Surely Chaka was a great king though an evil, and he showed his
greatness when he forbade marriage to the warriors, marriage that
makes the heart soft and turns blood to water."
Now Galazi ceased, and gazed idly towards the kraal of the People of
the Axe, and as he looked his eyes caught a gleam of light that seemed
to travel in and out of the edge of the shadow of Ghost Mountain as a
woman's needle travels through a skin, now seen and now lost in the
skin.
He started and watched. Ah! there the light came out from the shadow.
Now, by Chaka's head, it was the light of spears!
One moment more Galazi watched. It was a little impi, perhaps they
numbered two hundred men, running silently, but not to battle, for
they wore no plumes. Yet they went out to kill, for they ran in
companies, and each man carried assegais and a shield.
Now Galazi had heard tell of such impis that hunt by night, and he
knew well that these were the king's dogs, and their game was men, a
big kraal of sleeping men, otherwise there had been fewer dogs. Is a
whole pack sent out to catch an antelope on its form? Galazi wondered
whom they sought. Ah! now they turned to the ford, and he knew. It was
his brother Umslopogaas and Nada the Lily and the People of the Axe.
These were the king's dogs, and Zinita had let them slip.
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