was none other than the son of Chaka, born of my
sister Baleka.

Now when Baleka recovered from the weariness of our flight, and had her
beauty again, Chaka took her to wife, numbering her among his women,
whom he named his "sisters." And me Chaka took to be one of his doctors,
of his izinyanga of medicine, and he was so well pleased with my
medicine that in the end I became his head doctor. Now this was a great
post, in which, during the course of years, I grew fat in cattle and in
wives; but also it was one of much danger. For when I rose strong and
well in the morning, I could never know but that at night I should sleep
stiff and red. Many were the doctors whom Chaka slew; doctored they
never so well, they were killed at last. For a day would surely come
when the king felt ill in his body or heavy in his mind, and then to
the assegai or the torment with the wizard who had doctored him! Yet I
escaped, because of the power of my medicine, and also because of that
oath which Chaka had sworn to me as a child. So it came about that where
the king went there I went with him. I slept near his hut, I sat behind
him at council, in the battle I was ever at his side.

Ah! the battle! the battle! In those days we knew how to fight, my
father! In those days the vultures would follow our impis by thousands,
the hyenas would steal along our path in packs, and none went empty
away. Never may I forget the first fight I stood in at the side of
Chaka. It was just after the king had built his great kraal on the south
bank of the Umhlatuze. Then it was that the chief Zwide attacked his
rival Chaka for the third time and Chaka moved out to meet him with
ten full regiments, (1) now for the first time armed with the short
stabbing-spear.

(1) About 30,000 men.--ED.

The ground lay this: On a long, low hill in front of our impi were
massed the regiments of Zwide; there were seventeen of them; the earth
was black with their number; their plumes filled the air like snow. We,
too, were on a hill, and between us lay a valley down which there ran
a little stream. All night our fires shone out across the valley; all
night the songs of soldiers echoed down the hills. Then the grey dawning
came, the oxen lowed to the light, the regiments arose from their bed of
spears; they sprang up and shook the dew from hair and shield--yes! they
arose! the glad to die! The impi assumed its array regiment by regiment.
There was the breast of spears, there we