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mother　below　the　cattle　kraal　to　see　the　cows　driven　in。　My　mother　was

very　fond　of　these　cows；　and　there　was　one　with　a　white　face　that

would　follow　her　about。　She　carried　my　little　sister　Baleka　riding　on

her　hip；　Baleka　was　a　baby　then。　We　walked　till　we　met　the　lads

driving　in　the　cows。　My　mother　called　the　white…faced　cow　and　gave　it

mealie　leaves　which　she　had　brought　with　her。　Then　the　boys　went　on

with　the　cattle；　but　the　white…faced　cow　stopped　by　my　mother。　She

said　that　she　would　bring　it　to　the　kraal　when　she　came　home。　My

mother　sat　down　on　the　grass　and　nursed　her　baby；　while　I　played　round

her；　and　the　cow　grazed。　Presently　we　saw　a　woman　walking　towards　us

across　the　plain。　She　walked　like　one　who　is　tired。　On　her　back　was　a

bundle　of　mats；　and　she　led　by　the　hand　a　boy　of　about　my　own　age；　but

bigger　and　stronger　than　I　was。　We　waited　a　long　while；　till　at　last

the　woman　came　up　to　us　and　sank　down　on　the　veldt；　for　she　was　very

weary。　We　saw　by　the　way　her　hair　was　dressed　that　she　was　not　of　our

tribe。



〃Greeting　to　you！〃　said　the　woman。



〃Good…morrow！〃　answered　my　mother。　〃What　do　you　seek？〃



〃Food；　and　a　hut　to　sleep　in；〃　said　the　woman。　〃I　have　travelled　far。〃



〃How　are　you　named？and　what　is　your　people？〃　asked　my　mother。



〃My　name　is　Unandi：　I　am　the　wife　of　Senzangacona；　of　the　Zulu　tribe；〃

said　the　stranger。



Now　there　had　been　war　between　our　people　and　the　Zulu　people；　and

Senzangacona　had　killed　some　of　our　warriors　and　taken　many　of　our

cattle。　So；　when　my　mother　heard　the　speech　of　Unandi　she　sprang　up　in

anger。



〃You　dare　to　come　here　and　ask　me　for　food　and　shelter；　wife　of　a　dog

of　a　Zulu！〃　she　cried；　〃begone；　or　I　will　call　the　girls　to　whip　you

out　of　our　country。〃



The　woman；　who　was　very　handsome；　waited　till　my　mother　had　finished

her　angry　words；　then　she　looked　up　and　spoke　slowly；　〃There　is　a　cow

by　you　with　milk　dropping　from　its　udder；　will　you　not　even　give　me

and　my　boy　a　gourd　of　milk？〃　And　she　took　a　gourd　from　her　bundle　and

held　it　towards　us。




〃I　will　not；〃　said　my　mother。



〃We　are　thirsty　with　long　travel；　will　you　not；　then；　give　us　a　cup　of

water？　We　have　found　none　for　many　hours。〃



〃I　will　not；　wife　of　a　dog；　go　and　seek　water　for　yourself。〃



The　woman's　eyes　filled　with　tears；　but　the　boy　folded　his　arms　on　his

breast　and　scowled。　He　was　a　very　handsome　boy；　with　bright　black

eyes；　but　when　he　scowled　his　eyes　were　like　the　sky　before　a

thunderstorm。



〃Mother；〃　he　said；　〃we　are　not　wanted　here　any　more　than　we　were

wanted　yonder；〃　and　he　nodded　towards　the　country　where　the　Zulu

people　lived。　〃Let　us　be　going　to　Dingiswayo；　the　Umtetwa　people　will

protect　us。〃



〃Yes；　let　us　be　going；　my　son；〃　answered　Unandi；　〃but　the　path　is

long；　we　are　weary　and　shall　fall　by　the　way。〃



I　heard；　and　something　pulled　at　my　heart；　I　was　sorry　for　the　woman

and　her　boy；　they　looked　so　tired。　Then；　without　saying　anything　to　my

mother；　I　snatched　the　gourd　and　ran　with　it　to　a　little　donga　that

was　hard　by；　for　I　knew　that　there　was　a　spring。　Presently　I　came　back

with　the　gourd　full　of　water。　My　mother　wanted　to　catch　me；　for　she

was　very　angry；　but　I　ran　past　her　and　gave　the　gourd　to　the　boy。　Then

my　mother　ceased　trying　to　interfere；　only　she　beat　the　woman　with　her

tongue　all　the　while；　saying　that　evil　had　come　to　our　kraals　from　her

husband；　and　she　felt　in　her　heart　that　more　evil　would　come　upon　us

from　her　son。　Her　Ehlose＇3＇　told　her　so。　Ah！　my　father；　her　Ehlose

told　her　true。　If　the　woman　Unandi　and　her　child　had　died　that　day　on

the　veldt；　the　gardens　of　my　people　would　not　now　be　a　wilderness；　and

their　bones　would　not　lie　in　the　great　gulley　that　is　near

U'Cetywayo's　kraal。



＇3＇　Guardian　spirit。ED。



While　my　mother　talked　I　and　the　cow　with　the　white　face　stood　still

and　watched；　and　the　baby　Baleka　cried　aloud。　The　boy；　Unandi's　son；

having　taken　the　gourd；　did　not　offer　the　water　to　his　mother。　He

drank　two…thirds　of　it　himself；　I　think　that　he　would　have　drunk　it

all　had　not　his　thirst　been　slaked；　but　when　he　had　done　he　gave　what

was　left　to　his　mother；　and　she　finished　it。　Then　he　took　the　gourd

again；　and　came　forward；　holding　it　in　one　hand；　in　the　other　he

carried　a　short　stick。



〃What　is　your　name；　boy？〃　he　said　to　me　as　a　big　rich　man　speaks　to

one　who　is　little　and　poor。



〃Mopo　is　my　name；〃　I　answered。



〃And　what　is　the　name　of　your　people？〃



I　told　him　the　name　of　my　tribe；　the　Langeni　tribe。



〃Very　well；　Mopo；　now　I　will　tell　you　my　name。　My　name　is　Chaka；　son

of　Senzangacona；　and　my　people　are　called　the　Amazulu。　And　I　will　tell

you　something　more。　I　am　little　to…day；　and　my　people　are　a　small

people。　But　I　shall　grow　big；　so　big　that　my　head　will　be　lost　in　the

clouds；　you　will　look　up　and　you　shall　not　see　it。　My　face　will　blind

you；　it　will　be　bright　like　the　sun；　and　my　people　will　grow　great

with　me；　they　shall　eat　up　the　whole　world。　And　when　I　am　big　and　my

people　are　big；　and　we　have　stamped　the　earth　flat　as　far　as　men　can

travel；　then　I　will　remember　your　tribethe　tribe　of　the　Langeni；　who

would　not　give　me　and　my　mother　a　cup　of　milk　when　we　were　weary。　You

see　this　gourd；　for　every　drop　it　can　hold　the　blood　of　a　man　shall

flowthe　blood　of　one　of　your　men。　But　because　you　gave　me　the　water

I　will　spare　you；　Mopo；　and　you　only；　and　make　you　great　under　me。　You

shall　grow　fat　in　my　shadow。　You　alone　I　will　never　harm；　however　you

sin　against　me；　this　I　swear。　But　for　that　woman；〃　and　he　pointed　to

my　mother；　〃let　her　make　haste　and　die；　so　that　I　do　not　need　to　teach

her　what　a　long　time　death　can　take　to　come。　I　have　spoken。〃　And　he

ground　his　teeth　and　shook　his　stick　towards　us。



My　mother　stood　silent　awhile。　Then　she　gasped　out：　〃The　little　liar！

He　speaks　like　a　man；　does　he？　The　calf　lows　like　a　bull。　I　will　teach

him　another　notethe　brat　of　an　evil　prophet！〃　And　putting　down

Baleka；　she　ran　at　the　boy。



Chaka　stood　quite　still　till　she　was　near；　then　suddenly　he　lifted　the

stick　in　his　hand；　and　hit　her　so　hard　on　the　head　that　she　fell　down。

After　that　he　laughed；　turned；　and　went　away　with　his　mother　Unandi。



These；　my　father；　were　the　first　words　I　heard　Chaka　speak；　and　they

were　words　of　prophecy；　and　they　came　true。　The　last　words　I　heard　him

speak　were　words　of　prophecy　also；　and　I　think　that　they　will　come

true。　Even　now　they　are　coming　true。　In　the　one　he　told　how　the　Zulu

people　should　rise。　And　say；　have　they　not　risen？　In　the　other　he

told　how　they　should　fall；　and　they　did　fall。　Do　not　the　white　men

gather　themselves　together　even　now　against　U'Cetywayo；　as　vultures

gather　round　a　dying　ox？　The　Zulus　are　not　what　they　were　to　stand

against　them。　Yes；　yes；　they　will　come　true；　and　mine　is　the　song　of　a

people　that　is　doomed。



But　of　these　other　words　I　will　speak　in　their　place。



I　went　to　my　mother。　Presently　she　raised　herself　from　the　ground　and

sat　up　with　her　hands　over　her　face。　The　blood　from　the　wound　the

stick　had　made　ran　down　her　face　on　to　her　breast；　and　I　wiped　it　away

with　grass。　She　sat　for　a　long　while　thus；　while　the　child　cried；　the

cow　lowed　to　be　milked；　and　I　wiped　up　the　blood　with　the　grass。　At

last　she　took　her　hands　away　and　spoke　to　me。



〃Mopo；　my　son；〃　she　said；　〃I　have　dreamed　a　dream。　I　dreamed　that　I

saw　the　boy　Chaka　who　struck　me：　he　was　grown　like　a　giant。　He　stalked

across　the　mountains　and　the　veldt；　his　eyes　blazed　like　the

lightning；　and　in　his　hand　he　shook　a　little　assegai　that　was　red　with

blood。　He　caught　up　people　after　people　in　his　hands　and　tore　them；　he

stamped　their　kraals　flat　with　his　feet。　Before　him　was　the　green　of

summer；　behind　him　the　land　was　black　as　when　the　fires　have　eaten　the

grass。　I　saw　our　people；　Mopo；　they　were　many　and　fat；　their　hearts

laughed；　the　men　were　brave；　the　girls　were　fair；　I　counted　their

children　by　the　hundreds。　I　saw　them　again；　Mopo。　They　were　bones；

white　bones；　thousands　of　bones　tumbled　together　in　a　rocky　place；　and

he；　Chaka；　stood　over　the　bones　and　laughed　till　the　earth　shook。

Then；　Mopo；　in　my　dream；　I　saw　you　grown　a　man。　You　alone　were　left　of

our　people。　You　crept　up　behind　the　giant　Chaka；　and　with　you　came

others；　great　men　of　a　royal　look。　You　stabbed　him　with　a　little

spear；　and　he　fell　down　and　grew　small　again；　he　fell　down　and　cursed

you。　But　you　cried　in　his　ear　a　namethe　name　of　Baleka；　your　sister

and　he　died。　Let　us　go　home；　Mopo；　let　us　go　home；　the　darkness

falls。〃



So　we　rose　and　went　home。　But　I　held　my　peace；　for　I　was　afraid；　very

much　afraid。







CHAPTER　II



MOPO　IS　IN　TROUBLE



Now；　I　must　tell　how　my　mother　did　what　the　boy　Chaka　had　told　her；

and　died　quickly。　For　where　his　stick　had　struck　her　on　the　forehead

there　came　a　sore　that　would　not　be　healed；　and　in　the　sore　grew　an

abscess；　and　the　abscess