She and Allan

by H. Rider Haggard

  CHAPTER VII

  THE OATH

  We spent three more days at that place. First it was necessary to allowtime to elapse before the gases which generated in their great bodiescaused those of the sea-cows which had been killed in the water, tofloat. Then they must be skinned and their thick hides cut into stripsand pieces to be traded for _sjamboks_ or to make small native shieldsfor which some of the East Coast tribes will pay heavily.

  All this took a long while, during which I amused, or disgusted myselfin watching those river natives devouring the flesh of the beasts.The lean, what there was of it, they dried and smoked into a kind of"biltong," but a great deal of the fat they ate at once. I had thecuriosity to weigh a lump which was given to one thin, hungry-lookingfellow. It scaled quite twenty pounds. Within four hours he had eaten itto the last ounce and lay there, a distended and torpid log. What wouldnot we white people give for such a digestion!

  At last all was over and we started homewards, the man with a broken legbeing carried in a kind of litter. On the edge of the bush-veld we foundthe waggon quite safe, also one of Captain Robertson's that had followedus from Strathmuir in order to carry the expected load of hippopotamus'hides and ivory. I asked my _voorlooper_ if anything had happened duringour absence. He answered nothing, but on the previous evening afterdark, he had seen a glow in the direction of Strathmuir which lay onsomewhat lower ground about twenty miles away, as though numerous fireshad been lighted there. It struck him so much, he added, that heclimbed a tree to observe it better. He did not think, however, that anybuilding had been burned there, as the glow was not strong enough forthat.

  I suggested that it was caused by some grass fire or reed-burning, towhich he replied indifferently that he did not think so as the line ofthe glow was not sufficiently continuous.

  There the matter ended, though I confess that the story made me anxious,for what exact reason I could not say. Umslopogaas also, who hadlistened to it, for our talk was in Zulu, looked grave, but made noremark. But as since his tree-climbing experience he had been singularlysilent, of this I thought little.

  We had trekked at a time which we calculated would bring us toStrathmuir about an hour before sundown, allowing for a short halt halfway. As my oxen were got in more quickly than those of the other waggonafter this outspan, I was the first away, followed at a little distanceby Umslopogaas, who preferred to walk with his Zulus. The truth was thatI could not get that story about the glow of fires out of my mind andwas anxious to push on, which had caused me to hurry up the inspanning.

  Perhaps we had covered a couple of miles of the ten or twelve whichstill lay between us and Strathmuir, when far off on the crest of oneof the waves of the veld which much resembled those of the swelling seafrozen while in motion, I saw a small figure approaching us at a rapidtrot. Somehow that figure suggested Hans to my mind, so much so that Ifetched my glasses to examine it more closely. A short scrutiny throughthem convinced me that Hans it was, Hans and no other, advancing at agreat pace.

  Filled with uneasiness, I ordered the driver to flog up the oxen,with the result that in a little over five minutes we met. Halting thewaggon, I leapt from the waggon-box and calling to Umslopogaas who hadkept up with us at a slow, swinging trot, went to Hans, who, when he sawme, stood still at a little distance, swinging his apology for a hat inhis hand, as was his fashion when ashamed or perplexed.

  "What is the matter, Hans?" I asked when we were within speakingdistance.

  "Oh! Baas, everything," he answered, and I noticed that he kept his eyesfixed upon the ground and that his lips twitched.

  "Speak, you fool, and in Zulu," I said, for by now Umslopogaas hadjoined me.

  "Baas," he answered in that tongue, "a terrible thing has come aboutat the farm of Red-Beard yonder. Yesterday afternoon at the time whenpeople are in the habit of sleeping there till the sun grows less hot,a body of great men with fierce faces who carried big spears--perhapsthere were fifty of them, Baas--crept up to the place through the longgrass and growing crops, and attacked it."

  "Did you see them come?" I asked.

  "No, Baas. I was watching at a little distance as you bade me do and thesun being hot, I shut my eyes to keep out the glare of it, so that I didnot see them until they had passed me and heard the noise."

  "You mean that you were asleep or drunk, Hans, but go on."

  "Baas, I do not know," he answered shamefacedly, "but after that Iclimbed a tall tree with a kind of bush at the top of it" (I ascertainedafterwards that this was a sort of leafy-crowned palm), "and from it Isaw everything without being seen."

  "What did you see, Hans?" I asked him.

  "I saw the big men run up and make a kind of circle round the village.Then they shouted, and the people in the village came out to see whatwas the matter. Thomaso and some of the men caught sight of them firstand ran away fast into the hillside at the back where the trees grow,before the circle was complete. Then the women and the children came outand the big men killed them with their spears--all, all!"

  "Good God!" I exclaimed. "And what happened at the house and to thelady?"

  "Baas, some of the men had surrounded that also and when she heard thenoise the lady Sad-Eyes came out on to the stoep and with her camethe two Zulus of the Axe who had been left sick but were now quiterecovered. A number of the big men ran as though to take her, but thetwo Zulus made a great fight in front of the little steps to the stoep,having their backs protected by the stoep, and killed six of them beforethey themselves were killed. Also Sad-Eyes shot one with a pistol shecarried, and wounded another so that the spear fell out of his hand.

  "Then the rest fell on her and tied her up, setting her in a chair onthe stoep where two remained to watch her. They did her no hurt, Baas;indeed, they seemed to treat her as gently as they could. Also theywent into the house and there they caught that tall fat yellow girl whoalways smiles and is called Janee, she who waits upon the Lady Sad-Eyes,and brought her out to her. I think they told her, Baas, that she mustlook after her mistress and that if she tried to run away she would bekilled, for afterwards I saw Janee bring her food and other things."

  "And then, Hans?"

  "Then, Baas, most of the great men rested a while, though some of themwent through the store gathering such things as they liked, blankets,knives and iron cooking-pots, but they set fire to nothing, nor did theytry to catch the cattle. Also they took dry wood from the pile and litbig fires, eight or nine of them, and when the sun set they began tofeast."

  "What did they feast on, Hans, if they took no cattle?" I asked with ashiver, for I was afraid of I knew not what.

  "Baas," answered Hans, turning his head away and looking at the ground,"they feasted on the children whom they had killed, also on some of theyoung women. These tall soldiers are men-eaters, Baas."

  At this horrible intelligence I turned faint and felt as though I wasgoing to fall, but recovering myself, signed to him to go on with hisstory.

  "They feasted quite nicely, Baas," he continued, "making no noise. Thensome of them slept while others watched, and that went on all night. Assoon as it was dark, but before the moon rose, I slid down the tree andcrept round to the back of the house without being seen or heard, asI can, Baas. I got into the house by the back door and crawled tothe window of the sitting-room. It was open and peeping through I sawSad-Eyes still tied to the seat on the stoep not more than a pace away,while the girl Janee crouched on the floor at her feet--I think she wasasleep or fainting.

  "I made a little noise, like a night-adder hissing, and kept on makingit, till at last Sad-Eyes turned her head. Then I spoke in a very lowwhisper, for fear lest I should wake the two guards who were dozing oneither side of her wrapped in their blankets, saying, 'It is I, Hans,come to help you.' 'You cannot,' she answered, also speaking very low.'Get to your master and tell him and my father to follow. These men arecalled Amahagger and live far away across the river. They are going totake me to their home, as I understand, to rule them, because they wanta white woman
to be a queen over them who have always been ruled by acertain white queen, against whom they have rebelled. I do not thinkthey mean to do me any harm, unless perhaps they want to marry meto their chief, but of this I am not sure from their talk which Iunderstand badly. Now go, before they catch you.'

  "'I think you might get away,' I whispered back. 'I will cut your bonds.When you are free, slip through the window and I will guide you.'

  "'Very well, try it,' she said.

  "So I drew my knife and stretched out my arm. But then, Baas, I showedmyself a fool--if the Great Medicine had still been there I might haveknown better. I forgot the starlight which shone upon the blade of theknife. That girl Janee came out of her sleep or swoon, lifted her headand saw the knife. She screamed once, then at a word from her mistresswas silent. But it was enough, for it woke up the guards who glaredabout them and threatened Janee with their great spears, also they wentto sleep no more, but began to talk together, though what they said Icould not hear, for I was hiding on the floor of the room. After this,knowing that I could do no good and might do harm and get myself killed,I crept out of the house as I had crept in, and crawled back to mytree."

  "Why did you not come to me?" I asked.

  "Because I still hoped I might be able to help Sad-Eyes, Baas. Also Iwanted to see what happened, and I knew that I could not bring you herein time to be any good. Yet it is true I thought of coming though I didnot know the road."

  "Perhaps you were right."

  "At the first dawn," continued Hans, "the great men who are calledAmahagger rose and ate what was left over from the night before. Thenthey gathered themselves together and went to the house. Here they founda large chair, that seated with _rimpis_ in which the Baas Red-Beardsits, and lashed two poles to the chair. Beneath the chair they tiedthe garments and other things of the Lady Sad-Eyes which they madeJanee gather as Sad-Eyes directed her. This done, very gently they satSad-Eyes herself in the chair, bowing while they made her fast. Afterthis eight of them set the poles upon their shoulders, and they all wentaway at a trot, heading for the bush-veld, driving with them a herd ofgoats which they had stolen from the farm, and making Janee run by thechair. I saw everything, Baas, for they passed just beneath my tree.Then I came to seek you, following the outward spoor of the waggonswhich I could not have done well at night. That is all, Baas."

  "Hans," I said, "you have been drinking and because of it the ladySad-Eyes is taken a prisoner by cannibals; for had you been awake andwatching, you might have seen them coming and saved her and the rest.Still, afterwards you did well, and for the rest you must answer toHeaven."

  "I must tell your reverend father, the Predikant, Baas, that the whitemaster, Red-Beard, gave me the liquor and it is rude not to do as agreat white master does, and drink it up. I am sure he will understand,Baas," said Hans abjectly.

  I thought to myself that it was true and that the spear which Robertsoncast had fallen upon his own head, as the Zulus say, but I made noanswer, lacking time for argument.

  "Did you say," asked Umslopogaas, speaking for the first time, "that myservants killed only six of these men-eaters?"

  Hans nodded and answered, "Yes, six. I counted the bodies."

  "It was ill done, they should have killed six each," said Umslopogaasmoodily. "Well, they have left the more for us to finish," and hefingered the great axe.

  Just then Captain Robertson arrived in his waggon, calling out anxiouslyto know what was the matter, for some premonition of evil seemed to havestruck him. My heart sank at the sight of him, for how was I to tellsuch a story to the father of the murdered children and of the abductedgirl?

  In the end I felt that I could not. Yes, I turned coward and saying thatI must fetch something out of the waggon, bolted into it, bidding Hansgo forward and repeat his tale. He obeyed unwillingly enough and lookingout between the curtains of the waggon tent I saw all that happened,though I could not hear the words that passed.

  Robertson had halted the oxen and jumping from the waggon-box strodeforward and met Hans, who began to speak with him, twitching his hat inhis hands. Gradually as the tale progressed, I saw the Captain's facefreeze into a mask of horror. Then he began to argue and deny, then toweep--oh! it was a terrible sight to see that great man weeping overthose whom he had lost, and in such a fashion.

  After this a kind of blind rage seized him and I thought he was goingto kill Hans, who was of the same opinion, for he ran away. Next hestaggered about, shaking his fists, cursing and shouting, till presentlyhe fell of a heap and lay face downwards, beating his head against theground and groaning.

  Now I went to him and sat up.

  "That's a pretty story, Quatermain, which this little yellow monkey hasbeen gibbering at me. Man, do you understand what he says? He says thatall those half-blood children of mine are dead, murdered by savages fromover the Zambesi, yes, and eaten, too, with their mothers. Do you takethe point? Eaten like lambs. Those fires your man saw last nightwere the fires on which they were cooked, my little _so-and-so_ and_so-and-so_," and he mentioned half a dozen different names. "Yes,cooked, Quatermain. And that isn't all of it, they have taken Inez too.They didn't eat her, but they have dragged her off a captive for Godknows what reason. I couldn't understand. The whole ship's crew is gone,except the captain absent on leave and the first officer, Thomaso, whodeserted with some Lascar stokers, and left the women and children totheir fate. My God, I'm going mad. I'm going mad! If you have any mercyin you, give me something to drink."

  "All right," I said, "I will. Sit here and wait a minute."

  Then I went to the waggon and poured out a stiff tot of spirits intowhich I put an amazing doze of bromide from a little medicine chest Ialways carry with me, and thirty drops of chlorodyne on the top of it.All this compound I mixed up with a little water and took it to him in atin cup so that he could not see the colour.

  He drank it at a gulp and throwing the pannikin aside, sat down on theveld, groaning while the company watched him at a respectful distance,for Hans had joined the others and his tale had spread like fire indrought-parched grass.

  In a few minutes the drugs began to take effect upon Robertson'stortured nerves, for he rose and said quietly,

  "What now?"

  "Vengeance, or rather justice," I answered.

  "Yes," he exclaimed, "vengeance. I swear that I will be avenged, ordie--or both."

  Again I saw my opportunity and said, "You must swear more than that,Robertson. Only sober men can accomplish great things, for drinkdestroys the judgment. If you wish to be avenged for the dead and torescue the living, you must be sober, or I for one will not help you."

  "Will you help me if I do, to the end, good or ill, Quatermain?" headded.

  I nodded.

  "That's as much as another's oath," he muttered. "Still, I will put mythought in words. I swear by God, by my mother--like these natives--andby my daughter born in honest marriage, that I will never touch anotherdrop of strong drink, until I have avenged those poor women and theirlittle children, and rescued Inez from their murderers. If I do you mayput a bullet through me."

  "That's all right," I said in an offhand fashion, though inwardly Iglowed with pride at the success of my great idea, for at the time Ithought it great, and went on,

  "Now let us get to business. The first thing to do is to trek toStrathmuir and make preparations; the next to start upon the trail. Cometo sit on the waggon with me and tell me what guns and ammunition youhave got, for according to Hans those savages don't seem to have touchedanything, except a few blankets and a herd of goats."

  He did as I asked, telling me all he could remember. Then he said,

  "It is a strange thing, but now I recall that about two years ago agreat savage with a high nose, who talked a sort of Arabic which, likeInez, I understand, having lived on the coast, turned up one day andsaid he wanted to trade. I asked him what in, and he answered thathe would like to buy some children. I told him that I was not aslave-dealer. Then he looked at Inez, who was moving about,
and saidthat he would like to buy her to be a wife for his Chief, and offeredsome fabulous sum in ivory and in gold, which he said should be paidbefore she was taken away. I snatched his big spear from his hand, brokeit over his head and gave him the best hiding with its shaft that he hadever heard of. Then I kicked him off the place. He limped away but whenhe was out of reach, turned and called out that one day he would comeagain with others and take her, meaning Inez, without leaving the pricein ivory and gold. I ran for my gun, but when I got back he had gone andI never thought of the matter again from that day to this."

  "Well, he kept his promise," I said, but Robertson made no answer, forby this time that thundering dose of bromide and laudanum had takeneffect on him and he had fallen asleep, of which I was glad, for Ithought that this sleep would save his sanity, as I believe it did for awhile.

  We reached Strathmuir towards sunset, too late to think of attemptingthe pursuit that day. Indeed, during our trek, I had thought the matterout carefully and come to the conclusion that to try to do so would beuseless. We must rest and make preparations; also there was no hope ofour overtaking these brutes who already had a clear twelve hours' start,by a sudden spurt. They must be run down patiently by following theirspoor, if indeed they could be run down at all before they vanished intothe vast recesses of unknown Africa. The most we could do this night wasto get ready.

  Captain Robertson was still sleeping when we passed the village and ofthis I was heartily glad, since the remains of a cannibal feast are notpleasant to behold, especially when they are----! Indeed, of these Idetermined to be rid at once, so slipping off the waggon with Hans andsome of the farm boys, for none of the Zulus would defile themselves bytouching such human remnants--I made up two of the smouldering fires,the light of which the _voorlooper_ had seen upon the sky, and on tothem cast, or caused to be cast, those poor fragments. Also I told thefarm natives to dig a big grave and in it to place the other bodies andgenerally to remove the traces of murder.

  Then I went on to the house, and not too soon. Seeing the waggons arriveand having made sure that the Amahagger were gone, Thomaso and the othercowards emerged from their hiding-places and returned. Unfortunately forthe former the first person he met was Umslopogaas, who began to revilethe fat half-breed in no measured terms, calling him dog, coward, andother opprobrious names, such as deserter of women and children, and soforth--all of which someone translated.

  Thomaso, an insolent person, tried to swagger the matter out, sayingthat he had gone to get assistance. Infuriated at this lie, Umslopogaasleapt upon him with a roar and though he was a strong man, dealt withhim as a lion does with a buck. Lifting him from his feet, he hurled himto the ground, then as he strove to rise and run, caught him again andas it seemed to me, was about to break his back across his knee. Just atthis juncture I arrived.

  "Let the man go," I shouted to him. "Is there not enough death herealready?"

  "Yes," answered Umslopogaas, "I think there is. Best that this jackalshould live to eat his own shame," and he cast Thomaso to the ground,where he lay groaning.

  Robertson, who was still asleep in the waggon, woke up at the noise, anddescended from it, looking dazed. I got him to the house and in doing somade my way past, or rather between the bodies of the two Zulus and ofthe six men whom they had killed, also of him whom Inez had shot. ThoseZulus had made a splendid fight for they were covered with wounds, allof them in front, as I found upon examination.

  Having made Robertson lie down upon his bed, I took a good look at theslain Amahagger. They were magnificent men, all of them; tall, spareand shapely with very clear-cut features and rather frizzled hair.From these characteristics, as well as the lightness of their colour,I concluded that they were of a Semitic or Arab type, and that theadmixture of their blood with that of the Bantus was but slight, ifindeed there were any at all. Their spears, of which one had been cutthrough by a blow of a Zulu's axe, were long and broad, not unlike tothose used by the Masai, but of finer workmanship.

  By this time the sun was setting and thoroughly tired by all that I hadgone through, I went into the house to get something to eat, having toldHans to find food and prepare a meal. As I sat down Robertson joined meand I made him also eat. His first impulse was to go to the cupboard andfetch the spirit bottle; indeed, he rose to do so.

  "Hans is making coffee," I said warningly.

  "Thank you," he answered, "I forgot. Force of habit, you know."

  Here I may state that never from that moment did I see him touch anotherdrop of liquor, not even when I drank my modest tot in front of him.His triumph over temptation was splendid and complete, especially as theabsence of his accustomed potations made him ill for some time and ofcourse depressed his spirits, with painful results that were apparent indue course.

  In fact, the man became totally changed. He grew gloomy but resourceful,also full of patience. Only one idea obsessed him--to rescue hisdaughter and avenge the murder of his people; indeed, except his sins,he thought of and found interest in nothing else. Moreover, his ironconstitution cast off all the effects of his past debauchery and hegrew so strong that although I was pretty tough in those days, he couldout-tire me.

  To return; I engaged him in conversation and with his help made a listof what we should require on our vendetta journey, all of which servedto occupy his mind. Then I sent him to bed, saying that I would call himbefore dawn, having first put a little more bromide into his third cupof coffee. After this I turned in and notwithstanding the sight of thoseremains of the cannibal feast and the knowledge of the dead men who layoutside my window, I slept like a top.

  Indeed, it was the Captain who awakened me, not I the Captain, sayingthat daylight was on the break and we had better be stirring. So we wentdown to the Store, where I was thankful to find that everything had beentidied up in accordance with my directions.

  On our way Robertson asked me what had become of the remains, whereon Ipointed to the smouldering ashes of one of the great fires. He went toit and kneeling down, said a prayer in broad Scotch, doubtless one thathe had learned at his mother's knee. Then he took some of the ashes fromthe edge of the pyre--for such it was--and threw them into the glowingembers where, as he knew, lay all that was left of those who had sprungfrom him. Also he tossed others of them into the air, though what hemeant by this I did not understand and never asked. Probably it wassome rite indicative of expiation or of revenge, or both, which he hadlearned from the savages among whom he had lived so long.

  After this we went into the Store and with the help of some ofthe natives, or half-breeds, who had accompanied us on the sea-cowexpedition, selected all the goods we wanted, which we sent to thehouse.

  As we returned thither I saw Umslopogaas and his men engaged, with theusual Zulu ceremonies, in burying their two companions in a hole theyhad made in the hillside. I noted, however, that they did not intertheir war-axes or their throwing-spears with them as usual, probablybecause they thought that these might be needed. In place of them theyput with the dead little models roughly shaped of bits of wood, whichmodels they "killed" by first breaking them across.

  I lingered to watch the funeral and heard Goroko, the witch-doctor, makea little speech.

  "O Father and Chief of the Axe," he said, addressing Umslopogaas, whostood silent leaning on his weapon and watching all, a portentous figurein the morning mist, "O Father, O Son of the Heavens" (this was anallusion to the royal blood of Umslopogaas of which the secret was wellknown, although it would never have been spoken aloud in Zululand), "OSlaughterer (Bulalio), O Woodpecker who picks at the hearts of men; OKing-Slayer; O Conqueror of the Halakazi; O Victor in a hundred fights;O Gatherer of the Lily-bloom that faded in the hand; O Wolf-man, Captainof the Wolves that ravened; O Slayer of Faku; O Great One whom itpleases to seem small, because he must follow his blood to the endappointed----"

  This was the opening of the speech, the "_bonga_-ing" or giving ofTitles of Praise to the person addressed, of which I have quoted but asample, for there were many m
ore of them that I have forgotten. Then thespeaker went on,

  "It was told to me, though of it I remember nothing, that when my Spiritwas in me a while ago I prophesied that this place would flow withblood, and lo! the blood has flowed, and with it that of these ourbrothers," and he gave the names of the two dead Zulus, also those oftheir forefathers for several generations.

  "It seems, Father, that they died well, as you would have wished themto die, and as doubtless they desired to die themselves, leaving a talebehind them, though it is true that they might have died better, killingmore of the men-eaters, as it is certain they would have done, had theynot been sick inside. They are finished; they have gone beyond to awaitus in the Under-world among the ghosts. Their story is told and soon totheir children they will be but names whispered in honour after the sunhas set. Enough of them who have showed us how to die as our fathers didbefore them."

  Goroko paused a while, then added with a waving of his hands,

  "My Spirit comes to me again and I know that these our brothers shallnot pass unavenged. Chief of the Axe, great glory awaits the Axe, for itshall feed full. I have spoken."

  "Good words!" grunted Umslopogaas. Then he saluted the dead by raising_Inkosikaas_ and came to me to consult about our journey.