"I hear you," said Cetewayo. "Umbelazi's heart turned to water at the
sight of you because he had wronged you--you who until this morning,
when you deserted him with Saduko, were one of his jackals. Well, and
what happened then?"
"He fled, O Lion with the Black Mane; he fled like the wind, and I, I
flew after him like--a stronger wind. Far into the bush he fled, till at
length he came to a rock above the river and was obliged to stand. Then
there we fought. He thrust at me, but I leapt over his spear thus,"
and he gambolled into the air. "He thrust at me again, but I bent myself
thus," and he ducked his great head. "Then he grew tired and my time
came. He turned and ran round the rock, and I, I ran after him, stabbing
him through the back, thus, and thus, and thus, till he fell,
crying for mercy, and rolled off the rock into the river; and as he
rolled I snatched away his plume. See, is it not the plume of the dead
dog Umbelazi?"
Cetewayo took the ornament and examined it, showing it to one or two of
the captains near him, who nodded their heads gravely.
"Yes," he said, "this is the war plume of Umbelazi, beloved of the King,
strong and shining pillar of the Great House; we know it well, that war
plume at the sight of which many a knee has loosened. And so you killed
him, 'Eater-up-of-Elephants,' father of Mameena, you who this morning
were one of the meanest of his jackals. Now, what reward shall I give
you for this mighty deed, O Umbezi?"
"A great reward, O Terrible One," began Umbezi, but in an awful voice
Cetewayo bade him be silent.
"Yes," he said, "a great reward. Hearken, Jackal and Traitor. Your own
words bear witness against you. You, you have dared to lift your hand
against the blood-royal, and with your foul tongue to heap lies and
insults upon the name of the mighty dead."
Now, understanding at last, Umbezi began to babble excuses, yes, and to
declare that all his tale was false. His fat cheeks fell in, he sank to
his knees.
But Cetewayo only spat towards the man, after his fashion when enraged,
and looked round him till his eye fell upon Saduko.
"Saduko," he said, "take away this slayer of the Prince, who boasts that
he is red with my own blood, and when he is dead cast him into the river
from that rock on which he says he stabbed Panda's son."
Saduko looked round him wildly and hesitated.
"Take him away," thundered Cetewayo, "and return ere dark to make report
to me."
Then, at a sign from the Prince, soldiers flung themselves upon the
miserable Umbezi and dragged him thence, Saduko going with them; nor was
the poor liar ever seen again. As he passed by me he called to me, for
Mameena's sake, to save him; but I could only shake my head and bethink
me of the warning I had once given to him as to the fate of traitors.