Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-07-14
CHAPTER XVIII.

MOPO BARGAINS WITH THE PRINCES.
Eight and twenty days went by, my
father, and on the nine and twentieth it
befell that Chaka, having dreamed
dream in his troubled sleep, summoned
before him certain women Of the kraal,
to the number of seventy and three
Some Of these We're his women, whom
he named his SISTERS" and some were
maidens not yet given in marriage; bat
all were young and fair Now, what
this dream of Chalia's may have been
do not know, or have forgotten, for in
those days he dreamed many dreams,
and all his dreams led to one end, the
death of men. He sat in front OF Liz
hut scowling, and was with him. To
the left OF him We're gathered the girls
qnd women and their knees were weak
Eith fear. One by one they We're led
before him, and stood before him with
bowed heads Then he would bid them
pc Of good cheer and speak softly to
them, and iii the end would ask them
this question, Hast thou, my sister,
cat in thy hut!'
Now some would say that they had "A
cat, and some would say they had none,
and some would stand still and make no
answer, being dumb with fear. But
whatever they said the end was the
same, for the king would sigh gently
and say, Fare the well, my sister; it is
unfortunate for thee that there is cat
in thy hut" or "that there is no cat in
thy hut" or that thou canst not tell
me whether there be cat in thy hut or
no."
Then the women would be taken by
the slayers, dragged without the kraal,
and their end was swift. So IL went on
for the most part of that day, till sixty
and two women and girls had been
slaughtered, But at last a maiden was
brought before the king, and to this one
her snake had given a ready wit. for
when Chaka asked whether or no there
was a cat in her hut she answered, say
ing she did not know, "but that there
was half e cat upon her." and she point
ed TO Il cats skin which was bound about
her lOins
Then the king laughed and clapped
his hands, saying that at length his
dream was answered; and he killed no
more that day nor ever again-savc once
only.
That evening my heart was heavy
within me, and | wandered out from the
kraal to the great cleft in the mountains
yonder and sat down upon rock up in
the cleft so that ! could see the wide
lands rolling to the north and south, to
my right and to my left Now the day
lsr,tg a ~ ,C,h+
air was very still, for the heat was great
and tempest was gathering, as |, who
am Heaven Herd, knew well The sun
sank redly, flooding the land with blood;
it was as though all the blood that
Chaka had shed flowed about the land
which ChaHa ruled, Then great shapes
of cloud rose up and in their hearts
the lightning quivered like blood of
fire.
Now Of a sudden, my father, bright
star fell from the height Of heaven and
lit upon the crest of the storm, and as it
lit the storm burst. Then an icy breath
burst from the lips Of the tempest and
rushed across the earth. 1t caught the
falling star and drove it on toward me,
and as it came the star grew and took
shape, and the shape that it took was
that Of woman. | knew her now, my
father, while she was yet far off knew
her-the Inkosazana who came as she
had promised, riding down the storm.
Now she was at the mouth Of the pass;
before her was stiffness; behind her
beat the wings Of the storm; the thun-
der roared, the rain Kissed like snakes;
fhe rushed on past me, and as she passed
she turned her awful eyes upon me,
shriveling me up She was there! she
was gone! but she spoke no word, only
shook her flaming spear. Yet it seemed
10 me that the storm spoke, that the
rocks cried aloud, that the rain Kissed