H. Rider Haggard

“ Indaba-zimbi interpreted my words, but I noticed that he would not look on me as he spoke, but covered his face with his hands and spoke of me as “the ghost” or the “son of the spirit.” For some reason that I have never quite understood, the chief consented to the duel. I fancy it was because he believed me to be more than mortal, and was anxious to see the last of Bombyane.
“Let them fight,” he said. “Give them assegais and no shields; the child shall be to him who conquers.”
“Yes! yes!” cried the soldiers. “Let them fight. Don’t be afraid, Bombyane; if he is a spirit, he’s a very small one.” ”

“ As for the Zulus, they waited for no more. With a howl of terror the whole regiment turned and fled across the rise, so that presently we were left alone with the dead, and the swooning child.
“How on earth did you do that, Indaba-zimbi?” I asked in amaze.
“Do not ask me, Macumazahn,” he gasped. “You white men are very clever, but you don’t quite know everything. There are men in the world who can make people believe they see things which they do not see. ”

“ I was taken to the crest of the slope and placed in the centre of the reserve line in the especial charge of a huge Zulu named Bombyane, the same man who had come forward as a herald. This brute seemed to regard me with an affectionate curiosity. Now and again he poked me in the ribs with the handle of his assegai, as though to assure himself that I was solid, and several times he asked me to be so good as to prophesy how many Zulus would be killed before the “Amaboona,” as they called the Boers, were “eaten up.” ”

“ The white spirit has slain Bombyane. Kill the wizard, kill the ghost who has slain Bombyane by witchcraft.”
Instantly I was surrounded by fierce faces, and spears flashed before my eyes. I folded my arms and stood calmly waiting the end. In a moment it would have come, for the warriors were mad at seeing their champion overthrown thus easily. But presently through the tumult I heard the high, cracked voice of Indaba-zimbi.
“Stand back, you fools!” it cried; “can a spirit then be killed?”
“Spear him! spear him!” they roared in fury. “Let us see if he is a spirit. ”

“ What chance had I against this black giant? But I had promised poor Hans to save the child if I could, and what did it matter? As well die now as later. However, I had wit enough left to make a favour of it, and intimated to the chief through Indaba-zimbi that I was quite willing to condescend to kill Bombyane, on condition that if I did so the child’s life should be given to me. ”

“ Only one man even got on to a waggon, and as he did so I saw a Boer woman strike him on the head with an axe. He fell down, and slowly, amid howls of derision from the two lines on the hill-side, the Zulus drew back.
“Let us go, father!” shouted the soldiers on the slope, among whom I was, to their chief, who had come up. “You have sent out the little girls to fight, and they are frightened. Let us show them the way.”
“No, no!” the chief Sususa answered, laughing. “Wait a minute and the little girls will grow to women, and women are good enough to fight against Boers!” ”

“ And so through the glamour thrown upon them by Indaba-zimbi’s will, that Zulu Impi seemed to see me transfixed with an assegai which never touched me. At least, that is my theory; if any one has a better, let him adopt it. The explanation lies between illusion and magic of a most imposing character, and I prefer to accept the first alternative.
↑ The Zulus believe that after death their spirits enter into the bodies of large green snakes, which glide about the kraals. ”

“ When this very Impi had been sent out by the Zulu King Dingaan, it consisted of some nine thousand men. Now it numbered less than three; all the rest were dead. They, too, would probably soon be dead. ”