太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > nada the lily >

第68节

nada the lily-第68节

小说: nada the lily 字数: 每页4000字

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!




because of whose beauty and foolishness all this death has come

about。〃



This is seemed to Nada; in her madness; that the shadow of him who had

sat in the niche spoke to her from hour to hour。



It seemed to Nada; in her madness; that twice the light shone through

the hole by the rock; and that was day; and twice it went out; and

that was night。 A third time the ray shone and died away; and lo! her

madness left her; and she awoke to know that she was dying; and that a

voice she loved spoke without the hole; saying in hollow accents:



〃Nada? Do you still live; Nada?〃



〃Yea;〃 she answered hoarsely。 〃Water! give me water!〃



Next she heard a sound as of a great snake dragging itself along

painfully。 A while passed; then a trembling hand thrust a little gourd

of water through the hole。 She drank; and now she could speak; though

the water seemed to flow through her veins like fire。



〃Is it indeed you; Umslopogaas?〃 she said; 〃or are you dead; and do I

dream of you?〃



〃It is I; Nada;〃 said the voice。 〃Hearken! have you drawn the rock

home?〃



〃Alas! yes;〃 she answered。 〃Perhaps; if the two of us strive at it; it

will move。〃



〃Ay; if our strength were what it wasbut now! Still; let us try。〃



So they strove with a rock; but the two of them together had not the

strength of a girl; and it would not stir。



〃Give over; Umslopogaas;〃 said Nada; 〃we do but waste the time that is

left to me。 Let us talk!〃



For awhile there was no answer; for Umslopogaas had fainted; and Nada

beat her breast; thinking that he was dead。



Presently he spoke; however; saying; 〃It may not be; we must perish

here; one on each side of the stone; not seeing the other's face; for

my might is as water; nor can I stand upon my feet to go and seek for

food。〃



〃Are you wounded; Umslopogaas?〃 asked Nada。



〃Ay; Nada; I am pierced to the brain with the point of an axe; no fair

stroke; the captain of Dingaan hurled it at me when I thought him

dead; and I fell。 I do not know how long I have lain yonder under the

shadow of the rock; but it must be long; for my limbs are wasted; and

those who fell in the fray are picked clean by the vultures; all

except Galazi; for the old wolf Deathgrip lies on his breast dying;

but not dead; licking my brother's wounds; and scares the fowls away。

It was the beak of a vulture; who had smelt me out at last; that woke

me from my sleep beneath the stone; Nada; and I crept hither。 Would

that he had not awakened me; would that I had died as I lay; rather

than lived a little while till you perish thus; like a trapped fox;

Nada; and presently I follow you。〃



〃It is hard to die so; Umslopogaas;〃 she answered; 〃I who am yet young

and fair; who love you; and hoped to give you children; but so it has

come about; and it may not be put away。 I am well…nigh sped; husband;

horror and fear have conquered me; my strength fails; but I suffer

little。 Let us talk no more of death; let us rather speak of our

childhood; when we wandered hand in hand; let us talk also of our

love; and of the happy hours that we have spent since your great axe

rang upon the rock in the Halakazi caves; and my fear told you the

secret of my womanhood。 See; I thrust my hand through the hole; can

you not kiss it; Umslopogaas?〃



Now Umslopogaas stooped his shattered head; and kissed the Lily's

little hand; then he held it in his own; and so they sat till the end

he without; resting his back against the rock; she within; lying on

her side; her arm stretched through the little hole。 They spoke of

their love; and tried to forget their sorrow in it; he told her also

of the fray which had been and how it went。



〃Ah!〃 she said; 〃that was Zinita's work; Zinita who hated me; and

justly。 Doubtless she set Dingaan on this path。〃



〃A little while gone;〃 quoth Umslopogaas; 〃and I hoped that your last

breath and mine might pass together; Nada; and that we might go

together to seek great Galazi; my brother; where he is。 Now I hope

that help will find me; and that I may live a little while; because of

a certain vengeance which I would wreak。〃



〃Speak not of vengeance; husband;〃 she answered; 〃I; too; am near to

that land where the Slayer and the Slain; the Shedder of Blood and the

Avenger of Blood are lost in the same darkness。 I would die with love;

and love only; in my heart; and your name; and yours only; on my lips;

so that if anywhere we live again it shall be ready to spring forth to

greet you。 Yet; husband; it is in my heart that you will not go with

me; but that you shall live on to die the greatest of deaths far away

from here; and because of another woman。 It seems that; as I lay in

the dark of this cave; I saw you; Umslopogaas; a great man; gaunt and

grey; stricken to the death; and the axe Groan…maker wavering aloft;

and many a man dead upon a white and shimmering way; and about you the

fair faces of white women; and you had a hole in your forehead;

husband; on the left side。〃



〃That is like to be true; if I live;〃 he answered; 〃for the bone of my

temple is shattered。〃



Now Nada ceased speaking; and for a long while was silent; Umslopogaas

was also silent and torn with pain and sorrow because he must lose the

Lily thus; and she must die so wretchedly; for one reason only; that

the cast of Faku had robbed him of his strength。 Alas! he who had done

many deeds might not save her now; he could scarcely hold himself

upright against the rock。 He thought of it; and the tears flowed down

his face and fell on to the hand of the Lily。 She felt them fall and

spoke。



〃Weep not; my husband;〃 she said; 〃I have been all too ill a wife to

you。 Do not mourn for me; yet remember that I loved you well。〃 And

again she was silent for a long space。



Then she spoke and for the last time of all; and her voice came in a

gasping whisper through the hole in the rock:



〃Farewell; Umslopogaas; my husband and my brother; I thank you for

your love; Umslopogaas。 Ah! I die!〃



Umslopogaas could make no answer; only he watched the little hand he

held。 Twice it opened; twice it closed upon his own; then it opened

for the third time; turned grey; quivered; and was still forever!



Now it was at the hour of dawn that Nada died。







CHAPTER XXXV



THE VENGEANCE OF MOPO AND HIS FOSTERLING



It chanced that on this day of Nada's death and at that same hour of

dawn I; Mopo; came from my mission back to the kraal of the People of

the Axe; having succeeded in my end; for that great chief whom I had

gone out to visit had hearkened to my words。 As the light broke I

reached the town; and lo! it was a blackness and a desolation。



〃Here is the footmark of Dingaan;〃 I said to myself; and walked to and

fro; groaning heavily。 Presently I found a knot of men who were of the

people that had escaped the slaughter; hiding in the mealie…fields

lest the Slayers should return; and from them I drew the story。 I

listened in silence; for; my father; I was grown old in misfortune;

then I asked where were the Slayers of the king? They replied that

they did not know; the soldiers had gone up the Ghost Mountain after

the Wolf…Brethren and Nada the Lily; and from the forest had come a

howling of beasts and sounds of war; then there was silence; and none

had been seen to return from the mountain; only all day long the

vultures hung over it。



〃Let us go up the mountain;〃 I said。



At first they feared; because of the evil name of the place; but in

the end they came with me; and we followed on the path of the impi of

the Slayers and guessed all that had befallen it。 At length we reached

the knees of stone; and saw the place of the great fight of the Wolf…

Brethren。 All those who had taken part in that fight were now but

bones; because the vultures had picked them every one; except Galazi;

for on the breast of Galazi lay the old wolf Deathgrip; that was yet

alive。 I drew near the body; and the great wolf struggled to his feet

and ran at me with bristling hair and open jaws; from which no sound

came。 Then; being spent; he rolled over dead。



Now I looked round seeking the axe Groan…Maker among the bones of the

slain; and did not find it and the hope came into my heart that

Umslopogaas had escaped the slaughter。 Then we went on in silence to

where I knew the cave must be; and there by its mouth lay the body of

a man。 I ran to itit was Umslopogaas; wasted with hunger; and in his

temple was a great wound and on his breast and limbs were many other

wounds。 Moreover; in his hand he held another handa dead hand; that

was thrust through a hole in the rock。 I knew its shape wellit was

the little hand of my child; Nada the Lily。



Now I understood; and; bending down; I felt the heart of Umslopogaas;

and laid the down of an eagle upon his lips。 His heart still stirred

and the down was lifted gently。



I bade those with me drag the stone; and they did so with t

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的