war-song rose upon the night; again the fierce thunder-roll of the tread
of hundreds of feet shook the ground. Again the circle of firelight was
alive with grim, threatening forms, swaying in measured time, to the
unearthly chant, to the accompaniment of the shaking of fantastic
adornments, to the quivering rattle of assegai hafts. For some minutes
this continued--then when the excitement was almost at its height, a
mysterious signal was given and the whole wild crowd dropped quickly
into its listening attitude again.

"Such is the word of the Amanglezi," went on the speaker. "Now hear the
word of Sarili, your father, the Paramount Chief, the father of all the
children of Xosa. Hear the word of the Great Chief conveyed by the
mouth of Hlangani, the herald--`Lo, the time has come when we must unite
in the strength of brethren. The Amanglezi are urging our very dogs on
to provoke us. The Amafengu are located on our borders, to taunt and
jeer at our young men--to lure our young women over into their kraals
that the very name of Gcaleka may be debased and defiled. Not a day
passes that this does not happen. Why do we not revenge this? Why do
we not execute a sudden and fearful vengeance upon these dogs who spit
at our name and nation? We dare not. The Amanglezi say: "Your dogs are
now our dogs. Touch them and we shall send armies of soldiers and you
will be eaten up"--But, dare we not? Dare we not? Answer me, all ye
children of the race of Xosa! I, Sarili, your father, call upon you--I,
Sarili, your chief. Answer! Show that the war-fire of our free and
warrior race is not dead. It has been smouldering for many years, but
it is not dead. It is ready to break forth as the destroying lightning
leaps from the black thunder-cloud. It is ready to blaze forth in its
strength and to consume all within its reach.

"`Where is my father, Hintza? Where is he who was lured into the white
man's camp by fair promises and then shot down? Do I not hear his
spirit calling unto me day and night. I cannot sleep, for the spirit of
my father is crying for vengeance. It is crying day and night from the
depths. Yet, not to me only. Who was Hintza? My father, yet not my
father only. The father of all the sons of Xosa!

"`Lo, the white Governor has summoned me, your chief, to meet him. He
has invited me, your chief, with fair promises to visit him at his camp.
Shall I go, that I, Sarili, may meet with the same dealing t