nada the lily-第14节

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her　so　truly　that　he　drove　the　spear　through　her；　and　she　fell　down

dead。　After　that　Nada　bound　up　his　wound；　which　was　deep；　and　with

much　pain　he　reached　the　king's　kraal　and　told　me　this　story。



Now　there　were　some　who　cried　that　the　boy　must　be　put　to　death；

because　he　had　killed　one　possessed　with　a　spirit。　But　I　said　no；　he

should　not　be　touched。　He　had　killed　the　woman　in　defence　of　his　own

life　and　the　life　of　his　sister；　and　every　one　had　a　right　to　slay　in

self…defence；　except　as　against　the　king　or　those　who　did　the　king's

bidding。　Moreover；　I　said；　if　the　woman　had　a　spirit；　it　was　an　evil

one；　for　no　good　spirit　would　ask　the　lives　of　children；　but　rather

those　of　cattle；　for　it　is　against　our　custom　to　sacrifice　human

beings　to　the　Amatonga　even　in　war；　though　the　Basuta　dogs　do　so。

Still；　the　tumult　grew；　for　the　witch…doctors　were　set　upon　the　boy's

death；　saying　that　evil　would　come　of　it　if　he　was　allowed　to　live；

having　killed　one　inspired；　and　at　last　the　matter　came　to　the　ears　of

the　king。　Then　Chaka　summoned　me　and　the　boy　before　him；　and　he　also

summoned　the　witch…doctors。



First；　the　witch…doctors　set　out　their　case；　demanding　the　death　of

Umslopogaas。　Chaka　asked　them　what　would　happen　if　the　boy　was　not

killed。　They　answered　that　the　spirit　of　the　dead　woman　would　lead　him

to　bring　evil　on　the　royal　house。　Chaka　asked　if　he　would　bring　evil

on　him；　the　king。　They　in　turn　asked　the　spirits；　and　answered　no；　not

on　him；　but　on　one　of　the　royal　house　who　should　be　after　him。　Chaka

said　that　he　cared　nothing　what　happened　to　those　who　came　after　him；

or　whether　good　or　evil　befell　them。　Then　he　spoke　to　Umslopogaas；　who

looked　him　boldly　in　the　face；　as　an　equal　looks　at　an　equal。



〃Boy；〃　he　said；　〃what　hast　thou　to　say　as　to　why　thou　shouldst　not　be

killed　as　these　men　demand？〃



〃This；　Black　One；〃　answered　Umslopogaas；　〃that　I　stabbed　the　woman　in

defence　of　my　own　life。〃



〃That　is　nothing；〃　said　Chaka。　〃If　I；　the　king；　wished　to　kill　thee；

mightest　thou　therefore　kill　me　or　those　whom　I　sent？　The　Itongo　in

the　woman　was　a　Spirit　King　and　ordered　her　to　kill　thee；　thou

shouldst　then　have　let　thyself　be　killed。　Hast　thou　no　other　reason？〃



〃This；　Elephant；〃　answered　Umslopogaas；　〃the　woman　would　have　murdered

my　sister；　whom　I　love　better　than　my　life。〃



〃That　is　nothing；〃　said　Chaka。　〃If　I　ordered　thee　to　be　killed　for　any

cause；　should　I　not　also　order　all　within　thy　gates　to　be　killed　with

thee？　May　not；　then；　a　Spirit　King　do　likewise？　If　thou　hast　nothing

more　to　say　thou　must　die。〃



Now　I　grew　afraid；　for　I　feared　lest　Chaka　should　slay　him　who　was

called　my　son　because　of　the　word　of　the　doctors。　But　the　boy

Umslopogaas　looked　up　and　answered　boldly；　not　as　one　who　pleads　for

his　life；　but　as　one　who　demands　a　right：



〃I　have　this　to　say；　Eater…up　of　Enemies；　and　if　it　is　not　enough；　let

us　stop　talking；　and　let　me　be　killed。　Thou；　O　king；　didst　command

that　this　woman　should　be　slain。　Those　whom　thou　didst　send　to　destroy

her　spared　her；　because　they　thought　her　mad。　I　have　carried　out　the

commandment　of　the　king；　I　have　slain　her；　mad　or　sane；　whom　the　king

commanded　should　be　killed；　and　I　have　earned　not　death；　but　a

reward。〃



〃Well　said；　Umslopogaas！〃　answered　Chaka。　〃Let　ten　head　of　cattle　be

given　to　this　boy　with　the　heart　of　a　man；　his　father　shall　guard　them

for　him。　Art　thou　satisfied　now；　Umslopogaas？〃



〃I　take　that　which　is　due　to　me；　and　I　thank　the　king　because　he　need

not　pay　unless　he　will；〃　Umslopogaas　answered。



Chaka　stared　awhile；　began　to　grow　angry；　then　burst　out　laughing。



〃Why；　this　calf　is　such　another　one　as　was　dropped　long　ago　in　the

kraal　of　Senzangacona！〃　he　said。　〃As　I　was；　so　is　this　boy。　Go　on；

lad；　in　that　path；　and　thou　mayst　find　those　who　shall　cry　the　royal

salute　of　Bayete　to　thee　at　the　end　of　it。　Only　keep　out　of　my　way；

for　two　of　a　kind　might　not　agree。　Now　begone！〃



So　we　went　out；　but　as　we　passed　them　I　saw　the　doctors　muttering

together；　for　they　were　ill…pleased　and　foreboded　evil。　Also　they　were

jealous　of　me；　and　wished　to　smite　me　through　the　heart　of　him　who　was

called　my　son。







CHAPTER　VIII



THE　GREAT　INGOMBOCO



After　this　there　was　quiet　until　the　Feast　of　the　First…fruits　was

ended。　But　few　people　were　killed　at　these　feast；　though　there　was　a

great　Ingomboco；　or　witch…hunt；　and　many　were　smelt　out　by　the　witch…

doctors　as　working　magic　against　the　king。　Now　things　had　come　to　this

pass　in　Zululandthat　the　whole　people　cowered　before　the　witch…

doctors。　No　man　might　sleep　safe；　for　none　knew　but　that　on　the　morrow

he　would　be　touched　by　the　wand　of　an　Isanusi；　as　we　name　a　finder　of

witches；　and　led　away　to　his　death。　For　awhile　Chaka　said　nothing；　and

so　long　as　the　doctors　smelt　out　those　only　whom　he　wished　to　get　rid

ofand　they　were　manyhe　was　well　pleased。　But　when　they　began　to

work　for　their　own　ends；　and　to　do　those　to　death　whom　he　did　not

desire　to　kill；　he　grew　angry。　Yet　the　custom　of　the　land　was　that　he

whom　the　witch…doctor　touched　must　die；　he　and　all　his　house；

therefore　the　king　was　in　a　cleft　stick；　for　he　scarcely　dared　to　save

even　those　whom　he　loved。　One　night　I　came　to　doctor　him；　for　he　was

sick　in　his　mind。　On　that　very　day　there　had　been　an　Ingomboco；　and

five　of　the　bravest　captains　of　the　army　had　been　smelt　out　by　the

Abangoma；　the　witch…finders；　together　with　many　others。　All　had　been

destroyed；　and　men　had　been　sent　to　kill　the　wives　and　children　of　the

dead。　Now　Chaka　was　very　angry　at　this　slaying；　and　opened　his　heart

to　me。



〃The　witch…doctors　rule　in　Zululand；　and　not　I；　Mopo；　son　of

Makedama；〃　he　said　to　me。　〃Where；　then；　is　it　to　end？　Shall　I　myself

be　smelt　out　and　slain？　These　Isanusis　are　too　strong　for　me；　they　lie

upon　the　land　like　the　shadow　of　night。　Tell　me；　how　may　I　be　free　of

them？〃



〃Those　who　walk　the　Bridge　of　Spears；　O　king；　fall　off　into　Nowhere；〃

I　answered　darkly；　〃even　witch…doctors　cannot　keep　a　footing　on　that

bridge。　Has　not　a　witch…doctor　a　heart　that　can　cease　to　beat？　Has　he

not　blood　that　can　be　made　to　flow？〃



Chaka　looked　at　me　strangely。　〃Thou　art　a　bold　man　who　darest　to　speak

thus　to　me；　Mopo；〃　he　said。　〃Dost　thou　not　know　that　it　is　sacrilege

to　touch　an　Isanusi？〃



〃I　speak　that　which　is　in　the　king's　mind；〃　I　answered。　〃Hearken；　O

king！　It　is　indeed　sacrilege　to　touch　a　true　Isanusi；　but　what　if　the

Isanusi　be　a　liar？　What　if　he　smell　out　falsely；　bringing　those　to

death　who　are　innocent　of　evil？　Is　it　then　sacrilege　to　bring　him　to

that　end　which　he　has　given　to　many　another？　Say；　O　king！〃



〃Good　words！〃　answered　Chaka。　〃Now　tell　me；　son　of　Makedama；　how　may

this　matter　be　put　to　proof？〃



Then　I　leaned　forward；　whispering　into　the　ear　of　the　Black　One；　and

he　nodded　heavily。



Thus　I　spoke　then；　because　I；　too；　saw　the　evil　of　the　Isanusis；　I　who

knew　their　secrets。　Also；　I　feared　for　my　own　life　and　for　the　lives

of　all　those　who　were　dear　to　me。　For　they　hated　me　as　one　instructed

in　their　magic；　one　who　had　the　seeing　eye　and　the　hearing　ear。



One　morning　thereafter　a　new　thing　came　to　pass　in　the　royal　kraal；

for　the　king　himself　ran　out；　crying　aloud　to　all　people　to　come　and

see　the　evil　that　had　been　worked　upon　him　by　a　wizard。　They　came

together　and　saw　this。　On　the　door…posts　of　the　gateway　of　the

Intunkulu；　the　house　of　the　king；　were　great　smears　of　blood。　The

knees　of　men　strong　in　the　battle　trembled　when　they　saw　it；　women

wailed　aloud　as　they　wail　over　the　dead；　they　wailed　because　of　the

horror　of　the　omen。



〃Who　has　done　this　thing？〃　cried　Chaka　in　a　terrible　voice。　〃Who　has

dared　to　bewitch　the　king　and　to　strike　blood　upon　his　house？〃



There　was　no　answer；　and　Chaka　spoke　again。　〃This　is　no　little

matter；〃　he　said；　〃to　be　washed　away　with　the　blood　of　one　or　two　and

be　forgotten。　The　man　who　wrought　it　shall　not　die　alone　or　travel

with　a　few　to　the　world　of　spirits。　All　his　tribe　shall　go　with　him；

down　to　the　baby　in　his　hut　and　cattle　in　his　kraal！　Let　messengers　go

out　east　and　west；　and　north　and　south；　and　summon　the　witch…doctors

from　every　quarter！　Let　them　summon　the　captains　from　every　regiment

and　the　headmen　from　every　kraal！　On　the　tenth　day　from　now　the　circle

of　the　Ingomboco　must　be　set；　and　there　shall　be　such　a　smelling　out

of　wizards　and　of　witches　as　has　not　been　known　in　Zululand！〃



So　the　messengers　went　out　to　do　the　bidding　of　the　king；　taking　the

names　of　those　who　should　be　summoned　from　the　lips　of　the　indunas；

and　day　by　day　people　flocked　up　to　the　gates　of　the　royal　kraal；　and；

creeping　on　their　knees　before　the　majesty　of　the　king；　praised　him

aloud。　But　he　vouchsafed　an　answer　to　none。　One　noble　only　he　caused

to　be　killed；　because　he　carried　in　his　hand　a　stick　of　the　royal　red

wood；　which　Chaka　himself　had　given　him　in　bygone