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 ven