With the Aid of the Spirits by L Read online

  Adventure, 1st January, 1921

  ITHOUT doubt Nyanga the Chief

  hand, trembling with rage, held aloft the toy was greatly angered and it was only

  assegai with which he made a threatening W by a mighty effort that he could gesture.

  restrain the torrent of invectives that rose to The captain of the bodyguard shouted

  his lips. Somewhat of the fierceness of his a brief order and Intya was quickly surrounded passion showed in his scowling face. His eyes by warriors.

  were almost hidden by the fatness of his The atmosphere was charged with

  cheeks but from them shone a baleful light death. No man moved or spoke, but all

  that caused many of the warriors to think of watched the chief’s right hand, the hand which death. His big hands opened and closed held the assegai—watching for the downward convulsively on a small assegai; the symbol of thrust and the words “take him away,” which his rank, of his power of life and death.

  would be the signal for the assegais of the Intya, if he noted these signs, heeded

  warriors to be plunged in the body of Intya.

  not the anger of the chief. His upright, Slowly Nyanga sank back on his seat

  soldierly carriage showed no sign of fear, no and let the assegai fall from his hand. The hint of homage.

  captain of the bodyguard again grunted an

  “That is all, my uncle,” he concluded

  order and the warriors released Intya,

  at length. “My story is told.”

  returning to their place behind the chief.

  For a short space Nyanga regarded him

  A gasp of relief came from the old

  silently, his face working furiously. Suddenly men, the councilors, as all awaited for word he sprang to his feet with a lightness that was from Nyanga.

  surprising, considering his big bulk. His right

  “Dog,” he panted, for he was very fat

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  and the fierceness of his anger had brought

  “Aye? Therein I say they dealt unjustly him to the verge of apoplexy, “Dog, I have with me. How was I to know that the white listened this long time to thee, hoping to find men would pay whatever price I asked? Being some signs of meekness, some respect for the ignorant of this, I say, they cheated me, paying traditions of my people. But thou hast none; the smaller price. Is it not so?” Nyanga thou art altogether a thing without shame. appealed to his councilors.

  Aye, I listened to thee, in part, because thou

  “Aye, great chief,” they answered.

  art my brother’s son; because thou art blood of

  “Without doubt they are men of double-

  my blood, and no man-child dwells in the dealing; there is no truth in them.”

  shadow of my hut. But to what end have I

  “Hear ye the words of my people,”

  listened? To hear thee sing the praises of the continued Nyanga complacently. “They are all white men whom ye foolishly seek to ape.

  of one mind in this matter.”

  “Thou sayest that the white men have

  “It is thy mind, my uncle.”

  won a great fight. Where then are the cattle

  “Have a care, thou.” Nyanga picked up

  they captured? Do their warriors rejoice the assegai and toyed with it. “Once before because many captured maidens are added to this was raised on high and because thou didst their huts?”

  show no sign of fear it was cast aside. The Nyanga paused for breath, his next time thou wilt not so easily escape.”

  bloodshot eyes peering continually from side He lapsed into a brief, moody silence.

  to side.

  “Where are my young bulls—the

  “Such is not the manner of the white

  warriors who followed the spears of the white men—to take the women prisoners. This was men?” Nyanga demanded suddenly. “Their

  a white man’s war,” murmured Intya.

  women come every day asking for word of

  “A white man’s war,” scoffed the their men-folk. What can I answer them?”

  chief. “Is it then the white man’s way to take

  “Many are in the land of the great

  the cattle and young men of their friends—

  spirits, O chief.”

  aye, they called me a friend-but to leave

  “Nay. It is not of them I ask. Of them

  untouched the cattle of their enemies?”

  word has been brought and we have sung their

  “They paid thee for the cattle, my praises for they died in battle, glorifying my uncle, and as for the warriors who went from name. But the others; where are they? Nay, this kraal, they went of their own accord and there is no need for thee to answer. They have they too were paid.”

  become weaned from the customs of my

  Nyanga’s anger burst forth anew.

  people, seeking, in truth, to become white

  “Thou art overglib of tongue,” he men; forgetting their skins are black. And snarled. “A poor price they paid for the cattle.

  thou—liar and ingrate that thou art—thou are Had they taken them as a gift I would have one of them.”

  been as well paid.”

  “Without doubt they will return anon,

  “They paid the price ye asked, my

  my uncle. As for the rest, I am no liar. The uncle.”

  things I have told thee are true things.”

  “They cheated me, I tell thee. They

  “Again do I call thee a liar. Are then

  paid the price I asked, in truth, but to Marka—

  these white men gods? Nay, I know them to may the spirits spit on his soul—they gave be of passions like unto ours. Yet thou sayest double.”

  that thou dost serve a white man who can

  “They paid him what he asked, as they

  command the spirits. That if he give an order paid thee.”

  in this place it shall be heard a day’s—nay, a

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  twenty days’ march away.”

  “It is an order,” said Intya

  “I know not how it is, but it is a true wonderingly, and walked slowly from the thing.”

  council-place.

  Nyanga

  snorted.

  “They have bewitched thee. Heed well,

  AT THE gate of the stockade that encircled just this one chance I give thee, forgetting the the kraal Intya was greeted by a slender, shame that I, the chief, should plead with such graceful maiden.

  a one as thou art. Wilt thou forsake the service

  “O-he! Intya! Whither goest thou?”

  of the white men and return to thy kraal?”

  “To the place of the white men. The

  “It can not be, O chief. I have sworn an sun no longer shines for me in this place.”

  oath of allegiance. Twelve moons must I yet

  “How sayest thou?” Nada cried in

  serve.’

  aggrieved tones. “Is not this the place of my

  “Then go thy way and trouble me not

  dwelling?”

  further, and thy name shall become a thing of

  “Of a truth, but thou art not for me.”

  shame among the people.”

  “What meanest thou? What said my

  “And what of Nada, thy daughter?”

  father, the chief?”

  “She is not for thee, save—see how

  “He will have none of me, nor will he

  merciful I am—thou canst pay the lobella, the consent to our wedding unless I pay him the marriage gift
I ask.”

  lobella he demands.”

  “That I will do gladly. Had ye asked

  “What then? Thou art rich. But

  all that is mine I would gladly pay it.”

  perchance-I have lost favor in thy sight.”

  “And what is thine?” Nyanga asked

  He caught her fiercely to him.

  mildly.

  “Thou knowest that is not so. All my

  “I am headman of the kraal that was

  wealth is as a thing of no moment compared to my father’s.”

  thee.”

  “Nay. Not so. Thou wert headman, it is

  “Then

  why?”

  true, but not so now.

  He released her suddenly and his arms

  “Juffa.”

  dropped to his side dejectedly.

  The captain of the bodyguard came

  “But I had forgotten. I have no wealth; forward.

  less than the dogs am I. No longer am I

  “Inkosi?”

  headman. The chief, thy father, hath put

  “Thou hast ever been faithful to me,

  another in my place.”

  scorning the ways of the white men. That ye

  “Ah, wo is us! But why hath he done

  may learn how the chief rewards those who thus?”

  are faithful do I make thee headman of the

  “Who shall say. Because I am in the

  kraal that was Intya’s and all that is in it is service of the white men, perchance. Tell me, thine, unless so be Intya can pay me the Nada, why is he so embittered against them?”

  lobella I ask.” Nyanga smiled grimly.

  “Did he not say?”

  “What then do ye ask “

  “Some little he spoke of the cattle he

  “Restore to me my last dwelling-

  had sold to the white men, receiving, he said, place—that is all.”

  less than did Marka, the chief of the land to

  “But what talk is this?”

  the south; that angered him.”

  “Nay, I speak not further. Now get ye

  “And that is all?”

  gone, before I order that ye be beaten from the

  “Save that he scorned me and others

  kraal.”

  from this kraal who have entered the service

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  of the white men. Yet there was a time when of the white men?”

  he held himself greatly honored that I, flesh of

  “It is well thought of, maiden.” A new

  his flesh, had found favor in the eyes of the hope filled Intya’s voice. “They destroyed and white men.”

  they must repay. Now fare thee well for I must Intya proudly fingered the sergeant’s

  go. The camp of the white men is seven days’

  stripes which adorned his sleeve and the trek from here and already I have dallied too medal on his chest.

  long. It would ill become me, Sergeant Intya

  “Then thou hast not heard of the great

  of the Bretis So’ Afri-an Polis, to be absen’

  shame?”

  ’out leaf.”

  “Nay. ‘What is the story?”

  The last words were spoken in English

  “Look yonder and learn.”

  and Nada looked at him with a wonder as if he Intya looked over the broad expanse of

  had uttered the wisdom of the universe.

  veld that fronted the kraal. It was level as the palm of a man’s hand. Thus by cutting down SEVEN days later Intya arrived at Zamba the trees and destroying the tangled forest where a gigantic aerodrome was in course of growth had Nyanga and bygone chiefs insured construction. Hundreds of natives, under the themselves from surprize attacks. Intya turned directions of white men, were busily at work to Nada—

  clearing the land of the stunted bushes that

  “I can not read thy riddle, Nada.”

  had been overlooked when the bigger task was

  “Canst see the ant-hills that were wont accomplished—the felling of mighty trees.

  to stand at the edge of the bush-land yonder?”

  On the far side of the clearing was a

  She pointed across the clearing to group of huts, the headquarters of the white where the jungle-growth began.

  men, and to the left another and larger group, Intya looked, rubbed his eyes and the quarters of the Native Police. Thitherward looked again.

  Intya directed his steps, unheedful of the

  “Nay,” he said at length, “they are not toilers who shouted their greetings.

  there. Who hath defiled the burial-place of the Only once he stopped, and that was to

  chiefs?”

  converse briefly with a squad of men who

  “White men came to my father’s kraal,

  were rolling the ground in front of the O Intya. White men with guns drawn by many aeroplane-shed with a clumsy native-made mules. The voice of the guns was as the roller. They were men of his own tribe, and to mighty thunder and when they spoke, the ant-them he gave news of the kraal. Then running hills, the burial-place of the chiefs, and the quickly, for it wanted but an hour to sunset one that was to have been my father’s place and he had much to do ere he reported for when he leaves us to go to the spirits, duty, he came to the hut which he shared with vanished in a cloud of dust.”

  three other sergeants. Entering, he doffed his

  “Now know I what meant the chief by

  uniform and busied himself with removing the the words ‘Return to me my resting-place and travel-stains, burnishing, until they shone like all shall be well.’ That is the lobella I must gold, the brass buttons and buckles of his pay for thee, Nada. But what hope of that?

  uniform.

  Alas, we are indeed undone!”

  The bugle sounding the call “Fatigue

  She clung tightly to him.

  parties—dismiss,” found him still at his task;

  “At least I will marry none other,” she but before the last notes had died away Intya said. “Hope still, O mighty one; perchance presented himself at the door of the hut before thou will yet find a way. Hast thou not the ears which floated a tattered flag. He saluted

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  gravely, then passed into the hut.

  “Can’t we go ahead without his

  “Sergeant Intya,” he said, “returned consent? It’s an ideal place, plenty of good from leave of absence begs to report for duty, water and hardly any clearing to be done.”

  sar.”

  “No chance of doing that. Where

  Captain Moulter of the Royal Air would we get the labor in the first place?

  Force nodded absently.

  Besides Headquarters stated that we are not to

  “Had

  scoff,

  sergeant?”

  antagonize the natives and specially warned

  “Yes,

  sar.”

  me to keep in with Nyanga—blast him!”

  “Then stay here; we may need you.

  “Well, it’s a good job Marka hasn’t

  “So you see,” Moulter continued the

  any grudge against us. It ’ud mean clearing interrupted conversation with Barry, his out the forest if he had and I’d rather move lieutenant, “there’s nothing we can do but anthills any day. I tell you what, old man—”

  change our plans and prepare a station at Barry spoke excitedly, struck by a sudden Marka’s kraal instead of Nyanga’s.”

  idea—“I believe the two old bounders are Barry

  groaned.

  playing a double game to see how much they

  “That’ll be hell, old chap. The country can get out of the Government.

  round there is as bad as or worse than it was at

  “When we first made a survey Marka

  Ndola. It’s thick with bloomin’ ant-hills and—
r />   begged us to build at his kraal—offered us

  ” He groaned again and Moulter echoed the free labor and the Lord knows what. Then as groan.

  soon as he heard that Nyanga wouldn’t have They had first-hand information of the

  us he changed his tune and is charging top stupendous task the clearing of the ground for price for labor and is asking a big indemnity an aerodrome at Ndola had been; a task for the land we’ll use. What do you think?

  occupying nearly a thousand men seven weary Can’t we play one off against the other?”

  months. Seven months’ torture in the reek of

  “No use. Nyanga hates Marka like

  jungle heat, totally devoid of the comforts of poison. Says he’s a thief and a liar. I can’t civilization; the work of removing myriads of imagine him entering into a conspiracy with ant-hills—ant-hills measuring all of twenty-Marka. No, he’s got a grievance, real or five feet high, each containing tons of earth.

  fancied. If we could find out what it was and And Marka’s was ever worse, Barry

  make it square with him, there’d be nothing said.

  more to it.”

  “Isn’t there any way we can force

  “Sar. Is it permitted that I speak?”

  Fatty—” this was Barry’s name for Nyanga—

  The captain regarded Intya closely.