Part 28 (1/2)
”Nay, Macuive orders that whoever conquers, the ainst you shall die In this matter, at least, I shall not be disobeyed Oh! I pray you, do not desert iment that I shall send and breathe your wisdom into the ear of my son, Umbelazi As for your reward, I swear to you by the head of the Black One [Chaka] that it shall be great I will see to it that you do not leave Zululand empty-handed, Macumazahn”
Still I hesitated, for I ht,” exclaimed Panda, ”you will not desert me, will you? I am afraid for the son of my heart, Umbelazi, whom I love above all my children; I am much afraid for Umbelazi,” and he burst into tears before ht of the old King weeping for his best-beloved child, whoot o down to the battle with your regiment and stand there by the side of the Prince Umbelazi”
CHAPTER XIII UMBELAZI THE FALLEN
So I stayed on at Nodwengu, who, indeed, had no choice in the matter, and was very wretched and ill at ease The place was aliqu and the Ais Chaka, Dingaan and Panda all belonged in turn Most of the head forces to fight for Cetewayo or Ureater part of the woone to hide the the mountains, since none kneould happen, or if the conquering army would not fall upon and destroy them
A few councillors, however, reeneral, who had once brought e of the pills”
Several tiht and told athered that so delayed; also that Uround, a plain near the banks of the Tugela
”Why has he done this,” I asked, ”seeing that then he will have a broad river behind him, and if he is defeated water can kill as well as spears?”
”I know not for certain,” answered Maputa; ”but it is said because of a dreaeneral, has dreamed thrice, which dream declares that there and there alone Umbelazi will find honour At any rate, he has chosen this place; and I am told that all the women and children of his ar the banks of the river, so that they s,” I asked, ”ith to fly over the Tugela 'in wrath,' as it well may be after the rains? Oh, surely his Spirit has turned from Umbelazi!”
”Aye, Macumazahn,” he answered, ”I, too, think that ufulatewe idhlozi [that is, his own Spirit] has turned its back on hiood councillor Indeed, were I the prince,” added the old fellow shrewdly, ”I would not keep him whose wife I had stolen as the whisperer in ood-bye
Two days later, early in the ain and said that Panda wished to seeseated and before hiiht,” he said, ”I have news that the great battle between my sons will take place within a few days Therefore I aiment, under the command of Maputa the skilled in war to spy out the battle, and I pray that you will go with it, that you ive to the General Maputa and to the captains the help of your wisdom Now these are my orders to you, Maputa, and to you, O captains--that you take no part in the fight unless you should see that the Elephant, my son U him out if you can and save him alive Now repeatwith one voice
”Your answer, O Macu, I have told you that I will go--though I do not like war--and I will keep my promise,” I replied
”Then make ready, Macuions and handed them over to the care of soe of them Also Scowl and I saddled our horses, for this faithful fellow insisted upon accoot out our rifles and as much ammunition as we could possibly need, and with thes done, we rode back to the gathering-place, taking farewell of the wagons with a sad heart, since I, for one, never expected to see theiment of the Ae or over, nearly four thousand strong, was round, where they stood coht they were, with their white fighting-shi+elds, their glea spears, their otter-skin caps, their kilts and arret plumes which they wore upon their brows We rode to the head of thereeted me with a cheer of welcome, for in those days a white man was a power in the land Moreover, as I have said, the Zulus knew and liked me well Also the fact that I was to watch, or perchance to fight with theood heart into the Amawombe
There we stood until the lads, several hundreds of the vessels and drove the cattle that were to be our co line Then suddenly Panda appeared out of his hut, accompanied by a few servants, and see dust or powdered h what this ceremony meant I did not understand
When he had finished Maputa raised a spear, whereon the whole regiment, in perfect time, shouted out the royal salute, ”Bayete”, with a sound like that of thunder Thrice they repeated this treain Maputa raised his spear, and all the four thousand voices broke out into the Ingo an our march As I do not think it has ever been written down, I will quote the words They ran thus:
”Ba ya m'zonda, Ba ya m'loyisa, Izizwe zonke, Ba zond', Inkoosi”[]
[--Literally translated, this famous chant, now, I think, published for the first tiain pass the lips of a Zulu impi, ] hatred, They call down curses on his head, All of theo down to battleto hear--EDITOR]
The spirit of this fierce Ingoesture and inflection of voice, not the exact words, re ination, may perhaps be rendered solish verse is almost impossible--at any rate, todefying