nada the lily(百合娜达)-第7章

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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　ill…luck　on
the　tribe　by　having　killed　so　great　a　witch…doctor　as　Noma；　also　that
the　people　of　the　headman　would　demand　payment　for　the　assault　on　him。
I　learned；　moreover；　that　my　father　had　ordered　out　all　the　men　of　the
tribe　to　hunt　for　me　on　the　morrow　and　to　kill　me　wherever　they　found
me。　〃Ah！〃　I　thought；　〃you　may　hunt；　but　you　will　bring　nothing　home　to
the　pot。〃　Just　then　a　dog　that　was　lying　by　the　fire　got　up　and　began
to　sniff　the　air。　I　could　not　see　what　dog　it　wasindeed；　I　had
forgotten　all　about　the　dogs　when　I　drew　near　the　kraal；　that　is　what
comes　of　want　of　experience；　my　father。　The　dog　sniffed　and　sniffed；
then　he　began　to　growl；　looking　always　my　way；　and　I　grew　afraid。

〃What　is　the　dog　growling　at？〃　said　one　man　to　another。　〃Go　and　see。〃
But　the　other　man　was　taking　snuff　and　did　not　like　to　move。　〃Let　the
dog　go　and　see　for　himself；〃　he　answered；　sneezing；　〃what　is　the　good
of　keeping　a　dog　if　you　have　to　catch　the　thief？〃

〃Go　on；　then；〃　said　the　first　man　to　the　dog。　And　he　ran　forward；
barking。　Then　I　saw　him：　it　was　my　own　dog；　Koos；　a　very　good　dog。
Presently；　as　I　lay　not　knowing　what　to　do；　he　smelt　my　smell；　stopped
barking；　and　running　round　the　bush　he　found　me　and　began　to　lick　my
face。　〃Be　quiet；　Koos！〃　I　whispered　to　him。　And　he　lay　down　by　my
side。

〃Where　has　that　dog　gone　now？〃　said　the　first　man。　〃Is　he　bewitched；
that　he　stops　barking　suddenly　and　does　not　come　back？〃

〃We　will　see；〃　said　the　other；　rising；　a　spear　in　his　hand。

Now　once　more　I　was　terribly　afraid；　for　I　thought　that　they　would
catch　me；　or　I　must　run　for　my　life　again。　But　as　I　sprang　up　to　run；
a　big　black　snake　glided　between　the　men　and　went　off　towards　the
huts。　They　jumped　aside　in　a　great　fright；　then　all　of　them　turned　to
follow　the　snake；　saying　that　this　was　what　the　dog　was　barking　at。
That　was　my　good　Ehlose；　my　father；　which　without　any　doubt　took　the
shape　of　a　snake　to　save　my　life。

When　they　had　gone　I　crept　off　the　other　way；　and　Koos　followed　me。　At
first　I　thought　that　I　would　kill　him；　lest　he　should　betray　me；　but
when　I　called　to　him　to　knock　him　on　the　head　with　my　kerrie；　he　sat
down　upon　the　ground　wagging　his　tail；　and　seemed　to　smile　in　my　face；
and　I　could　not　do　it。　So　I　thought　that　I　would　take　my　chance；　and
we　went　on　together。　This　was　my　purpose：　first　to　creep　into　my　own
hut　and　get　my　assegais　and　a　skin　blanket；　then　to　gain　speech　with
Baleka。　My　hut；　I　thought；　would　be　empty；　for　nobody　sleeps　there
except　myself；　and　the　huts　of　Noma　were　some　paces　away　to　the　right。
I　came　to　the　reed　fence　that　surrounded　the　huts。　Nobody　was　to　be
seen　at　the　gate；　which　was　not　shut　with　thorns　as　usual。　It　was　my
duty　to　close　it；　and　I　had　not　been　there　to　do　so。　Then；　bidding　the
dog　lie　down　outside；　I　stepped　through　boldly；　reached　the　door　of　my
hut；　and　listened。　It　was　empty；　there　was　not　even　a　breath　to　be
heard。　So　I　crept　in　and　began　to　search　for　my　assegais；　my　water…
gourd；　and　my　wood　pillow；　which　was　so　nicely　carved　that　I　did　not
like　to　leave　it。　Soon　I　found　them。　Then　I　felt　about　for　my　skin
rug；　and　as　I　did　so　my　hand　touched　something　cold。　I　started；　and
felt　again。　It　was　a　man's　facethe　face　of　a　dead　man；　of　Noma；　whom
I　had　killed　and　who　had　been　laid　in　my　hut　to　await　burial。　Oh！　then
I　was　frightened；　for　Noma　dead　and　in　the　dark　was　worse　than　Noma
alive。　I　made　ready　to　fly；　when　suddenly　I　heard　the　voices　of　women
talking　outside　the　door　of　the　hut。　I　knew　the　voices；　they　were
those　of　Noma's　two　wives；　and　one　of　them　said　she　was　coming　in　to
watch　by　her　husband's　body。　Now　I　was　in　a　trap　indeed；　for　before　I
could　do　anything　I　saw　the　light　go　out　of　a　hole　in　the　hut；　and
knew　by　the　sound　of　a　fat　woman　puffing　as　she　bent　herself　up　that
Noma's　first　wife　was　coming　through　it。　Presently　she　was　in；　and；
squatting　by　the　side　of　the　corpse　in　such　a　fashion　that　I　could　not
get　to　the　door；　she　began　to　make　lamentations　and　to　cal　down　curses
on　me。　Ah！　she　did　not　know　that　I　was　listening。　I　too　squatted　by
Noma's　head；　and　grew　quick…witted　in　my　fear。　Now　that　the　woman　was
there　I　was　not　so　much　afraid　of　the　dead　man；　and　I　remembered；　too；
that　he　had　been　a　great　cheat；　so　I　thought　I　would　make　him　cheat
for　the　last　time。　I　placed　my　hands　beneath　his　shoulders　and　pushed
him　up　so　that　he　sat　upon　the　ground。　The　woman　heard　the　noise　and
made　a　sound　in　her　throat。

〃Will　you　not　be　quiet；　you　old　hag？〃　I　said　in　Noma's　voice。　〃Can　you
not　let　me　be　at　peace；　even　now　when　I　am　dead？〃

She　heard；　and；　falling　backwards　in　fear；　drew　in　her　breath　to
shriek　aloud。

〃What！　will　you　also　dare　to　shriek？〃　I　said　again　in　Noma's　voice；
〃then　I　must　teach　you　silence。〃　And　I　tumbled　him　over　on　to　the　top
of　her。

Then　her　senses　left　her；　and　whether　she　ever　found　them　again　I　do
not　know。　At　least　she　grew　quiet　for　that　time。　For　me；　I　snatched　up
the　rugafterwards　I　found　it　was　Noma's　best　kaross；　made　by　Basutos
of　chosen　cat…skins；　and　worth　three　oxenand　I　fled；　followed　by
Koos。

Now　the　kraal　of　the　chief；　my　father；　Makedama；　was　two　hundred　paces
away；　and　I　must　go　thither；　for　there　Baleka　slept。　Also　I　dared　not
enter　by　the　gate；　because　a　man　was　always　on　guard　there。　So　I　cut
my　way　through　the　reed　fence　with　my　assegai　and　crept　to　the　hut
where　Baleka　was　with　some　of　her　half…sisters。　I　knew　on　which　side
of　the　hut　it　was　her　custom　to　lie；　and　where　her　head　would　be。　So　I
lay　down　on　my　side　and　gently；　very　gently；　began　to　bore　a　hole　in
the　grass　covering　of　the　hut。　It　took　a　long　while；　for　the　thatch
was　thick；　but　at　last　I　was　nearly　through　it。　Then　I　stopped；　for　it
came　into　my　mind　that　Baleka　might　have　changed　her　place；　and　that　I
might　wake　the　wrong　girl。　I　almost　gave　it　over；　thinking　that　I
would　fly　alone；　when　suddenly　I　heard　a　girl　wake　and　begin　to　cry　on
the　other　side　of　the　thatch。　〃Ah；〃　I　thought；　〃that　is　Baleka；　who
weeps　for　her　brother！〃　So　I　put　my　lips　where　the　thatch　was　thinnest
and　whispered：

〃Baleka；　my　sister！　Baleka；　do　not　weep！　I；　Mopo；　am　here。　Say　not　a
word；　but　rise。　Come　out　of　the　hut；　bringing　your　skin　blanket。

Now　Baleka　was　very　clever：　she　did　not　shriek；　as　most　girls　would
have　done。　No；　she　understood；　and；　after　waiting　awhile；　she　rose　and
crept　from　the　hut；　her　blanket　in　her　hand。

〃Why　are　you　here；　Mopo？〃　she　whispered；　as　we　met。　〃Surely　you　will
be　killed！〃

〃Hush！〃　I　said。　And　then　I　told　her　of　the　plan　which　I　had　made。
〃Will　you　come　with　me？〃　I　said；　when　I　had　done；　〃or　will　you　creep
back　into　the　hut　and　bid　me　farewell？〃

She　thought　awhile；　then　she　said；　〃No；　my　brother；　I　will　come；　for　I
love　you　alone　among　our　people；　though　I　believe　that　this　will　be
the　end　of　itthat　you　will　lead　me　to　my　death。〃

I　did　not　think　much　of　her　words　at　the　time；　but　afterwards　they
came　back　to　me。　So　we　slipped　away　together；　followed　by　the　dog
Koos；　and　soon　we　were　running　over　the　veldt　with　our　faces　set
towards　the　country　of　the　Zulu　tribe。



CHAPTER　IV

THE　FLIGHT　OF　MOPO　AND　BALEKA

All　the　rest　of　that　night　we　journeyed；　till　even　the　dog　was　tired。
Then　we　hid　in　a　mealie　field　for　the　day；　as　we　were　afraid　of　being
seen。　Towards　the　afternoon　we　heard　voices；　and；　looking　through　the
stems　of　the　mealies；　we　saw　a　party　of　my　father's　men　pass　searching
for　us。　They　went　on　to　a　neighbouring　kraal　to　ask　if　we　had　been
seen；　and　after　that　we　saw　them　no　more　for　awhile。　At　night　we
travelled　again；　but；　as　fate　would　have　it；　we　were　met　by　an　old
woman；　who　looked　oddly　at　us　but　said　nothing。　After　that　we　pushed
on　day　and　night；　for　we　knew　that　the　old　woman　would　tell　the
pursuers　if　she　met　them；　and　so　indeed　it　came　about。　On　the　third
evening　we　reached　some　mealie　gardens；　and　saw　that　they　had　been
trampled　down。　Among　the　broken　mealies　we　found　the　body　of　a　very
old　man；　as　full　of　assegai　wounds　as　a　porcupine　with　quills。　We
wondere