9 2 THE TRADITION OF RAToLO. 



and the cattle within. Mampuru ordered his son Ntobeng to go 

 and fetch this cattle. Ntobeng refused, saying, " the stronghold 

 is too strong." Then he sent Moroamotshe. He agreed to go. 

 So Mampuru gave him the Makoa (the young men circumcised 

 with Moroamotshe- and the Mokoni as guide. The guide 

 brought them behind the stronghold to a big tree (Moumo—Ficus 

 elastica?), the branches of which always have strong air-roots, 

 and are easily climbed. Then they went up to the top of a big 

 rock with little precipices all around. They thus entered the 

 stronghold without being seen. At sunrise Mampuru again 

 commenced the fight at the front entrance, and Moroamotshe 

 from behind. So they captured the Bakoni Chief Nsuanyana. 

 Mampuru praised now Moroamotshe and mocked the cowardice 

 of his son Ntobeng. When he arrived home, he called Moroa- 

 motshe and Ntobeng. Then he gave to both young men a string 

 of the famous Chiefs' beads (old heirlooms of the Chiefs; 

 nobody at the present day knows where they came from, one 

 string even now being very valuable*) and ivory arm-rings, cut 

 from elephant tusks. He gave, however, his own son Ntobeng 

 two rings, and to Moroamotshe only one. Now Moukangoe, 

 who was still alive, called the young men, to look after their 

 adornments. When he found that Moroamotshe got less than 

 Ntobeng, he called for a stone, broke Ntobeng's ivory arm-band, 

 and said : " I will give you more than that." Calling together 

 all the many cattle-herds of the whole tribe, he ordered them 

 each to bring a young ox and heifer, and then gave them all to 

 Moroamotshe, Ntobeng getting nothing. This was our first 

 cause of quarrel with those of Magakal. who afterwards left 

 and fought us. Mampuru and Moroamotshe after that were 

 never good friends again. 



Moukangoe now died, and was buried by Mampuru. When 

 in the summer Mampuru's sons were marrying, and big festivals 

 and dancings were plentiful, Moroamotshe did not dress as be 

 ought to have done, but purposely annoyed Mampuru by wearing 

 an old cured cattle-hide. The Indunas complained to Mampun 

 of the proud behaviour of Moroamotshe. So Mampuru called 

 him and dressed him in fine garments, but notwithstanding, rh< 

 next day Moroamotshe again wore that old had skin. Mampuru 

 again called him, and dressed him with beautiful strings of 

 heads. Then a man. Makoropane, of the Kgoro of Pala. said 

 to Mampuru : " The boy has grown ; give him the kraal, and 

 make him Chief." But another Induna, Mokgabudi, of Bogopa's 

 Kgoro. said: "How can we make this child a Chief; when his 

 father (Mohube) had never been a Chief ?" f Makurupane 

 answered : " Are you afraid that he will not give Mampuru of 

 the cattle he may get by fighting?" Now Moroamotshe went 



•They have three different colours of these strange beads: green, yellow 

 and black. 



I He was killed before he could become a chief. 



