Chapter 1 of Child of Storm. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Elsie Selwyn. Child of Storm by H. Ryder Haggard. Chapter 1. Alan Quatermain, heirs of Mamina. We white people think that we know everything. For instance, we think that we understand human nature, and so we do as human nature appears to us, with all its trappings and accessories seen dimly through the glass of our conventions, leaving out those aspects of it which we have forgotten or do not think it polite to mention. But I, Alan Quatermain, reflecting upon these matters in my ignorant and uneducated fashion, have always held that no one really understands human nature who has not studied it in the rough. Well that is the aspect of it with which I have been best acquainted. For most of the years of my life I have handled the raw material, the virgin ore, not the finished ornament that is smelted out of it. If indeed it is finished yet, which I greatly doubt, I dare say that a time may come when the perfected generations, if civilization as we understand it, really has a future, and any such should be allowed to enjoy their hour on the world. We'll look back to us as crude, half-developed creatures whose only merit was that we handed on the flame of life. Maybe, maybe, for everything goes by comparison, and at one end of the ladder is the eight man, and at the other is we hope the angel. No, not the angel, he belongs to a different sphere, but that last expression of humanity upon which I will not speculate. While man as man, that is, before he suffers the magical death change into spirit, if such should be his destiny, well he will remain man. I mean that the same passions will sway him. He will aim at the same ambitions. He will know the same joys, and be oppressed by the same fears. Whether he lives in a coffer hut, or in a golden palace, or he walks upon his two feet, or as for ought I know he may do one day, flies through the air. This is certain, that in the flesh he can never escape from our atmosphere, and while he breathes it, in the main, with some variations prescribed by climate, local law and religion, he will do much as his forefathers did for countless ages. That is why I have always found the savage so interesting, for in him, nakedly and forcibly expressed, we see those eternal principles which direct our human destiny. To descend from these generalities, that is why also I, who hate writing, have thought it worthwhile, at the cost of some labor to myself, to occupy my leisure in what, to me, is a strange land. For although I was born in England, it is not my country, and setting down various experiences of my life that do in my opinion interpret this our universal nature. I dare say that no one will ever read them, still perhaps they are worthy of record, and who knows, in days to come they may fall into the hands of others and prove of value. At any rate, they are true stories of interesting peoples, who, if they should survive in the savage competition of the nations, probably are doomed to undergo great changes. Therefore I tell of them before they began to change. Now, although I take it out of its strict chronological order, the first of these histories that I wish to preserve is in the main that of an extremely beautiful woman, with the exception of a certain nada, called the lily, of whom I hope to speak someday. I think the most beautiful that ever lived among the Zulus. Also she was, I think, the most able, the most wicked, and the most ambitious. Her attractive name, for it was very attractive as the Zulus said it, especially those of them who were in love with her, was Mamina, daughter of Umbezi. Her other name was Child of Storm, and Ganyesipepo, or more freely and shortly, or Wizzulu. But the word Mamina had its origin in the sound of the wind that wailed about the hut when she was born. Footnote. The Zulu word Mina, or more correctly Mina, means come here and would therefore be a name not unsuitable to one of the heroine's proclivities. But Mr. Quatermain does not seem to accept this interpretation. End footnote. Since I have been settled in England, I have read, of course, in translation, the story of Helen of Troy, as told by the Greek poet Homer. Well, Mamina reminds me very much of Helen, or rather Helen reminds me of Mamina. At any rate, there was this in common between them, although one of them was black, or rather copper-coloured, and the other white. They both were lovely. Moreover, they both were faithless, and brought men by hundreds to their deaths. There perhaps the resemblance ends, since Mamina had much more fire and grit than Helen could boast, who, unless Homer misrepresents her, must have been but a poor thing after all. Beauty itself, which those old rascals of Greek gods made use of to bait their snare set for the lives and honour of men, such was Helen no more. That is, as I understand her, who have not had the advantage of a classical education. Now Mamina, although she was a superstitious, a common weakness of great minds, acknowledging no gods, in particular as we understand them, set her own snares with varying success, but a very definite object, namely that of becoming the first woman in the world as she knew it, the stormy, blood-stained world of the Zulus. But the reader shall judge for himself, if ever such a person should chance to cast his eye upon this history. It was in the year 1854 that I first met Mamina. In my acquaintance with her continued off and on until 1856, when it came to an end in a fashion that shall be told after the fearful battle of the Tugela, in which Um Bellazi, Panda's son and Setawayo's brother, who to his sorrow had also met Mamina, lost his life. I was still a youngish man in those days, although I had already buried my second wife, as I have told elsewhere, after our brief but happy time of marriage. Leaving my boy in charge of some kind people in Durban, I started into the Zulu, a land with which I had already become well acquainted as a youth, there to carry on my wild life of trading and hunting. For the trading I never cared much as may be guessed from the little that I ever made out of it, the art of traffic being in truth repugnant to me, but hunting was always the breath of my nostrils, not that I am fond of killing creatures for any humane man, soon wearies of slaughter. No, it is the excitement of sport, which before breach loaders came in was acute enough, I can assure you. The lonely existence and wild places, often with only the sun and the stars for companions, the continual adventures, the strange tribes with whom I came in contact, and short the change, the danger, the hope, always of finding something great and new, that attracted and still attracts me, even now when I have found the great and new. There, I must not go on writing like this, or I shall throw down my pen and book a passage for Africa, and incidentally to the next world, no doubt, that world of the great and new. It was, I think, in the month of May, in the year 1854, that I went hunting in rough country between the white and black Um Voloso rivers by permission of Panda, whom the Boers had made king of Zulu land after the defeat in death of Dingan, his brother. The district was very feverish, and for this reason I entered it in the winter months. There was so much bush that in the total absence of roads, I thought it wise not to attempt to bring my wagons down, and as no horses would live in the velled, I went on foot. My principal companions were a coffer of mixed origin called Sikali, commonly abbreviated in Tiscaul, the Zulu chief seduko, and a head man of the Um Duan Hue blood named Um Bezi, whose crawl on the high land about 30 miles away I left my wagon and certain of my men and charged the goods and some ivory that I had traded. This Um Bezi was a stout and genial mannered man of about 60 years of age and what is rare among these people, one who loves sport for its own sake. Being aware of his tastes, also that he knew the country and was skilled in finding game, I had promised him a gun if he would accompany me and bring a few hunters. It was a particularly bad gun that had seen much service, and one which had an unpleasing habit of going off at half-cock. But even after he had seen it, and I in my honesty had explained its weaknesses, he jumped at the offer. Um Makumazana, that is my native name, often abbreviated into Makumazan, which means one who stands out, or as many interpret it, I don't know how, watch her by night. A gun that goes off sometimes when you do not expect it, it is much better than no gun at all, and you are a chief with a great heart to promise it to me, for when I own the white man's weapon, I shall be looked up to and feared by everyone between the two rivers. Now while he was speaking, he handled the gun that was loaded, observing which I moved behind him. Off it went in due course, its recoil knocking him backwards, for that gun was a devil to kick, and its bullet cutting the top off the ear of one of his wives, the lady fled screaming, leaving a little bit of her ear upon the ground. What does it matter? Said Um Makumazana as he picked himself up, rubbing his shoulder with a rueful look.  It is the worn out old cow's own fault.  Now she will have something to chatter about and leave my things alone for a while. I thank my ancestor spirit who was not Mamina, for then her looks would have been spoiled. Who is Mamina? I asked, your last wife? No, no, Makumazana. I wish you were, for then I should have the most beautiful wife in the land. She is my daughter, though not that of the worn out old cow. Her mother died when she was born, on the night of the great storm. You should ask Sadukko there who Mamina is. He added with a broad grin lifting his head from the gun, which he was examining gingerly as though he thought it might go off again while unloaded, and nodding towards someone who stood behind him. I turned and for the first time saw Sadukko, whom I recognized at once, as a person quite out of the ordinary run of natives. He was a tall and magnificently formed young man, who, although his breast was scarred with asegai wounds, showing that he was a warrior, had not yet attained to the honor of the ring of polished wax, laid over strips of rush, bound round with sinew and sewn to the hair, the Isikoko, which, at a certain age or dignity determined by the king, Zulus were allowed to assume. But his face struck me more even than his grace, strength, and stature. Undoubtedly it was a very fine face, with little or nothing of the negroid type about it. Indeed, he might have been a rather dark colored Arab, to which stock he probably threw back. The eyes, too, were large and rather melancholy. And in his reserved, dignified air there was something that showed him to be no common fellow, but one of breeding and intellect. Siya Kubona, that is, we see you, Angelique Goodmorrow. Saruko, I said, eyeing him curiously, tell me, who is Mamina?  Nkouzi has not her father said that she is his daughter? Hi, answered the jolly old Umbezi. But what her father has not said is that Saduko is her lover, or rather would like to be. Wow, Saduko! He went on shaking his fat finger at him. Are you mad, man, that you think a girl like that is for you? Give me a hundred cattle, not one less, and I will begin to think of it. Why you have not ten, and Mamina is my eldest daughter and must marry a rich man. She loves me, oh Umbezi, answered Saduko, looking down. And that is more than cattle. For you, perhaps, Saduko. But not for me, who import and want cows. Also, he added, glancing at him shrewdly. Are you so sure that Mamina loves you, though you be such a fine man? Now I should have thought that whatever her eyes may say, her heart loves no one but herself, and that in the end she will follow her heart and not her eyes. Mamina, the beautiful, does not seek to be a poor man's wife, and do all the hoeing. Give me a hundred cattle, and we will see, for speaking truth from my heart, if you were a big chief there is no one I should like better as the son-in-law, and that it was Makum, Mazan, or here.  Now at this speech Saduko shifted his feet uneasily. It seemed to me as though he felt there was truth in Umbezi's estimate of his daughter's character. But he only said, cattle can be acquired. Or stolen, suggested Umbezi. Or taken in war, corrected Saduko. When I have a hundred head I will hold you to your word, O father Mamina.  There there, sea-stucking wind, before you have a hundred head of cattle, Mamina will have six children who will not call you father. Ah, don't you like that? Are you going away? Yes, I am going. He answered with a flash of his quiet eyes. Only then let the man whom they do call father beware of Saduko. Beware of how you talk young man, said Umbezi in gray voice. Would you travel your father's road? I hope not, for I like you well. But such words are apt to be remembered. Saduko walked away as though he did not hear. Who is he? I asked. One of high blood, answered Umbezi shortly. He might be a chief today, had not his father been a plotter in a wizard. Dingan smelt him out, and he made a sideways motion with his hand, thought among the Zulus means much. Yes, they were killed. Almost everyone, the chief, his wives, his children, and his headmen. Everyone except Chosa, his brother, and his son, Saduko, whom Zikali the Dwarf, the smeller out of evildoers, the ancient who was old before Sengal Zakona, became a father of kings, hid him. There, that is an evil tale to talk of. And he shivered. He was a young white man, and doctored that old cow of mine, or she will give me no peace for months. So I went to see the worn-out old cow, not because I had any particular interest in her for it to tell the truth. She was a very disagreeable and antique person, that cast off wife of some chief whom at an unknown date in the past the astute Umbezi had married from out of sub-policy. But because I hoped to hear more of Miss Mamina and whom I had become interested. Entering a large hut, Zikali named the Old Cow in a parlous state. There she lay upon the floor an unpleasant object, because of the blood that had escaped from her wound, surrounded by a crowd of other women and of children. At regular intervals, she announced that she was dying and admitted a fearful yell, whereupon all the audience yelled also. In short, the place was a perfect pandemonium. Telling Umbezi to get the HUT cleared, I said that I would go to fetch my medicines. Meanwhile, I ordered my servant Skow, looking fellow, light yellow and hue, for he had a strong dash of hot and taut in his composition to cleanse the wound. When I returned from the wagon ten minutes later the screams were more terrible than before, although the chorus now stood without the HUT. Nor was this altogether wonderful. For on entering the place, I found Skow trimming up the Old Cow's ear with a pair of blunt nail scissors. O maku madzana! said Umbezi in a hoarse whisper. Might not perhaps be as well to leave her alone as it led to death at any rate she would be quieter. Are you a man or a hyena? I answered sternly and said about the job, Skow holding the poor woman's head between his knees. It was over at length, a simple operation in which I exhibited, I believe that is the medical term, a strong solution of caustic applied with a feather. Their mother, I said, for now we are alone in the HUT when Skow had fled, badly bitten in the calf.   She sobbed, I shan't die, but how about my beauty? It will be greater than ever, I answered. No one else will have an ear with such a curve in it. But talking of beauty, where is Mamina? I don't know where she is! She replied with fury, but I very well know where she would be if I had my way, that peeled willow wand of a girl. Here she added certain descriptive epithets. I will not repeat. Has brought this misfortune upon me. We had a slight quarrel yesterday, white man, and being a witch as she is she prophesied evil. Yes, when my accident I scratched her ear. She said that before a long mind should burn, and surely burn it does. This no doubt was true for the caustic had begun to bite of devil of a white man.  Then she seized an earthenware pot and hurled it at me, saying Take that for your doctor fee! Go crawl after Mamina like the others and get hurled at doctor you. By this time I was half through the beehole of the hut, my movement was being hastened by a vessel of hot water which landed on me behind. What is the matter, Makumazan? Ask Odumbezi who was waiting outside. Nothing at all, friend. I answered with a sweet smile. Except that your wife wants to see you at once. She is in pain and wishes you to soothe her. Go in, don't hesitate. After a moment's pause he went in, that is, half of him went in, then came a fearful crash, and he emerged again with the rim of a pot about his neck and his countenance veiled, and a coating of what I thought to be honey. Where is Mamina? I asked him as he set up, sputtering. What I wish I was, he answered in a thick voice, at a crawl of five hours journey away. Well that was the first I heard of Mamina. That night as I sat smoking my pipe under the flap leaned to attach to the wagon, laughing to myself over the adventure of the old cow, falsely described as worn out, and wondering whether Umbezi had got the honey out of his hair, the canvas was lifted in a caffer wrapped in a carose, crept in and squatted before me. Who are you? I asked, for it was too dark to see the man's face. Cosy, answered a deep voice, I am seduc-o. You are welcome, I answered, handing him a quart of snuff in token of hospitality. Then I waited while he poured some of the snuff into the palm of his hand and took it in the usual fashion. And cosy, he said, when he had scraped away the tears produced by the snuff, I have come to ask you a favor. You heard Umbezi say today, that he will not give me his daughter Mamina unless I give him a hundred head of cows, not earn them by work in many years. Therefore, I must take them from the certain tribe that war with the Zulus, but this I cannot do unless I have a gun. If I had a good gun, and cosy, one that goes off when it is asked and none of its own fancy, I who have some name could persuade a number of men whom I know who once were servants of my father or their sons to be my companions in this venture. Do I understand that you wish me to give you one of my good guns with two mouths in it, i.e. double-barreled a gun worth at least 12 oxen for nothing, oh Siruko, I asked in a cold and scandalized voice not so, oh watcher by night, he answered, not so, oh he who sleeps with one eye open another free and difficult rendering of my native name, Makumazana more correctly Makumazana I should never dream of offering such an insult to your high-born intelligence. He paused and took another pinch of snuff that went on in a meditative voice, where I proposed to give these 100 cattle, there are many more I am told, not less than a thousand head and all, now in cosy he added looking at me sideways suppose you gave me the gun I asked for and suppose you accompanied me with your own gun and your armed hunters it would be fair that you should have half the cattle would it not that's cool, I said so young man, you want to turn me into a cow-thief and get my throat cut by panda for breaking the peace of his country? neither Makumazan, for these are my own cattle, listen now and I will tell you a story, you have heard of Matawane, the chief of the Amagawane yes, I answered his tribe lived near the head of Unzin'yati did they not then they were beaten by the boars or the English and Matawane came under the Zulus, but afterwards Dingan wiped him out with his house and now his people are killed and scattered, yes his people are killed and scattered, but his house still lives Makumazan, I am his house, I the only son of his chief wife, for Zikali the wise one, the ancient, who is of the Amwane blood and who hated Chaka and Dingan yes, and Senzankankona their father before them but whom none of them could kill because he is so great and has such mighty spirits for his servants, saved and sheltered me oh great, why then did he not save your father also Suduko, I asked as though I knew nothing of this Zikali I cannot say the Makumazan perhaps this spirits plant a tree for themselves and to do so cut down many other trees, at least so it happened it happened thus, Bangu chief of the Amakoba whispered into Dingan's ear that Matawane, my father was a wizard also that he was very rich Dingan listened because he thought of sickness that he had came from this witchcraft, he said go Bangu and take a company with you and pay Matawane a visit of honour and in the night, oh in the night afterwards Bangu we will divide the cattle for Matawane is strong and clever and you shall not risk your life for nothing Suduko paused and looked down at the ground, brooding heavily Makumazan was done he said presently they ate my father's meat, they drank his beer they gave him a present from the king they praised him with high names yet Bangu took snuff with him and called him brother, then in the night oh in the night my father was in the hut with my mother and I, so big only and he held his hand at the height of a boy of ten was with them, the cry arose, the flames began to eat my father looked out and saw break through the fence and away woman he said, away with Suduko that he may live to avenge me, begun while I hold the gate, begun to call for whose witchcrafts I pay with my blood then he kissed me on the brow saying but one word remember, and thrust us from the hut my mother broke away through the fence yet she tore at it with her nails and teeth like a hyena I looked back out of the shadow of the hut and saw Matawane and my father fighting like a buffalo men went down before him one, two, three, although he had no shield only his spear, then Bangu crept behind him and stabbed him in the back and he threw up his arms and fell I saw no more for by now we were through the fence we ran, but they perceived us they hunted us as wild dogs hunt a buck they killed my mother with a throwing assay guy, it entered at her back and came out at her heart I went mad, I drew it from her body I ran at them, I dived beneath the shield of the first a very tall man and held the spear so in both my little hands his weight came upon its point I threw him as though he were but a bowl of buttermilk, yes he rolled over quite dead and the handle of the spear broke upon the ground now the others stopped astonished for never had they seen such a thing that a child should kill a tall warrior oh that tale had not been told some of them would have let me go but just then Bangu came up and saw the dead man who was his brother wow, he said when he knew how the man had died, this line is a wizard also, for how else a soldier who has known war hold out his arms that I may finish him slowly so two of them held out my arms and Bangu came up with his spear Saruku see speaking not that his tale was done but because his voice choked in his throat indeed Sodom have I seen a man so moved, he breathed in great gasps the sweat poured from him and his muscles worked convulsively I gave him a panikin of water he drank, then he went on already the spear had begun to prick look, here is the mark of it in opening his karas he pointed into a little white line just below the breast bone when a strange shadow thrown by the fire of the burning huts came between Bangu and me a shadow was that of a toad standing on his hind legs I looked around and saw that it was the shadow of Zikali whom I had seen once or twice there he stood though once he came I know not wagging his great white head that sits on the top of his body like a pumpkin on an anteep, rolling his big eyes and laughing loudly a merry sight he cried in his deep voice that sounded like water in a hollow cave a merry sight to Bangu chief of the amakoba, blood blood, plenty of blood fire, fire, plenty of fire wizards dead here, there and everywhere, all a merry sight I have seen many such one at the crawl of your grandmother for instance your grandmother the great Inko Zikazi when myself I escaped with my life because I was so old but never do I remember a merrier than that which this sun shines on and he pointed to the white lady who just then broke through the clouds but great chief Bangu lord loved by the son of Sena Ganakoza, brother of the black one Chaka, who has written hints on the asa guy what is the meaning of this play and he pointed to me and to the two soldiers who held out my little arms I'll kill the wizards come Zikazi, that is all answered Bangu I see, I see a gallant deed you have butchered the father and the mother and now you will butcher the child who is slain one of your grow warriors in fair fight, a very gallant deed well worthy of the chief of the amakoba well loose his spirit only he stopped and took a pinch of snuff from a box which he drew from a slit in the lobe of his great ear only what Bangu hesitating only I wonder Bangu what you will think of the world in which you will find yourself before tomorrow's moon arises come back thence and tell me Bangu for there are so many worlds beyond the sun and I would learn for certain which of them such a one as you inhabits a man who for hatred and for gain murders the father and the mother and then butchers the child the child that could slay a warrior who has seen more with a spear hot from his mother's heart do you mean that I shall die if I kill this slad? shouted Bangu in a great voice what else? answered Zikali taking another pinch of snuff this wizard that we will go together good good left the dwarf let us go together long have I wished to die and what better companion could I find than Bangu chief of the amakoba slayer of children to guard me on a dark and terrible road come brave Bangu come kill me if you can and again he laughed at him now Makumanzan the people of Bangu fell back muttering for they found this business horrible yes even those who hugged my arms let go of them what will happen to me wizard if I spare the boy? asked Bangu Zikali stretched out his hand and touched the scratch that the assay guy had made in me here then he held up his finger red with my blood and looked at it in the light of the moon yes and tasted it with his tongue I think this will happen to you Bangu he said if you spare this boy he will grow into a man who will kill you and many others one day but if you do not spare him I think that his spirit working on spirits will do will kill you tomorrow therefore the question is will you live a while or will you die at once taking me with you as your companion for you must not leave me behind brother Bangu now Bangu turned and walked away stepping over the body of my mother and all his people walked away after him so that presently Zikali the wise and little and I were left alone what have they gone said Zikali lifting his eyes from the ground then we had better be going son of Matewane lest he should change his mind and come back live on son of Matewane that you may avenge Matewane a nice tale I said but what happened afterwards Zikali took me away and nurtured me at his crawl in the black cloof where he lived alone say for his servants for in that crawl he would suffer no woman to set foot Makumazan he taught me much wisdom and many secret things and he would have made a great doctor of me had I so willed but I willed it not who find spirits ill company and there are many of them among the black cloof Makumazan so in the end he said and be a warrior Saduku but know this you have opened a door that can never be shut again and across the threshold of that door spirits will pass in and out for all your life whether you seek them or seek them not it was you who opened the door Zikali I answered angrily may have said Zikali laughing after his fashion for I open when I must and shut when I must indeed in my youth before the Zulu's were people they called me opener of doors and now looking through one of those doors I see something about you son of Matewane what do you see my father I asked I see two roads Saduku the road of medicine that is the spirit road and the road of spears that is the blood road I see you traveling on the road of medicine that is my own road Saduku and growing wise and great till it last far far away you vanish over the precipice to which it leads full of years and honor and wealth feared yet beloved by all men white and black only that road you must travel alone since such wisdom may not have friends and above all no woman to share its secrets then I look at the road of spears and see you Saduku traveling on that road and your feet are red with blood and women wind their arms about your neck and one by one your enemies go down before you you love much and sin much for the sake of the love and she for whom your sin comes and goes and comes again and the road as short Saduku and near the end of it are many spirits and though you shut your eyes you see them and though you fill your ears with clay you hear them for they are the ghosts of your slain but the end of your journey I see not now choose which road you will son of Matewane and choose swiftly for I speak no more of this matter then Makumazan I thought a while of this safe and lonely path of wisdom also of the blood red path of spears where I should find love and war and my youth rose up in me and I chose the path of spears and the love and the sin and the unknown death a foolish choice Saduku supposing that there is any truth in this tale of roads which there is not nay a wise one Makumazan for since then I have seen Mamina and know why I chose that path ah I said Mamina I forgot her well after all perhaps there is some truth in your tale of roads when I have seen Mamina I will tell you what I think when you have seen Mamina Makumazan you will say that the choice was very wise while Zikali opener of doors left loudly when he heard it the axe seeks the fat pastor but the young bull the rough mountain side where they have his graze you said and after all a bull is better than an ox now begin to travel your own roads son from time to time return to the black clue and tell me how it fares with you I will promise you not to die before I know the end of it now Makumazan I have told you things that hitherto have lived in my own heart only and Makumazan Bangu is in ill favor with Panda whom he defies in his mountain and I have a promise never mind how that he who kills him will be called to no account and may keep his cattle will you come with me and share those cattle here by night get thee behind me Satan I said in English and then added in Zulu I don't know if your story is true I should have no objection to helping to kill Bangu but I must learn lots more about this business first meanwhile I am going on a shooting trip tomorrow with Umbezi the fat and I like you Ochooser of the road of spears and blood will you be my companion and earn the gun with two malls and payment he said lifting his hand in salute with the flash of his dark eyes you are generous you honor me what is there that I should love better yet he added in his face fell first I must ask Zikali the little Zikali my father oh I said so are you still tied to the wizard's girdle are you not so Makumazan but I promised him not long ago that I would undertake no enterprise say that you know of until I had spoken with him after Zikali live one day's journey studying at sunrise that can be there by sunset good then I'll put off the shooting for three days and come with you if you think that this wonderful old dwarf will receive me I believe that he will Makumazan for this reason he told me that I should meet you and love you and that you would be mixed up in my fortunes then he poured moonshine into your gourd instead of beer I answered would you keep me here till midnight listening to such foolishness when we must start at dawn be gone now and let me sleep I go he answered with a little smile but if this is so our Makumazan why do you also wish to drink of the moonshine of Zikali and he went yet I did not sleep very well that night for Sadukko and his strange and terrible story had taken a hold of my imagination also for reasons of my own I greatly wish to see this Zikali of whom I had heard a great deal in past years I wished further to find out if he was a common humbug like so many witch doctors this dwarf who announced that my fortunes were mixed up with those of his foster son and who at least could tell me something true or false about the history and position of Bangu a person of whom I have conceived a strong dislike possibly quite unjustified by the facts but more than all did I wish to see Mamina whose beauty or talents produced so much impression upon the native mind perhaps if I went to see Zikali she would be back at her father's crawl before he started on her shooting trip thus it was then that fate wove me and my doings into the web of some very strange events, terrible, tragic and complete, indeed as those of a Greek play as it has often done both before and since those days End of Chapter 1 Chapter 2 of Child of Storm This is a LibriVox recording I'll LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Elsie Selin Child of Storm by H. Ryder Haggard Chapter 2 The Moonshine of Zikali On the following morning I awoke as a good hunter always should do just at that time when, on looking out of the wagon nothing could be seen but a little grey glint of light which he knows is reflected from the horns of the cattle tied to the truck-toe presently however I saw another glint of light which I guessed came from the spear of Seduko who was seeded by the ashes of the cooking-fire wrapped in his karas of wild-cat skins. Slipping from the vor-kisse or driving-box I came behind him softly and touched him on the shoulder. He leapt up with a start which revealed his nervous nature then recognizing me through the soft grey gloom said you are early Makumazan Of course I answered am I not named Walter by night now let us go to Umbesi and tell him that I shall be ready to start our hunting trip the third morning from today so we went to find that Umbesi was in a hut with his last wife and asleep fortunately enough however as under the circumstances I did not wish to disturb him outside the hut we found the old cow whose sore ear had kept her very wide awake who for purposes of her own although etiquette did not allow her to enter the hut was waiting for her husband to emerge having examined her wound and rubbed some ointment on it with her I left my message next I woke up my servant Scowl and told him that I was going on a short journey and that he must guard all things until my return and while I did so took a nip of raw rum and made ready a bag of bil tong that is sun-dried flash and biscuits then taking with me a single barreled gun that same little party rifle with which I shot the vultures on the hill of slaughter at Dingang's crowd the shooting of the vultures by Alan Quadramain see the book called Marie and Footnote we started on foot for I would not risk my only horse on such a journey a rough journey it proved to be indeed over a series of bush-clad hills that at their crests were covered with rugged stones among which no horse could have traveled up and down these hills we went and across the valleys that divided them following some path which I could not see for all that live long day I have always been a held, a good walker being by nature very light and active but I am bound to say that my companion taxed my powers to the utmost for on he marched for hour after hour striding ahead of me at such a rate that at times I was forced to break into a run to keep up with him although my pride would not suffer me to complain since as a matter of principle I would never admit to a coffer that he was my master at anything glad enough was I when towards evenings the dooku sat himself down on a stone at the top of the hill and said behold the black cloof Makumazan which were also the first words that he had uttered since we had started truly the spot was well named for there cut out by the water from the heart of a mountain in some primeval age lay one of the most gloomy places that ever I had beheld it was a vast cleft in which granite boulders were piled up fantastically perched one upon another in great columns and upon its sides grew dark trees set sparsely among the rocks and faced towards the west but the light of the sinking sun that flowed up it served only to accentuate its vast loneliness for it was a big cleft the best part of a mile wide at its mouth up this dreary gorge we marched mocked at by chattering baboons and following a little path not a foot wide that led us at length to a large hut and several smaller ones set within a reed fence and overhung by a gigantic mass of rock that looked as though it might fall at any moment out the gate of the fence two natives of I know not what tribe men of fierce and forbidding appearance suddenly sprang out and thrust their spears toward my breast whom bring you here seducu asked one of them sternly a white man that I vouched for he answered tell zik halli that we wait on him what need to tell zik halli that which he already knows said this entry your food and that of your companion is already cooked in yonder hut enter seducu with him for whom you vouch so we went into the hut and ate also I washed myself for it was a beautifully clean hut the stools wooden bowls etc. were finely carved out of red ivory wood this work seducu informed me being done by zik halli's on hand just as we were finishing our meal a messenger came to tell us that zik halli waited our presence we followed him across an open space to a kind of door in the tall reed fence passing which I set eyes for the first time upon the famous old witch doctor of whom so many tales were told certainly he was a curious sight in those strange surroundings for they were very strange and I think their complete simplicity added to the effect in front of us was a kind of courtyard with a black floor made of polished ant-heap earth and cow dung two-thirds of which at least were practically roofed in by the huge overhanging massive rock where I have spoken its arch bending above at a height of not less than 60 or 70 feet from the ground into this great precipice-backed cavity poured the fierce light of the setting sun turning it and all within it even the large straw hut in the background to the deep hue of blood seeing the wonderful effect of the sunset and that dark and forbidding place that occurred to me at once that the old wizard must have chosen this moment to receive us because of his impressiveness then I forgot the scenic accessories in the sight of the man himself there he sat on a stool in front of his hut quite unattended and wearing only a cloak of leopard skins open in front for he was unadorned with the usual veins of a witch doctor such as snake skins human bones bladders full of unholy compounds and so forth what a man he was if indeed he could be called quite human his stature though stout was only that of a child his head was enormous and from it plated white hair fell down to his shoulders his eyes were deep sunken his face was broad and very stern except for this snow white hair however he did not look ancient for his flesh was firm and plump the skin on his cheeks and neck unwrinkled which suggested to me that the story of his great antiquity was false a man who was over a hundred years old for instance surely could not boast such a beautiful set of teeth for even at that distance I could see them gleaming on the other hand evidently middle age was far behind him indeed from his appearance it was quite impossible to guess even approximately the number of his years there he sat red in the red light perfectly still and staring out a blink of his eyes at the furious ball of the setting sun as an eagle is said to be able to do Sudoku advanced and I walked after him my stature is not great and I have never considered myself an imposing person but somehow I do not think that I have ever felt more insignificant than on this occasion the tall and splendid native beside or rather behind whom I walked the gloomy magnificence of the place the blood red light in which it was bathed and the solemn very little figure with wisdom stamped upon its face before me all tended to induce humility in a man not naturally vain I felt myself growing smaller and smaller both in a moral and physical sense I wish that my curiosity had not prompted me to seek an interview with yonder uncanny being while it was too light to retreat indeed Sudoku was already standing before the dwarf and lifting his right arm above his head as he gave him the salute of Makozy footnote Makozy the plural of Incozy is the salute given to Zulu wizards because they are not born but many since in them as in the possessed demonak and the Bible dwell on unnumbered horde of spirits and footnote where on feeling that something was expected of me I took off my shabby cloth hat and bowed then remembering my white man's pride replaced it on my head the wizard suddenly seemed to become aware of our presence for ceasing his contemplation of the sinking sun he scanned us built with his slow thoughtful eyes which somehow reminded me of those of a chameleon although they were not prominent but as I have said sunken greetings son Sudoku he said in a deep rumbling voice why are you back here so soon and why did you bring this flee of a white man with you now this was more than I could bear so without waiting for my companion's answer I broke in you give me a poor name Ozikali what would you think of me if I called you a beetle of a wizard I should thank you clever he answered after reflection for after all I must look something like a beetle with a white head but why should you mind being compared to a flee a flee works by night and so do you Makumazan a flee is active and so are you a flee is very hard to catch and kill and so are you and lastly a flee drinks its fill of that which it desires the blood of man and beast and so you have done do and will Makumazan and he broke into a great laugh that rolled and echoed about the rocky roof above once long years before I had heard that laugh when I was a prisoner in Dingan's Kral after the massacre of Ritef and his company and I recognized it again while I was searching for some answer in the same vein and not finding it though I thought of plenty afterwards Ceasing of a sudden from his unseemly mirth he went on do not let us waste time in jests for it is a precious thing and there is but little of it left for any of us your business on Suduko Baba that is the Zulu for father said Suduko this white and cozy for as you know well enough he is a chief by nature a man of great heart and doubtless of high blood this I believe is true for I have been told that my ancestors were more or less distinguished although if this is so their talents did not lie in the direction of money making has offered to take me up upon a shooting expedition and to give me a good gun with two mouths and payment for my services but I told him that I could not engage in any fresh venture without your leave and he has come to see whether you will grant it to my father indeed answered the dwarf nodding his great head this clever white man has taken the trouble to walk in the sun to come here to ask me whether he may be allowed the privilege of presenting you with a weapon of great value and return for service that any man of your years in Zulu land would love to give for nothing in such company Sun Seruko before my eye holes are hollow do you think it is your part to try to fill them up with dust nay the white man has come because he desires to see him who is named opener of roads of whom he heard a great deal when he was better lad and to judge whether in truth he has wisdom or has but a common cheat and you have come to learn whether or not your friendship with him will be fortunate whether or no he will aid you in a certain enterprise that you have in your mind true Ozikalia said that is so far as I am concerned but Sudoku answered nothing wow went on the dwarf since I am in the mood I will try to answer both your questions for I should be a port that is doctor if I did not when you have travelled so far to ask them moreover my own Makumazana be happy for I seek no fee who having made such fortune as I need long ago before your father was born across the black water Makumazan no longer work for a reward unless it be for the hand of one of the house of Sunazankona and therefore as you may guess work but seldom then he clapped his hands and the servant appeared from somewhere behind the hut one of those fierce looking men who had stopped us at the gate he saluted the dwarf and stood before him in silence with a bowed head make two fires Sudzikali and give me my medicine the man fetched wood which he built into two little piles in front of Zikali these piles he fired with a brand bought from behind the hut then he handed his master a catskin bag with draw Sudzikali and returned no more till I summon you for I'm about to prophecy if however I should seem to die bear on me tomorrow in the place you know of and give this white man a safe conduct from my crawl the man saluted again and went without a word when he had done the dwarf drew from the bag a bundle of twisted roots also some pebbles from which he selected two one white and the other black into this stone he said honing up the white pebbles so that the light from the fire shone on it since they for the lingering red glow was now growing dark into this stone I'm about to draw your spirit oh Makumazana and into this one and he held up the black pebble yours oh son of Matawane why do you look frightened oh brave white man who keeps saying in your heart he is nothing but an ugly old cough or cheat if I am a cheat why do you look frightened as your spirit already in your throat and does it choke you as this little stone might do if you try to swallow it and he burst into one of his great uncanny laughs I tried to protest that I was not in the least frightened but failed for in fact I suppose my nerves were acted on by his suggestion and I did feel exactly as though that stone worn my throat only coming upwards not going downwards hysteria thought I to myself the result of being overtired and as I could not speak sat still as though I treated his jibes with silent contempt now went on the dwarf perhaps I shall seem to die and if so do not touch me unless you should really die wait till I wake up again and tell you what your spirits have told me or if I do not wake for time must come when I shall go on sleeping well for as long as I have lived after the fires are quite out not before lay your hands upon my breast and if you find me turning cold get you gone to some other Ningana as fast as the spirits of this place will let you oh ye who would peep into the future as he spoke he threw a big handful of the rocks that I have mentioned on to each of the fires where on tall flames leapt up from them very unholy looking flames which were followed by columns of dense white smoke that emitted a most powerful and choking odor quite unlike anything that I had ever smelt before it seemed to penetrate all through me and that a cursed stone in my throat grew large as an ample and felt as though someone were poking it upwards with a stick next he threw the white pebble into the right hand fire that which was opposite to me saying enter Makumazan and look and the black pebble threw into the left hand fire saying enter son of Matawane and look then come back both of you and make report to me your master now it is a fact that as he said these words I experienced a sensation as though a stone had come out of my throat so readily do our nerves deceive us that I even thought it grated against my teeth as I opened my mouth to give it passage at any rate the choking was gone only now I felt as though I were quite empty and floating on air as though I were not I and short but a mere shell of a thing all of which doubtless was caused by the stench of those burning roots still I could look and take note for I distinctly saw Zikali thrust his huge head first into the smoke of what I will call my fire next into that of Sudoku's fire and then lean back blowing the stuff into clouds from his mouth and nostrils afterwards I saw him roll over onto his side and lie quite still with his arms outstretched indeed I noticed that one of his fingers seemed to be in the left hand fire and reflected that it would be burnt off and this however I must have been mistaken since I observed subsequently that it was not even scorched thus Zikali lay for a long while till I began to wonder whether he were not really dead dead enough he seemed to be for no corpse could have stayed more stirless but that night I could not keep my thoughts fixed on Zikali or anything I merely noted these circumstances in a mechanical way as might one with whom they had nothing whatsoever to do they did not interest me at all for there appeared to be nothing in me to be interested as they gathered according to Zikali because I was not there but in a warmer place than I hope ever to occupy namely in the stone and that unpleasant looking little right hand fire so matters went as they might in a dream the sun had sunk completely not even in afterglows left the only light remaining was that from the smoldering fires just suffice to illuminate the bulk of Zikali lying on his side, his squat shape looking like that of a dead hippopotamus calf what was left of my consciousness grew heartily sick of the whole affair I was tired of being so empty at length the dwarf stirred he sat up yawned, sneezed, shook himself and began to rake among the burning embers of my fire with his naked hand presently he found the white stone which was now red hot at any rate at gloat as though it were and after examining it for a moment, finally popped it into his mouth then he hunted into the other fire for the black stone which he treated in a similar fashion the next thing I remember was that the fires which had died away almost to nothing were burning very brightly again I suppose because someone had put feel on them and Zikali was speaking come here, oh Makumazana and oh son of Matewane he said, and I will repeat to you what your spirits have been telling me we drew near into the light of the fires which for some reason or other was extremely vivid then he spat the white stone from his mouth into his big hand and I saw that now it was covered with lines and patches like a bird's egg you cannot read the signs he said holding it towards me and when I shook my head went on well, I can as you white men read a book all your history is written here Makumazana and there is no need to tell you that since you know it as I do well enough other days the days of Dingan Makumazan all your future also a very strange future and he scanned the stone with interest yes, yes, a wonderful life and a noble death far away but of these matters you have not asked me and therefore I may not tell them even if I wished nor would you believe me if I did it is of your hunting trip that you have asked me and my answer is that if you seek your own comfort you will do well not to go a pool in a dry river bed a buffalo bull with the tip of one horn shattered yourself and the bull in the pool Saduko Yander also in the pool and a little half bread man with a gun jumping about upon the bank then a litter made of bows and you in it and the father of Mamina walking lamely at your side then a hut in you in it and the maiden called Mamina sitting at your side Makumazan your spirit has written on the stone that you should be aware of Mamina more dangerous than any buffalo if you are wise you will not go out hunting with Umbezi although it is true that hunt will not cost your life there away stone and take your writings with you and as he spoke he jerked his arm and I heard something whiz past my face next he spat out the black stone and examined it in a similar fashion your expedition will be successful son of Matewane he said together with Makumazan you will win many cattle and will cost of sundry lives but for the rest well you did not ask me of it did you also I have told you something of that story before today away stone and the black pebble followed the white one out into the surrounding gloom we sat quite still until the dwarf broke the deep silence with one of his great laughs my witchcraft is done he said a poor tale was it not well hunt for those stones tomorrow and read the rest of it if you can to tell you everything while I was about it white man I would have interested you more but now it has all gone from me back into your spirit with the stones seduko get you to sleep makumazan you who are a watcher by night come and sit with me a while in my hut and we will talk of other things all this business of the stones is nothing more than a coffered trick is it makumazan when you meet the buffalo with a split horn in the pool of a dried river remember it is but a cheating trick and now come into my hut and drink a combo of beer and let us talk of other things more interesting so he took me into the hut which was a fine one very well lit by a fire in its center and gave me half a beer to drink that I swallowed gratefully for my throat was dry and still felt as though it had been scraped who are you father I asked point blank when I had taken my seat upon a low stool with my back resting against the wall of the hut with my pipe he lifted his big head from the pile of caroses on which he was lying and peered at me across the fire my name is Zikali which means weapons white man you know as much as that don't you he answered my father went down so long ago that he does not matter I'm a dwarf very ugly with some learning as we at the black house understand it and very old is there anything else you would like to learn yes Zikali how old there there Makumazan as you know we poor coffers cannot count very well how old well when I was young I came down towards the coast from the great river you call it the Zambazi I think with Wanda Wanda who lived in the north in those days they have forgotten it now because it is some time ago and if I could write I would set down the history of that March for we fought some great battles with the people who used to live in this country afterwards I was the friend of the father of the Zulus he whom they still call Nkuzi Umkulu the mighty chief you may have heard tell of him I carved that stool on which you sit for him and he left it back to me when he died Nkuzi Umkulu I exclaimed why they say he lived hundreds of years ago do they Makumazan if so have I not told you that we black people cannot count as well as you do really it was only the other day anyhow after his death the Zulus began to maltreat us under Wanda and the Qabis and the Tetwads with us you may remember that they called us the Amtefula making a mock of us so I quarrelled with the Zulus and especially with Chaka he whom they named Alanya the mad one you see Makumazan it pleased him to laugh at me because I am not as other men are he gave me a name that means the thing which should never have been born I will not speak that name it is a secret to me it may not pass my lips yet at times he sought my wisdom and I paid him back for his names for I gave him very ill counsel and he took it and I brought him to his death although none ever saw my finger in that business but when he was dead at the hands of his brother Dingan in Umhalanga and of Umbopa who also had a score to settle with him and his body was cast out of the crawl like that of an evil dwarf why I who because I was a dwarf was not sent again such Shangana went and sat on it at night and laughed thus and he broke into one of his hideous peels of merriment I laughed thrice once for my wives whom he had taken once for my children whom he had slain and once for the maki name that he had given me then I became the counselor of Dingan whom I hated worse than I hated Chaka for he was Chaka again without his greatness and you know the end of Dingan for you had a share in that war and of Umhalanga his brother and fellow murderer whom I counseled Dingan to slay this I did through the lips of the old princess Mincavalli Jama's daughter Senjana Kona's sister the oracle before whom all men bowed causing her to say that this land of the Zulus cannot be ruled by a crimson asegai for Makumazana was Umhalangana who first struck Chaka with the spear now Panda reigns the last of the sons of Senjana Kona my enemy Panda the Fool and I hold my hand from Panda because he tried to save the life of a child of mine whom Chaka slew but Panda has sons who are as Chaka was and against them I worked as I worked against those who went before them why? I asked why? oh if I were to tell you oh my story you would understand why Makumazana? well perhaps I will one day but as a matter of fact he did in a very wonderful tale it is but as it has nothing to do with this history I will not write it here I daresay I answered Chaka and Dingan and Umhalangana and the others were not nice people but another question why do you tell me all this Ozikali scene that where I had to repeat it to a talking bird you would be smelt out and a single moon would not die before you? oh I should be smelt out and killed before one moon dies should I? then I wonder that this has not happened during all the moons that are gone well I tell the story to you and Makumazan who have had so much to do with the tale of the Zulu since the days of Dingan because I wish that someone should know it and perhaps write it down when everything is finished because too I have just been reading your spirit and see that it is still a white spirit and that you will not whisper it to a talking bird now I went forward and looked at him what is the end at which you aim Ozikali I asked you are not one who beats the air with a stick on whom do you wish the stick to fall at last on whom? he answered in a new voice a low hissing voice why on those proud Zulus this little family of men who call themselves the people of heaven and swallow other tribes the great tree snakes swallow kids in small blocks and when it is fat with them and cries to the world see how big I am everything is inside of me I am Nidwande one of those peoples whom it pleases the Zulus to call Amtefula poor hangers on who talk with an accent nothing but bush swine therefore I would seek the swine tusk the hunter or if that may not be I would see the black hunter laid low by the Rhinoceros the white Rhinoceros of Euryas Makumazan yes even if it sets foot upon the Nwande boar as well there I have told you and this is the reason that I live so long for I will not die until these things have come to pass as come to pass they will what did Chaka, Sengadzona's son say when the little red Sengai the Sengai with which he slew his mother I and the others some of whom were near to me was in his liver what did he say to Mbopa and the princess did he not say that he heard the feet of a great white people running of a people who would stamp the Zulus flat well I the thing who should not have been born live on until that day comes and when it comes I think that you and I Makumazan shall not be far apart and that is why I have opened my heart to you I who have knowledge of the future there I speak no more of these things that are to be who perchance have already said too much of them yet do not forget my words or forget them if you will for I shall remind you of them Makumazan when the feet of your people have avenged the Nwandes and the others whom it pleases to treat his dirt now the strange man who set up in his excitement took his long white hair which after the fashion of wizards he were plated into thin ropes till it hung like a veil about him hiding his bright face in deep bias presently he spoke again through this veil of hair saying you are wandering Makumazan what Saduko has to do with all these great events that are to be I answer that he must play his part in them not a very great part but still a part and it is for this purpose that I treat him as a child from Bangu Dingang's man and reared him up to be a warrior although since I cannot lie I warned him that he would do well to leave spirits alone and follow after wisdom well he will slay Bangu who now has quarreled with Panda and a woman will come into the story one Mamina and that woman will bring about war between the sons of Panda and from this war shall spring the ruin of the Zulus for he who wins will be an evil king and bring down on them the wrath of a mightier race and so the thing that should not have been born and the Noandes and the Kwabis and Tetwas whom it had pleased the conquering Zulus to name Amtefula shall be avenged yes yes my spirit tells me all these things and they are true and what of Saduko my friend and your foster lean Saduko your friend and my foster lean will take his appointed road Makumazan as I shall and you will what more could he desire seeing it is that which he has chosen he will take his road and he will play the part which the great great has prepared for him seek not to know more why should you since time will tell you the story and now go to rest Makumazan as I must who am polled and feeble and when it pleases you to visit me again we will talk further meanwhile remember always there is nothing but an old kaffir cheat who pretends to a knowledge that belongs to no man remember it especially Makumazan when you meet a buffalo with a split horn in the pool of a dried up river and afterwards when a woman named Mamina makes a certain offer to you which you may be tempted to accept good night to you watch her by night the white heart and the strange destiny good night to you and try not to think too hardly of the old kaffir cheat who just now is called opener of roads my servant waits without to lead you to your hut and if you wish to be back at Umbezi's crawl by nightfall tomorrow you will do well to start air sunrise since as you found in coming Sudoku although he may be a fool is a very good walker and you do not like to be left behind Makumazan do you? so I rose but as I went some impulse seemed to take him and he called me back and made me sit down again Makumazan he said I would out of word when you are quite a lad you came into this country with retiff did you not yes I answered slowly for this matter of the massacre of retiff is one of which I have seldom cared to speak for sundry reasons although I have made a record of it in writing footnote published under the title of Marie and footnote even my friends Sir Henry Curtis and Captain Good have heard little of the part I played in that tragedy but what do you know of that business Ikali? all that there is to know I think Makumazan seeing that I was at the bottom of it and that Dingan killed those bores on my advice just as he killed Chaka and Umha Langana you cold blooded old murderer I began but he interrupted me at once why do you throw evil names at me Makumazan as I threw the stone of your fate at you just now why am I a murderer because I brought about the death of some white man that chanced to be your friends who had come here to cheat us black folk of our country was it for this reason you brought about their deaths Ikali? I asked staring him in the face for I felt that he was lying to me not altogether Makumazan he answered, blood in his eyes those strange eyes that could look at the sun without blinking fall before my gaze have I not told you that I hate the house of Senzanakona and when retiff and his companions were killed did not the spilling of their blood mean war to the end between the Zulus and the white man did it not mean the death of Dingan and of thousands of his people which is but a beginning of deaths now do you understand I understand that you are a very wicked man I answered with indignation at least you should not say so Makumazan he replied in a new voice one with the ring of truth in it why not because I saved your life on that day you escaped alone of the white men did you not and you never could understand why could you no I could not Zikali I put it down to what you call the spirits well I will tell you those spirits of yours wore my Karas and he laughed I saw you with the Boris and saw too that you were of another people the people of the English you may have heard at that time that I was doctoring at the great place although I kept out of the way and we did not meet or at least you never knew that we met for you were asleep also I pitted your youth for although you do not believe it I had a little bit of heart left in those days also I knew that we should come together again in the after years as you see we have done today and shall often do until the end so I told Dingan that whoever died you must be spared or he would bring up the people of George i.e. the English to avenge you and your ghost would enter into him and curse upon him he believed me who did not understand that already so many curses were gathered about his head that one more or less made no matter so you see you were spared Makumazan and afterwards you helped pour out a curse upon Dingan without becoming a ghost which is the reason why Panda likes you so well today Panda the enemy of Dingan his brother you remember the woman who helped you while I made her do so how did it go with you afterwards Makumazan with you and the boar maiden across the Buffalo river to whom you were making love in those days never mind how it went I replied springing up for the old wizards talk it stirred sad and bitter memories in my heart that time is dead Zikali is it Makumazan now from the look upon your face I should have said that it was still very much alive as things that happened in our youth have a way of keeping alive but doubtless I am mistaken I was all dead as Dingan and as Retaf and as the others your companions at least although you do not believe it I saved your life on that red day for my own purposes of course not because one white life was anything among so many in my count and now go to rest Makumazan go to rest for although your heart has been awakened by memories this evening I promise that you shall sleep well tonight and throwing the long hair back off his eyes he looked at me keenly wagging his big head to and fro and burst into another of his great laughs so I went but ah as I went I wept anyone who knew all that story would understand why but this is not the place to tell it that tale of my first love and of the terrible events which befell us in the time of Dingan still as I say I have written it down and perhaps one day it will be read End of Chapter 2 Chapter 3 of Child of Storm this is a Lebervox recording all Lebervox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit lebervox.org recording by Elsie Selwyn Child of Storm by H. Ryder Haggard Chapter 3 The Buffalo with the Cleft Horn I slept very well that night I suppose because I was so dog tired I could not help it but next day on our long walk back to Umbezi's crawl I thought a great deal without doubt I had seen and heard very strange things both of the past and the present things that I could not in the least understand moreover they were mixed up with all sorts of questions of high Zulu policy and threw a new light upon events that happened to me and others in my youth now in the clear sunlight was the time to analyze these things and this I did in the most logical fashion I could command although without the slightest assistance from Seruko who when I asked him questions merely shrugged his shoulders these questions he said did not interest him I had wished to see the magic of Zikali and Zikali had been pleased to show me some very good magic quite of his best indeed also he had conversed alone with me afterwards doubtless on high matters so high that he Seruko was not admitted to share the conversation which was an honor he accorded to very few I could form my own conclusions in the light of the white man's wisdom which everyone knew was great I replied shortly that I could for Seruko's tone irritated me of course the truth was that he felt aggrieved at being sent off to bed like a little boy while his foster father the old dwarf made confidences to me one of Seruko's faults was that he had always a very good opinion of himself also he was by nature terribly jealous even in little things as the readers of his history if any will learn we touched on for several hours in silence broken at length by my companion you still mean to go on a shubin expedition with Umbazi in Kosi he asked or are you afraid of what should I be afraid I answered tartly of the buffalo with the split horn of which Zikali told you what else now I fear I use strong language about the buffalo with the split horn a beast in which I declared I had no belief whatsoever either with or without its accessories of dried riverbeds and waterholes if all this old woman's talk has made you afraid however I added you can stop with the crawl with Mamina why should the talk make me afraid Makumazan Zikali did not say that this evil spirit of a buffalo would hurt me if I fear it is for you seeing that if you are hurt you may not be able to go with me to look for Bangu's cattle oh I replied sarcastically it seems that you are somewhat selfish friend Seruko since it is of your welfare and not of my safety that you are thinking if I were as selfish as you seem to believe in Kosi should I advise you to stop with your wagons and thereby lose the good gun with two mouths that you have promised me still it is true that I should like well enough to stay at Umbezi's crawl with Mamina especially if Umbezi were away now as there was nothing more uninteresting than to listen to other people's love affairs and as I saw that with the slightest encouragement Seruko was ready to tell me all the history of his courtship over again I did not continue the argument so we finished our journey in silence and arrived at Umbezi's crawl a little after sundown to find to the disappointment of both of us that Mamina was still away upon the following morning we started on our shooting expedition the party consisting of myself my servant Skow who as I think I said hailed from the cape and was half a hot and taut Seruko the merry old Zulu Umbezi and a number of his men to serve as bearers and beaters that proved a very successful trip that is until the end of it for in those days the game in this part of the country was extremely plentiful before the end of the second week I killed four elephants two of them with large tusks while Seruko who soon developed into a very fair shot bagged another with the double barreled gun that I had promised him also Umbezi how I have never discovered for the thing partook of the nature of a miracle managed to slay an elephant cow with fair ivories using the old rifle that went off at half cock never have I seen a man black or white so delighted as was that then glorious copper for whole hours he danced and sang and took snuff and saluted with his hand telling me the story of his deed over and over again no single version of which tail agreed with the other he took a new title also that meant to eat her up of elephants he allowed one of his men to that is praise him all through the night preventing us from getting a week of sleep until at last the poor fellow dropped in a kind of fit from exhaustion and so forth it really was very amusing until it became a bore besides the elephants we killed lots of other things including two lions which I got almost with a right and left and three white rhinoceroses that now alas are nearly extinct at last towards the end of the third week we had as much as our men could carry in the shape of ivory rhinoceros horns skins and some dried buck flesh or built home and determined to start back for umbezi scroll the next day indeed this could not be long delayed as our powder and lead were running low for in those days it will be remembered breach litters had not come in and ammunition therefore had to be carried in bulk to tell the truth I was very glad that our trip had come to such a satisfactory conclusion for although I would not admit it even to myself I could not get rid of a kind of sneaking dread lest after all there might be something in the old dwarf's prophecy about a disagreeable adventure with the buffalo which was in store for me well as a chance we had not so much have seen a buffalo and as the road which we were going to take back to the craw ran over high bear country that these animals did not frequent there was no little prospect of our doing so all of which of course showed what I already knew that only weak headed superstitious idiots would put the slightest faith in the driveling nonsense of deceiving our self-deceived coffer medicine then these things indeed I pointed out was much bigger to seducer before we turned in on the last night of the hunt seducer listened in silence and said nothing at all except that he would not keep me up any longer as I must be tired now whatever may be the reason for it my experience in life is that it is never wise to brag about anything at any rate on a hunting trip to come a particular instance wait until you are safe at home till you begin to do so of the truth of this ancient adage I was now destined to experience a particularly fine and concrete example the place where we had camped was unscattered bush overlooking a great extent of dry reeds that in the wet season was doubtless a swamp fed by a small river which ran into it on the side opposite to our camp during the night I woke up thinking that I had heard some big beasts moving in these reeds but as no further sounds reached my ears I went to sleep again shortly after dawn I was awakened by a voice calling me which in a hasty fashion I recognized that of Umbedi makumadzan said the voice and the horse whisper the reed below us a full of buffalo get up get up at once what for I answered if the buffalo came into the reeds they will go out of them we do not want meat no makumadzan but I want their hide panda the king has demanded 50 sheaves of meat and without killing oxen that I can infer I have not the skins we are allowed to make them now these buffalo are in a trap this swamp is like a dish with one mouth they cannot get out at the side of the dish and the mouth by which they came in is very narrow if we station ourselves at either side of it we can kill many of them by this time I was thoroughly awake and had a risen from my blankets in a carrasse over my shoulders I left the hut made of bows in which I was sleeping and walked a few paces to the crest of a rocky ridge whence I could see the dry of lay below here the mists of dawn still clung but from it rose sounds of grunts bellows and trampolines which I an old hunter could not mistake evidently a herd of buffalo one or two hundred of them had established themselves in those reeds just then my bastard servants joined us both of them full of excitement it appeared that scowl who never seemed to sleep at any natural time had seen the buffalo entering the reeds and estimated their number at two or three hundred seduko had examined the cleft through which they passed and reported it to be so narrow that we could kill any number of them as they rushed out to escape quite so I understand I said well my opinion is that we had better let them escape only four of us counting in bestie are armed with guns and as they guys are not much of use against buffalo let them go I say umbezi thinking of a cheap raw material for the shields which had been requisitioned by the king who would surely be pleased if they were made of such a rare and tough hide as that of buffalo protested violently in seduko either to please one whom he hoped might be his father in law or from sheer love of the sport for which he always had a positive passion backed him up only scowl whose dash of hot and taut blood made him cunning and cautious took my side pointing out that we were very short of powder and that buffalo ate up much lead at last seduko said the lord makumazana is our captain we must obey him although it is a pity but doubtless the prophesying of zikali weighs upon his mind so there is nothing to be done zikali exclaimed umbezi what has the old dwarf to do with this matter never mind what he has or has not to do with it i broke in for although i do not think that he meant them as a taunt but merely as a statement of fact seduko's words stung me to the quick especially as my conscience told me that they were not all together without foundation we will try to kill some of these buffalo i went on although unless the herd should get bogged which is not likely as the swamp is very dry i do not think that we can hope for more than 8 or 10 at most which won't be of much use for shields come let us make a plan we have no time to use for i think they will begin to move again before the sun is well up half an hour later the four of us who were armed with guns were posted behind rocks on either side of the steep narrow roadway cut by water which led to the vle and with us some of umbezi's men that chief himself was at my side a post of honor which he had insisted upon taking to tell the truth i did not dissuade him for i thought that i should be safer so then if he were opposite me since even if the old rifle did not go off forward umbezi when excited was the most uncertain shot the herd of buffalo appeared to have laying down in the reeds so being careful to post ourselves first we sent me the native bearers to the farther side of the blade with instructions to rouse the beasts by shouting the remainder of the zulus there were 10 or a dozen of them armed with stabbing spears we kept with us but what did these scoundrels do instead of disturbing the herd by making noise as we told them for some reason they were less known to themselves our expected is because they were afraid to go into the blade where they might meet the horn of a buffalo at any moment they fired the dry reeds in three or four places at once and this if you please with a strong wind blowing from them to us and a moment or two the farther side of the swamp was a sheet of crackling flame that gave off clouds of dense white smoke then pandemonium began the sleeping buffalo let to their feet and after a few moments of indecision a whole huge horde of them snorting and bellowing like mad things seeing what was about to happen I nipped behind a big boulder while scowls shinied up on mimosa with the swiftness of a cat and heedless of its thorns sat himself in an eagle's nest at the top the zulus with the spears bolted to take cover where they could what became of seduko I did not see but old umbezi bewildered with excitement jumped into the exact middle of the roadway shouting they come they come charge buffalo folk if you will feature up of elephants a way to you excederated old fool I shouted but got no further for just at this moment the first of the buffalo which I could see was an enormous bull probably the leader of the herd accepted umbezi's invitation and came with its nose stuck straight out in front of it umbezi's gun went off and next instant he went up through the smoke I saw his black bulk in the air and then herded a light with a thud on top of the rock behind which I was crouching exit umbezi I said to myself and by way of a requiem let the bull which had hoisted him as I thought to heaven have an ounce of lead in the ribs as it passed me after that I did not fire anymore for it occurred to me that it was as well not to further advertise my presence in all my hunting experience I cannot remember ever seen such a sight as that which followed out of the play watched the buffalo by dozens every one of them making remarks in its own language as it came they jammed in the narrow roadway they leapt onto each other's backs they squealed they kicked they bellowed they charged my friendly rock till I felt a shake they knocked over scald mimosathon and would have shot him out of his eagles nest had not its black top fortunately caught in that of another and less accessible tree and with them came clouds of pungent smoke mixed with bits of burning reed and puffs of hot air it was over at last with the exception of some calves which had been trampled to death in the rush the herd had gone now like the roman emperor I think he was an emperor I began to wonder what had become of my legions umbezi!  I asked for I could not see his wounds because of the smoke behind maquumazan behind he groaned for I had turned to fly but alas too late on the contrary I replied for one so heavy you flew very well like a bird umbezi like a bird look and see what the evil beast done to me maquumazan it will be easy for my mucha has gone so I looked examining umbezi's ample proportions with care but could discover nothing except a large smudge of black mud as though he had sat down in a half-dried puddle then I guessed the truth the buffalo's horns had missed him he had been struck only with its muddy nose being almost as broad as that portion of umbezi with which it came in contact had inflicted nothing worse than a bruise when I was sure he had received no serious injury my temper already sorely tried gave out and I administered to him the soundest smacking his position being very convenient that he had ever received since he was a little boy get up you idiot I shouted and let us look for the others this is the end of your folly and making me attack a herd of buffalo and reeds get up am I to stop here till I choke do you mean that I have no mortal wound bakumazan he asked with a return of cheerfulness accepting the castigation and good part for he was not one who bore mellis oh I am glad to hear it for now I shall live to make those cowards who fired the reeds sorry that they are not dead also to finish off that wild beast for I hit him bakumazan I hit him I don't know whether you hit him I know he hit you I replied as I shoved him off the rock and ran towards the tilted tree where I had been scowl here I beheld another strange sight scowl was still seated in the eagles nest that he shared with two nearly fledged young birds one of which having been injured was uttering piteous cries nor did it cry in vain for its parents which were of that great variety of kite that the boars called lamenfong or lamb lifters had just arrived to its assistance and were giving their new nestling scowl the best doing that man ever received at the beacon claws of feathered kind those rushing smoke wreaths the combat looked perfectly titanic also it was one of the noidiest which I ever listened for I don't know which shrieked the more loudly the infuriated eagles or their victim seeing how things stood I burst into a roar of laughter and just then scowl grabbed the leg of the male bird that was planted in his breast while it removed tufts of his wool with its hooked beak and leapt boldly from the nest which had become too hot to hold him the eagles outspread wings broke his fall they acted as a parachute and so did umbezi upon whom he chanced to land springing from the prostrate shape of the chief who now had a bruise in front to match that behind scowl covered with pecs and scratches ran like a lamp lighter leaving me to collect my second gun which he had dropped at the bottom of the tree but fortunately without injuring it the coffers gave him another name after that encounter which meant he who fights birds and gets the worst of it well we escaped from the line of smoke a disheveled trio indeed umbezi had nothing left on him except his headring and shouted for the others if perchance they had not been thrown into death in the rush the first to arrive was seduko who looked quite calm and untroubled but stared at us in astonishment and asked Cooley what we had been doing to get in such a state I replied in appropriate language and asked in turn how he had managed to remain so nicely dressed he did not answer but I believe the truth was that he had crept into a large ant bear's hole small blame to him to be frank then the remainder of our party turned up one by one some of them looking very blown as though they had run a long way none were missing except those who had fired the reeds and they thought it well to keep clear for a good many hours I believe that afterwards they regretted not having taken a longer leave of absence but when they did finally arrive I was in no condition to know what passed between them and their outrage chief being collected the question arose what we should do of course I wished to return to camp and get out of this ill-illumined place as soon as possible but I had reckoned without the vanity of Umbezi Umbezi stretched over the edge of a sharp rock whether he had been hoisted by the nose of a buffalo and imagining himself to be mortally wounded was one thing but Umbezi and I borrowed Mucha although because of his bruises he supported his person with one hand in front and with the other behind knowing his injuries to be purely superficial was quite another I am a hunter he said I am named Ether up of elephants and he rolled his eyes looking about for someone to contradict him which nobody did indeed his praiser a thin tired looking person whose voice was worn out with his previous exertions repeated in a feeble way yes black one Ether up of elephants is your name lifted up by buffalo is your name be silent idiot roared Umbezi as I said I am a hunter I would beast that subsequently dare to assault me as a matter of fact it was I Alan Cotterman who had wounded it I would make it bite the dust for it cannot be far away let us follow it he glared round him wearing his obsequious people or one of them echoed yes by all means let us follow it Ether up of elephants Makumazan the clever white man will show us how for where is the buffalo that he fears of course after this there was nothing else to be done so having some in the scratch scale who seemed to have no heart in the business we started on the spore of the herd which was as easy to track as a wagon road never mind boss said scale they are two hours march off by now I hope so I answered but as it happened luck was against me where before we had covered half a mile some overzealous fellow struck a blood spore I marched on that spore for twenty minutes or so till we came to a patch of bush that slept downwards to a river bed right to this river I followed it till I reached the edge of a big pool that was still full of water although the river itself had gone dry here I stood looking at the spore and consulting with Saduko as to whether the beast could have swum the pool for the tracks that went to its very verge had become confused and uncertain suddenly our doubts were ended since out of a patch of dense bush which we had passed for it had played the common trick of doubling back on its own spore appeared the buffalo a huge bull that halted on three legs my bullet having broken one of its thighs as to its identity there was no doubt since on or rather from its right horn which was cleft apart at the top hung the remains of umbezizmucha obiware en konzi kaid Saduko in a frightened voice it is the buffalo with the cleft horn I heard him I saw all the scene in the hut of Zikali rose before me the old dwarf his words everything I lifted my rifle and fired at the charging beast but knew that the bullet glanced from its skull I threw down the gun for the buffalo was right on me and tried to jump aside almost I did so but that cleft horn to which hung the remains of umbezizmucha scooped me up and hurled me off of riverbank backwards and sideways into the deep pool below as I departed thither I saw Saduko swing forward and heard a shot fired that caused the bullet to collapse for a moment then with a slow sliding motion it followed me into the pool now we were together and there was no room for both so after a certain amount of dodging I went under as the lighter dog always does in the fight that buffalo seemed to do everything to me which a buffalo could do under the circumstances it tried to horn me and partially succeeded although I ducked at every swoop then it struck me with its nose and drove me to the bottom of the pool although I got hold of its lip and twisted it then it calmly nailed on me and sank me deeper and deeper into the mud I remember kicking it in the stomach after this I remembered no more except a kind of wild dream in which I rehearsed all the scene in the Dwarves hut and his request that when I meet the buffalo with the cleft horn and the pool of dried river I should remember that he was nothing but a poor old capper cheat after this I saw my mother bending over a little child in my bed in the old house of Oxfordshire where I was born and then blackness I came to myself again and saw instead of my mother the stately figure of Saduko bending over me upon one side and on the other that of Scow the half bread hot and taut who was weeping for his hot tears fell upon my face he is gone said poor Scow that be which beast but the split horn has killed him he is gone who was the best white man in all South Africa whom I loved better than my father and all my relatives that you might easily do bastard answered Saduko I do not know who they are but he is not gone for the opener of road said that he would live also I got my spear until the heart of that buffalo before he had needed the life out of him as fortunately the mud was soft yet I fear that his ribs are broken and he poked me with his finger on the breast take your clumsy hand off me I gassed there said Saduko I have made him feel did I not tell you that he would live I remember little more except some confused dreams till I found myself lying in a great hut which I discovered subsequently was Umbezi's own the same indeed whereon I had doctored the ear of that wife of his who was called worn out old cow end of chapter 3