The Ogden standard. [volume], January 10, 1920, LAST EDITION - 4 P.M., Image 14

About The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1913-1920

Image provided by: University of Utah, Marriott Library

                
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CHAPTER III.
Umtlopogaaa of the Axe.
tc jBXT morning guides arrived
from the Town of the Axe, ,
bringing with them a yoke
of spare oxen, wnich showed thkt
its Chief was really anxious to see
me. So in due course we started,
the guides leading us by 'i rough
; road down the steep hillside to the
saucerlikc plain beneath. We enmo
at last to a river that oncirclcd a,
considerable Kaffir town on thrcu
sides, the fourth being protected
Hj ' by a little line of koppios which.
were Joined together with walls.
Also the place was strongly fortl
' fled with fences and In every other
j way known to the native mind.
With the help of the spare oxen
we crossed the river safely at the
1 ford, and on the further side were
received by a guard of tall, soldier
like fellows, all armed with axes.
They led us up to the cattle en
closure in the centre of the town.
H; Here some ceremony was in
progress, for soldiers stood round
the kraal while heralds pranced
H and shouted. At the head of the
place in front of the Chief's big hut
was a little group of people, among
whom a big gaunt man sat upon a
. stool clad in a warrior's dress, with
a great and very long axe halted
with wire-lashed rhinoceros horn
laid across his knees. Our guides
led me, with Hans sneaking after-'
me like a dejected and low-bred
dog. across the kraal to where the
! herald shouted and the big man sat
H( yawning. At once I noted that he
was a very remarkable person,
broad and tall and spare of frame,
! with long, tough-looking arms and a
fierce face. He looked up and. see- -ing
me, cried out:
H; "What! Has a white man come
to fight me for the chieftainship of
the People of the Axe?"
"No," I answered, quietly, "bu
Macumazahn, Watcher by Night,
has come to visit you in answer to
your request, 0 "Umslopogaas."
The Chief heard, and rising from -fl
his seat lifted the big axe in salute. '
"I greet you, 0 Macumazahn."
he said, "who, although small in
stature, are very great in fame.
Have I not heard how you con
quercd Bangu, although Saduko
slew him, and of how you gave up
the six hundred head of cattle to
Tszoha and the men- of the Am
angwane who fought with you, the
cattle that were yourUiwn? Have
I not heard how you led the Ama
wombc against the Usutu and
stamped flat three of Cetewayo's
regiments in the days of Panda?
Oh, yes, I have heard these and
many other things concerning you,,
though until now it has never been
my fortune to look upon your face,
O Watcher by Night, and there
fore I greet you well, Bold One,
Cunning One, Upright One, Friend
of us Black People."
"Thank you," I answered, "hut
you said something about lighting.
If there is to be anything of the
sort, let us get it over. If you want
to fight, 1 am quite ready," and I
tapped the rlllc which 1 carried.
The grim Chief broke IntD a
laugh and said:
"Listen. By an ancient law any
man on a certain day in each year
may fight me for this Chiefijiin
ship, as I fought him who held it
before mc, and lake it from me
with my life and the axe, though of
late none seem to like the business.
But that law was made before
there wqic guns, or men like
Macumazahn, who, it is said, can
hit a grasshopper on a wall at fifty
I paces. Therefore I tell you that If
you wish to fight me, 0 Macuma
Hj zahn, I give in and you may have
the chieftainship," and he laughed
again in his fierce fashion.
"I think it is too hot for fighting
either with guns or axes, Chlef
H tainships arc honey that is full of
1 stinging bees," I answered,
f Then I took my scat on a stool
H by the side of Umslopogaas, after
which the ceremony went on.
H The heralds, having cried out the
H challenge to all and sundry to come
J and fight the Holder of the Axe for
the chieftainship of the Axe with-
H out the slightest result, Umslopo-
gaas, after a pause, rose, swinging
H his formidable weapon round his
H head, and declared that by right
of conquest he was Chief of the
People for the ensuing year. Then
J again ' the herald summoned all
H who had grievances to come for-
H ward and state them and receive
H ( After a little pause there ap-
H pearcd a very handsome woman
Jj I with large eyes, particularly bril-
H liant eyes that rolled as though
they -were In search of some one.
J She was finely dressed and I saw
7 - ft
by the ornaments shi wore that
she held the rank of a chief's wife.
"I, .Monazi, have a complaint to
make." she said. "In succession to
Zinita, whom Diugaan slew with
her children. I am your Inkosikaas,
your head wife, 0 Umslopogaas."
"That I know well enough," sala
Umslopogaas, "what of it?"
"This that you neglect me for
other women, as you neglected
Zinita for 'ada the Beautiful,
'Nada the witch. I am childless,
i as are- all your wives because
,.of the curse Nada left behind her.
I demand that this curse be lifted
from me. For your sake 1 aban
doned Lousta the Chief, to whom I
was betrothed, and this is the end
of it, that I am neglected and child
less." "Am I the Heavens Above that I
can cause you to bear children, f
woman?" asked Umslopogaas an
grily. "Would that you had clung
to Lousta, my blood brother and
my friend,, and left me alone."- .
"That still may chance, if I am
not better treated," answered Mo
nazi with a flash of her eyes. "Will
.you dismiss this new wife and give
me bnck my place, and will you lift
the curse of Nada off me?"
"As to the first," answered Um
slopogaas. "learn, Monazi, that I
will not dismiss my new wife, who
at least is lentlcr-torigued and
. uor-hearted than you. As to the.
oennd, you ask that which it is not -in
my power to sh'e, since' children
are the gift of Heaven Above.
Moreover, you have done ill to
bring into thL "latter the name ot
one who Is dead, who of all women
was the sweetest and most innocent-
Lastly, 1 warn you to cease
from your, plottings or traffic with
Lousta, lest ill come of them to you,
or him, or both."
"Plottings!" cried Monazi in a
shrill and furious voice. "Does Um
slopogaas talk of plottings? Well;
I have heard that C!?aka the Lion
left a son, and that this son has set
a trap for him who sits on Chaka's
throne. Perchance thut king has
heard it al30; perchance the People
'of the Axe will soon have another
Chief."
"Is it thus?" said Umslopogaas,
quietly. "And If so, will he be
named Lousta?"
Then his smouldering wrath
broke out and in a kind of roaring
voice he went on.
"What have I done that the wives
of my bosoni should be my betray
ers? Zinita betrayed me to Din
gaan and in reward was slain and
my children with her. Now, would
you, Monazi, betray me to Cete
wayo, though Vn truth there lb
naught to betray? Well, If so, be
think you and let Lousta bethink
him of what chanced to Zinita, and
what chances to those who stand
before the axe of Umslopogaas.
What hRve I done that women
should thus strive to work me ill?"
"This," answered Monazi with a
mocking laugh, "that you have
loved one of them too well. If he
j-would live in peace he vho ba
wives should favor all alike. Leaot
of anything should he moan con
tinually over one who is dead, a
witch who has left a curse behind
her, and thus insult and do wrong
to the living. Also lie would bo
wise to attend to his own tribe and
household and to cease from am
bitions that may bring him to Hie
assegai, and them with him."
"I have heard your counsel, Wife,
so new begone!" said Umslopo
gaas, looklns at her very strangely,
and as it seemed to me not without
fear.
The Chief bade me go rest a
while and so I came to the guest
hut. which proved, to be a very
good place and clean. After eating
1 slept for a time, as it Is always
my fashion to do when 1 have noth
ing else on hand. It was not until
the sun had begun to sink that a
messenger came, saying that the
Chief desired to see me. So I went
to his big hut, which stood alone
with a strong fence set round it at
a distance, so that none could come
within hearing of what was said.
I observed also that a man armed
with an axe kept guard at thjs. gate
way In this fence.
Umslopogaas was seated by the
door of his hut with his rhinoceros-liorn-handlcd
axe fastened to his
right wrist by a thong, and n wolf
skin ha-igins rom his Jiroad shoul
ders. Very grim and fierce he looked
with the red light of the sunset
flaying on him. He greeted me
end pointed to another stool, on
which I sdt down. Apparently he
had been watching my eyes, for lie
--aid:
"I see that like other creaturcn
which move at night you take note
of all, 0 Watcher by Night, even
of a soldier who guards this place
and of whero the fence Is set and
of how its gate is fashioned."
"Had I not done so I should have
been dead long ago, 0 Chief,"
"Yes, and because It is not my
nature to do so as I should, per
chance I shall soon be dead. It is
not enough to be fierce and fore
most in the battle, Macumazahn.
He who would sleep safe must do
more than this. He must guard his '
tongue and even his thoughts; he
must listen to- the stirring of rats
in the thatch and look for snakes
in the grass, he must trust', few,
and least of all those who sleep
upon his bosom. But those who
have the Lion's blood In them or
who are prone to charge like a
buffalo, often neglect these matters
and therefore in the end they fall
into a pit."
"Yes," I answered, "especially
those who have the lion's blood in
(Cj 1913, International Ft
i
t
"Will you lift the curse of Nada off me, or will you not?"
she demanded with a flash of her great eyes.
them, whether that lion be man or
beast."
This I said because of the rumors
I had heard that this Slaughterer
was in truth the son of Chaka and
not knowing whether or no he were,
playing on the word, "lion," which
was Chaka's title, I wished to draw
him, especially as I saw in his face
a great likeness to Chaka's brother
Dingaan, whom, it was whispered.
Umslopogaas had slain. As it hap
pened. I failed, for after a pause
he said:
"Why do you come to visit me,
Macumazahn, who have never done
so before?"
"I do not come to visit you, Um
slopogaas. That was not my inten
tion. You brought mc, or rather the
Hooded rivers and you together
brought me, for I was on my way
to Natal and could not cross the
drifts."
"Yet I think you have a message
for me, White Man, for not long
ago a certain wandering witch doc
tor told me that you had words to
say to me."
"Well, it is true that I have a
message, though it is one that I did
not mean to deliver."
"Yet, being here, perchance you
will deliver it, Macumazahn, for
those who have messages and will
not speak them sometimes come to
trouble."
"Yes, being here, I will deliver
it, seeing that so it seems to be
fated. Do you know a certain 1
small one who is great, a certain
Old One whose brain is young, a
doctor who is called Opener of
Roads?"
"I have heard of him, as have my
forefathers for generations."
"Indeed, and if it . pleases you to
tell met Umslopogaas, what might
be the names of those forefathers
of yours, who have heard of this
doctor for generations? They must
have been short-lived men and as
such I shouldlike to know them."
"That you cannot," replied Um
slopogaas shortly, "since they are
not to be spoken of in this land.
But what of. this message of
yours?"
"It came at the end of a long
story, 0 Bulalio. But since you
seek to know, these were the words
of it, so nearly as I can remember
them," and sentence by sentence 1
ature Kerrlct, Inc. Great B
repeated all that Zikall had said
when he called me back after bid
ding me forewell.
"Lousta! Monazi!" he said slow
ly, "Well, you heard those names
to-day, did you not? And you heard
certain things from the lips of this
Monazi who was angry, that give
color to that talk of tho Opener of
Roads. It seems to me," he added,
glancing about him and speaxing in
a low voice, "that what I suspected
is true and that without doubt I am
betrayed."
"I do not understand," I replied
indifferently. "All this talk is dark
to me. as is the message of the
Opeiier of Roads. By whom and
about what are you betrayed?"
"Let that snake sleep. Suffice
it you to know that my head hangs
upon this matter, that I am a rat
in a forked stick, and if the stick
is pressed by a heavy hand, then
where is the rat?"
"Whero all rats go, unless they
are wise -ats that bite the hand
which holds the stick before it is
pressed down."
"What is the rest of this story of
yours, which was told before the
Opener of Roads gave you that mes
' sage? Does it please you to repeat
it to me?" t
"Certainly," I answered, "on ono
condition, that what the ears hear
the hoart shall keep to itself alone."
Umslopogaas laid his hands upon
the broad edge of the weapon be
side him and said:
"By the Axe I swear it. If I
break the oath be the Axe my
doom."
Then I told him the tale as I have
set it down already, thinking to my
self that of it he would understand
littlo, being but a wild warrior
man. As It chanced, however, I
, was mistaken, for he seemed to un
derstand a great deal.
"It stands thus," he said when I
had finished, "or so I think. You
seek certain women who are dead
to learn whether they still live, or
are really dead, but so far -have
failed to find them. Still seeking
you asked the counsel of Zikall, he
who among . other titles is also
called 'Home of Spirits.' He an
swered that he could not satisfy
your heart because this tree was
too tall to climb, but that far to the
north there lives a certain white
rit&ln Right neserved.
j
"svflch who has powers greater than,
his, being able to fly to the top of
any tree, and to this white witch
ho bade you go. Have I the story
right thus far?"
I answered that he haf..
) "Good! Then Zikali went on to
choose you companions for your
journey. I, Umslopogaas, was one
of these, and that little yellow mon
key of a man whom I saw with you
to-day, called Hans, was the other.
Then you made a mock of Zikali
by determining not to visit me, and
not to go north to find the great
white Queen. Is that so?"
I said it was.
"Then the rain fell and the winds
blew and the rivers rose in wrath
so that you could not return to
Natal, and after all by chance, or
by fate, or by the will of Zikall, the
wizard ot wizards, you drifted here
and told me this story."
"Just so," I answered.
"Well, White Man, now how am
I to know that all this Is not but a
trap for my feet? What token do
you bring, 0 Watcher by Night?
How am I to know that the Opener
.of Roads really sent me this mes
oage .which has been delivered so
strangely by one who wished to
travel on another path?"
"I can't say," I answered, "at
least in words. But," I added
after reflection, "as you ask for a
token, perhaps I might be able to
show you something that would
bring proof to your heart, if there
were any secret place "
Umslopogaas walked to the gate
way and saw that the sentry was
at his post. Then he walked round
the hut, casting an eye upon its
roof, and muttered to me as he re
turned: '
"Once I was caught thus. There
lived a certain woman who set her .
ear to the smoke-hole and so
brought about the death of many.
Enter. All is safe. Yet if you talk,
speak low."
So we went into the hut taking
the stools with us, and seated our
selves by the fire that burned there
on to which Umslopogaas threw
f chips of resinous wood.
"Now," he said.
I opened my shirt and showed
. him the image of Zikali which hung
about my neck. He stared at It,
though touch it he would not. Then
he stood up and lifting his great
axe. he saluted tho image with the
word, "MakosI!" the salute that is
given to great wizards because
they are supposed to be tho home
of many spirits.
"It Is the big Medicine, the Medi
cine Itself," he said, "that which
has been known In tho land since
the time of Senzangacona, the
father pf the Zulu royal House, and
as if Is said, before him." y
"How can that be?" I asked, see- Tr
ing that this imago represents Zi- l'jn
kali, Opener of Roads, as an old jjCr
man, and Senzangacona dfed many s tfc
years ago?" , f:
"1 do not know," ho answered, f &J-
"but It is so. Listen. There was a f ,
certain Mopo, who was Chaka's t rK ,
body servant and my foster-father, f- '
and he told me that twice this J60
Medicine was sent to Chaka, and jjj f'L
that each time the Lion obeyed the
message that came with it. A f ???e
third time it was sent, but he did 4 P&t
not obey the message and then k '
where waar Chaka?" And Umslopo- -c31
gnas passed his hand across his Ae
mouth, a significant gesture among &x
the Zulus. . 'i '.t.11
"Mopo," I said, "yes, I have heard 'j Ibn?'-
the story of Mopo. also tha' .
Chaka's body became his servant fe
in the end, since Mopo killed him f
with the help of the Princess Din- f h''
gaan and Umklangnon. Also I y
have heard that this Mopo still DJ
lives, though not in Zululand."
"Does he, Macumazahn 7" said j3
Umslopogaas, taking snuff from a .
spoon and looking at me keenly f(jgjj
over the spoon. "You seem to fydeH
know a great deal, Macumazahn;
too. much as some might think.' SSpI-'
"Yes," I answered, "perhaps I
do know loo much, or at any rate Sip1'
more than I want to know. For f&2
instance, 0 fosterling of Mopo and i fflS
son of was the lady named Ba-
leka? I know a good deal about
yOU." ,i iguKf
R5
Umslopogaas stared at me and i IJ1
laying his hand upon the great axe, i
half rose and then sat down again. 1
"I think that this," and I touched j 3p
, tho image of Zikali upon my breast, j itstttt
"would turii even the blade of the : jb
axe named Groan-maker," I said, ':
and paused. Then as nothing hap- '
pened, I went on. "For Instance, ;; wfc
again I think I know or have I Kde
dreamed it? that a certain chiel
K Mas
whose mother's name I believe waT i: mfc
Baleka by the way was she not
one of Chaka's 'sisters?' has been l Si
plotting against that son of Panda V RfS
who sits upon the throne, and that ' ESS)
his plots have been betrayed, so 1 f?s
that he is In some danger of hi3
"Macumazahn," said Umslopo- : ; Hj
gaas hoarsely, "1 tell you that did K
you not wear the Great Medicine
on your breast, I would kill you Hm
where you sit and bury you beneath
the floor of the hut, as one who : ;; fig
knows too much." .": ip5
"It would be a mistake, Umslopo- j ; H
gaas, one of the many that you flWg
have made. But as I do wear the K
Medicine the . question does not fclK:
mm 311
arise, does It?" II g
Again he made no answer and I 1M Si
went on, "And now, what about this fl S
Journey to the north? If, iudcad, I J m
must make it, would yru "ish to ij rjt
accompany mc?" v
Umsloposoas rose from the stool r $1
and crawled out of tin hut, ap- M 2
paroutly to make some inspection. El '. jjjj
Presently he returned and re- JFjl, Sj:
marked that the night was clear H &
although there were heavy storm $i 1
clouds on the horizon, by which I Kg
understood him to convey in Zulu W
metaphor that it was safe for us I. E&jjj
to talk, but that danger threatened fi S
from afar. I W
".Macumazahn," he said, "we f
speak under the blanket of the .; '
Opener of Roads who sits upon '. ;
your heart, and whose sign you . '
bring to 1110, as he sent mo word ; 2f
that yoij would, do we not?" j
"I suppose so," I answered. At i II
aiy rate, we speak as man to man, M!
and hitherto the honor of Macuma- P
zahn has not been doubled in Zulu- j : M
land. So if you have anything to f 3a
say, say it at once, for I am tired ;' ' JfSo
and should like to eat andesL" ; jfi
"Good, Macumazahn. I have this Rf
to say, I who am the son dt ono ' igfr
who was greater than he. have , ; ftjn
plotted to seize the throne of Zulu- ,
land from him who sits upon tho !'; Ejj
throne. It Is truo, for I grow weary S11SH
of ray idleness as a potty chief.
Moreover, I should have succeeded HI
with the help of Zikali vho hates
the House of Senzangacona, though BS1
me, who am of Its blood, he does iK&l
not hate, because ever I have HitTt
striven against that House. But it IHl1
seems from his message and those
words spoken by an angry woman, nVlP
that I have been betrayed, and that Ryt
to-night or to-morrow night, or by jMiffi
tho next moon, the slayers will be i
upon me, smiting ino before I can lEi
smite." 1 IflK
"By whom have you been be- B&P
trayed?" , ISp1
"By that wife of mine, as I K
Continued on Page I WMfit