e taken was of no worth to me, for who wishes to keep a beast
that is ever tearing and lowing at the gates of the kraal, disturbing
those who would sleep inside with her noise? Had you asked her of me,
I would have given her to you freely. I thank you for your offer, but I
need no more cows, especially if, like this one, they have no calves.
As for a wall between us, there is none, for how can two men who, if the
battle is to be won, must stand shoulder to shoulder, fight if divided
by a wall? O Son of the King, I am dreaming by day and night of the
battle and the victory, and I have forgotten all about the barren cow
that ran away after you, the great bull of the herd. Only do not be
surprised if one day you find that this cow has a sharp horn."

CHAPTER XII. PANDA'S PRAYER

About six weeks later, in the month of November, 1856, I chanced to
be at Nodwengu when the quarrel between the princes came to a head.
Although none of the regiments was actually allowed to enter the
town--that is, as a regiment--the place was full of people, all of them
in a state of great excitement, who came in during the daytime and went
to sleep in the neighbouring military kraals at night. One evening,
as some of these soldiers--about a thousand of them, if I remember
right--were returning to the Ukubaza kraal, a fight occurred between
them, which led to the final outbreak.

As it happened, at that time there were two separate regiments stationed
at this kraal. I think that they were the Imkulutshana and the Hlaba,
one of which favoured Cetewayo and the other Umbelazi. As certain
companies of each of these regiments marched along together in parallel
lines, two of their captains got into dispute on the eternal subject of
the succession to the throne. From words they came to blows, and the end
of it was that he who favoured Umbelazi killed him who favoured Cetewayo
with his kerry. Thereon the comrades of the slain man, raising a shout
of "Usutu," which became the war-cry of Cetewayo's party, fell upon the
others, and a dreadful combat ensued. Fortunately the soldiers were only
armed with sticks, or the slaughter would have been very great; but as
it was, after an indecisive engagement, about fifty men were killed and
many more injured.

Now, with my usual bad luck, I, who had gone out to shoot a few birds
for the pot--pauw, or bustard, I think they were--was returning across
this very plain to my old encampment in the kloof where M