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as he lay sleeping; and all the roof of the hut was burned away; but

that the rain had put out the fire。



Then I went on till I came to the front of the great hut; and I saw by

the light of the moon; which now shone out in the heavens; that there

before it stood Chaka; shaking with fear; and the water of the rain

was running down him; while he stared at the great hut; of which all

the thatch was burned。



I saluted the king; asking him what evil thing had happened。 Seeing

me; he seized me by the arm; and clung to me as; when the slayers are

at hand; a child clings to his father; drawing me after him into a

small hut that was near。



〃What evil thing has befallen; O King?〃 I said again; when light had

been made。



〃Little have I known of fear; Mopo;〃 said Chaka; 〃yet I am afraid now;

ay; as much afraid as when once on a bygone night the dead hand of

Baleka summoned something that walked upon the faces of the dead。〃



〃And what fearest thou; O King; who art the lord of all the earth?〃



Now Chaka leaned forward and whispered to me: 〃Hearken; Mopo; I have

dreamed a dream。 When the judgment of those witches was done with; I

went and laid me down to sleep while it was yet light; for I can

scarcely sleep at all when darkness has swallowed up the world。 My

sleep has gone from methat sister of thine; Baleka; took my sleep

with her to the place of death。 I laid me down and I slept; but a

dream arose and sat by me with a hooded face; and showed me a picture。

It seemed to me that the wall of my hut fell down; and I saw an open

place; and in the centre of the place I lay dead; covered with many

wounds; while round my corpse my brothers Dingaan and Umhlangana

stalked in pride like lions。 On the shoulders of Umhlangana was my

royal kaross; and there was blood on the kaross; and in the hand of

Dingaan was my royal spear; and there was blood upon the spear。 Then;

in the vision of my dream; Mopo; thou didst draw near; and; lifting

thy hand; didst give the royal salute of Bayete to these brothers of

mine; and with thy foot didst spurn the carcase of me; thy king。 Then

the hooded Dream pointed upwards and was gone; and I awoke; and lo!

fire burned in the roof of my hut。 Thus I dreamed; Mopo; and now; my

servant; say thou; wherefore should I not slay thee; thou who wouldst

serve other kings than I; thou who wouldst give my royal salute to the

princes; my brothers?〃 and he glared upon me fiercely。



〃As thou wilt; O King!〃 I answered gently。 〃Doubtless thy dream was

evil; and yet more evil was the omen of the fire that fell upon thy

hut。 And yet〃 and I ceased。



〃And yetMopo; thou faithless servant?〃



〃And yet; O King; it seems to me in my folly that it were well to

strike the head of the snake and not its tail; for without the tail

the head may live; but not the tail without the head。〃



〃Thou wouldst say; Mopo; that if these princes die never canst thou or

any other man give them the royal names。 Do I hear aright; Mopo?〃



〃Who am I that I should lift up my voice asking for the blood of

princes?〃 I answered。 〃Judge thou; O King!〃



Now; Chaka brooded awhile; then he spoke: 〃Say; Mopo; can it be done

this night?〃



〃There are but few men in the kraal; O King。 All are gone out to war;

and of those few many are the servants of the princes; and perhaps

they might give blow for blow。〃



〃How then; Mopo?〃



〃Nay; I know not; O King; yet at the great kraal beyond the river sits

that regiment which is named the Slayers。 By midday to…morrow they

might be here; and then〃



〃Thou speakest wisely; my child Mopo; it shall be for to…morrow。 Go

summon the regiment of the Slayers; and; Mopo; see that thou fail me

not。〃



〃If I fail thee; O King; then I fail myself; for it seems that my life

hangs on this matter。〃



〃If all the words that ever passed thy lips are lies; yet is that word

true; Mopo;〃 said Chaka: 〃moreover; know this; my servant: if aught

miscarries thou shalt die no common death。 Begone!〃



〃I hear the king;〃 I answered; and went out。



Now; my father; I knew well that Chaka had doomed me to die; though

first he would use me to destroy the princes。 But I feared nothing;

for I knew this also; that the hour of Chaka was come at last。



For a while I sat in my hut pondering; then when all men slept I arose

and crept like a snake by many paths to the hut of Dingaan the prince;

who awaited me on that night。 Following the shadow of the hut; I came

to the door and scratched upon it after a certain fashion。 Presently

it was opened; and I crawled in; and the door was shut again。 Now

there was a little light in the hut; and by its flame I saw the two

princes sitting side by side; wrapped about with blankets which hung

before their brows。



〃Who is this that comes?〃 said the Prince Dingaan。



Then I lifted the blanket from my head so that they might see my face;

and they also drew the blankets from their brows。 I spoke; saying:

〃Hail to you; Princes; who to…morrow shall be dust! Hail to you; sons

of Senzangacona; who to…morrow shall be spirits!〃 and I pointed

towards them with my withered hand。



Now the princes were troubled; and shook with fear。



〃What meanest thou; thou dog; that thou dost speak to us words of such

ill…omen?〃 said the Prince Dingaan in a low voice。



〃Where dost thou point at us with that white and withered hand of

thine; Wizard?〃 hissed the Prince Umhlangana。



〃Have I not told you; O ye Princes!〃 I whispered; 〃that ye must strike

or die; and has not your heart failed you? Now hearken! Chaka has

dreamed another dream; now it is Chaka who strikes; and ye are already

dead; ye children of Senzangacona。〃



〃If the slayers of the king be without the gates; at least thou shalt

die first; thou who hast betrayed us!〃 quoth the Prince Dingaan; and

drew an assegai from under his kaross。



〃First hear the king's dream; O Prince;〃 I said; 〃then; if thou wilt;

kill me; and die。 Chaka the king slept and dreamed that he lay dead;

and that one of you; the princes; wore his royal kaross。〃



〃Who wore the royal kaross?〃 asked Dingaan; eagerly; and both looked

up; waiting on my words。



〃The Prince Umhlangana wore itin the dream of ChakaO Dingaan;

shoot of a royal stock!〃 I answered slowly; taking snuff as I spoke;

and watching the two of them over the edge of my snuff…spoon。



Now Dingaan scowled heavily at Umhlangana; but the face of Umhlangana

was as the morning sky。



〃Chaka dreamed this also;〃 I went on: 〃that one of you; the princes;

held his royal spear。〃



〃Who held the royal spear?〃 asked Umhlangana。



〃The Prince Dingaan held itin the dream of ChakaO Umhlangana;

sprung from the root of kings!and it dripped blood。〃



Now the face of Umhlangana grew dark as night; but that of Dingaan

brightened like the dawn。



〃Chaka dreamed this also: that I; Mopo; your dog; who am not worthy 

to be mentioned with such names; came up and gave the royal salute;

even the Bayete。〃



〃To whom didst thou give the Bayete; O Mopo; son of Makedama?〃 asked

both of the princes as with one breath; waiting on my words。



〃I gave it to both of you; O twin stars of the morning; princes of the

Zuluin the dream of Chaka I gave it to both of you。〃



Now the princes looked this way and that; and were silent; not knowing

what to say; for these princes hated each other; though adversity and

fear had brought them to one bed。



〃But what avails it to talk thus; ye lords of the land;〃 I went on;

〃seeing that; both of you; ye are already as dead men; and that

vultures which are hungry to…night to…morrow shall be filled with meat

of the best? Chaka the king is now a Doctor of Dreams; and to clear

away such a dream as this he has a purging medicine。〃



Now the brows of these brothers grew black indeed; for they saw that

their fate was on them。



〃These are the words of Chaka the king; O ye bulls who lead the herd!

All are doomed; ye twain and I; and many another man who loves us。 In

the great kraal beyond the river there sits a regiment: it is summoned

and thengood…night! Have ye any words to say to those yet left

upon the earth? Perhaps it will be given to me to live a little while

after ye are gone; and I may bring them to their ears。〃



〃Can we not rise up now and fall upon Chaka?〃 asked Dingaan。



〃It is not possible;〃 I said; 〃the king is guarded。〃



〃Hast thou no plan; Mopo?〃 groaned Umhlangana。 〃Methinks thou hast a

plan to save us。〃



〃And if I have a plan; ye Princes; what shall be my reward? It must be

great; for I am weary of life; and I will not use my wisdom for a

little thing。〃



Now both the princes offered me good things; each of them promising

more than the other; as two young men who are rivals promise to the

father of a girl whom both would wed。 I listened; saying always that

it was not enough; till in the end both of them swore by their heads;

and b

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