Part 24 (1/2)

”Who held the royal spear?” asked Umhlangana.

”The Prince Dingaan held it--in the dream of Chaka--O Umhlangana, sprung from the root of kings!--and it dripped blood.”

Now the face of Umhlangana grew dark as night, but that of Dingaan brightened like the dawn.

”Chaka dreamed this also: that I, Mopo, your dog, who am not worthy to be mentioned with such names, came up and gave the royal salute, even the Bayete.”

”To whom didst thou give the Bayete, O Mopo, son of Makedama?” asked both of the princes as with one breath, waiting on my words.

”I gave it to both of you, O twin stars of the morning, princes of the Zulu--in the dream of Chaka I gave it to both of you.”

Now the princes looked this way and that, and were silent, not knowing what to say, for these princes hated each other, though adversity and fear had brought them to one bed.

”But what avails it to talk thus, ye lords of the land,” I went on, ”seeing that, both of you, ye are already as dead men, and that vultures which are hungry to-night to-morrow shall be filled with meat of the best? Chaka the king is now a Doctor of Dreams, and to clear away such a dream as this he has a purging medicine.”

Now the brows of these brothers grew black indeed, for they saw that their fate was on them.

”These are the words of Chaka the king, O ye bulls who lead the herd!

All are doomed, ye twain and I, and many another man who loves us.

In the great kraal beyond the river there sits a regiment: it is summoned--and then--good-night! Have ye any words to say to those yet left upon the earth? Perhaps it will be given to me to live a little while after ye are gone, and I may bring them to their ears.”

”Can we not rise up now and fall upon Chaka?” asked Dingaan.

”It is not possible,” I said; ”the king is guarded.”

”Hast thou no plan, Mopo?” groaned Umhlangana. ”Methinks thou hast a plan to save us.”

”And if I have a plan, ye Princes, what shall be my reward? It must be great, for I am weary of life, and I will not use my wisdom for a little thing.”

Now both the princes offered me good things, each of them promising more than the other, as two young men who are rivals promise to the father of a girl whom both would wed. I listened, saying always that it was not enough, till in the end both of them swore by their heads, and by the bones of Senzangacona, their father, and by many other things, that I should be the first man in the land, after them, its kings, and should command the impis of the land, if I would but show them a way to kill Chaka and become kings. Then, when they had done swearing, I spoke, weighing my words:--

”In the great kraal beyond the river, O ye Princes, there sit, not one regiment but two. One is named the Slayers and loves Chaka the king, who has done well by them, giving them cattle and wives. The other is named the Bees, and that regiment is hungry and longs for cattle and girls; moreover, of that regiment the Prince Umhlangana is the general, and it loves him. Now this is my plan--to summon the Bees in the name of Umhlangana, not the Slayers in the name of Chaka. Bend forward, O Princes, that I may whisper in your ears.”

So they bent forward, and I whispered awhile of the death of a king, and the sons of Senzangacona nodded their heads as one man in answer. Then I rose up, and crept from the hut as I had entered it, and rousing certain trusty messengers, I dispatched them, running swiftly through the night.

CHAPTER XXI. THE DEATH OF CHAKA

Now, on the morrow, two hours before midday, Chaka came from the hut where he had sat through the night, and moved to a little kraal surrounded by a fence that was some fifty paces distant from the hut.

For it was my duty, day by day, to choose that place where the king should sit to hear the counsel of his indunas, and give judgment on those whom he would kill, and to-day I had chosen this place. Chaka went alone from his hut to the kraal, and, for my own reasons, I accompanied him, walking after him. As we went the king glanced back at me over his shoulder, and said in a low voice:--

”Is all prepared, Mopo?”

”All is prepared, Black One,” I answered. ”The regiment of the Slayers will be here by noon.”

”Where are the princes, Mopo?” asked the king again.

”The princes sit with their wives in the houses of their women, O King,”

I answered; ”they drink beer and sleep in the laps of their wives.”