The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-12-08

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The dress ,ons the dress of a man, but
this lDnS no mans form.
Umslopogaas marshaled his compa-
MES. ''Little light is left" he said,
"but it must serve us to start these
comics from their burrows. Come, my
brother Galazi, you know where the
comics hide; then take my place and
lead u.s.
So Galazi led the impi. Turning a
corner of the glen he came with them to
great open space that had fountain
in the midst Of it, and this place was
full of thousands of cattle. Then he
turned again to the left and brought
them to the inner side of the mountain
where the cliff hung over, and here was
the mouth of great cave. Now the
cave was dark, but by the door of the
cave was stacked pipe of resinous
wood to serve as torches.
"Here is that which shall give us
light" said Galazi, and one man of
every two took a torch and lighted it at
a fire that burned near the mouth of the
cave. Then they rushed in, waving the
faring torches and assegais aloft. Here
for the last time the Halakazi stood
against them. and the torches foated up
and down upon the wave of war. But
they did not stand for very long. The
People of the AK drove them out into
|. the open and finished them by starlight
among the cattle.
In one corner of the cave Umslopo-
gaas saw knot of men clustered around
something as though to guard it. He
rushed at the men and with him went
Galazi and others. Very soon most of
them had spoken their last, for Groan-
maker clave through them as an assegai
cleaves the air, and there were others to
deal with those he left. But when UNI
slopogaas was through by the light of
his torch he saw man, tall and slender
who leaned against the wall of the cave
and held shield before his face.
"You are a coward!' he cried, and
smote with Groanmaker. The great
ak pierced the hide, but missing the
head behind rang loud against the rock.
and as it rang a sweet voice said:
''Ah! my brother, slay me not. Where
fore are you angry with me?'
Now the shield had come away from
the holders hands upon the blade of the
ak. and there was something in the notes
of the voice that caused Umslopogaas
to smile no more. 1t was as though
memory of childhood had come to him
in dream. His torch was burning low,
but he thrust it forward to look on him
who crouched against the rock. The
dress was the dress of man, but this
was no mans form. Nay, rather that
of woman lovely to look on and well
nigh white in color. She dropped her
hands from before her face, and now he
saw her well. He saw eyes that shone
>as stars, hair that curled and fell upon
the shoulders, and such beauty as was
not known among our people. And as
the voice had spoken to him of some
thing that was lost, SO did the eyes
seem to shine across the blackness of
many years and the beauty to bring back
he knew not what.
He looked on her in all her beauty
and she looked on him in his ferceness
and his might, red with war and wounds.
They both looked, while the torchlight
fared on them, on the walls OF the cave
and the broad blade of the Groanmaker,
and from around rose the sounds of the
i Staying
/ GLOW are you named who are SO fair
to sect" he asked at length.
81 am named the Lily now Once
had another name. NADIA, daughter of
Umbova, was once, but name and all
else are dead and go to join them. Stay
me and make an end. will shut my
eyes that may not see the great az
FASH"
Now Umslopogaas gazed upon her
again and Groanmaker fell from his
hand.
Look ON me, NADIA, daughter of UNI
bova," he said in low voice, "look on
me and say who am l."
She looked once again, and yet again.
Now her face was thrust forward as one
who gazes over the edge of the world.
It grew fixed and strange. "By my
hearth" she said: "by my heart thou art
Umslopogaas my brother who is dead,
and whom dead as living have loved
ever and alone"
Then the torch flared ont, but Um-
slopogaas took her in the darkness and
pressed her to him and kissed her, the
sister whom he had found after many
years, and she kissed him.
''You kiss me now" she saids "yet not
long ago that great ak shore my locks,
missing me by but fingers breadth,
and still the sound of slaughter rings in
my ears. All! boon of you, my broth
er, a boon! Let there be no more death
since we are met once more. The peo-
pie Of the Halakazi are conquered, and
it is their just doom, for thus, in this
same way, they slew those with whom
lived aforetime. Yet they have treated
me WE'LL not forcing me- into wedlocE
and Withholding me from Dingaan. Sc
spare them, my brother, if you may"
Then Umslopogaas lifted up his voice