Evening star., 1909-02-24

Mole heard and smiled in the shadow,
but Rachel stood silent.
IL was hidden to tell thee of the last
words of the Black One" went on Um-
bopa hurriedly But what need is there
to tell thee anything who knowest all?
They were that he heard the sound Of
the running of the feet of a great white
people. which shall stamp out the children
of the Zulus.
Nay answered Rachel. II think they
were Wherefore wouldst thou kill me,
Mopo?"
heard these very words spoken. Umbopa
at Umbopa.
to the old man.
He obeyed. and she threw the corneI
of her cloak over his head and whispered
into his ear. He listened to her whisper
ings, then with a cry broke from her and
fed away out of the council of the king.
When he had gone there was a silence.
though Dingaan looked question with
his eyes.
ASK it not" she said, "ask 1t not of
me or of him. l think this Mopo here
had his secrets in the past. I think that
once he sat in hut at night and bar
gained with certain Great Ones, a prince
who lives and a prince who died. Come
hither. come hither. thou son of Samoan
gacOna. come from the fields of death
and tell me what was that bargain which
thou madest with Mopo, thou and an
other?' And once again Rachel beck
oned. this time upward in the air.
Now the face of Dingaan went gray,
even in the moonlight it went gray be-
meath the blackness of his skin, for there
rose before his mind a vision of hut
and of Mopo and of Umhlangana, the
prince his brother whom he had slain,
and of himself seated in the darkness,
their heads together beneath a blanket
whispering of the murder of king.
"Thou knowest ALL" he gaSped; thou
art NomkubulWana and no other. spare
us. spirit who canst summon our dead
sins from the grave of time and make
them walk alive before u.s."
Nay, nay" she answered mockingly.
Surely / am but a woman, daughter of
teacher who lives yonder over the Tugela.
white maiden who eats and sleeps and
drinks as other maidens do. Take notice.
king. and you his captains. that am no
spirit, nothing but woman who chances
to bear a high name and to have some
wisdom. Only she added with meaning.
IF any harm should come to me. II l
should die, then I think that / should
become a spirit, terrible spirit, and that
i'll would go with that people against
whom my blood was laid
"Ow!" said the king. who still shook
with fear. 1--WE know, we know. Mock us
not. 1 pray. Thou art the spirit who has
chosen to wear the robe of woman. as
flame hides itself in flint. and woe be to
the hand that strikes the fire from this
stone. White One. give us now that Wis
dom whereof thou speakest Shall l fall
upon the Beers or shall let them be?''
Rachel looked upward, studying the
stars.
"She takes counsel with the heavens,
she who is their daughter muttered one
of the indunas in low voice.
AS he spoke it chanced that a. bright
meteor travelling from the southwest
swept across the sky to burst and vanish
over the kraal of Umgugundhovo.
1T is a messenger to her." said one.
II saw the fire shine upon her hair and
vanish in her breast
Ehlose, the guardian ghost OF the Anna
zulu that appears and dies
Not So" broke in third. THAT light
shows the. Amaboona travelling from the
southwest to be eaten up In the black
ness of our i1npis.''
such a star runs ever before the death
of kings 1t fell the night ere the Black
One died." murmured fourth. as though
he spoke to himself
Only Dingaan, taking no heed of them.
said, addressing Rachel:
Read thou the omen"
Nay" she replied upon the swift i'm
pulse of the moment, Il read 1t not. In
terpret it as ye will. Here is my answer
to thy question. king: Those who lift the
spear shall perish by the spear
At this saying the captains murmured
a little. for they who desired war. under
stood that she counseled peace between
them and the Beers. though others
thought that she meant that the Beers
would perish. Dingaan also looked down.
cast. Watching their faces Rachel was
sure that not even her hand could hold
them back from their desire. That war
must come. Again she spoke:
1.-The star travels whittier 1t Is thrown
by the hand Of the Umkulunkulu. the
Master of men; the spear finds the heart
to which it Is appointed. Read you the
omen as you will. 1 have spoken, but
ye will not understand. That which shall
be shall be-
She bent her head and turned her ear
toward the ground as though to hearken.
What was that tale of the last words
of the Great Lion who is gomez" she went
on "Ask 1T Of Mopo. ask 1t OF Dingaan
the king. 1t seems to me that also hear
the feet of people travelling over plain
and mountain. and the rivers behind them
run red with blood. Are they black feet
or white feet? Read ye the omen as We
will / have spoken for the first time and
the last Trouble me no more with this
matter of the white men and your war;.
and turning, Rachel glided from the
court, followed by Mole with bowed head.