“For the love of God, do not shoot!” I said.  “How can we resist so many?  Soft words are our only chance.”

Still he attempted to fire, and would have done so had I not thrown myself upon him and literally torn the gun from his hand.  By this time the Vrouw Prinsloo had come up, a very weird spectacle, I recollect, in what she called her “sleep-garments,” that included a night-cap made of a worn jackal skin and a kind of otter-pelt stomacher.

“Accursed fool!” she said to Marais, “would you cause all our throats to be cut?  Go forward, you, Allan, and talk to those ‘swartzels’” (that is, black creatures), “gently, as you would to a savage dog.  You have a tongue steeped in oil, and they may listen to you.”

“Yes,” I answered; “that seems the best thing to do.  If I should not return, give my love to Marie.”

So I beckoned to the headman of my Zulus whom I had hired at Delagoa, to accompany me, and marched forward boldly quite unarmed.  We were encamped upon a rise of ground a quarter of a mile from the river, and the impi, or those of them whom we could see, were at the foot of this rise about a hundred and sixty yards away.  The light was growing now, and when I was within fifty paces of them they saw me.  At some word of command a number of men rushed toward me, their fighting shields held over their bodies and their spears up.

“We are dead!” exclaimed my Kaffir in a resigned voice.  I shared his opinion, but thought I might as well die standing as running away.

Now I should explain that though as yet I had never mixed with these Zulus, I could talk several native dialects kindred to that which they used very well indeed.  Moreover, ever since I had hired men of their race at Delagoa, I had spent all my spare time in conversing with them and acquiring a knowledge of their language, history and customs.  So by this time I knew their tongue fairly, although occasionally I may have used terms which were unfamiliar to them.

Thus it came about that I was able to shout to them, asking what was their business with us.  Hearing themselves addressed in words which they understood, the men halted, and seeing that I was unarmed, three of them approached me.

“We come to take you prisoners, white people, or to kill you if you resist,” said their captain.

“By whose order?” I asked.

“By the order of Dingaan our king.”

“Is it so?  And who told Dingaan that we were here?”

“The Boer who came in front of you.”

“Is it so?” I said again.  “And now what do you need of us?”

“That you should accompany us to the kraal of Dingaan.”

“I understand.  We are quite willing, since it lies upon our road.  But then why do you come against us, who are peaceful travellers, with your spears lifted?”

“For this reason.  The Boer told us that there is among you a ’child of George’” (an Englishman), “a terrible man who would kill us unless we killed or bound him first.  Show us this child of George that we may make him fast, or slay him, and we will not hurt the rest of you.”