Part 13 (1/2)
”_Hau_!” I cried, with a very dissatisfied shake of the head ”That which is distant is ever that which is uncertain” For this proposition startled me It reminded me too much of past foolishness Once before I had sacrificed my chances as a warrior, had deserted my people, and had throay irl, and had found the position so little to ed it for certain death I had not found the death I expected, but life and great honour; yet that was a marvel, and such marvels do not occur tithin the experience of any one reatly, but I desired her as a favourite wife of the King's _induna_--not as the raced runaway Wherefore her proposal found but little favour in ht she had s, of Tauane and the nation we had destroyed; but of her powers as a sorceress she would tellthat people And I sat and listened to her talk, for I was young in those days, and the sound of her voice was toof water in a sun-dried land I know not how it is a ourselves, e are yet young, we are ever as fools in such matters; e are older--ah, then it is different
While we talked, her eye fell uponfor it, she exaly
”Worthy to be wielded by Tshaka himself,” shethe haft, which was dark-red then, although it is now black with age ”Truly a royal weapon!”
”And a royal weapon it is,” I answered, ”for I had it from Umzilikazi's own hand”
”Ha! And hoas that?” she asked eagerly But I looked knowing and laughed
”Nothing for nothing, Lalusini,” I said ”Tell 's assegai And I pro one”
But she would not Nevertheless, I told her eza she looked up quickly ”How many wives have you, Untuswa?” she asked
”Only three But my _inkosikazi_ is more trouble than any thirty ordinary women, for she wants to be chief over eza for whom you deserted your nation and incurred death under its most terrible form?” she said
I answered that it was
”And you want o and be second to your _inkosikazi_, Untuswa!”
”Not so, for you would ever be my favourite wife”
”Until you found some other Mystery Queen hidden in a, for aa woins to swioes in, but cannot tell where heourselves; I know not if it is the sa?” she said ”How many wives has he?”
”That question is hard to answer A great many does he possess, yet he cares not for any of them, neither does he love worains of the _u, but soon grows hard and tooth-breaking, and needsto turn it onceoften spoken e have been talking together”
How Lalusini laughed, and it was good to hear her laugh, even as to hear her talk
”_Yau_!” she cried ”I do not think I will enter the _isiGodhlo_ of Umzilikazi”
”But what if no choice is allowed you?”
”But there will be There is that by which Umzilikazi dare not wed me”
Now I cried out in wonder, yet was reater than your King, son of Ntelani”
”Then akona hi, and that is Dingane, who now sits in the seat of Tshaka”
[Senzangakona was father of Tshaka, the founder of the Zulu ly, and then, seeing that the shadoere getting long, I rose and, going to the entrance of the place, I dragged in the carcass of a buck I had slain onher, Lalusini had no food but dry corn Of water she had abundance, for a little clear spring trickled down the rock at the further end of the place, losing itself in a dark cleft; but only at night could she make a fire, for then alone there was no risk of the sht--of a small fire, at any rate--was quite hidden froht,” I said, looking upward at the great gloo a the dry bones wherein they dhen alive?”
”I fear not such things, Untuswa What I fear h to keep out a lion I have heard upon theaht try to force his way in here”