nada the lily(百合娜达)-第14章

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and　most　fair。　Of　a　truth；　my　father；　I　believe　that　her　blood　was　not
all　Zulu；　though　this　I　cannot　say　for　certain。　At　the　least；　her　eyes
were　softer　and　larger　than　those　of　our　people；　her　hair　longer　and
less　tightly　curled；　and　her　skin　was　lightermore　of　the　colour　of
pure　copper。　These　things　she　had　from　her　mother；　Macropha；　though
she　was　fairer　than　Macrophafairer；　indeed；　than　any　woman　of　my
people　whom　I　have　seen。　Her　mother；　Macropha；　my　wife；　was　of　Swazi
blood；　and　was　brought　to　the　king's　kraal　with　other　captives　after　a
raid；　and　given　to　me　as　a　wife　by　the　king。　It　was　said　that　she　was
the　daughter　of　a　Swazi　headman　of　the　tribe　of　the　Halakazi；　and　that
she　was　born　of　his　wife　is　true；　but　whether　he　was　her　father　I　do
not　know；　for　I　have　heard　from　the　lips　of　Macropha　herself；　that
before　she　was　born　there　was　a　white　man　staying　at　her　father's
kraal。　He　was　a　Portuguese　from　the　coast；　a　handsome　man；　and　skilled
in　the　working　of　iron。　This　white　man　loved　the　mother　of　my　wife；
Macropha；　and　some　held　that　Macropha　was　his　daughter；　and　not　that
of　the　Swazi　headman。　At　least　I　know　this；　that　before　my　wife's
birth　the　Swazi　killed　the　white　man。　But　none　can　tell　the　truth　of
these　matters；　and　I　only　speak　of　them　because　the　beauty　of　Nada　was
rather　as　is　the　beauty　of　the　white　people　than　of　ours；　and　this
might　well　happen　if　her　grandfather　chanced　to　be　a　white　man。

Now　Umslopogaas　and　Nada　were　always　together。　Together　they　ate；
together　they　slept　and　wandered；　they　thought　one　thought　and　spoke
with　one　tongue。　Ou！　it　was　pretty　to　see　them！　Twice　while　they　were
still　children　did　Umslopogaas　save　the　life　of　Nada。

The　first　time　it　came　about　thus。　The　two　children　had　wandered　far
from　the　kraal；　seeking　certain　berries　that　little　ones　love。　On　they
wandered　and　on；　singing　as　they　went；　till　at　length　they　found　the
berries；　and　ate　heartily。　Then　it　was　near　sundown；　and　when　they　had
eaten　they　fell　asleep。　In　the　night　they　woke　to　find　a　great　wind
blowing　and　a　cold　rain　falling　on　them；　for　it　was　the　beginning　of
winter；　when　fruits　are　ripe。

〃Up；　Nada！〃　said　Umslopogaas；　〃we　must　seek　the　kraal　or　the　cold　will
kill　us。〃

So　Nada　rose；　frightened；　and　hand　in　hand　they　stumbled　through　the
darkness。　But　in　the　wind　and　the　night　they　lost　their　path；　and　when
at　length　the　dawn　came　they　were　in　a　forest　that　was　strange　to
them。　They　rested　awhile；　and　finding　berries　ate　them；　then　walked
again。　All　that　day　they　wandered；　till　at　last　the　night　came　down；
and　they　plucked　branches　of　trees　and　piled　the　branches　over　them
for　warmth；　and　they　were　so　weary　that　they　fell　asleep　in　each
other's　arms。　At　dawn　they　rose；　but　now　they　were　very　tired　and
berries　were　few；　sot　hat　by　midday　they　were　spent。　Then　they　lay
down　on　the　side　of　a　steep　hill；　and　Nada　laid　her　head　upon　the
breast　of　Umslopogaas。

〃Here　let　us　die；　my　brother；〃　she　said。

But　even　then　the　boy　had　a　great　spirit；　and　he　answered；　〃Time　to
die；　sister；　when　Death　chooses　us。　See；　now！　Do　you　rest　here；　and　I
will　climb　the　hill　and　look　across　the　forest。〃

So　he　left　her　and　climbed　the　hill；　and　on　its　side　he　found　many
berries　and　a　root　that　is　good　for　food；　and　filled　himself　with
them。　At　length　he　came　to　the　crest　of　the　hill　and　looked　out　across
the　sea　of　green。　Lo！　there；　far　away　to　the　east；　he　saw　a　line　of
white　that　lay　like　smoke　against　the　black　surface　of　a　cliff；　and
knew　it　for　the　waterfall　beyond　the　royal　town。　Then　he　came　down　the
hill；　shouting　for　joy　and　bearing　roots　and　berries　in　his　hand。　But
when　he　reached　the　spot　where　Nada　was；　he　found　that　her　senses　had
left　her　through　hunger；　cold；　and　weariness。　She　lay　upon　the　ground
like　one　asleep；　and　over　her　stood　a　jackal　that　fled　as　he　drew
nigh。　Now　it　would　seem　that　there　but　two　shoots　to　the　stick　of
Umslopogaas。　One　was　to　save　himself；　and　the　other　to　lie　down　and
die　by　Nada。　Yet　he　found　a　third；　for；　undoing　the　strips　of　his
moocha；　he　made　ropes　of　them；　and　with　the　ropes　he　bound　Nada　on　his
back　and　started　for　the　king's　kraal。　He　could　never　have　reached　it；
for　the　way　was　long；　yet　at　evening　some　messengers　running　through
the　forest　came　upon　a　naked　lad　with　a　girl　bound　to　his　back　and　a
staff　in　his　hand；　who　staggered　along　slowly　with　starting　eyes　and
foam　upon　his　lips。　He　could　not　speak；　he　was　so　weary；　and　the　ropes
had　cut　through　the　skin　of　his　shoulders；　yet　one　of　the　messengers
knew　him　for　Umslopogaas；　the　son　of　Mopo；　and　they　bore　him　to　the
kraal。　They　would　have　left　the　girl　Nada；　thinking　her　dead；　but　he
pointed　to　her　breast；　and；　feeling　it；　they　found　that　her　heart
still　beat；　so　they　brought　her　also；　and　the　end　of　it　was　that　both
recovered　and　loved　each　other　more　than　ever　before。

Now　after　this；　I；　Mopo；　bade　Umslopogaas　stay　at　home　within　the
kraal；　and　not　lead　his　sister　to　the　wilds。　But　the　boy　loved　roaming
like　a　fox；　and　where　he　went　there　Nada　followed。　So　it　came　about
that　one　day　they　slipped　from　the　kraal　when　the　gates　were　open；　and
sought　out　a　certain　deep　glen　which　had　an　evil　name；　for　it　was　said
that　spirits　haunted　it　and　put　those　to　death　who　entered　there。
Whether　this　was　true　I　do　not　know；　but　I　know　that　in　the　glen　dwelt
a　certain　woman　of　the　woods；　who　had　her　habitation　in　a　cave　and
lived　upon　what　she　could　kill　or　steal　or　dig　up　with　her　hands。　Now
this　woman　was　mad。　For　it　had　chanced　that　her　husband　had　been
〃smelt　out〃　by　the　witch…doctors　as　a　worker　of　magic　against　the
king；　and　slain。　Then　Chaka；　according　to　custom；　despatched　the
slayers　to　eat　up　his　kraal；　and　they　came　to　the　kraal　and　killed　his
people。　Last　of　all　they　killed　his　children；　three　young　girls；　and
would　have　assegaied　their　mother；　when　suddenly　a　spirit　entered　into
her　at　the　sight；　and　she　went　mad；　so　that　they　let　her　go；　being
afraid　to　touch　her　afterwards。　So　she　fled　and　took　up　her　abode　in
the　haunted　glen；　and　this　was　the　nature　of　her　madness；　that
whenever　she　saw　children；　and　more　especially　girl　children；　a
longing　came　upon　her　to　kill　them　as　her　own　had　been　killed。　This；
indeed；　she　did　often；　for　when　the　moon　was　full　and　her　madness　at
its　highest；　she　would　travel　far　to　find　children；　snatching　them
away　from　the　kraals　like　a　hyena。　Still；　none　would　touch　her　because
of　the　spirit　in　her；　not　even　those　whose　children　she　had　murdered。

So　Umslopogaas　and　Nada　came　to　the　glen　where　the　child…slayer　lived；
and　sat　down　by　a　pool　of　water　not　far　from　the　mouth　of　her　cave；
weaving　flowers　into　a　garland。　Presently　Umslopogaas　left　Nada；　to
search　for　rock　lilies　which　she　loved。　As　he　went　he　called　back　to
her；　and　his　voice　awoke　the　woman　who　was　sleeping　in　her　cave；　for
she　came　out　by　night　only；　like　a　jackal。　Then　the　woman　stepped
forth；　smelling　blood　and　having　a　spear　in　her　hand。　Presently　she
saw　Nada　seated　upon　the　grass　weaving　flowers；　and　crept　towards　her
to　kill　her。　Now　as　she　cameso　the　child　told　mesuddenly　a　cold
wind　seemed　to　breathe　upon　Nada；　and　fear　took　hold　of　her；　though
she　did　not　see　the　woman　who　would　murder　her。　She　let　fall　the
flowers；　and　looked　before　her　into　the　pool；　and　there；　mirrored　in
the　pool；　she　saw　the　greedy　face　of　the　child…slayer；　who　crept　down
upon　her　from　above；　her　hair　hanging　about　her　brow　and　her　eyes
shining　like　the　eyes　of　a　lion。

Then　with　a　cry　Nada　sprang　up　and　fled　along　the　path　which
Umslopogaas　had　taken；　and　after　her　leapt　and　ran　the　mad　woman。
Umslopogaas　heard　her　cry。　He　turned　and　rushed　back　over　the　brow　of
the　hill；　and；　lo！　there　before　him　was　the　murderess。　Already　she　had
grasped　Nada　by　the　hair；　already　her　spear　was　lifted　to　pierce　her。
Umslopogaas　had　no　spear；　he　had　nothing　but　a　little　stick　without　a
knob；　yet　with　it　he　rushed　at　the　mad　woman　and　struck　her　so　smartly
on　the　arm　that　she　let　go　of　the　girl　and　turned　on　him　with　a　yell。
Then；　lifting　her　spear；　she　struck　at　him；　but　he　leapt　aside。　Again
she　struck；　but　he　sprang　into　the　air；　and　the　spear　p