nada the lily-第17节

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ground　dead。



〃The　witch　lies　hard　and　dies　hard；〃　said　the　king　carelessly；　and

turned　upon　his　heel。　But　those　words　of　dead　Nobela　remained　fixed　in

his　memory；　or　so　much　of　them　as　had　been　spoken　of　Unandi　and

Baleka。　There　they　remained　like　seeds　in　the　earth；　there　they　grew

to　bring　forth　fruit　in　their　season。



And　thus　ended　the　great　Ingomboco　of　Chaka；　the　greatest　Ingomboco

that　ever　was　held　in　Zululand。







CHAPTER　IX



THE　LOSS　OF　UMSLOPOGAAS



Now；　after　the　smelling　out　of　the　witch…doctors；　Chaka　caused　a　watch

to　be　kept　upon　his　mother　Unandi；　and　his　wife　Baleka；　my　sister；　and

report　was　brought　to　him　by　those　who　watched；　that　the　two　women

came　to　my　huts　by　stealth；　and　there　kissed　and　nursed　a　boyone　of

my　children。　Then　Chaka　remembered　the　prophecy　of　Nobela；　the　dead

Isanusi；　and　his　heart　grew　dark　with　doubt。　But　to　me　he　said　nothing

of　the　matter；　for　then；　as　always；　his　eyes　looked　over　my　head。　He

did　not　fear　me　or　believe　that　I　plotted　against　him；　I　who　was　his

dog。　Still；　he　did　this；　though　whether　by　chance　or　design　I　do　not

know：　he　bade　me　go　on　a　journey　to　a　distant　tribe　that　lived　near

the　borders　of　the　Amaswazi；　there　to　take　count　of　certain　of　the

king's　cattle　which　were　in　the　charge　of　that　tribe；　and　to　bring　him

account　of　the　tale　of　their　increase。　So　I　bowed　before　the　king；　and

said　that　I　would　run　like　a　dog　to　do　his　bidding；　and　he　gave　me　men

to　go　with　me。



Then　I　returned　to　my　huts　to　bid　farewell　to　my　wives　and　children；

and　there　I　found　that　my　wife；　Anadi；　the　mother　of　Moosa；　my　son；

had　fallen　sick　with　a　wandering　sickness；　for　strange　things　came

into　her　mind；　and　what　came　into　her　mind　that　she　said；　being；　as　I

did　not　doubt；　bewitched　by　some　enemy　of　my　house。



Still；　I　must　go　upon　the　king's　business；　and　I　told　this　to　my　wife

Macropha；　the　mother　of　Nada；　and；　as　it　was　thought；　of　Umslopogaas；

the　son　of　Chaka。　But　when　I　spoke　to　Macropha　of　the　matter　she　burst

into　tears　and　clung　to　me。　I　asked　her　why　she　wept　thus；　and　she

answered　that　the　shadow　of　evil　lay　upon　her　heart；　for　she　was　sure

that　if　I　left　her　at　the　king's　kraal；　when　I　returned　again　I　should

find　neither　her　nor　Nada；　my　child；　nor　Umslopogaas；　who　was　named　my

son；　and　whom　I　loved　as　a　son；　still　in　the　land　of　life。　Then　I

tried　to　calm　her；　but　the　more　I　strove　the　more　she　wept；　saying

that　she　knew　well　that　these　things　would　be　so。



Now　I　asked　her　what　could　be　done；　for　I　was　stirred　by　her　tears；

and　the　dread　of　evil　crept　from　her　to　me　as　shadows　creep　from　the

valley　to　the　mountain。



She　answered；　〃Take　me　with　you；　my　husband；　that　I　may　leave　this

evil　land；　where　the　very　skies　rain　blood；　and　let　me　rest　awhile　in

the　place　of　my　own　people　till　the　terror　of　Chaka　has　gone　by。〃



〃How　can　I　do　this？〃　I　said。　〃None　may　leave　the　king's　kraal　without

the　king's　pass。〃



〃A　man　may　put　away　his　wife；〃　she　replied。　〃The　king　does　not　stand

between　a　man　and　his　wife。　Say；　my　husband；　that　you　love　me　no

longer；　that　I　bear　you　no　more　children；　and　that　therefore　you　send

me　back　whence　I　came。　By…and…bye　we　will　come　together　again　if　we

are　left　among　the　living。〃



〃So　be　it；〃　I　answered。　〃Leave　the　kraal　with　Nada　and　Umslopogaas

this　night；　and　to…morrow　morning　meet　me　at　the　river　bank；　and　we

shall　go　on　together；　and　for　the　rest　may　the　spirits　of　our　fathers

hold　us　safe。〃



So　we　kissed　each　other；　and　Macropha　went　on　secretly　with　the

children。



Now　at　the　dawning　on　the　morrow　I　summoned　the　men　whom　the　king　had

given　me；　and　we　started　upon　our　journey。　When　the　sun　was　well　up　we

came　to　the　banks　of　the　river；　and　there　I　found　my　wife　Macropha；

and　with　her　the　two　children。　They　rose　as　I　came；　but　I　frowned　at

my　wife　and　she　gave　me　no　greeting。　Those　with　me　looked　at　her

askance。



〃I　have　divorced　this　woman；〃　I　said　to　them。　〃She　is　a　withered　tree；

a　worn　out　old　hag；　and　now　I　take　her　with　me　to　send　her　to　the

country　of　the　Swazis；　whence　she　came。　Cease　weeping；〃　I　added　to

Macropha；　〃it　is　my　last　word。〃



〃What　says　the　king？〃　asked　the　men。



〃I　will　answer　to　the　king；〃　I　said。　And　we　went　on。



Now　I　must　tell　how　we　lost　Umslopogaas；　the　son　of　Chaka；　who　was

then　a　great　lad　drawing　on　to　manhood；　fierce　in　temper；　well　grown

and　broad　for　his　years。



We　had　journeyed　seven　days；　for　the　way　was　long；　and　on　the　night　of

the　seventh　day　we　came　to　a　mountainous　country　in　which　there　were

few　kraals；　for　Chaka　had　eaten　them　all　up　years　before。　Perhaps　you

know　the　place；　my　father。　In　it　is　a　great　and　strange　mountain。　It

is　haunted　also；　and　named　the　Ghost　Mountain；　and　on　the　top　of　it　is

a　grey　peak　rudely　shaped　like　the　head　of　an　aged　woman。　Here　in　this

wild　place　we　must　sleep；　for　darkness　drew　on。　Now　we　soon　learned

that　there　were　many　lions　in　the　rocks　around；　for　we　heard　their

roaring　and　were　much　afraid；　all　except　Umslopogaas；　who　feared

nothing。　So　we　made　a　circle　of　thorn…bushes　and　sat　in　it；　holding

our　assegais　ready。　Presently　the　moon　came　upit　was　a　full…grown

moon　and　very　bright；　so　bright　that　we　could　see　everything　for　a

long　way　round。　Now　some　six　spear…throws　from　where　we　sat　was　a

cliff；　and　at　the　top　of　the　cliff　was　a　cave；　and　in　this　cave　lived

two　lions　and　their　young。　When　the　moon　grew　bright　we　saw　the　lions

come　out　and　stand　upon　the　edge　of　the　cliff；　and　with　them　were　two

little　ones　that　played　about　like　kittens；　so　that　had　we　not　been

frightened　it　would　have　been　beautiful　to　see　them。



〃Oh！　Umslopogaas；〃　said　Nada；　〃I　wish　that　I　had　one　of　the　little

lions　for　a　dog。〃



The　boy　laughed；　saying；　〃Then；　shall　I　fetch　you　one；　sister？〃



〃Peace；　boy；〃　I　said。　〃No　man　may　take　young　lions　from　their　lair　and

live。〃



〃Such　things　have　been　done；　my　father；〃　he　answered；　laughing。　And　no

more　was　said　of　the　matter。



Now　when　the　cubs　had　played　awhile；　we　saw　the　lioness　take　up　the

cubs　in　her　mouth　and　carry　them　into　the　cave。　Then　she　came　out

again；　and　went　away　with　her　mate　to　seek　food；　and　soon　we　heard

them　roaring　in　the　distance。　Now　we　stacked　up　the　fire　and　went　to

sleep　in　our　enclosure　of　thorns　without　fear；　for　we　knew　that　the

lions　were　far　away　eating　game。　But　Umslopogaas　did　not　sleep；　for　he

had　determined　that　he　would　fetch　the　cub　which　Nada　had　desired；

and；　being　young　and　foolhardy；　he　did　not　think　of　the　danger　which

he　would　bring　upon　himself　and　all　of　us。　He　knew　no　fear；　and　now；

as　ever；　if　Nada　spoke　a　word；　nay；　even　if　she　thought　of　a　thing　to

desire　it；　he　would　not　rest　till　it　was　won　for　her。　So　while　we

slept　Umslopogaas　crept　like　a　snake　from　the　fence　of　thorns；　and；

taking　an　assegai　in　his　hand；　he　slipped　away　to　the　foot　of　the

cliff　where　the　lions　had　their　den。　Then　he　climbed　the　cliff；　and；

coming　to　the　cave；　entered　there　and　groped　his　way　into　it。　The　cubs

heard　him；　and；　thinking　that　it　was　their　mother　who　returned；　began

to　whine　and　purr　for　food。　Guided　by　the　light　of　their　yellow　eyes；

he　crept　over　the　bones；　of　which　there　were　many　in　the　cave；　and

came　to　where　they　lay。　Then　he　put　out　his　hands　and　seized　one　of

the　cubs；　killing　the　other　with　his　assegai；　because　he　could　not

carry　both　of　them。　Now　he　made　haste　thence　before　the　lions

returned；　and　came　back　to　the　thorn　fence　where　we　lay　just　as　dawn

as　breaking。



I　awoke　at　the　coming　of　the　dawn；　and；　standing　up；　I　looked　out。　Lo！

there；　on　the　farther　side　of　the　thorn　fence；　looking　large　in　the

grey　mist；　stood　the　lad　Umslopogaas；　laughing。　In　his　teeth　he　held

the　assegai；　yet　dripping　with　blood；　and　in　his　hands　the　lion　cub

that；　despite　its　whines　and　struggles；　he　grasped　by　the　skin　of　the

neck　and　the　hind　legs。



〃Awake；　my　sister！〃　he　cried；　〃here　is　the　dog　you　seek。　Ah！　he　bites

now；　but　he　will　soon　grow　tame。〃



Nada　awoke；　and　rising；　cried　out　with　joy　at　the　sight　of　the　cub；

but　for　a　moment　I　stood　astonished。



〃Fool！〃　I　cried　at　last；　〃let　the　cub　go　before　the　lions　come　to　rend

us！〃



〃I　will　not　let　it　go；　my　father；〃　he　answered　sullenly。　〃Are　there

not　five　of　us　with　spears；　and　can　we　not　fight　two　cats？　I　was　not

afraid　to　go　alone　into　their　den。　Are　you　all　afraid　to　meet　them　in

the　open？〃



〃You　are　mad；〃　I　said；　〃let　the　cub　go！〃　And　I　ran　towards　Umslopogaas

to　take　it　from　him。　But　he　sprang　aside　and　avoided　me。



〃I　will　never　let　that　go　of　which　I　have　got　hold；〃　he　said；　〃at

least　not　living！〃　And　suddenly　he　seized　the　head　of　the　cub　and

twisted　its　neck；　then　threw　it　on　to　the　ground；　and　added；　〃See；　now

I　have　done　your　bidding；　my　father！〃



As　he　spoke　we　heard　a　great　sound　of　roaring　from　the　cave　in　the

cliff。　The　lions　had　returned　and　found　one　cub　dea