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circle of his bravest。



Umslopogaas saw it and bounded to his feet; roaring like a bull。 〃At

them now; wolves!〃 he shouted。



Then the lines of warriors sprang up as a wave springs; and their

crests were like foam upon the wave。 As a wave that swells to break

they rose suddenly; like a breaking wave they poured down the slope。

In front of them was the Slaughterer; holding Groan…Maker aloft; and

oh! his feet were swift。 So swift were his feet that; strive as they

would; he outran them by the quarter of a spear's throw。 Galazi heard

the thunder of their rush; he looked round; and as he looked; lo! the

Slaughterer swept past him; running like a buck。 Then Galazi; too;

bounded forward; and the Wolf…Brethren sped down the hill; the length

of four spears between them。



The Halakazi also saw and heard; and strove to gather themselves

together to meet the rush。 In front of Umslopogaas was their chief; a

tall man hedged about with assegais。 Straight at the shield…hedge

drove Umslopogaas; and a score of spears were lifted to greet him; a

score of shields heaved into the airthis was a fence that none might

pass alive。 Yet would the Slaughterer pass itnot alone! See! he

steadies his pace; he gathers himself together; and now he leaps! High

into the air he leaps; his feet knock the heads of the warriors and

rattle against the crowns of their shields。 They smite upwards with

the spear; but he has swept over them like a swooping bird。 He has

cleared themhe has litand now the shield…hedge guards two chiefs。

But not for long。 Ou! Groan…Maker is aloft; he fallsand neither

shield nor axe may stay his stroke; both are cleft through; and the

Halakazi lack a leader。



The shield…ring wheels in upon itself。 Fools! Galazi is upon you! What

was that? Look; now! see how many bones are left unbroken in him whom

the Watcher falls on full! What!another down! Close up; shield…men

close up! Ai! are you fled?



Ah! the wave has fallen on the beach。 Listen to its roaringlisten to

the roaring of the shields! Stand; you men of the Halakazistand!

Surely they are but a few。 So! it is done! By the head of Chaka! they

breakthey are pushed backnow the wave of slaughter seethes along

the sandsnow the foe is swept like floating weed; and from all the

line there comes a hissing like the hissing of thin waters。 〃S'gee!〃

says the hiss。 〃S'gee! S'gee!〃



There; my father; I am old。 What have I do with the battle any more;

with the battle and its joy? Yet it is better to die in such a fight

as that than to live any other way。 I have seen suchI have seen many

such。 Oh! we could fight when I was a man; my father; but none that I

knew could ever fight like Umslopogaas the Slaughterer; son of Chaka;

and his blood…brother Galazi the Wolf! So; so! they swept them away;

those Halakazi; they swept them as a maid sweeps the dust of a hut; as

the wind sweeps the withered leaves。 It was soon done when once it was

begun。 Some were fled and some were dead; and this was the end of that

fight。 No; no; not of all the war。 The Halakazi were worsted in the

field; but many lived to win the great cave; and there the work must

be finished。 Thither; then; went the Slaughterer presently; with such

of his impi as was left to him。 Alas! many were killed; but how could

they have died better than in that fight? Also those who were left

were as good as all; for now they knew that they should not be

overcome easily while Axe and Club still led the way。



Now they stood before a hill; measuring; perhaps; three thousand paces

round its base。 It was of no great height; and yet unclimbable; for;

after a man had gone up a little way; the sides of it were sheer;

offering no foothold except to the rock…rabbits and the lizards。 No

one was to be seen without this hill; nor in the great kraal of the

Halakazi that lay to the east of it; and yet the ground about was

trampled with the hoofs of oxen and the feet of men; and from within

the mountain came a sound of lowing cattle。



〃Here is the nest of Halakazi;〃 quoth Galazi the Wolf。



〃Here is the nest indeed;〃 said Umslopogaas; 〃but how shall we come at

the eggs to suck them? There are no branches on this tree。〃



〃But there is a hole in the trunk;〃 answered the Wolf。



Now he led them a little way till they came to a place where the soil

was trampled as it is at the entrance to a cattle kraal; and they saw

that there was a low cave which led into the cliff; like an archway

such as you white men build。 but this archway was filled up with great

blocks of stone placed upon each other in such a fashion that it could

not be forced from without。 After the cattle were driven in it had

been filled up。



〃We cannot enter here;〃 said Galazi。 〃Follow me。〃



So they followed him; and came to the north side of the mountain; and

there; two spear…casts away; a soldier was standing。 But when he saw

them he vanished suddenly。



〃There is the place;〃 said Galazi; 〃and the fox has gone to earth in

it。〃



Now they ran to the spot and saw a little hole in the rock; scarcely

bigger than an ant…bear's burrow; and through the hole came sounds and

some light。



〃Now where is the hyena who will try a new burrow?〃 cried Umslopogaas。

〃A hundred head of cattle to the man who wins through and clears the

way!〃



Then two young men sprang forward who were flushed with victory and

desired nothing more than to make a great name and win cattle;

crying:



〃Here are hyenas; Bulalio。〃



〃To earth; then!〃 said Umslopogaas; 〃and let him who wins through hold

the path awhile till others follow。〃



The two young men sprang at the hole; and he who reached it first went

down upon his hands and knees and crawled in; lying on his shield and

holding his spear before him。 For a little while the light in the

burrow vanished; and they heard the sound of his crawling。 Then came

the noise of blows; and once more light crept through the hole。 The

man was dead。



〃This one had a bad snake;〃 said the second soldier; 〃his snake

deserted him。 Let me see if mine is better。〃



So down he went on his hands and knees; and crawled as the first had

done; only he put his shield over his head。 For awhile they heard him

crawling; then once more came the sound of blows echoing on the

ox…hide shield; and after the blows groans。 He was dead also; yet it

seemed that they had left his body in the hole; for now no light came

through。 This was the cause; my father: when they struck the man he

had wriggled back a little way and died there; and none had entered

from the farther side to drag him out。



Now the soldiers stared at the mouth of the passage and none seemed to

love the look of it; for this was but a poor way to die。 Umslopogaas

and Galazi also looked at it; thinking。



〃Now I am named Wolf;〃 said Galazi; 〃and a wolf should not fear the

dark; also; these are my people; and I must be the first to visit

them;〃 and he went down on his hands and knees without more ado。 But

Umslopogaas; having peered once more down the burrow; said: 〃Hold;

Galazi; I will go first! I have a plan。 Do you follow me。 And you; my

children; shout loudly; so that none may hear us move; and; if we win

through; follow swiftly; for we cannot hold the mouth of that place

for long。 Hearken; also! this is my counsel to you: if I fall choose

another chiefGalazi the Wolf; if he is still living。〃



〃Nay; Slaughterer; do not name me;〃 said the Wolf; 〃for together we

live or die。〃



〃So let it be; Galazi。 Then choose you some other man and try this

road no more; for if we cannot pass it none can; but seek food and sit

down here till those jackals bolt; then be ready。 Farewell; my

children!〃



〃Farewell; father;〃 they answered; 〃go warily; lest we be left like

cattle without a herdsman; wandering and desolate。〃



Then Umslopogaas crept into the hole; taking no shield; but holding

Groan…Maker before him; and at his heels crept Galazi。 When he had

covered the length of six spears he stretched out his hand; and; as he

trusted to do; he found the feet of that man who had gone before and

died in the place。 Then Umslopogaas the way did this: he put his head

beneath the dead man's legs and thrust himself onward till all the

body was on his back; and there he held it with one hand; gripping its

two wrists in his hand。 Then he crawled forward a little space and saw

that he was coming to the inner mouth of the burrow; but that the

shadow was deep there because of a great mass of rock which lay before

the burrow shutting out the light。 〃This is well for me;〃 thought

Umslopogaas; 〃for now they will not know the dead from the living。 I

may yet look upon the son again。〃 Now he heard the Halakazi soldiers

talking without。



〃The Zulu rats do not love this run;〃 said one; 〃they fear the rat…

catcher's stick。 This is good sport;〃 and a man laughed。



Then Umslopogaas pushed himself forward as swiftly as he cou

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