Evidently we were being isolated, but when I remonstrated with
Nombe she only answered with her most unfathomable smile--
"O Macumazahn, you must ask Zikali of all these things. I am no
one and know nothing, who only do what the Master tells me is for
your good."
"I am minded to turn and depart from Zululand," I said angrily,
"for in this low veld whither you have led us there is fever and
the horses will catch sickness or be bitten by the tsetse fly and
perish."
"I cannot say, Macumazahn, who only travel by the road the Master
pointed out. Yet if you will be guided by me, you will not try
to leave Zululand."
"You mean that I am in a trap, Nombe."
"I mean that the country is full of soldiers and that all white
men have fled from it. Therefore, even if you were allowed to
pass because the Zulus love you, Macumazahn, it might well happen
that those with you would stay behind, sound asleep, Macumazahn,
for which, like you, I should be sorry."
After this I said no more, for I knew that she meant to warn me.
We had entered on this business and must see it through to its
end, sweet or bitter.
As for Anscombe and Heda their happiness seemed to be complete.
The novelty of the life charmed them, and of its dangers they
took no thought, being content to leave me, in whom they had a
blind faith, to manage everything. Moreover, Heda, who in the
joy of her love was beginning to forget the sorrow of her
father's death and the other tragic events through which she had
just passed, took a great fancy to the young witch-doctoress who
conversed with her in Zulu, a language of which, having lived so
long in Natal, Heda knew much already.
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