The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-07-22
CHAPTER VI.
THE NGOMBOCO.
81 did the decdP

81 did the decdr'
Now the years went on and this mat
ter slept. Nothing more was heard OF
it, but still it only slept and, my father,
1 feared greatly for the hour when it
should awake. For the secret was
known by two women-Unandi,M Mother
of the Heavens, and Baleka, my sister,
wife of the king and by two more
Macropha 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 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 lriss?' And he laughed like a/wolf.
| said that | did not knox, and the
matter passed over for Awhile. But
after that Chaka caused his mother to
he watched. Now tb/boy Umslopogaas
grew great and STRONG; there was no
such lad of his years for days journey
d. - Il. -,
what surlyI of few words and, like his
father, lNhaka, afraid of nothing. In all
The World there were but two people
wG0m he loved; these were l, Mopo.
%yho 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 ewes were softer and larger than
those of our people, her hair longer and
less tightly curled, and her skin was
ighter-more of the color of pure cop
per. These things she had from her
mother, Mscropha; though she was
fairer than Macropha-fairer 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
l1raal with captives after raid and
given to me as 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 yherself 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 moi
that of the Swat headman. At least
know this, that before my wife's brit
the Swat killed the white man, saying
that he had ''plowed with his heifer.
But none can tell the truth of thes'
matters, and | only speak of them be
cause the beauty of NADIA was rather a
the beauty of the white people thai
ours, and this well might be so If he
grandfather We're a white man.
Now UmslopOgaas and NADIA were al
ways together. Together they ate, to
gether they slept and wandered; the,
thought one thought and spoke with on
tongue. Oul it was pretty to see them
Twice while they were children die
Umslopogaas save the life of NADIA.
After this there was quie
g
ended. But few people were slain a
this feast, though there was great In
gomboco, or witch hunt, and many wer'
smelled out by the witch doctors at work
ing magic against the king. Now IL
Zululand the whole people covered be
fore the witch doctors No man knew
but that on the morrow he would b,
touched by the wand of an lsanusi, a.
we named finder of witches, and loo
away to his death For awhile Chaki
said nothing, and so long as the doctor:
B!nelled out those only whom he wished
TO Stay, he was well pleased. But whcI
ahey began to do those to death whom
Die did not desire to kill, he grew angry
Yet the custom of the land was that h,
whom the witch doctors touched mus
die, he and all his house; therefore tn
king scarcely dared to save even thoS
whom he loved. One night l came +
doctor him, for he was sick in his mind
On that very day there had been an In
pomboco. and FIVE of the bravest Cal
tains of the army had been smelled on
by the Abangoma, the witch finders, tc
Eether with many others. All had bee
slain, and men had been sent to kill tn
wives and children of the dead. Now
Chaka was sore at heart about this slay
ing and opened his breast to me.
alt is the witch doctors who rule i
Zululand, and not L, Mopo, son of Make
DANA" he said to me. Where, then,
1t to end? Shall be smelled out an
slain2 Tell me, how may l be free @
them?"
''Those who walk the Bridge of Spears
. king, fall off into the Nowhere"
answered darkly. Even witch doctor
cannot keep a footing on that bridge
Has not a witch doctor heart that ca
cease to beat? Has he not blood tina
can be made to fiow?"
Chaka looked at me strangely. Tho
art bold man who darest to speak thu
to me, Mopo," he said. "Dost thou no
know that it Is sacrilege to touch a.
lsanusiY'
''Hearken, o kingl 1t is indeed sacri
lege to touch a true Isanusi, but what /
he smell out falsely, bringing those t.
death who are innocent of evil? Is i
then sacrilege to bring him to that enc
which he has given to many another
Say, o kingI"
"GoOd wordsl" answered Chaka
..NnH tell me. son Of Makedama, how
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