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Updated: May 4, 2025
It was on the day after the impi had left that Masilo came to the kraal Duguza, craving leave to speak with the king. Chaka sat before his hut, and with him were Dingaan and Umhlangana, his royal brothers. I was there also, and certain of the indunas, councillors of the king. Chaka was weary that morning, for he had slept badly, as now he always did.
Take these men, smear them with honey, and pin them over ant-heaps; by to-morrow's sun they will know their own minds. But first kill these two hunted jackals," and he pointed to Baleka and myself. "They seem tired and doubtless they long for sleep." Then for the first time I spoke, for the soldiers drew near to slay us. "O Chaka," I cried, "I am Mopo, and this is my sister Baleka."
"Is it indeed so?" I answered. "The king's will be done. I wearied of those brawling women." "So, Mopo," said the soldier; "but to get other wives and have more children born to you, you must live yourself, for no children are born to the dead, and I think that Chaka has an assegai which you shall kiss." "Is it so?" I answered. "The king's will be done. The sun is hot, and I tire of the road.
"I came from Swaziland from the tribe of the Halakazi, which I should rule. This is the story: Siguyana, my grandfather, was a younger brother of Senzangacona, the father of Chaka. But he quarrelled with Senzangacona, and became a wanderer.
"Who wore the royal kaross?" asked Dingaan, eagerly; and both looked up, waiting on my words. "The Prince Umhlangana wore it in the dream of Chaka O Dingaan, shoot of a royal stock!" I answered slowly, taking snuff as I spoke, and watching the two of them over the edge of my snuff-spoon. Now Dingaan scowled heavily at Umhlangana; but the face of Umhlangana was as the morning sky.
"'He is named Umslopogaas the Slaughterer, son of Chaka, Lion of the Zulu." Now Umslopogaas started up from his place by the fire. "I am named Umslopogaas," he said, "but the Slaughterer I am not named, and I am the son of Mopo, and not the son of Chaka, Lion of the Zulu; you have dreamed a dream, Galazi, or, if it was no dream, then the Dead One lied to you."
"O Chaka, O Elephant!" answered the captain of the soldiers, bending himself double before him, "the men say that these are evildoers and that they pursue them to kill them." "Good!" he answered. "Let them slay the evildoers." "O great chief! thanks be to thee, great chief!" said those men of my people who sought to kill us. "I hear you," he answered, then spoke once more to the captain.
The Caffres themselves state that they formerly came from the northward, and won their territory by conquest; and the Hottentots have the same tradition as regards themselves. Having separated from Chaka, Quetoo could find no resting-place, and he therefore came to the southward, with the intention of wresting the territory from the Caffres, in which he has failed.
Umhlangana smote him on the left shoulder, Dingaan struck him in the right side. Chaka dropped the little spear handled with the red wood and looked round, and so royally that the princes, his brothers, grew afraid and shrank away from him. Twice he looked on each; then he spoke, saying: "What! do you slay me, my brothers dogs of mine own house, whom I have fed?
This he said meaning Chaka his brother, only he did not name him, for now the name of Chaka was blonipa in the land, as is the custom with the names of dead kings that is, my father, it was not lawful that it should pass the lips. "I remember the words, O King," I answered.
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