nada the lily(百合娜达)-第6章

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root　of　your　tongue；　so　that　you　cannot　squeal；　then　I　will　cut　you　to
pieces　slowly；　bit　by　bit；　and　in　the　morning　I　will　tell　the　people
that　the　spirits　did　it　because　you　lied。　Next；　I　will　take　off　your
arms　and　legs。　Yes；　yes；　I　will　make　you　like　a　stick！　Then　I　will〃
and　he　began　driving　in　the　knife　under　my　chin。

〃Mercy；　my　uncle；〃　I　said；　for　I　was　frightened　and　the　knife　hurt。
〃Have　mercy；　and　I　will　do　whatever　you　wish！〃

〃Will　you　do　this？〃　he　asked；　still　pricking　me　with　the　knife。　〃Will
you　get　up；　go　to　find　the　dog's　cattle　and　drive　them　to　a　certain
place；　and　hide　them　there？〃　And　he　named　a　secret　valley　that　was
known　to　very　few。　〃If　you　do　that；　I　will　spare　you　and　give　you
three　of　the　cows。　If　you　refuse　or　play　my　false；　then；　by　my
father's　spirit；　I　will　find　a　way　to　kill　you！〃

〃Certainly　I　will　do　it；　my　uncle；〃　I　answered。　〃Why　did　you　not　trust
me　before？　Had　I　known　that　you　wanted　to　keep　the　cattle；　I　would
never　have　smelt　them　out。　I　only　did　so　fearing　lest　you　should　lose
the　presents。〃

〃You　are　not　so　wicked　as　I　thought；〃　he　growled。　〃Get　up；　then；　and
do　my　bidding。　You　can　be　back　here　two　hours　after　dawn。〃

So　I　got　up；　thinking　all　the　while　whether　I　should　try　to　spring　on
him。　But　I　was　without　arms；　and　he　had　the　knife；　also　if；　by　chance；
I　prevailed　and　killed　him；　it　would　have　been　thought　that　I　had
murdered　him；　and　I　should　have　tasted　the　assegai。　So　I　made　another
plan。　I　would　go　and　find　the　cattle　in　the　valley　where　I　had　smelt
them　out；　but　I　would　not　bring　them　to　the　secret　hiding…place。　No；　I
would　drive　them　straight　to　the　kraal；　and　denounce　Noma　before　the
chief；　my　father；　and　all　the　people。　But　I　was　young　in　those　days；
and　did　not　know　the　heart　of　Noma。　He　had　not　been　a　witch…doctor
till　he　grew　old　for　nothing。　Oh！　he　was　evil！he　was　cunning　as　a
jackal；　and　fierce　like　a　lion。。　He　had　planted　me　by　him　like　a　tree；
but　he　meant　to　keep　me　clipped　like　a　bush。　Now　I　had　grown　tall　and
overshadowed　him；　therefore　he　would　root　me　up。

I　went　to　the　corner　of　my　hut；　Noma　watching　me　all　the　while；　and
took　a　kerrie　and　my　small　shield。　Then　I　started　through　the
moonlight。　Till　I　was　past　the　kraal　I　glided　along　quietly　as　a
shadow。　After　that；　I　began　to　run；　singing　to　myself　as　I　went；　to
frighten　away　the　ghosts；　my　father。

For　an　hour　I　travelled　swiftly　over　the　plain；　till　I　came　to　the
hillside　where　the　bush　began。　Here　it　was　very　dark　under　the　shade
of　the　trees；　and　I　sang　louder　than　ever。　At　last　I　found　the　little
buffalo　path　I　sought；　and　turned　along　it。　Presently　I　came　to　an
open　place；　where　the　moonlight　crept　in　between　the　trees。　I　knelt
down　and　looked。　Yes！　my　snake　had　not　lied　to　me；　there　was　the　spoor
of　the　cattle。　Then　I　went　on　gladly　till　I　reached　a　dell　through
which　the　water　ran　softly；　sometimes　whispering　and　sometimes　talking
out　loud。　Here　the　trail　of　the　cattle　was　broad：　they　had　broken　down
the　ferns　with　their　feet　and　trampled　the　grass。　Presently　I　came　to
a　pool。　I　knew　itit　was　the　pool　my　snake　had　shown　me。　And　there　at
the　edge　of　the　pool　floated　the　drowned　ox；　its　foot　caught　in　a
forked　root。　All　was　just　as　I　had　seen　it　in　my　heart。

I　stepped　forward　and　looked　round。　My　eye　caught　something；　it　was
the　faint　grey　light　of　the　dawn　glinted　on　the　cattle's　horns。　As　I
looked；　one　of　them　snorted；　rose　and　shook　the　dew　from　his　hide。　He
seemed　big　as　an　elephant　in　the　mist　and　twilight。

Then　I　collected　them　allthere　were　seventeenand　drove　them　before
me　down　the　narrow　path　back　towards　the　kraal。　Now　the　daylight　came
quickly；　and　the　sun　had　been　up　an　hour　when　I　reached　the　spot　where
I　must　turn　if　I　wished　to　hide　the　cattle　in　the　secret　place；　as
Noma　had　bid　me。　But　I　would　not　do　this。　No；　I　would　go　on　to　the
kraal　with　them；　and　tell　all　men　that　Noma　was　a　thief。　Still；　I　sat
down　and　rested　awhile；　for　I　was　tired。　As　I　sat；　I　heard　a　noise；
and　looked　up。　There；　over　the　slope　of　the　rise；　came　a　crowd　of　men；
and　leading　them　was　Noma；　and　by　his　side　the　headman　who　owned　the
cattle。　I　rose　and　stood　still；　wondering；　but　as　I　stood；　they　ran
towards　me　shouting　and　waving　sticks　and　spears。

〃There　he　is！〃　screamed　Noma。　〃There　he　is！the　clever　boy　whom　I
have　brought　up　to　bring　shame　on　me。　What　did　I　tell　you？　Did　I　not
tell　you　that　he　was　a　thief？　Yesyes！　I　know　your　tricks；　Mopo；　my
child！　See！　he　is　stealing　the　cattle！　He　knew　where　they　were　all　the
time；　and　now　he　is　taking　them　away　to　hide　them。　They　would　be
useful　to　buy　a　wife　with；　would　they　not；　my　clever　boy？〃　And　he　made
a　rush　at　me；　with　his　stick　lifted；　and　after　him　came　the　headman；
grunting　with　rage。

I　understood　now；　my　father。　My　heart　went　mad　in　me；　everything　began
to　swim　round；　a　red　cloth　seemed　to　lift　itself　up　and　down　before　my
eyes。　I　have　always　seen　it　thus　when　I　was　forced　to　fight。　I
screamed　out　one　word　only；　〃Liar！〃　and　ran　to　meet　him。　On　came　Noma。
He　struck　at　me　with　his　stick；　but　I　caught　the　blow　upon　my　little
shield；　and　hit　back。　Wow！　I　did　hit！　The　skull　of　Noma　met　my　kerrie；
and　down　he　fell　dead　at　my　feet。　I　yelled　again；　and　rushed　on　at　the
headman。　He　threw　an　assegai；　but　it　missed　me；　and　next　second　I　hit
him　too。　He　got　up　his　shield；　but　I　knocked　it　down　upon　his　head；
and　over　he　rolled　senseless。　Whether　he　lived　or　died　I　do　not　know；
my　father；　but　his　head　being　of　the　thickest；　I　think　it　likely　that
he　lived。　Then；　while　the　people　stood　astonished；　I　turned　and　fled
like　the　wind。　They　turned　too；　and　ran　after　me；　throwing　spears　at
me　and　trying　to　cut　me　off。　But　none　of　them　could　catch　meno；　not
one。　I　went　like　the　wind；　I　went　like　a　buck　when　the　dogs　wake　it
from　sleep；　and　presently　the　sound　of　their　chase　grew　fainter　and
fainter；　till　at　last　I　was　out　of　sight　and　alone。



CHAPTER　III

MOPO　VENTURES　HOME

I　threw　myself　down　on　the　grass　and　panted　till　my　breath　came　back；
then　I　went　and　hid　in　a　patch　of　reeds　down　by　a　swamp。　All　day　long
I　lay　there　thinking。　What　was　I　to　do？　Now　I　was　a　jackal　without　a
hole。　If　I　went　back　to　my　people；　certainly　they　would　kill　me；　whom
they　thought　a　thief。　My　blood　would　be　given　for　Noma's；　and　that　I
did　not　wish；　though　my　heart　was　sad。　Then　there　came　into　my　mind
the　thought　of　Chaka；　the　boy　to　whom　I　had　given　the　cup　of　water
long　ago。　I　had　heard　of　him：　his　name　was　known　in　the　land；　already
the　air　was　big　with　it；　the　very　trees　and　grass　spoke　it。　The　words
he　had　said　and　the　vision　that　my　mother　had　seen　were　beginning　to
come　true。　By　the　help　of　the　Umtetwas　he　had　taken　the　place　of　his
father　Senzangacona；　he　had　driven　out　the　tribe　of　the　Amaquabe；　now
he　made　war　on　Zweete；　chief　of　the　Endwande；　and　he　had　sworn　that　he
would　stamp　the　Endwande　flat；　so　that　nobody　could　find　them　any
more。　Now　I　remembered　how　this　Chaka　promised　that　he　would　make　me
great；　and　that　I　should　grow　fat　in　his　shadow；　and　I　thought　to
myself　that　I　would　arise　and　go　to　him。　Perhaps　he　would　kill　me；
well；　what　did　it　matter？　Certainly　I　should　be　killed　if　I　stayed
ehre。　Yes；　I　would　go。　But　now　my　heart　pulled　another　way。　There　was
but　one　whom　I　loved　in　the　worldit　was　my　sister　Baleka。　My　father
had　betrothed　her　to　the　chief　of　a　neighbouring　tribe；　but　I　knew
that　this　marriage　was　against　her　wish。　Perhaps　my　sister　would　run
away　with　me　if　I　could　get　near　her　to　tell　her　that　I　was　going。　I
would　tryyes；　I　would　try。

I　waited　till　the　darkness　came　down；　then　I　rose　from　my　bed　of　weeds
and　crept　like　a　jackal　towards　the　kraal。　In　the　mealie　gardens　I

stopped　awhile；　for　I　was　very　hungry；　and　filled　myself　with　the
half…ripe　mealies。　Then　I　went　on　till　I　came　to　the　kraal。　Some　of　my
people　were　seated　outside　of　a　hut；　talking　together　over　a　fire。　I
crept　near；　silently　as　a　snake；　and　hid　behind　a　little　bush。　I　knew
that　they　could　not　see　me　outside　the　ring　of　the　firelight；　and　I
wanted　to　hear　what　they　said。　As　I　guessed；　they　were　talking　of　me
and　called　me　many　names。　They　said　that　I　should　bring