ore
had gone thence to fight, their joy was turned to mourning, and the
voice of their weeping went up to heaven.

Umslopogaas greeted Zinita kindly; and yet I thought that there was
something lacking. At first she spoke to him softly, but when she
learned all that had come to pass, her words were not soft, for she
reviled me and sang a loud song at Umslopogaas.

"See now, Slaughterer," she said, "see now what has came about because
you listened to this aged fool!"--that was I, my father--"this fool who
calls himself 'Mouth'! Ay, a mouth he is, a mouth out of which proceed
folly and lies! What did he counsel you to do?--to go up against these
Halakazi and win a girl for Dingaan! And what have you done?--you have
fallen upon the Halakazi, and doubtless have killed many innocent people
with that great axe of yours, also you have left nearly half of the
soldiers of the Axe to whiten in the Swazi caves, and in exchange have
brought back certain cattle of a small breed, and girls and children
whom we must nourish!

"Nor does the matter end here. You went, it seems, to win a girl whom
Dingaan desired, yet when you find that girl you let her go, because,
indeed, you say she was your sister and would not wed Dingaan. Forsooth,
is not the king good enough for this sister of yours? Now what is the
end of the tale? You try to play tricks on the king, because of your
sister, and are found out. Then you kill a man before Dingaan and
escape, bringing this fool of an aged Mouth with you, that he may teach
you his own folly. So you have lost half of your men, and you have
gained the king for a foe who shall bring about the death of all of us,
and a fool for a councillor. Wow! Slaughterer, keep to your trade and
let others find you wit."

Thus she spoke without ceasing, and there was some truth in her words.
Zinita had a bitter tongue. I sat silent till she had finished, and
Umslopogaas also remained silent, though his anger was great, because
there was no crack in her talk through which a man might thrust a word.

"Peace, woman!" I said at length, "do not speak ill of those who are
wise and who had seen much before you were born."

"Speak no ill of him who is my father," growled Umslopogaas. "Ay! though
you do not know it, this Mouth whom you revile is Mopo, my father."

"Then there is a man among the People of the Axe who has a fool for a
father. Of all tidings this is the worst."

"There is a man among the People of the Axe