“For the love of God, do not shoot!” I said. “How can we resist so many? Soft words are our only chance.”
Still he attempted to fire, and would have done so had I not thrown myself upon him and literally torn the gun from his hand. By this time the Vrouw Prinsloo had come up, a very weird spectacle, I recollect, in what she called her “sleep-garments,” that included a night-cap made of a worn jackal skin and a kind of otter-pelt stomacher.
“Accursed fool!” she said to Marais, “would you cause all our throats to be cut? Go forward, you, Allan, and talk to those _swartzels_” (that is, black creatures), “gently, as you would to a savage dog. You have a tongue steeped in oil, and they may listen to you.”
“Yes,” I answered; “that seems the best thing to do. If I should not return, give my love to Marie.”
So I beckoned to the headman of my Zulus whom I had hired at Delagoa, to accompany me, and marched forward boldly quite unarmed. We were encamped upon a rise of ground a quarter of a mile from the river, and the impi, or those of them whom we could see, were at the foot of this rise about a hundred and sixty yards away. The light was growing now, and when I was within fifty paces of them they saw me. At some word of command a number of men rushed toward me, their fighting shields held over their bodies and their spears up.
“We are dead!” exclaimed my Kaffir in a resigned voice. I shared his opinion, but thought I might as well die standing as running away.
Now I should explain that though as yet I had never mixed with these Zulus, I could talk several native dialects kindred to that which they used very well indeed. Moreover, ever since I had hired men of their race at Delagoa, I had spent all my spare time in conversing with them and acquiring a knowledge of their language, history and customs. So by this time I knew their tongue fairly, although occasionally I may have used terms which were unfamiliar to them.
Thus it came about that I was able to shout to them, asking what was their business with us. Hearing themselves addressed in words which they understood, the men halted, and seeing that I was unarmed, three of them approached me.
“We come to take you prisoners, white people, or to kill you if you resist,” said their captain.