o loved me also. Both are dead and the Halakazi have
killed them. This man, the mouth of Dingaan," and he pointed to me,
Mopo, "this man says that if I can stamp out the Halakazi and make
captive of the Lily maid, I shall win the heart of Dingaan. Little do
I care for Dingaan, I who would go my way alone, and live while I
may live, and die when I must, by the hands of Dingaan as by those of
another--what does it matter? Yet, for this reason, because of the death
of Macropha, my mother, and Nada, the sister who was dear to me, I will
make war upon these Halakazi and conquer them, or be conquered by them.
Perhaps, O Mouth of Dingaan, you will see me soon at the king's kraal
on the Mahlabatine, and with me the Lily maid and the cattle of the
Halakazi; or perhaps you shall not see me, and then you will know that I
am dead, and the Warriors of the Axe are no more."

So Umslopogaas spoke to me before Galazi the Wolf, but afterwards he
embraced me and bade me farewell, for he had no great hope that we
should meet again. And I also doubted it; for, as Galazi said, the
adventure was great; yet, as I had seen many times, it is the bold
thrower who oftenest wins. So we parted--I to return to Dingaan and tell
him that Bulalio, Chief of the People of the Axe, had gone up against
the Halakazi to win the Lily maid and bring her to him in atonement;
while Umslopogaas remained to make ready his impi for war.

I went swiftly from the Ghost Mountain back to the kraal Umgugundhlovu,
and presented myself before Dingaan, who at first looked on me coldly.
But when I told him my message, and how that the Chief Bulalio the
Slaughterer had taken the war-path to win him the Lily, his manner
changed. He took me by the hand and said that I had done well, and he
had been foolish to doubt me when I lifted up my voice to persuade him
from sending an impi against the Halakazi. Now he saw that it was my
purpose to rake this Halakazi fire with another hand than his, and to
save his hand from the burning, and he thanked me.

Moreover, he said, that if this Chief of the People of the Axe brought
him the maid his heart desired, not only would he forgive him the words
he had spoken by the mouth of Masilo to the Black One who was dead, but
also all the cattle of the Halakazi should be his, and he would make him
great in the land. I answered that all this was as the king willed. I
had but done my duty by the king and worked so that, whatever befell, a
proud