Moreover, there was confirmation in Nombe's message which could
not well have been invented, that spoke of their being well in
the charge of a "Great One," a term by which the Zulus designate
God, with all their troubles finished. The reason and manner of
their end were left unrevealed. Zikali might have murdered them
for his own purposes, or the Zulus might have killed them in
obedience to the king's order that no white people in the land
were to be allowed to live. Or perhaps the Basutos from
Sekukuni's country, with whom the Zulus had some understanding,
had followed and done them to death; indeed the strangling
sounded more Basuto than Zulu--if they were really strangled.
Almost overcome though I was, I bethought me of the package and
opened it, only to find another apparent proof of their end, for
it contained Heda's jewels as I had found them in the bag in the
safe; also a spare gold watch belonging to Anscombe with his
coat-of-arms engraved upon it. That which he wore was of silver
and no doubt was buried with him, since for superstitious reasons
the natives would not have touched anything on his person after
death. This seemed to me to settle the matter, presumptively at
any rate, since to show that robbery was not the cause of their
murder, their most valuable possessions which were not upon their
persons had been sent to me, their friend.
So this was the end of all my efforts to secure the safety and
well-being of that most unlucky pair.
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