appje such as white women
wear, hanging on the hut fence, and I remembered that after
washing the headdress of my mistress I had set it there to dry in
the sun. He told me also that the King suspected that she who
wore that kappje was she who had played the part of the
Inkosazana in the Vale of Bones. I asked him what the king would
do about the matter, at the same time denying that there was any
white woman in the Black Kloof. He said that at dawn the king
would send and kill these foreign rats, whom the Opener of Roads
kept in the thatch of his hut. Now he drew near and asked his
pay. I gave it to him--with a knife-point, Macumazahn. Oh! that
was a good thrust. He never spoke again. Then I slipped away,
for all the others were asleep, and was here a little after
midnight."

"I thought I saw you, Nombe," I said, "but was not sure, so I did
nothing."

She smiled and answered--

"Ah! I was afraid that the Watcher-by-Night would be watching by
night; also the dog ran up to me, but he knew me and I sent him
back again. Now while I was coming home, thoughts entered my
heart. I saw, as one sees by a lightning flash, all that I had
done. The king and his people were not sure that the Master was
hiding white folk here and would never have sent back to kill
them on the chance. I had made them sure, as indeed, being mad,
I meant to do. Moreover, in throwing spears at the kites I had
killed my own dove, since it was on the false Inkosazana who had
caused them to declare war and brought the land to ruin, that
they wished to be avenged, and perchance on him who taught her
her part, not on one or two wandering white men. I saw that when
Cetewayo's people came, and there were many more of them outside,
several hundreds I think, they would shave the whole head and
burn the whole tree. Every one in the kloof would be killed.

"How could I undo the knot that I had tied and stamp out the fire
that I had lit? That was the question. I bethought me of coming
to you, but without arms how could you help? I bethought me of
going to the Master, but I was ashamed. Also, what could he do
with but a few servants, for the most of his people are away with
the cattle? He is too weak to climb the steep path to the plain
above, nor was there time to gather folk to carry him. Lastly,
even if there were time which there was not, and we went thither
they would track us out and kill us. For the rest I did not
care, nor for mys