Then he turned and walked back again towards the
gateway which led to his royal house, and I saw that near this
entrance stood the captain of the regiments, as one stands by who
waits for orders.
Now, of a sudden, my father, Dingaan stopped and cried with a loud
voice, "Bulalani Abatakati!" (slay the wizards), and having cried it,
he covered his face with the corner of his blanket, and passed behind
the fence.
We, the councillors, stood astounded, like men who had become stone;
but before we could speak or act the captain of the regiment had also
cried aloud, "Bulalani Abatakati!" and the signal was caught up from
every side. Then, my father, came a yell and a rush of thousands of
feet, and through the clouds of dust we saw the soldiers hurl
themselves upon the Amaboona, and above the shouting we heard the
sound of falling sticks. The Amaboona drew their knives and fought
bravely, but before a man could count a hundred twice it was done, and
they were being dragged, some few dead, but the most yet living,
towards the gates of the kraal and out on to the Hill of Slaughter,
and there, on the Hill of Slaughter, they were massacred, every one of
them. How? Ah! I will not tell you--they were massacred and piled in a
heap, and that was the end of their story, my father.
Now I and the other councillors turned away and walked silently
towards the house of the king.
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