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ground dead。



〃The witch lies hard and dies hard;〃 said the king carelessly; and

turned upon his heel。 But those words of dead Nobela remained fixed in

his memory; or so much of them as had been spoken of Unandi and

Baleka。 There they remained like seeds in the earth; there they grew

to bring forth fruit in their season。



And thus ended the great Ingomboco of Chaka; the greatest Ingomboco

that ever was held in Zululand。







CHAPTER IX



THE LOSS OF UMSLOPOGAAS



Now; after the smelling out of the witch…doctors; Chaka caused a watch

to be kept upon his mother Unandi; and his wife Baleka; my sister; and

report was brought to him by those who watched; that the two women

came to my huts by stealth; and there kissed and nursed a boyone of

my children。 Then Chaka remembered the prophecy of Nobela; the dead

Isanusi; and his heart grew dark with doubt。 But to me he said nothing

of the matter; for then; as always; his eyes looked over my head。 He

did not fear me or believe that I plotted against him; I who was his

dog。 Still; he did this; though whether by chance or design I do not

know: he bade me go on a journey to a distant tribe that lived near

the borders of the Amaswazi; there to take count of certain of the

king's cattle which were in the charge of that tribe; and to bring him

account of the tale of their increase。 So I bowed before the king; and

said that I would run like a dog to do his bidding; and he gave me men

to go with me。



Then I returned to my huts to bid farewell to my wives and children;

and there I found that my wife; Anadi; the mother of Moosa; my son;

had fallen sick with a wandering sickness; for strange things came

into her mind; and what came into her mind that she said; being; as I

did not doubt; bewitched by some enemy of my house。



Still; I must go upon the king's business; and I told this to my wife

Macropha; the mother of Nada; and; as it was thought; of Umslopogaas;

the son of Chaka。 But when I spoke to Macropha of the matter she burst

into tears and clung to me。 I asked her why she wept thus; and she

answered that the shadow of evil lay upon her heart; for she was sure

that if I left her at the king's kraal; when I returned again I should

find neither her nor Nada; my child; nor Umslopogaas; who was named my

son; and whom I loved as a son; still in the land of life。 Then I

tried to calm her; but the more I strove the more she wept; saying

that she knew well that these things would be so。



Now I asked her what could be done; for I was stirred by her tears;

and the dread of evil crept from her to me as shadows creep from the

valley to the mountain。



She answered; 〃Take me with you; my husband; that I may leave this

evil land; where the very skies rain blood; and let me rest awhile in

the place of my own people till the terror of Chaka has gone by。〃



〃How can I do this?〃 I said。 〃None may leave the king's kraal without

the king's pass。〃



〃A man may put away his wife;〃 she replied。 〃The king does not stand

between a man and his wife。 Say; my husband; that you love me no

longer; that I bear you no more children; and that therefore you send

me back whence I came。 By…and…bye we will come together again if we

are left among the living。〃



〃So be it;〃 I answered。 〃Leave the kraal with Nada and Umslopogaas

this night; and to…morrow morning meet me at the river bank; and we

shall go on together; and for the rest may the spirits of our fathers

hold us safe。〃



So we kissed each other; and Macropha went on secretly with the

children。



Now at the dawning on the morrow I summoned the men whom the king had

given me; and we started upon our journey。 When the sun was well up we

came to the banks of the river; and there I found my wife Macropha;

and with her the two children。 They rose as I came; but I frowned at

my wife and she gave me no greeting。 Those with me looked at her

askance。



〃I have divorced this woman;〃 I said to them。 〃She is a withered tree;

a worn out old hag; and now I take her with me to send her to the

country of the Swazis; whence she came。 Cease weeping;〃 I added to

Macropha; 〃it is my last word。〃



〃What says the king?〃 asked the men。



〃I will answer to the king;〃 I said。 And we went on。



Now I must tell how we lost Umslopogaas; the son of Chaka; who was

then a great lad drawing on to manhood; fierce in temper; well grown

and broad for his years。



We had journeyed seven days; for the way was long; and on the night of

the seventh day we came to a mountainous country in which there were

few kraals; for Chaka had eaten them all up years before。 Perhaps you

know the place; my father。 In it is a great and strange mountain。 It

is haunted also; and named the Ghost Mountain; and on the top of it is

a grey peak rudely shaped like the head of an aged woman。 Here in this

wild place we must sleep; for darkness drew on。 Now we soon learned

that there were many lions in the rocks around; for we heard their

roaring and were much afraid; all except Umslopogaas; who feared

nothing。 So we made a circle of thorn…bushes and sat in it; holding

our assegais ready。 Presently the moon came upit was a full…grown

moon and very bright; so bright that we could see everything for a

long way round。 Now some six spear…throws from where we sat was a

cliff; and at the top of the cliff was a cave; and in this cave lived

two lions and their young。 When the moon grew bright we saw the lions

come out and stand upon the edge of the cliff; and with them were two

little ones that played about like kittens; so that had we not been

frightened it would have been beautiful to see them。



〃Oh! Umslopogaas;〃 said Nada; 〃I wish that I had one of the little

lions for a dog。〃



The boy laughed; saying; 〃Then; shall I fetch you one; sister?〃



〃Peace; boy;〃 I said。 〃No man may take young lions from their lair and

live。〃



〃Such things have been done; my father;〃 he answered; laughing。 And no

more was said of the matter。



Now when the cubs had played awhile; we saw the lioness take up the

cubs in her mouth and carry them into the cave。 Then she came out

again; and went away with her mate to seek food; and soon we heard

them roaring in the distance。 Now we stacked up the fire and went to

sleep in our enclosure of thorns without fear; for we knew that the

lions were far away eating game。 But Umslopogaas did not sleep; for he

had determined that he would fetch the cub which Nada had desired;

and; being young and foolhardy; he did not think of the danger which

he would bring upon himself and all of us。 He knew no fear; and now;

as ever; if Nada spoke a word; nay; even if she thought of a thing to

desire it; he would not rest till it was won for her。 So while we

slept Umslopogaas crept like a snake from the fence of thorns; and;

taking an assegai in his hand; he slipped away to the foot of the

cliff where the lions had their den。 Then he climbed the cliff; and;

coming to the cave; entered there and groped his way into it。 The cubs

heard him; and; thinking that it was their mother who returned; began

to whine and purr for food。 Guided by the light of their yellow eyes;

he crept over the bones; of which there were many in the cave; and

came to where they lay。 Then he put out his hands and seized one of

the cubs; killing the other with his assegai; because he could not

carry both of them。 Now he made haste thence before the lions

returned; and came back to the thorn fence where we lay just as dawn

as breaking。



I awoke at the coming of the dawn; and; standing up; I looked out。 Lo!

there; on the farther side of the thorn fence; looking large in the

grey mist; stood the lad Umslopogaas; laughing。 In his teeth he held

the assegai; yet dripping with blood; and in his hands the lion cub

that; despite its whines and struggles; he grasped by the skin of the

neck and the hind legs。



〃Awake; my sister!〃 he cried; 〃here is the dog you seek。 Ah! he bites

now; but he will soon grow tame。〃



Nada awoke; and rising; cried out with joy at the sight of the cub;

but for a moment I stood astonished。



〃Fool!〃 I cried at last; 〃let the cub go before the lions come to rend

us!〃



〃I will not let it go; my father;〃 he answered sullenly。 〃Are there

not five of us with spears; and can we not fight two cats? I was not

afraid to go alone into their den。 Are you all afraid to meet them in

the open?〃



〃You are mad;〃 I said; 〃let the cub go!〃 And I ran towards Umslopogaas

to take it from him。 But he sprang aside and avoided me。



〃I will never let that go of which I have got hold;〃 he said; 〃at

least not living!〃 And suddenly he seized the head of the cub and

twisted its neck; then threw it on to the ground; and added; 〃See; now

I have done your bidding; my father!〃



As he spoke we heard a great sound of roaring from the cave in the

cliff。 The lions had returned and found one cub dea

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