The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-09-02
By H. RIDER HAGGARD
CHAPTER Xxx


which he named 'UmgugundhlovuR-
that Is, "the rumbling Of the elephant.
ALo, he caused all the fairest girls in
the Land TO be sought out as his wives
and though many were found yet he
craved for more. And at this time q
rumor came to the ears Of the king
Dingaan that there lived IN Swaziland
among the Halakazi tribe a girl Of the
most wonderful beauty. who was named
the Lily and whose skin was whittier
than are the skins of our people, and he
desired greatly to have this girl to wife.
So Dingaan cent an embassy to the chief
of the Halakazi. demanding that the
girl should be given to him.
This was the message Of the chief of
the Halakazi to Dingaan, king Of the
Zulus: That the maid who was named
the Lily was indeed the wonder Of the
earth and as yet unwed; for she had
found no man upon whom she looked
with favor, and she was held in such
love by this people that it was not their
wish to force any husband on her.
Moreover, the chief said that he and lis
people defied Dingaan and the Zulus, as
their fathers had defied Chaka before
him, and spat upon his name, and that
TO maid of theirs should go to be the
wife of Zulu dog. Then the chief of
the Halakazi caused the maid who was
named the Lily to be led before the mes
scngers of Dingaan. and they found her
wonderfully fair, for so they said: She
was tall as a reed and her grace was the
grace of a reed that is shaken In the
wind. Moreover, her hair curled and
hung upon her shoulders; her eyes were
large and brown and soft as bucks,
her color was the color of rich cream,
her smile was like ripple on the waters,
and when she spoke her voice was low
and sweeter than the sound of an instru-
ment of music.
Now, when Dingaan heard this mes
sage he grew mad as lion in net. for
no desired this maid above everything,
and yet he who had all things could not
win the maid. This wns his command,
that q great impi should be gathered and
sent to Swaziland against the Halakazi
tribe, to destroy them and seize the maid
But when the matter came on to be dis
Cussed with the iudunas in the presence
IT the king, at the Amapakati, or coun-
Gil, /, as chief of the indunas, spoke
against 1t, saying that the tribe of the
Halakazi were great and strong and that
war with them would mean war with
the Swazis also; moreover, they had their
dwellings in caves which were hard to
win. Also l said that this was no time
TO send impis to seek O single girl, for
few years had gone by since the Black
One fell, and foes were many, and the
soldiers of the land had waxed few with
slaughter, half Of them having persisted
III the marshes of the Limpopo. Now,
time must be given them to grow up
again, for today they We're as a little
child or like a man wasted with hunger
Maids were many; let the king take them
and satisfy his heart, but let him make
no war for this one.
Thus l spoke boldly in the face of the
king, as none had dared to speak before
Chaka, and courage passed from me to
the hearts of the other indunaS and gen
erals and they echoed my words.
Dingaan was not so firmly seated on the
throne that he dared put away our words.
for still there were many in the land who
loved the memory Of Chaka and remem-
bered that Dingaan had murdered him
and UmhlAngana also. For now that
ChakR was dead people forgot how evilly
he had dealt with them. and remembered
only that he was @ great man, who had
made the Zulu people out Of nothing.
Also, though they had changed masters,
yet their burden was not lessened; for,
as ChakS slew, so Dingaan slew also,
and rs Chaka oppressed so did Dingaan
oppress. Therefore Dingaan yielded to
the voice Of his indunns, and no impi
was sent against the Halakazi to seek
the maid that was named the Lily. But
still he hankered for her in his heart,
and from that hour he hated me because
had crossed his will.
Now, my father. there is this to be
told: Though did not know ii then, the
maid who was named the Lily was no
other than my daughter NADIA. The
thought. indeed, came into my mind
that none but NADIA could be so fair.
Yet knew surely that EuGa and her
mother, MacrophR, were dead, for he
who brought me the news of their death
had seen their bodies locked in each
others arIns-killcd, as it were. by the
same spear. Yet, as it CHANGED. he was
wrong, for though Macropha indeed
was killed, it was another maid who lay
in blood beside her; for the people
whittier had sent Macropha and NADIA
were tributary to the Hnlakazi tribe.
and that chief of the Halakazi who sat
in the place of Galazi the Wolf had
Quarreled with them, and fallen on them
by night and eaten them up. As /
learned afterward, the cause of their de-
struction. as afterward it was the cause
Of the Staying of the Halalazi, was the
beauty of NADIA and nothing else. for the
fame of her loveliness had gone about
the land, and the old chief Of the Hala-
knzi had commanded that the girl
should be sent TO his kraal to live there.
that her beauty might shine upon his
place like the sun, and that. if she 50
willed. she should choose a husband
from among the great men Of the Hala-
kazi.
But the headnen of the kraal refused.
for none who had looked ON her would
suffer their eyes to lose sight of NADIA the
Lily, though there was this fate about
the maid that none strove to wed her
against her will. Many. indeed. asked
her in marriage, both there and among
the Halakazi people, but ever she shook
her head and said, NAY, would wed
no man." and it was enough. For it was
the saying among men that it was better |
that she SHOULD remain unmarried and !
all should look on her. than that she |
should pass from their sight into the
house of husband; for they held that |
her beauty was given to be Joy to all. |
like the beauty of the dawn and of the
evening.
Now, after had thwarted him in this
matter of the sending of an impi to pluck
the Lily from the gardens q the Hala
kazi, Dingaan learned to hate me.
Therefore, in the end, he cast about for
some way to be rid of me for awhile.
Till he should grow strong enough to
kill me.
"Mopo," said the king to me one day
as sat before him in council with 9th
ers Of the inaunas and generals. mind
est thou OF the last words of the Great
Elephant. who is deadT' This he said.
meaning ChRkR.
IL remember the words. o king"
answered They were ominous words |