The White Shield

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Mitford Bertram. The White Shield

Prologue

Chapter One. The Chief of the Blue Cattle

Chapter Two. Treason in the Air

Chapter Three. The Conspiracy of Ncwelo’s Pool

Chapter Four. The “Smelling-Out.”

Chapter Five. The Boer Laager

Chapter Six. The Burning of Ekupumuleni

Chapter Seven. Untúswa’s Embassy

Chapter Eight. The Scourge

Chapter Nine. The Living Bridge

Chapter Ten. The Mystery Queen

Chapter Eleven. The End of Tauane

Chapter Twelve “You – An Induna?”

Chapter Thirteen “The Place of the Alligators.”

Chapter Fourteen. The White Isanusi

Chapter Fifteen “Lost!”

Chapter Sixteen. A Life for Ten Lives

Chapter Seventeen. The Return of the “She-Eagle.”

Chapter Eighteen. In Dark Warning

Chapter Nineteen. The White Shield

Chapter Twenty. Dreams – New and Great

Chapter Twenty One “The Place of the Three Rifts.”

Chapter Twenty Two. Of the Blackening of the Moon

Chapter Twenty Three. The Muster

Chapter Twenty Four. The Song of the Shield

Chapter Twenty Five. The Battle of the Three Rifts

Chapter Twenty Six. Lalusini’s Choice

Epilogue

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You will remember, Nkose, how we of the Royal House of Dingiswayo, of the tribe of Umtetwa, with the Amandebeli, went out from the land of Zulu to found a new nation, and how we shut back the overwhelming number of the spears of Tshaka in the gates of the great Kwahlamba mountains. So, too, you will remember how, having hailed our leader Umzilikazi as king we swept ever onward, to the west and to the north, stamping flat the tribes within our path and laying waste the land, leaving behind us a desert that the cubs of the Lion of Zulu would find difficult of crossing. So, too, you will remember, how we built the great Kraal of Ekupumuleni, and subdued all the tribes round about, and sat in our fair resting-place, feared as a great and mighty people. For of the races around, all came in to konza to Umzilikazi, and to pay tribute, and such as did not – well, it was not long before the trumpeting of the Elephant sounded in their ears, dwelt they even two or three moons distant. But there was one tribe or nation which refused thus to konza, and of it I shall speak presently.

As time went by, our new nation grew in numbers and strength – though the latter might be our weakness in the day of grave trial. For we had incorporated into our army the youth of such tribes as we had conquered and whom the king deemed capable of bearing arms. These Amaholi, or slaves, were really our dogs, and even of this they might have been proud, for in our veins ran the clear unmixed blood of the “People of the Heavens;” (Such is the literal meaning of the word “Amazulu”) but did the spears of Tshaka show upon the skyline there would not be one of these miserable jackals within a day’s march of them by the time they drew near. Howbeit, although they were too cowardly to fight for us, we did not fear lest they should turn and fight against us, for the spears of Tshaka would devour them just as readily as they would ourselves; nay, more readily, for we Amandebeli were as lions, and dealt back blow for blow, were the enemy tenfold our own strength.

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All this while I was keenly watching the chief’s face, and I read therein a bragging nature, but a coward spirit underlying it. He, for his part, was noting our large stature and fearless bearing, our great shields and heavy-bladed spears, and I knew he was impressed thereby.

“What do you here, in my country, strangers?” he continued, frowning still deeper. “You enter it armed and slaughter our cattle, and seize upon our women and boys to act as your slaves,” with a glance at the group behind us who had thrown off their loads to rest. “This must be explained.”

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