He listened, then laughed aloud, and said: 'Tell him who sent you that the mouth of Dingaan shall be welcome, and shall speak the words of Dingaan in peace; yet I would that it were the head of Dingaan that came and not his mouth only, for then Axe Groan-Maker would join in our talk--ay, because of one Mopo, whom his brother Chaka murdered, it would also speak with Dingaan.

Still, the mouth is not the head, so the mouth may come in peace.'" Now I started when for the second time I heard talk of one Mopo, whose name had been on the lips of Bulalio the Slaughterer.

Who was there that would thus have loved Mopo except one who was long dead?
And yet, perhaps the chief spoke of some other Mopo, for the name was not my own only--in truth, Chaka had killed a chief of that name at the great mourning, because he said that two Mopos in the land were one too many, and that though this Mopo wept sorely when the tears of others were dry.
So I said only that this Bulalio had a high stomach, and we went on to the gates of the kraal.
There were none to meet us at the gates, and none stood by the doors of the huts within them, but beyond, from the cattle kraal that was in the centre of the huts, rose a dust and a din as of men gathering for war.
Now some of those were with me were afraid, and would have turned back, fearing treachery, and they were yet more afraid when, on coming to the inner entrance of the cattle kraal, we saw some five hundred soldiers being mustered there company by company, by two great men, who ran up and down the ranks shouting.
But I cried, "Nay! nay! Turn not back! Bold looks melt the hearts of foes.

Moreover, if this Bulalio would have murdered us, there was no need for him to call up so many of his warriors.

He is a proud chief, and would show his might, not knowing that the king we serve can muster a company for every man he has.