child of storm-第32节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


catching。　　Moving　quietly；　as　I　always　do　from　a　hunter's　habit；　I
walked　alone　to　the　place　where　the　beast　was　tethered　behind　some
mimosa　thorns。　　Just　as　I　reached　these　thorns　the　broad　lightning　shone
out　vividly；　and　showed　me　Saduko　holding　the　unresisting　shape　of
Mameena　in　his　arms　and　kissing　her　passionately。

Then　I　turned　and　went　back　to　the　wagons　even　more　quietly　than　I　had
come。

I　should　add　that　on　the　morrow　I　found　out　that；　after　all；　there　was
nothing　serious　the　matter　with　my　ox。



CHAPTER　X




THE　SMELLING…OUT





After　these　events　matters　went　on　quietly　for　some　time。　　I　visited
Saduko's　hutsvery　fine　hutsabout　the　doors　of　which　sat　quite　a
number　of　his　tribesmen；　who　seemed　glad　to　see　me　again。　　Here　I
learned　from　the　Lady　Nandie　that　her　babe；　whom　she　loved　dearly；　was
none　the　worse　for　its　little　accident。　　Also　I　learned　from　Saduko
himself；　who　came　in　before　I　left；　attended　like　a　prince　by　several
notable　men；　that　he　had　made　up　his　quarrel　with　Masapo；　and；　indeed；
apologised　to　him；　as　he　found　that　he　had　not　really　meant　to　insult
the　princess；　his　wife；　having　only　thrust　her　over　by　accident。　　Saduko
added　indeed　that　now　they　were　good　friends；　which　was　well　for　Masapo；
a　man　whom　the　King　had　no　cause　to　like。　　I　said　that　I　was　glad　to
hear　it；　and　went　on　to　call　upon　Masapo；　who　received　me　with
enthusiasm；　as　also　did　Mameena。

Here　I　noted　with　pleasure　that　this　pair　seemed　to　be　on　much　better
terms　than　I　understood　had　been　the　case　in　the　past；　for　Mameena　even
addressed　her　husband　on　two　separate　occasions　in　very　affectionate
language；　and　fetched　something　that　he　wanted　without　waiting　to　be
asked。　　Masapo；　too；　was　in　excellent　spirits；　because；　as　he　told　me；
the　old　quarrel　between　him　and　Saduko　was　thoroughly　made　up；　their
reconciliation　having　been　sealed　by　an　interchange　of　gifts。　　He　added
that　he　was　very　glad　that　this　was　the　case；　since　Saduko　was　now　one
of　the　most　powerful　men　in　the　country；　who　could　harm　him　much　if　he
chose；　especially　as　some　secret　enemy　had　put　it　about　of　late　that　he；
Masapo；　was　an　enemy　of　the　King's　House；　and　an　evil…doer　who　practised
witchcraft。　　In　proof　of　his　new　friendship；　however；　Saduko　had
promised　that　these　slanders　should　be　looked　into　and　their　originator
punished；　if　he　or　she　could　be　found。

Well；　I　congratulated　him　and　took　my　departure；　〃thinking　furiously；〃
as　the　Frenchman　says。　　That　there　was　a　tragedy　pending　I　was　sure；
this　weather　was　too　calm　to　last；　the　water　ran　so　still　because　it　was
preparing　to　leap　down　some　hidden　precipice。

Yet　what　could　I　do？　　Tell　Masapo　I　had　seen　his　wife　being　embraced　by
another　man？　　Surely　that　was　not　my　business；　it　was　Masapo's　business
to　attend　to　her　conduct。　　Also　they　would　both　deny　it；　and　I　had　no
witness。　　Tell　him　that　Saduko's　reconciliation　with　him　was　not
sincere；　and　that　he　had　better　look　to　himself？　　How　did　I　know　it　was
not　sincere？　　It　might　suit　Saduko's　book　to　make　friends　with　Masapo；
and　if　I　interfered　I　should　only　make　enemies　and　be　called　a　liar　who
was　working　for　some　secret　end。

Go　to　Panda　and　confide　my　suspicions　to　him？　　He　was　far　too　anxious
and　busy　about　great　matters　to　listen　to　me；　and　if　he　did；　would　only
laugh　at　this　tale　of　a　petty　flirtation。　　No；　there　was　nothing　to　be
done　except　sit　still　and　wait。　　Very　possibly　I　was　mistaken；　after
all；　and　things　would　smooth　themselves　out；　as　they　generally　do。

Meanwhile　the　〃reviewing；〃　or　whatever　it　may　have　been；　was　in
progress；　and　I　was　busy　with　my　own　affairs；　making　hay　while　the　sun
shone。　　So　great　were　the　crowds　of　people　who　came　up　to　Nodwengu　that
in　a　week　I　had　sold　everything　I　had　to　sell　in　the　two　wagons；　that
were　mostly　laden　with　cloth；　beads；　knives　and　so　forth。　　Moreover；　the
prices　I　got　were　splendid；　since　the　buyers　bid　against　each　other；　and
before　I　was　cleared　out　I　had　collected　quite　a　herd　of　cattle；　also　a
quantity　of　ivory。　　These　I　sent　on　to　Natal　with　one　of　the　wagons；
remaining　behind　myself　with　the　other；　partly　because　Panda　asked　me　to
do　sofor　now　and　again　he　would　seek　my　advice　on　sundry
questionsand　partly　from　curiosity。

There　was　plenty　to　be　curious　about　up　at　Nodwengu　just　then；　since　no
one　was　sure　that　civil　war　would　not　break　out　between　the　princes
Cetewayo　and　Umbelazi；　whose　factions　were　present　in　force。

It　was　averted　for　the　time；　however；　by　Umbelazi　keeping　away　from　the
great　gathering　under　pretext　of　being　sick；　and　leaving　Saduko　and　some
others　to　watch　his　interests。　　Also　the　rival　regiments　were　not
allowed　to　approach　the　town　at　the　same　time。　　So　that　public　cloud
passed　over；　to　the　enormous　relief　of　everyone；　especially　of　Panda　the
King。　　As　to　the　private　cloud　whereof　this　history　tells；　it　was
otherwise。

As　the　tribes　came　up　to　the　Great　Place　they　were　reviewed　and　sent
away；　since　it　was　impossible　to　feed　so　vast　a　multitude　as　would　have
collected　had　they　all　remained。　　Thus　the　Amasomi；　a　small　people　who
were　amongst　the　first　to　arrive；　soon　left。　　Only；　for　some　reason
which　I　never　quite　understood；　Masapo；　Mameena　and　a　few　of　Masapo's
children　and　headmen　were　detained　there；　though　perhaps；　if　she　had
chosen；　Mameena　could　have　given　an　explanation。

Well；　things　began　to　happen。　　Sundry　personages　were　taken　ill；　and
some　of　them　died　suddenly；　and　soon　it　was　noted　that　all　these　people
either　lived　near　to　where　Masapo's　family　was　lodged　or　had　at　some
time　or　other　been　on　bad　terms　with　him。　　Thus　Saduko　himself　was　taken
ill；　or　said　he　was；　at　any　rate；　he　vanished　from　public　gaze　for　three
days；　and　reappeared　looking　very　sorry　for　himself；　though　I　could　not
observe　that　he　had　lost　strength　or　weight。　　These　catastrophes　I　pass
over；　however；　in　order　to　come　to　the　greatest　of　them；　which　is　one　of
the　turning　points　of　this　chronicle。

After　recovering　from　his　alleged　sickness　Saduko　gave　a　kind　of
thanksgiving　feast；　at　which　several　oxen　were　killed。　　I　was　present　at
this　feast；　or　rather　at　the　last　part　of　it；　for　I　only　put　in　what　may
be　called　a　complimentary　appearance；　having　no　taste　for　such　native
gorgings。　　As　it　drew　near　its　close　Saduko　sent　for　Nandie；　who　at
first　refused　to　come　as　there　were　no　women　presentI　think　because　he
wished　to　show　his　friends　that　he　had　a　princess　of　the　royal　blood　for
his　wife；　who　had　borne　him　a　son　that　one　day　would　be　great　in　the
land。　　For　Saduko；　as　I　have　said；　had　become　a　〃self…eater；〃　and　this
day　his　pride　was　inflamed　by　the　adulation　of　the　company　and　by　the
beer　that　he　had　drunk。

At　length　Nandie　did　come；　carrying　her　babe；　from　which　she　never　would
be　parted。　　In　her　dignified；　ladylike　fashion　（although　it　seems　an　odd
term　to　apply　to　a　savage；　I　know　none　that　describes　her　better）　she
greeted　first　me　and　then　sundry　of　the　other　guests；　saying　a　few　words
to　each　of　them。　　At　length　she　came　opposite　to　Masapo；　who　had　dined
not　wisely　but　too　well；　and　to　him；　out　of　her　natural　courtesy；　spoke
rather　longer　than　to　the　others；　inquiring　after　his　wife；　Mameena；　and
others。　　At　the　moment　it　occurred　to　me　that　she　did　this　in　order　to
assure　him　that　she　bore　no　malice　because　of　the　accident　of　a　while
before；　and　was　a　party　to　her　husband's　reconciliation　with　him。

Masapo；　in　a　hazy　way；　tried　to　reciprocate　these　kind　intentions。　
Rising　to　his　feet；　his　fat；　coarse　body　swaying　to　and　fro　because　of
the　beer　that　he　had　drunk；　he　expressed　satisfaction　at　the　feast　that
had　been　prepared　in　her　house。　　Then；　his　eyes　falling　on　the　child；　he
began　to　declaim　about　its　size　and　beauty；　until　he　was　stopped　by　the
murmured　protests　of　others；　since　among　natives　it　is　held　to　be　not
fortunate　to　praise　a　young　child。　　Indeed；　the　person　who　does　so　is
apt　to　be　called　an　〃umtakati〃；　or　bewitcher；　who　will　bring　evil　upon
its　head；　a　word　that　I　heard　murmured　by　several　near　to　me。　　Not
satisfied　with　this　serious　breach　of　etiquette；　the　intoxicated　Masapo
snatched　the　infant　from　its　mother's　arms　under　pretext　of　looking　for
the　hurt　that　had　been　caused　to　its　brow　when　it　fell　to　the　ground　at
my　camp；　and　finding　none；　proceeded　to　kiss　it　with　his　thick　lips。

Nandie　dragged　it　from　him；　saying：

〃Would　you　bring　death　upon　my　son；　O　Chief　of　the　Amasomi？〃

Then；　turning；　she　walked　away　from　the　feasters；　upon　whom　there　fell　a
certain　hush。

Fearing　lest　something　unpleasant　should　ensue；　for　I　saw　Saduko　biting
his　lips　with　rage　not　unmixed　with　fear；　and　remembering　Masapo's
reputation　as　a　wizard；　I　took　advantage　of　this　pause　to　bid　a　general
good　night　to　the　company　and　retire　to　my　camp。

What　happened　immediately　after　I　left　I　do　not　know；　but　just　before
dawn　on　the　following　morning　I　was　awakened　from　sleep　in　my　wagon　by
my　servant　Scowl；　who　said　that　a　messenger　had　come　from　the　huts　of
Saduko；　begging　that　I　would　proceed　there　at　once　and　bring　the　white
man's　medicines；　as　his　child　was　very　ill。　　Of　course　I　got　up　and
went；　taking　with　me　some　ipecacua