The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-11-21
CHAPTER VIII.
THE TRIAL OF MoPo.

Now | sat four days in the huts of the
tribe whittier had been sent and did
the kings business. And on the fifth
morning rose up, together with those
with me, and we turned our faces toward
the kings kraal.
But when we had journeyed little
way we met party of soldiers. who
commanded us to stand
"What is it, kings men?' asked
boldly.
"This, son Of Makedama," answered
their spokesman: give over to us your
wife Macropha, and your children UNI
slopogaas and NADIA, that we may do
with them as the king commands.
'For Umslopogaas," answered, .'he
has gone where the kings arm cannot
stretch, for he is dead; and for my wife
Macropha and my daughter NADIA, they
are by now in the caves of the Swazis.
and thither the king must seek them
with an army if he will find them. To
Macropha he is welcome, for hate her,
and have divorced her; and as for the
girl, we'll, there are many girls and it is
no great matter if she lives or dies, vet
pray him to spare her"
''You do we'll to ask the girls life" said
the soldier, laughing ''for all those born
to you are dead by order Of the king"
sis it indeed so?" | answered calmly,
though my knees shook. '.The will of
the king be done. A cut stick puts out
new leaves; | can have more children.
AYE, Mopo; but you must first get
new wives, for yours are dead also, all
five of them"
sis it indeed SOP" | answered. THE
kings will be done! wearied of those
brawling women. :"
80, Mopo," said the soldier; but to
get other wives and have more children
born unto you, you yourself must live,
for no children are born to the dead,
and think that Chaka has an assegai
which you shall kiss
sis it SOP" answered. 1.-THE kings
will be done!'
Thus spoke, and indeed desired to
die. Macropha and NADIA were gone,
Umslopogaas was dead, and dead were
my other wives and children
The soldiers asked OF those with me if
that tale was true which told of the
death of Umslopogaas and Of the going
of Macropha and NADIA into Swaziland
They said, Yes, it was true" Then
the soldiers said that they would lead
me back to the king. So we went on,
and piece by piece learned what had
happened at the kings kraal.
On the day after left, it came to the
ears of Chaka, by the mouth of his spies,
that my second wife-Anadi-was sick
and spoke strange words in her sickness.
Then, taking three soldiers with him, he
went to my kraal at the death of the day
At the gates of the kraal he left the
three soldiers, bidding them to suffer
none to come in or go out, but he himself
entered the large hut where Anadi lay
sick, having his toy assegai, with the
shaft of the royal redwood, in his hand.
Now, as it CHANGED, in the hut were
Unandi, the mother of Chaka, and Ba,
leka, my sister, the wife of Chaka, fol
not knowing that had taken away
Umslopogaas, the son of Baleka, accord
ing to their custom these two foolish
ones had come to kiss and fondle thelad
But when they entered the hut they
found it full of my other wives and chill
dren. These they sent away, all except
Moosa, the son of Anadi, who lay sick
that boy who was born eight days before
Umslopogaas, the son of Chaka. Him
they kept in the hut and kissed him, Civ
ing him imphi a variety Of sugar cane
to eat and they did this fearing lest ii
should seem strange to the women, my
wives, if Umslopogaas being gone, they
would take notice of no other child.
Now. as they sat thus, presently the
doorway was darkened, and beholdl the
king himself crept through it and saw
them fondling the child Moosa When
they knew who it was that entered the
women flung themselves upon the ground
and he babe them be seated Then he
spoke, saying: You wonder why it is