San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-08-04

WOLVES, anu ne was man Iull grown;
a man fierce and tall and keen; slayer
of men, fleet of foot and of valor une-
qualed, seeing by night as well as by
day. But he was not yet named the
Slaughterer, and not yet did he hold that
iron chieftainess, the ak Groanmaker.
Still this was. foremost in his mind, to
win the ak, for no woman had entered
there, who when she enters drives out
all other desire-aye, my father, even
that of good weapons. At times, in
deed, Umslopogaas would Turk in the
reeds by the river looking at the kraal
of Jikiza the Unconquered, and would
watch the gates of his kraal, and once
as he lurked he saw man, great and
broad and hairy, who bore upon his
shoulder a shining AK HATED with the
horn of a rhinoceros. After that his
greed for this ak entered into Umslopo-
gaas till he spoke of little else.
Now it befell that as Umslopogaas
lurked one evening in the reeds, watch
ing the kraal of Jikiza, he saw maiden
straight and fair, whose skin shone like
the copper anklets on her limbs. She
walked slowly on toward the reeds, en-
tered them and sat herself down within
a spears length of where Umslopogaas
lay hid and at once began to weep,
speaking to herself as she wept.
would that the ghost wolves might
fall on him and all that is his" she
sobbed; AYE, and on Masilo also! |
would hound them on, even if myself
must next know their fangs. Better
to die by the teeth of the wolves than to
be sold to this fat pig of Masilo. Oh,
if must wed him | will give him a
knife for the brides kiss! Oh, that |
were lady of the ghost wolvesT
Umslopogaas heard, and of a sudden
reared himself up before the maid.
THE ghost wolves are at hand, dam
sell" he said. They are ever at hand
for those who need them"
Now the maid saw him and screamed
family, then grew silent.
"Who are your" she asked. Il fear
you not, whoever you arer
There you are wrong, damsel, for all
men fear me and they have cause to
fear. | am one of the wolf brethren,
whose names have been told of. am a
wizard of the Ghost mountain. TAX"
heel now, lest kill you. 1t will be OF
little avail to call upon your people, for
my feet are feeter than theirs"
81 have no wish to call upon my peo-
pie, Wolf Man." she answered. And
for the rest, l am too young to kill"
THAT is so, maiden" answered Um-
slcpogaas, looking at her beauty. what
were the words upon your lips as to
Jikiza and certain Masilo?"
at seems that you heard them" an
swered the girl. what need to waste
breath in speaking them again.
"No need, maiden. Now, tell me your
story; perhaps may find way to help
you"
There is little to tell" she, answered.
SIT is small tale and a common. My
name is Zinita, and Jikiza the Uncon-
quered is my stepfather. Now he would
give me in marriage to certain Masilo,
fat man and an old, whom hate, be-
cause Masilo offers many cattle for me. ="
is there, then, another whom you
would wed, maiden?" asked Umslopo-
gaas.
"There is none, answered Zinita, look
ing him in his eyes.
"And is there no path by which you
may escape from Masilo?"
There is only one path, Wolf Man
by death. If l die | shall escape; if
Masilo dies | shall escape; but to little
end, for | shall be given to another
But if Jikiza dies, then it will be well.
What of that wolf people of yours? Are
they not hungry, Wolf Man,
Il may not bring them here" an
swered Umslopogaas. us there no
other way?'
There is another way" said Zinita
"if one can be found to try it," and
again she looked at him strangely, caus.
ing the blood to beat within him.
"Hearken! do you not know how our PEG.
pie are governed? They are governed by
him who holds the AK Groanmaker.
He that can win the AK in war from
the hand of him who holds it, he shall
be our chief. But if he who holds the
AK dies unconquered, then his son takes
his place, and with it the AK. 1t has
been thus, indeed, for four generations;
since he who held Groanmaker has al
ways been unconquerable. But have
heard this, that the great-grandfather of
Jikiza won the AK from him who held it
in his day; he won it by fraud, for
when the ak had fallen on him but
lightly he fell over, feigning death.
Then the owner of the ak laughed and
turned to walk away. But the fore
father of Jikiza sprang up behind him
and pierced him through with spear,
and thus became chief of the People of