I took the pinch of snuff with some emotion. It was quite true, I was much attached to the bloodthirsty old ruffian. I do not know what was the charm of his character, but it had a charm; perhaps it was its fierce honesty and directness; perhaps one admired his almost superhuman skill and strength, or it may have been simply that he was so absolutely unique. Frankly, with all my experience of savages, I never knew a man quite like him, he was so wise and yet such a child with it all; and though it seems laughable to say so, like the hero of the Yankee parody, he ‘had a tender heart’. Anyway, I was very fond of him, though I should never have thought of telling him so.
‘Ay, old wolf,’ I said, ‘thine is a strange love. Thou wouldst split me to the chin if I stood in thy path tomorrow.’
‘Thou speakest truth, Macumazahn, that would I if it came in the way of duty, but I should love thee all the same when the blow had gone fairy home. Is there any chance of some fighting here, Macumazahn?’ he went on in an insinuating voice. ‘Methought that what I saw last night did show that the two great Queens were vexed one with another. Else had the “Lady of the Night” not brought that dagger with her.’
I agreed with him that it showed that more or less pique and irritation existed between the ladies, and told him how things stood, and that they were quarrelling over Incubu.
‘Ah, is it so?’ he exclaimed, springing up in delight; ‘then will there be war as surely as the rivers rise in the rains — war to the end. Women love the last blow as well as the last word, and when they fight for love they are pitiless as a wounded buffalo. See thou, Macumazahn, a woman will swim through blood to her desire, and think nought of it. With these eyes have I seen it once, and twice also. Ah, Macumazahn, we shall see this fine place of houses burning yet, and hear the battle cries come ringing up the street. After all, I have not wandered for nothing. Can this folk fight, think ye?’
Just then Sir Henry joined us, and Good arrived, too, from another direction, looking very pale and hollow-eyed. The moment Umslopogaas saw the latter he stopped his bloodthirsty talk and greeted him.
‘Ah, Bougwan,’ he cried, ‘greeting to thee, Inkoos! Thou art surely weary. Didst thou hunt too much yesterday?’ Then, without waiting for an answer, he went on —
‘Listen, Bougwan, and I will tell thee a story; it is about a woman, therefore wilt thou hear it, is it not so?
‘There was a man and he had a brother, and there was a woman who loved the man’s brother and was beloved of the man. But the man’s brother had a favourite wife and loved not the woman, and he made a mock of her. Then the woman, being very cunning and fierce-hearted for revenge, took counsel with herself and said to the man, “I love thee, and if thou wilt make war upon thy brother I will marry thee.” And he knew it was a lie, yet because of his great love of the woman, who was very fair, did he listen to her words and made war. And when many people had been killed his brother sent to him, saying, “Why slayest thou me? What hurt have I done unto thee? From my youth up have I not loved thee? When thou wast little did I not nurture thee, and have we not gone down to war together and divided the cattle, girl by girl, ox by ox, and cow by cow? Why slayest thou me, my brother, son of my own mother?”
‘Then the man’s heart was heavy, and he knew that his path was evil, and he put aside the tempting of the woman and ceased to make war on his brother, and lived at peace in the same kraal with him. And after a time the woman came to him and said, “I have lost the past, I will be thy wife.” And in his heart he knew that it was a lie and that she thought the evil thing, yet because of his love did he take her to wife.