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knew　that　Chaka　was　not　yet　gutted　with　slaughter。



On　the　morrow　many　of　the　people　went　back　to　their　homes；　having

sought　leave　from　the　king；　others　drew　away　the　dead　to　the　place　of

bones；　and　yet　others　were　sent　out　in　impis　to　kill　such　as　had　not

come　to　the　mourning　of　the　king。　When　midday　was　past；　Chaka　said

that　he　would　walk；　and　ordered　me　and　other　of　his　indunas　and

servants　to　walk　with　him。　We　went　on　in　silence；　the　king　leaning　on

my　shoulder　as　on　a　stick。　〃What　of　thy　people；　Mopo；〃　he　said　at

length；　〃what　of　the　Langeni　tribe？　Were　they　at　my　mourning？　I　did

not　see　them。〃



Then　I　answered　that　I　did　not　know；　they　had　been　summoned；　but　the

way　was　long　and　the　time　short　for　so　many　to　march　so　far。



〃Dogs　should　run　swiftly　when　their　master　calls；　Mopo；　my　servant；〃

said　Chaka；　and　the　dreadful　light　came　into　his　eyes　that　never　shone

in　the　eyes　of　any　other　man。　Then　I　grew　sick　at　heart；　my　father

ay；　though　I　loved　my　people　little；　and　they　had　driven　me　away；　I

grew　sick　at　heart。　Now　we　had　come　to　a　spot　where　there　is　a　great

rift　of　black　rock；　and　the　name　of　that　rift　is　U'Donga…lu…ka…

Tatiyana。　On　either　side　of　this　donga　the　ground　slopes　steeply　down

towards　its　yawning　lips；　and　from　its　end　a　man　may　see　the　open

country。　Here　Chaka　sat　down　at　the　end　of　the　rift；　pondering。

Presently　he　looked　up　and　saw　a　vast　multitude　of　men；　women；　and

children；　who　wound　like　a　snake　across　the　plain　beneath　towards　the

kraal　Gibamaxegu。



〃I　think；　Mopo；〃　said　the　king；　〃that　by　the　colour　of　their　shields；

yonder　should　be　the　Langeni　tribethine　own　people；　Mopo。〃



〃It　is　my　people；　O　King；〃　I　answered。



Then　Chaka　sent　messengers；　running　swiftly；　and　bade　them　summon　the

Langeni　people　to　him　where　he　sat。　Other　messengers　he　sent　also　to

the　kraal；　whispering　in　their　ears；　but　what　he　said　I　did　not　know

then。



Now；　for　a　while；　Chaka　watched　the　long　black　snake　of　men　winding

towards　him　across　the　plain　till　the　messengers　met　them　and　the

snake　began　to　climb　the　slope　of　the　hill。



〃How　many　are　these　people　of　thine；　Mopo？〃　asked　the　king。



〃I　know　not；　O　Elephant；〃　I　answered；　〃who　have　not　seen　them　for　many

years。　Perhaps　they　number　three　full　regiments。〃



〃Nay；　more；〃　said　the　king；　〃what　thinkest　thou；　Mopo；　would　this

people　of　thine　fill　the　rift　behind　us？〃　and　he　nodded　at　the　gulf　of

stone。



Now；　my　father；　I　trembled　in　all　my　flesh；　seeing　the　purpose　of

Chaka；　but　I　could　find　no　words　to　say；　for　my　tongue　clave　to　the

roof　of　my　mouth。



〃The　people　are　many；〃　said　Chaka；　〃yet；　Mopo；　I　bet　thee　fifty　head

of　cattle　that　they　will　not　fill　the　donga。〃



〃The　king　is　pleased　to　jest；〃　I　said。



〃Yea；　Mopo；　I　jest；　yet　as　a　jest　take　thou　the　bet。〃



〃As　the　king　wills；〃　I　murmuredwho　could　not　refuse。　Now　the　people

of　my　tribe　drew　near：　at　their　head　was　an　old　man；　with　white　hair

and　beard；　and；　looking　at　him；　I　knew　him　for　my　father；　Makedama。

When　he　came　within　earshot　of　the　king；　he　gave　him　the　royal　salute

of　Bayete；　and　fell　upon　his　hands　and　knees；　crawling　towards　him；

and　konzaed　to　the　king；　praising　him　as　he　came。　All　the　thousands　of

the　people　also　fell　on　their　hands　and　knees；　and　praised　the　king

aloud；　and　the　sound　of　their　praising　was　like　the　sound　of　a　great

thunder。



At　length　Makedama；　my　father；　writhing　on　his　breast　like　a　snake；

lay　before　the　majesty　of　the　king。　Chaka　bade　him　rise；　and　greeted

him　kindly；　but　all　the　thousands　of　the　people　yet　lay　upon　their

breasts　beating　the　dust　with　their　heads。



〃Rise；　Makedama；　my　child；　father　of　the　people　of　the　Langeni；〃　said

Chaka；　〃and　tell　me　why　art　thou　late　in　coming　to　my　mourning？〃



〃The　way　was　far；　O　King；〃　answered　Makedama；　my　father；　who　did　not

know　me。　〃The　way　was　far　and　the　time　short。　Moreover；　the　women　and

the　children　grew　weary　and　footsore；　and　they　are　weary　in　this

hour。〃



〃Speak　not　of　it；　Makedama；　my　child；〃　said　the　king。　〃Surely　thy

heart　mourned　and　that　of　thy　people；　and　soon　they　shall　rest　from

their　weariness。　Say；　are　they　here　every　one？〃



〃Every　one；　O　Elephant！none　are　wanting。　My　kraals　are　desolate；　the

cattle　wander　untended　on　the　hills；　birds　pick　at　the　unguarded

crops。〃



〃It　is　well；　Makedama；　thou　faithful　servant！　Yet　thou　wouldst　mourn

with　me　an　houris　it　not　so？　Now；　hearken！　Bid　thy　people　pass　to

the　right　and　to　the　left　of　me；　and　stand　in　all　their　numbers　upon

the　slopes　of　the　grass　that　run　down　to　the　lips　of　the　rift。〃



So　Makedama；　my　father；　bade　the　people　do　the　bidding　of　the　king；

for　neither　he　nor　the　indunas　saw　his　purpose；　but　I；　who　knew　his

wicked　heart；　I　saw　it。　Then　the　people　filed　past　to　the　right　and　to

the　left　by　hundreds　and　by　thousands；　and　presently　the　grass　of　the

slopes　could　be　seen　no　more；　because　of　their　number。　When　all　had

passed；　Chaka　spoke　again　to　Makedama；　my　father；　bidding　him　climb

down　to　the　bottom　of　the　donga；　and　thence　lift　up　his　voice　in

mourning。　The　old　man　obeyed　the　king。　Slowly；　and　with　much　pain；　he

clambered　to　the　bottom　of　the　rift　and　stood　there。　It　was　so　deep

and　narrow　that　the　light　scarcely　seemed　to　reach　to　where　he　stood；

for　I　could　only　see　the　white　of　his　hair　gleaming　far　down　in　the

shadows。



Then；　standing　far　beneath；　he　lifted　up　his　voice；　and　it　reached　the

thousands　of　those　who　clustered　upon　the　slopes。　It　seemed　still　and

small；　yet　it　came　to　them　faintly　like　the　voice　of　one　speaking　from

a　mountain…top　in　a　time　of　snow：



〃Mourn；　children　of　Makedama！〃



And　all　the　thousands　of　the　peoplemen；　women；　and　childrenechoed

his　words　in　a　thunder　of　sound；　crying：



〃Mourn；　children　of　Makedama！〃



Again　he　cried：



〃Mourn；　people　of　the　Langeni；　mourn　with　the　whole　world！〃



And　the　thousands　answered：



〃Mourn；　people　of　the　Langeni；　mourn　with　the　whole　world！〃



A　third　time　came　his　voice：



〃Mourn；　children　of　Makedama；　mourn；　people　of　the　Langeni；　mourn　with

the　whole　world！



〃Howl；　ye　warriors；　weep；　ye　women；　beat　your　breasts；　ye　maidens；

sob；　ye　little　children！



〃Drink　of　the　water　of　tears；　cover　yourselves　with　the　dust　of

affliction。



〃Mourn；　O　tribe　of　the　Langeni；　because　the　Mother　of　the　Heavens　is

no　more。



〃Mourn；　children　of　Makedama；　because　the　Spirit　of　Fruitfulness　is　no

more。



〃Mourn；　O　ye　people；　because　the　Lion　of　the　Zulu　is　left　so　desolate。



〃Let　your　tears　fall　as　the　rain　falls；　let　your　cries　be　as　the　cries

of　women　who　bring　forth。



〃For　sorrow　is　fallen　like　the　rain；　the　world　has　conceived　and

brought　forth　death。



〃Great　darkness　is　upon　us；　darkness　and　the　shadow　of　death。



〃The　Lion　of　the　Zulu　wanders　and　wanders　in　desolation；　because　the

Mother　of　the　Heavens　is　no　more。



〃Who　shall　bring　him　comfort？　There　is　comfort　in　the　crying　of　his

children。



〃Mourn；　people　of　the　Langeni；　let　the　voice　of　your　mourning　beat

against　the　skies　and　rend　them。



〃Ou…ai！　Ou…ai！　Ou…ai！〃



Thus　sang　the　old　man；　my　father　Makedama；　far　down　in　the　deeps　of

the　cleft。　He　sang　it　in　a　still；　small　voice；　but；　line　after　line；

his　song　was　caught　up　by　the　thousands　who　stood　on　the　slopes　above；

and　thundered　to　the　heavens　till　the　mountains　shook　with　its　sound。

Moreover；　the　noise　of　their　crying　opened　the　bosom　of　a　heavy　rain…

cloud　that　had　gathered　as　they　mourned；　and　the　rain　fell　in　great

slow　drops；　as　though　the　sky　also　wept；　and　with　the　rain　came

lightning　and　the　roll　of　thunder。



Chaka　listened；　and　large　tears　coursed　down　his　cheeks；　whose　heart

was　easily　stirred　by　the　sound　of　song。　Now　the　rain　hissed　fiercely；

making　as　it　were　a　curtain　about　the　thousands　of　the　people；　but

still　their　cry　went　up　through　the　rain；　and　the　roll　of　the　thunder

was　lost　in　it。　Presently　there　came　a　hush；　and　I　looked　to　the

right。　There；　above　the　heads　of　the　people；　coming　over　the　brow　of

the　hill；　were　the　plumes　of　warriors；　and　in　their　hands　gleamed　a

hedge　of　spears。　I　looked　to　the　left；　there　also　I　saw　the　plumes　of

warriors　dimly　through　the　falling　rain；　and　in　their　hands　a　hedge　of

spears。　I　looked　before　me；　towards　the　end　of　the　cleft；　there　also

loomed　the　plumes　of　warriors；　and　in　their　hands　was　a　hedge　of

spears。



Then；　from　all　the　people　there　arose　another　cry；　a　cry　of　terror　and

of　agony。



〃Ah！　now　they　mourn　indeed；　Mopo；〃　said　Chaka　in　my　ear；　〃now　thy

people　mourn　from　the　heart　and　not　with　the　lips　alone。〃



As　he　spoke　the　multitude　of　the　people　on　either　side　of　the　rift

surged　forward　like　a　wave；　surged　back　again；　once　more　surged

forward；　then；　with　a　dreadful　crying；　driven　on　by　the　merciless

spears　of　the　soldiers；　they　began　to　fall　in　a　torrent　of　men；　women；

and　children；　far　int