nada the lily(百合娜达)-第11章

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plumes　of　the　soldiers　ripe　for　the　assegai。　Up　over　the　shoulder　of
the　hill　came　the　sun　of　Slaughter；　it　glowed　red　upon　the　red
shields；　red　grew　the　place　of　killing；　the　white　plumes　of　the　chiefs
were　dipped　in　the　blood　of　heaven。　They　knew　it；　they　saw　the　omen　of
death；　and；　ah！　they　laughed　in　the　joy　of　the　waking　of　battle。　What
was　death？　Was　it　not　well　to　die　on　the　spear？　What　was　death？　Was　it
not　well　to　die　for　the　king？　Death　was　the　arms　of　Victory。　Victory
would　be　their　bride　that　night；　and　oh！　her　breast　is　fair。

Hark！　the　war…song；　the　Ingomo；　the　music　of　which　has　the　power　to
drive　men　mad；　rose　far　away　to　the　left；　and　was　thrown　along　from
regiment　to　regimenta　rolling　ball　of　sound

We　are　the　king's　kine；　bred　to　be　butchered；
　　You；　too；　are　one　of　us！
We　are　the　Zulu；　children　of　the　Lion；
　　What！　did　you　tremble？

Suddenly　Chaka　was　seen　stalking　through　the　ranks；　followed　by　his
captains；　his　indunas；　and　by　me。　He　walked　along　like　a　great　buck；
death　was　in　his　eyes；　and　like　a　buck　he　sniffed　the　air；　scenting
the　air　of　slaughter。　He　lifted　his　assegai；　and　a　silence　fell；　only
the　sound　of　chanting　still　rolled　along　the　hills。

〃Where　are　the　children　of　Zwide？〃　he　shouted；　and　his　voice　was　like
the　voice　of　a　bull。

〃Yonder；　father；〃　answered　the　regiments。　And　every　spear　pointed
across　the　valley。

〃They　do　not　come；〃　he　shouted　again。　〃Shall　we　then　sit　here　till　we
grow　old？〃

〃No；　father；〃　they　answered。　〃Begin！　begin！〃

〃Let　the　Umkandhlu　regiment　come　forward！〃　he　shouted　a　third　time；
and　as　he　spoke　the　black　shields　of　the　Umkandhlu　leaped　from　the
ranks　of　the　impi。

〃Go；　my　children！〃　cried　Chaka。　〃There　is　the　foe。　Go　and　return　no
more！〃

〃We　hear　you；　father！〃　they　answered　with　one　voice；　and　moved　down
the　slope　like　a　countless　herd　of　game　with　horns　of　steel。

Now　they　crossed　the　stream；　and　now　Zwide　awoke。　A　murmur　went
through　his　companies；　lines　of　light　played　above　his　spears。

Ou！　they　are　coming！　Ou！　they　have　met！　Hearken　to　the　thunder　of　the
shields！　Hearken　to　the　song　of　battle！

To　and　fro　they　swing。　The　Umkandhlu　gives　wayit　flies！　They　pour
back　across　the　streamhalf　of　them；　the　rest　are　dead。　A　howl　of
rage　goes　up　from　the　host；　only　Chaka　smiles。

〃Open　up！　open　up！〃　he　cries。　〃Make　room　for　the　Umkandhlu　GIRLS！〃　And
with　hanging　heads　they　pass　us。

Now　he　whispers　a　word　to　the　indunas。　The　indunas　run；　they　whisper
to　Menziwa　the　general　and　to　the　captains；　then　two　regiments　rush
down　the　hill；　two　more　run　to　the　right；　and　yet　another　two　to　the
left。　But　Chaka　stays　on　the　hill　with　the　three　that　are　left。　Again
comes　the　roar　of　the　meeting　shields。　Ah！　these　are　men：　they　fight；
they　do　not　run。　Regiment　after　regiment　pours　upon　them；　but　still
they　stand。　They　fall　by　hundreds　and　by　thousands；　but　no　man　shows
his　back；　and　on　each　man　there　lie　two　dead。　Wow！　my　father；　of　those
two　regiments　not　one　escaped。　They　were　but　boys；　but　they　were　the
children　of　Chaka。　Menziwa　was　buried　beneath　the　heaps　of　his
warriors。　Now　there　are　no　such　men。

They　are　all　dead　and　quiet。　Chaka　still　holds　his　hand！　He　looks　to
the　north　and　to　the　south。　See！　spears　are　shining　among　the　trees。
Now　the　horns　of　our　host　close　upon　the　flanks　of　the　foe。　They　slay
and　are　slain；　but　the　men　of　Zwide　are　many　and　brave；　and　the　battle
turns　against　us。

Then　again　Chaka　speaks　a　word。　The　captains　hear；　the　soldiers
stretch　out　their　necks　to　listen。

It　has　come　at　last。　〃Charge！　Children　of　the　Zulu！〃

There　is　a　roar；　a　thunder　of　feet；　a　flashing　of　spears；　a　bending　of
plumes；　and；　like　a　river　that　has　burnt　its　banks；　like　storm…clouds
before　the　gale；　we　sweep　down　upon　friend　and　foe。　They　form　up　to
meet　us；　the　stream　is　passed；　our　wounded　rise　upon　their　haunches
and　wave　us　on。　We　trample　them　down。　What　matter？　They　can　fight　no
more。　Then　we　meet　Zwide　rushing　to　greet　us；　as　bull　meets　bull。　Ou！
my　father；　I　know　no　more。　Everything　grows　red。　That　fight！　that
fight！　We　swept　them　away。　When　it　was　done　there　was　nothing　to　be
seen；　but　the　hillside　was　black　and　red。　Few　fled；　few　were　left　to
fly。　We　passed　over　them　like　fire；　we　ate　them　up。　Presently　we
paused；　looking　for　the　foe。　All　were　dead。　The　host　of　Zwide　was　no
more。　Then　we　mustered。　Ten　regiments　had　looked　upon　the　morning　sun；
three　regiments　saw　the　sun　sink；　the　rest　had　gone　where　no　suns
shine。

Such　were　our　battles　in　the　days　of　Chaka！

You　ask　of　the　Umkandhlu　regiment　which　fled。　I　will　tell　you。　When　we
reached　our　kraal　once　more；　Chaka　summoned　that　regiment　and　mustered
it。　He　spoke　to　them　gently；　gently。　He　thanked　them　for　their
service。　He　said　it　was　natural　that　〃girls〃　should　faint　at　the　sight
of　blood　and　turn　to　seek　their　kraals。　Yet　he　had　bid　them　come　back
no　more　and　they　had　come　back！　What　then　was　there　now　left　for　him
to　do？　And　he　covered　his　face　with　his　blanket。　Then　the　soldiers
killed　them　all；　nearly　two　thousand　of　themkilled　them　with　taunts
and　jeers。

That　is　how　we　dealt　with　cowards　in　those　days；　my　father。　After
that；　one　Zulu　was　a　match　for　five　of　any　other　tribe。　If　ten　came
against　him；　still　he　did　not　turn　his　back。　〃Fight　and　fall；　but　fly
not；〃　that　was　our　watchword。　Never　again　while　Chaka　lived　did　a
conquered　force　pass　the　gates　of　the　king's　kraal。

That　fight　was　but　one　war　out　of　many。　With　every　moon　a　fresh　impi
started　to　wash　its　spears；　and　came　back　few　and　thin；　but　with
victory　and　countless　cattle。　Tribe　after　tribe　went　down　before　us。
Those　of　them　who　escaped　the　assegai　were　enrolled　into　fresh
regiments；　and　thus；　though　men　died　by　thousands　every　month；　yet　the
army　grew。　Soon　there　were　no　other　chiefs　left。　Umsuduka　fell；　and
after　him　Mancengeza。　Umzilikazi　was　driven　north；　Matiwane　was
stamped　flat。　Then　we　poured　into　this　land　of　Natal。　When　we　entered；
its　people　could　not　be　numbered。　When　we　left；　here　and　there　a　man
might　be　found　in　a　hole　in　the　earththat　was　all。　Men；　women；　and
children；　we　wiped　them　out；　the　land　was　clean　of　them。　Next　came　the
turn　of　U'Faku；　chief　of　the　Amapondos。　Ah！　where　is　U'faku　now？

And　so　it　went　on　and　on；　till　even　the　Zulus　were　weary　of　war　and
the　sharpest　assegais　grew　blunt。



CHAPTER　VI

THE　BIRTH　OF　UMSLOPOGAAS

This　was　the　rule　of　the　life　of　Chaka；　that　he　would　have　no
children；　though　he　had　many　wives。　Every　child　born　to　him　by　his
〃sisters〃　was　put　away　at　once。

〃What；　Mopo；〃　he　said　to　me；　〃shall　I　rear　up　children　to　put　me　to
the　assegai　when　they　grow　great？　They　call　me　tyrant。　Say；　how　do
those　chiefs　die　whom　men　name　tyrants？　They　die　at　the　hands　of　those
whom　they　have　bred。　Nay；　Mopo；　I　will　rule　for　my　life；　and　when　I
join　the　spirits　of　my　fathers　let　the　strongest　take　my　power　and　my
place！〃

Now　it　chanced　that　shortly　after　Chaka　had　spoken　thus；　my　sister
Baleka；　the　king's　wife；　fell　in　labour；　and　on　that　same　day　my　wife
Macropha　was　brought　to　bed　of　twins；　and　this　but　eight　days　after　my
second　wife；　Anadi；　had　given　birth　to　a　son。　You　ask；　my　father；　how
I　came　to　be　married；　seeing　that　Chaka　forbade　marriage　to　all　his
soldiers　till　they　were　in　middle　life　and　had　put　the　man's　ring　upon
their　heads。　It　was　a　boon　he　granted　me　as　inyanga　of　medicine；
saying　it　was　well　that　a　doctor　should　know　the　sicknesses　of　women
and　learn　how　to　cure　their　evil　tempers。　As　though；　my　father；　that
were　possible！

When　the　king　heard　that　Baleka　was　sick　he　did　not　kill　her　outright；
because　he　loved　her　a　little；　but　he　sent　for　me；　commanding　me　to
attend　her；　and　when　the　child　was　born　to　cause　its　body　to　be
brought　to　him；　according　to　custom；　so　that　he　might　be　sure　that　it
was　dead。　I　bent　to　the　earth　before　him；　and　went　to　do　his　bidding
with　a　heavy　heart；　for　was　not　Baleka　my　sister？　and　would　not　her
child　be　of　my　own　blood？　Still；　it　must　be　so；　for　Chaka's　whisper
was　as　the　shout　of　other　kings；　and；　if　we　dared　to　disobey；　then　our
lives　and　the　lives　of　all　in　our　kraals　would　answer　for　it。　Better
that　an　infan