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medicines and again bound the mat about the bundle。 But round the
throat of the still…born babe I tied a string of fibre as though I had
strangled it； and wrapped it loosely in a piece of matting。
Now for the first time I spoke to Baleka： 〃Woman；〃 I said； 〃and thou
also； Mother of the Heavens； I have done your wish； but know that
before all is finished this deed shall bring about the death of many。
Be secret as the grave； for the grave yawns for you both。〃
I went again； bearing the mat containing the dead child in my right
hand。 But the bundle of medicines that held the living one I fastened
across my shoulders。 I passed out of the Emposeni； and； as I went； I
held up the bundle in my right hand to the guards； showing them that
which was in it； but saying nothing。
〃It is good；〃 they said； nodding。
But now ill…fortune found me； for just outside the Emposeni I met
three of the king's messengers。
〃Greeting； son of Makedama！〃 they said。 〃The king summons you to the
Intunkulu〃that is the royal house； my father。
〃Good！〃 I answered。 〃I will come now； but first I would run to my own
place to see how it goes with Macropha； my wife。 Here is that which
the king seeks；〃 and I showed them the dead child。 〃Take it to him if
you will。〃
〃That is not the king's command； Mopo；〃 they answered。 〃His word is
that you should stand before him at once。〃
Now my heart turned to water in my breast。 Kings have many ears。 Could
he have heard？ And how dared I go before the Lion bearing his living
child hidden on my back？ Yet to waver was to be lost； to show fear was
to be lost； to disobey was to be lost。
〃Good！ I come；〃 I answered。 And we walked to the gate of the
Intunkulu。
It was sundown。 Chaka was sitting in the little courtyard in front of
his hut。 I went down on my knees before him and gave the royal salute；
Bayete； and so I stayed。
〃Rise； son of Makedama！〃 he said。
〃I cannot rise； Lion of the Zulu；〃 I answered； 〃I cannot rise； having
royal blood on my hands； till the king has pardoned me。〃
〃Where is it？〃 he asked。
I pointed to the mat in my hand。
〃Let me look at it。〃
Then I undid the mat； and he looked on the child； and laughed aloud。
〃He might have been a king；〃 he said； as he bade a councillor take it
away。 〃Mopo； thou hast slain one who might have been a king。 Art thou
not afraid？〃
〃No； Black One；〃 I answered； 〃the child is killed by order of one who
is a king。〃
〃Sit down； and let us talk；〃 said Chaka； for his mood was idle。 〃To…
morrow thou shalt have five oxen for this deed； thou shalt choose them
from the royal herd。〃
〃The king is good； he sees that my belt is drawn tight； he satisfies
my hunger。 Will the king suffer that I go？ My wife is in labour and I
would visit her。〃
〃Nay； stay awhile； say how it is with Baleka； my sister and thine？〃
〃It is well。〃
〃Did she weep when you took the babe from her？〃
〃Nay； she wept not。 She said； 'My lord's will is my will。'〃
〃Good！ Had she wept she had been slain also。 Who was with her？〃
〃The Mother of the Heavens。〃
The brow of Chaka darkened。 〃Unandi； my mother； what did she there？ My
myself I swear； though she is my motherif I thought〃and he ceased。
Thee was a silence； then he spoke again。 〃Say； what is in that mat？〃
and he pointed with his little assegai at the bundle on my shoulders。
〃Medicine； king。〃
〃Thou dost carry enough to doctor an impi。 Undo the mat and let me
look at it。〃
Now； my father； I tell you that the marrow melted in my bones with
terror； for if I undid the mat I feared he must see the child and
then〃
〃It is tagati； it is bewitched； O king。 It is not wise to look on
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 c