'Tween Snow and Fire: A Tale of the Last Kafir War Read online

  CHAPTER TEN.

  A MUTUAL WARNING.

  It may not here be out of place to offer a word of explanation as to theextraordinarily cordial relations existing between Eustace Milne and hisbarbarian neighbours. A student of nature all the world over, he hadrejoiced in finding ready to his hand so promising a subject as thisfine race of savages, dwelling in close proximity to, and indeed in andamong, the abodes of the white colonists, and instead of learning tolook upon the Kafirs as so many more or less troublesome and indifferentfarm servants, actual stock-lifters and potential foemen, he had startedby recognising their many good qualities and resolving to make acomplete study of the race and its characteristics. And this he hadeffected, with the thoroughness which marked everything he undertook. Aquick linguist, he soon mastered the rather difficult, but melodious andexpressive Xosa tongue, in which long and frequent conversations withits speakers had by this time rendered him nearly perfect; a man of keenintellect, he could hold his own in argument with any of these people,who, on subjects within the scope of their acquaintance, are about theshrewdest debaters in the world. His cool deliberation of speech andsoundness of judgment commanded their abundant respect, and the friendlyand disinterested feeling which he invariably evinced towards them beingonce understood and appreciated, a very genuine liking sprang up on bothsides.

  Of course all this did not pass unnoticed by his white acquaintances andneighbours--who were wont to look upon him as an eccentricity inconsequence, and to chaff him a good deal about his "blanket friends,"or ask him when he expected to be in the Cabinet as Secretary for NativeAffairs. A few of the more ill-natured would sneer occasionally, hiscousin among the latter. But Eustace Milne could take chaff withperfect equanimity, and as for the approval or disapproval of anybody heregarded it not one whit.

  Stay--of anybody? Yes--of one.

  And that approval he had gained to the full. Eanswyth, watching hercousin during the year that he had been living with them, had felt herregard and respect for him deepen more and more. Many a time had hisjudgment and tact availed to settle matters of serious difficulty and,of late, actual peril, brought about by the hot-headed imperiousness ofher husband in his dealings with the natives. Living a year beneath thesame roof with anybody in ordinary work-a-day intercourse affords thebest possible opportunity of studying the character of that person.Eanswyth, we say, had so studied the character of her husband's cousinand had pronounced it well-nigh flawless. But of this more elsewhere.

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  "Who are those people, Ncanduku?" said Eustace, after a few preliminarypuffs in silence. "Except yourself and Sikuni here, they are allstrangers to me. I do not seem to know one of their faces."

  The chief shrugged his shoulders, emitting a thick puff of smoke fromhis bearded lips.

  "They are strangers," he answered. "They are Ama-Gcaleka, and arereturning to their own country across the Kei. They have been visitingsome of their friends at Nteya's kraal."

  "But why are they all so heavily armed? We are not at war."

  "_Whau_, Ixeshane! You know there is trouble just now with the Amafengu[Fingoes]. These men might be molested on their way back to their owncountry. They are afraid, so they go armed."

  "Who are they afraid of? Not the Amafengu, their dogs? Why should theygo armed and travel in such strength?"

  The chief fixed his glance upon his interlocutor's face, and there was amerry twinkle in his eye as he turned away again.

  "A man is not afraid of one dog, Ixeshane, nor yet of two," he replied."But if a hundred set upon him, he must kill them or be killed himself."

  Eustace uttered a murmur of assent. Then after a pause he said:

  "To travel in a strong party like that in these times is not wise. Whatif these Gcalekas were to fall in with a Police patrol--would there notsurely be a fight? That might bring on a war. I am a peaceable man.Everybody is not. What if they had met a less peaceable man thanmyself, and threatened him as they did me? There would have been afight and the white man might have been killed--for what can one man doagainst twenty?"

  "He need not have been killed--only frightened," struck in the otherKafir, Sikuni.

  "Some men are easier killed than frightened," rejoined Eustace. "Lastnight some people from Nteya's kraal attacked my brother, [The term`brother' is often colloquially used among Kafirs to designate otherdegrees of relationship] stole his gun, and tried to kill him. But theydid not frighten him."

  In spite of the conventional exclamation of astonishment which arosefrom his hearers, Eustace was perfectly well aware that this was no newsto them.

  "That is bad news," said Ncanduku, with well-feigned concern. "But itmay not have been done by any of our people, Ixeshane. There may havebeen some Fingo dogs wandering about the land, who have done this thingin order that the English may blame us for it."

  It was now Eustace's turn to smile.

  "Does a dog wander to the mouth of a den of lions?" he said, keenlyenjoying the notion of turning the tables. "Will a few Fingoes attack aguest of Nteya's within the very light of the fires of the Gaikalocation?"

  "Your brother, Umlilwane, is too hot-headed," answered the chief, forcedto shift his ground. "Yet he is not a young man. Our young men, too,are hot-headed at times and escape from under the controlling eye of thechiefs. But Nteya will surely punish those who have done this thing."

  "Let your friends proceed on their way, Ncanduku," said Eustacesuddenly, and in a low tone. "I would speak with you alone."

  The chief assented, and at a word from him the Gcalekas rose to theirfeet and gathered up their weapons. With a respectful salute to thewhite man they filed off into the bush, and soon the faint rattle ofassegai hafts and the deep bass hum of their voices faded into silence.

  "Now we are alone," began Eustace after a pause. "We are friends,Ncanduku, and can talk freely. If there is trouble between the Gcalekasand the Fingoes, surely Kreli is able to take care of his own interests.Why, then, should the Gaikas have lighted the war-fires, have dancedthe war-dance? The quarrel is not theirs."

  "The wrongs of the Paramount Chief are the wrongs of the whole Xosarace," answered the Kafir. "See now. We love not your brother,Umlilwane. Yet, tell him to collect his flocks and his herds and toleave, to depart into a quieter country, and that speedily; for the landwill soon be dead." [Native idiom for war.]

  "And what if he refuses?"

  "Then he, too, will soon be dead."

  For some minutes Eustace kept silence. The Kafir's remark had addedfuel to the fire which was burning within his heart. It seemed a directanswer to lurid unspoken thoughts which had been surging through hismind at the time of his surprise by the at first hostile party.

  "Umlilwane is an obstinate man," he said at length. "What if he laughsat the warning?"

  "When a man sits inside his house and laughs while his house is burning,what happens to him, Ixeshane?"

  "He stands a fair chance of being burnt too. But listen, Ncanduku. Youhave no quarrel against the _Inkosikazi_. [Literally Chieftainess. Inthis instance `lady.'] Surely not a man of the House of Gaika would harmher!"

  The chief shook his head with a troubled expression.

  "Let her go, too!" he said emphatically. "Let her go, too, and that assoon as possible. When the red wave of war is rolling over the land,there is no place where the delicate feet of white women may stand dry.We are friends, Ixeshane. For your sake, and for that of the_Inkosikazi_, tell Umlilwane to gather together his cattle and to go."

  "We are friends, indeed, Ncanduku. But how long can we be so? If warbreaks out between our people how can I sit still? I cannot. I mustfight--must fight for my own race, and in defence of our property. How,then, can we remain friends?"

  "In war-time every man must do his duty," answered the Gaika. "He mustobey the word of his chief and fight for his race and colour."

  "Truly spoken and well understood.
And now a warning for a warning. IfI had the ears of your chiefs and _amapakati_ [Councillors] this is whatI should say: Do not be drawn into this war. Let the Gcalekas fight outtheir own quarrel. They stand upon wholly different ground. If theyare vanquished--as, of course, they will be in the long run--theGovernment will show them mercy, will treat them as a conquered people.But you, and the other tribes within the colonial border, are Britishsubjects. Queen Victoria is your chief, not Kreli, not Sandili, notSeyolo, not Ndimba--no man of the House of Gaika or Hlambi, but theWhite Queen. If you make war upon the Colony the Government will treatyou as criminals, not as a conquered people, but as rebels against theQueen, your chief. You will be shown no mercy. Your chiefs will verylikely be hung and your fighting men will be sent to the convict prisonsfor many a long year. That when you are beaten. And how long can youcarry on the war? Things are not as they were. The country is not asit was. Think of the number of soldiers that will be sent against you;of the police; of the settlers, who will turn out to a man--all armedwith the best breechloaders, mind. And what sort of weapons have you?A few old muzzle loaders more dangerous to the shooter than to his mark.What can you do with these and your assegais against people armed withthe best rifles in the world? I am indeed your friend, Ncanduku, andthe friend of your race. Let my warning sink deep in your mind, andcarry it to the chiefs. Let them be wise in time."

  "The words of Ixeshane are always the words of wisdom," said the Kafir,rising in obedience to the other's example. "But the young men areturbulent. They will not listen to the counsels of their elders. Thecloud grows darker every day. I see no light," he added, courteouslyholding the stirrup for Eustace to mount, "Go in peace, Ixeshane, andremember my warning."

  And gathering up his assegais the chief disappeared among the trees,following the direction taken by the larger party.