e to approach, he had bounded through the line
of dead princes, stopping to kick one of them on the head and address
his poor clay in some words of shameful insult, and was prancing about
before Cetewayo, shouting his praises.

"Who is this umfokazana?" [that is, low fellow] growled the Prince. "Bid
him cease his noise and speak, lest he should be silent for ever."

"O Calf of the Black Cow, I am Umbezi, 'Eater-up-of-Elephants,' chief
captain of Saduko the Cunning, he who won you the battle, father of
Mameena the Beautiful, whom Saduko wed and whom the dead dog, Umbelazi,
stole away from him."

"Ah!" said Cetewayo, screwing up his eyes in a fashion he had when
he meant mischief, which among the Zulus caused him to be named the
"Bull-who-shuts-his-eyes-to-toss," "and what have you to tell me,
'Eater-up-of-Elephants' and father of Mameena, whom the dead dog,
Umbelazi, took away from your master, Saduko the Cunning?"

"This, O Mighty One; this, O Shaker of the Earth, that well am I named
'Eater-up-of-Elephants,' who have eaten up Indhlovu-ene-Sihlonti--the
Elephant himself."

Now Saduko seemed to awake from his brooding and started from his place;
but Cetewayo sharply bade him be silent, whereon Umbezi, the fool,
noting nothing, continued his tale.

"O Prince, I met Umbelazi in the battle, and when he saw me he fled from
me; yes, his heart grew soft as water at the sight of me, the warrior
whom he had wronged, whose daughter he had stolen."

"I hear you," said Cetewayo. "Umbelazi's heart turned to water at the
sight of you because he had wronged you--you who until this morning,
when you deserted him with Saduko, were one of his jackals. Well, and
what happened then?"

"He fled, O Lion with the Black Mane; he fled like the wind, and I, I
flew after him like--a stronger wind. Far into the bush he fled, till at
length he came to a rock above the river and was obliged to stand. Then
there we fought. He thrust at me, but I leapt over his spear _thus_,"
and he gambolled into the air. "He thrust at me again, but I bent myself
_thus_," and he ducked his great head. "Then he grew tired and my time
came. He turned and ran round the rock, and I, I ran after him, stabbing
him through the back, _thus_, and _thus_, and _thus_, till he fell,
crying for mercy, and rolled off the rock into the river; and as he
rolled I snatched away his plume. See, is it not the plume of the dead
dog Umbelazi?"

Cetewayo took the ornament and ex