nada the lily-第3章

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from　the　front　and　hind　wheels　of　the　wagons。　Then　the　White　Man　crept

back　to　his　bed；　and　the　shivering　natives；　fortified　with　gin；　or

squareface；　as　it　is　called　locally；　took　refuge　on　the　second　wagon；

drawing　a　tent…sail　over　them。



For　awhile　there　was　silence；　save　for　the　moaning　of　the　huddled　and

restless　cattle。



〃If　the　snow　goes　on　I　shall　lose　my　oxen；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃they

can　never　bear　this　cold。〃



Hardly　had　the　words　passed　his　lips　when　the　wagon　shook；　there　was　a

sound　of　breaking　reims　and　trampling　hoofs。　Once　more　he　looked　out。

The　oxen　had　〃skrecked〃　in　a　mob。　There　they　were；　running　away　into

the　night　and　the　snow；　seeking　to　find　shelter　from　the　cold。　In　a

minute　they　had　vanished　utterly。　There　was　nothing　to　be　done；　except

wait　for　the　morning。



At　last　it　came；　revealing　a　landscape　blind　with　snow。　Such　search　as

could　be　made　told　them　nothing。　The　oxen　had　gone；　and　their　spoor

was　obliterated　by　the　fresh…fallen　flakes。　The　White　Man　called　a

council　of　his　Kaffir　servants。　〃What　was　to　be　done？〃　he　asked。



One　said　this　thing；　one　that；　but　all　agreed　that　they　must　wait　to

act　until　the　snow　melted。



〃Or　till　we　freeze；　you　whose　mothers　were　fools！〃　said　the　White　Man；

who　was　in　the　worst　of　tempers；　for　had　he　not　lost　four　hundred

pounds'　worth　of　oxen？



Then　a　Zulu　spoke；　who　hitherto　had　remained　silent。　He　was　the　driver

of　the　first　wagon。



〃My　father；〃　he　said　to　the　White　Man；　〃this　is　my　word。　The　oxen　are

lost　in　the　snow。　No　man　knows　whither　they　have　gone；　or　whether　they

live　or　are　now　but　hides　and　bones。　Yet　at　the　kraal　yonder；〃　and　he

pointed　to　some　huts　about　two　miles　away　on　the　hillside；　〃lives　a

witch　doctor　named　Zweete。　He　is　oldvery　oldbut　he　has　wisdom；　and

he　can　tell　you　where　the　oxen　are　if　any　man　may；　my　father。〃



〃Stuff！〃　answered　the　White　Man。　〃Still；　as　the　kraal　cannot　be　colder

than　this　wagon；　we　will　go　and　ask　Zweete。　Bring　a　bottle　of

squareface　and　some　snuff　with　you　for　presents。〃



An　hour　later　he　stood　in　the　hut　of　Zweete。　Before　him　was　a　very

ancient　man；　a　mere　bag　of　bones；　with　sightless　eyes；　and　one　hand

his　leftwhite　and　shrivelled。



〃What　do　you　seek　of　Zweete；　my　white　father？〃　asked　the　old　man　in　a

thin　voice。　〃You　do　not　believe　in　me　and　my　wisdom；　why　should　I　help

you？　Yet　I　will　do　it；　though　it　is　against　your　law；　and　you　do　wrong

to　ask　me；yes；　to　show　you　that　there　is　truth　in　us　Zulu　doctors；　I

will　help　you。　My　father；　I　know　what　you　seek。　You　seek　to　know　where

your　oxen　have　run　for　shelter　from　the　cold！　Is　it　not　so？〃



〃It　is　so；　Doctor；〃　answered　the　White　Man。　〃You　have　long　ears。〃



〃Yes；　my　white　father；　I　have　long　ears；　though　they　say　that　I　grow

deaf。　I　have　keen　eyes　also；　and　yet　I　cannot　see　your　face。　Let　me

hearken！　Let　me　look！〃



For　awhile　he　was　silent；　rocking　himself　to　and　fro；　then　he　spoke：

〃You　have　a　farm；　White　Man；　down　near　Pine　Town；　is　it　not？　Ah！　I

thought　soand　an　hour's　ride　from　your　farm　lives　a　Boer　with　four

fingers　only　on　his　right　hand。　There　is　a　kloof　on　the　Boer's　farm

where　mimosa…trees　grow。　There；　in　the　kloof；　you　shall　find　your　oxen

yes；　five　days'　journey　from　here　you　will　find　them　all。　I　say　all；

my　father；　except　three　onlythe　big　black　Africander　ox；　the　little

red　Zulu　ox　with　one　horn；　and　the　speckled　ox。　You　shall　not　find

these；　for　they　have　died　in　the　snow。　Send；　and　you　will　find　the

others。　No；　no！　I　ask　no　fee！　I　do　not　work　wonders　for　reward。　Why

should　I？　I　am　rich。〃



Now　the　White　Man　scoffed。　But　in　the　end；　so　great　is　the　power　of

superstition；　he　sent。　And　here　it　may　be　stated　that　on　the　eleventh

day　of　his　sojourn　at　the　kraal　of　Zweete；　those　whom　he　sent　returned

with　the　oxen；　except　the　three　only。　After　that　he　scoffed　no　more。

Those　eleven　days　he　spent　in　a　hut　of　the　old　man's　kraal；　and　every

afternoon　he　came　and　talked　with　him；　sitting　far　into　the　night。



On　the　third　day　he　asked　Zweete　how　it　was　that　his　left　hand　was

white　and　shrivelled；　and　who　were　Umslopogaas　and　Nada；　of　whom　he

had　let　fall　some　words。　Then　the　old　man　told　him　the　tale　that　is

set　out　here。　Day　by　day　he　told　some　of　it　till　it　was　finished。　It

is　not　all　written　in　these　pages；　for　portions　may　have　been

forgotten；　or　put　aside　as　irrelevant。　Neither　has　it　been　possible

for　the　writer　of　it　to　render　the　full　force　of　the　Zulu　idiom　nor　to

convey　a　picture　of　the　teller。　For；　in　truth；　he　acted　rather　than

told　his　story。　Was　the　death　of　a　warrior　in　question；　he　stabbed

with　his　stick；　showing　how　the　blow　fell　and　where；　did　the　story

grow　sorrowful；　he　groaned；　or　even　wept。　Moreover；　he　had　many

voices；　one　for　each　of　the　actors　in　his　tale。　This　man；　ancient　and

withered；　seemed　to　live　again　in　the　far　past。　It　was　the　past　that

spoke　to　his　listener；　telling　of　deeds　long　forgotten；　of　deeds　that

are　no　more　known。



Yet　as　he　best　may；　the　White　Man　has　set　down　the　substance　of　the

story　of　Zweete　in　the　spirit　in　which　Zweete　told　it。　And　because　the

history　of　Nada　the　Lily　and　of　those　with　whom　her　life　was

intertwined　moved　him　strangely；　and　in　many　ways；　he　has　done　more；

he　has　printed　it　that　others　may　judge　of　it。



And　now　his　part　is　played。　Let　him　who　was　named　Zweete；　but　who　had

another　name；　take　up　the　story。







CHAPTER　I



THE　BOY　CHAKA　PROPHESIES



You　ask　me；　my　father；　to　tell　you　the　tale　of　the　youth　of

Umslopogaas；　holder　of　the　iron　Chieftainess；　the　axe　Groan…maker；　who

was　named　Bulalio　the　Slaughterer；　and　of　his　love　for　Nada；　the　most

beautiful　of　Zulu　women。　It　is　long；　but　you　are　here　for　many　nights；

and；　if　I　live　to　tell　it；　it　shall　be　told。　Strengthen　your　heart；　my

father；　for　I　have　much　to　say　that　is　sorrowful；　and　even　now；　when　I

think　of　Nada　the　tears　creep　through　the　horn　that　shuts　out　my　old

eyes　from　light。



Do　you　know　who　I　am；　my　father？　You　do　not　know。　You　think　that　I　am

an　old；　old　witch…doctor　named　Zweete。　So　men　have　thought　for　many

years；　but　that　is　not　my　name。　Few　have　known　it；　for　I　have　kept　it

locked　in　my　breast；　lest；　thought　I　live　now　under　the　law　of　the

White　Man；　and　the　Great　Queen　is　my　chieftainess；　an　assegai　still

might　find　this　heart　did　any　know　my　name。



Look　at　this　hand；　my　fatherno；　not　that　which　is　withered　with

fire；　look　on　this　right　hand　of　mine。　You　see　it；　though　I　who　am

blind　cannot。　But　still；　within　me；　I　see　it　as　it　was　once。　Ay！　I　see

it　red　and　strongred　with　the　blood　of　two　kings。　Listen；　my　father；

bend　your　ear　to　me　and　listen。　I　am　Mopoah！　I　felt　you　start；　you

start　as　the　regiment　of　the　Bees　started　when　Mopo　walked　before

their　ranks；　and　from　the　assegai　in　his　hand　the　blood　of　Chaka＇1＇

dropped　slowly　to　the　earth。　I　am　Mopo　who　slew　Chaka　the　king。　I

killed　him　with　Dingaan　and　Umhlangana　the　princes；　but　the　wound　was

mine　that　his　life　crept　out　of；　and　but　for　me　he　would　never　have

been　slain。　I　killed　him　with　the　princes；　but　Dingaan；　I　and　one

other　slew　alone。



＇1＇　The　Zulu　Napoleon；　one　of　the　greatest　geniuses　and　most　wicked

　　　　men　who　ever　lived。　He　was　killed　in　the　year　1828；　having

　　　　slaughtered　more　than　a　million　human　beings。ED。



What　do　you　say？　〃Dingaan　died　by　the　Tongola。〃



Yes；　yes；　he　died；　but　not　there；　he　died　on　the　Ghost　Mountain；　he

lies　in　the　breast　of　the　old　Stone　Witch　who　sits　aloft　forever

waiting　for　the　world　to　perish。　But　I　also　was　on　the　Ghost　Mountain。

In　those　days　my　feet　still　could　travel　fast；　and　vengeance　would　not

let　me　sleep。　I　travelled　by　day；　and　by　night　I　found　him。　I　and

another；　we　killed　himah！　ah！



Why　do　I　tell　you　this？　What　has　it　to　do　with　the　loves　of

Umslopogaas　and　Nada　the　Lily？　I　will　tell　you。　I　stabbed　Chaka　for

the　sake　of　my　sister；　Baleka；　the　mother　of　Umslopogaas；　and　because