more. I secreted by degrees stores of
provision at intervals between Ekupumuleni and the mountains, and even
well into the mountains, with which my former experiences had rendered
me familiar. This I did, knowing that in our flight we could carry but
little; nor was it done all at once, but took many days, for little
indeed could I take away at a time, and suspicion was easily aroused."

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

IN OUTLAWRY.

"Just at this time there arrived chiefs and headmen, delegates from
distant tribes, desiring to _konza_ [Acknowledge as suzerain] to
Umzilikazi, for the terror of his name and the sound of our arms had
gone forth far and wide. These were received in great state, several of
our regiments' being drawn up under arms, a sight which struck such awe
into the envoys as to make them declare that, now their eyes had beheld
the great King and had looked upon his might, they only desired to lie
in his hand. The King accepted the cattle they had brought, and fixed
the tribute they should from time to time pay in girls and cattle; also
he ordered them to send contingents of youths to Ekupumuleni, that he
might inspect them and see if they were good enough to form into
regiments, or only to be employed in menial labour. All this the chiefs
promised to do, and in truth were they only too glad that they and
theirs should be suffered to live, for they had long feared being swept
off the face of the earth, stamped flat in the path of this warrior
nation moving on towards them.

"But Umzilikazi was a wise and far-seeing ruler. Even as Tshaka had
built up the Zulu power by federating kindred tribes into a whole, so
did our King intend to consolidate a nation. These subject races would
go towards augmenting his sway when their youth should be trained to
arms as ours was. Indeed, I have heard it whispered that he even
dreamed of one day pitting his forces against the mighty Tshaka himself,
and reigning King over the whole Zulu race. So it was his policy to
spare these chiefs and the tribes they represented, and to receive them
as vassals.

"When these terms had been arranged, the King said:

"`It seems to me that some are wanting here, that the places of some who
should be here are empty.'

"The chiefs looked at each other. There was a tribe to the north, they
said, which was not represented. As to it, however, they could say
nothing, for they knew nothing, they declared, trembling in their hearts
lest