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my friend; I doctored my burnt hand; that pained me; and as I was

doctoring it there came a messenger to me summoning me before the

king。



I went in before the king; and prostrated myself; calling him by his

royal names; but he took me by the hand and raised me up; speaking

softly。



〃Rise; Mopo; my servant!〃 he said。 〃Thou hast suffered much woe

because of the witchcraft of thine enemies。 I; I have lost my mother;

and thou; thou hast lost thy wives and children。 Weep; my councillors;

weep; because I have lost my mother; and Mopo; my servant; as lost his

wives and children; by the witchcraft of our foes!〃



Then all the councillors wept aloud; while Chaka glared at them。



〃Hearken; Mopo!〃 said the king; when the weeping was done。 〃None can

give me back my mother; but I can give thee more wives; and thou shalt

find children。 Go in among the damsels who are reserved to the king;

and choose thee six; go in among the cattle of the king; and choose

thee ten times ten of the best; call upon the servants of the king

that they build up thy kraal greater and fairer than it was before!

These things I give thee freely; but thou shalt have more; Mopoyes!

thou shalt have vengeance! On the first day of the new moon I summon a

great meeting; a bandhla of all the Zulu people: yes; thine own tribe;

the Langeni; shall be there also。 Then we will mourn together over our

woes; then; too; we will learn who brought these woes upon us。 Go now;

Mopo; go! And go ye also; my councillors; leaving me to weep alone

because my mother is dead!〃



Thus; then; my father; did the words of Baleka come true; and thus;

because of the crafty policy of Chaka; I grew greater in the land than

ever I had been before。 I chose the cattle; they were fat; I chose the

wives; they were fair; but I took no pleasure in them; nor were any

more children born to me。 For my heart was like a withered stick; the

sap and strength had gone from my heartit was drawn out in the fire

of Chaka's hut; and lost in my sorrow for those whom I had loved。







CHAPTER XII



THE TALE OF GALAZI THE WOLF



Now; my father; I will go back a little; for my tale is long and winds

in and out like a river in a plain; and tell of the fate of

Umslopogaas when the lion had taken him; as he told it to me in the

after years。



The lioness bounded away; and in her mouth was Umslopogaas。 Once he

struggled; but she bit him hard; so he lay quiet in her mouth; and

looking back he saw the face of Nada as she ran from the fence of

thorns; crying 〃Save him!〃 He saw her face; he heard her words; then

he saw and heard little more; for the world grew dark to him and he

passed; as it were; into a deep sleep。 Presently Umslopogaas awoke

again; feeling pain in his thigh; where the lioness had bitten him;

and heard a sound of shouting。 He looked up; near to him stood the

lioness that had loosed him from her jaws。 She was snorting with rage;

and in front of her was a lad long and strong; with a grim face; and a

wolf's hide; black and grey; bound about his shoulders in such fashion

that the upper jar and teeth of the wolf rested on his head。 He stood

before the lioness; shouting; and in one hand he held a large war…

shield; and in the other he grasped a heavy club shod with iron。



Now the lioness crouched herself to spring; growling terribly; but the

lad with the club did not wait for her onset。 He ran in upon her and

struck her on the head with the club。 He smote hard and well; but this

did not kill her; for she reared herself upon her hind legs and struck

at him heavily。 He caught the blow upon his shield; but the shield was

driven against his breast so strongly that he fell backwards beneath

it; and lay there howling like a wolf in pain。 Then the lioness sprang

upon him and worried him。 Still; because of the shield; as yet she

could not come at him to slay him; but Umslopogaas saw that this might

not endure; for presently the shield would be torn aside and the

stranger must be killed。 Now in the breast of the lioness still stood

the half of Umslopogaas's broken spear; and its blade was a span deep

in her breast。 Then this thought came into the mind of Umslopogaas;

that he would drive the spear home or die。 So he rose swiftly; for

strength came back to him in his need; and ran to where the lioness

worried at him who lay beneath the shield。 She did not heed him; so he

flung himself upon his knees before her; and; seizing the haft of the

broken spear; drive it deep into her and wrenched it round。 Now she

saw Umslopogaas and turned roaring; and clawed at him; tearing his

breast and arms。 Then; as he lay; he heard a mighty howling; and;

behold! grey wolves and black leaped upon the lioness and rent and

worried her till she fell and was torn to pieces by them。 After this

the senses of Umslopogaas left him again; and the light went out of

his eyes so that he was as one dead。



At length his mind came back to him; and with it his memory; and he

remembered the lioness and looked up to find her。 But he did not find

her; and he saw that he lay in a cave upon a bed of grass; while all

about him were the skins of beasts; and at his side was a pot filled

with water。 He put out his hand and; taking the pot; drank of the

water; and then he saw that his arm was wasted as with sickness; and

that his breast was thick with scars scarcely skinned over。



Now while he lay and wondered; the mouth of the cave was darkened; and

through it entered that same lad who had done battle with the lioness

and been overthrown by her; bearing a dead buck upon his shoulders。 He

put down the buck upon the ground; and; walking to where Umslopogaas

lay; looked at him。



〃Ou!〃 he said; 〃your eyes are opendo you; then; live; stranger?〃



〃I live;〃 answered Umslopogaas; 〃and I am hungry。〃



〃It is time;〃 said the other; 〃since with toil I bore you here through

the forest; for twelve days you have lain without sense; drinking

water only。 So deeply had the lion clawed you that I thought of you as

dead。 Twice I was near to killing you; that you might cease to suffer

and I to be troubled; but I held my hand; because of a word which came

to me from one who is dead。 Now eat; that your strength may return to

you。 Afterwards; we will talk。〃



So Umslopogaas ate; and little by little his health returned to him

every day a little。 And afterwards; as they sat at night by the fire

in the cave they spoke together。



〃How are you named?〃 asked Umslopogaas of the other。



〃I am named Galazi the Wolf;〃 he answered; 〃and I am of Zulu blood

ay; of the blood of Chaka the king; for the father of Senzangacona;

the father of Chaka; was my great…grandfather。〃



〃Whence came you; Galazi?〃



〃I came from Swazilandfrom the tribe of the Halakazi; which I should

rule。 This is the story: Siguyana; my grandfather; was a younger

brother of Senzangacona; the father of Chaka。 But he quarrelled with

Senzangacona; and became a wanderer。 With certain of the people of the

Umtetwa he wandered into Swaziland; and sojourned with the Halakazi

tribe in their great caves; and the end of it was that he killed the

chief of the tribe and took his place。 After he was dead; my father

ruled in his place; but there was a great party in the tribe that

hated his rule because he was of the Zulu race; and it would have set

up a chief of the old Swazi blood in his place。 Still; they could not

do this; for my father's hand was heavy on the people。 Now I was the

only son of my father by his head wife; and born to be chief after

him; and therefore those of the Swazi party; and they were many and

great; hated me also。 So matters stood till last year in the winter;

and then my father set his heart on killing twenty of the headmen;

with their wives and children; because he knew that they plotted

against him。 But the headmen learned what was to come; and they

prevailed upon a wife of my father; a woman of their own blood; to

poison him。 So she poisoned him in the night and in the morning it was

told me that my father lay sick and summoned me; and I went to him。 In

his hut I found him; and he was writhing with pain。



〃'What is it; my father?' I said。 'Who has done this evil?'



〃'It is this; my son;' he gasped; 'that I am poisoned; and she stands

yonder who has done the deed。' And he pointed to the woman; who stood

at the side of the hut near the door; her chin upon her breast;

trembling as she looked upon the fruit of her wickedness。



〃Now the girl was young and fair; and we had been friends; yet I say

that I did not pause; for my heart was mad within me。 I did not pause;

but; seizing my spear; I ran at her; and; though she cried for mercy;

I killed her with the spear。



〃'That was well done; Galazi!' said my father。 'But when I am gone;

look to yourself; my son; for these Swazi dogs will drive you out and

rob you of your place! But if they drive you out and you still live;

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