s
rising to the heavens yonder. The path of the King is straight!'

"An immense chorus of _bonga_ went up from the army when I had spoken.
All were eager to arrive at the scene of the victory. Then the King
bade me withdraw, which I was not sorry to do, for I was tired and
fasting.

"You may have observed, _Nkose_, that my news was of victory alone; that
no questions were asked as to our losses, who had been killed or who had
not. It is not the custom of us Zulus, on these occasions, to mix up
good and ill news. It was sufficient that the King's enemies were
stamped out. The relatives of the slain could hold ceremonies of
mourning afterwards if they wished, but that was a private undertaking.
Wherefore I only announced to the ears of the nation at large that we
were victorious.

"And then, as we drew near to the scene of our fierce and bloody
conflict, what remained of the _impi_ which had gone out against the
Basutu kraals drew near to hail the King. It had gone out a full
regiment--as we were in those days about fifteen hundred men--but little
more than half were left alive; for, as I have said, the Basutu were
numerous, and had fought bravely. Still, as our warriors advanced in a
column with waving plumes, and beating time with shield and assegai to
the thunder of a mighty war-song, and the marks of the recent battle
upon them, my heart swelled within me as I thought that I had borne a
man's part that day with these.

"`Go forward, Untuswa,' said the King, who had caught sight of me in the
ranks. `Go forward and join the fighters, you who have fought so well
this day. Your place is among them.'

"I thundered out the royal praises, and darted forth to meet those who
were approaching; and falling into my place, we advanced, singing:

"`Hail, King, Father of a new nation!
We, thy children, have smoothed a way before thee.
Thine enemies--where are they?
Their dwellings--where are they?
As the smoke which climbeth to heaven
their might is broken and shattered.
Might? Ha! ha! No might had these;
like blades of the grass when trampled,
Down went their bravest before the might of the Elephant,
Beneath the foot of the Elephant, whose tread shaketh the world.
Hail, King! Father! the chief and the maker of nations!'

"Thus sang the warriors, their voices roaring like the thunder of the
heavens. Then, having prostrated ourselves, we rose, and wheeling up we
fell into rank be