nada the lily-第16章

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us　stop　talking；　and　let　me　be　killed。　Thou；　O　king；　didst　command

that　this　woman　should　be　slain。　Those　whom　thou　didst　send　to　destroy

her　spared　her；　because　they　thought　her　mad。　I　have　carried　out　the

commandment　of　the　king；　I　have　slain　her；　mad　or　sane；　whom　the　king

commanded　should　be　killed；　and　I　have　earned　not　death；　but　a

reward。〃



〃Well　said；　Umslopogaas！〃　answered　Chaka。　〃Let　ten　head　of　cattle　be

given　to　this　boy　with　the　heart　of　a　man；　his　father　shall　guard　them

for　him。　Art　thou　satisfied　now；　Umslopogaas？〃



〃I　take　that　which　is　due　to　me；　and　I　thank　the　king　because　he　need

not　pay　unless　he　will；〃　Umslopogaas　answered。



Chaka　stared　awhile；　began　to　grow　angry；　then　burst　out　laughing。



〃Why；　this　calf　is　such　another　one　as　was　dropped　long　ago　in　the

kraal　of　Senzangacona！〃　he　said。　〃As　I　was；　so　is　this　boy。　Go　on；

lad；　in　that　path；　and　thou　mayst　find　those　who　shall　cry　the　royal

salute　of　Bayete　to　thee　at　the　end　of　it。　Only　keep　out　of　my　way；

for　two　of　a　kind　might　not　agree。　Now　begone！〃



So　we　went　out；　but　as　we　passed　them　I　saw　the　doctors　muttering

together；　for　they　were　ill…pleased　and　foreboded　evil。　Also　they　were

jealous　of　me；　and　wished　to　smite　me　through　the　heart　of　him　who　was

called　my　son。







CHAPTER　VIII



THE　GREAT　INGOMBOCO



After　this　there　was　quiet　until　the　Feast　of　the　First…fruits　was

ended。　But　few　people　were　killed　at　these　feast；　though　there　was　a

great　Ingomboco；　or　witch…hunt；　and　many　were　smelt　out　by　the　witch…

doctors　as　working　magic　against　the　king。　Now　things　had　come　to　this

pass　in　Zululandthat　the　whole　people　cowered　before　the　witch…

doctors。　No　man　might　sleep　safe；　for　none　knew　but　that　on　the　morrow

he　would　be　touched　by　the　wand　of　an　Isanusi；　as　we　name　a　finder　of

witches；　and　led　away　to　his　death。　For　awhile　Chaka　said　nothing；　and

so　long　as　the　doctors　smelt　out　those　only　whom　he　wished　to　get　rid

ofand　they　were　manyhe　was　well　pleased。　But　when　they　began　to

work　for　their　own　ends；　and　to　do　those　to　death　whom　he　did　not

desire　to　kill；　he　grew　angry。　Yet　the　custom　of　the　land　was　that　he

whom　the　witch…doctor　touched　must　die；　he　and　all　his　house；

therefore　the　king　was　in　a　cleft　stick；　for　he　scarcely　dared　to　save

even　those　whom　he　loved。　One　night　I　came　to　doctor　him；　for　he　was

sick　in　his　mind。　On　that　very　day　there　had　been　an　Ingomboco；　and

five　of　the　bravest　captains　of　the　army　had　been　smelt　out　by　the

Abangoma；　the　witch…finders；　together　with　many　others。　All　had　been

destroyed；　and　men　had　been　sent　to　kill　the　wives　and　children　of　the

dead。　Now　Chaka　was　very　angry　at　this　slaying；　and　opened　his　heart

to　me。



〃The　witch…doctors　rule　in　Zululand；　and　not　I；　Mopo；　son　of

Makedama；〃　he　said　to　me。　〃Where；　then；　is　it　to　end？　Shall　I　myself

be　smelt　out　and　slain？　These　Isanusis　are　too　strong　for　me；　they　lie

upon　the　land　like　the　shadow　of　night。　Tell　me；　how　may　I　be　free　of

them？〃



〃Those　who　walk　the　Bridge　of　Spears；　O　king；　fall　off　into　Nowhere；〃

I　answered　darkly；　〃even　witch…doctors　cannot　keep　a　footing　on　that

bridge。　Has　not　a　witch…doctor　a　heart　that　can　cease　to　beat？　Has　he

not　blood　that　can　be　made　to　flow？〃



Chaka　looked　at　me　strangely。　〃Thou　art　a　bold　man　who　darest　to　speak

thus　to　me；　Mopo；〃　he　said。　〃Dost　thou　not　know　that　it　is　sacrilege

to　touch　an　Isanusi？〃



〃I　speak　that　which　is　in　the　king's　mind；〃　I　answered。　〃Hearken；　O

king！　It　is　indeed　sacrilege　to　touch　a　true　Isanusi；　but　what　if　the

Isanusi　be　a　liar？　What　if　he　smell　out　falsely；　bringing　those　to

death　who　are　innocent　of　evil？　Is　it　then　sacrilege　to　bring　him　to

that　end　which　he　has　given　to　many　another？　Say；　O　king！〃



〃Good　words！〃　answered　Chaka。　〃Now　tell　me；　son　of　Makedama；　how　may

this　matter　be　put　to　proof？〃



Then　I　leaned　forward；　whispering　into　the　ear　of　the　Black　One；　and

he　nodded　heavily。



Thus　I　spoke　then；　because　I；　too；　saw　the　evil　of　the　Isanusis；　I　who

knew　their　secrets。　Also；　I　feared　for　my　own　life　and　for　the　lives

of　all　those　who　were　dear　to　me。　For　they　hated　me　as　one　instructed

in　their　magic；　one　who　had　the　seeing　eye　and　the　hearing　ear。



One　morning　thereafter　a　new　thing　came　to　pass　in　the　royal　kraal；

for　the　king　himself　ran　out；　crying　aloud　to　all　people　to　come　and

see　the　evil　that　had　been　worked　upon　him　by　a　wizard。　They　came

together　and　saw　this。　On　the　door…posts　of　the　gateway　of　the

Intunkulu；　the　house　of　the　king；　were　great　smears　of　blood。　The

knees　of　men　strong　in　the　battle　trembled　when　they　saw　it；　women

wailed　aloud　as　they　wail　over　the　dead；　they　wailed　because　of　the

horror　of　the　omen。



〃Who　has　done　this　thing？〃　cried　Chaka　in　a　terrible　voice。　〃Who　has

dared　to　bewitch　the　king　and　to　strike　blood　upon　his　house？〃



There　was　no　answer；　and　Chaka　spoke　again。　〃This　is　no　little

matter；〃　he　said；　〃to　be　washed　away　with　the　blood　of　one　or　two　and

be　forgotten。　The　man　who　wrought　it　shall　not　die　alone　or　travel

with　a　few　to　the　world　of　spirits。　All　his　tribe　shall　go　with　him；

down　to　the　baby　in　his　hut　and　cattle　in　his　kraal！　Let　messengers　go

out　east　and　west；　and　north　and　south；　and　summon　the　witch…doctors

from　every　quarter！　Let　them　summon　the　captains　from　every　regiment

and　the　headmen　from　every　kraal！　On　the　tenth　day　from　now　the　circle

of　the　Ingomboco　must　be　set；　and　there　shall　be　such　a　smelling　out

of　wizards　and　of　witches　as　has　not　been　known　in　Zululand！〃



So　the　messengers　went　out　to　do　the　bidding　of　the　king；　taking　the

names　of　those　who　should　be　summoned　from　the　lips　of　the　indunas；

and　day　by　day　people　flocked　up　to　the　gates　of　the　royal　kraal；　and；

creeping　on　their　knees　before　the　majesty　of　the　king；　praised　him

aloud。　But　he　vouchsafed　an　answer　to　none。　One　noble　only　he　caused

to　be　killed；　because　he　carried　in　his　hand　a　stick　of　the　royal　red

wood；　which　Chaka　himself　had　given　him　in　bygone　years。＇1＇



＇1＇　This　beautiful　wood　is　known　in　Natal　as　〃red　ivory。〃ED。



On　the　last　night　before　the　forming　of　the　Ingomboco；　the　witch…

doctors；　male　and　female；　entered　the　kraal。　There　were　a　hundred　and

a　half　of　them；　and　they　were　made　hideous　and　terrible　with　the　white

bones　of　men；　with　bladders　of　fish　and　of　oxen；　with　fat　of　wizards；

and　with　skins　of　snakes。　They　walked　in　silence　till　they　came　in

front　of　the　Intunkulu；　the　royal　house；　then　they　stopped　and　sang

this　song　for　the　king　to　hear：



　　　　We　have　come；　O　king；　we　have　come　from　the　caves　and　the　rocks

　　　　　　　　　　　　and　the　swamps；

　　　　　　To　wash　in　the　blood　of　the　slain；

　　　　We　have　gathered　our　host　from　the　air　as　vultures　are　gathered　in

　　　　　　　　　　　　war。

　　　　　　When　they　scent　the　blood　of　the　slain。



　　　　We　come　not　alone；　O　king：　with　each　Wise　One　there　passes　a

　　　　　　　　　　　　ghost；

　　　　　　Who　hisses　the　name　of　the　doomed。

　　　　We　come　not　alone；　for　we　are　the　sons　and　Indunas　of　Death；

　　　　　　And　he　guides　our　feet　to　the　doomed。



　　　　Red　rises　the　moon　o'er　the　plain；　red　sinks　the　sun　in　the　west；

　　　　　　Look；　wizards；　and　bid　them　farewell！

　　　　We　count　you　by　hundreds；　you　who　cried　for　a　curse　on　the　king。

　　　　　　Ha！　soon　shall　we　bid　YOU　farewell！



Then　they　were　silent；　and　went　in　silence　to　the　place　appointed　for

them；　there　to　pass　the　night　in　mutterings　and　magic。　But　those　who

were　gathered　together　shivered　with　fear　when　they　heard　their　words；

for　they　knew　well　that　many　a　man　would　be　switched　with　the　gnu's

tail　before　the　sun　sank　once　more。　And　I；　too；　trembled；　for　my　heart

was　full　of　fear。　Ah！　my　father；　those　were　evil　days　to　live　in　when

Chaka　ruled；　and　death　met　us　at　every　turn！　Then　no　man　might　call

his　life　his　own；　or　that　of　his　wife　or　child；　or　anything。　All　were

the　king's；　and　what　war　spared　that　the　witch…doctors　took。



The　morning　dawn