Evening star., 1909-03-11
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Curse of the InkosaZana,

That night the regiment and Rachel
slept upon the bank of the river. and
nothing happened save that lions car
ried off two soldiers. while two more
who had been injured against the rocks
died. Also others fell sick. On the fol-
lowing morning food arrived in plenty
from the neighboring kraals, and with
1t some girls of high birth to attend
upon the InkoSaZana-
But with these Rachel would have
nothing to do, and when they came near
to her only said:
Where is Mole. daughter of seyapi?
Lead me to Nofe."
So they began their march again
Rachel walking as before in the center
slept at a kraal upon hill. Here mes
sengers from the king met them charged
with many fine words to which Rachel
listened without understanding them.
and then scared them away with ner
laughter. Also they brought q beautiful
monkey, and this she took and wrapped
herself In II, for she seemed to under
stand that her clothes were ragged.
That day passed through fertile coun-
they saw a strange sight. for as they
went clouds seemed to arise In the sky
from behind them. which presently We're
seen to be not clouds, but tens of mil
lions of great winged grasshoppers. that
lit upon the corn, devouring it and every
other green thing. Within a few hours
nothing was left except the roots and
bare branches, while the women of that
land ran to and fro wailing. knowing
that next winter they and their children
must starve, and the cattle lowed about
them hungrily, for the locusts had de-
voured all the grass Moreover having
eaten everything, these insects them
selves began to die in myriads. so that
soon the air was poisoned. The waters
also We're poisoned with their dead bod
les and at once sickness came. which
presently grew into pestilence.
Now the men of the country sent a
deput alton to the InkosaZana, praying
her to remove the curse, but when they
had spoken she only repeated the words
she had used upon the banks of the
Buffalo river:
Not on my head. not on my head (,
There is blood between the Inkosazana
and her people of the Zulus. Famine
and war and death upon the people of
the Zulus because they have shed the
holy blood
Then the men grew afraid and went
away, and the regiment marched on. ac-
companied by the myriads of the locusts
that wasted all the land through which
they passed.
At length. followed by a wall of mis-
cry, they came to the Great flace and
entered it. preceded by the locuStS, which
already were heaped up in the streets
like winter leaves. and for lack Of other
provender gnawed at the straw of the
huts and the shields and moochas of
the soldiers. 1t was a strange sight to
see the men trying to stamp them to
death, and the women and children rush.
ing to and fro shrieking and brushing
them from their hair.
Amid such scenes as these they passed
through the town of Umgugundhlovu
into which Rachel had been brought in
order that the people might see that
their InkosaZana had returned, and on
to that kraal upon the hill, where she
had spent all those weary weeks until
Richard came. She reached ii as the
sun was setting, and although She did
not seem to know any of them, was re-
ceived with joy and alteration by the
women who had been her attendants
Here she slept that night. for they
thought that she must be too weary to
see the king at once moreover, he de-
sired first to receive the reports of Tam
boosa and the captains. and to learn all
that had happened in this strange busi-
ness.
Next morning. while Rachel sat by the
pool in which once she had seen the
vision of Richard. TamboOsa and an es-
cort came TO bring her to Dingaan.
When they told her this, she said
neither yea nor nay. but. refusing to
enter a litter they had brought. walked
at the head of them back to the Great
Place, and, watched by thousands,
| through the lOCuSt-SuSWH StItetS 10 lllc
Intunkulu. the house of the king. Hera,
in front of his hut. and surrounded by
his council, sat Dingaan and the ndunas
who rose to greet her with the royal sa
lutte She advanced toward them slow
lv. looking more beautiful than ever she
had done but with wild. wandering eyes
They set a stool for her and she sat
down on the stool. staring at the ground
Then, as she said nothing. Dingaan, who
seemed very sad and. full of fear, COM
Inl TayD
happened in the ears of the copncil. and
he took up his tale.
He told of the journey to the Tugea.
and of how the 1nkosazana and the white
lord Dario, had crossed the river alone
but few hours after lbubesi. ordering
him to follow next day. also alone with
the white OK that bore her baggage. He
told how he had done so, and on reaching
Ramah had found the white UmfunduSi
and his wife lying dead in their room,
and on the floor of ii IL Zulu of the men
VINO had been sent with lbubes also
dead and in the garden of the house q