nada the lily-第28章

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last　holding　him　aloft　among　the　dead。'



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

little　dancing　shield；　and　made　ready　to　start。　The　old　woman　blessed

me　and　bade　me　farewell；　but　the　other　people　of　the　kraal　mocked；

saying：　'A　little　man　for　so　big　a　club！　Beware；　little　man；　lest　the

ghosts　use　the　club　on　you！'　So　they　spoke；　but　one　girl　in　the　kraal

she　is　a　granddaughter　of　the　old　womanled　me　aside；　praying　me

not　to　go；　for　the　forest　on　the　Ghost　Mountain　had　an　evil　name：　none

dared　walk　there；　since　it　was　certainly　full　of　spirits；　who　howled

like　wolves。　I　thanked　the　girl；　but　to　the　others　I　said　nothing；

only　I　asked　of　the　path　to　the　Ghost　Mountain。



〃Now　stranger；　if　you　have　strength；　come　to　the　mouth　of　the　cave　and

look　out；　for　the　moon　is　bright。〃



So　Umslopogaas　rose　and　crept　through　the　narrow　mouth　of　the　cave。

There；　above　him；　a　great　grey　peak　towered　high　into　the　air；　shaped

like　a　seated　woman；　her　chin　resting　upon　her　breast；　the　place　where

the　cave　was　being；　as　it　were；　on　the　lap　of　the　woman。　Below　this

place　the　rock　sloped　sharply；　and　was　clothed　with　little　bushes。

Lower　down　yet　was　a　forest；　great　and　dense；　that　stretched　to　the

top　of　a　cliff；　and　at　the　foot　of　the　cliff；　beyond　the　waters　of　the

river；　lay　the　wide　plains　of　Zululand。



〃Yonder；　stranger；〃　said　Galazi；　pointing　with　the　club　Watcher　of　the

Fords　far　away　to　the　plain　beneath；　〃yonder　is　the　kraal　where　the

aged　woman　dwelt。　There　is　a　cliff　rising　from　the　plain；　up　which　I

must　climb；　there　is　the　forest　where　dwell　the　Amatongo；　the　people

of　the　ghosts；　there；　on　the　hither　side　of　the　forest；　runs　the　path

to　the　cave；　and　here　is　the　cave　itself。　See　this　stone　lying　at　the

mouth　of　the　cave；　it　turns　thus；　shutting　up　the　entrance　holeit

turns　gently；　though　it　is　so　large；　a　child　may　move　it；　for　it　rests

upon　a　sharp　point　of　rock。　Only　mark　this；　the　stone　must　be　pushed

too　far；　for；　look！　if　it　came　to　here；〃　and　he　pointed　to　a　mark　in

the　mouth　of　the　cave；　〃then　that　man　need　be　strong　who　can　draw　it

back　again；　though　I　have　done　it　myself；　who　am　not　a　man　full　grown。

But　if　it　pass　beyond　this　mark；　then；　see；　it　will　roll　down　the　neck

of　the　cave　like　a　pebble　down　the　neck　of　a　gourd；　and　I　think　that

two　men；　one　striving　from　within　and　one　dragging　from　without；

scarcely　could　avail　to　push　it　clear。　Look　now；　I　close　the　stone；　as

is　my　custom　of　a　night；　so；〃and　he　grasped　the　rock　and　swung　it

round　upon　its　pivot；　on　which　it　turned　as　a　door　turns。　〃Thus　I

leave　it；　and　though；　except　those　to　whom　the　secret　is　know；　none

would　guess　that　a　cave　was　here；　yet　it　can　be　rolled　back　again　with

a　push　of　the　hand。　But　enough　of　the　stone。　Enter　again；　wanderer；

and　I　will　go　forward　with　my　tale；　for　it　is　long　and　strange。



〃I　started　from　the　kraal　of　the　old　woman；　and　the　people　of　the

kraal　followed　me　to　the　brink　of　the　river。　It　was　in　flood；　and　few

had　dared　to　cross　it。



〃'Ha！　ha！'　they　cried；　'now　your　journey　is　done；　little　man；　watch　by

the　ford　you　who　would　win　the　Watcher　of　the　Ford！　Beat　the　water

with　the　club；　perhaps　so　it　shall　grow　gentle　that　your　feet　may　pass

it！'



〃I　answered　nothing　to　their　mocking；　only　I　bound　the　shield　upon　my

shoulders　with　a　string；　and　the　bag　that　I　had　brought　I　made　fast

about　my　middle；　and　I　held　the　great　club　in　my　teeth　by　the　thong。

Then　I　plunged　into　the　river　and　swam。　Twice；　stranger；　the　current

bore　me　under；　and　those　on　the　bank　shouted　that　I　was　lost；　but　I

rose　again；　and　in　the　end　I　won　the　farther　shore。



〃Now　those　on　the　bank　mocked　no　more；　they　stood　still　wondering；　and

I　walked　on　till　I　came　to　the　foot　of　the　cliff。　That　cliff　is　hard

to　climb；　stranger；　when　you　are　strong　upon　your　feet；　I　will　show

you　the　path。　Yet　I　found　a　way　up　it；　and　by　midday　I　came　to　the

forest。　Here；　on　the　edge　of　the　forest；　I　rested　awhile；　and　ate　a

little　food　that　I　had　brought　with　me　in　the　bag；　for　now　I　must

gather　up　my　strength　to　meet　the　ghosts；　if　ghosts　there　were。　Then　I

rose　and　plunged　into　the　forest。　The　trees　were　great　that　grow

there；　stranger；　and　their　leaves　are　so　think　that　in　certain　places

the　light　is　as　that　of　night　when　the　moon　is　young。　Still；　I　wended

on；　often　losing　my　path。　But　from　time　to　time　between　the　tops　of

the　trees　I　saw　the　figure　of　the　grey　stone　woman　who　sits　on　the　top

of　Ghost　Mountain；　and　shaped　my　course　towards　her　knees。　My　heart

beat　as　I　travelled　through　the　forest　in　dark　and　loneliness　like

that　of　the　night；　and　ever　I　looked　round　searching　for　the　eyes　of

the　Amatongo。　But　I　saw　no　spirits；　though　at　times　great　spotted

snakes　crept　from　before　my　feet；　and　perhaps　these　were　the　Amatongo。

At　times；　also；　I　caught　glimpses　of　some　grey　wolf　as　he　slunk　from

tree　to　tree　watching　me；　and　always　high　above　my　head　the　wind

sighed　in　the　great　boughs　with　a　sound　like　the　sighing　of　women。



〃Still；　I　went　on；　singing　to　myself　as　I　went；　that　my　heart　might

not　be　faint　with　fear；　and　at　length；　towards　the　end　of　the　second

hour；　the　trees　grew　fewer；　the　ground　sloped　upwards；　and　the　light

poured　down　from　the　heavens　again。　But；　stranger；　you　are　weary；　and

the　night　wears　on；　sleep　now；　and　to…morrow　I　will　end　the　tale。　Say；

first；　how　are　you　named？〃



〃I　am　named　Umslopogaas；　son　of　Mopo；〃　he　answered；　〃and　my　tale　shall

be　told　when　yours　is　done；　let　us　sleep！〃



Now　when　Galazi　heard　this　name　he　started　and　was　troubled；　but　said

nothing。　So　they　laid　them　down　to　sleep；　and　Galazi　wrapped

Umslopogaas　with　the　skins　of　bucks。



But　Galazi　the　Wolf　was　so　hardy　that　he　lay　on　the　bare　ground　and

had　no　covering。　So　they　slept；　and　without　the　door　of　the　cave　the

wolves　howled；　scenting　the　blood　of　men。







CHAPTER　XIII



GALAZI　BECOMES　KING　OF　THE　WOLVES



On　the　morrow　Umslopogaas　awoke；　and　knew　that　strength　was　growing　on

him　fast。　Still；　all　that　day　he　rested　in　the　cave；　while　Galazi　went

out　to　hunt。　In　the　evening　he　returned；　bearing　a　buck　upon　his

shoulders；　and　they　skinned　the　buck　and　ate　of　it　as　they　sat　by　the

fire。　And　when　the　sun　was　down　Galazi　took　up　his　tale。



〃Now　Umslopogaas；　son　of　Mopo；　hear！　I　had　passed　the　forest；　and　had

come；　as　it　were；　to　the　legs　of　the　old　stone　Witch　who　sits　up　aloft

there　forever　waiting　for　the　world　to　die。　Here　the　sun　shone

merrily；　here　lizards　ran　and　birds　flew　to　and　fro；　and　though　it

grew　towards　the　eveningfor　I　had　wandered　long　in　the　forestI　was

afraid　no　more。　So　I　climbed　up　the　steep　rock；　where　little　bushes

grow　like　hair　on　the　arms　of　a　man；　till　at　last　I　came　to　the　knees

of　the　stone　Witch；　which　are　the　space　before　the　cave。　I　lifted　by

head　over　the　brink　of　the　rock　and　looked；　and　I　tell　you；

Umslopogaas；　my　blood　ran　cold　and　my　heart　turned　to　water；　for

there；　before　the　cave；　rolled　wolves；　many　and　great。　Some　slept　and

growled　in　their　sleep；　some　gnawed　at　the　skulls　of　dead　game；　some

sat　up　like　dogs　and　their　tongues　hung　from　their　grinning　jaws。　I

looked；　I　saw；　and　beyond　I　discovered　the　mouth　of　the　cave；　where

the　bones　of　the　boy　should　be。　But　I　had　no　wish　to　come　there；　being

afraid　of　the　wolves；　for　now　I　knew　that　these　were　the　ghosts　who

live　upon　the　mountain。　So　I　bethought　me　that　I　would　fly；　and　turned

to　go。　And；　Umslopogaas；　even　as　I　turned；　the　great　club　Watcher　of

the　Fords　swung　round　and　smote　me　on　the　back　with　such　a　blow　as　a

man　smites　upon　a　coward。　Now　whether　this　was　by　chance　or　whether

the　Watcher　would　shame　him　who　bore　it；　say　you；　for　I　do　not　know。

At　the　least；　shame　entered　into　me。　Should　I　go　back　to　be　mocked　by

the　people　of　the　kraal　and　by　the　old　woman？　And　if　I　wished　to　go；

should　I　not　be　killed　by　the　ghosts　at　night　in　the　forest？　Nay；　it

was　better　to　die　in　th