We embraced each other with great affection, and Lalusini with her own hands armed me with my weapons--the white shield, and the great dark-handled a.s.segai which was the former gift of the King, also my heavy k.n.o.bkerrie of rhinoceros horn, and three or four light casting spears--but no feather crest or other war adornments did I put on. Then I stepped forth.

No armed escort was to accompany me, for I must do this thing alone.

But I had chosen one slave to bear such few things as I should require.

Him I found awaiting me at the gate of the kraal.

It was evening when I stepped forth--evening, the busiest and cheeriest time of the day--yet my kraal was silent and mournful as though expecting every moment the messengers of death. The cattle within their enclosure stood around, lowing impatiently, for the milking was neglected; and men, young and old, sat in gloomy groups, and no women were to be seen. These murmured a subdued farewell, for not only was I, their chief and father, about to sally forth upon an errand of horror and of gloom, but in the event of failure on my part, who should stand between them and the King's word of doom?

Through these I strode with head erect as though proceeding to certain success--to a sure triumph. When without the gate I turned for a moment to look back. The rim of the sinking sun had just kissed the tips of the forest trees on the far sky-line, and his rays, like darts of fire, struck full upon my largest hut, which was right opposite the great gate of the kraal. And there against the reed palisade in front of the door stood Lalusini, who had come to see the last of me, ere I disappeared into gloom and distance. _Au_! I can see her now, my beautiful wife, as she stood there, her tall and splendid form robed as it were in waving flames of fire, where the last glory of the dying sun fell full upon her. And through the dazzle of this darting light, her gaze was fixed upon me, firm and unflinching. Yes, I can see her now as I saw her then, and at times in my dreams, _Nkose_, old man as I am, my heart feels sore and heavy and broken as it did then. For as I returned her parting gesture of farewell, and plunged into the forest shades, at that moment a voice seemed to cry in my ears that I should behold her no more. In truth was I bewitched.

"Will you not rest a while, lord, and suffer me to prepare food, for we have travelled fast and far?"

The voice was that of my attendant slave, and it struck upon my ears as a voice from the spirit world, so wrapped up was I in the gloom of my own thoughts. Now I glanced at the sky and judged the night to be more than half through. And we had marched since the setting of the sun.

But the light of the half moon was sufficient for us, for the forest trees were of low stature and we were seldom in complete darkness.

"Rest a while? Not so, Jambula," I answered. "Are we not on the King's errand? and from hence to the full of the moon is not far."

"The forest is loud with the roarings of strange ghost-beasts, my father; and the time of night when such have most power must already be here. And we are but two," he urged, though with great deference.

"And what are such to me--to me!" I answered, "I who am under the protection of great and powerful _muti_? Go to, Jambula. Art thou turning fearful as time creeps upon thee?"

"I fear nothing within touch of thy _muti_, father," he answered, liking not the question.

And then, indeed, I became alive to the meaning of the man's words, for strange and fearful noises were abroad among the shadows on either hand, low sad wailings as of the ghosts of them that wander in darkness and pain, mingling with the savage howls of ramping beasts into whose grim bodies the spirits of many fighters had pa.s.sed, to continue their fierce warring upon such as still trod this earth in the flesh. And over and above these came the mighty, m.u.f.fled, thunderous roar of a lion.

But those sounds, many and terrifying as they were, held no fears for me--indeed, they had hitherto fallen upon deaf ears--so filled was my soul with forebodings of another kind. Now, however, a quick, startled murmur on the part of my follower caused me to halt.

Right in front I saw a huge shape--ma.s.sive and s.h.a.ggy--and I saw the green flash of eyes, and the baring of mighty jaws in the moonlight.

Then up went the vast head, and a quivering thunderous roar shook the night.

Then the beast crouched. It was of enormous size in the half light.

Was it only a lion--or a ghost-beast, which would spread and spread till its hugeness overshadowed the world? If the latter, mere weapons were powerless against it.

Jambula stepped to my side, every muscle of his frame tense with the excitement of the moment. His shield was thrust, forward, and his right hand gripped the haft of a broad-bladed stabbing spear. But I--no movement did I make towards using a weapon. I advanced straight upon the beast, and as I did so, some force I knew not caused my hand to rest upon the _muti_ bag which hung upon my breast.

With a snarling roar the beast moved forward a little, preparing for its rush. We were but ten paces apart. Then the fierce lashing of the tail ceased, the awful eyes seemed to glare with fear where rage had fired them before--the thunder of the threatening roar became as the shrill whine of a crowd of terrified women--and, backing before me as I advanced, the huge beast slunk away in the cover, and we could hear its frightened winnings growing fainter and fainter in the distance.

By this, _Nkose_, two things were clear--that the shape, though that of a huge and savage lion, was but a shape to give cover to something which was not of this world--and that Lalusini's _muti_ was capable of accomplishing strange and wonderful results.

CHAPTER FOUR.

THE ABODE OF THE TERROR.

Through the whole of the following day, and the night after, we travelled; and on the next morning, before the son had arisen, we came upon a large kraal. The land lay enshrouded in heavy mist, and the hoa.r.s.e barking of many dogs sounded thick and m.u.f.fled. Armed men sprang to the gate to inquire our errand, but one word from my slave, Jambula, caused them to give us immediate admission. This was the kraal of Maqandi-ka-Mahlu, the chief over the workers in iron, in whose midst the horror named the Red Death had broken forth.

As I strode across the centre s.p.a.ce--the domes of the encircling huts looming shadowy through the mist--Maqandi himself came forth to meet me.

Yet although showing me this mark of deference, I liked not his manner, which was sullen, and somewhat lacking in the respect due from an inferior and disgraced chief towards one who dwelt at the right hand of the King, and who was, moreover, the second in command of the King's army. But it seemed to me that fear was in his mind, for he could not think that an induna of my rank would arrive alone, attended by one slave, and I think he expected every moment the signal which should bring my followers swarming into the kraal to put him and his to the a.s.segai and his possessions to the flames.

"What is the will of the Great Great One, son of Ntelani?" he said, as we sat together within his hut alone. "_Hau_! I am an old man now, and troubles grow thick on every side. I have no people, and am but taskmaster over a set of miserable slaves--I, who fought with the a.s.segai and led warriors to victory at the Place of the Three Rifts, even as you did yourself, Untuswa. Yes, troubles are upon me on every side, and I would fain sit down at rest within the Dark Unknown."

I looked at Maqandi, and I pitied him. He had, indeed, grown old since we had fought together in that great battle. His face was lined and his beard had grown grey; and his hair--which, being in some measure in disgrace, he had neglected to shave--seemed quite white against the blackness of his head-ring. Yet with all his desire to sleep the sleep of death, there was in his eyes a look of fear; such a look as may be descried in the faces of those to whom the witch-finder's rod draws very near. Yes, I pitied him.

"The will of the Great Great One is not with thee for the present, Maqandi," I said, desiring to rea.s.sure him. "Now, hearken, and give me such aid as I need, and it may be that the head-ring of the son of Mahlu may yet shine once more in its place among the nation."

"Ha! Sayest thou so, holder of the White Shield?" he answered quickly, a look of joy lighting up his face. "Is not all I have at the disposal of the second induna of the King?"

"That is rightly said, Maqandi," I replied. "For never yet did I fail those who did well by me. And now we will talk."

I unfolded my plan to the chief over the ironworkers, and as I did so his face grew sad and heavy again--for I could see he doubted my success in ridding the land of this terror--and then would not he, too, be sacrificed to the anger of the King? But I enjoined upon him silence and secrecy--telling him that his part lay in strictly obeying my orders and supplying my need. This, so far, lay in requiring two of the slave ironworkers to be in attendance upon me at sundown, for I intended proceeding to the Valley of the Red Death that very night.

Food was brought in, and _tywala_, and we ate and drank. Then I lay down and slept--slept hard and soundly throughout the heat and length of the day.

When I awoke the sun was declining from his highest point in the heavens. My slave Jambula was already waiting and armed before the door of my hat. Beside him, too, were those I required to be in attendance.

Both went before me, uttering words of _bonga_.

"Why are these armed?" I said, noting that the two ironworkers carried spears and axes. "I need no armed force. Let them leave their weapons here."

A look of fear spread over the faces of both slaves at these words, and they reckoned themselves already dead men. For although weapons could be of no avail against a thing of _tagati_ and of terror, such as had already laid low so many of their number, and indeed two of our own tried warriors, in a death of blood, yet it is in the nature of man to feel more confident when his hand holds a spear. But at my word they dropped their weapons and stood helpless.

Now, _Nkose_, not without reason did I so act. The King's word had been that I should slay this horror accompanied by no armed force, and although two such miserable fighters as this race of slaves could supply were of no more use with arms in their hands than without, yet I would not give Umzilikazi any chance of saying I had not fulfilled his conditions. Besides, I had a purpose to which I intended putting these two, wherein weapons would avail them nothing at all.

I took leave of Maqandi-ka-Mahlu and set forth--I and Jambula and the two workers in iron. Such men of our people as I encountered saluted me in gloomy silence, and as I pa.s.sed the kraals of the iron-workers the people came forth and prostrated themselves on the ground, for my importance was twofold; I represented the majesty of the King, and further, some inkling had got abroad that my errand lay to investigate, and, if possible, bring to an end the terror of the Red Magic.

From the kraal of Maqandi we could already see the great mountain range in whose heart lay the locality of this terror, and shortly, ere the last rays of the sun faded from the world, we stood before a dark and narrow defile. We had left behind the dwellings of men, though plentiful traces of their occupation would meet our eyes, being left by the iron-working parties. Through this defile a thin trickle of water ran, though in times of rain and storm the place showed signs of pouring down a mighty and formidable flood. High overhead the slopes were covered with thick bush and forest trees, and above this, again, walls of red-faced rock seemed to cleave the sky. As we entered this gloomy place the terror on the faces of the slaves deepened, and even I, _Nkose_, felt not so easy in my mind as I would have it appear.

Soon we came out into more open ground; open immediately around us, for on raising my eyes I saw that we were in a large valley, or hollow. A ring of immense cliffs shut in the place as with a wall, nor, save the way by which we had come in, could my glance, keen and searching as it was, descry any means by which a man might find a way out.

The bottom of this strange valley was nearly level, and well grown with tall forest trees and undergrowth; not so thick, however, but that there were gra.s.sy open s.p.a.ces, bestrewn with large rocks and boulders. But from the level floor of the hollow robe little or no slope. The great iron faces of the cliffs rose immediately, either in terraces or soaring up to a great height. Such was the aspect of the Valley of the Red Death.

That it was indeed the dreaded valley, the looks on the faces of the two iron-workers were sufficient to show. But I, gazing earnestly around and noting that there was but one way in or out, reckoned that the first part of my errand would not be hard--to find the accursed thing. Then a further examination of the cliffs, and I felt not so sure, for irregularly along their faces were black spots of all shapes and sizes.

These were the mouths of caves.

Now, as we stood there, the light of day had all but faded from the world, and already one or two stars were peeping over the rim of the vast cliff-wall rearing up misty and dim to the height of the heavens.

Little sound of life was there, from bird, or beast, or insect; and this of itself added to the grey and ghostly chill which seemed to brood over the place; for in that country night was wont to utter with more voices than day. But the golden bow of a young moon, bright and clear, gave a sufficient light to make out anything moving, save under the black darkness of the trees.

"What is thy name?" I said suddenly, turning to one of the slaves.

"Suru, father," he replied.

"Well then, Suru, attend," I said. "Remain here, in this open s.p.a.ce beside this small rock, and stir not hence until I send for or call thee. To fail in thy orders in the smallest particular is death."

But the man sank on the ground at my feet.

"Slay me now, father," he entreated, "for death by one blow of the spear of the mighty do I prefer to the awfulness and horror of the death which shall come upon me here alone."