San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-07-26

while | speak the winter nips my heart.
Before the Zulus were people-for /
I will begin at the beginning-I was born
of the Langeni tribe. We were not a.
large tribe. Afterward all our able
bodied men numbered one full regiment
in Chaka's army 1.-THE full Zulu regiment
would number between two and three
thousand men; probably Mopos tribe.
| consisted of about nine thousand soulsl:
but the men were brave. Now they are
all dead. That people is no more. How
it went will tell you by and by.
Our tribe lived in a beautiful open
| country. The Beers, whom we called
the Amaboona, are there now, they tell
me. My father, Makedama, was chief
of the tribe, and his kraal was built on
the crest of hill; but was not the son,
of his chief wife. One evening, when
was still little, standing as high as a
mans elbow only, went out with nv
mother below the cattle kraal to see the
cows driven in. My mother was very
fond of these cows, and there was one
with white face that would follow her
about. She carried my little sister Bs-
leka riding. on her hip. Baleka was
baby then. We walked till we met the
lads driving in the cows. My mother
called the white faced COW and gave it
mealie ieaves which she had brought
with her. Then the lads went on with
the cattle, but the white faced cow
stopped by mother. She said that she
| RI ha al plo
came home.
My mother sat down on the grass and
nursed her baby, while played around
her and the COW grazed. Presently we
saw a woman walking toward US across
the plain. She walked like one who is
very tired. On her back was bundle
of mats, and she led by the hand boy
of about my own age, but bigger and
stronger than |. We waited a long while,
till at last the woman came up to us and
sank down on the veldt, for she was
very weary. We saw by the way her
| hair was dressed that she was not of our
| tribe.
Greeting to you" said the woman.
Greeting" answered my mother.
| - w nat 40 you seek:
Food and hut to sleep in" said the
woman. 81 have travelled far"
How are you named, and what is
your peOple?" asked my mother.
My name is Unandi; am the wife
of Senzangacona, of the Zulu tribe"
| said the woman.
Now, there has been war between our
people and the Zulu people, and Senzan-
| gacona had killed some of our warriors
and taken many of our cattle. So when
my mother heard the speech of Unandi
| she sprang up in anger. You dare to
| come here and ask for food and shelter,
wife of dog of Zuluw she cried; "be-
gone, or will call the girls to whip you
out of our country"
The woman, who was very handsome,
waited till my mother had finished her
angry words, then looked up and spoke
slowly: There is a COW by you with
milk dropping from its udder; will you
not even give me and my boy gourd of
milk" and she took a gourd from her
bundle and held it toward US.
Il will not, said my mother.
1--WE are thirsty with long travel; will
you not, then, give us a cup of water?
We have found none for many hours"
81 will not, wife of dog; go seek wa
ter for yourselfy
The woman's eyes filled with tears,
but the boy folded his arms on his
breast and scowled He was a very
handsome boy, with bright black eyes;
but when he scowled his eyes were like
the sky before thunderstorm.
Mother" he said, 1--WE are not want
ed here any more than we were wanted
yonder," and he nodded toward the
country where the Zulu people lived.
LET us be going to Dingiswayo; the
Umtetwa people will protect us"
Eyes; let us be going, my SON." said
Unandi, but the way is long; we are
weary and shall fall by the way"
heard, and something pulled at my
heart. Twas sorry for the woman and the
boy, they looked so tired. Then, without
saying anything to my mother, snatched
the gourd and ran with it to a little
donga that was hard by, for knew that
there was a spring of water. Presently
came back with the gourd full of
water. My mother tried to catch me,
for she was very angry; but | ran past
her and gave the gourd to the boy.
Then my mother ceased trying to inter
fere, only she beat the woman with her
tongue all the while, saying that evil
had come to our kraals from her hus-
band, and she felt in her heart that more
evil would come upon us from her son.
Her Ehlose guardian spirit told her so.
All! my father, her Ehlose told her true.
While my mother talked, l and the
cow with the white face stood still and
watched, and the baby Baleka cried
aloud Tho how rDandi'S son having