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Show 68 PRINCESS MARY'S GIFT BOOK MAGEPA THE BUCK you move over the river one night with your people and cattle, and get Oh yes, I know all you have been telling me, but I want not words, but into Natal ? " "I would if I could. Maeuniazahn, who have no stomach for this war against the English. But there I should not be safe, since presently the king will come into Natal too. or send thirty thousand assegais truth from the heart." not because he wants to, but because the regiments swear that they will you are." well, there are more of his racel "Also, Macumazahn. the husbands of those women at my kraal have been called up to their regiments. and if their wives fled to gave me some very useful information ; that is, information which would the English they would he killed. Again, the king has sent for nearly all our cattle. ‘to keep it safe.' He fears lest we Border Zulus might to it when I passed it on. join our people in Natal, and that is why he is keeping our cattle dense green bush behind us. ‘ safe.' " when he tries to stifle a cough, and frightened me. For if we had been overheard by a spy, Magepa was as good as dead, and the sooner I was across the river the better. " \Vhat's that ? " I asked. *‘ Life is more than cattle, Magepa. At least you might come." " \Vhat l And leave my people to be killed? Macumazahn, you did not use to talk so. Still, liearken. Macumazahu, will you do me a service? I will pay you well for it. I would get my (laughter Gita \\ \ wash their assegais, they who have never seen blood since that battle of the Tugcla in which we two played a part ; and if he will not suffer it, Also he means to fight thus," and he have been useful if those in authority had deigned to pay any attention Just as he finished speaking I thought that I heard a sound in the It reminded me of the noise a man makes " A bush buck, Macumazahn. There are lots of them about here." If I and my wives are wiped Not being satisfied, though it is true that buck d0 cough like this, But her I would save, and the boy I would save, so that one may live who will remember my name. I turned my horse to the bush, seeking an opening. Thereon something crashed away and vanished into the long grass. In those shadows, of Now, if I were to send them across the drift, say at the dawn, not to-morrow, and not the next day. but the day after, would you receive on what might have been the polished tip of the horn of an antelope or and my little grandson Sinala into safety. out it does not matter, for we are old. mum " You ask secrets," said the old fellow, peering about him into the gathering gloom. "Still, ‘ a spear for a spear and a shield for a shield,' as our saying runs. I have spoken no lie. The king does mean to fight, as his messengers. Then what will happen to those who have left Qa " Oh, if you think that," I answered, " you had better stay where ‘ him .. vvavvv/V \\NN" 69 them into your wagon and deliver them safe to some place in Natal ? I have money hidden, fifty pieces of gold, and you may take half of these and also half of the cattle if ever I live to get them back out of the keeping of the king." " Never mind about the money, and we will speak of the cattle afterwards," I said. " I understand that you wish to send your (laughter and your little grandson out of danger, and I think you wise, very wise. \Vhen once the advance begins, if there is an advance, who knows what may happen? \Var is a rough game, Magepa. It is not the custom of you black people to spare women and children, and there will be Zulus fighting on our side as well as on yours; do you understand ? " Orr! I understand, Maeumazahn. I have known the face of war and seen many a little one like my grandson Sinala assegaied upon his mother's back." " Very good. But if I do this for you, you must do something for me. Say, Magepa, does Cetewayo really mean to fight, and if so, how? course, I could not see what it was, but such light as remained glinted -an assegai. ' " I told you it was a buck, Maeumazahn," said Magepa. ‘ . " Still, if you smell danger, let us come away from the bush, though the orders are that no white man is to be touched as yet." Then. while we walked on towards the ford, he set out with great detail, as KalIirs do, the exact arrangements that he proposed to make for the handing over of his daughter and her child into my‘care.. I remember that I asked him why he would not send her on the following morning, instead of two mornings later. He answered because he expected an outpost of scouts from one of the regiments at his kraal that night, who would probably remain there over the inorrow and perhaps longer. \Vhile they were in the place .lt. would be ditheult for him to send away Gita and her son without exeiting suspieion. Near the drift we parted, and I returned to our provisional camp {<7 and wrote a beautiful report of all that I had learned, of which report, we I may add, no one took the slightest notice. I think it was the morning before that whereon I had arranged |