San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-07-30


81 think that there is wisdom in your
dreams, Mopo," she said at length. "You
were ever strange man. Now it is
borne in upon my heart that Umslopo-
gaas still lives, and now l shall die
happy. Yes, gainsay me not; shall
die. But what is it? 1t is nothing, if
only the Prince Umslopogaas yet lives"
"Your love is great, woman" | said.
"Say now, what shall do? Shall fly or
shall abide here, taking the chance of
things?"
"You must abide here, Mopo. See
now! This is in the kings mind He
fears because of the death of his mother
at his own hand-yes, even he-he fears
lest the people should turn upon him
who killed his own mother. Therefore he
will do this: He will give it out that he
did not kill her, but that she persisted in
the fire which was called down upon
your kraals by witchcraft, and though
all men know the lie yet none shall dare
to gainsay him. AS he said to you,
there will be smelling out, but smell
ing out of a new sort, for he and you
shall be the witch finders, and at that
smelling out he will give to death all
those whom he fears, all those whom he
knows hate him for his wickedness and
because with his own hand he slew his
mother. For this cause then he will
save you alive, Mopo-yes, and make
you to be great in the land; for if indeed
his mother Unandi died through witch
craft, as he shall say, are you not also
wronged with him, and did not your
wives and children also perish by witch
craft? Therefore do not fly; abide here
and become great-become great to the
great end of vengeance, Mopo, my
brother. You have much wrong to
wreak; soon you will have more, for l,
too, shall be gone, and my blood also
shah cry for vengeance to you. Hearken,
Mopo. Are there not other princes in
the land? What of Dingaan, what of
Umhlangana, what of Umpanda, broth
ers to the king? Do not these also desire
to be kings? Do they not day by day
rise from sleep feeling their limbs to
know if they yet live? Do they not night
by night lie down to sleep not knowing
if it shall be their wives that they shall
kiss ere dawn or the red assegai of the
king? Draw near to them, my brother;
creep into their hearts and learn their
counsel or teach them yours, so in the
end shall Chaka be brought to that gate
through which your wives have passed
I'D xr,hn / also about 70, fraoI -
Thus Baleka spoke and she was gone.
l knew well that the brothers of the
king went heavily and in fear of death,
for his shadow was ever on them. With
Panda, indeed, little could be done, for
he lived softly, speaking always as one
whose wits are few. But Dingaan and
Umhlangana were of another wood, and
from them might well be fashioned
kerrie that should scatter the brains of
Chaka to the birds.
Then going to the kraal of my friend
| dOctored my burned hand that panied
me, and as | was doctOring it there came
a messenger to me summoning me be-
fore the king.
went in before the king and pros.
trated myself, calling him by his royal
names.
Rise, Mopo, my servant" he said.
"Thou hast suffered much woe because
of the witchcraft of thine enemies |,
| have lost my mother, and thou, thou
hast lost thy wives and children. Weep,
my counselors, weep, because l have
lost my mother and MopO, my servant,
has lost his wives and children by the
withcraft of our foes~
Then all the counselors wept aloud,
while Chaka glared at them.
"Hearken, Mopo" said the king when
the weeping was done. "None can give
me back my mother, but can give thee
more wives and thou shalt find children.
Go in among the damsels who are re-
served for the king and choose thee six;
go in among the cattle of the king and
choose thee ten times ten of the best;
call upon the servants of the king that
they build up thy kraal greater and
fairer than it was before! These things |
give thee freely, but thou shalt have
more, Mopo-yea, thou shalt have venge- |
ance! On the first day of the new
moon l summon a great meeting, a |
bandhla of all the Zulu people. Yes,
thine own tribe, the Langeni, shall be
there also. Then we will mourn to-
gether over our woes. Then, too, will
we learn who brought these woes upon
US. Go now, Mopo, go! And go We
also, my counselors, leaving me to weep
alone because my mother is dead"
Thus, then, did the words of Baleka
come true, and thus 1 grew greater in
the land than ever l had been before.
chose the cattle, they were fat; l chose
the wives, they were fair; but l took no
pleasure in them, nor were any more
children born to me.