Produced by Charles Klingman
KAFIR STORIES SEVEN SHORT STORIES
BY
WILLIAM CHARLES SCULLY
AUTHOR OF
"POEMS," ETC., ETC.
LONDON
T. FISHER UNWIN
1895
COPYRIGHT BY T. FISHER UNWIN for Great Britain and the United States of America.
TO
KATE FREILIGRATH KROEKER
AND
J. H. MEIRING BECK THIS BOOK IS INSCRIBED.
"So geographers, in Afric maps, With savage pictures fill their gaps, And o'er uninhabitable downs Place elephants for want of towns."
SWIFT.
Glossary
Allemagtig, almighty
Boomslang, an innocuous colubrine snake
*Donga, a gully with steep sides
Drift, the ford of a river
*E-hea, exactly so
*Ewe, yes
Hamel, a wether sheep
*Icanti, a fabulous serpent, the mere appearance of which is supposed to cause death
*Impandulu, the lightning bird. The Kafirs believe the lightning to be a bird
*Impi, an army or any military force on the war path
*Induna, a Zulu councilor or general
Kapater, a wether goat
Kerrie, a stick such as is almost invariably carried by a Kafir
Kloof, a gorge or valley
Kaffirboom, a large arboreal aloe
Kopje, an abrupt hillock
Kraal, (1) an enclosure for stock; a fold or pen. (2) a native hut, or collection of huts
Krantz, a cliff
*Lobola, the payment of cattle by a man to the father of the girl he wants to marry
*Mawo, an exclamation of surprise
Mealies, maize
Op togt, on a trading trip
Ou Pa, grandfather
Outspan, to unyoke a team
Raak, hit
Reim, a leather thong
Reimje, diminutive of foregoing
Schulpad, a tortoise
Sjambok: a heavy whip made of rhinocerous hide
Stoep, a space about two yards, in width along the front or side of a house. Usually covered by a verandah in the case of South African houses
Taaibosch, "tough bush," a shrub. Rhus lucida
*Tikoloshe, a water spirit who is supposed, when people are drowned, to have pulled them under water by the feet
"Ukushwama, the feast of first fruits;--celebrated by the Bacas and some other Bantu tribes
*Umtagati, magic;--witchcraft
Veldt. unenclosed and uncultivated land. The open country
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: Kafir Stories by W. C. Scully
- 2: He did not in the least mind leaving Jim Gubo in the canteen
- 3: Kalaza thereupon wagged his tongue
- 4: And then he hoped that old Dalisile
- 5: And of his daughter Nalai whom Maliwe was going to marry
- 6: And I think she will suit Tentu
- 7: He then called out to Jim Gubo
- 8: Which was the established signal between himself and Nalai
- 9: And the probationer bringing up the rear
- 10: But the fundamental axiom remained
- 11: Samuel again cleared his throat
- 12: And that Samuel taught the second class
- 13: The Reverend Robley Wilson took a holiday shortly afterwards
- 14: Samuel allowed her to talk to him
- 15: Robley Wilson preached one of his very best sermons
- 16: And walked quickly down the shrubbery path
- 17: But was acquitted on the evidence of Martha Kawa
- 18: When Samuel returned at sundown
- 19: My father told me about Tikoloshe
- 20: And Kellson looked round the room
- 21: Kellson had not been a successful man
- 22: Kellson had disposed of all the cases
- 23: Kellson remained sitting on the rustic seat
- 24: And he heard the clatter of a waggon passing along it
- 25: Looked fixedly at Kellson for a moment
- 26: Kellson went into the bedroom and opened his portmanteau
- 27: Tshaka was a man of magnificent build
- 28: Kondwana was a distinguished man
- 29: They knew all about this from the Balala
- 30: A lioness dashed into the camp
- 31: And towards these Kondwana led his men silently
- 32: The unfortunate Makalakas were an easy prey
- 33: Next morning the three Makalakas returned
- 34: Kondwana noticed scattered about
- 35: The Balotsi had had a severe lesson
- 36: When the Balotsi next day reached the saddle
- 37: The Makalakas were now gaining on them rapidly
- 38: And the Makalakas moved in closer
- 39: Kondwana and Senzanga succeeded after grievous pains
- 40: When Tshaka recognised Kondwana
- 41: He glared speechlessly at Kondwana and Senzanga
- 42: Whitson was known to be a dead shot with the revolver
- 43: Ghamba asked whether anything had been heard of Umhlonhlo
- 44: If I lake you to where Umhlonhlo is
- 45: Next morning they met Ghamba again
- 46: The plan was as follows Whitson was to shoot Umhlonhlo
- 47: The more Whitson saw of Ghamba
- 48: In a few minutes Ghamba returned
- 49: Whitson re loaded his revolver
- 50: So Whitson dragged him outside
- 51: After Umdava had been killed and his people scattered
- 52: Whitson turned cold with horror
- 53: Whitson took his discharge and returned to America
- 54: The Ghoda is about a mile from Numjala's kraal
- 55: Knowing Numjala to be a heathen
- 56: And then Numjala told me the following story
- 57: Whilst Nomalie most certainly did
- 58: Lukwazi and his followers became very wrathful
- 59: Were Kwababana Xolilizwe's uncle Xolilizwe
- 60: And saw the headless body of Xolilizwe
- 61: Lukwazi never saw another Shwama
- 62: The murdered man was one whom Sololo disliked
- 63: Shortly before eleven Vooda returned to camp
- 64: I come with the words of Indabeni
- 65: The magic of U Sessellodes and Indabeni is stronger
- 66: Vooda approached Sololo My Chief