nada the lily(百合娜达)-第10章

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Then　for　the　first　time　I　spoke；　for　the　soldiers　drew　near　to　slay
us。

〃O　Chaka；〃　I　cried；　〃I　am　Mopo；　and　this　is　my　sister　Baleka。〃

I　stopped；　and　a　great　shout　of　laughter　went　up　from　all　who　stood
round。

〃Very　well；　Mopo　and　thy　sister　Baleka；〃　said　Chaka；　grimly。　〃Good…
morning　to　you；　Mopo　and　Balekaalso；　good…night！〃

〃O　Chaka；〃　I　broke　in；　〃I　am　Mopo；　son　of　Makedama　of　the　Langeni
tribe。　It　was　I　who　gave　thee　a　gourd　of　water　many　years　ago；　when　we
were　both　little。　Then　thou　badest　me　come　to　thee　when　thou　hadst
grown　great；　vowing　that　thou　wouldst　protect　me　and　never　do　me　harm。
So　I　have　come；　bringing　my　sister　with　me；　and　now；　I　pray　thee；　do
not　eat　up　the　words　of　long　ago。〃

As　I　spoke；　Chaka's　face　changed；　and　he　listened　earnestly；　as　a　man
who　holds　his　hand　behind　his　ear。　〃Those　are　no　liars；〃　he　said。
〃Welcome；　Mopo！　Thou　shalt　be　a　dog　in　my　hut；　and　feed　from　my　hand。
But　of　thy　sister　I　said　nothing。　Why；　then；　should　she　not　be　slain
when　I　swore　vengeance　against　all　thy　tribe；　save　thee　alone？〃

〃Because　she　is　too　fair　to　slay；　O　Chief！〃　I　answered；　boldly；　〃also
because　I　love　her；　and　ask　her　life　as　a　boon！〃

〃Turn　the　girl　over；〃　said　Chaka。　And　they　did　so；　showing　her　face。

〃Again　thou　speakest　no　lie；　son　of　Makedama；〃　said　the　chief。　〃I
grant　thee　the　boon。　She　also　shall　lie　in　my　hut；　and　be　of　the
number　of　my　'sisters。'　Now　tell　me　thy　tale；　speaking　only　the
truth。〃

So　I　sat　down　and　told　him　all。　Nor　did　he　grow　weary　of　listening。
But；　when　I　had　done；　he　said　but　one　thingthat　he　would　that　the
dog　Koos　had　not　been　killed；　since；　if　he　had　still　been　alive；　he
would　have　set　him　on　the　hut　of　my　father　Makedama；　and　made　him
chief　over　the　Langeni。

Then　he　spoke　to　the　captain　of　the　soldiers。　〃I　take　back　my　words；〃
he　said。　〃Let　not　these　men　of　the　Langeni　be　mutilated。　One　shall　die
and　the　other　shall　go　free。　Here；〃　and　he　pointed　to　the　man　whom　we
had　seen　led　out　of　the　kraal…gate；　〃here；　Mopo；　we　have　a　man　who　has
proved　himself　a　coward。　Yesterday　a　kraal　of　wizards　yonder　was　eaten
up　by　my　orderperhaps　you　two　saw　it　as　you　travelled。　This　man　and
three　others　attacked　a　soldier　of　that　kraal　who　defended　his　wife
and　children。　The　man　fought　wellhe　slew　three　of　my　people。　Then
this　dog　was　afraid　to　meet　him　face　to　face。　He　killed　him　with　a
throwing　assegai；　and　afterwards　he　stabbed　the　woman。　That　is
nothing；　but　he　should　have　fought　the　husband　hand　to　hand。　Now　I
will　do　him　honour。　He　shall　fight　to　the　death　with　one　of　these　pigs
from　thy　sty；〃　and　he　pointed　with　his　spear　to　the　men　of　my　father's
kraal；　〃and　the　one　who　survives　shall　be　run　down　as　they　tried　to
run　you　down。　I　will　send　back　the　other　pig　to　the　sty　with　a
message。　Choose；　children　of　Makedama；　which　of　you　will　live。〃

Now　the　two　men　of　my　tribe　were　brothers；　and　loved　one　another；　and
each　of　them　was　willing　to　die　that　the　other　might　go　free。
Therefore；　both　of　them　stepped　forward；　saying　that　they　would　fight
the　Zulu。

〃What；　is　there　honour　among　pigs？〃　said　Chaka。　〃Then　I　will　settle
it。　See　this　assegai？　I　throw　it　into　the　air；　if　the　blade　falls
uppermost　the　tall　man　shall　go　free；　if　the　shaft　falls　uppermost；
then　life　is　to　the　short　one；　so！〃　And　he　sent　the　little　spear
whirling　round　and　round　in　the　air。　Every　eye　watched　it　as　it
wheeled　and　fell。　The　haft　struck　the　ground　first。

〃Come　hither；　thou；〃　said　Chaka　to　the　tall　brother。　〃Hasten　back　to
the　kraal　of　Makedama；　and　say　to　him；　Thus　says　Chaka；　the　Lion　of
the　Zulu…ka…Malandela；　'Years　ago　thy　tribe　refused　me　milk。　To…day
the　dog　of　thy　son　Mopo　howls　upon　the　roof　of　thy　hut。'　Begone！〃＇1＇

＇1＇　Among　the　Zulus　it　is　a　very　bad　omen　for　a　dog　to　climb　the　roof
　　　　of　a　hut。　The　saying　conveyed　a　threat　to　be　appreciated　by　every
　　　　Zulu。ED。

The　man　turned；　shook　his　brother　by　the　hand；　and　went；　bearing　the
words　of　evil　omen。

Then　Chaka　called　to　the　Zulu　and　the　last　of　those　who　had　followed
us　to　kill　us；　bidding　them　fight。　So；　when　they　had　praised　the
prince　they　fought　fiercely；　and　the　end　of　it　was　that　the　man　of　my
people　conquered　the　Zulu。　But　as　soon　as　he　had　found　his　breath
again　he　was　set　to　run　for　his　life；　and　after　him　ran　five　chosen
men。

Still；　it　came　about　that　he　outran　them；　doubling　like　a　hare；　and
got　away　safely。　Nor　was　Chaka　angry　at　this；　for　I　think　that　he　bade
the　men　who　hunted　him　to　make　speed　slowly。　There　was　only　one　good
thing　in　the　cruel　heart　of　Chaka；　that　he　would　always　save　the　life
of　a　brave　man　if　he　could　do　so　without　making　his　word　nothing。　And
for　my　part；　I　was　glad　to　think　that　the　man　of　my　people　had
conquered　him　who　murdered　the　children　of　the　dying　woman　that　we
found　at　the　kraal　beyond　the　river。



CHAPTER　V

MOPO　BECOMES　THE　KING'S　DOCTOR

These；　then；　my　father；　were　the　events　that　ended　in　the　coming　of
me；　Mopo；　and　of　my　sister　Baleka　to　the　kraal　of　Chaka；　the　Lion　of
the　Zulu。　Now　you　may　ask　why　have　I　kept　you　so　long　with　this　tale；
which　is　as　are　other　tales　of　our　people。　But　that　shall　be　seen；　for
from　these　matters；　as　a　tree　from　a　seed；　grew　the　birth　of
Umslopogaas　Bulalio；　Umslopogaas　the　Slaughterer；　and　Nada　the
Beautiful；　of　whose　love　my　story　has　to　tell。　For　Nada　was　my
daughter；　and　Umslopogaas；　though　few　knew　it；　was　none　other　than　the
son　of　Chaka；　born　of　my　sister　Baleka。

Now　when　Baleka　recovered　from　the　weariness　of　our　flight；　and　had
her　beauty　again；　Chaka　took　her　to　wife；　numbering　her　among　his
women；　whom　he　named　his　〃sisters。〃　And　me　Chaka　took　to　be　one　of　his
doctors；　of　his　izinyanga　of　medicine；　and　he　was　so　well　pleased　with
my　medicine　that　in　the　end　I　became　his　head　doctor。　Now　this　was　a
great　post；　in　which；　during　the　course　of　years；　I　grew　fat　in　cattle
and　in　wives；　but　also　it　was　one　of　much　danger。　For　when　I　rose
strong　and　well　in　the　morning；　I　could　never　know　but　that　at　night　I
should　sleep　stiff　and　red。　Many　were　the　doctors　whom　Chaka　slew；
doctored　they　never　so　well；　they　were　killed　at　last。　For　a　day　would
surely　come　when　the　king　felt　ill　in　his　body　or　heavy　in　his　mind；
and　then　to　the　assegai　or　the　torment　with　the　wizard　who　had
doctored　him！　Yet　I　escaped；　because　of　the　power　of　my　medicine；　and
also　because　of　that　oath　which　Chaka　had　sworn　to　me　as　a　child。　So
it　came　about　that　where　the　king　went　there　I　went　with　him。　I　slept
near　his　hut；　I　sat　behind　him　at　council；　in　the　battle　I　was　ever　at
his　side。

Ah！　the　battle！　the　battle！　In　those　days　we　knew　how　to　fight；　my
father！　In　those　days　the　vultures　would　follow　our　impis　by
thousands；　the　hyenas　would　steal　along　our　path　in　packs；　and　none
went　empty　away。　Never　may　I　forget　the　first　fight　I　stood　in　at　the
side　of　Chaka。　It　was　just　after　the　king　had　built　his　great　kraal　on
the　south　bank　of　the　Umhlatuze。　Then　it　was　that　the　chief　Zwide
attacked　his　rival　Chaka　for　the　third　time　and　Chaka　moved　out　to
meet　him　with　ten　full　regiments；＇1＇　now　for　the　first　time　armed　with
the　short　stabbing…spear。

＇1＇　About　30；000　men。ED。

The　ground　lay　this：　On　a　long；　low　hill　in　front　of　our　impi　were
massed　the　regiments　of　Zwide；　there　were　seventeen　of　them；　the　earth
was　black　with　their　number；　their　plumes　filled　the　air　like　snow。
We；　too；　were　on　a　hill；　and　between　us　lay　a　valley　down　which　there
ran　a　little　stream。　All　night　our　fires　shone　out　across　the　valley；
all　night　the　songs　of　soldiers　echoed　down　the　hills。　Then　the　grey
dawning　came；　the　oxen　lowed　to　the　light；　the　regiments　arose　from
their　bed　of　spears；　they　sprang　up　and　shook　the　dew　from　hair　and
shieldyes！　they　arose！　the　glad　to　die！　The　impi　assumed　its　array
regiment　by　regiment。　There　was　the　breast　of　spears；　there　were　the
horns　of　spears；　they　were　numberless　as　the　stars；　and　like　the　stars
they　shone。　The　morning　breeze　came　up　and　fanned　them；　their　plumes
bent　in　the　breeze；　like　a　plain　of　seeding　grass　they　bent；　the
plumes　of　the　soldiers　ripe　for　the　assegai。　Up　over　the　shoulder　of
the　hill　came　the　sun　of　Slaughter；　i