The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-10-17
CHAPTER VI.
THE PLAN OF CAMPAIGN.

THE PLAN OF CAMPAIGN.
Notwithstanding all that we lad gone
Through, perhaps, indeed. on account
of it-for I was thoroughly worn out
I slept that night as soundly as poor
-Gobo, round whose crushed body the
hyenas would now be prowling.
Rising refreshed at dawn, we went
on our way toward Nala's kraal, which
we reached at nightfall.
1t is built on open ground after the
Zulu fashion, q ring fence and with
beehive huts.
The cattle kraal is behind, and lit
ile to The left.
InIeed, both from their habits and
their talk, it was easy to see that these
Butiana belong to that section of the
;Banu people which since TChaka's
time has .:een known rs the Zulu race.
we did not see the chief Nala that
night.
His daughter Maiwa went on to his
private huts as soon as we arrived, and
very shortly afterward one of his head
men came to US, bringing sheep and
some mealies and milk with. him.
The chief sent us greeting. he said,
and would see us on the morrow.
Meanwhile he was ordered to bring
us to a place Of resting, where we and
our goods should be safe and undis-
turbed.
Accordingly, he led the way to some
very good huts just outside Nala's
private inclosure, and here we slept
comfortably.
On the morrow, about o'clock, the
a1eadman came again, and said that
,Nala requested that 1 would visit him.
Accordingly, followed him into the
private inclosure, and was introduced
TO the chief-a fine looking man of
about fifty, with very delicately shaped
a1ands and feet, and rather nervous
mouth.
The chief was seated on a tanned OK
hide outside his hut.
But his side was his daughter Maiwa,
and round him, squatted on their
taunches, were some twenty headmen
or Indunas, whose number was con-
tinually added to by fresh arrivals.
These men saluted me as entered,
and the chief rose and took my hand,
ordering a stool to be brought for me
to sit on.
When this was done, be with much
nloquence and native courtesy, thanked
me for protecting his daughter in the
painful and dangerous circumstances
in which she found herself placed, and
also complimented me very highly up
on what he was pleased to call the
bravery with which 1 had defended the
pass in the rocks.
answered in appropriate terms, say
ing that it was to Maiwa herself that
thanks were due, for had it not been
for her warning and knowledge of the
country we should not have been here
to-day, while as to the defense OF the
pass, I was fighting for my life, and
that put heart into one.
These courtesies concluded, Nala
called upon his daughter Maiwa to tell
her tale to the headmen, and this she
did most simply and effectively.
She reminded them that she had
gone as an unwillis; bride to Wambe
that no cattle had been paid for her
because Wambe had threatened war il
she, was not sent as free gift.
Since she had entered the kraal OF
Wambe her days had been days OF
heaviness, and her nights nights OF
weeping.
She had been beaten, she had been
neglected, asa made to do the work OF
a low-born wife-she, q chiefs dauGh
ter.
She had borne child and this was
the story of the child.
Then, amid q dead silence she tol[
them the awful tale which she had al
ready narrated to me.
When she had finished, her hearer:
gave a loud ejaculation.
our they said-"ou! Maiwa, daugh
ter of Nala"'
"Ay," she went Oh, with flashing
eyes-"ay; it is true.
my mouth is as full of truth as
flower of honey; and for tears, my eye
are like the dew upon the grass 4
dawn.
at is true; l saw the child die.
Here is the proof of it, councillors,
and she drew forth the little dead han'
and held it before them.
"Our' they said again-'cu! it is tn
dead hand"
yes" she continued. 'it is the dea
hand of my dead child, and / bear
with me that I may never forget, neve
for one short hour. that ! live that
may see Wambe die, and be avenged
will you bear with it, my father
that your daughter and your daugt
ter's child Should be so treated by
Matuku?
"Will ye bear it, men of my owr pee
ple:'
"No." said all old InGuDa, rising; 81
is not to be borne.
Enough lave we suffered at tn
hands of these Matuku dogs and thei
loud:tongued chief
Let us put it to the issue.
at is not to be borne. indeed sal
Na!a: but how can we make hea
against so great people:'