Nada the Lily

on the fifth morning I rose up, together with those with me, and we turned our faces towards the king

king's men?"

ver to us your wife Macropha and your children Umslopogaas

y now in the caves of the Swazis, and the king must seek them there with an army if he will find them. To Macropha he is welcome, for I hate her, a

knew well that my wife and chil

d the soldier, laughing, "for all those b

and my tongue clove to my lips. "The will of the king be don

get new wives, for yours are

"The king's will be done. I w

ildren born to you, you must live yourself, for no children are born t

done. The sun is hot, and I tire of the ro

and Nada were gone, Umslopogaas was dead, and my other wives and children were murdered. I had no heart

into Swaziland. They said, Yes, it was true. Then the soldiers said that they would lead me back to the king, and I wondered at this,

e Anadi lay sick, having his toy assegai, with the shaft of the royal red wood, in his hand. Now, as it chanced, in the hut were Unandi, the mother of Chaka, and Baleka, my sister, the wife of Chaka, for, not knowing that I had taken away Umslopogaas, the son of Baleka, according to their custom, these two foolish women had come to kiss and fondle the lad. But when they entered the hut

ety of sug

e him and praised him. But he smiled grimly, and bade them be seated. Then he spoke to them, saying, "You wonder, Unandi, my mother, and Baleka, my wife, why it is that I am come here into the hut of Mopo, son of Makedama. I will tel

gentle they shook with fear, for when Chaka spoke thus gently he meant death to many. But Unandi, Mother of the Heavens, a

my mother and sister, to see you kissing yonder child. Sure

and utter foolish words in her wandering. But the prayer was answered from below and not from above, for Anad

hut. "Kiss him, Mother of the Heavens, kiss him! Whom do they call him, the young cub who brings ill-fortune to our doors?

Macropha," said the king in a low v

round before him, for they were mad with fear. "Ask her not; she has strange fancies su

anderings. Perhaps some star of truth shines in her da

He is-do you listen? He is-the son of Chaka and Baleka, the sister of Mopo, the changeling whom Unandi, Mother of the Heavens, palmed off upon this house to br

t listen to her; it is false. The boy is her own s

wouldst give a son to me who will have no son: thou wouldst give me a son to kill me. Good! Mother of the Heavens, take thou the doom of the Heavens! Thou wouldst give me a son to slay m

f Senzangacona, stood uttering no cry. Then she pu

a the Evil!" she cried, and f

Chaka murder h

uld not stop her. But when she reached her own hut Baleka's strength failed her, and she fell senseless on the ground. But the boy Moosa,

s the people rushed out they killed them, and those who did not run out were burned in the fire. Thus, then, perished all my wives, my children, my servants, and

g them kill Macropha, my wife, and Nada, my daughter, and him who was named my son. But

What had I left to keep me in the place of life, seeing that all whom I loved were dead or gone? To die would be easy, for I knew the ways of death. In my girdle I carried a secret medicine; he who eats of it, my father, will see the sun's shadow move no more, and will never look upon the stars again. But I was minded to know the assegai o

t the king had not killed her I did not know then. Also another thought was born in my heart. While life remained to me, I might be revenged upon him who had wrought me this woe; but can the dead strike? Alas! the dead are strengthless, and if they still have hearts to suffer, they have no hands to give back blow for blow. Nay, I

e passed through the gates. Still, as he had been commanded, the captain of those who watched me went in before the king and told him that I lay wi

e royal house, and pushed me thr

e of the fire, looking towards the opening of the hut, and the smoke from the fire wre

g and called him by his royal names. The councillors sprang towards me to seize me again, but Chaka said, "Let him be; I would talk with my servant." Then the councillors bowed themselv

mber, Mopo, son of Makedama," said Chaka. "Ha

t honestly, O k

of the cattle and of their mar

is asleep. But I knew that he did not sleep, for all the while the firelight flickered in his fierce eyes. Also I knew that

men left in the land. Knowest thou, Mopo, that sorrow h

" I answered, as one who

f Heaven has fallen upon thy kraal. They tell me, Mopo,

heard it

he sight of the fire, and dreaming there was no escape, that t

What of it? Any river is d

d all. Knowest thou, Mopo, that among those who died in thy kra

hought which my good spirit gave me, for I cast myself u

s dead, O Lion of the Zulu. For the others, what is it? It is a breath of w

d ill wouldst thou have done to grieve because the fire from above has kissed thy gates. For hadst thou done this last thing or left the first undone, I should ha

had put into my heart those words which I should answer. I hoped also that Chaka wo

ese were her words: that thou, Mopo, and thy sister Baleka, and thy wives, had conspired together to give a child to me who would be childless. These were her words, the words that came to me t

"and Nada sits in the Swazi caves." And I told him of the dea

for with the assegai in the Swazi caves; enough of her. Let us speak of this song that my mother-who, alas! is

as maddened by the Heavens when she sang that so

rely thou art a-cold; thy hands shake with cold. Nay, man, fear not-warm them, warm them, Mopo. See, now, plunge that hand of thine into the heart of t

cold who soon should be hot, for I saw the purpo

e suffer cold? What, my councillors, rise, take the hand of Mopo, and hold it to the flame, that his heart may rejoice in the warmth of the f

ubts. Once, indeed, I bethought me of the poison that I bore, and was minded to swallow it and make an end, but the desire to live is great

arm me at the fire. Speak on, O king, while I warm m

fire, but where the smoke leapt from the flame. Now my flesh was wet with the sweat of fear, and for

miling. Then he spoke slowly, that th

othing of this matter of the bir

rn in past years to thy wife Baleka, that I killed the chi

f me and ate into my flesh, and its torment was great. But of this I showed no sign upon my face, for I k

u swear by my head, Mopo, that no so

! I swear it by thy

ithin me, it rushed into my head, and down my face their ran two tears of blood. But yet I held my hand in the fire and made no sign, while the

me. I am answered; thou hast passed the trial; thy heart is clean; for had there been lies i

the flame, and for awh

lmly. "Fire has no power of hur

you can see, though my eyes are blind. The hand is white, like yours-it is white and dead and shrivelled. These are the marks of the fire in Chaka's hut-the fire that

r is dead-dead in the flames with thy wives and children, Mopo, and in this there is witchcraft. We will have a mourning, Mopo, thou and I, such a mourning as has not been seen in Zululand, for all the people on the earth shall weep at it. And there shall be a 'smelling out' at this mourning, Mopo. But we will summon no witch-doctors, thou and I will be witch-doctors, and ourselves shall smell out th