nada the lily-第20章

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that；　despite　its　whines　and　struggles；　he　grasped　by　the　skin　of　the

neck　and　the　hind　legs。



〃Awake；　my　sister！〃　he　cried；　〃here　is　the　dog　you　seek。　Ah！　he　bites

now；　but　he　will　soon　grow　tame。〃



Nada　awoke；　and　rising；　cried　out　with　joy　at　the　sight　of　the　cub；

but　for　a　moment　I　stood　astonished。



〃Fool！〃　I　cried　at　last；　〃let　the　cub　go　before　the　lions　come　to　rend

us！〃



〃I　will　not　let　it　go；　my　father；〃　he　answered　sullenly。　〃Are　there

not　five　of　us　with　spears；　and　can　we　not　fight　two　cats？　I　was　not

afraid　to　go　alone　into　their　den。　Are　you　all　afraid　to　meet　them　in

the　open？〃



〃You　are　mad；〃　I　said；　〃let　the　cub　go！〃　And　I　ran　towards　Umslopogaas

to　take　it　from　him。　But　he　sprang　aside　and　avoided　me。



〃I　will　never　let　that　go　of　which　I　have　got　hold；〃　he　said；　〃at

least　not　living！〃　And　suddenly　he　seized　the　head　of　the　cub　and

twisted　its　neck；　then　threw　it　on　to　the　ground；　and　added；　〃See；　now

I　have　done　your　bidding；　my　father！〃



As　he　spoke　we　heard　a　great　sound　of　roaring　from　the　cave　in　the

cliff。　The　lions　had　returned　and　found　one　cub　dead　and　the　other

gone。



〃Into　the　fence！back　into　the　fence！〃　I　cried；　and　we　sprang　over

the　thorn…bushes　where　those　with　us　were　making　ready　their　spears；

trembling　as　they　handled　them　with　fear　and　the　cold　of　the　morning。

We　looked　up。　There；　down　the　side　of　the　cliff；　came　the　lions；

bounding　on　the　scent　of　him　who　had　robbed　them　of　their　young。　The

lion　ran　first；　and　as　he　came　he　roared；　then　followed　the　lioness；

but　she　did　not　roar；　for　in　her　mouth　was　the　cub　that　Umslopogaas

had　assegaied　in　the　cave。　Now　they　drew　near；　mad　with　fury；　their

manes　bristling；　and　lashing　their　flanks　with　their　long　tails。



〃Curse　you　for　a　fool；　son　of　Mopo；〃　said　one　of　the　men　with　me　to

Umslopogaas；　〃presently　I　will　beat　you　till　the　blood　comes　for　this

trick。〃



〃First　beat　the　lions；　then　beat　me　if　you　can；〃　answered　the　lad；

〃and　wait　to　curse　till　you　have　done　both。〃



Now　the　lions　were　close　to　us；　they　came　to　the　body　of　the　second

cub；　that　lay　outside　the　fence　of　thorns。　The　lion　stopped　and

sniffed　it。　Then　he　roaredah！　he　roared　till　the　earth　shook。　As　for

the　lioness；　she　dropped　the　dead　cub　which　she　was　carrying；　and　took

the　other　into　her　mouth；　for　she　could　not　carry　both。



〃Get　behind　me；　Nada；〃　cried　Umslopogaas；　brandishing　his　spear；　〃the

lion　is　about　to　spring。〃



As　the　words　left　his　mouth　the　great　brute　crouched　to　the　ground。

Then　suddenly　he　sprang　from　it　like　a　bird；　and　like　a　bird　he

travelled　through　the　air　towards　us。



〃Catch　him　on　the　spears！〃　cried　Umslopogaas；　and　by　nature；　as　it

were；　we　did　the　boy's　bidding；　for　huddling　ourselves　together；　we

held　out　the　assegais　so　that　the　lion　fell　upon　them　as　he　sprang；

and　their　blades　sank　far　into　him。　But　the　weight　of　his　charge

carried　us　to　the　ground；　and　he　fell　on　to　us；　striking　at　us　and　at

the　spears；　and　roaring　with　pain　and　fury　as　he　struck。　Presently　he

was　on　his　legs　biting　at　the　spears　in　his　breast。　Then　Umslopogaas；

who　alone　did　not　wait　his　onslaught；　but　had　stepped　aside　for　his

own　ends；　uttered　a　loud　cry　and　drove　his　assegai　into　the　lion

behind　the　shoulder；　so　that　with　a　groan　the　brute　rolled　over　dead。



Meanwhile；　the　lioness　stood　without　the　fence；　the　second　dead　cub　in

her　mouth；　for　she　could　not　bring　herself　to　leave　either　of　them。

But　when　she　heard　her　mate's　last　groan　she　dropped　the　cub　and

gathered　herself　together　to　spring。　Umslopogaas　alone　stood　up　to

face　her；　for　he　only　had　withdrawn　his　assegai　from　the　carcass　of

the　lion。　She　swept　on　towards　the　lad；　who　stood　like　a　stone　to　meet

her。　Now　she　met　his　spear；　it　sunk　in；　it　snapped；　and　down　fell

Umslopogaas　dead　or　senseless　beneath　the　mass　of　the　lioness。　She

sprang　up；　the　broken　spear　standing　in　her　breast；　sniffed　at

Umslopogaas；　then；　as　though　she　knew　that　it　was　he　who　had　robbed

her；　she　seized　him　by　the　loins　and　moocha；　and　sprang　with　him　over

the　fence。



〃Oh；　save　him！〃　cried　the　girl　Nada　in　bitter　woe。　And　we　rushed　after

the　lioness　shouting。



For　a　moment　she　stood　over　her　dead　cubs；　Umslopogaas　hanging　from

her　mouth；　and　looked　at　them　as　though　she　wondered；　and　we　hoped

that　she　might　let　him　fall。　Then；　hearing　our　cries；　she　turned　and

bounded　away　towards　the　bush；　bearing　Umslopogaas　in　her　mouth。　We

seized　our　spears　and　followed；　but　the　ground　grew　stony；　and；　search

as　we　would；　we　could　find　no　trace　of　Umslopogaas　or　of　the　lioness。

They　had　vanished　like　a　cloud。　So　we　came　back；　and；　ah！　my　heart　was

sore；　for　I　loved　the　lad　as　though　he　had　indeed　been　my　son。　But　I

knew　that　he　was　dead；　and　there　was　an　end。



〃Where　is　my　brother？〃　cried　Nada　when　we　came　back。



〃Lost；〃　I　answered。　〃Lost；　never　to　be　found　again。〃



Then　the　girl　gave　a　great　and　bitter　cry；　and　fell　to　the　earth

saying；　〃I　would　that　I　were　dead　with　my　brother！〃



〃Let　us　be　going；〃　said　Macropha；　my　wife。



〃Have　you　no　tears　to　weep　for　your　son？〃　asked　a　man　of　our　company。



〃What　is　the　use　of　weeping　over　the　dead？　Does　it；　then；　bring　them

back？〃　she　answered。　〃Let　us　be　going！〃



The　man　thought　these　words　strange；　but　he　did　not　know　that

Umslopogaas　was　not　born　of　Macropha。



Still；　we　waited　in　that　place　a　day；　thinking　that；　perhaps；　the

lioness　would　return　to　her　den　and　that；　at　least；　we　might　kill　her。

But　she　came　back　no　more。　So　on　the　next　morning　we　rolled　up　our

blankets　and　started　forward　on　our　journey；　sad　at　heart。　In　truth；

Nada　was　so　weak　from　grief　that　she　could　hardly　travel；　but　I　never

heard　the　name　of　Umslopogaas　pass　her　lips　again　during　that　journey。

She　buried　him　in　her　heart　and　said　nothing。　And　I　too　said　nothing；

but　I　wondered　why　it　had　been　brought　about　that　I　should　save　the

life　of　Umslopogaas　from　the　jaws　of　the　Lion　of　Zulu；　that　the

lioness　of　the　rocks　might　devour　him。



And　so　the　time　went　on　till　we　reached　the　kraal　where　the　king's

business　must　be　done；　and　where　I　and　my　wife　should　part。



On　the　morning　after　we　came　to　the　kraal；　having　kissed　in　secret；

though　in　public　we　looked　sullenly　on　one　another；　we　parted　as　those

part　who　meet　no　more；　for　it　was　in　our　thoughts；　that　we　should

never　see　each　other's　face　again；　nor；　indeed；　did　we　do　so。　And　I

drew　Nada　aside　and　spoke　to　her　thus：　〃We　part；　my　daughter；　nor　do　I

know　when　we　shall　meet　again；　for　the　times　are　troubled　and　it　is

for　your　safety　and　that　of　your　mother　that　I　rob　my　eyes　of　the

sight　of　you。　Nada；　you　will　soon　be　a　woman；　and　you　will　be　fairer

than　any　woman　among　our　people；　and　it　may　come　about　that　many　great

men　will　seek　you　in　marriage；　and；　perhaps；　that　I；　your　father；

shall　not　be　there　to　choose　for　you　whom　you　shall　wed；　according　to

the　custom　of　our　land。　But　I　charge　you；　as　far　as　may　be　possible

for　you　to　do　so；　take　only　a　man　whom　you　can　love；　and　be　faithful

to　him　alone；　for　thus　shall　a　woman　find　happiness。〃



Here　I　stopped；　for　the　girl　took　hold　of　my　hand　and　looked　into　my

face。　〃Peace；　my　father；〃　she　said；　〃do　not　speak　to　me　of　marriage；

for　I　will　wed　no　man；　now　that　Umslopogaas　is　dead　because　of　my

foolishness。　I　will　live　and　die　alone；　and；　oh！　may　I　die　quickly；

that　I　may　go　to　seek　him　whom　I　love　only！〃



〃Nay；　Nada；〃　I　said；　〃Umslopogaas　was　your　brother；　and　it　is　not

fitting　that　you　should　speak　of　him　thus；　even　though　he　is　dead。〃



〃I　know　nothing　of　such　matters；　my　father；〃　she　said。　〃I　speak　what

my　heart　tells　me；　and　it　tells　me　that　I　loved　Umslopogaas　living；

and；　though　he　is　dead；　I　shall　love　him　alone　to　the　end。　Ah！　you

think　me　but　a　child；　yet　my　heart　is　large；　and　it　does　not　lie　to

me。〃



Now　I　upbraided　the　girl　no　more；　because　I　knew　that　Umslopogaas　was

not　her　brother；　but