Adventure, February 1917 — page 174: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

> 172- welcome. For later in the day Nombé re- peated to Anscombe and Heda the invita- tion which she had delivered to me, aSsur- ing them also that in Zululand they would come to no harm. It was curious to watch the meeting be- tween Heda and Nombé. The doctoress ap- peared just as we had risen from breakfast, and Heda, turning round, came face to face with her. “Ts this your witch, Mr. Quatermain?” she asked me in her vivacious way. ‘‘Why, she is different from what I expected, quite good-looking and, yes, impressive. I am not sure that she does not frighten me a lit- tle.”’ “What does the Inkosikaas say concern- ing me, Macumazahn?”’ asked Nombé. “Only what I said, that you are young who she thought would be old, and pretty who she thought would be ugly.” “To grow old we must first be young, Macumazahn, and in due season all of us will become ugly, even the Inkosikaas. But I thought she said also that she feared me.” “Do you know English, Nombé?” *‘Nay, but I know how to read eyes, and the Inkosikaas has eyes that talk. Tell her that she has no reason to fear me who would be her friend, though I think that she will bring me little luck.” It was scarcely necessary, but I trans- lated, leaving out the last sentence. “Say to her that I am grateful who have few friends, and that I will fear her no more,” said Heda. Again I translated, whereon Nombé stretched out her hand, saying “Let her not scorn to_take it, it is clean. Adventure It has brought no man to his death——” Here she looked at Heda meaningly. “Moreover, though she is white and I am black, I, like herself, am of high blood and come ‘of a race of warriors who did nothing small, and lastly, we are of an age, and if she is beautiful, I am wise and have gifts great as her own.” Once more I interpreted, for the benefit of Anscombe, for Heda understood Zulu well enough,' after which the two shook hands to Anscombe’s amusement and my wonder, for I felt this scene to be strained and one that hid, or presaged something I did not comprehend. “This is the Chief she loves?”’ said Nombé to me, studying Anscombe with her steady eyes after Heda had gone. ‘“Well, he is no common man and brave, if idle; one, too, who may grow tall in the world, should he live, when he has learned to think. But, Macumazahn, if she met you both at the same time, why did she not choose your” “Just now you said you were wise, Nombé,” I replied laughing, ‘‘but now I see that, like most of your trade, you are but a vain boaster. Is there a hat upon my head that you can not see the color of my hair, and is it natural that youth should turn to age?” “‘Sometimes if the mind is old, Macuma- zahn; which is why I love the spirits only who are more ancient than the mountains, and with them Zikali their servant, who was young before the Zulus were,a people, or so he says, and still year by year gathers wis- dom like the bees. Macumazahn, for I have done my business and am ready to start.” TO BE CONTINUED Eomichbook Inspan your horses, Gon