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surely come when the king felt ill in his body or heavy in his mind;

and then to the assegai or the torment with the wizard who had

doctored him! Yet I escaped; because of the power of my medicine; and

also because of that oath which Chaka had sworn to me as a child。 So

it came about that where the king went there I went with him。 I slept

near his hut; I sat behind him at council; in the battle I was ever at

his side。



Ah! the battle! the battle! In those days we knew how to fight; my

father! In those days the vultures would follow our impis by

thousands; the hyenas would steal along our path in packs; and none

went empty away。 Never may I forget the first fight I stood in at the

side of Chaka。 It was just after the king had built his great kraal on

the south bank of the Umhlatuze。 Then it was that the chief Zwide

attacked his rival Chaka for the third time and Chaka moved out to

meet him with ten full regiments;'1' now for the first time armed with

the short stabbing…spear。



'1' About 30;000 men。ED。



The ground lay this: On a long; low hill in front of our impi were

massed the regiments of Zwide; there were seventeen of them; the earth

was black with their number; their plumes filled the air like snow。

We; too; were on a hill; and between us lay a valley down which there

ran a little stream。 All night our fires shone out across the valley;

all night the songs of soldiers echoed down the hills。 Then the grey

dawning came; the oxen lowed to the light; the regiments arose from

their bed of spears; they sprang up and shook the dew from hair and

shieldyes! they arose! the glad to die! The impi assumed its array

regiment by regiment。 There was the breast of spears; there were the

horns of spears; they were numberless as the stars; and like the stars

they shone。 The morning breeze came up and fanned them; their plumes

bent in the breeze; like a plain of seeding grass they bent; the

plumes of the soldiers ripe for the assegai。 Up over the shoulder of

the hill came the sun of Slaughter; it glowed red upon the red

shields; red grew the place of killing; the white plumes of the chiefs

were dipped in the blood of heaven。 They knew it; they saw the omen of

death; and; ah! they laughed in the joy of the waking of battle。 What

was death? Was it not well to die on the spear? What was death? Was it

not well to die for the king? Death was the arms of Victory。 Victory

would be their bride that night; and oh! her breast is fair。



Hark! the war…song; the Ingomo; the music of which has the power to

drive men mad; rose far away to the left; and was thrown along from

regiment to regimenta rolling ball of sound



We are the king's kine; bred to be butchered;

  You; too; are one of us!

We are the Zulu; children of the Lion;

  What! did you tremble?



Suddenly Chaka was seen stalking through the ranks; followed by his

captains; his indunas; and by me。 He walked along like a great buck;

death was in his eyes; and like a buck he sniffed the air; scenting

the air of slaughter。 He lifted his assegai; and a silence fell; only

the sound of chanting still rolled along the hills。



〃Where are the children of Zwide?〃 he shouted; and his voice was like

the voice of a bull。



〃Yonder; father;〃 answered the regiments。 And every spear pointed

across the valley。



〃They do not come;〃 he shouted again。 〃Shall we then sit here till we

grow old?〃



〃No; father;〃 they answered。 〃Begin! begin!〃



〃Let the Umkandhlu regiment come forward!〃 he shouted a third time;

and as he spoke the black shields of the Umkandhlu leaped from the

ranks of the impi。



〃Go; my children!〃 cried Chaka。 〃There is the foe。 Go and return no

more!〃



〃We hear you; father!〃 they answered with one voice; and moved down

the slope like a countless herd of game with horns of steel。



Now they crossed the stream; and now Zwide awoke。 A murmur went

through his companies; lines of light played above his spears。



Ou! they are coming! Ou! they have met! Hearken to the thunder of the

shields! Hearken to the song of battle!



To and fro they swing。 The Umkandhlu gives wayit flies! They pour

back across the streamhalf of them; the rest are dead。 A howl of

rage goes up from the host; only Chaka smiles。



〃Open up! open up!〃 he cries。 〃Make room for the Umkandhlu GIRLS!〃 And

with hanging heads they pass us。



Now he whispers a word to the indunas。 The indunas run; they whisper

to Menziwa the general and to the captains; then two regiments rush

down the hill; two more run to the right; and yet another two to the

left。 But Chaka stays on the hill with the three that are left。 Again

comes the roar of the meeting shields。 Ah! these are men: they fight;

they do not run。 Regiment after regiment pours upon them; but still

they stand。 They fall by hundreds and by thousands; but no man shows

his back; and on each man there lie two dead。 Wow! my father; of those

two regiments not one escaped。 They were but boys; but they were the

children of Chaka。 Menziwa was buried beneath the heaps of his

warriors。 Now there are no such men。



They are all dead and quiet。 Chaka still holds his hand! He looks to

the north and to the south。 See! spears are shining among the trees。

Now the horns of our host close upon the flanks of the foe。 They slay

and are slain; but the men of Zwide are many and brave; and the battle

turns against us。



Then again Chaka speaks a word。 The captains hear; the soldiers

stretch out their necks to listen。



It has come at last。 〃Charge! Children of the Zulu!〃



There is a roar; a thunder of feet; a flashing of spears; a bending of

plumes; and; like a river that has burnt its banks; like storm…clouds

before the gale; we sweep down upon friend and foe。 They form up to

meet us; the stream is passed; our wounded rise upon their haunches

and wave us on。 We trample them down。 What matter? They can fight no

more。 Then we meet Zwide rushing to greet us; as bull meets bull。 Ou!

my father; I know no more。 Everything grows red。 That fight! that

fight! We swept them away。 When it was done there was nothing to be

seen; but the hillside was black and red。 Few fled; few were left to

fly。 We passed over them like fire; we ate them up。 Presently we

paused; looking for the foe。 All were dead。 The host of Zwide was no

more。 Then we mustered。 Ten regiments had looked upon the morning sun;

three regiments saw the sun sink; the rest had gone where no suns

shine。



Such were our battles in the days of Chaka!



You ask of the Umkandhlu regiment which fled。 I will tell you。 When we

reached our kraal once more; Chaka summoned that regiment and mustered

it。 He spoke to them gently; gently。 He thanked them for their

service。 He said it was natural that 〃girls〃 should faint at the sight

of blood and turn to seek their kraals。 Yet he had bid them come back

no more and they had come back! What then was there now left for him

to do? And he covered his face with his blanket。 Then the soldiers

killed them all; nearly two thousand of themkilled them with taunts

and jeers。



That is how we dealt with cowards in those days; my father。 After

that; one Zulu was a match for five of any other tribe。 If ten came

against him; still he did not turn his back。 〃Fight and fall; but fly

not;〃 that was our watchword。 Never again while Chaka lived did a

conquered force pass the gates of the king's kraal。



That fight was but one war out of many。 With every moon a fresh impi

started to wash its spears; and came back few and thin; but with

victory and countless cattle。 Tribe after tribe went down before us。

Those of them who escaped the assegai were enrolled into fresh

regiments; and thus; though men died by thousands every month; yet the

army grew。 Soon there were no other chiefs left。 Umsuduka fell; and

after him Mancengeza。 Umzilikazi was driven north; Matiwane was

stamped flat。 Then we poured into this land of Natal。 When we entered;

its people could not be numbered。 When we left; here and there a man

might be found in a hole in the earththat was all。 Men; women; and

children; we wiped them out; the land was clean of them。 Next came the

turn of U'Faku; chief of the Amapondos。 Ah! where is U'faku now?



And so it went on and on; till even the Zulus were weary of war and

the sharpest assegais grew blunt。







CHAPTER VI



THE BIRTH OF UMSLOPOGAAS



This was the rule of the life of Chaka; that he would have no

children; though he had many wives。 Every child born to him by his

〃sisters〃 was put away at once。



〃What; Mopo;〃 he said to me; 〃shall I rear up children to put me to

the assegai when they grow great? They call me tyrant。 Say; how do

those chiefs die whom men name tyrants? They die at the hands of those

whom they have bred。 Nay; Mopo; I will rule for my life; and when I

join the spirits of my fathers let the strongest take my power and my

place!〃



Now it 

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