Part 16 (1/2)

They were both of e--it is always difficult to arrive at a Zulu's exact years--and both fine young er countenance It was said that he resembled that fierce and able monster, Chaka the Wild Beast, his uncle, and certainly I perceived in hiaan, Umpanda's predecessor, whom I had known but too hen I was a lad He had the sary his mouth shut itself in the same iron fashi+on

Of Umbelazi it is difficult for me to speak without enthusiasm As Mameena was the h it is true that old war-dog, Uaas, a friend of mine who does not come into this story, used to tell me that Nada the Lily, whom I have mentioned, was even lovelier--so Umbelazi was by far the most splendid man Indeed, the Zulus nain with, he stood at least three inches above the tallest of thenised hih the dust of a desperate battle, and his breadth was proportionate to his stature Then he was perfectly , like Saduko's, in small hands and feet His face, too, ell-cut and open, his colour lighter than Cetewayo's, and his eyes, which always seee and dark

Even before they passed the sate of the inner fence it was easy for me to see that this royal pair were not upon the best of terh it first, to show his right of precedence The result was soateway Here, however, Uth, he squeezed his brother into the reeds of the fence, and won through a foot or so in front of hirow too fat, my brother,” I heard Cetewayo say, and saw hiai in my hand you would have been cut”

”I know it, h, ”but I knew also that nonearmed Had it been otherwise, I would rather have followed after you”

Now, at this hint of Umbelazi's, that he would not trust his brother behind his back with a spear, although it seemed to be conveyed in jest, I saw Panda shi+ft uneasily on his seat, while Cetewayo scowled even more ominously than before However, no further words passed between the side by side, they saluted hi out ”Baba!”--that is, Father

”Greeting,hastily, for he foresaw a quarrel as to which of theht: ”Sit there in front of me, both of you, and, Macumazahn, do you come hither,” and he pointed to the coveted place ”I a”

So these brothers sat therieved to find this way out of their rivalry; but first they shook hands with h not well, and even in this small matter the old trouble arose, since there was some difficulty as to which of them should first offer me his hand

Ultimately, I remember, Ceteon this trick

When these preli:

”My sons, I have sent for you to ask your counsel upon a certain row” And he paused to take snuff, whereon both of them ejaculated:

”We hear you, Father”

”Well, my sons, the matter is that of Saduko, the son of Matiwane, chief of the Ao by leave of Hiu, as you know, has for some time been a thorn in my foot--a thorn that caused it to fester--and yet I did not wish to make war on hi, 'He is yours, if you can kill him; and his cattle are yours' Well, Saduko is not dull With the help of this white u and taken his cattle, and alreadyto heal”

”We have heard it,” said Cetewayo

”It was a great deed,” added Uenerous critic

”Yes,” continued Panda, ”I, too, think it was a great deed, seeing that Saduko had but a siment of wanderers to back him--”

”Nay,” interrupted Cetewayo, ”it was not those eaters of rats on him the day, it was the wisdom of this Macumazahn”

”Macumazahn's wisdoe of Saduko and his rats,” commented Umbelazi, and fro sides for and against Saduko, as they did upon every other ht of whatever was in question, but because they wished to oppose each other

”Quite so,” went on the King; ”I agree with both of you, my sons But the point is this: I think Saduko a man of promise, and one who should be advanced that he may learn to love us all, especially as his House has suffered wrong froone listened to the evil counsel of Bangu, and allowed him to kill out Matiwane's tribe without just cause Therefore, in order to wipe away this stain and bind Saduko to us, I think it well to re-establish Saduko in the chieftainshi+p of the Aive him also the chieftainshi+p of the Amakoba, of whom it seems that the woh he already holds their cattle which he has captured in war”

”As the King pleases,” said U to the case of Saduko

But Cetewayo said nothing, for he appeared to be thinking of so else

”I think also,” went on Panda in a rather uncertain voice, ”in order to bind him so close that the bonds ive hie”

”Why should this little Awane be allowed toup ”If he is dangerous, why not kill him, and have done?”

”For this reason, my son There is trouble ahead in Zululand, and I do not wish to kill those who may help us in that hour, nor do I wish them to become our enemies I wish that they may be our friends; and therefore it seereatness, to water it, and not to dig it up or plant it in a neighbour's garden From his deeds I believe that this Saduko is such a seed”

”Our father has spoken,” said Uood blood Which of our sisters does our father propose to give to him?”