The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-01-05
BY H. RIDER RAGGARD.
copyright, 1895, by H. Rider Haggar'
CHAPTER I.

OL4<1A 4I1IA L.
At the date of our introduction to
him Philip Hadden was a trader in
1.-The Zulu Still on the right side of
40. in appearance he was singularly
handsome, tall, dark. upright, with
keen eyes, short pointed beard, curl
2Ealng hair. and clearcut features. His
fIife had been a varied one, and there
were passages in it which he did not
narrate even to his most intimate
friends. He was of gentle birth, and,
it was said, had received a public
school and university education in Eng
land. AT any rate. he could quote the
classics with aptitude on occasion, an
accomplishment which. coupled with
his refined voice and bearing not
aNOgether common in the wild places
of the world. had earned him among
his rough companions the soubriquet
of The Prince"
However these things may have been,
ii is certain that he had emigrated to
Natal under a cloud, and equally GER
tain that his relatives at home were
content to take no further interest in
his fortunes. During the fifteen or
SlAAGGn years AIldl ne SDGuI III anu
about the colony he had followed many
trades and done no good at any of
them A clever man of agreeable and
possessing manner he always found it
easy to form friendships and to secure
q fresh start in life, but by degrees the
friends were seized with a vague dis
trust of him, and after a period Of
more or less application he himself
would close the opening that he had
made nv = ClJn6nT diSp from
The locality, leaving behind him
~ doubtful reputation and his debts.
Before the beginning Of this story
Philip Hadden had been engaged for
some years in transport riding, that is,
in carrying goods on OK wagons from
Durham or Maritzburg to various points
in the interior a difficulty such as
had more than once confronted him in
the course of his career led to his
temporary abandonment of this means
of earning a livelihood. On arriving at
the little frontier town of Utrecht in
the Transvaal, in charge of two wagon
:, loads of mixed goods consigned to a
a store-keeper there, ii was discovered
that out of six cases of brandy five
were missing from his wagon. Had
den explained the matter by throwing
the blame upon his boys" but the
storekeeper, a rOugh-tongued man,
openly called him a thief and refused
to pay the freight on any Of the load.
From words the men came to blows,
knives We're drawn, and before any
body could interfere the storekeeper
received a nasty wound in his side
That night, without waiting till the
matter could be inquired into by the
1andTost or magistrate, Hadden slipped
away anG trek1ed back into Natal as
quickly as his oxen could travel. Feel
ing that even here he was not safe. he
left one Of bis wagons at Newcastle.
loaded up the other with Kaffir goods,
such as blankets. calico, and hard
ware, and crossed into Zululand, where
in those days no sheriff's officer would
be likely TO follow him.
Being well acquainted with the Ian
guage and customs of the natives, he did
Aood trade with them. and soon found
himself possessed of some cash and q
small herd Of cattle which he had ru-
ceived in exchange for his ware. News
had reached him that the man whom he
had injured was Stil VoWing vengeance
against him, and had communicated with
the authorities in Natal, reasons that
made his return TO civilization un0esIr-
able for the moment. Further business
being impossible however, until he could
receive fresh supply of trade stuff. IKE
a wise man Hidden turned his thoughts
10 pleasure. Sending his cattle and wagon
over the border to be left in charge Of
a native headman with whom he WIS
friendly. he went on foot to Ulundi u
obtain permission from the king, Getty
Wayo. to hunt game in his country. SCnce-
what t. his surprise. the indunaS, or
hes Omen, received him courteously, for
IaQdenS visit took place within few
months of the out break of the Zulu war
in 1878. when Cetywayo was already
showing unfriendliness to the English
traders and others, though why he did
so they knew not.
On the occasion of the first and last in
Serview with the king, Hadden got q hint
of the reason. II happened thus: 1t was
on the second morning after his arrival
at the royal kraal that a messenger came
to inform him that the Elephant whose
tread shook the earth had signified
that it was his pleasure to see him. Ac-
cordingly he was led through the thou
Z sands OF huts and across 1.-The Great Place
t4o the little enclosure where Cetywayo
. was holding indaba or conference sur /
rounded by his councillors; a royal-look-
ing Zulu seated on stool and wearing
a kaross of leopard skins The induna
who had conducted him TO the august
presence. went down upon his hands and
knees and utterins the royal salute of
Bayete. crawled forward and announced
that the white man was waiting.
Let him wait said the King angrily,
and turning he continued the discussion
with his councillors.
Now. as has been said, Hadden under
stood Zulu thoroughly, ana when from
time to time the king raised his voice.
some Of the words he spoke reached lis
ear.
"Whatr' Cetywayo said to a wizened
and aged man who seemed to be plead
ing with him earnestly, Am l dog
that these white hyenas Should hunt me
thus2 Is not the land mine and was 1t
not my fathers before me? Are 1ot the
people mine to save or slay? I 1ell you
that / viii stamp out these little White
men. my impis shall eat them up. 1 have
saidp'
Again the vithered aged man inter-
posed evidently in the character of a
peacemaker. Hadden could not hear his !
talk. but he rose and pointed toward /
the sea. while from his expressive yes
lures and sorrowful mefn he seemed to
be prophesying disaster should certain |
course of action be followed.
For a while the king listened to him, I
then he sprang from his seat, his eyes !
literally ablaze with rage.
--Hearken," he cried to the councillor /
81 have guessed it for long, and now / |
are Sonapsep's dog and the dog of the |
Natal government, and I viii not keep
another mans dog to bite me in my own I
house Take him away
A slight involuntary nlurmer rose from |
the ring Of councillors. but the OLD man |
never fiinched. not even when the sol !
diers who presently would murder him, |
came up and seized him roughly. Tor a !
few seconds, perhaps i've, he covered his |
face with the corner Of the kaross he |
wore. then he looked up and spoke to \
the king in a clear voice.
20 king he said, II am a very old |
man: as a youth served under Chaka |
the Lion and l heard his dying prophecy I
OF the coming of the white man. Then |
the white men came and 1 fought for /
Dingaan at the battle of the Blood river. I
They slew Dingaan and FOR nanv years I
j was the councillor of Panda your
father. ] stood by you, o king, at the /
battle Of the Tugela when its gray wa /
tors We're turned 10 red with the blood I