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medicine。〃
〃Open！〃 he answered angrily。 〃What？ may I not look at that which I am
forced to swallowI； who am the first of doctors？〃
〃Death is the king's medicine；〃 I answered； lifting the bundle； and
laying it as far from him in the shadow of the fence as I dared。 Then
I bent over it； slowly undoing the rimpis with which it was tied；
while the sweat of terror ran down by face blinding me like tears。
What would I do if he saw the child？ What if the child awoke and
cried？ I would snatch the assegai from his hand and stab him！ Yes； I
would kill the king and then kill myself！ Now the mat was unrolled。
Inside were the brown leaves and roots of medicine； beneath them was
the senseless bade wrapped in dead moss。
〃Ugly stuff；〃 said the king； taking snuff。 〃Now see； Mopo； what a good
aim I have！ This for thy medicine！〃 And he lifted his assegai to throw
it through the bundle。 But as he threw； my snake put it into the
king's heart to sneeze； and thus it came to pass that the assegai only
pierced the outer leaves of the medicine； and did not touch the child。
〃May the heavens bless the king！〃 I said； according to custom。
〃Thanks to thee； Mopo； it is a good omen；〃 he answered。 〃And now；
begone！ Take my advice： kill thy children； as I kill mine； lest they
live to worry thee。 The whelps of lions are best drowned。〃
I did up the bundle fastfast； though my hands trembled。 Oh！ what if
the child should wake and cry。 It was done； I rose and saluted the
king。 Then I doubled myself up and passed from before him。 Scarcely
was I outside the gates of the Intunkulu when the infant began to
squeak in the bundle。 If it had been one minute before！
〃What；〃 said a soldier； as I passed； 〃have you got a puppy hidden
under your moocha；＇1＇ Mopo？〃
＇1＇ Girdle composed of skin and tails of oxen。…ED。
I made no answer； but hurried on till I came to my huts。 I entered；
there were my two wives alone。
〃I have recovered the child； women；〃 I said； as I undid the bundle。
Anadi took him and looked at him。
〃The boy seems bigger than he was；〃 she said。
〃The breath of life has come into him and puffed him out；〃 I answered。
〃His eyes are not as his eyes were；〃 she said again。 〃Now they are big
and black； like the eyes of the king。〃
〃My spirit looked upon his eyes and made them beautiful；〃 I answered。
〃This child has a birth…mark on his thigh；〃 she said a third time。
〃That which I gave you had no mark。〃
〃I laid my medicine there；〃 I answered。
〃It is not the same child；〃 she said sullenly。 〃It is a changeling who
will lay ill…luck at our doors。〃
Then I rose up in my rage and cursed her heavily； for I saw that if
she was not stopped this woman's tongue would bring us all to ruin。
〃Peace； witch！〃 I cried。 〃How dare you to speak thus from a lying
heart？ Do you wish to draw down a curse upon our roof？ Would you make
us all food for the king's spear？ Say such words again； and you shall
sit within the circlethe Ingomboco shall know you for a witch！〃
So I stormed on； threatening to bring her to death； till at length she
grew fearful； and fell at my feet praying for mercy and forgiveness。
But I was much afraid because of this woman's tongue； and not without
reason。
CHAPTER VII
UMSLOPOGAAS ANSWERS THE KING
Now the years went on； and this matter slept。 Nothing more was heard
of it； but still it only slept； and； my father； I feared greatly for
the hour when it should awake。 For the secret was known by two women
Unandi； Mother of the Heavens； and Baleka； my sister； wife of the
king； and by two moreMacropha and Anadi； my wivesit was guessed
at。 How； then； should it remain a secret forever？ Moreover； it came
about that Unandi and Baleka could not restrain their fondness for
this child who was called my son and named Umslopogaas； but who was
the son of Chaka； the king； and of the Baleka； and the grandson of
Unandi。 So it happened that very often one or the other of them would
come into my hut； making pretence to visit my wives； and take the boy
upon her lap and fondle it。 In vain did I pray them to forbear。 Love
pulled at their heart…strings more heavily than my words； and still
they came。 This was the end of itthat Chaka saw the child sitting on
the knee of Unandi； his mother。
〃What does my mother with that brat of thine； Mopo？〃 he asked of me。
〃Cannot she kiss me； if she will find a child to kiss？〃 And he laughed
like a wolf。
I said that I did not know； and the matter passed over for awhile。 But
after that Chaka caused his mother to be watched。 Now the boy
Umslopogaas grew great and strong； there was no such lad of his years
for a day's journey round。 But from a babe he was somewhat surly； of
few words； and like his father； Chaka； afraid of nothing。 In all the
world there were but two people whom he lovedthese were I； Mopo； who
was called his father； and Nada； she who was said to be his twin
sister。
Now it must be told of Nada that as the boy Umslopogaas was the
strongest and bravest of children； so the girl Nada was the gentlest
and most fair。 Of a truth； my father； I believe that her blood was not
all Zulu； though this I cannot say for certain。 At the least； her eyes
were softer and larger than those of our people； her hair longer and
less tightly curled； and her skin was lightermore of the colour of
pure copper。 These things she had from her mother； Macropha； though
she was fairer than Macrophafairer； indeed； than any woman of my
people whom I have seen。 Her mother； Macropha； my wife； was of Swazi
blood； and was brought to the king's kraal with other captives after a
raid； and given to me as a wife by the king。 It was said that she was
the daughter of a Swazi headman of the tribe of the Halakazi； and that
she was born of his wife is true； but whether he was her father I do
not know； for I have heard from the lips of Macropha herself； that
before she was born there was a white man staying at her father's
kraal。 He was a Portuguese from the coast； a handsome man； and skilled
in the working of iron。 This white man loved the mother of my wife；
Macropha； and some held that Macropha was his daughter； and not that
of the Swazi headman。 At least I know this； that before my wife's
birth the Swazi killed the white man。 But none can tell the truth of
these matters； and I only speak of them because the beauty of Nada was
rather as is the beauty of the white people than of ours； and this
might well happen if her grandfather chanced to be a white man。
Now Umslopogaas and Nada were always together。 Together they ate；
together they slept and wandered； they thought one thought and spoke
with one tongue。 Ou！ it was pretty to see them！ Twice while they were
still children did Umslopogaas save the life of Nada。
The first time it came about thus。 The two children had wandered far
from the kraal； seeking certain berries that little ones love。 On they
wandered and on； singing as they went； till at length they found the
berries； and ate heartily。 Then it was near sundown； and when they had
eaten they fell asleep。 In the night they woke to find a great wind
blowing and a cold rain falling on them； for it was the beginning of
winter； when fruits are ripe。
〃Up； Nada！〃 said Umslopogaas； 〃we must seek the kraal or the cold will
kill us。〃
So Nada rose； frightened； and hand in hand they stumbled through the
darkness。 But in the wind and the night they lost their path； and when
at length the dawn came they were in a forest that was strange to
them。 They rested awhile； and finding berries ate them； then walked
again。 All that day they wandered； till at last the night came down；
and they plucked branches of trees and piled the branches over them
for warmth； and they were so weary that they fell asleep in each
other's arms。 At dawn they rose； but now they were very tired and
berries were few； sot hat by midday they were spent。 Then they lay
down on the side of a steep hill； and Nada laid her head upon the
breast of Umslopogaas。
〃Here let us die； my brother；〃 she said。
But even then the boy had a great spirit； and he answered； 〃Time to
die； sister； when Death chooses us。 See； now！ Do you rest here； and I
will climb the hill and look across the forest。〃
So he left her and climbed the hill； and on its side he found many
berries and a root that is good for food； and filled himself with
them。 At length he came to the crest of the hill and looked out across
the sea of green。 Lo！ there； far away to the east； he saw a line of
white that lay like smoke against the black surface of a cliff； and
knew it for the waterfall beyond the royal town。 Then he came down the
hill； shouting for joy and bearing roots and berries in his hand。 But
when he reached the spot where Nada was； he found that her senses had
left her through hunger； cold； and weariness。 She lay upon the ground
like one asleep； and over her stood a jackal that fled as he drew
nigh。 Now it would seem that there but two shoots to the stick of
Umslopogaas。 One was to save himself； and the other to lie down and
die by Nada。 Yet he found a third； for； undoing the strips of his
moocha； he made ropes of them； and with the ropes he bound Nada on his
back and started for the king's