Now Dingaan spoke, and his voice came thick with rage, and his limbs trembled.
“Slay him!” he hissed. “Slay the dog and all those with him!”
“Now we come to a game which I can play,” answered Umslopogaas. “Ho, People of the Axe! Will you stand to be slaughtered by these singed rats?” and he pointed with Groan-Maker at those warriors who had escaped without hurt in the fire, but whose faces the fire had scorched.
Then for answer a great shout went up, a shout and a roar of laughter. And this was the shout:—
“No, Slaughterer, not so are we minded!” and right and left they faced to meet the foe, while from all along the companies came the crackling of the shaken shields.
Back sprang Umslopogaas to head his men; forward leaped the soldiers of the king to work the king’s will, if so they might. And Galazi the Wolf also sprang forward, towards Dingaan, and, as he sprang, swung up the Watcher, crying in a great voice:—
“Hold!”
Again there was silence, for men saw that the shadow of the Watcher lay dark upon the head of Dingaan.
“It is a pity that many should die when one will suffice,” cried the Wolf again. “Let a blow be struck, and where his shadow lies there shall the Watcher be, and lo! the world will lack a king. A word, King!”
Now Dingaan looked up at the great man who stood above him, and felt the shadow of the shining club lie cold upon his brow, and again he shook—this time it was with fear.