but now two of us are dead at their hands； and others lie dead along
the road。 Suffer that we slay them。〃
〃Ask that of the Elephant；〃 said the soldiers； 〃ask too that he suffer
you should not be slain。〃
Just then the tall chief saw blood and heard words。 He stalked up； and
he was a great man to look at； though still quite young in years。 For
he was taller by a head than any round him； and his chest was big as
the chests of two； his face was fierce and beautiful； and when he grew
angry his eye flashed like a smitten brand。
〃Who are these that dare to stir up dust at the gates of my kraal？〃 he
asked； frowning。
〃O Chaka； O Elephant！〃 answered the captain of the soldiers； bending
himself double before him； 〃the men say that these are evildoers and
that they pursue them to kill them。〃
〃Good！〃 he answered。 〃Let them slay the evildoers。〃
〃O great chief！ thanks be to thee； great chief！〃 said those men of my
people who sought to kill us。
〃I hear you；〃 he answered； then spoke once more to the captain。 〃And
when they have slain the evildoers； let themselves be blinded and
turned loose to seek their way home； because they have dared to lift a
spear within the Zulu gates。 Now praise on； my children！〃 And he
laughed； while the soldiers murmured； 〃Ou！ he is wise； he is great；
his justice is bright and terrible like the sun！〃
But the two men of my people cried out in fear； for they did not seek
such justice as this。
〃Cut out their tongues also；〃 said Chaka。 〃What？ shall the land of the
Zulus suffer such a noise？ Never！ lest the cattle miscarry。 To it； ye
black ones！ There lies the girl。 She is asleep and helpless。 Kill her！
What？ you hesitate？ Nay； then； if you will have time for thought； I
give it。 Take these men； smear them with honey； and pin them over ant…
heaps； by to…morrow's sun they will know their own minds。 But first
kill these two hunted jackals；〃 and he pointed to Baleka and myself。
〃They seem tired and doubtless they long for sleep。〃
Then for the first time I spoke； for the soldiers drew near to slay
us。
〃O Chaka；〃 I cried； 〃I am Mopo； and this is my sister Baleka。〃
I stopped； and a great shout of laughter went up from all who stood
round。
〃Very well； Mopo and thy sister Baleka；〃 said Chaka； grimly。 〃Good…
morning to you； Mopo and Balekaalso； good…night！〃
〃O Chaka；〃 I broke in； 〃I am Mopo； son of Makedama of the Langeni
tribe。 It was I who gave thee a gourd of water many years ago； when we
were both little。 Then thou badest me come to thee when thou hadst
grown great； vowing that thou wouldst protect me and never do me harm。
So I have come； bringing my sister with me； and now； I pray thee； do
not eat up the words of long ago。〃
As I spoke； Chaka's face changed； and he listened earnestly； as a man
who holds his hand behind his ear。 〃Those are no liars；〃 he said。
〃Welcome； Mopo！ Thou shalt be a dog in my hut； and feed from my hand。
But of thy sister I said nothing。 Why； then； should she not be slain
when I swore vengeance against all thy tribe； save thee alone？〃
〃Because she is too fair to slay； O Chief！〃 I answered； boldly； 〃also
because I love her； and ask her life as a boon！〃
〃Turn the girl over；〃 said Chaka。 And they did so； showing her face。
〃Again thou speakest no lie； son of Makedama；〃 said the chief。 〃I
grant thee the boon。 She also shall lie in my hut； and be of the
number of my 'sisters。' Now tell me thy tale； speaking only the
truth。〃
So I sat down and told him all。 Nor did he grow weary of listening。
But； when I had done； he said but one thingthat he would that the
dog Koos had not been killed； since； if he had still been alive； he
would have set him on the hut of my father Makedama； and made him
chief over the Langeni。
Then he spoke to the captain of the soldiers。 〃I take back my words；〃
he said。 〃Let not these men of the Langeni be mutilated。 One shall die
and the other shall go free。 Here；〃 and he pointed to the man whom we
had seen led out of the kraal…gate； 〃here； Mopo； we have a man who has
proved himself a coward。 Yesterday a kraal of wizards yonder was eaten
up by my orderperhaps you two saw it as you travelled。 This man and
three others attacked a soldier of that kraal who defended his wife
and children。 The man fought wellhe slew three of my people。 Then
this dog was afraid to meet him face to face。 He killed him with a
throwing assegai； and afterwards he stabbed the woman。 That is
nothing； but he should have fought the husband hand to hand。 Now I
will do him honour。 He shall fight to the death with one of these pigs
from thy sty；〃 and he pointed with his spear to the men of my father's
kraal； 〃and the one who survives shall be run down as they tried to
run you down。 I will send back the other pig to the sty with a
message。 Choose； children of Makedama； which of you will live。〃
Now the two men of my tribe were brothers； and loved one another； and
each of them was willing to die that the other might go free。
Therefore； both of them stepped forward； saying that they would fight
the Zulu。
〃What； is there honour among pigs？〃 said Chaka。 〃Then I will settle
it。 See this assegai？ I throw it into the air； if the blade falls
uppermost the tall man shall go free； if the shaft falls uppermost；
then life is to the short one； so！〃 And he sent the little spear
whirling round and round in the air。 Every eye watched it as it
wheeled and fell。 The haft struck the ground first。
〃Come hither； thou；〃 said Chaka to the tall brother。 〃Hasten back to
the kraal of Makedama； and say to him； Thus says Chaka； the Lion of
the Zulu…ka…Malandela； 'Years ago thy tribe refused me milk。 To…day
the dog of thy son Mopo howls upon the roof of thy hut。' Begone！〃＇1＇
＇1＇ Among the Zulus it is a very bad omen for a dog to climb the roof
of a hut。 The saying conveyed a threat to be appreciated by every
Zulu。ED。
The man turned； shook his brother by the hand； and went； bearing the
words of evil omen。
Then Chaka called to the Zulu and the last of those who had followed
us to kill us； bidding them fight。 So； when they had praised the
prince they fought fiercely； and the end of it was that the man of my
people conquered the Zulu。 But as soon as he had found his breath
again he was set to run for his life； and after him ran five chosen
men。
Still； it came about that he outran them； doubling like a hare； and
got away safely。 Nor was Chaka angry at this； for I think that he bade
the men who hunted him to make speed slowly。 There was only one good
thing in the cruel heart of Chaka； that he would always save the life
of a brave man if he could do so without making his word nothing。 And
for my part； I was glad to think that the man of my people had
conquered him who murdered the children of the dying woman that we
found at the kraal beyond the river。
CHAPTER V
MOPO BECOMES THE KING'S DOCTOR
These； then； my father； were the events that ended in the coming of
me； Mopo； and of my sister Baleka to the kraal of Chaka； the Lion of
the Zulu。 Now you may ask why have I kept you so long with this tale；
which is as are other tales of our people。 But that shall be seen； for
from these matters； as a tree from a seed； grew the birth of
Umslopogaas Bulalio； Umslopogaas the Slaughterer； and Nada the
Beautiful； of whose love my story has to tell。 For Nada was my
daughter； and Umslopogaas； though few knew it； was none other than the
son of Chaka； born of my sister Baleka。
Now when Baleka recovered from the weariness of our flight； and had
her beauty again； Chaka took her to wife； numbering her among his
women； whom he named his 〃sisters。〃 And me Chaka took to be one of his
doctors； of his izinyanga of medicine； and he was so well pleased with
my medicine that in the end I became his head doctor。 Now this was a
great post； in which； during the course of years； I grew fat in cattle
and in wives； but also it was one of much danger。 For when I rose
strong and well in the morning； I could never know but that at night I
should sleep stiff and red。 Many were the doctors whom Chaka slew；
doctored they never so well； they were killed at last。 For a day would
surely come when the king felt ill in his body or heavy in his mind；
and then to the assegai or the torment with the wizard who had
doctored him！ Yet I escaped； because of the power of my medicine； and
also because of that oath which Chaka had sworn to me as a child。 So
it came about that where the king went there I went with him。 I slept
near his hut； I sat behind him at council； in the battle I was ever at
his side。
Ah！ the battle！ the battle！ In those days we knew how to fight； my
father！ In those days the vultures would follow our impis by
thousands； the hyenas would steal along our path in packs； and none
went empty away。 Never may I forget the first fight I stood in at the
side of Chaka。 It was just after the king had built his great kraal on
the south bank of the Umhlatuze。 Then it was that the chief Zwide
attacked his rival Chaka for the third time and Chaka moved out to
meet him with ten full regiments；＇1＇ now for the first time armed with
the short stabbing…spear。
＇1＇ About 30；000 men。ED。
The ground lay this： On a long； low hill in front of our impi were
massed the regiments of Zwide； there were seventeen of them； the earth
was black with their number； their plumes filled the air like snow。
We； too； were on a hill； and between us lay a valley down which there
ran a little stream。 All night our fires shone out across the valley；
all night the songs of soldiers echoed down the hills。 Then the grey
dawning came； the oxen lowed to the light； the regiments arose from
their bed of spears； they sprang up and shook the dew from hair and
shieldyes！ they arose！ the glad to die！ The impi assumed its array
regiment by regiment。 There was the breast of spears； there were the
horns of spears； they were numberless as the stars； and like the stars
they shone。 The morning breeze came up and fanned them； their plumes
bent in the breeze； like a plain of seeding grass they bent； the
plumes of the soldiers ripe for the assegai。 Up over the shoulder of
the hill came the sun of Slaughter； it glowed red upon the red
shiel