The Ghost Kings

"wild beast" she rode plunged about she had remained seated on it as though she grew there, whereas every warrior knew that he would have fallen off. When the bull charged her that

yet the captains had waited to see what Rachel would do that they might judge her accordingly. If she had shown fear, if she had even negle

n, who smote as a Spirit should. The fame of it went throughout the land, and little

there to serve her. All the other inhabitants had gone. They took her to a large and beautifully clean hut. Kneeling on their knees, the maidens presented her with food-meat and curdled milk, and roasted cobs of corn. She ate of the corn and the milk, but the meat

he words were true, an ominous saying of which she could not read the riddle. She dreamed also of the woman's coarse, furious face turned suddenly to one of abject terror, and then of the dreadful end the red death without mercy and without

ut through the cracks of the door-boards that the hand was only a great rat that had crawled over her and now nibbled at her hair. She sat up, frightening it and its companions aw

ently the girl returned with the message that all was prepared. She walked from the kraal to find her mare, which had been well fed and groomed by Tamboosa, who had seen horses in Natal

g "Nomkubulwana! Nomkubulwana!" It was evident to Rachel that the tale of the death of the Isanuzi had preceded her, and they feared lest, should they cross her path, her fate would be their fate. Indeed, one of the strangest circumsta

e morning she called Tamboosa to her and asked him at what hour they would come to Dingaan's great

e, as usual, there was no one to be seen. But here they did not enter, marching on till they came to another gate, that of the Intunkulu, the King's house, where, their escort done, the regiment turned and went away, leaving Rachel alone with the envoy, Tamboosa, who still led the white ox. They entered this gate, and presently came to a second. It was that of the Empo

ill proudly enough she followed the women, who, bent double as before, led her to a great hut lit by a rude lamp fill

eed her strength that night. Then she lay down upon a pile of beautiful karosses that had been placed ready for her, and rested. An hour or more we

s whether it be thy pleasure to

hel; "for that purpose have I tra

at she was in the presence of Dingaan, Rachel drew her white cloak round her tall form and walked forward slowly, till she reached the centre of the space, where she stopped and stood quite still, looking like a ghost in the moonlight. Then all the men to right and left rose and saluted her silently

lowly as though to leave the place, so that now the moonlight glistened on her lovely hair. Then, fearing

the Amazulu. Say, Whi

ingaan the King?" she replied, ans

the name of Inkosazana-y-Zoola, the title of Nomkubulwan

s my name,

he leaves of the forest and the reeds of the water and the grass of the plains. We know that t

ing. I do not say

irm to thee the words my messengers bore thee in past days. Here, with me, thou rulest. The land is thine, my impis wait thy word. Death and life are in thy han

Noie, daughter of Seyapi, my slave whom the soldiers

is dead for her crimes," answ

perhaps this tale of Noie's death was but a trap to test her powers; moreover, it was not likely that the King, who h

determined to be bold and hazard all upon a throw.

ed every spear in Zululand, and n

ered; "the spears are cle

re, and answered

ve questioned the crocodiles, and they

e One. She died by a

oked at the h

see thee, I smell thee

to one another, and before ever they had done their whi

flung her arms about her knees and pressed her forehead on her feet. Now Rachel's heart bounded with joy at the sight of her, and

hadow, where you are safe, and tell m

l. But one of them, he who sits yonder," and she pointed to a c

hand, whereon this induna shivered with terror, fearing lest she should po

ked Rachel, "you who have

, and tried to run away, and our orders were to b

"I have power over

ed Dingaan. "Kill

etch, with chattering teeth, implored her t

ou to do by as you will. Shall he sleep

and the induna, ceasing from his prayers to Rache

ven to you," he said,

une foll

d Noie contemptuously,

, you said you hoped tha

is heart of mine? And

ear would be over your o

Daughter of Wizards' an

om the mantle of the Ink

of his-you struck me,

urned him i

to see her point with the rod and thus give the man to death. But Rachel waited, sure th

e girl, after

that you have children, among them a daughter of my own age, whom, I saw come out to greet you. For h

est the Inkosazana or her servant might change her mind and kill him after all. But Noie's name clung t

matter

ing spoke

en, and call her forth to thee. Yet know, she is mine, not thine, for when she fled I had already

didst not kill, O Ki

dst call down the lightning and burn up my soldier wh

please me, I could burn thee up also, O King

put aside this unpleasant suggestion, "the mai

that she dwelt at my

ng hes

e whom thou callest Ibubes

bowed

s to the girl's life, but that afterwards when thou hadst called me here to

from thee; it is

ng?" asked Rachel again, beginni

according to our law. But thou hast come and claimed her, O Holder of the Spirit of Nomkubulwana, and she si

tenance waved her hand to show that this que

ter whereof thou woulds

told thee, White One,

would have it from

ulted a little w

other white people, the Amaboona" (i.e. the Dutch Boers), "who are marching towards us from the Cape, and have already fought with Moselikatze-the traitor who was once my captain-and killed thousands of his men. These Amaboona threaten us also, and say aloud that they will eat us up, for they are brave and armed with the white man's weapons that spit out lightning. Now, White One, what shall we do? Shall I send out my impis and fall on them while

that prophe

who sat in the circle, "come forth, thou who knowe

ame it drew the blanket tighter about it. Rachel, watching all things, saw, or thought she saw, that on

," she

l me who I am and I will ob

embered the voice. She looked

yer of a King? Will you be called Mop

shrouded form before her s

e that face of yours from these eyes of mine which saw it a while ago

lanket slip from his

f the Spirit of our people, and that thou, White One, wast like to her of whom

till doubted her, and was set up to prove her, and all that Noie had told

f the last you speak?-that dream at the kraal Duguza, when the Inkosazana rode pa

voice, "but if thou art but a woman as tho

the past has many voices, and now that I dwell in the flesh I cannot hear them all. Let me search you o

o, a certain Baleka, who afterwards entered the house of the Black One and

t not!" exclaimed th

Umhlangana, and another prince whose name I forget," and she looked at Dingaan, who put his hand before his face. "You kept that promise with an

ingaan, and those who sat with them, wh

I thought thee but a white maiden, beautiful and bold, as thou didst declare thyse

d in the shadow, but

what need is there to tell thee anything who knowest all? They were that he heard the sound of

hink they were; 'Where-fore

hese very words spoken. Umbopa turned an

id Rachel, beckon

d whispered into his ear. He listened to her whisperings, then wit

silence, though Dingaan loo

bargained with certain Great Ones, a prince who lives, and a prince who died. Come hither, come hither, thou son of Senzangacona, come from the fields

e rose before his mind a vision of a hut and of Mopo and of Umhlangana, the prince his brother whom he had slain,

no other. Spare us, Spirit who canst summon our dead sins

do. Take notice, King, and you his captains, that I am no spirit, nothing but a woman who chances to bear a high name, and to have some wisdom. Only," she added with meaning, "if a

hosen to wear the robe of woman, as flame hides itself in flint, and woe be to the hand that strikes the fire from thi

upwards, study

she who is their daughter," muttere

lling from the south-west swept across the sky to

one. "I saw the fire shine upon h

he Ehlose, the guardian ghost of

the Amaboona travelling from the south-west

g. It fell the night ere the Black One died,"

no heed of them, sa

hou the

d it not. Interpret it as ye will. Here is my answer to thy que

and the Boers, though others thought that she meant that the Boers would perish. Dingaan also looked downcast. Watching thei

of men; the spear finds the heart to which it is appointed. Read you the omen as y

ned her ear towards the gr

people travelling over plain and mountain, and the rivers behind them run red with blood. Are they black feet or white feet? Read ye the omen as ye will. I have spoken for