Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1893-06-08
LANGALULA.

heather nation.
When the king goes over, the people
soon follow him.
Langalula said, 'I am convinced; bap-
tize me-
But the ways of white men are incom-
prehensible. Though the missionary had
been preaching that very thing for
months, yet when Langalula gave in
he answered: Conviction alone is not
enough. You must wait awhile till /
feel that your life shows forth works
which are meet for repentance" Langa-
lula grumbled. He was little accus-
toned to such contradiction. But he
knew it was hard arguing with these
priestly white men, who will baptize a
starving slave every bit as soon as a
great chief. So he held his peace, and
though he chafed at it waited the mis-
sionary's pleasure.
By and by one day the missionary
came to him. 'Langalula," he said con-
descendingly, II have watched you close
ly for many weeks now, and think !
can baptize you"
''Then all my sins will be forgiven
asked Langalula.
'All your sins will be forgiven" the
missionary answered.
"But ! must put away my wives?' Lam
galula asked once more.
"All save one, answered the mission
airy. 1t was point of doctrine.
..Then, / think" Langalula said, 81
will wait for week, SO as to make up
my mind which one of them is dearest
to me"
But he said this deceitfully, knowing
that all his sins were going to be forgiv-
en-, and determining in the interval to
marry another wife, whom he would
keep as his own when he put away the
others, for there was young girl COM
ing on, black but comely, the daughter
of Khamsua, neighboring chief, whom
Langalula had seen and whom he wished
to purchase. And since the last love is
always for the moment the greatest
the chief cared very little whether he
must put away all his other wives or
not if only he could keep Malali. She
had driven out all the rest of them. He
had watched the girl growing up at
Khamsua's for years and had said to
himself always, whenever Malai is Of
manageable age see if I do not buy her
and marry her.
In pursuance of this plan, as soon as
the missionary was gone, Langalula rose
up and took the fighting men Of his tribe
with him that there might be no dispute,
and marched into the country of Malali's
| f,41 n
Khamsua. When Khamsua heard Lam
galula was on his way to his land with
5000 assegais, not to speak of winchester
rifles, he went out to meet him with
great retinue.
Khamsua cringed. Langalula said to
him, 81 am come to ask for Malali."
The moment Khamsua heard that he
was unspeakably terrified and flung HIM
self down on his face and clasped Lam
galula's knees, for Khamsua was only
small chief in the country compared with
Langalula.
20 my king" Khamsua said, 20 lion
Of the people, did not know SO great
monarch as you had set his eyes on
Malali, and before you asked Montelo's
people came and offered oxen on Mon
telo's behalf for Malai. and sold her
to them because / was afraid of Mon
telo and could not have believed SO great
achief as you had ever looked upon her. /"
Langalula smiled at that. "Oh, as for
Montelo," he said, 81 can easily take her
from him, and then can get the mis-
sionary to marry us.
Khamsua, however, answered like
fool. ''It cannot be. The Christians
are SO straight laced. Montelo is aChris-
tian now. He was baptized week age,
and Malali was married to him in Chris
tian fashion. Even if you were to kill
Montelo and take her to your kraal
| don't believe the missionary would mar
ry you"
Langalula turned to his men. Kill
him." he said simply. And they killed
him with an assegai.
! As soon as that was finished Langalula
marched on into Montelo's country.
When he arrived there, Montelo crept
out to meet him and tried to parley with
him. But Langulula would not parley
with the man who had deprived him Of
Malali.
I'VE will fight for il, /" he said angrily.
And they fought for 1t then and there,
and the upshot Of it all was that Lam
galula's men conquered in the battle and
drove Montelo's men, who had no win
chesters, back to their kings kraal, and
then killed Montelo himself and carried
his head on an assegai.
| Pv tho varu corpa avarni-,rr %1,axv x~<.<.,-
| pied the kraal that had once been Mon
telo's, and Langalula's men brought out
Malai to their own leader. Langalula
| looked hard at her. She was glossy
black girl, very smooth skinned and
1.-THE and clean Of limb. The great chief
stared long at her. Malali hung her
head and dropped her arms before him,
"Why did you 60 with Montelor' he
| asked at last, ''when Langalula would
have taken you?"
The girl trembled with fear. 1t was
no fault Of hers. How could she help
iti A woman there is no free agent.
my father sold me-" she answered,
whimpering. Montelo paid him great
many oxen. I had no choice but to go.
o king, Omighty lion, I did not know
you wanted me''
With that she flung herself at his feet
in terror and held his knees, imploring
him.
"Take her to the hut that was once
Montelo's," said the great chief, smiling.
~ will follow her there
They seized her arms and dragged her
~ <I.1 L~-% :,