She is a girl of
the most wonderful beauty, and Dingaan is afire with longing to have
her to wife. Now, awhile since Dingaan dispatched an embassy to the
chief of the Halakazi asking the Lily in marriage, and the chief of
the Halakazi sent back insolent words, saying that the Beauty of the
Earth should be given to no Zulu dog as a wife. Then Dingaan was
angry, and he would have gathered his impis and sent them against the
Halakazi to destroy them, and bring him the maid, but I held him back
from it, saying that now was no time to begin a new war; and it is for
this cause that Dingaan hates me, he is so set upon the plucking of
the Swazi Lily. Do you understand now, Umslopogaas?"
"Something," he answered. "But speak clearly."
"Wow, Umslopogaas! Half words are better than whole ones in this land
of ours. Listen, then! This is my plan: that you should fall upon the
Halakazi tribe, destroy it, and bring back the maid as a peace-
offering to Dingaan."
"That is a good plan, my father," he answered. "At the least, maid or
no maid, there will be fighting in it, and cattle to divide when the
fighting is done."
"First conquer, then reckon up the spoils, Umslopogaas."
Now he thought awhile, then said, "Suffer that I summon Galazi the
Wolf, my captain. Do not fear, he is trusty and a man of few words.
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