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l before these bright eyes。 'I think that some kind of native rising is about to commence。'
'Ay；' he said dryly； 'you would； and your evidence would be the spying and drumming。 Anything more？'
'I have come on the tracks of a lot of I。D。B。 work in the neighbourhood。 The natives have some supply of diamonds； which they sell bit by bit； and I don't doubt but they have been getting guns with the proceeds。'
He nodded； 'Have you any notion who has been engaged in the job？'
I had it on my tongue to mention Japp； but forbore； remembering my promise。 'I can name one；' I said； 'a little yellow Portugoose； who calls himself Henriques or Hendricks。 He passed by here the day before yesterday。'
Captain Arcoll suddenly was consumed with quiet laughter。 'Did you notice the Kaffir who rode with him and carried his saddlebags？ Well； he's one of my men。 Henriques would have a fit if he knew what was in those saddlebags。 They contain my change of clothes； and other odds and ends。 Henriques' own stuff is in a hole in the spruit。 A handy way of getting one's luggage sent on； eh？ The bags are waiting for me at a place I appointed。' And again Captain Arcoll indulged his sense of humour。 Then he became grave； and returned to his examination。 'A rising； with diamonds as the sinews of war； and Henriques as the chief agent。 Well and good！ But who is to lead； and what are the natives going to rise about？'
'I know nothing further； but I have made some guesses。'
'Let's hear your guesses；' he said； blowing smoke rings from his pipe。 'I think the main mover is a great black minister who calls himself John Laputa。'
Captain Arcoll nearly sprang out of his chair。 'Now； how on earth did you find that out？ Quick； Mr Crawfurd； tell me all you know； for this is desperately important。'
I began at the beginning； and told him the story of what happened on the Kirkcaple shore。 Then I spoke of my sight of him on board ship； his talk with Henriques about Blaauwildebeestefontein； and his hurried departure from Durban。
Captain Arcoll listened intently； and at the mention of Durban he laughed。 'You and I seem to have been running on lines which nearly touched。 I thought I had grabbed my friend Laputa that night in Durban； but I was too cocksure and he slipped off。 Do you know； Mr Crawfurd； you have been on the right trail long before me？ When did you say you saw him at his devil…worship？ Seven years ago？ Then you were the first man alive to know the Reverend John in his true colours。 You knew seven years ago what I only found out last year。'
'Well； that's my story；' I said。 'I don't know what the rising is about； but there's one other thing I can tell you。 There's some kind of sacred place for the Kaffirs； and I've found out where it is。' I gave him a short account of my adventures in the Rooirand。
He smoked silently for a bit after I had finished。 'You've got the skeleton of the whole thing right； and you only want the filling up。 And you found out everything for yourself？ Colles was right； you're not wanting in intelligence； Mr Crawfurd。'
It was not much of a compliment； but I have never been more pleased in my life。 This slim； grizzled man； with his wrinkled face and bright eyes； was clearly not lavish in his praise。 I felt it was no small thing to have earned a word of commendation。
'And now I will tell you my story；' said Captain Arcoll。 'It is a long story； and I must begin far back。 It has taken me years to decipher it； and； remember； I've been all my life at this native business。 I can talk every dialect； and I have the customs of every tribe by heart。 I've travelled over every mile of South Africa； and Central and East Africa too。 I was in both the Matabele wars； and I've seen a heap of other fighting which never got into the papers。 So what I tell you you can take as gospel； for it is knowledge that was not learned in a day。'
He puffed away； and then asked suddenly； 'Did you ever hear of Prester John？'
'The man that lived in Central Asia？' I asked； with a reminiscence of a story…book I had as a boy。 'No； no；' said Mr Wardlaw； 'he means the King of Abyssinia in the fifteenth century。 I've been reading all about him。 He was a Christian； and the Portuguese sent expedition after expedition to find him； but they never got there。 Albuquerque wanted to make an alliance with him and capture the Holy Sepulchre。'
Arcoll nodded。 'That's the one I mean。 There's not very much known about him； except Portuguese legends。 He was a sort of Christian； but I expect that his practices were as pagan as his neighbours'。 There is no doubt that he was a great conqueror。 Under him and his successors； the empire of Ethiopia extended far south of Abyssinia away down to the Great Lakes。'
'How long did this power last？' I asked wondering to what tale this was prologue。
'That's a mystery no scholar has ever been able to fathom。 Anyhow； the centre of authority began to shift southward； and the warrior tribes moved in that direction。 At the end of the sixteenth century the chief native power was round about the Zambesi。 The Mazimba and the Makaranga had come down from the Lake Nyassa quarter； and there was a strong kingdom in Manicaland。 That was the Monomotapa that the Portuguese thought so much of。'
Wardlaw nodded eagerly。 The story was getting into ground that he knew about。
'The thing to remember is that all these little empires thought themselves the successors of Prester John。 It took me a long time to find this out； and I have spent days in the best libraries in Europe over it。 They all looked back to a great king in the north； whom they called by about twenty different names。 They had forgotten about his Christianity； but they remembered that he was a conqueror。
'Well； to make a long story short； Monomotapa disappeared in time； and fresh tribes came down from the north； and pushed right down to Natal and the Cape。 That is how the Zulus first appeared。 They brought with them the story of Prester John； but by this time it had ceased to be a historical memory； and had become a religious cult。 They worshipped a great Power who had been their ancestor； and the favourite Zulu word for him was Umkulunkulu。 The belief was perverted into fifty different forms； but this was the central creed … that Umkulunkulu had been the father of the tribe； and was alive as a spirit to watch over them。
'They brought more than a creed with them。 Somehow or other； some fetich had descended from Prester John by way of the Mazimba and Angoni and Makaranga。 What it is I do not know； but it was always in the hands of the tribe which for the moment held the leadership。 The great native wars of the sixteenth century； which you can read about in the Portuguese historians； were not for territory but for leadership； and mainly for the possession of this fetich。 Anyhow； we know that the Zulus brought it down with them。 They called it Ndhlondhlo； which means the Great Snake； but I don't suppose that it was any kind of snake。 The snake was their totem； and they would naturally call their most sacred possession after it。
'Now I will tell you a thing that few know。 You have heard of Tchaka。 He was a sort of black Napoleon early in the last century； and he made the Zulus the paramount power in South Africa； slaughtering about two million souls to accomplish it。 Well； he had the fetich； whatever it was； and it was believed that he owed his conquests to it。 Mosilikatse tried to steal it； and that was why he had to fly to Matabeleland。 But with Tchaka it disappeared。 Dingaan did not have it； nor Panda； and Cetewayo never got it； though he searched the length and breadth of the country for it。 It had gone out of existence； and with it the chance of a Kaffir empire。'
Captain Arcoll got up to light his pipe； and I noticed that his face was grave。 He was not telling us this yarn for our amusement。
'So much for Prester John and his charm；' he said。 'Now I have to take up the history at a different point。 In spite of risings here and there； and occasional rows； the Kaffirs have been quiet for the better part of half a century。 It is no credit to us。 They have had plenty of grievances； and we are no nearer understanding them than our fathers were。 But they are scattered and divided。 We have driven great wedges of white settlement into their territory； and we have taken away their arms。 Still； they are six times as many as we are； and they have long memories； and a thoughtful man may wonder how long the peace will last。 I have often asked myself that question； and till lately I used to reply； 〃For ever because they cannot find a leader with the proper authority； and they have no common cause to fight for。〃 But a year or two ago I began to change my mind。
'It is my business to act as chief Intelligence officer among the natives。 Well； one day； I came on the tracks of a curious person。 He was a Christian minister called Laputa； and he was going among the tribes from Durban to the Zambesi as a roving evangelist。 I found that he made an enormous impression； and yet the people I spoke to were chary of saying much about him。 Presently I found that he preached more than the gospel。 His word was 〃A