San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-07-28

Now the years went on ana this mat
ter slept Nothing more was heard of
it, but still it only slept; and, my father,
l feared greatly for the hour when it
should awake. For the secret was
known by two women-Unandi, Mother
of the Heavens, and Baleka, my sister,
wife of the king; and by two more
Maoropha and Anadi, my wives-it was
guessed at. How, then, should it re-
main secret forever? Moreover, this
came about, that Unandi and Baleka
could not restrain their fondness for
that child who was called my son and
named Umslopogaas, but who was the
son of Chaka, the king, and of Baleka,
and the grandson of Unandi. So it hap
pened that very often one or the other
of them would come into my hut, max
ing pretense to visit my wives, and take
the boy upon her lap and fondle it. In
vain did l pray them to forbear. Love
pulled at their heartstrings more heavily
than my words, and still they came.
This was the end of it-that Chaka saw
the child sitting ON the knee of Unandi,
his mother.
what does my mother with that brat
of thine, Mopo?' he asked of me- Can
not she kiss me, if she will find child
to kiss?" And he laughed like wolf
l said that | did not know, and the
matter passed over for awhile. But
after that Chaka caused his mother to
be watched. Now the boy Umslopogaas
grew great and strong; there was no
such lad of his years for days journey
around. But from babe he was some
what surly, of few words and, like his
father, Chaka, afraid of nothing. In all
the world there were but two people
whom he loved; these were |, MOpo,
who was called his father, and NADIA,
she who was said to be his twin sister.
Now of NADIA it must be told that as
the boy Umslopogaas was the strongest
and bravest of children, so the girl
NADIA was the gentlest and the most fair,
Of a truth, my father, believe that
her blood was not all Zulu, though this
/ cannot say for certain. At the least,
her eyes were softer and larger than
those of our people, her hair longer and
less tightly curled, and her skin was
of the color of pure cop
per These things she had from her
mother, Macropha; though she was
fairer than MacrOpha-fair indeed
than any woman of my people that
have seen. OF her mother, MaCrOpha,
there is this to tell: She was of Swat
blood, and was brought to the kings
kraal with captives after raid and
given to me as a wife by the king. 1t
was said that she was the daughter of
Swat headman of the tribe of the Hal
lakazi, and that she was born of his
wife is true, but whether he was her
father do not know; for | have heard
from the lips of Macropha herself that
before she was born there was white
man staying at her fathers kraal He
was a Portuguese from the coast, a
handsome man, and skilled in the work
ing of iron.
The white man loved the mother of
my wife, Macropha, and some held that
Macropha was his daughter, and not
that of the Swat headman. At least
know this, that before my wife's birth
the Swat killed the white man, saying
that he had "plowed with his heifer.
But none can tell the truth of these
matters, and only speak of them be-
cause the beauty of NADIA was rather as
the beauty of the white people than
ours, and this we'll might be so if her
grandfather were white man.
Now Umslopogaas and NADIA were al
ways together. Together they ate, to-
gether they slept and wandered; they |
thought one thought and spoke with one
tongue. Oul it was pretty to see them!
Twice while they were children did
Umslopogaas save the life of NADIA.
After this there was quiet
till the Feast of the First Fruits was