to
answer Lukwazi more boldly. I told him that I knew I had the law on my
side--the girl had returned showing marks of ill-treatment, and I was
therefore justified in keeping her--at all events until an inquiry had
been held. Lukwazi said that, law or no law, he was going to take the
girl away then and there, so I told him that I would slay with my spear
the first man who tried to enter the hut. At this, Lukwazi and his
followers became very wrathful, and I think they would have attacked me
had it not been for what my daughter then did.

"Over the loud voices of the men we heard hers calling Lukwazi by name,
and then all ceased speaking for the moment, Lukwazi replied to her,
saying, 'What is it, my wife?'"

"The door of the hut is fast barred, and you cannot break it down so
quickly but that I may set the hut in flames in several places before
you enter. I will die in the fire rather than go with you."

"On hearing this, they all looked at one another, and shortly
afterwards they moved off, Lukwazi still looking wrathful, and
muttering fierce threats against me and my house.

"About a month afterwards Xolilizwe returned. He brought eight head of
cattle which he had stolen from the Fingoes. He came here and asked me
to give him Nomalie as his wife, offering the cattle he had stolen as
an installment of the dowry, the balance of which he would pay later
on, when able to do so. I consented, as I wanted to make up to the girl
for any previous hardness, so she went as the wife of Xolilizwe to the
kraal of his uncle, old Kwababana. There was not much of a marriage
feast, for I still feared the anger of Lukwazi, and did not want to
annoy him further. I warned Xolilizwe to be careful, as I felt sure
Lukwazi would try and be revenged on some of us--and most probably on
him through the witchdoctor. In fact I strongly advised him to take
Nomalie away quietly, and go and dwell with our people on the
Umzimkulu.

"It was early in summer when Nomalie went to dwell with Xolilizwe as
his wife, and about three months before the feast of the first-fruits
(Ukushwama). You know something about what then happens. Each chief
sends away by night, and has a pumpkin, a mealie-cob, and a stick of
'imfe' (sweet-reed) stolen from the territory of some chief belonging
to another tribe. These are mixed with medicines by the witch-doctor,
and partaken of by the Chief and his family, in the calf-kraal before
dawn on the morning of the day of th