"What would you?" asked Hokosa of the herald as he halted a shortspear-cast from the wall.
"My master, the Prince Hafela, desires to treat with your master,Nodwengo. Many men have fallen on either side, and if this war goeson, though victory must be his at last, many more will fall.
Therefore, if any plan can be found, he desires to spare their lives."Now Hokosa spoke with the king, and answered:--"Then let Hafela come beneath the wall and we will talk with him.""Not so," answered the herald. "Does a buck walk into an open pit?
Were the prince to come here it might chance that your spears wouldtalk with him. Let Nodwengo follow me to the camp yonder, where wepromise him safe conduct.""Not so," answered Hokosa. "'Does a buck walk into an open pit?' Setout your message, and we will consider it.""Nay, I am but a common man without authority; but I am charged tomake you another offer, and if you will not hear it then there is anend. Let Hokosa advance alone to that flat rock you see yonder, andthere he shall be met, also alone, by one having power to talk withhim, namely, by the Lady Noma, who was once his wife. Thus they canconfer together midway between the camps and in full sight of both ofthem, nor, no man being near, can he find cause to be afraid of anunarmed girl. What say you?"Hokosa turned and talked with the king.
"I think it well that you should not go," said Nodwengo. "The offerseems fair, and the stone is out of reach of their spears; still,behind it may lurk a scheme to kill or capture you, for Hafela is verycunning.""It may be so, King," answered Hokosa; "still, my heart tells me it iswisest that I should do this thing, for our case is desperate, and ifI do it not, that may be the cause of the death of all of usto-morrow. At the worst, I am but one man, and it matters little whatmay chance to me; nor shall I come to any harm unless it is the willof Heaven that it should be so; and be sure of this, that out of theharm will arise good, for where I go there the spirit of the Messengergoes with me. Remember that he bade you listen to my counsel while Iremain with you, seeing that I do not speak of my own wisdom.
Therefore let me go, and if it should chance that I am taken, troublenot about the matter, for thus it will be fated to some great end.
Above all, though often enough I have been a traitor in the past, donot dream that I betray you, keeping in mind that so to do would be tobetray my own soul, which very soon must render its account on high.""As you will, Hokosa," answered the king. "And now tell those rebeldogs that on these terms only will I make peace with them--that theywithdraw across the mountains by the path which their women andchildren have taken, leaving this land for ever without liftinganother spear against us. If they will do this, notwithstanding allthe wickedness and slaughter that they have worked, I will sendcommand to my /impi/ to let them go unharmed. If they will not dothis, I put my trust in the God I worship and will fight this fray outto the end, knowing that if I and my people perish, they shall perishalso."Now Nodwengo himself spoke to the herald who was waiting beyond thewall.
"Go back to him you serve," he said, "and say that Hokosa will meether who was his wife upon the flat stone and talk with her in thesight of both armies, bearing my word with him. At the sound of theblowing of a horn shall each of them advance unarmed and alone fromeither camp. Say to my brother also that it will indeed be ill for himif he attempts treachery upon Hokosa, for the man who causes his bloodto flow will surely die, and after death shall be accursed for ever."The herald went, and presently a horn was blown.
"Now it comes into my mind that we part for the last time," saidNodwengo in a troubled voice as he took the hand of Hokosa.
"It may be so, King; in my heart I think that it is so; yet I do notaltogether grieve thereat, for the burden of my past sins crushes me,and I am weary and seek for rest. Yet we do not part for the lasttime, because whatever chances, in the end I shall make my report toyou yonder"--and he pointed upwards. "Reign on for long years, King--reign well and wisely, clinging to the Faith, for thus at the lastshall you reap your reward. Farewell!"Now again the horn blew, and in the bright moonlight the slight figureof Noma could be seen advancing towards the stone.
Then Hokosa sprang from the wall and advanced also, till at the samemoment they climbed upon the stone.
"Greeting, Hokosa," said Noma, and she stretched out her hand to him.
By way of answer he placed his own behind his back, saying: "To yourbusiness, woman." Yet his eyes searched her face--the face which inhis folly he still loved; and thus it came about that he never sawsundry of the dead bodies, which lay in the shadow of the stone, beginto quicken into life, and inch by inch to arise, first to their kneesand next to their feet. He never saw or heard them, yet, as the wordsleft his lips, they sprang upon him from every side, holding him sothat he could not move.
"Away with him!" cried Noma with a laugh of triumph; and at hercommand he was half-dragged and half-carried across the open space andthrust violently over a stone wall into the camp of Hafela.
Now Nodwengo and his soldiers saw what had happened, and with a shoutof "Treachery!" some hundreds of them leapt into the plain and beganto run towards the koppie to rescue their envoy.
Hokosa heard the shout, and wrenching himself round, beheld them.
"Back!" he cried in a clear, shrill voice. "Back! children ofNodwengo, and leave me to my fate, for the foe waits for you bythousands behind the wall!"A soldier struck him across the mouth, bidding him be silent; but hiswarning had come to the ears of Nodwengo, causing him and his warriorsto halt and begin a retreat. It was well that they did so, for seeingthat they would not come on, from under the shelter of the wall and ofevery rock and stone soldiers jumped up by companies and charged,driving them back to their own schanse. But the king's men had thestart of them, and had taken shelter behind it, whence they greetedthem with a volley of spears, killing ten and wounding twice as manymore.
Now it was Hokosa's turn to laugh, and laugh he did, saying:--"My taking is well paid for already, Prince. A score of your bestwarriors is a heavy price to give for the carcase of one weary andaging man. But since I am here among you, captured with so much painand loss, tell me of your courtesy why I have been brought."Then the prince shook his spear at him and cursed him.
"Would you learn, wizard and traitor?" he cried. "We have caught youbecause we know well that while you stay yonder your magic counselwill prevail against our might; whereas, when once we hold you fast,Nodwengo will wander to his ruin like a blind and moonstruck man, foryou were to him both eyes and brain.""I understand," said Hokosa calmly. "But, Prince, how if I left mywisdom behind me?""That may not be," answered Hafela, "since even a wizard cannot throwhis thoughts into the heart of another from afar.""Ah! you think so, Prince. Well, ask Noma yonder if I cannot throw mythoughts into her heart from afar: though of late I have not chosen todo so, having put aside such spells. But let it pass, and tell me,having taken me, what i............