Then I woke Umslopogaas. The great man rose, stretched himself,
and swung Inkosi-kaas round his head.
'It is well,' he said. 'I feel as a young man once more. My
strength has come back to me, ay, even as a lamp flares up before
it dies. Fear not, I shall fight a good fight; the wine and
the sleep have put a new heart into me.
'Macumazahn, I have dreamed a dream. I dreamed that thou and
I stood together on a star, and looked down on the world, and
thou wast as a spirit, Macumazahn, for light flamed through thy
flesh, but I could not see what was the fashion of mine own face.
The hour has come for us, old hunter. So be it: we have had
our time, but I would that in it I had seen some more such fights
as yesterday's.
'Let them bury me after the fashion of my people, Macumazahn,
and set my eyes towards Zululand;' and he took my hand and shook it,
and then turned to face the advancing foe.
Just then, to my astonishment, the Zu-Vendi officer Kara clambered
over our improvised wall in his quiet, determined sort of way,
and took his stand by the Zulu, unsheathing his sword as he did
so.
'What, comest thou too?' laughed out the old warrior. 'Welcome
-- a welcome to thee, brave heart! Ow! for the man who can die
like a man; ow! for the death grip and the ringing of steel.
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