f 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 pass 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 shields. 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 shining 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 flashing 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 passed; 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 rushing 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 passed
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 shine.

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.