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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