nada the lily-第51节

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circle　of　his　bravest。



Umslopogaas　saw　it　and　bounded　to　his　feet；　roaring　like　a　bull。　〃At

them　now；　wolves！〃　he　shouted。



Then　the　lines　of　warriors　sprang　up　as　a　wave　springs；　and　their

crests　were　like　foam　upon　the　wave。　As　a　wave　that　swells　to　break

they　rose　suddenly；　like　a　breaking　wave　they　poured　down　the　slope。

In　front　of　them　was　the　Slaughterer；　holding　Groan…Maker　aloft；　and

oh！　his　feet　were　swift。　So　swift　were　his　feet　that；　strive　as　they

would；　he　outran　them　by　the　quarter　of　a　spear's　throw。　Galazi　heard

the　thunder　of　their　rush；　he　looked　round；　and　as　he　looked；　lo！　the

Slaughterer　swept　past　him；　running　like　a　buck。　Then　Galazi；　too；

bounded　forward；　and　the　Wolf…Brethren　sped　down　the　hill；　the　length

of　four　spears　between　them。



The　Halakazi　also　saw　and　heard；　and　strove　to　gather　themselves

together　to　meet　the　rush。　In　front　of　Umslopogaas　was　their　chief；　a

tall　man　hedged　about　with　assegais。　Straight　at　the　shield…hedge

drove　Umslopogaas；　and　a　score　of　spears　were　lifted　to　greet　him；　a

score　of　shields　heaved　into　the　airthis　was　a　fence　that　none　might

pass　alive。　Yet　would　the　Slaughterer　pass　itnot　alone！　See！　he

steadies　his　pace；　he　gathers　himself　together；　and　now　he　leaps！　High

into　the　air　he　leaps；　his　feet　knock　the　heads　of　the　warriors　and

rattle　against　the　crowns　of　their　shields。　They　smite　upwards　with

the　spear；　but　he　has　swept　over　them　like　a　swooping　bird。　He　has

cleared　themhe　has　litand　now　the　shield…hedge　guards　two　chiefs。

But　not　for　long。　Ou！　Groan…Maker　is　aloft；　he　fallsand　neither

shield　nor　axe　may　stay　his　stroke；　both　are　cleft　through；　and　the

Halakazi　lack　a　leader。



The　shield…ring　wheels　in　upon　itself。　Fools！　Galazi　is　upon　you！　What

was　that？　Look；　now！　see　how　many　bones　are　left　unbroken　in　him　whom

the　Watcher　falls　on　full！　What！another　down！　Close　up；　shield…men

close　up！　Ai！　are　you　fled？



Ah！　the　wave　has　fallen　on　the　beach。　Listen　to　its　roaringlisten　to

the　roaring　of　the　shields！　Stand；　you　men　of　the　Halakazistand！

Surely　they　are　but　a　few。　So！　it　is　done！　By　the　head　of　Chaka！　they

breakthey　are　pushed　backnow　the　wave　of　slaughter　seethes　along

the　sandsnow　the　foe　is　swept　like　floating　weed；　and　from　all　the

line　there　comes　a　hissing　like　the　hissing　of　thin　waters。　〃S'gee！〃

says　the　hiss。　〃S'gee！　S'gee！〃



There；　my　father；　I　am　old。　What　have　I　do　with　the　battle　any　more；

with　the　battle　and　its　joy？　Yet　it　is　better　to　die　in　such　a　fight

as　that　than　to　live　any　other　way。　I　have　seen　suchI　have　seen　many

such。　Oh！　we　could　fight　when　I　was　a　man；　my　father；　but　none　that　I

knew　could　ever　fight　like　Umslopogaas　the　Slaughterer；　son　of　Chaka；

and　his　blood…brother　Galazi　the　Wolf！　So；　so！　they　swept　them　away；

those　Halakazi；　they　swept　them　as　a　maid　sweeps　the　dust　of　a　hut；　as

the　wind　sweeps　the　withered　leaves。　It　was　soon　done　when　once　it　was

begun。　Some　were　fled　and　some　were　dead；　and　this　was　the　end　of　that

fight。　No；　no；　not　of　all　the　war。　The　Halakazi　were　worsted　in　the

field；　but　many　lived　to　win　the　great　cave；　and　there　the　work　must

be　finished。　Thither；　then；　went　the　Slaughterer　presently；　with　such

of　his　impi　as　was　left　to　him。　Alas！　many　were　killed；　but　how　could

they　have　died　better　than　in　that　fight？　Also　those　who　were　left

were　as　good　as　all；　for　now　they　knew　that　they　should　not　be

overcome　easily　while　Axe　and　Club　still　led　the　way。



Now　they　stood　before　a　hill；　measuring；　perhaps；　three　thousand　paces

round　its　base。　It　was　of　no　great　height；　and　yet　unclimbable；　for；

after　a　man　had　gone　up　a　little　way；　the　sides　of　it　were　sheer；

offering　no　foothold　except　to　the　rock…rabbits　and　the　lizards。　No

one　was　to　be　seen　without　this　hill；　nor　in　the　great　kraal　of　the

Halakazi　that　lay　to　the　east　of　it；　and　yet　the　ground　about　was

trampled　with　the　hoofs　of　oxen　and　the　feet　of　men；　and　from　within

the　mountain　came　a　sound　of　lowing　cattle。



〃Here　is　the　nest　of　Halakazi；〃　quoth　Galazi　the　Wolf。



〃Here　is　the　nest　indeed；〃　said　Umslopogaas；　〃but　how　shall　we　come　at

the　eggs　to　suck　them？　There　are　no　branches　on　this　tree。〃



〃But　there　is　a　hole　in　the　trunk；〃　answered　the　Wolf。



Now　he　led　them　a　little　way　till　they　came　to　a　place　where　the　soil

was　trampled　as　it　is　at　the　entrance　to　a　cattle　kraal；　and　they　saw

that　there　was　a　low　cave　which　led　into　the　cliff；　like　an　archway

such　as　you　white　men　build。　but　this　archway　was　filled　up　with　great

blocks　of　stone　placed　upon　each　other　in　such　a　fashion　that　it　could

not　be　forced　from　without。　After　the　cattle　were　driven　in　it　had

been　filled　up。



〃We　cannot　enter　here；〃　said　Galazi。　〃Follow　me。〃



So　they　followed　him；　and　came　to　the　north　side　of　the　mountain；　and

there；　two　spear…casts　away；　a　soldier　was　standing。　But　when　he　saw

them　he　vanished　suddenly。



〃There　is　the　place；〃　said　Galazi；　〃and　the　fox　has　gone　to　earth　in

it。〃



Now　they　ran　to　the　spot　and　saw　a　little　hole　in　the　rock；　scarcely

bigger　than　an　ant…bear's　burrow；　and　through　the　hole　came　sounds　and

some　light。



〃Now　where　is　the　hyena　who　will　try　a　new　burrow？〃　cried　Umslopogaas。

〃A　hundred　head　of　cattle　to　the　man　who　wins　through　and　clears　the

way！〃



Then　two　young　men　sprang　forward　who　were　flushed　with　victory　and

desired　nothing　more　than　to　make　a　great　name　and　win　cattle；

crying：



〃Here　are　hyenas；　Bulalio。〃



〃To　earth；　then！〃　said　Umslopogaas；　〃and　let　him　who　wins　through　hold

the　path　awhile　till　others　follow。〃



The　two　young　men　sprang　at　the　hole；　and　he　who　reached　it　first　went

down　upon　his　hands　and　knees　and　crawled　in；　lying　on　his　shield　and

holding　his　spear　before　him。　For　a　little　while　the　light　in　the

burrow　vanished；　and　they　heard　the　sound　of　his　crawling。　Then　came

the　noise　of　blows；　and　once　more　light　crept　through　the　hole。　The

man　was　dead。



〃This　one　had　a　bad　snake；〃　said　the　second　soldier；　〃his　snake

deserted　him。　Let　me　see　if　mine　is　better。〃



So　down　he　went　on　his　hands　and　knees；　and　crawled　as　the　first　had

done；　only　he　put　his　shield　over　his　head。　For　awhile　they　heard　him

crawling；　then　once　more　came　the　sound　of　blows　echoing　on　the

ox…hide　shield；　and　after　the　blows　groans。　He　was　dead　also；　yet　it

seemed　that　they　had　left　his　body　in　the　hole；　for　now　no　light　came

through。　This　was　the　cause；　my　father：　when　they　struck　the　man　he

had　wriggled　back　a　little　way　and　died　there；　and　none　had　entered

from　the　farther　side　to　drag　him　out。



Now　the　soldiers　stared　at　the　mouth　of　the　passage　and　none　seemed　to

love　the　look　of　it；　for　this　was　but　a　poor　way　to　die。　Umslopogaas

and　Galazi　also　looked　at　it；　thinking。



〃Now　I　am　named　Wolf；〃　said　Galazi；　〃and　a　wolf　should　not　fear　the

dark；　also；　these　are　my　people；　and　I　must　be　the　first　to　visit

them；〃　and　he　went　down　on　his　hands　and　knees　without　more　ado。　But

Umslopogaas；　having　peered　once　more　down　the　burrow；　said：　〃Hold；

Galazi；　I　will　go　first！　I　have　a　plan。　Do　you　follow　me。　And　you；　my

children；　shout　loudly；　so　that　none　may　hear　us　move；　and；　if　we　win

through；　follow　swiftly；　for　we　cannot　hold　the　mouth　of　that　place

for　long。　Hearken；　also！　this　is　my　counsel　to　you：　if　I　fall　choose

another　chiefGalazi　the　Wolf；　if　he　is　still　living。〃



〃Nay；　Slaughterer；　do　not　name　me；〃　said　the　Wolf；　〃for　together　we

live　or　die。〃



〃So　let　it　be；　Galazi。　Then　choose　you　some　other　man　and　try　this

road　no　more；　for　if　we　cannot　pass　it　none　can；　but　seek　food　and　sit

down　here　till　those　jackals　bolt；　then　be　ready。　Farewell；　my

children！〃



〃Farewell；　father；〃　they　answered；　〃go　warily；　lest　we　be　left　like

cattle　without　a　herdsman；　wandering　and　desolate。〃



Then　Umslopogaas　crept　into　the　hole；　taking　no　shield；　but　holding

Groan…Maker　before　him；　and　at　his　heels　crept　Galazi。　When　he　had

covered　the　length　of　six　spears　he　stretched　out　his　hand；　and；　as　he

trusted　to　do；　he　found　the　feet　of　that　man　who　had　gone　before　and

died　in　the　place。　Then　Umslopogaas　the　way　did　this：　he　put　his　head

beneath　the　dead　man's　legs　and　thrust　himself　onward　till　all　the

body　was　on　his　back；　and　there　he　held　it　with　one　hand；　gripping　its

two　wrists　in　his　hand。　Then　he　crawled　forward　a　little　space　and　saw

that　he　was　coming　to　the　inner　mouth　of　the　burrow；　but　that　the

shadow　was　deep　there　because　of　a　great　mass　of　rock　which　lay　before

the　burrow　shutting　out　the　light。　〃This　is　well　for　me；〃　thought

Umslopogaas；　〃for　now　they　will　not　know　the　dead　from　the　living。　I

may　yet　look　upon　the　son　again。〃　Now　he　heard　the　Halakazi　soldiers

talking　without。



〃The　Zulu　rats　do　not　love　this　run；〃　said　one；　〃they　fear　the　rat…

catcher's　stick。　This　is　good　sport；〃　and　a　man　laughed。



Then　Umslopogaas　pushed　himself　forward　as　swiftly　as　he　cou