nada the lily(百合娜达)-第48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！


that　is；　my　father；　it　was　not　lawful　that　it　should　pass　the　lips。

〃I　remember　the　words；　O　King；〃　I　answered。　〃They　were　ominous　words；
for　this　was　their　burden：　that　you　and　your　house　should　not　sit　long
in　the　throne　of　kings；　but　that　the　white　men　should　take　away　your
royalty　and　divide　your　territories。　Such　was　the　prophecy　of　the　Lion
of　the　Zulu；　why　speak　of　it？　Once　before　I　heard　him　prophecy；　and
his　words　were　fulfilled。　May　the　omen　be　an　egg　without　meat；　may　it
never　become　fledged；　may　that　bird　never　perch　upon　your　roof；　O
King！〃

Now　Dingaan　trembled　with　fear；　for　the　words　of　Chaka　were　in　his
mind　by　night　and　by　day；　then　he　grew　angry　and　bit　his　lip；
saying：

〃Thou　fool；　Mopo！　canst　thou　not　hear　a　raven　croak　at　the　gates　of　a
kraal　but　thou　must　needs　go　tell　those　who　dwell　within　that　he　waits
to　pick　their　eyes？　Such　criers　of　ill　to　come　may　well　find　ill　at
hand；　Mopo。〃　He　ceased；　looked　on　me　threateningly　awhile；　and　went
on：　〃I　did　not　speak　of　those　words　rolling　by　chance　from　a　tongue
half　loosed　by　death；　but　of　others　that　told　of　a　certain　Bulalio；　of
a　Slaughterer　who　rules　the　People　of　the　Axe　and　dwells　beneath　the
shadow　of　the　Ghost　Mountain　far　away　to　the　north　yonder。　Surely　I
heard　them　all　as　I　sat　beneath　the　shade　of　the　reed…fence　before
ever　I　came　to　save　him　who　was　my　brother　from　the　spear　of　Masilo；
the　murderer；　whose　spear　stole　away　the　life　of　a　king？〃

〃I　remember　those　words　also；　O　King！〃　I　said。　〃Is　it　the　will　of　the
king　that　an　impi　should　be　gathered　to　eat　up　this　upstart？　Such　was
the　command　of　the　one　who　is　gone；　given；　as　it　were；　with　his　last
breath。〃

〃Nay；　Mopo；　that　is　not　my　will。　If　no　impi　can　be　found　by　thee　to
wipe　away　the　Halakazi　and　bring　one　whom　I　desire　to　delight　my　eyes；
then　surely　none　can　be　found　to　eat　up　this　Slaughterer　and　his
people。　Moreover；　Bulalio；　chief　of　the　People　of　the　Axe；　has　not
offended　against　me；　but　against　an　elephant　whose　trumpetings　are
done。　Now　this　is　my　will；　Mopo；　my　servant：　that　thou　shouldst　take
with　thee　a　few　men　only　and　go　gently　to　this　Bulalio；　and　say　to
him：　'A　greater　Elephant　stalks　through　the　land　than　he　who　has　gone
to　sleep；　and　it　has　come　to　his　earsthat　thou；　Chief　of　the　People
of　the　Axe；　dost　pay　no　tribute；　and　hast　said　that；　because　of　the
death　of　a　certain　Mopo；　thou　wilt　have　nothing　to　do　with　him　whose
shadow　lies　upon　the　land。　Now　one　Mopo　is　sent　to　thee；　Slaughterer；
to　know　if　this　tale　is　true；　for；　if　it　be　true；　then　shalt　thou
learn　the　weight　of　the　hoof　of　that　Elephant　who　trumpets　in　the
kraal　of　Umgugundhlovu。　Think；　then；　and　weigh　thy　words　before　thou
dost　answer；　Slaughterer。'〃

Now　I；　Mopo；　heard　the　commands　of　the　king　and　pondered　them　in　my
mind；　for　I　knew　well　that　it　was　the　design　of　Dingaan　to　be　rid　of
me　for　a　space　that　he　might　find　time　to　plot　my　overthrow；　and　that
he　cared　little　for　this　matter　of　a　petty　chief；　who；　living　far
away；　had　dared　to　defy　Chaka。　Yet　I　wished　to　go；　for　there　had
arisen　in　me　a　great　desire　to　see　this　Bulalio；　who　spoke　of
vengeance　to　be　taken　for　one　Mopo；　and　whose　deeds　were　such　as　the
deeds　of　Umslopogaas　would　have　been；　had　Umslopogaas　lived　to　look
upon　the　light。　Therefore　I　answered：

〃I　hear　the　king。　The　king's　word　shall　be　done；　though；　O　King；　thou
sendest　a　big　man　upon　a　little　errand。〃

〃Not　so；　Mopo；〃　answered　Dingaan。　〃My　heart　tells　me　that　this　chicken
of　a　Slaughterer　will　grow　to　a　great　cock　if　his　comb　is　not　cut
presently；　and　thou；　Mopo；　art　versed　in　cutting　combs；　even　of　the
tallest。〃

〃I　hear　the　king；〃　I　answered　again。

So；　my　father；　it　came　about　that　on　the　morrow；　taking　with　me　but
ten　chosen　men；　I；　Mopo；　started　on　my　journey　towards　the　Ghost
Mountain；　and　as　I　journeyed　I　thought　much　of　how　I　had　trod　that
path　in　bygone　days。　Then；　Macropha；　my　wife；　and　Nada；　my　daughter；
and　Umslopogaas；　the　son　of　Chaka；　who　was　thought　to　be　my　son；
walked　at　my　side。　Now；　as　I　imagined；　all　were　dead　and　I　walked
alone；　doubtless　I　also　should　soon　be　dead。　Well；　people　lived　few
days　and　evil　in　those　times；　and　what　did　it　matter？　At　the　least　I
had　wreaked　vengeance　on　Chaka　and　satisfied　my　heart。

At　length　I　came　one　night　to　that　lonely　spot　where　we　had　camped　in
the　evil　hour　when　Umslopogaas　was　borne　away　by　the　lioness；　and　once
more　I　looked　upon　the　cave　whence　he　had　dragged　the　cub；　and　upon
the　awful　face　of　the　stone　Witch　who　sits　aloft　upon　the　Ghost
Mountain　forever　and　forever。　I　could　sleep　little　that　night；　because
of　the　sorrow　at　my　heart；　but　sat　awake　looking；　in　the　brightness　of
the　moon；　upon　the　grey　face　of　the　stone　Witch；　and　on　the　depths　of
the　forest　that　grew　about　her　knees；　wondering　the　while　if　the　bones
of　Umslopogaas　lay　broken　in　that　forest。　Now　as　I　journeyed；　many
tales　had　been　told　to　me　of　this　Ghost　Mountain；　which　all　swore　was
haunted；　so　said　some；　by　men　in　the　shape　of　wolves；　and　so　said
some；　by　the　Esemkofuthat　is；　by　men　who　have　died　and　who　have　been
brought　back　again　by　magic。　They　have　no　tongues；　the　Esemkofu；　for
had　they　tongues　they　would　cry　aloud　to　mortals　the　awful　secrets　of
the　dead；　therefore；　they　can　but　utter　a　wailing　like　that　of　a　babe。
Surely　one　may　hear　them　in　the　forests　at　night　as　they　wail　〃Ai！
ah！　Aiah！〃　among　the　silent　trees！

You　laugh；　my　father；　but　I　did　not　laugh　as　I　thought　of　these　tales；
for；　if　men　have　spirits；　where　do　the　spirits　go　when　the　body　is
dead？　They　must　go　somewhere；　and　would　it　be　strange　that　they　should
return　to　look　upon　the　lands　where　they　were　born？　Yet　I　never
thought　much　of　such　matters；　though　I　am　a　doctor；　and　know　something
of　the　ways　of　the　Amatongo；　the　people　of　the　ghosts。　To　speak　truth；
my　father；　I　have　had　so　much　to　do　with　the　loosing　of　the　spirits　of
men　that　I　never　troubled　myself　overmuch　with　them　after　they　were
loosed；　there　will　be　time　to　do　this　when　I　myself　am　of　their
number。

So　I　sat　and　gazed　on　the　mountain　and　the　forest　that　grew　over　it
like　hair　on　the　head　of　a　woman；　and　as　I　gazed　I　heard　a　sound　that
came　from　far　away；　out　of　the　heart　of　the　forest　as　it　seemed。　At
first　it　was　faint　and　far　off；　a　distant　thing　like　the　cry　of
children　in　a　kraal　across　a　valley；　then　it　grew　louder；　but　still　I
could　not　say　what　it　might　be；　now　it　swelled　and　swelled；　and　I　knew
itit　was　the　sound　of　wild　beats　at　chase。　Nearer　came　the　music；
the　rocks　rang　with　it；　and　its　voice　set　the　blood　beating　but　to
hearken　to　it。　That　pack　was　great　which　ran　a…hunting　through　the
silent　night；　and　now　it　was　night；　on　the　other　side　of　the　slope
only；　and　the　sound　swelled　so　loud　that　those　who　were　with　me　awoke
also　and　looked　forth。　Now　of　a　sudden　a　great　koodoo　bull　appeared
for　an　instant　standing　out　against　the　sky　on　the　crest　of　the　ridge；
then　vanished　in　the　shadow。　He　was　running　towards　us；　presently　we
saw　him　again　speeding　on　his　path　with　great　bounds。　We　saw　this　also
forms　grey　and　gaunt　and　galloping；　in　number　countless；　that　leaped
along　his　path；　appearing　on　the　crest　of　the　rise；　disappearing　into
the　shadow；　seen　again　on　the　slope；　lost　in　the　valley；　and　with　them
two　other　shapes；　the　shapes　of　men。

Now　the　big　buck　bounded　past　us　not　half　a　spear's　throw　away；　and
behind　him　streamed　the　countless　wolves；　and　from　the　throats　of　the
wolves　went　up　that　awful　music。　And　who　were　these　two　that　came　with
the　wolves；　shapes　of　men　great　and　strong？　They　ran　silently　and
swift；　wolves'　teeth　gleamed　upon　their　heads；　wolves'　hides　hung
about　their　shoulders。　In　the　hands　of　one　was　an　axethe　moonlight
shone　upon　itin　the　hand　of　the　other　a　heavy　club。　Neck　and　neck
they　ran；　never　before　had　we　seen　men　travel　so　fast。　See！　they　sped
down　the　slope　towards　us；　the　wolves　were　left　behind；　all　except
four　of　them；　we　heard　the　beating　of　their　feet；　they　came；　they
passed；　they　were　gone；　and　with　them　their　unnumbered　company。　The
music　grew　faint；　it　died；　it　was　dead；　the　hunt　was　far　away；　and　the
night　was　still　again！

〃Now；　my　brethre