Part 5 (1/2)

The ground lay thus: On a long, low hill in front of our impi were ma.s.sed the regiments of Zwide; there were seventeen of them; the earth was black with their number; their plumes filled the air like snow. We, too, were on a hill, and between us lay a valley down which there ran a little stream. All night our fires shone out across the valley; all night the songs of soldiers echoed down the hills. Then the grey dawning came, the oxen lowed to the light, the regiments arose from their bed of spears; they sprang up and shook the dew from hair and s.h.i.+eld--yes! they arose! the glad to die! The impi a.s.sumed its array regiment by regiment.

There was the breast of spears, there were the horns of spears, they were numberless as the stars, and like the stars they shone. The morning breeze came up and fanned them, their plumes bent in the breeze; like a plain of seeding gra.s.s they bent, the plumes of the soldiers ripe for the a.s.segai. Up over the shoulder of the hill came the sun of Slaughter; it glowed red upon the red s.h.i.+elds, red grew the place of killing; the white plumes of the chiefs were dipped in the blood of heaven. They knew it; they saw the omen of death, and, ah! they laughed in the joy of the waking of battle. What was death? Was it not well to die on the spear?

What was death? Was it not well to die for the king? Death was the arms of Victory. Victory would be their bride that night, and oh! her breast is fair.

Hark! the war-song, the Ingomo, the music of which has the power to drive men mad, rose far away to the left, and was thrown along from regiment to regiment--a rolling ball of sound--

We are the king's kine, bred to be butchered, You, too, are one of us!

We are the Zulu, children of the Lion, What! did you tremble?

Suddenly Chaka was seen stalking through the ranks, followed by his captains, his indunas, and by me. He walked along like a great buck; death was in his eyes, and like a buck he sniffed the air, scenting the air of slaughter. He lifted his a.s.segai, and a silence fell; only the sound of chanting still rolled along the hills.

”Where are the children of Zwide?” he shouted, and his voice was like the voice of a bull.

”Yonder, father,” answered the regiments. And every spear pointed across the valley.

”They do not come,” he shouted again. ”Shall we then sit here till we grow old?”

”No, father,” they answered. ”Begin! begin!”

”Let the Umkandhlu regiment come forward!” he shouted a third time, and as he spoke the black s.h.i.+elds of the Umkandhlu leaped from the ranks of the impi.

”Go, my children!” cried Chaka. ”There is the foe. Go and return no more!”

”We hear you, father!” they answered with one voice, and moved down the slope like a countless herd of game with horns of steel.

Now they crossed the stream, and now Zwide awoke. A murmur went through his companies; lines of light played above his spears.

Ou! they are coming! Ou! they have met! Hearken to the thunder of the s.h.i.+elds! Hearken to the song of battle!

To and fro they swing. The Umkandhlu gives way--it flies! They pour back across the stream--half of them; the rest are dead. A howl of rage goes up from the host, only Chaka smiles.

”Open up! open up!” he cries. ”Make room for the Umkandhlu GIRLS!” And with hanging heads they pa.s.s us.

Now he whispers a word to the indunas. The indunas run; they whisper to Menziwa the general and to the captains; then two regiments rush down the hill, two more run to the right, and yet another two to the left.

But Chaka stays on the hill with the three that are left. Again comes the roar of the meeting s.h.i.+elds. Ah! these are men: they fight, they do not run. Regiment after regiment pours upon them, but still they stand.

They fall by hundreds and by thousands, but no man shows his back, and on each man there lie two dead. Wow! my father, of those two regiments not one escaped. They were but boys, but they were the children of Chaka. Menziwa was buried beneath the heaps of his warriors. Now there are no such men.

They are all dead and quiet. Chaka still holds his hand! He looks to the north and to the south. See! spears are s.h.i.+ning among the trees. Now the horns of our host close upon the flanks of the foe. They slay and are slain, but the men of Zwide are many and brave, and the battle turns against us.

Then again Chaka speaks a word. The captains hear, the soldiers stretch out their necks to listen.

It has come at last. ”Charge! Children of the Zulu!”

There is a roar, a thunder of feet, a flas.h.i.+ng of spears, a bending of plumes, and, like a river that has burnt its banks, like storm-clouds before the gale, we sweep down upon friend and foe. They form up to meet us; the stream is pa.s.sed; our wounded rise upon their haunches and wave us on. We trample them down. What matter? They can fight no more. Then we meet Zwide rus.h.i.+ng to greet us, as bull meets bull. Ou! my father, I know no more. Everything grows red. That fight! that fight! We swept them away. When it was done there was nothing to be seen, but the hillside was black and red. Few fled; few were left to fly. We pa.s.sed over them like fire; we ate them up. Presently we paused, looking for the foe. All were dead. The host of Zwide was no more. Then we mustered.

Ten regiments had looked upon the morning sun; three regiments saw the sun sink; the rest had gone where no suns s.h.i.+ne.

Such were our battles in the days of Chaka!

You ask of the Umkandhlu regiment which fled. I will tell you. When we reached our kraal once more, Chaka summoned that regiment and mustered it. He spoke to them gently, gently. He thanked them for their service.