The three Zulus began to discuss this point, withdrawing themselves a little way so that I could not overhear them.  But when the Boers understood the offer that I had made, Marie, who until now had been silent, grew more angry than ever I had seen her before.

“It shall not be!” she said, stamping her foot.  “Father, I have been obedient to you for long, but if you consent to this I will be obedient no more.  Allan saved my cousin Hernan’s life, as he saved all our lives.  In payment for that good deed Hernan tried to murder him in the kloof—­oh! be quiet, Allan; I know all the story.  Now he has betrayed him to the Zulus, telling them that he is a terrible and dangerous man who must be killed.  Well, if he is to be killed, I will be killed with him, and if the Zulus take him and let us free, I go with him.  Now make up your mind.”

Marais tugged at his beard, staring first at his daughter and then at me.  What he would have answered I do not know, for at that moment Kambula stepped forward and gave his decision.

It was to the effect that although it was the Son of George whom Dingaan wanted, his orders were that all with him were to be taken also.  Those orders could not be disobeyed.  The king would settle the matter as to whether some of us were to be killed and some let free, or if all were to be killed or let free, when we reached his House.  Therefore he commanded that “we should tie the oxen to the moving huts and cross the river at once.”

This was the end of that scene.  Having no choice we inspanned and continued our journey, escorted by the company of two hundred savages.  I am bound to say that during the four or five days that it took us to reach Dingaan’s kraal they behaved very well to us.  With Kambula and his officers, all of them good fellows in their way, I had many conversations, and from them learned much as to the state and customs of the Zulus.  Also the peoples of the districts through which we passed flocked round us at every outspan, for most of them had never seen a white man before, and in return for a few beads brought us all the food that we required.  Indeed, the beads, or their equivalents, were nothing but a present, since, by the king’s command, they must satisfy our wants.  This they did very thoroughly.  For instance, when on the last day’s trek, some of our oxen gave out, numbers of Zulus were inspanned in place of them, and by their help the wagons were dragged to the great kraal, Umgungundhlovu.

Here an outspan place was assigned to us near to the house, or rather the huts, of a certain missionary of the name of Owen, who with great courage had ventured into this country.  We were received with the utmost kindness by him and his wife and household, and it is impossible for me to say what pleasure I found, after all my journeyings, in meeting an educated man of my own race.

Near to our camp was a stone-covered koppie, where, on the morning after our arrival, I saw six or eight men executed in a way that I will not describe.  Their crime, according to Mr. Owen, was that they had bewitched some of the king’s oxen.