nada the lily-第27章

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end；　and　I　saw　that　their　looks　were　sullen。



〃'The　chief；　my　father；　is　dead！'　I　cried　in　a　loud　voice；　'and　I；

Galazi；　who　am　the　chief；　have　slain　her　who　murdered　him！'　And　I

rolled　the　body　of　the　girl　over　on　to　her　back　so　that　they　might

look　upon　her　face。



〃Now　the　father　of　the　girl　was　among　those　who　stood　before　me；　he

who　had　persuaded　her　to　the　deed；　and　he　was　maddened　at　the　sight。



〃'What；　my　brothers？'　he　cried。　'Shall　we　suffer　that　this　young　Zulu

dog；　this　murderer　of　a　girl；　be　chief　over　us？　Never！　The　old　lion　is

dead；　now　for　the　cub！'　And　he　ran　at　me　with　spear　aloft。



〃'Never！'　shouted　the　others；　and　they；　too；　ran　towards　me；　shaking

their　spears。



〃I　waited；　I　did　not　hasten；　for　I　knew　well　that　I　should　not　die

then；　I　knew　it　from　my　father's　last　words。　I　waited　till　the　man　was

near　me；　he　thrust；　I　sprang　aside　and　drove　my　spear　through　him；　and

on　the　daughter's　body　the　father　fell　dead。　Then　I　shouted　aloud　and

rushed　through　them。　None　touched　me；　none　could　catch　me；　the　man

does　not　live　who　can　overtake　me　when　my　feet　are　on　the　ground　and　I

am　away。〃



〃Yet　I　might　try；〃　said　Umslopogaas；　smiling；　for　of　all　lads　among

the　Zulus　he　was　the　swiftest　of　foot。



〃First　walk　again；　then　run；〃　answered　Galazi。



〃Take　up　the　tale；〃　quoth　Umslopogaas；　〃it　is　a　merry　one。〃



〃Something　is　left　to　tell；　stranger。　I　fled　from　the　country　of　the

Halakazi；　nor　did　I　linger　at　all　in　the　land　of　the　Swazis；　but　came

on　swiftly　into　the　Zulu。　Now；　it　was　in　my　mind　to　go　to　Chaka　and

tell　him　of　my　wrongs；　asking　that　he　would　send　an　impi　to　make　an

end　of　the　Halakazi。　But　while　I　journeyed；　finding　food　and　shelter

as　I　might；　I　came　one　night　to　the　kraal　of　an　old　man　who　knew

Chaka；　and　had　known　Siguyana；　my　grandfather；　and　to　him；　when　I　had

stayed　there　two　days；　I　told　my　tale。　But　the　old　man　counselled　me

against　my　plan；　saying　that　Chaka；　the　king；　did　not　love　to　welcome

new　shoots　sprung　from　the　royal　stock；　and　would　kill　me；　moreover；

the　man　offered　me　a　place　in　his　kraal。　Now；　I　held　that　there　was

wisdom　in　his　words；　and　thought　no　more　of　standing　before　the　king

to　cry　for　justice；　for　he　who　cries　to　kings　for　justice　sometimes

finds　death。　Still；　I　would　not　stay　in　the　kraal　of　the　old　man；　for

he　had　sons　to　come　after　him　who　looked　on　me　with　no　liking；

moreover；　I　wished　to　be　a　chief　myself；　even　if　I　lived　alone。　So　I

left　the　kraal　by　night　and　walked　on；　not　knowing　where　I　should　go。



〃Now；　on　the　third　night；　I　came　to　a　little　kraal　that　stands　on　the

farther　side　of　the　river　at　the　foot　of　the　mountain。　In　front　of　the

kraal　sat　a　very　old　woman　basking　in　the　rays　of　the　setting　sun。　She

saw　me；　and　spoke　to　me；　saying；　'Young　man；　you　are　tall　and　strong

and　swift　of　foot。　Would　you　earn　a　famous　weapon；　a　club；　that

destroys　all　who　stand　before　it？'



〃I　said　that　I　wished　to　have　such　a　club；　and　asked　what　I　should　do

to　win　it。



〃'You　shall　do　this；'　said　the　old　woman：　'to…morrow　morning；　at　the

first　light；　you　shall　go　up　to　yonder　mountain；'　and　she　pointed　to

the　mountain　where　you　are　now；　stranger；　on　which　the　stone　Witch

sits　forever　waiting　for　the　world　to　die。　'Two…thirds　of　the　way　up

the　mountain　you　will　come　to　a　path　that　is　difficult　to　climb。　You

shall　climb　the　path　and　enter　a　gloomy　forest。　It　is　very　dark　in　the

forest；　but　you　must　push　through　it　till　you　come　to　an　open　place

with　a　wall　of　rock　behind　it。　In　the　wall　of　rock　is　a　cave；　and　in

the　cave　you　will　find　the　bones　of　a　man。　Bring　down　the　bones　in　a

bag；　and　I　will　give　you　the　club！'



〃While　she　spoke　thus　people　came　out　of　the　kraal　and　listened。



〃'Do　not　heed　her；　young　man；'　they　said；　'unless　you　are　weary　of

life。　Do　not　heed　her：　she　is　crazy。　The　mountain　is　haunted；　it　is　a

place　of　ghosts。　Look　at　the　stone　Witch　who　sits　upon　it！　Evil

spirits　live　in　that　forest；　and　no　man　has　walked　there　for　many

years。　This　woman's　son　was　foolish：　he　went　to　wander　in　the　forest；

saying　that　he　cared　nothing　for　ghosts；　and　the　Amatongo；　the　ghost…

folk；　killed　him。　That　was　many　years　ago；　and　none　have　dared　to　seek

his　bones。　Ever　she　sits　here　and　asks　of　the　passers　by　that　they

should　bring　him　to　her；　offering　the　great　club　for　a　reward；　but

they　dare　not！'



〃'They　lie！'　said　the　old　woman。　'There　are　no　ghosts　there。　The

ghosts　live　only　in　their　cowardly　hearts；　there　are　but　wolves。　I

know　that　the　bones　of　my　son　lie　in　the　cave；　for　I　have　seen　them　in

a　dream；　but；　alas！　my　old　limbs　are　too　weak　to　carry　me　up　the

mountain　path；　and　all　these　are　cowards；　there　is　no　man　among　them

since　the　Zulus　killed　my　husband；　covering　him　with　wounds！'



〃Now；　I　listened；　answering　nothing；　but　when　all　had　done；　I　asked　to

see　the　club　which　should　be　given　to　him　who　dared　to　face　the

Amatongo；　the　spirits　who　lived　in　the　forest　upon　the　Ghost　Mountain。

Then　the　old　woman　rose；　and　creeping　on　her　hands　went　into　the　hut。

Presently　she　returned　again；　dragging　the　great　club　after　her。



〃Look　at　it；　stranger！　look　at　it！　Was　there　ever　such　a　club？〃　And

Galazi　held　it　up　before　the　eyes　of　Umslopogaas。



In　truth；　my　father；　that　was　a　club；　for　I；　Mopo；　saw　it　in　after

days。　It　was　great　and　knotty；　black　as　iron　that　had　been　smoked　in

the　fire；　and　shod　with　metal　that　was　worn　smooth　with　smiting。



〃I　looked　at　it；〃　went　on　Galazi；　〃and　I　tell　you；　stranger；　a　great

desire　came　into　my　heart　to　possess　it。



〃'How　is　this　club　named？'　I　asked　of　the　old　woman。



〃'It　is　named　Watcher　of　the　Fords；'　she　answered；　'and　it　has　not

watched　in　vain。　Five　men　have　held　that　club　in　war　and　a　hundred…

and…seventy…three　have　given　up　their　lives　beneath　its　strokes。　He

who　held　it　last　slew　twenty　before　he　was　slain　himself；　for　this

fortune　goes　with　the　clubthat　he　who　owns　it　shall　die　holding　it；

but　in　a　noble　fashion。　There　is　but　one　other　weapon　to　match　with　it

in　Zululand；　and　that　is　the　great　axe　of　Jikiza；　the　chief　of　the

People　of　the　Axe；　who　dwells　in　the　kraal　yonder；　the　ancient　horn…

hafted　Imbubuzi；　the　Groan…Maker；　that　brings　victory。　Were　axe；

Groan…Maker；　and　club；　Watcher　of　the　Fords；　side　by　side；　there　are

no　thirty　men　in　Zululand　who　could　stand　before　them。　I　have　said。

Choose！'　And　the　aged　woman　watched　me　cunningly　through　her　horny

eyes。



〃'She　speaks　truly　now；'　said　one　of　those　who　stood　near。　'Let　the

club　be；　young　man：　he　who　owns　it　smites　great　blows　indeed；　but　in

the　end　he　dies　by　the　assegai。　None　dare　own　the　Watcher　of　the

Fords。'



〃'A　good　death　and　a　swift！'　I　answered。　And　pondered　a　time；　while

still　the　old　woman　watched　me　through　her　horny　eyes。　At　length　she

rose；　'La！；　la！'　she　said；　'the　Watcher　is　not　for　this　one。　This　is

but　a　child；　I　must　seek　me　a　man；　I　must　seek　me　a　man！'



〃'Not　so　fast；　old　wife；'　I　said。　'Will　you　lend　me　this　club　to　hold

in　my　hand　while　I　go　to　find　the　bones　of　your　son　and　to　snatch　them

from　the　people　of　the　ghosts？'



〃'Lend　you　the　Watcher；　boy？　Nay；　nay！　I　should　see　little　of　you

again　or　of　the　good　club　either。'



〃'I　am　no　thief；'　I　answered。　'If　the　ghosts　kill　me；　you　will　see　me

no　more；　or　the　club　either；　but　if　I　live　I　will　bring　you　back　the

bones；　or；　if　I　do　not　find　them；　I　will　render　the　Watcher　into　your

hands　again。　At　the　least　I　say　that　if　you　will　not　lend　me　the　club；

then　I　will　not　go　into　the　haunted　place。'



〃'Boy；　your　eyes　are　honest；'　she　said；　still　peering　at　me。　'Take　the

Watcher；　go　seek　the　bones。　If　you　die；　let　the　club　be　lost　with　you；

if　you　fail；　bring　it　back　to　me；　but　if　you　win　the　bones；　then　it　is

yours；　and　it　shall　bring　you　glory　and　you　shall　die　a　man's　death　at

last　holding　him　aloft　among　the　dead。'



〃So　on　the　morrow　at　dawn　I　took　the　club　Watcher　in　my　hand　and　a