The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-12-05
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her in marriage. both there and among
the Halakazi people, but ever she shook
her head and said. May, would wed
no man" and it was enough. For it was
the saying among men that it was better
that she should remain unmarried I'D
all should look on her. than that she
should pass from their sight into the
house of a husband: for they held that
her beauty was given to be a joy to all.
like the beauty of the dawn and of the
evening.
Now. afte. had thwarted him in this
matter of the sending of an impi to pluck
the Lily from the gardens of the Hala
kali Dingaan learned to hate me.
Therefore, in the end, he cast about for
some way to be rid of me for awhile.
till he should grow strong enough to
kill me.
.Mopo," said the king to me one day
as sat before him in council with 9TH
ers of the indunas and generals, mind
est thou of the last words of the Great
Elephant. who is dead?" This he said.
meaning Chaka.
81 remember the words, o king" l
answered. They were ominous words,
for this was their burden, that you and
your house should not sit long in the
throne of kings, but that the white men
should take away your royalty and di-
vide your territories. Such was the
prophecy Of the Lion of the Zulu; why
speak of it?
Now, Dingaan trembled with fear:
then he grew angry and bit his lip. say
ing:
"Thou fool, Mopo! Canst thou not
hear a raven croak at the gates Of a
kraal but thou must needs go tell those
who dwell within that he waits to pick
their eyes! Such cries of i'll to come
may well find i'll at hand, Mopo" He
ceased. looked on me threateningly
awhile and went on: ~ did not speak of
those words rolling by chance from a
tongue half loosed by death, but of 9TH
ers that told of a certain Bulalio, of a
Slaughterer who rules the People of the
AK and dwells beneath the shadow of
the Ghost mountain far away to the
north yonder. Surely heard them all
as | sat beneath the shade of the reed
fence before ever came to save him
who was my brother from the spear Of
Masilo, the murderer, whose spear stole
away the life of kingr
81 remember those words also. o
king!" said us it the will of the
king that an impi should be gathered to
eat up this upstart? Such was the com
mand Of one who is gone, given. as Al
were, with his last breath"
"Nay, Mopo. this is not my will. If
no impi can be found by thee to wipe
away the Halakazi and bring one whom
| desire to light my eyes. then surely
none can be found to eat up the Slaugh-
terer and his people. Moreover, Bula-
lilo, chief of the People of the AK. has
not offended against me. but against an
elephant whose trumpetings are done.
Now this is my will. Mopo, my servant.
that thou shouldst take with thee few
men only anG go gently to this Bulalio
and say to him: "A greater elephant
stalks through the land than he who has
gone to sleep, and it has come to his ears
that thou. chief of the People of the
AK, dost pay no tribute, and hast said
that because Of the death of certain
Mopo thou wilt have nothing to do with
him whose shadow lies upon the land.
Now one Mopo is sent to thee, Slaughter
er, to know if this tale is true; for. if it
be true. then shalt thon learn the weight
Of the hoof of that elephant who trum-
pets in the kraal Umgugundhlovu.
Think, then. and weigh thy words be-
fore thou dost answer, Slaughterer.
Now ], Mopo, heard the commands
of the king, and there had arisen in me
great desire to see this Bulalio. who
| spoke of vengeance to be taken for one
Mopo. Therefore answered.:
81 hear the king. The kings word
shall be done, though. y king, thou
sendest bis man upon little errand.
'Not SO, Mopo," answered Dingaan
my heart tells me that this chicken OF
a Slaughterel will grow to great cock
if his comb is not cut presently: and
thou, Mopo, art versed in cutting combs
even of the tallest.
81 hear the king" answered again.
So, my father, it came about that on
the morrow, taking with me but tel
chosen men, l, Mopo, started on M.
journey toward the Ghost mountain
and as journeyed thought much o
how had trod that path in bygon
days. Then Macropha my wife. an,
NADIA my daughter, and Umslopogaa
the son of Chaka, who was thought t
be my son, walked at my side. Now
as l imagined, all were dead and
walked alone; doubtless ! also SHOULD
soon be dead. Well. what did it matter
At the least had wreaked vengeanc
on Chaka.
At length came one night to tina
lonely spot where we had camped i
the evil hour when Umslopogaas wa
borne away by the lioness. and one
} more looked upon the cave whence h
had dragged the cub and upon the awfr
} face of the Stone Witch, who sits aloi
!: upon the Ghost mountain forever an
forever.
So sat and gazed on the mountain
and as l gazed l heard a sound the
J came from far away, out of the heart {
, the forest as it seemed. At first it wa