nada the lily-第36章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Afterwards；　when　the　head　is　hewn　from　his　foe；　Jikiza　goes　back　to

the　meeting　of　the　headmen；　and　they　talk　as　before。　All　are　free　to

come　to　the　meeting；　and　Jikiza　must　fight　with　them　if　they　wish　it；

whoever　they　be。〃



〃Perhaps　I　shall　be　there；〃　said　Umslopogaas。



〃After　this　meeting　at　the　new　moon；　I　am　to　be　given　in　marriage　to

Masilo；〃　said　the　maid。　〃But　should　one　conquer　Jikiza；　then　he　will

be　chief；　and　can　give　me　in　marriage　to　whom　he　will。〃



Now　Umslopogaas　understood　her　meaning；　and　knew　that　he　had　found

favour　in　her　sight；　and　the　thought　moved　him　a　little；　for　women

were　strange　to　him　as　yet。



〃If　perchance　I　should　be　there；〃　he　said；　〃and　if　perchance　I　should

win　the　iron　chieftainess；　the　axe　Groan…Maker；　and　rule　over　the

People　of　the　Axe；　you　should　not　live　far　from　the　shadow　of　the　axe

thenceforward；　maid　Zinita。〃



〃It　is　well；　Wolf…Man；　though　some　might　not　wish　to　dwell　in　that

shadow；　but　first　you　must　win　the　axe。　Many　have　tried；　and　all　have

failed。〃



〃Yet　one　must　succeed　at　last；〃　he　said；　〃and　so；　farewell！〃　and　he

leaped　into　the　torrent　of　the　river；　and　swam　it　with　great　strokes。



Now　the　maid　Zinita　watched　him　till　he　was　gone；　and　love　of　him

entered　into　her　hearta　love　that　was　fierce　and　jealous　and　strong。

But　as　he　wended　to　the　Ghost　Mountain　Umslopogaas　thought　rather　of

axe　Groan…Maker　than　of　Maid　Zinita；　for　ever；　at　the　bottom；

Umslopogaas　loved　war　more　than　women；　though　this　has　been　his　fate；

that　women　have　brought　sorrow　on　his　head。



Fifteen　days　must　pass　before　the　day　of　the　new　moon；　and　during　this

time　Umslopogaas　thought　much　and　said　little。　Still；　he　told　Galazi

something　of　the　tale；　and　that　he　was　determined　to　do　battle　with

Jikiza　the　Unconquered　for　the　axe　Groan…Maker。　Galazi　said　that　he

would　do　well　to　let　it　be；　and　that　it　was　better　to　stay　with　the

wolves　than　to　go　out　seeking　strange　weapons。　He　said　also　that　even

if　he　won　the　axe；　the　matter　might　not　stay　there；　for　he　must　take

the　girl　also；　and　his　heart　boded　no　good　of　women。　It　had　been　a

girl　who　poisoned　his　father　in　the　kraals　of　the　Halakazi。　To　all　of

which　Umslopogaas　answered　nothing；　for　his　heart　was　set　both　on　the

axe　and　the　girl；　but　more　on　the　first　than　the　last。



So　the　time　wore　on；　and　at　length　came　the　day　of　the　new　moon。　At

the　dawn　of　that　day　Umslopogaas　arose　and　clad　himself　in　a　moocha；

binding　the　she…wolf's　skin　round　his　middle　beneath　the　moocha。　In

his　hand　he　took　a　stout　fighting…shield；　which　he　had　made　of　buffalo

hide；　and　that　same　light　moon…shaped　axe　with　which　he　had　slain　the

captain　of　Chaka。



〃A　poor　weapon　with　which　to　kill　Jikiza　the　Unconquerable；〃　said

Galazi；　eyeing　it　askance。



〃It　shall　serve　my　turn；〃　answered　Umslopogaas。



Now　Umslopogaas　ate；　and　then　they　moved　together　slowly　down　the

mountain　and　crossed　the　river　by　a　ford；　for　he　wished　to　save　his

strength。　On　the　farther　side　of　the　river　Galazi　hid　himself　in　the

reeds；　because　his　face　was　known；　and　there　Umslopogaas　bade　him

farewell；　not　knowing　if　he　should　look　upon　him　again。　Afterwards　he

walked　up　to　the　Great　Place　of　Jikiza。　Now　when　he　reached　the　gates

of　the　kraal；　he　saw　that　many　people　were　streaming　through　them；　and

mingled　with　the　people。　Presently　they　came　to　the　open　space　in

front　of　the　huts　of　Jikiza；　and　there　the　headmen　were　gathered

together。　In　the　centre　of　them；　and　before　a　heap　of　the　skulls　of

men　which　were　piled　up　against　his　doorposts；　sat　Jikiza；　a　huge　man；

a　hairy　and　a　proud；　who　glared　about　him　rolling　his　eyes。　Fastened

to　his　arm　by　a　thong　of　leather　was　the　great　axe　Groan…Maker；　and

each　man　as　he　came　up　saluted　the　axe；　calling　it　〃Inkosikaas；〃　or

chieftainess；　but　he　did　not　salute　Jikiza。　Umslopogaas　sat　down　with

the　people　in　front　of　the　councillors；　and　few　took　any　notice　of

him；　except　Zinita；　who　moved　sullenly　to　and　fro　bearing　gourds　of

beer　to　the　councillors。　Near　to　Jikiza；　on　his　right　hand；　sat　a　fat

man　with　small　and　twinkling　eyes；　who　watched　the　maid　Zinita

greedily。



〃Yon　man；〃　thought　Umslopogaas；　〃is　Masilo。　The　better　for　blood…

letting　will　you　be；　Masilo。〃



Presently　Jikiza　spoke；　rolling　his　eyes：　〃This　is　the　matter　before

you；　councillors。　I　have　settled　it　in　my　mind　to　give　my　step…

daughter　Zinita　in　marriage　to　Masilo；　but　the　marriage　gift　is　not

yet　agreed　on。　I　demand　a　hundred　head　of　cattle　from　Masilo；　for　the

maid　is　fair　and　straight；　a　proper　maid；　and；　moreover；　my　daughter；

though　not　of　my　blood。　But　Masilo　offers　fifty　head　only；　therefore　I

ask　you　to　settle　it。〃



〃We　hear　you；　Lord　of　the　Axe；〃　answered　one　of　the　councillors；　〃but

first；　O　Unconquered；　you　must　on　this　day　of　the　year；　according　to

ancient　custom；　give　public　challenge　to　any　man　to　fight　you　for　the

Groan…Maker　and　for　your　place　as　chief　of　the　People　of　the　Axe。〃



〃This　is　a　wearisome　thing；〃　grumbled　Jikiza。　〃Can　I　never　have　done

in　it？　Fifty…and…three　have　I　slain　in　my　youth　without　a　wound；　and

now　for　many　years　I　have　challenged；　like　a　cock　on　a　dunghill；　and

none　crow　in　answer。〃



〃Ho；　now！　Is　there　any　man　who　will　come　forward　and　do　battle　with

me；　Jikiza；　for　the　great　axe　Groan…Maker？　To　him　who　can　win　it；　it

shall　be；　and　with　it　the　chieftainship　of　the　People　of　the　Axe。〃



Thus　he　spoke　very　fast；　as　a　man　gabbles　a　prayer　to　a　spirit　in　whom

he　has　little　faith；　then　turned　once　more　to　talk　of　the　cattle　of

Masilo　and　of　the　maid　Zinita。　But　suddenly　Umslopogaas　stood　up；

looking　at　him　over　the　top　of　his　war　shield；　and　crying；　〃Here　is

one；　O　Jikiza；　who　will　do　battle　with　you　for　the　axe　Groan…Maker　and

for　the　chieftainship　that　is　to　him　who　holds　the　axe。〃



Now；　all　the　people　laughed；　and　Jikiza　glared　at　him。



〃Come　forth　from　behind　that　big　shield　of　yours；〃　he　said。　〃Come　out

and　tell　me　your　name　and　lineageyou　who　would　do　battle　with　the

Unconquered　for　the　ancient　axe。〃



Then　Umslopogaas　came　forward；　and　he　looked　so　fierce；　though　he　was

but　young；　that　the　people　laughed　no　more。



〃What　is　my　name　and　lineage　to　you；　Jikiza？〃　he　said。　〃Let　it　be；　and

hasten　to　do　me　battle；　as　you　must　by　the　custom；　for　I　am　eager　to

handle　the　Groan…Maker　and　to　sit　in　your　seat　and　settle　this　matter

of　the　cattle　of　Masilo　the　Pig。　When　I　have　killed　you　I　will　take　a

name　who　now　have　none。〃



Now　once　more　the　people　laughed；　but　Jikiza　grew　mad　with　wrath；　and

sprang　up　gasping。



〃What！〃　he　said；　〃you　dare　to　speak　thus　to　me；　you　babe　unweaned；　to

me　the　Unconquered；　the　holder　of　the　axe！　Never　did　I　think　to　live

to　hear　such　talk　from　a　long…legged　pup。　On　to　the　cattle　kraal；　to

the　cattle　kraal；　People　of　the　Axe；　that　I　may　hew　this　braggart's

head　from　his　shoulders。　He　would　stand　in　my　place；　would　he？the

place　that　I　and　my　fathers　have　held　for　four　generations　by　virtue

of　the　axe。　I　tell　you　all；　that　presently　I　will　stand　upon　his　head；

and　then　we　will　settle　the　matter　of　Masilo。〃



〃Babble　not　so　fast；　man；〃　quoth　Umslopogaas；　〃or　if　you　must　babble；

speak　those　words　which　you　would　say　ere　you　bid　the　sun　farewell。〃



Now；　Jikiza　choked　with　rage；　and　foam　came　from　his　lips　so　that　he

could　not　speak；　but　the　people　found　this　sportall　except　Masilo；

who　looked　askance　at　the　stranger；　tall　and　fierce；　and　Zinita；　who

looked　at　Masilo；　and　with　no　love。　So　they　moved　down　to　the　cattle

kraal；　and　Galazi；　seeing　it　from　afar；　could　keep　away　no　longer；　but

drew　near　and　mingled　with　the　crowd。







CHAPTER　XVII



UMSLOPOGAAS　BECOMES　CHIEF　OF　THE　PEOPLE　OF　THE　AXE



Now；　when　Umslopogaas　and　Jikiza　the　Unconquered　had　come　to　the

cattle　kraal；　they　were　set　in　its　centre　and　there　were　ten　paces

between　them。　Umslopogaas　was　armed　with　the　great　shield　and　the

light　moon…shaped　axe；