nada the lily(百合娜达)-第42章

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！


of　their　ravenous　hunger！　But　what　of　them？　They　were　nothing。　〃Dust〃
was　the　name　of　one　of　the　great　regiments　that　went　out　against
Sotyangana；　and　dust　they　weredust　to　be　driven　to　death　by　the
breath　of　Chaka；　Lion　of　the　Zulu。

Now　few　men　remained　in　the　kraal　Duguza；　for　nearly　all　had　gone　with
the　impi；　and　only　women　and　aged　people　were　left。　Dingaan　and
Umhlangana；　brothers　of　the　king；　were　there；　for　Chaka　would　not
suffer　them　to　depart；　fearing　lest　they　should　plot　against　him；　and
he　looked　on　them　always　with　an　angry　eye；　so　that　they　trembled　for
their　lives；　though　they　dared　not　show　their　fear　lest　fate　should
follow　fear。　But　I　guessed　it；　and　like　a　snake　I　wound　myself　into
their　secrets；　and　we　talked　together　darkly　and　in　hints。　But　of　that
presently；　my　father；　for　I　must　tell　of　the　coming　of　Masilo；　he　who
would　have　wed　Zinita；　and　whom　Umslopogaas　the　Slaughterer　had　driven
out　from　the　kraals　of　the　People　of　the　Axe。

It　was　on　the　day　after　the　impi　had　left　that　Masilo　came　to　the
kraal　Duguza；　craving　leave　to　speak　with　the　king。　Chaka　sat　before
his　hut；　and　with　him　were　Dingaan　and　Umhlangana；　his　royal　brothers。
I　was　there　also；　and　certain　of　the　indunas；　councillors　of　the　king。
Chaka　was　weary　that　morning；　for　he　had　slept　badly；　as　now　he　always
did。　Therefore；　when　one　told　him　that　a　certain　wanderer　named　Masilo
would　speak　with　him；　he　did　not　command　that　the　man　should　be
killed；　but　bade　them　bring　him　before　him。　Presently　there　was　a
sound　of　praising；　and　I　saw　a　fat　man；　much　worn　with　travel；　who
crawled　through　the　dust　towards　us　giving　the　sibonga；　that　is；
naming　the　king　by　his　royal　names。　Chaka　bade　him　cease　from　praising
and　tell　his　business。　Then　the　man　sat　up　and　told　all　that　tale
which　you　have　heard；　my　father；　of　how　a　young　man；　great　and　strong；
came　to　the　place　of　the　People　of　the　Axe　and　conquered　Jikiza；　the
holder　of　the　axe；　and　become　chief　of　that　people；　and　of　how　he　had
taken　the　cattle　of　Masilo　and　driven　him　away。　Now　Chaka　knew　nothing
of　this　People　of　the　Axe；　for　the　land　was　great　in　those　days；　my
father；　and　there　were　many　little　tribes　in　it；　living　far　away；　of
whom　the　king　had　not　even　heard；　so　he　questioned　Masilo　about　them；
and　of　the　number　of　their　fighting…men；　of　their　wealth　in　cattle；　of
the　name　of　the　young　man　who　ruled　them；　and　especially　as　to　the
tribute　which　they　paid　to　the　king。

Masilo　answered；　saying　that　the　number　of　their　fighting…men　was
perhaps　the　half　of　a　full　regiment；　that　their　cattle　were　many；　for
they　were　rich；　that　they　paid　no　tribute；　and　that　the　name　of　the
young　man　was　Bulalio　the　Slaughtererat　the　least；　he　was　known　by
that　name；　and　he　had　heard　no　other。

Then　the　king　grew　wroth。　〃Arise；　Masilo；〃　he　said；　〃and　run　to　this
people；　and　speak　in　the　ear　of　the　people；　and　of　him　who　is　named
the　Slaughterer；　saying：　'There　is　another　Slaughterer；　who　sits　in　a
kraal　that　is　named　Duguza；　and　this　is　his　word　to　you；　O　People　of
the　Axe；　and　to　thee；　thou　who　holdest　the　axe。　Rise　up　with　all　the
people；　and　with　all　the　cattle　of　your　people；　and　come　before　him
who　sits　in　the　kraal　Duguza；　and　lay　in　his　hands　the　great　axe
Groan…Maker。　Rise　up　swiftly　and　do　this　bidding；　lest　ye　sit　down
shortly　and　for　the　last　time　of　all。'〃＇1＇

＇1＇　The　Zulu　are　buried　sitting。

Masilo　heard；　and　said　that　it　should　be　so；　though　the　way　was　far；
and　he　feared　greatly　to　appear　before　him　who　was　called　the
Slaughterer；　and　who　sat　twenty　days'　journey　to　the　north；　beneath
the　shadow　of　the　Witch　Mountain。

〃Begone；〃　said　the　king；　〃and　stand　before　me　on　the　thirtieth　day
from　now　with　the　answer　of　this　boy　with　an　axe！　If　thou　standest　not
before　me；　then　some　shall　come　to　seek　thee　and　the　boy　with　an　axe
also。〃

So　Masilo　turned　and　fled　swiftly　to　do　the　bidding　of　the　king；　and
Chaka　spoke　no　more　of　that　matter。　But　I　wondered　in　my　heart　who
this　young　man　with　an　axe　might　be；　for　I　thought　that　he　had　dealt
with　Jikiza　and　with　the　sons　of　Jikiza　as　Umslopogaas　would　have
dealt　with　them　had　he　come　to　the　years　of　his　manhood。　But　I　also
said　nothing　of　the　matter。

Now　on　this　day　also　there　came　to　me　news　that　my　wife　Macropha　and
my　daughter　Nada　were　dead　among　their　people　in　Swaziland。　It　was
said　that　the　men　of　the　chief　of　the　Halakazi　tribe　had　fallen　on
their　kraal　and　put　all　in　it　to　the　assegai；　and　among　them　Macropha
and　Nada。　I　heard　the　news；　but　I　wept　no　tear；　for；　my　father；　I　was
so　lost　in　sorrows　that　nothing　could　move　me　any　more。



CHAPTER　XX

MOPO　BARGAINS　WITH　THE　PRINCES

Eight…and…twenty　days　went　by；　my　father；　and　on　the　nine…and…
twentieth　it　befell　that　Chaka；　having　dreamed　a　dream　in　his　troubled
sleep；　summoned　before　him　certain　women　of　the　kraal；　to　the　number
of　a　hundred　or　more。　Some　of　these　were　his　women；　whom　he　named　his
〃sisters；〃　and　some　were　maidens　not　yet　given　in　marriage；　but　all
were　young　and　fair。　Now　what　this　dream　of　Chaka　may　have　been　I　do
not　know；　or　have　forgotten；　for　in　those　days　he　dreamed　many　dreams；
and　all　his　dreams　led　to　one　end；　the　death　of　men。　He　sat　in　front
of　his　hut　scowling；　and　I　was　with　him。　To　the　left　of　him　were
gathered　the　girls　and　women；　and　their　knees　were　weak　with　fear。　One
by　one　they　were　led　before　him；　and　stood　before　him　with　bowed
heads。　Then　he　would　bid　them　be　of　good　cheer；　and　speak　softly　to
them；　and　in　the　end　would　ask　them　this　question：　〃Hast　thou；　my
sister；　a　cat　in　thy　hut？〃

Now；　some　would　say　that　they　had　a　cat；　and　some　would　say　that　they
had　none；　and　some　would　stand　still　and　make　no　answer；　being　dumb
with　fear。　But；　whatever　they　said；　the　end　was　the　same；　for　the　king
would　sigh　gently　and　say：　〃Fare　thee　well；　my　sister；　it　is
unfortunate　for　thee　that　there　is　a　cat　in　thy　hut；〃　or　〃that　there
is　no　cat　in　thy　hut；〃　or　〃that　thou　canst　not　tell　me　whether　there
be　a　cat　in　thy　hut　or　no。〃

Then　the　woman　would　be　taken　by　the　slayers；　dragged　without　the
kraal；　and　their　end　was　swift。　So　it　went　on　for　the　most　part　of
that　day；　till　sixty…and…two　women　and　girls　had　been　slaughtered。　But
at　last　a　maiden　was　brought　before　the　king；　and　to　this　one　her
snake　had　given　a　ready　wit；　for　when　Chaka　asked　her　whether　or　no
there　was　a　cat　in　her　hut；　she　answered；　saying　that　she　did　not
know；　〃but　that　there　was　a　half　a　cat　upon　her；〃　and　she　pointed　to　a
cat's…skin　which　was　bound　about　her　loins。

Then　the　king　laughed；　and　clapped　his　hands；　saying　that　at　length
his　dream　was　answered；　and　he　killed　no　more　that　day　nor　ever　again
save　once　only。

That　evening　my　heart　was　heavy　within　me；　and　I　cried　in　my　heart；
〃How　long？〃nor　might　I　rest。　So　I　wandered　out　from　the　kraal　that
was　named　Duguza　to　the　great　cleft　in　the　mountains　yonder；　and　sat
down　upon　a　rock　high　up　in　the　cleft；　so　that　I　could　see　the　wide
lands　rolling　to　the　north　and　the　south；　to　my　right　and　to　my　left。
Now；　the　day　was　drawing　towards　the　night；　and　the　air　was　very
still；　for　the　heat　was　great　and　a　tempest　was　gathering；　as　I；　who
am　a　Heaven…Herd；　knew　well。　The　sun　sank　redly；　flooding　the　land
with　blood；　it　was　as　though　all　the　blood　that　Chaka　had　shed　flowed
about　the　land　which　Chaka　ruled。　Then　from　the　womb　of　the　night
great　shapes　of　cloud　rose　up　and　stood　before　the　sun；　and　he　crowned
them　with　his　glory；　and　in　their　hearts　the　lightning　quivered　like　a
blood　of　fire。　The　shadow　of　their　wings　fell　upon　the　mountain　and
the　plains；　and　beneath　their　wings　was　silence。　Slowly　the　sun　sank；
and　the　shapes　of　cloud　gathered　together　like　a　host　at　the　word　of
its　captain；　and　the　flicker　of　the　lightning　was　as　the　flash　of　the
spears　of　a　host。　I　looked；　and　my　heart　grew　afraid。　The　lightning
died　away；　the　silence　deepened　and　deepened　till　I　could　hear　it；　no
leaf　moved；　no　bird　called；　the　world　seemed　deadI　alone　lived　in
the　dead　world。

Now；　of　a　sudden；　my　father；　a　bright　star　fell　from　the　height　of
heaven　and　lit　upon　the　crest　of　the　storm；　and　as　it　lit　the　storm
burst。　The　grey　a