nada the lily-第47章

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face　worked；　foam　flew　from　his　lips；　for　such　words　as　these　had

never　offended　his　ears　since　he　was　king；　and　Masilo　knew　him　little；

else　he　had　not　dared　to　utter　them。



For　a　while　he　gasped；　shaking　his　small　spear；　for　at　first　he　could

not　speak。　At　length　he　found　words：



〃The　dog；〃　he　hissed；　〃the　dog　who　dares　thus　to　spit　in　my　face！

Hearken　all！　As　with　my　last　breath　I　command　that　this　Slaughterer　be

torn　limb　from　limb；　he　and　all　his　tribe！　And　thou；　thou　darest　to

bring　me　this　talk　from　a　skunk　of　the　mountains。　And　thou；　too；　Mopo；

thy　name　is　named　in　it。　Well；　of　thee　presently。　Ho！　Umxamama；　my

servant；　slay　me　this　slave　of　a　messenger；　beat　out　his　brains　with

thy　stick。　Swift！　swift！〃



Now；　the　old　chief　Umxamama　sprang　up　to　do　the　king's　bidding；　but　he

was　feeble　with　age；　and　the　end　of　it　was　that　Masilo；　being　mad　with

fear；　killed　Umxamama；　not　Umxamama　Masilo。　Then　Inguazonca；　brother

of　Unandi；　Mother　of　the　Heavens；　fell　upon　Masilo　and　ended　him；　but

was　hurt　himself　in　so　doing。　Now　I　looked　at　Chaka；　who　stood　shaking

the　little　red　spear；　and　thought　swiftly；　for　the　hour　had　come。



〃Help！〃　I　cried；　〃one　is　slaying　the　King！〃



As　I　spoke　the　reed　fence　burst　asunder；　and　through　it　plunged　the

princes　Umhlangana　and　Dingaan；　as　bulls　plunge　through　a　brake。



Then　I　pointed　to　Chaka　with　my　withered　hand；　saying；　〃Behold　your

king！〃



Now；　from　beneath　the　shelter　of　his　kaross；　each　Prince　drew　out　a

short　stabbing　spear；　and　plunged　it　into　the　body　of　Chaka　the　king。

Umhlangana　smote　him　on　the　left　shoulder；　Dingaan　struck　him　in　the

right　side。　Chaka　dropped　the　little　spear　handled　with　the　red　wood

and　looked　round；　and　so　royally　that　the　princes；　his　brothers；　grew

afraid　and　shrank　away　from　him。



Twice　he　looked　on　each；　then　he　spoke；　saying：　〃What！　do　you　slay　me；

my　brothersdogs　of　mine　own　house；　whom　I　have　fed？　Do　you　slay　me；

thinking　to　possess　the　land　and　to　rule　it？　I　tell　you　it　shall　not

be　for　long。　I　hear　a　sound　of　running　feetthe　feet　of　a　great　white

people。　They　shall　stamp　you　flat；　children　of　my　father！　They　shall

rule　the　land　that　I　have　won；　and　you　and　your　people　shall　be　their

slaves！〃



Thus　Chaka　spoke　while　the　blood　ran　down　him　to　the　ground；　and　again

he　looked　on　them　royally；　like　a　buck　at　gaze。



〃Make　an　end；　O　ye　who　would　be　kings！〃　I　cried；　but　their　hearts　had

turned　to　water　and　they　could　not。　Then　I；　Mopo；　sprang　forward　and

picked　from　the　ground　that　little　assegai　handled　with　the　royal　wood

the　same　assegai　with　which　Chaka　had　murdered　Unandi；　his　mother；

and　Moosa；　my　son；　and　lifted　it　on　high；　and　while　I　lifted　it；　my

father；　once　more；　as　when　I　was　young；　a　red　veil　seemed　to　wave

before　my　eyes。



〃Wherefore　wouldst　thou　kill　me；　Mopo？〃　said　the　king。



〃For　the　sake　of　Baleka；　my　sister；　to　whom　I　swore　the　deed；　and　of

all　my　kin；〃　I　cried；　and　plunged　the　spear　through　him。　He　sank　down

upon　the　tanned　ox…hide；　and　lay　there　dying。　Once　more　he　spoke；　and

once　only；　saying：　〃Would　now　that　I　had　hearkened　to　the　voice　of

Nobela；　who　warned　me　against　thee；　thou　dog！〃



Then　he　was　silent　for　ever。　But　I　knelt　over　him　and　called　in　his

ear　the　names　of　all　those　of　my　blood　who　had　died　at　his　handsthe

names　of　Makedama；　my　father；　of　my　mother；　of　Anadi　my　wife；　of　Moosa

my　son；　and　all　my　other　wives　and　children；　and　of　Baleka　my　sister。

His　eyes　and　ears　were　open；　and　I　think；　my　father；　that　he　saw　and

understood；　I　think　also　that　the　hate　upon　my　face　as　I　shook　my

withered　hand　before　him　was　more　fearful　to　him　that　the　pain　of

death。　At　the　least；　he　turned　his　head　aside；　shut　his　eyes；　and

groaned。　Presently　they　opened　again；　and　he　was　dead。



Thus　then；　my　father；　did　Chaka　the　King；　the　greatest　man　who　has

ever　lived　in　Zululand；　and　the　most　evil；　pass　by　my　hand　to　those

kraals　of　the　Inkosazana　where　no　sleep　is。　In　blood　he　died　as　he　had

lived　in　blood；　for　the　climber　at　last　falls　with　the　tree；　and　in

the　end　the　swimmer　is　borne　away　by　the　stream。　Now　he　trod　that　path

which　had　been　beaten　flat　for　him　by　the　feet　of　people　whom　he　had

slaughtered；　many　as　the　blades　of　grass　upon　a　mountain…side；　but　it

is　a　lie　to　say；　as　some　do；　that　he　died　a　coward；　praying　for　mercy。

Chaka　died；　as　he　had　lived；　a　brave　man。　Ou！　my　father；　I　know　it；

for　these　eyes　saw　it　and　this　hand　let　out　his　life。



Now　he　was　dead　and　the　regiment　of　the　Bees　drew　near；　nor　could　I

know　how　they　would　take　this　matter；　for；　though　the　Prince

Umhlangana　was　their　general；　yet　all　the　soldiers　loved　the　king；

because　he　had　no　equal　in　battle；　and　when　he　gave　he　gave　with　an

open　hand。　I　looked　round；　the　princes　stood　like　men　amazed；　the　girl

had　fled；　the　chief　Umxamama　was　dead　at　the　hands　of　dead　Masilo；　and

the　old　chief　Inguazonca；　who　had　killed　Masilo；　stood　by；　hurt　and

wondering；　there　were　no　others　in　the　kraal。



〃Awake；　ye　kings；〃　I　cried　to　the　brothers；　〃the　impi　is　at　the　gates！

Swift；　now　stab　that　man！〃and　I　pointed　to　the　old　chief〃and　leave

the　matter　to　my　wit。〃



Then　Dingaan　roused　himself；　and　springing　upon　Inguazonca；　the

brother　of　Unandi；　smote　him　a　great　blow　with　his　spear；　so　that　he

sank　down　dead　without　a　word。　Then　again　the　princes　stood　silent　and

amazed。



〃This　one　will　tell　no　tales；〃　I　cried；　pointing　at　the　fallen　chief。



Now　a　rumour　of　the　slaying　had　got　abroad　among　the　women；　who　had

heard　cries　and　seen　the　flashing　of　spears　above　the　fence；　and　from

the　women　it　had　come　to　the　regiment　of　the　Bees；　who　advanced　to　the

gates　of　the　kraal　singing。　Then　of　a　sudden　they　ceased　their　singing

and　rushed　towards　the　hut　in　front　of　which　we　stood。



Then　I　ran　to　meet　them；　uttering　cries　of　woe；　holding　in　my　hand　the

little　assegai　of　the　king　red　with　the　king's　blood；　and　spoke　with

the　captain's　in　the　gate；　saying：



〃Lament；　ye　captains　and　ye　soldiers；　weep　and　lament；　for　your　father

is　no　more！　He　who　nursed　you　is　no　more！　The　king　is　dead！　now　earth

and　heaven　will　come　together；　for　the　king　is　dead！〃



〃How　so；　Mopo？〃　cried　the　leader　of　the　Bees。　〃How　is　our　father

dead？〃



〃He　is　dead　by　the　hand　of　a　wicked　wanderer　named　Masilo；　who；　when

he　was　doomed　to　die　by　the　king；　snatched　this　assegai　from　the

king's　hand　and　stabbed　him；　and　afterwards；　before　he　could　be　cut

down　himself　by　us　three；　the　princes　and　myself；　he　killed　the　chiefs

Inguazonca　and　Umxamama　also。　Draw　near　and　look　on　him　who　was　the

king；　it　is　the　command　of　Dingaan　and　Umhlangana；　the　kings；　that　you

draw　near　and　look　on　him　who　was　the　king；　that　his　death　at　the　hand

of　Masilo　may　be　told　through　all　the　land。〃



〃You　are　better　at　making　of　kings；　Mopo；　than　at　the　saving　of　one

who　was　your　king　from　the　stroke　of　a　wanderer；〃　said　the　leader　of

the　Bees；　looking　at　me　doubtfully。



But　his　words　passed　unheeded；　for　some　of　the　captains　went　forward

to　look　on　the　Great　One　who　was　dead；　and　some；　together　with　most　of

the　soldiers；　ran　this　way　and　that；　crying　in　their　fear　that　now　the

heaven　and　earth　would　come　together；　and　the　race　of　man　would　cease

to　be；　because　Chaka；　the　king；　was　dead。



Now；　my　father；　how　shall　I；　whose　days　are　few；　tell　you　of　all　the

matters　that　happened　after　the　dead　of　Chaka？　Were　I　to　speak　of　them

all　they　would　fill　many　books　of　the　white　men；　and；　perhaps；　some　of

them　are　written　down　there。　For　this　reason　it　is；　that　I　may　be

brief；　I　have　only　spoken　of　a　few　of　those　events　which　befell　in　the

reign　of　Chaka；　for　my　tale　is　not　of　the　reign　of　Chaka；　but　of　the

lives　of　a　handful　of　people　who　lived　in　those　days；　and　of　whom　I

and　Umslopogaas　alone　are　left　aliveif；　indeed；　Umslopogaas；　the　son

of　Chaka；　is　still　living　on　the　earth。　Therefore；　in　a　few　words　I

will　pass　over　all　that　came　about