See!
but now two of us are dead at their hands, and others lie dead along the
road. Suffer that we slay them."

"Ask that of the Elephant," said the soldiers; "ask too that he suffer
you should not be slain."

Just then the tall chief saw blood and heard words. He stalked up; and
he was a great man to look at, though still quite young in years. For
he was taller by a head than any round him, and his chest was big as the
chests of two; his face was fierce and beautiful, and when he grew angry
his eye flashed like a smitten brand.

"Who are these that dare to stir up dust at the gates of my kraal?" he
asked, frowning.

"O Chaka, O Elephant!" answered the captain of the soldiers, bending
himself double before him, "the men say that these are evildoers and
that they pursue them to kill them."

"Good!" he answered. "Let them slay the evildoers."

"O great chief! thanks be to thee, great chief!" said those men of my
people who sought to kill us.

"I hear you," he answered, then spoke once more to the captain. "And
when they have slain the evildoers, let themselves be blinded and turned
loose to seek their way home, because they have dared to lift a spear
within the Zulu gates. Now praise on, my children!" And he laughed,
while the soldiers murmured, "Ou! he is wise, he is great, his justice
is bright and terrible like the sun!"

But the two men of my people cried out in fear, for they did not seek
such justice as this.

"Cut out their tongues also," said Chaka. "What? shall the land of the
Zulus suffer such a noise? Never! lest the cattle miscarry. To it, ye
black ones! There lies the girl. She is asleep and helpless. Kill her!
What? you hesitate? Nay, then, if you will have time for thought, I give
it. Take these men, smear them with honey, and pin them over ant-heaps;
by to-morrow's sun they will know their own minds. But first kill these
two hunted jackals," and he pointed to Baleka and myself. "They seem
tired and doubtless they long for sleep."

Then for the first time I spoke, for the soldiers drew near to slay us.

"O Chaka," I cried, "I am Mopo, and this is my sister Baleka."

I stopped, and a great shout of laughter went up from all who stood
round.

"Very well, Mopo and thy sister Baleka," said Chaka, grimly.
"Good-morning to you, Mopo and Baleka--also, good-night!"

"O Chaka," I broke in, "I am Mopo, son of Makedama of the Langeni tribe.
It was I who gave thee a gourd of water many years ago, when