The midday siesta period was about over and the kraals were beginning
to show signs of life again. The native women were going about their
domestic duties and the men, as usual, were resting in the shade and
furbishing their weapons. Our activity in breaking camp did not
attract much attention, except on the part of the usual number of
small boys, and before long we were on the trail to the Valley of
Heaven. We only traveled about half as fast as we had come in and were
constantly being held up by crowds going in the same direction.
Thousands upon thousands had come to see the sacrifice of the ten
indunas and were now returning to their homes.
Sibijaan nearly got us into a pretty row shortly before we struck the
valley. He was driving the wagon with its four mules, and began to get
impatient over the crowded roadway. He got careless with his sjambok
and flicked a tall Swazi warrior on a naked but important part of his
anatomy. Now the sjambok cuts like a knife, and the savage gave a
tremendous jump. In fact, he seemed to me to jump twice--once straight
up in the air and the second time toward the wagon, brandishing his
assegai and shouting.
Sibijaan dived into the wagon under the cover, and the enraged induna
dashed round to the rear of the vehicle in the hope that its driver
was trying to escape that way. Then ensued a sort of merry-go-round,
the induna dashing madly from front to back of the wagon and Sibijaan
trying to keep one guess ahead of him. Both were yelling, and Tuys and
I hurried to stop the trouble. However, we were too late! The induna
suddenly stopped at the side of the wagon where he could watch the
front, his spear poised for murder. He was the cat watching the
rat-hole, the hunter awaiting his prey.
Tuys snatched his revolver from its holster and was just aiming at the
savage when we saw the flap of the wagon-cover lifted just a little
and a thin arm come out. In the hand was a short knob-kerrie, and it
caught the irate chief on the back of the head with one fell sweep.
Down he came with a crash, his shield thudding as it hit the ground.
A second later Sibijaan hopped out of the wagon, knife in hand,
evidently intending to finish the job. Tuys reached down from his
horse and swung the little beggar up before him, where he gave him a
good spanking. That was the end of the incident, since the induna
found himself looking into the business end of Tuys's revolver when he
woke up from his trance.
Late that evening we camped in the Valley of Heaven. We passed several
kraals in our leisurely progress and talked with some of the indunas.
None of them seemed very sorry that Buno was gone, but there was a
general expression of anxiety concerning the next ruler. Most of them
thought that Labotsibeni should get the job, but not a few favored
Umzulek--in fact, there seemed to be quite a strong Umzulek sentiment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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