The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-07-15
s@wooD SEoGEEARAG-T
300 ga.
SEASON OF 1892

The men were running, two and two,
with the length of spear throw between
them. But of the first pair one was five
or six PAGES in front of the other. This
man shouted out loud and charged me,
shield and spear up. l stood waiting for
him till he drew back the spear to stab
me. Then suddenly dropped to my
knees and thrust upward with all my
strength beneath the rim of his shield;
and he also thrust, but over me, his
spear only cutting the skin of my shout
der. And my assegai? All! it ran
through and through his middle. He
rolled over and over on the plain.
was now weaponless, for the haft of my
spear-it was but light throwing asse-
gai-broke in two, leaving nothing but
a little bit of stick in my hand. And
the other one was on mel He looked tall
as tree above me.
l fell onto my hands and knees and
flung myself over sideways. My body
struck the legs of the man about to stab
me, lifting his feet from beneath him.
Down he came heavily. Before he had
touched the ground ! was off it. His
spear had fallen from his hand. stoop-
ed, seized it, and as he rose stabbed him
through the back. In the shake of
leaf he also was dead. Then l ran, for
my valor was gone. About a hundred
PAGES from me Baleka was staggering
along. By the time l caught her she
was some forty PAGES from the gate OF
the kraal But then her powers left
her altogether. Yes! there she fell
senseless, and stood by her. And there,
too, | should have been slain had not
this CHANGED, for the other two men,
having staid one instant by their dead
fellows, came on against me mad with
wrath. For at that moment the gate of
the kraal opened. and through it came
party of soldiers dragging man by the
arms. After them walked great man,
who wore a leopard skin on his Shout
ders and was laughing, and with him
were five or six ringed councillors, anC
after them again came a company of
warriors.
The soldiers saw that killing was go
ing on and ran up just as the slayers
reached us.
"Who are youY' they cried, who dare
to kill at the gate of the Elephants
kraal? Here the Elephant kills alone!"
ma" they answered, land we follow
these evil doors who have done wicked
ness and murder in our kraal See, but
now two of us are dead at their hands,
and others lie dead along the road. Suf-
fer that we slay then!"
ASK that of the Elephant" said the
soldiers; TASK, too, that he suffer you
should not be slain"
Just then the tall chief saw blood and
heard words. He stalked up; and a
great man he was to see, though still
young in years. For he was taller by
thead than any around him, and his chest
was big as the chests of two; his face
was fierce and beautiful, and when he
was angry his eye flashed like sInitten
brand
"Who are these who dare to stir up
dust at the gates of my kraal?" he asked.
frowning.
80 Chaka. o ElephantT answered
the captain of the soldiers, throwing
himself to the earth before him, "the
men say that these are evil doors and
that they pursue them to kill them"
"Goodw he answered. LET them slay
the evil doers."
80 great chief thanks be to thee,
great chiefr' said those who sought to
slay u.s.
II hear you," he answered, then spoke
once more to the captain. And when
they have slain the evil doors, let them
themselves be blinded and turned loose
to seek their way home, because they
have dared to lift a spear within the
Zulu gates. Now praise on, my chill
dren" and he laughed, while the sol
diers murmured, "Oui he is wise, he is
like the sum-"
But the two men cried out in fear, for
this they did not seek.
"Cut out their tongues Also" said
Chaka. What! shall the land of the
Zulus suffer such a noise? NeverI lest
the cattle miscarry. To it, ye black
onesI There lies the girl She is asleep
and helpless Stay heri What you
hesitatel Nay, then, if you will have
time for thought, will give it. Take |
these men, smear them with honey and |
pin them over ant heaps; by tonorrow's |
sun they will know their own minds. But |
first kill these two hunted jackals," and |
he pointed to Baleka and myself. "They |
seem tired, and doubtless they long for |
sleep"
Then for the first time l spoke, for the
soldiers drew near to Stay us.
"Oh, Chaka," cried, II am Mopo, and |
this is my sister, BalekaT'
| stopped, and great shout of laugh |
ter went up from all who stood around.
VERY well, MOpo, and thy sister, Ba-
leka," said Chaka grimly. Good morn
ing to you, Mopo, and Baleka also, good
nightr'
"Oh, Chakar' broke in, 81 am Mopo,
son of Makedama, of the Langeni tribe
1t was | who gave thee a gourd of wa
ter many years ago, when we both were
little. Then thou badest me come to
thee when thou hadst grown great, VOW
ing that thou wouldst protect me and
never do me harm. So | have come,
bringing my sister with me, and now,
pray thee, do not eat up the words of
long ago"
AS | spoke Chaka's face changed, and
he listened earnestly, as a man who
holds his hand behind his ear. "'Those
are no lies" he said. Welcome, Mopo!
Thou shalt be q dog in my hut and feed
Why. then, should she not be
SlStAu WHICH, L SWOIS |
all thy tribe save thee alone?"
because she is too fair to slay, o
chief" answered boldly; ''also because
love her and ask her life as u BOOM
Turn the girl over" said Chaka, and
they did so, showing her face.
again thou speakest no lie, son Of
said the chief. 81 grant
thee the boon. She also shall lie in my
hut and be of the number of my sisters
Now tell me thy tale, speaking only the
truth"
These, then, my father, were the
events that ended in the coming of me,
Mopo, and of my sister Baleka to the
kraal of Chaka, the Lion of the Zulu.
Now you may ask why have kept you
so long with this tale, which is as are
other tales of our people. But that shall
be seen, for from these matters, as tree
from a seed, grew the birth of Umslopo-
gaas Bulalio, Umslopogaas the Slaugh-
terer and NADIA the Beautiful, of whose
love nv story has to tell For NADIA was