child of storm-第20节

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an　English　park；　at　that　mountain　on　the　side　of　which　Bangu；　chief　of
the　Amakoba；　had　his　kraal。

It　was　a　very　formidable　mountain；　and；　as　we　had　already　observed；　the
paths　leading　up　to　the　kraal　were　amply　protected　with　stone　walls　in
which　the　openings　were　quite　narrow；　only　just　big　enough　to　allow　one
ox　to　pass　through　them　at　a　time。　　Moreover；　all　these　walls　had　been
strengthened　recently；　perhaps　because　Bangu　was　aware　that　Panda　looked
upon　him；　a　northern　chief　dwelling　on　the　confines　of　his　dominions；
with　suspicion　and　even　active　enmity；　as　he　was　also　no　doubt　aware
Panda　had　good　cause　to　do。

Here　in　a　dense　patch　of　bush　that　grew　in　a　kloof　of　the　hills　we　held
a　council　of　war。

So　far　as　we　knew　our　advance　had　been　unobserved；　for　I　had　left　my
wagons　in　the　low　veld　thirty　miles　away；　giving　it　out　among　the　local
natives　that　I　was　hunting　game　there；　and　bringing　on　with　me　only
Scowl　and　four　of　my　best　hunters；　all　well…armed　natives　who　could
shoot。　　The　three　hundred　Amangwane　also　had　advanced　in　small　parties；
separated　from　each　other；　pretending　to　be　Kafirs　marching　towards
Delagoa　Bay。　　Now；　however；　we　had　all　met　in　this　bush。　　Among　our
number　were　three　Amangwane　who；　on　the　slaughter　of　their　tribe；　had
fled　with　their　mothers　to　this　district　and　been　brought　up　among　the
people　of　Bangu；　but　who　at　his　summons　had　come　back　to　Saduko。　　It　was
on　these　men　that　we　relied　at　this　juncture；　for　they　alone　knew　the
country。　　Long　and　anxiously　did　we　consult　with　them。　　First　they
explained；　and；　so　far　as　the　moonlight　would　allow；　for　as　yet　the　dawn
had　not　broken；　pointed　out　to　us　the　various　paths　that　led　to　Bangu's
kraal。

〃How　many　men　are　there　in　the　town？〃　I　asked。

〃About　seven　hundred　who　carry　spears；〃　they　answered；　〃together　with
others　in　outlying　kraals。　　Moreover；　watchmen　are　always　set　at　the
gateways　in　the　walls。〃

〃And　where　are　the　cattle？〃　I　asked　again。

〃Here；　in　the　valley　beneath；　Macumazahn；〃　answered　the　spokesman。　　〃If
you　listen　you　will　hear　them　lowing。　　Fifty　men；　not　less；　watch　them
at　nighttwo　thousand　head　of　them；　or　more。〃

〃Then　it　would　not　be　difficult　to　get　round　these　cattle　and　drive　them
off；　leaving　Bangu　to　breed　up　a　new　herd？〃

〃It　might　not　be　difficult；〃　interrupted　Saduko；　〃but　I　came　here　to
kill　Bangu；　as　well　as　to　seize　his　cattle；　since　with　him　I　have　a
blood　feud。〃

〃Very　good；〃　I　answered；　〃but　that　mountain　cannot　be　stormed　with　three
hundred　men；　fortified　as　it　is　with　walls　and　schanzes。　　Our　band　would
be　destroyed　before　ever　we　came　to　the　kraal；　since；　owing　to　the
sentries　who　are　set　everywhere；　it　would　be　impossible　to　surprise　the
place。　　Also　you　have　forgotten　the　dogs；　Saduko。　　Moreover；　even　if　it
were　possible；　I　will　have　nothing　to　do　with　the　massacre　of　women　and
children；　which　must　happen　in　an　assault。　　Now；　listen　to　me；　O　Saduko。
　I　say　let　us　leave　the　kraal　of　Bangu　alone；　and　this　coming　night　send
fifty　of　our　men；　under　the　leadership　of　the　guides；　down　to　yonder
bush；　where　they　will　lie　hid。　　Then；　after　moonrise；　when　all　are
asleep；　these　fifty　must　rush　the　cattle　kraal；　killing　any　who　may
oppose　them；　should　they　be　seen；　and　driving　the　herd　out　through
yonder　great　pass　by　which　we　have　entered　the　land。　　Bangu　and　his
people；　thinking　that　those　who　have　taken　the　cattle　are　but　common
thieves　of　some　wild　tribe；　will　gather　and　follow　the　beasts　to
recapture　them。　　But　we；　with　the　rest　of　the　Amangwane；　can　set　an
ambush　in　the　narrowest　part　of　the　pass　among　the　rocks；　where　the
grass　is　high　and　the　euphorbia　trees　grow　thick；　and　there；　when　they
have　passed　the　Nek；　which　I　and　my　hunters　will　hold　with　our　guns；　we
will　give　them　battle。　　What　say　you？〃

Now；　Saduko　answered　that　he　would　rather　attack　the　kraal；　which　he
wished　to　burn。　　But　the　old　Amangwane；　Tshoza；　brother　of　the　dead
Matiwane；　said：

〃No；　Macumazahn；　Watcher…by…Night；　is　wise。　　Why　should　we　waste　our
strength　on　stone　walls；　of　which　none　know　the　number　or　can　find　the
gates　in　the　darkness；　and　thereby　leave　our　skulls　to　be　set　up　as
ornaments　on　the　fences　of　the　accursed　Amakoba？　　Let　us　draw　the
Amakoba　out　into　the　pass　of　the　mountains；　where　they　have　no　walls　to
protect　them；　and　there　fall　on　them　when　they　are　bewildered　and　settle
the　matter　with　them　man　to　man。　　As　for　the　women　and　children；　with
Macumazahn　I　say　let　them　go；　afterwards；　perhaps；　they　will　become
_our_　women　and　children。〃

〃Aye；〃　answered　the　Amangwane；　〃the　plan　of　the　white　Inkoosi　is　good；
he　is　clever　as　a　weasel；　we　will　have　his　plan　and　no　other。〃

So　Saduko　was　overruled　and　my　counsel　adopted。

All　that　day　we　rested；　lighting　no　fires　and　remaining　still　as　the
dead　in　the　dense　bush。　　It　was　a　very　anxious　day；　for　although　the
place　was　so　wild　and　lonely；　there　was　always　the　fear　lest　we　should
be　discovered。　　It　was　true　that　we　had　travelled　mostly　by　night　in
small　parties；　to　avoid　leaving　a　spoor；　and　avoided　all　kraals；　still；
some　rumour　of　our　approach　might　have　reached　the　Amakoba；　or　a　party
of　hunters　might　stumble　on　us；　or　those　who　sought　for　lost　cattle。

Indeed；　something　of　this　sort　did　happen；　for　about　midday　we　heard　a
footfall；　and　perceived　the　figure　of　a　man；　whom　by　his　head…dress　we
knew　for　an　Amakoba；　threading　his　way　through　the　bush。　　Before　he　saw
us　he　was　in　our　midst。　　For　a　moment　he　hesitated　ere　he　turned　to　fly；
and　that　moment　was　his　last；　for　three　of　the　Amangwane　leapt　on　him
silently　as　leopards　leap　upon　a　buck；　and　where　he　stood　there　he　died。
　Poor　fellow！　　Evidently　he　had　been　on　a　visit　to　some　witch…doctor；
for　in　his　blanket　we　found　medicine　and　love　charms。　　This　doctor
cannot　have　been　one　of　the　stamp　of　Zikali　the　Dwarf；　I　thought　to
myself；　at　least；　he　had　not　warned　him　that　he　would　never　live　to　dose
his　beloved　with　that　foolish　medicine。

Meanwhile　a　few　of　us　who　had　the　quickest　eyes　climbed　trees；　and
thence　watched　the　town　of　Bangu　and　the　valley　that　lay　between　us　and
it。　　Soon　we　saw　that　so　far；　at　any　rate；　Fortune　was　playing　into　our
hands；　since　herd　after　herd　of　kine　were　driven　into　the　valley　during
the　afternoon　and　enclosed　in　the　stock…kraals。　　Doubtless　Bangu
intended　on　the　morrow　to　make　his　half…yearly　inspection　of　all　the
cattle　of　the　tribe；　many　of　which　were　herded　at　a　distance　from　his
town。

At　length　the　long　day　drew　to　its　close　and　the　shadows　of　the　evening
thickened。　　Then　we　made　ready　for　our　dreadful　game；　of　which　the　stake
was　the　lives　of　all　of　us；　since；　should　we　fail；　we　could　expect　no
mercy。　　The　fifty　picked　men　were　gathered　and　ate　food　in　silence。　
These　men　were　placed　under　the　command　of　Tshoza；　for　he　was　the　most
experienced　of　the　Amangwane；　and　led　by　the　three　guides　who　had　dwelt
among　the　Amakoba；　and　who　〃knew　every　ant…heap　in　the　land；〃　or　so　they
swore。　　Their　duty；　it　will　be　remembered；　was　to　cross　the　valley；
separate　themselves　into　small　parties；　unbar　the　various　cattle　kraals；
kill　or　hunt　off　the　herdsmen；　and　drive　the　beasts　back　across　the
valley　into　the　pass。　　A　second　fifty　men；　under　the　command　of　Saduko；
were　to　be　left　just　at　the　end　of　this　pass　where　it　opened　out　into
the　valley；　in　order　to　help　and　reinforce　the　cattle…lifters；　or；　if
need　be；　to　check　the　following　Amakoba　while　the　great　herds　of　beasts
were　got　away；　and　then　fall　back　on　the　rest　of　us　in　our　ambush　nearly
two　miles　distant。　　The　management　of　this　ambush　was　to　be　my　chargea
heavy　one　indeed。

Now；　the　moon　would　not　be　up　till　midnight。　　But　two　hours　before　that
time　we　began　our　moves；　since　the　cattle　must　be　driven　out　of　the
kraals　as　soon　as　she　appeared　and　gave　the　needful　light。　　Otherwise
the　fight　in　the　pass　would　in　all　probability　be　delayed　till　after
sunrise；　when　the　Amakoba　would　see　how　small　was　the　number　of　their
foes。　　Terror；　doubt；　darknessthese　must　be　our　allies　if　our
desperate　venture　was　to　succeed。

All　was　arranged　at　last　and　the　time　had　come。　　We；　the　three　captains
of　our　divided　force；　bade　each　other　farewell；　and　passed　the　word　down
the　ranks　that；　should　we　be　separated　by　the　accidents　of　war；　my
wagons　were　the　meeting…place　of　any　who　survived。

Tshoza　and　his　fifty　glided　away　into　the　shadow　silently　as　ghosts　and
were　gone。　　Presently　the　fierce…faced　Saduko　departed　also　with　his
fifty。　　He　carried　the　double…barrelled　gun　I　had　given　him；　and　was
accompanied　by　one　of　my　best　hunters；　a　Natal　native；　who　was　also
armed　with　a　heavy　smooth…bore　loaded　with　slugs。　　Our　hope　was　that　the
sound　of　these　guns　might　terrify　the　foe；　should　there　be　occasion　to
use　them　before　our　forces　joined　up　again；　and　make　them　think　they　had
to　do　with　a　body　of　raiding　Dutch　white　men；　of　whose　roersas　the
heavy　elephant　guns　of　that　day　were　calledall　natives　were　much
afraid。

So　Saduko　went　with　his　fifty；　leaving　me　wondering　whether　I　should
ever　see　his　face　again。　　Then　I；　my　bearer　Scowl；　the　two　remaining
hunters；　and　the　ten　score　Amangwane　who　were　left　turned　and　soon　w