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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 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