been taken on English territory and killed, and Umbilini, the
chief of Swazi blood whose surrender was demanded by Sir Bartle
Frere and who afterwards commanded the Zulus in the battle at
Ihlobane. Last of all spoke the Prime Minister, Umnyamana, who
declared fiercely that if the Zulu buffalo hid itself in the
swamp like a timid calf when the white bull challenged it on the
hills, the spirits of Chaka and all his forefathers would thrust
its head into the mud and choke it.

When all had finished Cetewayo spoke, saying--

"That is a bad council which has two voices, for to which of them
must the Captain listen when the impis of the foe gather in front
of him? Here I have sat while the moon climbs high and counted,
and what do I find? That one half of you, men of wisdom and
renown, say Yes, and that the other half of you, men of wisdom
and renown, say No. Which then is it to be, Yes or No? Are we
to fight the English, or are we to sit still?"

"That is for the king to decide," said a voice.

"See what it is to be a king," went on Cetewayo with passion.
"If I declare for war and we win, shall I be greater than I am?
If victory gives me more land, more subjects, more wives and more
cattle, what is the use of these things to me who already have
enough of all of them? And if defeat should take everything from
me, even my life perhaps, then what shall I have gained? I will
tell you--the curse of the Zulus upon my name from father to son
for ever. They will say, 'Cetewayo, son of Panda, pulled down a
House that once was great. Because of some small matter he
quarrelled with the English who were always the friends of our
people, and brought the Zulus to the dust.' Sintwangu, my
messenger, who brought heavy words from the Queen's induna which
we must answer with other words or with spears, says that the
English soldiers in Natal are few, so few that we Zulus can
swallow them like bits of meat and still be hungry. But are
these all the soldiers of the English? I am not sure. You are
one of that people, Macumazahn," he added, turning his massive
shape towards me, "tell us now, how many soldiers has your
Queen?"

"King," I answered, "I do not know for certain. But if the Zulus
can muster fifty thousand spears, the Queen, if there be need,
can send against them ten times fifty thousand, and if she grows
angry, another ten times fifty, every one armed with a rifle that
will fire five bullets a minute, and to ac