She and Allan | Page 9

you will."
I did try, but something seemed to prevent me from accomplishing my
purpose of giving the carving back to Zikali as I wished to do. First my
pipe got in the way of my hand, then the elephant hairs caught in the
collar of my coat; then a pang of rheumatism to which I was
accustomed from an old lion-bite, developed of a sudden in my arm,
and lastly I grew tired of bothering about the thing.
Zikali, who had been watching my movements, burst out into one of his
terrible laughs that seemed to fill the whole kloof and to re-echo from
its rocky walls. It died away and he went on, without further reference

to the talisman or image.
"You asked whom you were to take with you, Macumazahn. Well, as to
this I must make inquiry of those who know. Man, my medicines!"
From the shadows in the hut behind darted out a tall figure carrying a
great spear in one hand and in the other a catskin bag which with a
salute he laid down at the feet of his master. This salute, by the way,
was that of a Zulu word which means "Lord" or "Home" of Ghosts.
Zikali groped in the bag and produced from it certain knuckle-bones.
"A common method," he muttered, "such as every vulgar wizard uses,
but one that is quick and, as the matter concerned is small, will serve
my turn. Let us see now, whom you shall take with you, Macumazahn."
Then he breathed upon the bones, shook them up in his thin hands and
with a quick turn of the wrist, threw them into the air. After this he
studied them carefully, where they lay among the ashes which he had
raked out of the fire, those that he had used for the making of his map.
"Do you know a man named Umslopogaas, Macumazahn, the chief of a
tribe that is called The People of the Axe, whose titles of praise are
Bulalio or the Slaughterer, and Woodpecker, the latter from the way he
handles his ancient axe? He is a savage fellow, but one of high blood
and higher courage, a great captain in his way, though he will never
come to anything, save a glorious death--in your company, I think,
Macumazahn." (Here he studied the bones again for a while.) "Yes, I
am sure, in your company, though not upon this journey."
"I have heard of him," I answered cautiously. "It is said in the land that
he is a son of Chaka, the great king of the Zulus."
"Is it, Macumazahn? And is it said also that he was the slayer of
Chaka's brother, Dingaan, also the lover of the fairest woman that the
Zulus have ever seen, who was called Nada the Lily? Unless indeed a
certain Mameena, who, I seem to remember, was a friend of yours, may
have been even more beautiful?"

"I know nothing of Nada the Lily," I answered.
"No, no, Mameena, 'the Waiting Wind,' has blown over her fame, so
why should you know of one who has been dead a long while? Why
also, Macumazahn, do you always bring women into every business? I
begin to believe that although you are so strict in a white man's fashion,
you must be too fond of them, a weakness which makes for ruin to any
man. Well, now, I think that this wolf-man, this axe-man, this warrior,
Umslopogaas should be a good fellow to you on your journey to visit
the white witch, Queen--another woman by the way, Macumazahn, and
therefore one of whom you should be careful. Oh! yes, he will come
with you--because of a man called Lousta and a woman named Monazi,
a wife of his who hates him and does--not hate Lousta. I am almost
sure that he will come with you, so do not stop to ask questions about
him."
"Is there anyone else?" I inquired.
Zikali glanced at the bones again, poking them about in the ashes with
his toe, then replied with a yawn,
"You seem to have a little yellow man in your service, a clever snake
who knows how to creep through grass, and when to strike and when to
lie hidden. I should take him too, if I were you."
"You know well that I have such a man, Zikali, a Hottentot named
Hans, clever in his way but drunken, very faithful too, since he loved
my father before me. He is cooking my supper in the waggon now. Are
there to be any others?"
"No, I think you three will be enough, with a guard of soldiers from the
People of the Axe, for you will meet with fighting and a ghost or two.
Umslopogaas has always one