nada the lily-第69节

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and　the　down　was　lifted　gently。



I　bade　those　with　me　drag　the　stone；　and　they　did　so　with　toil。　Now

the　light　flowed　into　the　cave；　and　by　it　we　saw　the　shape　of　Nada　my

daughter。　She　was　somewhat　wasted；　but　still　very　beautiful　in　her

death。　I　felt　her　heart　also：　it　was　still；　and　her　breast　grew　cold。



Then　I　spoke：　〃The　dead　to　the　dead。　Let　us　tend　the　living。〃



So　we　bore　in　Umslopogaas；　and　I　caused　broth　to　be　made　and　poured　it

down　his　throat；　also　I　cleansed　his　great　wound　and　bound　healing

herbs　upon　it；　plying　all　my　skill。　Well　I　knew　the　arts　of　healing；

my　father；　I　who　was　the　first　of　the　izinyanga　of　medicine；　and；　had

it　not　been　for　my　craft；　Umslopogaas　had　never　lived；　for　he　was　very

near　his　end。　Still；　there　where　he　had　once　been　nursed　by　Galazi　the

Wolf；　I　brought　him　back　to　life。　It　was　three　days　till　he　spoke；

and；　before　his　sense　returned　to　him；　I　caused　a　great　hole　to　be　dug

in　the　floor　of　the　cave。　And　there；　in　the　hole；　I　buried　Nada　my

daughter；　and　we　heaped　lily　blooms　upon　her　to　keep　the　earth　from

her；　and　then　closed　in　her　grave；　for　I　was　not　minded　that

Umslopogaas　should　look　upon　her　dead；　lest　he　also　should　die　from

the　sight；　and　because　of　his　desire　to　follow　her。　Also　I　buried

Galazi　the　Wolf　in　the　cave；　and　set　the　Watcher　in　his　hand；　and

there　they　both　sleep　who　are　friends　at　last；　the　Lily　and　the　Wolf

together。　Ah！　when　shall　there　be　such　another　man　and　such　another

maid？



At　length　on　the　third　day　Umslopogaas　spoke；　asking　for　Nada。　I

pointed　to　the　earth；　and　he　remembered　and　understood。　Thereafter　the

strength　of　Umslopogaas　gathered　on　him　slowly；　and　the　hole　in　his

skull　skinned　over。　But　now　his　hair　was　grizzled；　and　he　scarcely

smiled　again；　but　grew　even　more　grim　and　stern　than　he　had　been

before。



Soon　we　learned　all　the　truth　about　Zinita；　for　the　women　and　children

came　back　to　the　town　of　the　People　of　the　Axe；　only　Zinita　and　the

children　of　Umslopogaas　did　not　come　back。　Also　a　spy　reached　me　from

the　Mahlabatine　and　told　me　of　the　end　of　Zinita　and　of　the　flight　of

Dingaan　before　the　Boers。



Now　when　Umslopogaas　had　recovered；　I　asked　him　what　he　would　do；　and

whether　or　not　I　should　pursue　my　plots　to　make　him　king　of　the　land。



But　Umslopogaas　shook　his　head；　saying　that　he　had　no　heart　that　way。

He　would　destroy　a　king　indeed；　but　now　he　no　longer　desired　to　be　a

king。　He　sought　revenge　alone。　I　said　that　it　was　well；　I　also　sought

vengeance；　and　seeking　together　we　would　find　it。



Now；　my　father；　there　is　much　more　to　tell；　but　shall　I　tell　it？　The

snow　has　melted；　your　cattle　have　been　found　where　I　told　you　they

should　be；　and　you　wish　to　be　gone。　And　I　also；　I　would　be　gone　upon　a

longer　journey。



Listen；　my　father；　I　will　be　short。　This　came　into　my　mind：　to　play

off　Panda　against　Dingaan；　it　was　for　such　an　hour　of　need　that　I　had

saved　Panda　alive。　After　the　battle　of　the　Blood　River；　Dingaan

summoned　Panda　to　a　hunt。　Then　it　was　that　I　journeyed　to　the　kraal　of

Panda　on　the　Lower　Tugela；　and　with　me　Umslopogaas。　I　warned　Panda

that　he　should　not　go　to　this　hunt；　for　he　was　the　game　himself；　but

that　he　should　rather　fly　into　Natal　with　all　his　people。　He　did　so；

and　then　I　opened　talk　with　the　Boers；　and　more　especially　with　that

Boer　who　was　named　Ungalunkulu；　or　Great　Arm。　I　showed　the　Boer　that

Dingaan　was　wicked　and　not　to　be　believed；　but　Panda　was　faithful　and

good。　The　end　of　it　was　that　the　Boers　and　Panda　made　war　together　on

Dingaan。　Yes；　I　made　that　war　that　we　might　be　revenged　on　Dingaan。

Thus；　my　father；　do　little　things　lead　to　great。



Were　we　at　the　big　fight；　the　battle　of　Magongo？　Yes；　my　father；　we

were　there。　When　Dingaan's　people　drove　us　back；　and　all　seemed　lost；

it　was　I　who　put　into　the　mind　of　Nongalaza；　the　general；　to　pretend

to　direct　the　Boers　where　to　attack；　for　the　Amaboona　stood　out　of

that　fight；　leaving　it　to　us　black　people。　It　was　Umslopogaas　who　cut

his　way　with　Groan…Maker　through　a　wing　of　one　of　Dingaan's　regiments

till　he　came　to　the　Boer　captain　Ungalunkulu；　and　shouted　to　him　to

turn　the　flank　of　Dingaan。　That　finished　it；　my　father；　for　they

feared　to　stand　against　us　both；　the　white　and　the　black　together。

They　fled；　and　we　followed　and　slew；　and　Dingaan　ceased　to　be　a　king。



He　ceased　to　be　a　king；　but　he　still　lived；　and　while　he　lived　our

vengeance　was　hungry。　So　we　went　to　the　Boer　captain　and　to　Panda；　and

spoke　to　them　nicely；　saying；　〃We　have　served　you　well；　we　have　fought

for　you；　and　so　ordered　things　that　victory　is　yours。　Now　grant　us

this　request；　that　we　may　follow　Dingaan；　who　has　fled　into　hiding；

and　kill　him　wherever　we　find　him；　for　he　has　worked　us　wrong；　and　we

would　avenge　it。〃



Then　the　white　captain　and　Panda　smiled　and　said；　〃Go　children；　and

prosper　in　your　search。　No　one　thing　shall　please　us　more　than　to　know

that　Dingaan　is　dead。〃　And　they　gave　us　men　to　go　with　us。



Then　we　hunted　that　king　week　by　week　as　men　hunt　a　wounded　buffalo。

We　hunted　him　to　the　jungles　of　the　Umfalozi　and　through　them。　But　he

fled　ever；　for　he　knew　that　the　avengers　of　blood　were　on　his　spoor。

After　that　for　awhile　we　lost　him。　Then　we　heard　that　he　had　crossed

the　Pongolo　with　some　of　the　people　who　still　clung　to　him。　We

followed　him　to　the　place　Kwa　Myawo；　and　there　we　lay　hid　in　the　bush

watching。　At　last　our　chance　came。　Dingaan　walked　in　the　bush　and　with

him　two　men　only。　We　stabbed　the　men　and　seized　him。



Dingaan　looked　at　us　and　knew　us；　and　his　knees　trembled　with　fear。

Then　I　spoke：



〃What　was　that　message　which　I　sent　thee；　O　Dingaan；　who　art　no　more　a

kingthat　thou　didst　evil　to　drive　me　away；　was　it　not？　because　I　set

thee　on　thy　throne　and　I　alone　could　hold　thee　there？〃



He　made　no　answer；　and　I　went　on：



〃I；　Mopo；　son　of　Makedama；　set　thee　on　thy　throne；　O　Dingaan；　who　wast

a　king；　and　I；　Mopo；　have　pulled　thee　down　from　thy　throne。　But　my

message　did　not　end　there。　It　said　that；　ill　as　thou　hadst　done　to

drive　me　away；　yet　worse　shouldst　thou　do　to　look　upon　my　face　again；

for　that　day　should　be　thy　day　of　doom。〃



Still　he　made　no　answer。　Then　Umslopogaas　spoke：



〃I　am　that　Slaughterer；　O　Dingaan；　no　more　a　king；　whom　thou　didst

send　Slayers　many　and　fierce　to　eat　up　at　the　kraal　of　the　People　of

the　Axe。　Where　are　thy　Slayers　now；　O　Dingaan？　Before　all　is　done　thou

shalt　look　upon　them。〃



〃Kill　me　and　make　an　end；　it　is　your　hour；〃　said　Dingaan。



〃Not　yet　awhile；　O　son　of　Senzangacona；〃　answered　Umslopogaas；　〃and

not　here。　There　lived　a　certain　woman　and　she　was　named　Nada　the　Lily。

I　was　her　husband；　O　Dingaan；　and　Mopo　here；　he　was　her　father。　But；

alas！　she　died；　and　sadlyshe　lingered　three　days　and　nights　before

she　died。　Thou　shalt　see　the　spot　and　hear　the　tale；　O　Dingaan。　It

will　wring　thy　heart；　which　was　ever　tender。　There　lived　certain

children；　born　of　another　woman　named　Zinita；　little　children；　sweet

and　loving。　I　was　their　father；　O　Elephant　in　a　pit；　and　one　Dingaan

slew　them。　Of　them　thou　shalt　hear　also。　Now　away；　for　the　path　is

far！〃



Two　days　went　by；　my　father；　and　Dingaan　sat　bound　and　alone　in　the

cave　on　Ghost　Mountain。　We　had　dragged　him　slowly　up　the　mountain；　for

he　was　heavy　as　an　ox。　Three　men　pushing　at　him　and　three　others

pulling　on　a　cord　about　his　middle；　we　dragged　him　up；　staying　now　and

again　to　show　him　the　bones　of　those　whom　he　had　sent　out　to　kill　us；

and　telling　him　the　tale　of　that　fight。



Now　at　length　we　were　in　the　cave；　and　I　sent　away　those　who　were　with

us；　for　we　wished　to　be　alone　with　Dingaan　at　the　last。　He　sat　down　on

the　floor　of　the　cave；　and　I　told　him　that　beneath　the　earth　on　which

he　sat　lay　the　bones　of　that　Nada　whom　he　had　murdered　and　the　bones

of　Galazi　the　Wolf。



On　the　third　day　before　the　dawn　we　came　again　and　looked　upon　him。



〃Slay　me；〃　he　said；　〃for　the　Ghosts　torment　me！〃



〃No　longer　art　thou　great；　O　shadow　of　a　king；〃　I　said；　〃who　now　dost

tremble　before　two　Ghosts　out　of　all　the　thousands　that　thou　hast

made。　Say；　then；　how　shall　it　fare　with　thee　presently　when　thou　art

of　their　number？〃



Now　Dingaan　prayed　for　mercy。



〃Mercy；　thou　hyena！〃　I　answered；　〃thou　prayest　for　mercy　who　showed

none　to　any！　Give　me　back　my　daughter。　Give　this　man　back　his　wife　and

children；　then　we　will　talk　of　mercy。　Come　forth；　coward；　and　die　the

death　of　cowards。〃



So；　my　father；　we　dragged　him　out；　groaning；　to　the　cleft　that　is

above　in　the　breast　of　the　old　Stone　Witch；　that　same　cleft　where

Galazi　had　found　the　bones。　There　we　stood；　waiting　for　the　moment　of

the　dawn；　that　hour　when　Nada　had　died。　Then　we　cried　her　name　into

his　ears　and　the　names　of　the　children　of　Umslopogaas；　and　cast　him

into　the　cleft。



This　was　the　end　of　Dingaan；　my　fatherDingaan；　who　had　the　fierce

heart　of　Chaka　without　its　g