While it lasted our friendship has been good, andits ending shall be good. Still it is in mymind, Slaughterer, that our brotherhood draws to an end, for the fateof him who bears the Watcher, and which my father foretold, is uponme. Perhaps, at least, there shall be death for some. Itshook, it slipped over the socket ledge, and rolled home like a pebbledown the mouth of a gourd. So, in her fear and folly, she seizedthe rock and dragged on it as Umslopogaas had shown her how to do. Then she thought in her foolishness that the wolf knew how toopen the stone, and that he would do this, and devour her, for she hadheard the tale that all these wolves were the ghosts of evil men,having the understanding of men. Nada cried aloud in fear, and the fangs were snatched back, butpresently she heard a scratching without the cave, and saw the stoneshake. This is my word: that wefall upon the men of Dingaan twice, once in the glade of the forestwhither they will come presently, and, if we are beaten back, then wemust stand for the last time on the knees of the Witch in front of thecave where Nada is. But now, at the least, we will make a good end tothis fellowship, and the Grey People shall fight their fill, and theold Witch who sits aloft waiting for the world to die shall smile tosee that fight, if she never smiled before. May we one dayfind a land where there are no women, and war only, for in that landwe shall grow great. Perchance I did ill, Galazi, when first I hearkened to thewords of Zinita and suffered women to come between us. Were it not for one in the cave above, who is helpless and tender, Iwould swear to you, Wolf, that if you fall, on your carcase I willdie and I do swear that, should you fall, while I live GroanMakershall be busy from year to year till every man of yonder impi is asyou are.
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