Black Heart and White Heart

Philip Hadden is a charming, reckless trader with a shadowed past, a talent for survival, and a habit of slipping just ahead of disaster. Fleeing Natal after a violent quarrel, he crosses into Zululand and rides to King Cetywayo's kraal to seek permission to hunt—only to find himself trapped in a court ruled by fear, pride, and gathering war. There, Hadden witnesses the king's fury, the dismissal of an aged counsellor who warns that white power will prevail, and the brutal denial of young Nahoon's plea to marry Nanea. A gift of a Winchester rifle nearly kills Cetywayo by accident, but also wins his fascination, binding Hadden to the royal household. As Hadden and Nahoon venture into the haunted wilderness near Isandhlwana, the hunt becomes a journey through superstition, danger, and shifting loyalties. The witch-doctoress known as the Bee brands Hadden "Black Heart" and foretells death. Buffalo, ghost-haunted forests, and a savage leopard attack turn the expedition into a struggle for survival, while Hadden plots escape and Nahoon remains torn between duty and love. Haggard weaves romance, suspense, colonial tension, and supernatural menace into a vivid tale of Zululand on the brink of catastrophe. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.