The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-11-14

the plain. She walked like one who is
very tired. On her back was bundle
of mats, and she led by the hand a boy
OF about my own age, but bigger and
stronger than l. We waited 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
Correcting to you!" said the woman.
'Greeting!" answered my mother.
"What do you seekp"
"Food and hut to sleep in" said the
woman. IL have Travelled far"
GLOW 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 Zulu!' 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 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.
81 will not, !" said my mother.
Eve are thirsty with long travel; will
you not, then, give us cup of water?
We have found none for many hours"
81 will not, wife of dog: go seek wa
ter for YOURSELF"
The woman's eyes filed with tears,
but the boy folded his arms on his
breast and scowled. He was q 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 u.s."
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 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, and the
COW with the white face stood still and
watched, and the baby Baleka cried
aloud. The boy, Unandi's son, having
| taken the gourd. did not offer the water
to his mother. He drank two-thirds of
it himself; think he would have drank
it all had not his thirst been slaked, but
| when he had done he gave what was
| left to his mother, and she finished it,
Then he took the gourd again and came
| forward, holding it in one hand; in the
other he had short stick.
"What is your name, boyY' he said
to me-
"Mopo is my name," answered.
"And what is the name of your peo-
ple?"
told him the name of my tribe, the
Langeni tribe.
Very well, Mopo; now will tell you
my name. My name is Chaka, son of
Senzangacona, and my people are called
the Amazulu. And now will tell you
something more. am little today, and
my people are little people. But l
shall grow big, and my people shall grow
big with me. They shall eat up the
whole world. And when am big and
my people are big and we have stamped
the earth fiat as far as men can travel,
then | will remember your tribe-the
CIlDe VI Iue LauSoul, WHO WOulu uOI
give me and my mother cup of milk
when we were weary. You see this
gourd; for every drop it will hold the
blood Of man shall fow-the blood Of
one of your men. But because you gave
me the water will spare you, and you
only, and make you great under me.
You alone will never harm. That ]
swear. But for that woman" and he
pointed to my mother, "let her make
haste and die, 80 that do not have to
teach her what long time death can
take to come. have spoken"
My mother stood still awhile Then
she gasped out: ''The little liar! He
speaks like man, does he? The calf
lows like bull. will teach him an
other note-the brat of an evil prophet!
And putting down Baleka she ran at
the boy.
Chaka stood quite still till she was
near; then suddenly he lifted the stick
in his hand and hit her SO hard on the
head that she fell down. After that he