"I remember the words, O King," I answered. "They were ominous words,
for this was their burden: that you and your house should not sit long
in the throne of kings, but that the white men should take away your
royalty and divide your territories. Such was the prophecy of the Lion
of the Zulu, why speak of it? Once before I heard him prophecy, and
his words were fulfilled. May the omen be an egg without meat; may it
never become fledged; may that bird never perch upon your roof, O
King!"
Now Dingaan trembled with fear, for the words of Chaka were in his
mind by night and by day; then he grew angry and bit his lip,
saying:--
"Thou fool, Mopo! canst thou not hear a raven croak at the gates of a
kraal but thou must needs go tell those who dwell within that he waits
to pick their eyes? Such criers of ill to come may well find ill at
hand, Mopo." He ceased, looked on me threateningly awhile, and went
on: "I did not speak of those words rolling by chance from a tongue
half loosed by death, but of others that told of a certain Bulalio, of
a Slaughterer who rules the People of the Axe and dwells beneath the
shadow of the Ghost Mountain far away to the north yonder. Surely I
heard them all as I sat beneath the shade of the reed-fence before
ever I came to save him who was my brother from the spear of Masilo,
the murderer, whose spear stole away the life of a king?"
"I remember those words also, O King!" I said.
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