a hill.
The Defendants Cronjé, Erasmus, and Schoeman, pay each of the thirteen indunas who were flogged £25 as compensation, and pay the costs of Jesaja and Segole, to be taxed as between attorney and client. One last touch of irony is needed to complete the story of the suits brought by the Chieftainess Toeremetsjani and her indunas against Messrs. Erasmus, Schoeman, and the rest.
It was on the day after the impi had left that Masilo came to the kraal Duguza, craving leave to speak with the king. Chaka sat before his hut, and with him were Dingaan and Umhlangana, his royal brothers. I was there also, and certain of the indunas, councillors of the king. Chaka was weary that morning, for he had slept badly, as now he always did.
"She takes counsel with the Heavens, she who is their daughter," muttered one of the indunas in a low voice. As he spoke it chanced that a bright meteor travelling from the south-west swept across the sky to burst and vanish over the kraal of Umgugundhlovo. "It is a messenger to her," said one. "I saw the fire shine upon her hair and vanish in her breast."
The indunas tell me that the good-looking Portugee, whom they call 'Two-faces, asks the king to kill you every time he sees him. Indeed, I've heard him myself." "That's kind of him," I answered, "but, then, Hernan Pereira and I never got on. Tell me what is he talking about to the king when he isn't asking him to kill me." "Don't know," he said again. "Something dirty, I'll be bound.
It seems, King, that there is a white man here hidden in this kloof, he who is named Macumazahn, a good man and a truthful, known to many of us from of old, who can tell you what his people think, though he is not one of their indunas. If you question my words, ask him." "We know what the white men think," said Cetewayo, "so there is no need to ask Macumazahn to sing us an old song.
I called, "I would speak with you;" but although I am sure he heard me, he did not stop or look round. I sprang up to follow him, but at some sign from Cetewayo two indunas barred my way. "Did you not hear the King's command, White Man?" one of them asked coldly, and the tone of his question told me that war having been declared, I was now looked upon as a foe.
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