That same evening I saw Saduko and the others, as I shall tell. I had
been up to visit the King and give him my present, a case of English
table-knives with bone handles, which pleased him greatly, although
he did not in the least know how to use them. Indeed, without their
accompanying forks these are somewhat futile articles. I found the old
fellow very tired and anxious, but as he was surrounded by indunas, I
had no private talk with him. Seeing that he was busy, I took my leave
as soon as I could, and when I walked away whom should I meet but
Saduko.
I saw him while he was a good way off, advancing towards the inner gate
with a train of attendants like a royal personage, and knew very well
that he saw me. Making up my mind what to do at once, I walked straight
on to him, forcing him to give me the path, which he did not wish to
do before so many people, and brushed past him as though he were a
stranger. As I expected, this treatment had the desired effect, for
after we had passed each other he turned and said: "Do you not know me, Macumazahn?"
"Who calls?" I asked. "Why, friend, your face is familiar to me. How are
you named?"
"Have you forgotten Saduko?" he said in a pained voice.
"No, no, of course not," I answered. "I know you now, although you seem
somewhat changed since we went out hunting and fighting together--I
suppose because you are fatter. I trust that you are well, Saduko?
Good-bye. I must be going back to my wagons. If you wish to see me you
will find me there."
These remarks, I may add, seemed to take Saduko very much aback. At any
rate, he found no reply to them, even when old Maputa, with whom I was
walking, and some others sniggered aloud. There is nothing that Zulus
enjoy so much as seeing one whom they consider an upstart set in his
place.
Well, a couple of hours afterwards, just as the sun was sinking, who
should walk up to my wagons but Saduko himself, accompanied by a woman
whom I recognised at once as his wife, the Princess Nandie, who carried
a fine baby boy in her arms. Rising, I saluted Nandie and offered her my
camp-stool, which she looked at suspiciously and declined, preferring to
seat herself on the ground after the native fashion. So I took it back
again, and after I had sat down on it, not before, stretched out my hand
to Saduko, who by this time was quite humble and polite.
Well, we talked away, and by degrees, without seeming too much
interested in them, I was furnished with a list of all the advancements
which it had pleased Panda to heap upon Saduko during the past year. In
their way they were remarkable enough, for it was much as though some
penniless country gentleman in England had been promoted in that short
space of time to be one of the premier peers of the kingdom and endowed
with great offices and estates. When he had finished the count of them
he paused, evidently waiting for me to congratulate him. But all I said
was: "By the Heavens above I am sorry for you, Saduko! How many enemies
you must have made! What a long way there will be for you to fall one
night!"--a remark at which the quiet Nandie broke into a low laugh that
I think pleased her husband even less than my sarcasm. "Well," I went
on, "I see that you have got a baby, which is much better than all these
titles. May I look at it, Inkosazana?"