Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-06-02
THE BURLINGTON FREE PRESS: THURSDAY, JUNE q 1892

pened that very often one or the other
of them would como into my hut, max
ing pretense to visit my wives, and take
the boy upon her lap and fondle it. In
vain did pray them to forbear. Love
pulled at their heartstrings more heavily
than my words, and still they came
This was tho 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, MopoY' he asked of me. "Can-
not she kiss me, il she will find child
to kiss?" And he laughed like wolf.
l said that l did not know, and the
matter passed over for awhile. But
after that Chaka caused his mother to
be watched. Now tho boy Umslopogaas
grew great and strong; there was no
such lad Of his years for days journey
around. But from a babe he was some
what surly, Of few words and, like his
father, Chala, afraid Of nothing. In all
the world there were but two people
whom he loved; these were l, 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 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
lighter-more of the color of pure cop
per- These things she had from her
mother, Macropha; though she was
fairer than Macropha-fairer indeed
than any woman OF my people that l
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 o raid and
given to me as wife by tho 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 l have heard
from the lips of Macropha herself that
before she was born there was white
man staying at her fathers kraal He
was 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 well might he so if her
grandfather We're 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. Gu! 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
ended. But few people were slain at
this feast, though there was great In
gomboco or witch hunt, and many were
smelled out by the witch doctors at work
ing magic against the king. Now in
Zululand the whole people covered be-
fore the witch doctors. No man knew
but that on the morrow he would be
touched by the wand Of an Isanusi, as
we named finder of witches, and led
away to his death. For awhile Chaka
said nothing and SO long as the doctors
smelled out those only whom he wished
TO STAY, he was well pleased. But when
they began to do those to death whom
he did not desire to kill, he grew angry.
Yet the custom of the land was that he
whom the witch doctors touched must
die, he and all his house; therefore the
king scarcely dared to save even those
whom he loved. One night | came to
doctor him, for he was sick in his mind.
On that very day there had been an In.
gomboco, and five of the bravest cap
tains of the army had been smelled out
by the Abangoma, the witch finders, to.
gether with many others. All had been
slain, and men had been sent to kill the
wives and children of the dead. Now,
Chaka was sore at heart about this Stay.
ing and opened his breast to me.
1T is the witch doctors who rule in
Zululand, and not l, Mopo, son Of Make
DANA" he said to me. Where, then, is
it to end? Shall be smellcd out and
slain? Tell me, how may be free OF
them"
Those who walk the Bridge of Spears
o king, fall off into the Nowhere"
answered darkly, Even witch doctors
cannot keep footing on that bridge
Has not a witch doctor heart that car
cease to beat? Has he not blood that
can be made to fow!"
Chaka looked at me strangely. THOU
art bold man who darest to speak thus
to me, Mopo," he said. "Dost thou not
know that it is sacrilege to touch al
lsanusi?"
"Hearken, O king! 1t is indeed sacri
lege to touch a true lsanusi, but what il
he smell out falsely, bringing those to
death who are innocent Of evil? Is il
then sacrilege to bring him to that enc
which he has given TO many another