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and　holder　of　the　axe；　and　also　they　did　homage　to　the　axe　itself。　So

Umslopogaas　became　chief　over　this　people；　and　their　number　was　many；

and　he　grew　great　and　fat　in　cattle　and　wives；　and　none　dared　to

gainsay　him。　From　time　to　time；　indeed；　a　man　ventured　to　stand　up

before　him　in　fight；　but　none　could　conquer　him；　and　in　a　little　while

no　one　sought　to　face　Groan…Maker　when　he　lifted　himself　to　peck。



Galazi　also　was　great　among　the　people；　but　dwelt　with　them　little；

for　best　he　loved　the　wild　woods　and　the　mountain's　breast；　and　often；

as　of　old；　he　swept　at　night　across　the　forest　and　the　plains；　and　the

howling　of　the　ghost…wolves　went　with　him。



But　henceforth　Umslopogaas　the　Slaughterer　hunted　very　rarely　with　the

wolves　at　night；　he　slept　at　the　side　of　Zinita；　and　she　loved　him

much　and　bore　him　children。







CHAPTER　XVIII



THE　CURSE　OF　BALEKA



Now；　my　father；　my　story　winds　back　again　as　the　river　bends　towards

its　source；　and　I　tell　of　those　events　which　happened　at　the　king's

kraal　of　Gibamaxegu；　which　you　white　people　name　Gibbeclack；　the　kraal

that　is　called　〃Pick…out…the…old…men；〃　for　it　was　there　that　Chaka

murdered　all　the　aged　who　were　unfit　for　war。



After　I；　Mopo；　had　stood　before　the　king；　and　he　had　given　me　new

wives　and　fat　cattle　and　a　kraal　to　dwell　in；　the　bones　of　Unandi；　the

Great　Mother　Elephant；　Mother　of　the　Heavens；　were　gathered　together

from　the　ashes　of　my　huts；　and　because　all　could　not　be　found；　some　of

the　bones　of　my　wives　were　collected　also　to　make　up　the　number。　But

Chaka　never　knew　this。　When　all　were　brought　together；　a　great　pit　was

dug　and　the　bones　were　set　out　in　order　in　the　pit　and　buried；　but　not

alone；　for　round　them　were　placed　twelve　maidens　of　the　servants　of

Unandi；　and　these　maidens　were　covered　over　with　the　earth；　and　left

to　die　in　the　pit　by　the　bones　of　Unandi；　their　mistress。　Moreover；

all　those　who　were　present　at　the　burial　were　made　into　a　regiment　and

commanded　that　they　should　dwell　by　the　grave　for　the　space　of　a　year。

They　were　many；　my　father；　but　I　was　not　one　of　them。　Also　Chaka　gave

orders　that　no　crops　should　be　sown　that　year；　that　the　milk　of　the

cows　should　be　spilled　upon　the　ground；　and　that　no　woman　should　give

birth　to　a　child　for　a　full　year；　and　that　if　any　should　dare　to　bear

children；　then　that　they　should　be　slain　and　their　husbands　with　them。

And　for　a　space　of　some　months　these　things　were　done；　my　father；　and

great　sorrow　came　upon　the　land。



Then　for　a　little　while　there　was　quiet；　and　Chaka　went　about　heavily；

and　he　wept　often；　and　we　who　waited　on　him　wept　also　as　we　walked；

till　at　length　it　came　about　by　use　that　we　could　weep　without　ceasing

for　many　hours。　No　angry　woman　can　weep　as　we　wept　in　those　days；　it

was　an　art；　my　father；　for　the　teaching　of　which　I　received　many

cattle；　for　woe　to　him　who　had　no　tears　in　those　days。　Then　it　was

also　that　Chaka　sent　out　the　captain　and　fifty　soldiers　to　search　for

Umslopogaas；　for；　though　he　said　nothing　more　to　me　of　this　matter；　he

did　not　believe　all　the　tale　that　I　had　told　him　of　the　death　of

Umslopogaas　in　the　jaws　of　a　lion　and　the　tale　of　those　who　were　with

me。　How　that　company　fared　at　the　hands　of　Umslopogaas　and　of　Galazi

the　Wolf；　and　at　the　fangs　of　the　people　black　and　grey；　I　have　told

you；　my　father。　None　of　them　ever　came　back　again。　In　after　days　it

was　reported　to　the　king　that　these　soldiers　were　missing；　never

having　returned；　but　he　only　laughed；　saying　that　the　lion　which　ate

Umslopogaas；　son　of　Mopo；　was　a　fierce　one；　and　had　eaten　them　also。



At　last　came　the　night　of　the　new　moon；　that　dreadful　night　to　be

followed　by　a　more　dreadful　morrow。　I　sat　in　the　kraal　of　Chaka；　and

he　put　his　arm　about　my　neck　and　groaned　and　wept　for　his　mother；　whom

he　had　murdered；　and　I　groaned　also；　but　I　did　not　weep；　because　it

was　dark；　and　on　the　morrow　I　must　weep　much　in　the　sight　of　king　and

men。　Therefore；　I　spared　my　tears；　lest　they　should　fail　me　in　my

need。



All　night　long　the　people　drew　on　from　every　side　towards　the　kraal；

and；　as　they　came　in　thousands　and　tens　of　thousands；　they　filled　the

night　with　their　cries；　till　it　seemed　as　though　the　whole　world　were

mourning；　and　loudly。　None　might　cease　their　crying；　and　none　dared　to

drink　so　much　as　a　cup　of　water。　The　daylight　came；　and　Chaka　rose；

saying；　〃Come；　let　us　go　forth；　Mopo；　and　look　on　those　who　mourn　with

us。〃　So　we　went　out；　and　after　us　came　men　armed　with　clubs　to　do　the

bidding　of　the　king。



Outside　the　kraal　the　people　were　gathered；　and　their　number　was

countless　as　the　leaves　upon　the　trees。　On　every　side　the　land　was

black　with　them；　as　at　times　the　veldt　is　black　with　game。　When　they

saw　the　king　they　ceased　from　their　howling　and　sang　the　war…song；

then　once　again　they　howled；　and　Chaka　walked　among　them　weeping。　Now；

my　father；　the　sight　became　dreadful；　for；　as　the　sun　rose　higher　the

day　grew　hot；　and　utter　weariness　came　upon　the　people；　who　were

packed　together　like　herds　of　cattle；　and；　though　oxen　slain　in

sacrifice　lay　around；　they　might　neither　eat　nor　drink。　Some　fell　to

the　ground；　and　were　trampled　to　death；　others　took　too　much　snuff　to

make　them　weep；　others　stained　their　eyes　with　saliva；　others　walked

to　and　fro；　their　tongues　hanging　from　their　jaws；　while　groans　broke

from　their　parched　throats。



〃Now；　Mopo；　we　shall　learn　who　are　the　wizards　that　have　brought　these

ills　upon　us；〃　said　the　king；　〃and　who　are　the　true…hearted　men。〃



As　we　spoke　we　cam　upon　a　man；　a　chief　of　renown。　He　was　named

Zwaumbana；　chief　of　the　Amabovus；　and　with　him　were　his　wives　and

followers。　This　man　could　weep　no　more；　he　gasped　with　thirst　and

heat。　The　king　looked　at　him。



〃See；　Mopo；〃　he　said；　〃see　that　brute　who　has　no　tears　for　my　mother

who　is　dead！　Oh；　the　monster　without　a　heart！　Shall　such　as　he　live　to

look　upon　the　sun；　while　I　and　thou　must　weep；　Mopo？　Never！　never！

Take　him　away；　and　all　those　who　are　with　him！　Take　them　away；　the

people　without　hearts；　who　do　not　weep　because　my　mother　is　dead　by

witchcraft！〃



And　Chaka　walked　on　weeping；　and　I　followed　also　weeping；　but　the

chief　Zwaumbana　and　those　with　him　were　all　slain　by　those　who　do　the

bidding　of　the　king；　and　the　slayers　also　must　weep　as　they　slew。

Presently　we　came　upon　another　man；　who；　seeing　the　king；　took　snuff

secretly　to　bring　tears　to　his　eyes。　But　the　glance　of　Chaka　was

quick；　and　he　noted　it。



〃Look　at　him；　Mopo；〃　he　said；　〃look　at　the　wizard　who　has　no　tears；

though　my　mother　is　dead　by　witchcraft。　See；　he　takes　snuff　to　bring

tears　to　his　eyes　that　are　dry　with　wickedness。　Take　him　away；　the

heartless　brute！　Oh；　take　him　away！〃



So　this　one　also　was　killed；　and　these　were　but　the　first　of

thousands；　for　presently　Chaka　grew　mad　with　wickedness；　with　fury；

and　with　the　lust　of　blood。　He　walked　to　and　fro；　weeping；　going　now

and　again　into　his　hut　to　drink　beer；　and　I　with　him；　for　he　said　that

we　who　sorrowed　must　have　food。　And　ever　as　he　walked　he　would　wave

his　arm　or　his　assegai；　saying；　〃Take　them　away；　the　heartless　brutes；

who　do　not　weep　because　my　mother　is　dead；〃　and　those　who　chanced　to

stand　before　his　arm　were　killed；　till　at　length　the　slayers　could

slay　no　more；　and　themselves　were　slain；　because　their　strength　had

failed　them；　and　they　had　no　more　tears。　And　I　also；　I　must　slay；　lest

if　I　slew　not　I　should　myself　be　slain。



And　now；　at　length；　the　people　also　went　mad　with　their　thirst　and　the

fury　of　their　fear。　They　fell　upon　each　other；　killing　each　other；

every　man　who　had　a　foe　sought　him　out　and　killed　him。　None　were

spared；　the　place　was　but　a　shambles；　there　on　that　day　died　full

seven　thousand　men；　and　still　Chaka　walked　weeping　among　them；　saying；

〃Take　them　away；　the　heartless　brutes；　take　them　away！〃　Yet；　my

father；　there　was　cunning　in　his　cruelty；　for　though　he　destroyed　m