Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-22

proach whom unbidden might mean death.
At nightfaIl they reached another empty
kraIl. where again she slept alone. When
they left il in the morning she called
Tambossa 10 her and asked him at what
hour they would come to Dingaans great
town, tngugundhlovo. which means the
place of the trumpeting OF the elephant.
He answered at sunset
So she rode all that day. also till as tho
sun began to sink. from a hill whercon
grew large euphorbia trees, on plain
backed by mountains. she saw the town
surrounded by fence inside Of which
we're thousands of huts. that in their
turn surrounded a great open space. Now
they pushed forward quickly, and "a
darkness fell approached the main gate
of the place. where. As usual, there was M
one To he seen. But here they did not
enter, marching on till they came to an
other gate. that of the lntunkuu. tho
kings house, where. their escort done. the
regiment turned and went away, leaving
Rachel alone with the envoy. Tamhoosa.
who still led the white OK. They entered
this gate. and presently came 10 a sec
ond. 1t was that of the Emposeni. the
dwelling of the kings wives. out or
which appeared women crawling on the
ground before Rachel, and holding in
their left hands torches of grass. These
undd the baggage from the OK. and at
their signals. for they did not seem 10
dare to speak to her, Rachel dismounted
| Thereon Tamboosa saluted her. and taxi
ing the horse by the bride. led It away
with the
Then Rachel felt that she was indeed
alone. for Tamboosa at any rate had seen
her home, which now was so far away
Still, proudly enough. she followed tho
women. who bent double as before, led
her to great hut lit by a rude lamp
filed with melted hippopotamus fat. where
they set down her bags and departed, to
return presently with food and water.
Having washed off the dust OF her long
! journey and combed out her hair. Rachel
ate all she could, for she was hungry. and
guessed that she might need her strength
that night. Then she lay down upon
pile of eautiful karosses that had been
placed ready for her. and rested. An hour
or more went by. and just she was be
ginning to fall asleep, the door-board OF
the hut was thrust aside, and tall
! woman entered. who knelt to her and
said
Hail Inkosazana, The king asks
whether il be thy pleasure to appear be-
! fore him this night
| 1T is my pleasure" answered Rachel.
for that purpose have L traNeied mere.
Lead me to the king.
| So the woman went out of the hut,
| Rachel following her to find that the
moon shone brightly In clear sky. The
woman conducted her through tortuous
| reed fences, until presently they came IN
an open court where i'm the shadow OF
| hut, sat number of men wrapped ABOUT
! with fur karosses. Guessing that she was
! II
! her white cloak round her tall form ana
walked forward slowly. till she reached
| the center of the space, where she stoppeu
| and stood quite still. looking ike ghosC
] in the moonlight. Then all the men 10
the right and left rose and saluted her
| silently by the uplifting of one arm. only
he who was in the midst OF them remain
ed seated. and did not salute stu she
stayed motioniess, uttering no WORD lot
long while. six or seven minutes. per-
haps Her silence fought against theirs.
! and she knew that the one who spoke nrst
would own to inferiority
At length. in answering salutatlon' she
lifted the little wand of white horn that
| she carried and turned slowly as thoush
! to leave the place, so that now the moon
| light glistened on her lovely hair Ihen.
| fearing perhaps lest she should depart OF
| vanish away, the man seated In tne Cehler
said in a low. half-awed voice:
II am Dingaan. King Of the Amazuiu.
Say, White One. who art thou!
by what name am l KNOW a mere; -
ping ;sa ot the nnn With sne QUESTION
sBy a high name. White One. name
that is seldom spoken. the name or In
kosazana-Zoola. the title of Nomkphul-
wana, the Spirit of our people. no"
| earnest thou by that name!
MY name is my name" she said
| We know. White One: the wind has
| borne all that story thro ugh the ianu; IL
whispers 1t from the leaves or the TOT
grass of the plains. We know that the
Heavens gave thee their own name, o
| Child of Heaven. o Holder OF the spirit
| of Nomkubulwana.
Thou sayest It, King. I do not say
| it, thou sayest IL.
II saw 1t. and having seen thee know
that it is true. for thy beauty. White one
! is not the beauty of woman alone. al
| tbouoh still thou beest woman. Now l
| confirm to thee the words my messen-
gers bore thee in past days. Here. with
me thou rulest The land is thine, my
| impis wait thy word Death and me are
| In thy hands: command and they go forth
| to slay: command, and they return again
| ONLY thou rulest alone with me. and the
black folk, not the white. shall be thy
(Te be continued tomorrowD