Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-07-21
few words and shortw

you had not gone hence. Yet / answer
you In few words and short. Look on
those spears-they are but a fourth part
of the number can muster. That is my
answer. Look now ON yonder mountain,
the mountain of ghosts and wolves-un-
known, impossible, save to me and one
other only. That is my answer. Spears
and mountain shall come together-the
mountain shall be alive with spears and
with the fangs of beasts. Let Dingaan
seek his tribute there l have spoken'
Now laughed shrilly, desiring to try
the heart of Umslopogaas, my fostering,
yet further.
Fool" said "Boy with the brain
Of monkey, for every spear you have,
Dingaan, whom | serve, can send hun
dred, and your mountain shall be stamped
fiat; and for your ghosts and your wolves,
see, with the mouth of Dingaan l spit
upon themv' and spat upon the ground.
Now Unslopogaas shook in his rage,
and the great AK glimmered as he shook.
He turned to the captain who was be-
hind him and said, "Say, Galazi the
Wolf, shall we kill this man and those
with him."
May" answered the Wolf, grinning,
"do not kill them. You have given them
safe conduct. Moreover, let them 90
back to their dog of king, that he may
send out his puppies to do battle with
our wolves. 1t will be a pretty fight"
"Get you gone, 0 Mouth" said Um-
slopogaps-"get You gone swiftly, lest a
worse thing befall you! Without my
gates you shall find food to satisfy your
hunger. Eat of it and begone, for if to-
morrow at the noon you are found with
in spears throw of this kraal you and
those with you shall bide there forever,
Mouth of Dingaan the king!'
Now | made as though would depart,
then turning suddenly l spoke once
more, saying:
There were words in your message
to the Black One who is gone of a GER
tain man-nay, how was he named?-of
certain Mopo."
"What Of Mopo, o Mouth whose eyes
are yelled? Mopo is dead, whose son
was"
"Ah!" said. Eyes, Mopo is dead
that is, the Black One who is gone killed
certain Mopo. How came it, O Bula-
Ito, that you were his SOM
'Mopo is dead" quoth Umslopogaas
again. He is dead with all his house,
his kraal is stamped fat, and that is
why hated the Black One, and there
fore | hate Dmgaan his brother, and
will be as are Mopo and the house Of
Mopo before | pay him tribute of sin
gle OK"
Now, my father, all this while had
spoken in a feigned voice, but now
spoke in my own voice, saying:
$50! Now you speak from your
heart, young man, and by digging
have reached the root of the matter. 1t
is because Of this dead dog of Mopo
that you defy the king"
Umslopogaas heard the voice and
shook no more with anger, but rather
with fear and wonder. He looked at
me hard, answering nothing.
Have you II hut near by, 0 Chief Blu
lalio, foe of Dingaan the king, where /,
the mouth of the king, may'speal with
! you awhile apart: For | would learn
your message word by word that | may
| deliver it. Fear not, Slaughtorer, to sit
alone with mo in an empty hut | am
unarmed and old, and there is that in
your hand which | should fear" and |
! pointed to the ak.
Now Umslopogaas, still shaking in his
/ limbs, answered, Follow me, O Mouth,
and you, Galazi, stay with these men,"
So followed Umslopogaas, and pres
emily we came to large hut. Now for
/ awhile it seemed dark in the hut, so |
waited till our eyes could search the
darkness. Then of Il sudden threw the
blanket from my face.
Look on me now, O Chief Eulalio, O
Slaughtcrer, who once was named I'M
slopogaas-look on me and say who am
| l." Then he looked at me and his jaw
fell.
Either you are Mopo, my father,
grown old-3Iopo who is dead, or the
ghost of Mopo," he answered in a low
voice.
81 am Mopo, your father, Umslopo-
Igaas," said. You have been long in
knowing me, who knew you from the
first"
Then Umslopogaas cried aloud, but
yet softly, and letting fall the AK Groau-
maker, he flung himself upon my breast
and wept there And l wept also
ooh, my father" he said, II thought
that you were dead with the others,
and now you have come back to me;
and Ii would have lifted the ak
against you in my folly. Oh, it is we'll
that | have lived and not died. since
once more look upon your face-the
face that thought dead, but which yet
lives, though it be sorely changed, as
though by grief and years
peace, Umslopogaas, my son." l
said. Il also deemed you dead in the
lions mouth, though in truth it seemed
strange to me that any other man than
Umslopogaas could have wrought the
deeds which have heard Of as done by
Bulaio, chief of the People Of the AK
aye, and thrown defiance in the teeth of
Chaka. But you are not dead, and |,
am not dead. 1t was another Mopo
whom Chaka killed. | slew Chaka;
Chaka did not Stay me-