The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-02-22

tie and afterward with Mopo, my
foster-sire, hurled this Dingaan
down to his death. ! am the Royal
One named Bulalio the Slaughterer,
named Woodpecker. named Umslo-
pogaas the Captain, before whom
never yet man has stood in fair and
open fight.
Now, thou Wizard, Rezu, now
thou Giant, now thou Ghost man,
come on against me and before the
sun has risen by an hands breadth,
all those who watch shall see which
OF us is the better at the game of
war. Come on. then! Come on, for
! say that my blood boils over and
my feet grow cold. Come on, thou
grinning dog, thou monster grown
fat with eating the flesh of men.
thou hook-beaked vulture, thou
gray-whiskered wolf"
Thus he chanted in his fierce,
boastful way, while his two remain.
ing Zulus clapped their hands and
sentence by sentence echoed his
words, and Goroko, the witch
doctor, muttered lamentations be-
hind him. And while he sang thus
Umslopogaas began to move.
First only his head and shoulders
began to move, swaying from side
to side like a reeG shaken in the
wind or a snake about to strike.
Then slowly he put out one foot and
next the other and drew them back
again, as a dancer might do, tempt
ing Rezu to attack.
But the giant would not; his
shield held before him, he stood
still and waited to see what this
black warrior would do.
The snake struck Umslopogaas
darted in and let drive with the
long axe. ReZu raised his shield
above his head and caught the
blow. From the clank 1t made I
knew that this shield which
seemed to be of hide, was lined
with iron.
Rezu smote back. but before the
blow could fall the Zulu was out
Of his reach. Dhis taught me how
great was the giants strength, for
though the stroke was heavy, like
the axe he bore, still when he saw
that it had missed he checked the
weapon in mid air, which only a
mighty man could have done.
Umslopogaas saw these things
also and changed his tactics. His
axe was six or eight inches longer
in the haft than that of Rezu, and
therefore he could reach where
Rezu could not, for the giant was
short-armed. He twisted it around
in his hand so that the moon.
shaped blade was uppermost, and
keeping it almost at full length, be-
gan to peck with the gouge-shaped
point on the back Of the head and
arms of ReZu, which as / knew was
n favorite trick of his in fight, and
one from which he got his name of
"Woodpecker."
Rezu defended his head with his
shield as best he could against the
sharp point of steel which flashed
about him. Twice it seemed to me
that the Zulu's pecks went home
upon the giants breast, but II so
they did no harm. Either his thick
beard, or armour beneath 1t stopped
them from penetrating his body.
Still he roared out as though with
pain, or fury, or both, and growing
mad, charged at Umslopogaas and
smote him with all his strength.
The Zulu caught the blow upon
his shield, through which II shore
as though the tough hide we're
paper. Stay the stroke It could not,
yet II turned its direction, so that
the falling axe slid past Umslopo
gaas's shoulder, doing him no hurt.
Next instant, before Rezu could
strike again, the Zulu threw the
severed shield into his face and
Selling the axe with both hands,
leaped in and smote. II was a mighty
blow, for saw the rhinoceros.horn
handle OF the famous axe bend like
a drawn bow, and It went home