This was my chance, _Nkose_, and my only one. Swift as the movements of the horror itself, I dropped down upon the thing's back, and clinging fast with the one hand, with the other I drove the point of my great a.s.segai into the joint of the spinal bone behind the skull.

_Whau, Nkose_! That was a moment. I know not quite what I expected to happen. I felt the point of the great horn, thrown backward, narrowly graze my side; then I was hurled through the air, as the huge body, arrested in mid course, turned right over, falling with its head twisted under its own enormous weight.

I was on my feet in a moment--not daring to think I had slain the monster--although I had felt the blade of my n.o.ble spear bite deep into the marrow. But there it lay, a huge black ma.s.s in the moonlight.

While I stood contemplating it, still panting after my exertions and the fall, I heard the voice of Jambula:

"That was well done, my father. Those horns will deal out the Red Death no more."

"I know not whether a headless ghost may come to life again, Jambula," I said, "but anyhow we will cut off the head of this one. But, first of all, this"--and I buried the blade of my great spear in the thing's heart.

We were both strong men, Jambula and I, yet it was with a vast deal of labour we at last succeeded in cutting off the head, which was twisted under the huge body.

"_Whau_!" exclaimed Jambula, gazing upon the great deluge of blood which poured forth upon the ground. "It is as though the blood of all those slain by the Red Death were flowing there. But now, father, suffer me to ran to Maqandi's kraal and fetch slaves to carry this, and indeed, the skin and hoofs, to lay before the King, for we have no time to lose."

"No time to lose!" I repeated. "What mean you?"

He pointed upward with his blood-smeared a.s.segai.

"The moon," he said.

Then, indeed, _Nkose_, amazement was my lot--amazement and dismay. And well it might be. For last night the moon had not quite pa.s.sed its first quarter. _To-night it was nearly full_.

Like one in a dream I gazed. Anything might be possible in this abode of _tagati_, but that the moon should change in one day from half to nearly full--_au_! that was too much.

"What does it mean, Jambula?" I said at length. "Last night the moon was less than half, and now--?"

"_Au_!" muttered Jambula, bringing his hand to his mouth with a strange sort of laugh. "Who am I that I should contradict you, my father? But last night the moon was nearly as it is now. But the night you left us it was but at half."

"And was not that last night, O fool? In truth the wizardry of this place has eaten into thy brain. And yet--!"

There was the moon, _Nkose_, within a day or two of full. It could not lie, even though Jambula could. Stupidly I gazed at it, then at him.

"And how long ago is it that I left you, Jambula?"

"Six days, father."

Ha! Now I saw. Now everything was clear. The wizard, and the _muti_ fire--the green, choking vapour that had filled my lungs and brain, causing me to see strange and fearful things--had kept me in a state of slumber. For six days I had lain within the heart of the rock, and I had thought it but the short part of one day. My hunger on my recovery--the state of putrefaction of the body of the slave whom I had supposed to have been slain only that morning--the change of the moon-- all, indeed, stood clear enough now.

But whatever Jambula may have imagined, it was not in my mind to tell him, or anybody, what had really happened, for it is not good among us for a man to have a name for dealings with _abatagati_. So I sent him off there and then to Maqandi's kraal, with orders to bring back a number of men immediately to flay the great ghost-bull and carry the hide, with the head and hoofs, before the King, without loss of time.

After he had gone, and while I sat alone in the haunted place, I watched by the great black ma.s.s lying so still and quiet; and, _Nkose_, I believe I should have felt little surprise had the thing come to life again, head and all, so great was the awe it had set up among us. I am not even sure that I did not once or twice hear the voice of old Gasitye, and behold his spidery old form shambling among the trees. The dawn came at last, however, but before it came Jambula, with a number of the iron-working slaves. These were in great delight over the slain monster who had destroyed so many of them, yet no time did I allow them to give way to their joy over dancing and such. It behoved us to return to the Great Great One with all speed, for on the next night the moon would be at full.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

THE FAITH OF A KING.

The news of what had been done had already spread fast and far, and before I reached Maqandi's kraal a great crowd of the iron-workers had a.s.sembled. These increased more and more, and presently a vast number of these people had joined in my train, dancing in their joy, and singing songs of triumph and of praise of myself, who had rid them of a twofold terror--of destruction by this thing of _tagati_, and of peril of wholesale death by the a.s.segai when the patience of the King should become exhausted. But little attention did I pay to all this, for my allotted time had nearly expired, and it would be all I could do to reach Kwa'zingwenya ere it had quite. So I levied upon Maqandi for a large body of slaves, and pushed on, travelling night and day, and taking little or no rest.

No time even had I to visit my own kraal, which was somewhat off the line of my nearest road. However, I sent messengers there, and swift runners to Kwa'zingwenya, that news of my success might reach the King as early as possible.

But as I travelled on swiftly through the night, whose dawn should see me laying my trophies at the feet of the Great Great One, my mind was torn by many misgivings, and many an anxious glance did I send upward to the heavens. _The moon was at the full_.

Fair and splendid rose the dawn of that day, and as I came in sight of our Great Place, and of the people flocking thither--for here, too, the news had spread, and all were eager to hear about what had been done, and, if possible, to behold the actual skin and horns of the great _tagati_ beast--I forgot my fears, and felt proud and light-hearted as ever when I had accomplished something great. And thus I stalked into the great circle, looking neither to right nor left, and seemingly not hearing the murmurs and exclamations of wonder which broke from all who beheld the immense horned head borne behind me by the slaves.

"The Great Great One is sleeping, Untuswa," said the commander of the armed body-guard before the gate of the _isiG.o.dhlo_. "His orders are that none should awaken him."

"Yet what will he say if such news as I bring be allowed to grow old?

How will that be, Ngoza?"

"_Whau_! I know not, son of Ntelani," was the answer. "But I may not go behind my orders. There is no safely that way."

Now I liked not this reply. I noticed, moreover, that the guard before the _isiG.o.dhlo_ was much larger than usual, and in those days, _Nkose_, anything unusual was likely to foreshadow trouble for somebody.

Further, there was a shortness in the tone of the captain of the guard which sounded strange as addressed to one of my rank and influence.

There was nothing for it, however, but patience, so I sat down to await the pleasure of the Great Great One.

As I sat there, taking snuff, I ran my eyes over those present, both near and far, seemingly with unconcern, but in reality with something of anxiety. Many of my own followers could I discern among the throng, and their women; but among these last was no sign of Lalusini. Yet this did not disconcert me, for of late my _inkosikazi_ had rather avoided coming overmuch within the notice of the Great Great One.

Presently an _inceku_ came out and spoke to the captain of the guard.

Immediately it was proclaimed that the Great Great One was about to appear; and, preceded by the _izimbonga_, or praisers, bellowing the royal t.i.tles, Umzilikazi came forth and took his seat at the head of the great circle, where he was wont to sit each morning and discuss matters of state, or p.r.o.nounce judgment on offenders.

As soon as the prostrate mult.i.tude had made an end of shouting the royal praises I advanced to the King and made my report, leaving out, however, my experience of the witchcraft of Gasitye.

"Thou hast done well, Untuswa," he said when I had concluded. "Now bid them bring hither that head."

This was done--and as Umzilikazi stood up the better to examine it, even he murmured in surprise at its gigantic size. And I, gazing upon the thing, black and huge, with its glazed eyes and swollen tongue and s.h.a.ggy frontlet of hair, remembered the horrible and terrifying aspect of those vast, pointed horns, tossing and tearing in the glade of the moonlit forest.

"_Whau_! It stinks. Let them take it away," said Umzilikazi at length, spitting in disgust, as a swarm of flies came buzzing about his face.

"And now, Untuswa, this thing will trouble the land no more?"

"No more, Great Great One."

"Ha! That is well. And now by virtue of what _muti_ didst thou triumph over this evil thing of witchcraft?"

"By the virtue of no _muti_ save that of the spear of the King, O Elephant," I answered, with a glance backward at where I had deposited the great a.s.segai, the erewhile royal gift.

I thought the answer seemed to please him, then not; for his expression changed as though reading into my words a hidden meaning.

"But it has taken long to rid the land of this thing, Untuswa," he said, looking at me with his head bent sideways, and speaking in a soft tone.

"That is so, Great Great One. But the thing was both crafty and fierce."

"Yet not alone didst thou slay it, as my conditions were," he went on, pointing at me with his short-handled spear.

"Alone indeed did I slay it, Serpent of Wisdom," I answered.

"Now thou liest, son of Ntelani. What of the slaves who were with thee?"