Zululand to escape the cruelties of Dingaan; under pretence
of spying on them, he took the bold course of going straight up to the
chief, Sususa, and addressing him as his brother, which he was. The
chief knew him at once, and so did the soldiers, for his fame was still
great among them. Then he told them his cock and bull story about my
being a white spirit, whose presence in the laager would render it
invincible, and with the object of saving my life in the slaughter which
he knew must ensue, agreed to charm me out of the laager and deliver me
into their keeping. How the plan worked has already been told; it was a
risky one; still, but for it my troubles would have been done with these
many days.

So I lay and thought with a heart full of gratitude, and as I did so saw
old Indaba-zimbi sitting by the fire and going through some mysterious
performances with bones which he produced from his bag, and ashes mixed
with water. I spoke to him and asked what he was about. He replied that
he was tracing out the route that we should follow. I felt inclined to
answer "bosh!" but remembering the very remarkable instances which he
had given of his prowess in occult matters I held my tongue, and taking
little Tota into my arms, worn out with toil and danger and emotion, I
went to sleep.

I awoke just as the dawn was beginning to flame across the sky in sheets
of primrose and of gold, or rather it was little Tota who woke me by
kissing me as she lay between sleep and waking, and calling me "papa."
It wrung my heart to hear her, poor orphaned child. I got up, washed
and dressed her as best I could, and we breakfasted as we had supped,
on biltong and biscuit. Tota asked for milk, but I had none to give her.
Then we caught the horses, and I saddled mine.

"Well, Indaba-zimbi," I said, "now what path do your bones point to?"

"Straight north," he said. "The journey will be hard, but in about four
days we shall come to the kraal of a white man, an Englishman, not
a Boer. His kraal is in a beautiful place, and there is a great peak
behind it where there are many baboons."

I looked at him. "This is all nonsense, Indaba-zimbi," I said. "Whoever
heard of an Englishman building a house in these wilds, and how do you
know anything about it? I think that we had better strike east towards
Port Natal."

"As you like, Macumazahn," he answered, "but it will take us three
months' journey to get to Port Natal, if we ever get there, and the
c