The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-07-29
CHAPTER VIII.
TIE trial OF MopO.

z. ay we met a party of soldiers, who
q lmmanded us to stand.
what is it. kings menY asked
I Idly.
This, son of Makedama," answered
6 cir spokesman; "give over to US your
= ife Macropha, and your children Um-
q ppogaas and NADIA, that we may do
= lth them as the king commands"
For UmslopOgaas," l answered, che
r q gone where the kings arm cannot
q reich, for he is dead; and for my wife
4 acropha and my daughter NADIA, they
G by now in the caves of the Swazis,
O. I'd thither the king must seek them
z it'll an army if he will find them. To
4 .acropha he is welcome, for hate her,
4 I'd have divorced her; and as for the
4 ri, well, there are many girls and it is
great matter if she lives or dies, yet
D pray him TO spare her"
''You do well to ask the girls life. /" said
4 .e soldier, laughing, "for all those born
4, you are dead by order of the king"
as it indeed so?" answered calmly,
slough my knees shook. The will of
Q ie king be done. A cut stick puts out
7 ew leaves; l can have more children"
'Aye, Mopo; but you must first get
CIV NANEof AOA JOuAo cA4C NACcAu dAoOB OH
Q re of them"
SIS it indeed SOP l answered. 1.-THE
} ing's will be dOnel wearied of those
Drawing women"
so, Mopo," said the soldier; but to
kset other wives and have more children
3 orn unto you, you yourself must live,
Eor no children are born to the dead,
SIND l think that Chaka has an assegai
which you shall kiss"
sis it so?' | answered. THE kings
Hvill be doneP
Thus | spoke, and indeed desired to
allie Macropha and NADIA were gone,
HImslopogaas was dead, and dead were
Hny other wives and children.
The soldiers asked of those with me if
chat tale was true which told of the
Sicath of Umslopogaas and of the going
of Macropha and NADIA into Swaziland.
PIhey said, Yes, it was true" Then
tthe soldiers said that they would lead
pine back to the king. So we went on,
hInd piece by piece i learned what had
happened at the kings kraal.
On the day after left, it came to the
Gears of Chal1a, by the mouth of his spies,
= hat my second wife-Anadi-was sick
Eand spoke strange words in her sickness.
Then, taking three soldiers with him, he
went TO my kraal at the death of the day.
AT the gates of the kraal he left the
three soldiers, bidding them to suffer
none to come in or go out, but he himself
sentered the large hut where Anadi lay
ssick, having his toy assegai, with the
shaft of the royal redwood, in bis hand.
Now, as it CHANGED, in the hut were
Unandi, the mother of Chaka, and Ba-
fleka, my sister, the wife of Chaka, for
mot knowing that i had taken away
'Cmslopogaas, the son of BalelEa, accord
Eing to their cEsNom these two foolish
zones had cOrDs, to kiss and fondle the lad.
but when/they entered the hut they
E'ound itTull of my other wives and chill
rem. These they sent away, all except
toOsa, the son of Anadi, who lay sick
Nat boy who was born eight days before
I mslopOgaas, the son of Chaka. Him
4 ey kept in the hut and kissed him, Civ
81 Z him imphi la variety Of sugar camel
o. eat, and they did this fearing lest it
q Guild seem strange to the women, my
wives, if, Umslopogaas being gone, they
- uld take notice of no other child.
Now, as they sat thus, presently the
doorway was darkened, and behOldi the
king himself crept through it and saw
Gh IN fondling the child Moosa. When
Eh Y knew who it was that entered the
women flung themselves upon the ground
and he babe them be seated. Then he
spoke, saying: You wonder why it is
that l come here into the hut of Mopo
will tell you; it is because he is away
upon my business, and hear that his
wife Anadi is sick. Therefore, as the
first doctor in the land, am come to
cure her"
Thus he spoke, and though his words
were gentle they shook with fear. for
when Chalia spoke thus gently he meant
death to many But Unandi answered.
saying that it was good that the king
had come, since his medicine would
bring rest and peace TO her who lay sick.
Yes" he answered; lit is good. 1t Is
Pleasant, moreover, my mother and my
eIster, to see you kissing yonder child.
Surely, were he of your own blood you
could not love him more"
Now they trcmb4cd again and prayed
il their hearts that Anadi, the sick
woman, who lay asleep, might not wake
nd utter foolish words in her wander
ings. But Anadi woke, and hearing the
N.oice of the king, her sick mind flew to
him whom she believed to be the kings
child.
ABR she said, sitting upon the ground
and pointing to her own son Moosa.
kiss him, Mother of the Heavens, kiss
nlimi Whom do they call him, the young
cub who brings i'll fortune to our doors?
'Chey call him son of Mopo and Macro-
1ha" and she laughed wildly and sank
back upon the bed.
They call him son of Mopo and Ma
s'ropha," said the king in low voice
Whose son is he, then, woman"
"Oh, ask her not, o kingT" cried his
mother and his wife she is bewitched,
and has dreams and fancies."
Peace he answered. Il would lis
Ten to this woman's wanderings. Who
then is he, woman"
"Who is he?' she answered. Are you
then n fool that asks who he is? He is the
son of Chaka and Baleka the sister of
Mopo, whom Unandi, Mother of the
Heavens, palmed off upon this house to
bring Il curse on it, and whom she would
lead out before the people when the land
il weary of the king, to take the place
of the king"
1T is false, . king" cried the two
women. The boy is her own sou,
iaoosa, whom she does not know in her
sickness"
But Challa stood up in the hut and
laughed terribly. so this is the trick
thou hast played upon me, my mother.
Thou wouldst give me a son to kill re.
Goodl Mother of the Heavens take thou
the doom of the heavensl Die. Unandi!
die at the hand thou didst bring FORTH"
And he lifted the little assegai and smote
1t through her.
For a moment Unandi, Mother of the
Heavens, wife of Senzangacona, stood
uttering no cry. Then she put up her
Land and drew the assegai from her
heart.
so shalt thou also die, Chaka the
EvilP' she cried, and fell down dead.
Now when Baleka saw what had been
done she turned and fled so swiftly that
The guards at the gates could not stop
her. But when she reached her own
hut she fell senseless on the ground. But
the boy MoOsa, my son, staid where he
vi