We had reached the bush after six hours' downhill trek over a pretty bad
track made by cattle--of course, there were no roads in Zululand at this
date. I remember the place well. It was a kind of spreading woodland
on a flat bottom, where trees of no great size grew sparsely. Some were
mimosa thorns, others had deep green leaves and bore a kind of plum with
an acid taste and a huge stone, and others silver-coloured leaves in
their season. A river, too, low at this time of the year, wound through
it, and in the scrub upon its banks were many guinea-fowl and other
birds. It was a pleasing, lonely place, with lots of game in it, that
came here in the winter to eat the grass, which was lacking on the
higher veld. Also it gave the idea of vastness, since wherever one
looked there was nothing to be seen except a sea of trees.
Well, we outspanned by the river, of which I forget the name, at a spot
that Saduko showed us, and set to work to cook our food, that consisted
of venison from a blue wildebeest, one of a herd of these wild-looking
animals which I had been fortunate enough to shoot as they whisked past
us, gambolling in and out between the trees.
While we were eating I observed that armed Zulus arrived continually in
parties of from six to a score of men, and as they arrived lifted their
spears, though whether in salutation to Saduko or to myself I did
not know, and sat themselves down on an open space between us and the
river-bank. Although it was difficult to say whence they came, for
they appeared like ghosts out of the bush, I thought it well to take no
notice of them, since I guessed that their coming was prearranged.
"Who are they?" I whispered to Scowl, as he brought me my tot of
"squareface."
"Saduko's wild men," he answered in the same low voice, "outlaws of his
tribe who live among the rocks."
Now I scanned them sideways, while pretending to light my pipe and so
forth, and certainly they seemed a remarkably savage set of people.
Great, gaunt fellows with tangled hair, who wore tattered skins upon
their shoulders and seemed to have no possessions save some snuff, a few
sleeping-mats, and an ample supply of large fighting shields, hardwood
kerries or knob-sticks, and broad ixwas, or stabbing assegais. Such
was the look of them as they sat round us in silent semicircles, like
aas-võgels--as the Dutch call vultures--sit round a dying ox.
Still I smoked on and took no notice.
At length, as I expected, Saduko grew weary of my silence and spoke.
"These are men of the Amangwane tribe, Macumazahn; three hundred of
them, all that Bangu left alive, for when their fathers were killed,
the women escaped with some of the children, especially those of the
outlying kraals. I have gathered them to be revenged upon Bangu, I who
am their chief by right of blood."