"Is he dead?" he asked.
"He has travelled the king's bridge," they answered grimly; "he died
singing a song of praise of the king."
"Good," said Cetywayo, "that stone shall hurt my feet no more. Go, tell
the tale of its casting away to Sompseu and to the Queen's Induna in
Natal," he added with bitter emphasis.
"_Baba!_ Hear our Father speak. Listen to the rumbling of the Elephant,"
said the Indunas taking the point, while one bolder than the rest added:
"Soon we will tell them another tale, the white Talking Ones, a red
tale, a tale of spears, and the regiments shall sing it in their ears."
At the words an enthusiasm caught hold of the listeners, as the sudden
flame catches hold of dry grass. They sprang up, for the most of them
were seated on their haunches, and stamping their feet upon the ground
in unison, repeated:--
_Indaba ibomwu--indaba ye mikonto
Lizo dunyiswa nge impi ndhlebeni yaho._
(A red tale! A red tale! A tale of spears,
And the _impis_ shall sing it in their ears.)
One of them, indeed, a great fierce-faced fellow, drew near to Hadden
and shaking his fist before his eyes--fortunately being in the royal
presence he had no assegai--shouted the sentences at him.
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