bright star fell from the height of
heaven and lit upon the crest of the storm, and as it lit the storm
burst. The grey air shivered, a moan ran about the rocks and died away,
then an icy breath burst from the lips of the tempest and rushed across
the earth. It caught the falling star and drove it on towards me, a
rushing globe of fire, and as it came the star grew and took shape, and
the shape it took was the shape of a woman. I knew her now, my father;
while she was yet far off I knew her--the Inkosazana who came as she
had promised, riding down the storm. On she swept, borne forward by
the blast, and oh! she was terrible to see, for her garment was the
lightning, lightnings shone from her wide eyes and lightnings were in
her streaming hair, while in her hand was a spear of fire, and she shook
it as she came. Now she was at the mouth of the pass; before her was
stillness, behind her beat the wings of the storm, the thunder roared,
the rain hissed like snakes; she rushed on past me, and as she passed
she turned her awful eyes upon me, withering me. She was there! she was
gone! but she spoke no word, only shook her flaming spear. Yet it seemed
to me that the storm spoke, that the rocks cried aloud, that the rain
hissed out a word in my ear, and the word was:--

"Smite, Mopo!"

I heard it in my heart, or with my ears, what does it matter? Then I
turned to look; through the rush of the tempest and the reek of the
rain, still I could see her sweeping forward high in air. Now the kraal
Duguza was beneath her feet, and the flaming spear fell from her hand
upon the kraal and fire leaped up in answer.

Then she passed on over the edge of the world, seeking her own place.
Thus, my father, for the third and last time did my eyes see the
Inkosazana-y-Zulu, or mayhap my heart dreamed that I saw her. Soon I
shall see her again, but it will not be here.

For a while I sat there in the cleft, then I rose and fought my way
through the fury of the storm back to the kraal Duguza. As I drew near
the kraal I heard cries of fear coming through the roaring of the wind
and the hiss of the rain. I entered and asked one of the matter, and it
was told me that fire from above had fallen on the hut of the king as he
lay sleeping, and all the roof of the hut was burned away, but that the
rain had put out the fire.

Then I went on till I came to the front of the great hut, and I saw by
the light of the moon, which now shone out in the heavens