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And while Saltwood stood there, this man whose life had centered upon the building up of a small herd of cattle went back into his fields and resumed slaying the docile creatures whose existence represented the only chance of keeping that village alive in the awful days that loomed.

During the first two weeks of February, Saltwood penetrated to most areas of the western Xhosa, and what he saw sickened him so that he returned to Mpedi's village, now stripped of all food except what was in the pots for the few days remaining till the miracle. 'Can you take me to Nongqause?' he asked his former workman.

'No good, Baas. She sits by the pool waiting for the generals to rise from the waters.'

'I must talk with her.'

'No good, Baas. She just sits there, waiting!'

'Damnit, Mpedi. I'm trying to save enough animals to keep you idiots alive.'

'No good, but if you want to hear from her own lips . . .'

He led Saltwood a day's journey eastward to the Gxara River, where a delirious crowd of Xhosa had gathered to be near the prophetess when the chiefs arose to greet her, and enough people knew Saltwood's good reputation to allow him to pass through the multitude to talk with the little girl. She had a pinched face, no beauty whatever, and large watery eyes. She was quite oblivious of the furor she was causing, and when Saltwood had been in her presence only a few minutes he was satisfied that she did indeed see visions. When he spoke to her, she did not respond coherently but rather with a dreamy indifference, for she knew that the day of revelation was at hand.

'Nongqause, there's still time to save enough cattle to feed the people during the coming winter. Stop the killing, I beg you.'

'When all are dead, then the new will arrive.'

'Can't you see that you're bringing desolation to the Xhosa?'

'When the grain is all burned, the new will arrive.'

'Nongqause! You're destroying your people.'

'When the chiefs arise, it is the enemy who will be destroyed.' She pointed to the calm, dark surface of the pool as if she expected Saltwood to see what she saw: the cattle waiting to fill the pastures, the boundless supplies of grain, the great chiefs dressed in battle array, with the Russians somehow behind them.

'Do you know where Russia is?' Saltwood asked.

As soon as he said this word, an older man moved in to insert himself between the little prophetess and this English intruder. It was Mhlakaza, but neither he nor Saltwood was aware that they had met one fateful morning back in 1836 on the hill at De Kraal when Tjaart van Doorn was prevented from shooting him.

'Why do you come here?' he asked in good English.

'I come to beg the little girl to stop the cattle killing.'

'The spirits demand it.'

'Who are you?' Saltwood asked.

'Mhlakaza, he who speaks for the spirits.'

'Don't you realize that you're all going to starve?'

'There will be two hundred cattle for every Xhosa.'

'Don't be a damned fool. Your meadows couldn't hold them.'

'There will be food for all.'

Saltwood was so disgusted with this crazy man that he tried to return to the little girl, but this Mhlakaza would not permit. Keeping himself face-to-face with the Englishman, he nudged him farther and farther away from the pool. In desperation Saltwood asked, 'Mhlakaza, do you know who I am?'

'Are you Saltwood of De Kraal?'

'Yes. And Mpedi here will assure you that I'm a friend of the Xhosa. I've fought against you in clean battle. I've worked with you. Tell him, Mpedi.'

Mpedi nodded, whereupon Saltwood asked, 'Mhlakaza, do you know where Russia is?'

'The ships are already on the sea, coming to join us.'

'But do you know what it is? A city? A town? A group of kraals?'

'It is Russia,' the prophet said. 'They will be here next week.'

'And what will you do?'

'Greet them at the shore. Then march to Grahamstown.'

Having said this, Mhlakaza spoke in Xhosa to Mpedi: 'Take this man away. See that he reaches home safely.' In English he said, 'Saltwood, hurry home and leave the country. We