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

and by the bones of Senzangacona; their father; and by many other

things; that I should be the first man in the land; after them; its

kings; and should command the impis of the land; if I would but show

them a way to kill Chaka and become kings。 Then; when they had done

swearing; I spoke; weighing my words:



〃In the great kraal beyond the river; O ye Princes; there sit; not one

regiment but two。 One is named the Slayers and loves Chaka the king;

who has done well by them; giving them cattle and wives。 The other is

named the Bees; and that regiment is hungry and longs for cattle and

girls; moreover; of that regiment the Prince Umhlangana is the

general; and it loves him。 Now this is my planto summon the Bees in

the name of Umhlangana; not the Slayers in the name of Chaka。 Bend

forward; O Princes; that I may whisper in your ears。〃



So they bent forward; and I whispered awhile of the death of a king;

and the sons of Senzangacona nodded their heads as one man in answer。

Then I rose up; and crept from the hut as I had entered it; and

rousing certain trusty messengers; I dispatched them; running swiftly

through the night。







CHAPTER XXI



THE DEATH OF CHAKA



Now; on the morrow; two hours before midday; Chaka came from the hut

where he had sat through the night; and moved to a little kraal

surrounded by a fence that was some fifty paces distant from the hut。

For it was my duty; day by day; to choose that place where the king

should sit to hear the counsel of his indunas; and give judgment on

those whom he would kill; and to…day I had chosen this place。 Chaka

went alone from his hut to the kraal; and; for my own reasons; I

accompanied him; walking after him。 As we went the king glanced back

at me over his shoulder; and said in a low voice:



〃Is all prepared; Mopo?〃



〃All is prepared; Black One;〃 I answered。 〃The regiment of the Slayers

will be here by noon。〃



〃Where are the princes; Mopo?〃 asked the king again。



〃The princes sit with their wives in the houses of their women; O

King;〃 I answered; 〃they drink beer and sleep in the laps of their

wives。〃



Chaka smiled grimly; 〃For the last time; Mopo!〃



〃For the last time; O King。〃



We came to the kraal; and Chaka sat down in the shade of the reed

fence; upon an ox…hide that was brayed soft。 Near to him stood a girl

holding a gourd of beer; there were also present the old chief

Inguazonca; brother of Unandi; Mother of the Heavens; and the chief

Umxamama; whom Chaka loved。 When we had sat a little while in the

kraal; certain men came in bearing cranes' feathers; which the king

had sent them to gather a month's journey from the kraal Duguza; and

they were admitted before the king。 These men had been away long upon

their errand; and Chaka was angry with them。 Now the leader of the men

was an old captain of Chaka's; who had fought under him in many

battles; but whose service was done; because his right hand had been

shorn away by the blow of an axe。 He was a great man and very brave。



Chaka asked the man why he had been so long in finding the feathers;

and he answered that the birds had flown from that part of the country

whither he was sent; and he must wait there till they returned; that

he might snare them。



〃Thou shouldst have followed the cranes; yes; if they flew through the

sunset; thou disobedient dog!〃 said the king。 〃Let him be taken away;

and all those who were with him。〃



Now some of the men prayed a little for mercy; but the captain did but

salute the king; calling him 〃Father;〃 and craving a boon before he

died。



〃What wouldst thou?〃 asked Chaka。



〃My father;〃 said the man; 〃I would ask thee two things。 I have fought

many times at thy side in battle while we both were young; nor did I

ever turn my back upon the foe。 The blow that shore the hand from off

this arm was aimed at thy head; O King; I stayed it with my naked arm。

It is nothing; at thy will I live; and at thy will I die。 Who am I

that I should question the word of the king? Yet I would ask this;

that thou wilt withdraw the kaross from about thee; O King; that for

the last time my eyes may feast themselves upon the body of him whom;

above all men; I love。〃



〃Thou art long…winded;〃 said the king; 〃what more?〃



〃This; my father; that I may bid farewell to my son; he is a little

child; so high; O King;〃 and he held his hand above his knee。



〃Thy first boon is granted;〃 said the king; slipping the kaross from

his shoulders and showing the great breast beneath。 〃For the second it

shall be granted also; for I will not willingly divide the father and

the son。 Bring the boy here; thou shalt bid him farewell; then thou

shalt slay him with thine own hand ere thou thyself art slain; it will

be good sport to see。〃



Now the man turned grey beneath the blackness of his skin; and

trembled a little as he murmured; 〃The king's will is the will of his

servant; let the child be brought。〃



But I looked at Chaka and saw that the tears were running down his

face; and that he only spoke thus to try the captain who loved him to

the last。



〃Let the man go;〃 said the king; 〃him and those with him。〃



So they went glad at heart; and praising the king。



I have told you this; my father; though it has not to do with my

story; because then; and then only; did I ever see Chaka show mercy to

one whom he had doomed to die。



As the captain and his people left the gate of the kraal; it was

spoken in the ear of the king that a man sought audience with him。 He

was admitted crawling on his knees。 I looked and saw that this was

that Masilo whom Chaka had charged with a message to him who was named

Bulalio; or the Slaughterer; and who ruled over the People of the Axe。

It was Masilo indeed; but he was no longer fat; for much travel had

made him thin; moreover; on his back were the marks of rods; as yet

scarcely healed over。



〃Who art thou?〃 said Chaka。



〃I am Masilo; of the People of the Axe; to whom command was given to

run with a message to Bulalio the Slaughterer; their chief; and to

return on the thirtieth day。 Behold; O King; I have returned; though

in a sorry plight!〃



〃It seems so!〃 said the king; laughing aloud。 〃I remember now: speak

on; Masilo the Thin; who wast Masilo the Fat; what of this

Slaughterer? Does he come with his people to lay the axe Groan…Maker

in my hands?〃



〃Nay; O King; he comes not。 He met me with scorn; and with scorn he

drove me from his kraal。 Moreover; as I went I was seized by the

servants of Zinita; she whom I wooed; but who is now the wife of the

Slaughterer; and laid on my face upon the ground and beaten cruelly

while Zinita numbered the strokes。〃



〃Hah!〃 said the king。 〃And what were the words of this puppy?〃



〃These were his words; O King: 'Bulalio the Slaughterer; who sits

beneath the shadow of the Witch Mountain; to Bulalio the Slaughterer

who sits in the kraal DuguzaTo thee I pay no tribute; if thou

wouldst have the axe Groan…Maker; come to the Ghost Mountain and take

it。 This I promise thee: thou shalt look on a face thou knowest; for

there is one there who would be avenged for the blood of a certain

Mopo。'〃



Now; while Masilo told this tale I had seen two thingsfirst; that a

little piece of stick was thrust through the straw of the fence; and;

secondly; that the regiment of the Bees was swarming on the slope

opposite to the kraal in obedience to the summons I had sent them in

the name of Umhlangana。 The stick told me that the princes were hidden

behind the fence waiting the signal; and the coming of the regiment

that it was time to do the deed。



When Masilo had spoken Chaka sprang up in fury。 His eyes rolled; his

face worked; foam flew from his lips; for such words as these had

never offended his ears since he was king; and Masilo knew him little;

else he had not dared to utter them。



For a while he gasped; shaking his small spear; for at first he could

not speak。 At length he found words:



〃The dog;〃 he hissed; 〃the dog who dares thus to spit in my face!

Hearken all! As with my last breath I command that this Slaughterer be

torn limb from limb; he and all his tribe! And thou; thou darest to

bring me this talk from a skunk of the mountains。 And thou; too; Mopo;

thy name is named in it。 Well; of thee presently。 Ho! Umxamama; my

servant; slay me this slave of a messenger; beat out his brains with

thy stick。 Swift! swift!〃



Now; the old chief Umxamama sprang up to do the king's bidding; but he

was feeble with age; and the end of it was that Masilo; being mad with

fear; killed Umxamama; not Umxamama Masilo。 Then Inguazonca; brother

of Unandi; Mother of the Heavens; fell upon Masilo and ended him; but

was hurt himself in so doing。 Now I looked at Chaka; who stood shaking

the little red spear; and thought swiftly; for the ho

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