child of storm-第1节

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Child　of　Storm

by　H。　Rider　Haggard




DEDICATION


Dear　Mr。　Stuart；

For　twenty　years；　I　believe　I　am　right　in　saying；　you；　as　Assistant
Secretary　for　Native　Affairs　in　Natal；　and　in　other　offices；　have　been
intimately　acquainted　with　the　Zulu　people。　　Moreover；　you　are　one　of
the　few　living　men　who　have　made　a　deep　and　scientific　study　of　their
language；　their　customs　and　their　history。　　So　I　confess　that　I　was　the
more　pleased　after　you　were　so　good　as　to　read　this　talethe　second
book　of　the　epic　of　the　vengeance　of　Zikali；　〃the
Thing…that…should…never…have…been…born；〃　and　of　the　fall　of　the　House　of
Senzangakona*when　you　wrote　to　me　that　it　was　animated　by　the　true
Zulu　spirit。

＇*〃Marie〃　was　the　first。　　The　third　and　final　act　in　the　drama　is　yet
to　come。＇。　　

I　must　admit　that　my　acquaintance　with　this　people　dates　from　a　period
which　closed　almost　before　your　day。　　What　I　know　of　them　I　gathered　at
the　time　when　Cetewayo；　of　whom　my　volume　tells；　was　in　his　glory；
previous　to　the　evil　hour　in　which　he　found　himself　driven　by　the
clamour　of　his　regiments；　cut　off；　as　they　were；　through　the　annexation
of　the　Transvaal；　from　their　hereditary　trade　of　war；　to　match　himself
against　the　British　strength。　　I　learned　it　all　by　personal　observation
in　the　'seventies；　or　from　the　lips　of　the　great　Shepstone；　my　chief　and
friend；　and　from　my　colleagues　Osborn；　Fynney；　Clarke　and　others；　every
one　of　them　long　since　〃gone　down。〃

Perhaps　it　may　be　as　well　that　this　is　so；　at　any　rate　in　the　case　of
one　who　desires　to　write　of　the　Zulus　as　a　reigning　nation；　which　now
they　have　ceased　to　be；　and　to　try　to　show　them　as　they　were；　in　all
their　superstitious　madness　and　bloodstained　grandeur。

Yet　then　they　had　virtues　as　well　as　vices。　　To　serve　their　Country　in
arms；　to　die　for　it　and　for　the　King；　such　was　their　primitive　ideal。　
If　they　were　fierce　they　were　loyal；　and　feared　neither　wounds　nor　doom；
if　they　listened　to　the　dark　redes　of　the　witch…doctor；　the　trumpet…call
of　duty　sounded　still　louder　in　their　ears；　if；　chanting　their　terrible
〃Ingoma；〃　at　the　King's　bidding　they　went　forth　to　slay　unsparingly；　at
least　they　were　not　mean　or　vulgar。　　From　those　who　continually　must
face　the　last　great　issues　of　life　or　death　meanness　and　vulgarity　are
far　removed。　　These　qualities　belong　to　the　safe　and　crowded　haunts　of
civilised　men；　not　to　the　kraals　of　Bantu　savages；　where；　at　any　rate　of
old；　they　might　be　sought　in　vain。

Now　everything　is　changed；　or　so　I　hear；　and　doubtless　in　the　balance
this　is　best。　　Still　we　may　wonder　what　are　the　thoughts　that　pass
through　the　mind　of　some　ancient　warrior　of　Chaka's　or　Dingaan's　time；
as　he　suns　himself　crouched　on　the　ground；　for　example；　where　once　stood
the　royal　kraal；　Duguza；　and　watches　men　and　women　of　the　Zulu　blood
passing　homeward　from　the　cities　or　the　mines；　bemused；　some　of　them；
with　the　white　man's　smuggled　liquor；　grotesque　with　the　white　man's
cast…off　garments；　hiding；　perhaps；　in　their　blankets　examples　of　the
white　man's　doubtful　photographsand　then　shuts　his　sunken　eyes　and
remembers　the　plumed　and　kilted　regiments　making　that　same　ground　shake
as；　with　a　thunder　of　salute；　line　upon　line；　company　upon　company；　they
rushed　out　to　battle。

Well；　because　the　latter　does　not　attract　me；　it　is　of　this　former　time
that　I　have　tried　to　writethe　time　of　the　Impis　and　the　witch…finders
and　the　rival　princes　of　the　royal　Houseas　I　am　glad　to　learn　from
you；　not　quite　in　vain。　　Therefore；　since　you；　so　great　an　expert；
approve　of　my　labours　in　the　seldom…travelled　field　of　Zulu　story；　I　ask
you　to　allow　me　to　set　your　name　upon　this　page　and　subscribe　myself；

Gratefully　and　sincerely　yours；


H。　RIDER　HAGGARD。


Ditchingham；　12th　October；　1912。


To　James　Stuart；　Esq。；
Late　Assistant　Secretary　for　Native　Affairs；　Natal。



AUTHOR'S　NOTE

Mr。　Allan　Quatermain's　story　of　the　wicked　and　fascinating　Mameena；　a
kind　of　Zulu　Helen；　has；　it　should　be　stated；　a　broad　foundation　in
historical　fact。　　Leaving　Mameena　and　her　wiles　on　one　side；　the　tale　of
the　struggle　between　the　Princes　Cetewayo　and　Umbelazi　for　succession　to
the　throne　of　Zululand　is　true。

When　the　differences　between　these　sons　of　his　became　intolerable；
because　of　the　tumult　which　they　were　causing　in　his　country；　King
Panda；　their　father；　the　son　of　Senzangakona；　and　the　brother　of　the
great　Chaka　and　of　Dingaan；　who　had　ruled　before　him；　did　say　that　〃when
two　young　bulls　quarrel　they　had　better　fight　it　out。〃　　So；　at　least；　I
was　told　by　the　late　Mr。　F。　B。　Fynney；　my　colleague　at　the　time　of　the
annexation　of　the　Transvaal　in　1877；　who；　as　Zulu　Border　Agent；　with　the
exceptions　of　the　late　Sir　Theophilus　Shepstone　and　the　late　Sir　Melmoth
Osborn；　perhaps　knew　more　of　that　land　and　people　than　anyone　else　of
his　period。

As　a　result　of　this　hint　given　by　a　maddened　king；　the　great　battle　of
the　Tugela　was　fought　at　Endondakusuka　in　December；　1856；　between　the
Usutu　party；　commanded　by　Cetewayo；　and　the　adherents　of　Umbelazi　the
Handsome；　his　brother；　who　was　known　among　the　Zulus　as
〃Indhlovu…ene…Sihlonti〃；　or　the　〃Elephant　with　the　tuft　of　hair；〃　from　a
little　lock　of　hair　which　grew　low　down　upon　his　back。

My　friend；　Sir　Melmoth　Osborn；　who　died　in　or　about　the　year　1897；　was
present　at　this　battle；　although　not　as　a　combatant。　　Well　do　I　remember
his　thrilling　story；　told　to　me　over　thirty　years　ago；　of　the　events　of
that　awful　day。

Early　in　the　morning；　or　during　the　previous　night；　I　forget　which；　he
swam　his　horse　across　the　Tugela　and　hid　with　it　in　a　bush…clad　kopje；
blindfolding　the　animal　with　his　coat　lest　it　should　betray　him。　　As　it
chanced；　the　great　fight　of　the　day；　that　of　the　regiment　of　veterans；
which　Sir　Melmoth　informed　me　Panda　had　sent　down　at　the　last　moment　to
the　assistance　of　Umbelazi；　his　favourite　son；　took　place　almost　at　the
foot　of　this　kopje。　　Mr。　Quatermain；　in　his　narrative；　calls　this
regiment　the　Amawombe；　but　my　recollection　is　that　the　name　Sir　Melmoth
Osborn　gave　them　was　〃The　Greys〃　or　〃Upunga。〃

Whatever　their　exact　title　may　have　been；　however；　they　made　a　great
stand。　　At　least；　he　told　me　that　when　Umbelazi's　impi；　or　army；　began
to　give　before　the　Usutu　onslaught；　these　〃Greys〃　moved　forward　above
3；000　strong；　drawn　up　in　a　triple　line；　and　were　charged　by　one　of
Cetewayo's　regiments。

The　opposing　forces　met；　and　the　noise　of　their　clashing　shields；　said
Sir　Melmoth；　was　like　the　roll　of　heavy　thunder。　　Then；　while　he
watched；　the　veteran　〃Greys〃　passed　over　the　opposing　regiment　〃as　a
wave　passes　over　a　rock〃these　were　his　exact　wordsand；　leaving　about
a　third　of　their　number　dead　or　wounded　among　the　bodies　of　the
annihilated　foe；　charged　on　to　meet　a　second　regiment　sent　against　them
by　Cetewayo。　　With　these　the　struggle　was　repeated；　but　again　the
〃Greys〃　conquered。　　Only　now　there　were　not　more　than　five　or　six
hundred　of　them　left　upon　their　feet。

These　survivors　ran　to　a　mound；　round　which　they　formed　a　ring；　and　here
for　a　long　while　withstood　the　attack　of　a　third　regiment；　until　at
length　they　perished　almost　to　a　man；　buried　beneath　heaps　of　their
slain　assailants；　the　Usutu。

Truly　they　made　a　noble　end　fighting　thus　against　tremendous　odds！

As　for　the　number　who　fell　at　this　battle　of　Endondakusuka；　Mr。　Fynney；
in　a　pamphlet　which　he　wrote；　says　that　six　of　Umbelazi's　brothers　died；
〃whilst　it　is　estimated　that　upwards　of　100；000　of　the　peoplemen；
women　and　childrenwere　slain〃a　high　and　indeed　an　impossible
estimate。

That　curious　personage　named　John　Dunn；　an　Englishman　who　became　a　Zulu
chief；　and　who　actually　fought　in　this　battle；　as　narrated　by　Mr。
Quatermain；　however；　puts　the　number　much　lower。　　What　the　true　total
was　will　never　be　known；　but　Sir　Melmoth　Osborn　told　me　that　when　he
swam　his　horse　back　across　the　Tugela　that　night　it　was　black　with
bodies；　and　Sir　Theophilus　Shepstone　also　told　me　that　when　he　visited
the　scene　a　day　or　two　later　the　banks　of　the　river　were　strewn　with
multitudes　of　them；　male　and　female。

It　was　from　Mr。　Fynney　that　I　heard　the　story　of　the　execution　by
Cetewayo　of　the　man　who　appeared　before　him　with　the　ornaments　of
Umbelazi；　announcing　that　he　had　killed　the　prince　with　his　own　hand。　
Of　course；　this　tale；　as　Mr。　Quatermain　points　out；　bears　a　striking
resemblance　to　that　recorded　in　the　Old　Testament　in　connection　with　the
death　of　King　Saul。

It　by　no　means　follows；　however；　that　it　is　therefore　apocryphal；
indeed；　Mr。　Fynney　assured　me　that　it　was　quite　true；　although；　if　he
gave　me　his　authorities；　I　cannot　remember　them　after　a　lapse　of　more
than　thirty　years。

The　exact　circumstances　of　Umbelazi's　death　are　unknown；　but　the　general
report　was　that　he　died；　not　by　the　assegais　of　the　Usutu；　but　of　a
broken　heart。　　Another　story　declares　that　he　was　drowned。　　His　body　was
never　found；　and　it　is　therefore　probable　that　it　sank　in　the　Tugela；　as
is　suggested　in　the　following　pages。

I　have　only　to　add　that　it　is　quite　in　accordance　with　Zulu　beliefs　that
a　man　should　be　haunted　by　the　ghost　of　one　whom　he　has　murdered　or
be