nada the lily-第50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！



breath。〃



〃Nay；　Mopo；　that　is　not　my　will。　If　no　impi　can　be　found　by　thee　to

wipe　away　the　Halakazi　and　bring　one　whom　I　desire　to　delight　my　eyes；

then　surely　none　can　be　found　to　eat　up　this　Slaughterer　and　his

people。　Moreover；　Bulalio；　chief　of　the　People　of　the　Axe；　has　not

offended　against　me；　but　against　an　elephant　whose　trumpetings　are

done。　Now　this　is　my　will；　Mopo；　my　servant：　that　thou　shouldst　take

with　thee　a　few　men　only　and　go　gently　to　this　Bulalio；　and　say　to

him：　'A　greater　Elephant　stalks　through　the　land　than　he　who　has　gone

to　sleep；　and　it　has　come　to　his　earsthat　thou；　Chief　of　the　People

of　the　Axe；　dost　pay　no　tribute；　and　hast　said　that；　because　of　the

death　of　a　certain　Mopo；　thou　wilt　have　nothing　to　do　with　him　whose

shadow　lies　upon　the　land。　Now　one　Mopo　is　sent　to　thee；　Slaughterer；

to　know　if　this　tale　is　true；　for；　if　it　be　true；　then　shalt　thou

learn　the　weight　of　the　hoof　of　that　Elephant　who　trumpets　in　the

kraal　of　Umgugundhlovu。　Think；　then；　and　weigh　thy　words　before　thou

dost　answer；　Slaughterer。'〃



Now　I；　Mopo；　heard　the　commands　of　the　king　and　pondered　them　in　my

mind；　for　I　knew　well　that　it　was　the　design　of　Dingaan　to　be　rid　of

me　for　a　space　that　he　might　find　time　to　plot　my　overthrow；　and　that

he　cared　little　for　this　matter　of　a　petty　chief；　who；　living　far

away；　had　dared　to　defy　Chaka。　Yet　I　wished　to　go；　for　there　had

arisen　in　me　a　great　desire　to　see　this　Bulalio；　who　spoke　of

vengeance　to　be　taken　for　one　Mopo；　and　whose　deeds　were　such　as　the

deeds　of　Umslopogaas　would　have　been；　had　Umslopogaas　lived　to　look

upon　the　light。　Therefore　I　answered：



〃I　hear　the　king。　The　king's　word　shall　be　done；　though；　O　King；　thou

sendest　a　big　man　upon　a　little　errand。〃



〃Not　so；　Mopo；〃　answered　Dingaan。　〃My　heart　tells　me　that　this　chicken

of　a　Slaughterer　will　grow　to　a　great　cock　if　his　comb　is　not　cut

presently；　and　thou；　Mopo；　art　versed　in　cutting　combs；　even　of　the

tallest。〃



〃I　hear　the　king；〃　I　answered　again。



So；　my　father；　it　came　about　that　on　the　morrow；　taking　with　me　but

ten　chosen　men；　I；　Mopo；　started　on　my　journey　towards　the　Ghost

Mountain；　and　as　I　journeyed　I　thought　much　of　how　I　had　trod　that

path　in　bygone　days。　Then；　Macropha；　my　wife；　and　Nada；　my　daughter；

and　Umslopogaas；　the　son　of　Chaka；　who　was　thought　to　be　my　son；

walked　at　my　side。　Now；　as　I　imagined；　all　were　dead　and　I　walked

alone；　doubtless　I　also　should　soon　be　dead。　Well；　people　lived　few

days　and　evil　in　those　times；　and　what　did　it　matter？　At　the　least　I

had　wreaked　vengeance　on　Chaka　and　satisfied　my　heart。



At　length　I　came　one　night　to　that　lonely　spot　where　we　had　camped　in

the　evil　hour　when　Umslopogaas　was　borne　away　by　the　lioness；　and　once

more　I　looked　upon　the　cave　whence　he　had　dragged　the　cub；　and　upon

the　awful　face　of　the　stone　Witch　who　sits　aloft　upon　the　Ghost

Mountain　forever　and　forever。　I　could　sleep　little　that　night；　because

of　the　sorrow　at　my　heart；　but　sat　awake　looking；　in　the　brightness　of

the　moon；　upon　the　grey　face　of　the　stone　Witch；　and　on　the　depths　of

the　forest　that　grew　about　her　knees；　wondering　the　while　if　the　bones

of　Umslopogaas　lay　broken　in　that　forest。　Now　as　I　journeyed；　many

tales　had　been　told　to　me　of　this　Ghost　Mountain；　which　all　swore　was

haunted；　so　said　some；　by　men　in　the　shape　of　wolves；　and　so　said

some；　by　the　Esemkofuthat　is；　by　men　who　have　died　and　who　have　been

brought　back　again　by　magic。　They　have　no　tongues；　the　Esemkofu；　for

had　they　tongues　they　would　cry　aloud　to　mortals　the　awful　secrets　of

the　dead；　therefore；　they　can　but　utter　a　wailing　like　that　of　a　babe。

Surely　one　may　hear　them　in　the　forests　at　night　as　they　wail　〃Ai！

ah！　Aiah！〃　among　the　silent　trees！



You　laugh；　my　father；　but　I　did　not　laugh　as　I　thought　of　these　tales；

for；　if　men　have　spirits；　where　do　the　spirits　go　when　the　body　is

dead？　They　must　go　somewhere；　and　would　it　be　strange　that　they　should

return　to　look　upon　the　lands　where　they　were　born？　Yet　I　never

thought　much　of　such　matters；　though　I　am　a　doctor；　and　know　something

of　the　ways　of　the　Amatongo；　the　people　of　the　ghosts。　To　speak　truth；

my　father；　I　have　had　so　much　to　do　with　the　loosing　of　the　spirits　of

men　that　I　never　troubled　myself　overmuch　with　them　after　they　were

loosed；　there　will　be　time　to　do　this　when　I　myself　am　of　their

number。



So　I　sat　and　gazed　on　the　mountain　and　the　forest　that　grew　over　it

like　hair　on　the　head　of　a　woman；　and　as　I　gazed　I　heard　a　sound　that

came　from　far　away；　out　of　the　heart　of　the　forest　as　it　seemed。　At

first　it　was　faint　and　far　off；　a　distant　thing　like　the　cry　of

children　in　a　kraal　across　a　valley；　then　it　grew　louder；　but　still　I

could　not　say　what　it　might　be；　now　it　swelled　and　swelled；　and　I　knew

itit　was　the　sound　of　wild　beats　at　chase。　Nearer　came　the　music；

the　rocks　rang　with　it；　and　its　voice　set　the　blood　beating　but　to

hearken　to　it。　That　pack　was　great　which　ran　a…hunting　through　the

silent　night；　and　now　it　was　night；　on　the　other　side　of　the　slope

only；　and　the　sound　swelled　so　loud　that　those　who　were　with　me　awoke

also　and　looked　forth。　Now　of　a　sudden　a　great　koodoo　bull　appeared

for　an　instant　standing　out　against　the　sky　on　the　crest　of　the　ridge；

then　vanished　in　the　shadow。　He　was　running　towards　us；　presently　we

saw　him　again　speeding　on　his　path　with　great　bounds。　We　saw　this　also

forms　grey　and　gaunt　and　galloping；　in　number　countless；　that　leaped

along　his　path；　appearing　on　the　crest　of　the　rise；　disappearing　into

the　shadow；　seen　again　on　the　slope；　lost　in　the　valley；　and　with　them

two　other　shapes；　the　shapes　of　men。



Now　the　big　buck　bounded　past　us　not　half　a　spear's　throw　away；　and

behind　him　streamed　the　countless　wolves；　and　from　the　throats　of　the

wolves　went　up　that　awful　music。　And　who　were　these　two　that　came　with

the　wolves；　shapes　of　men　great　and　strong？　They　ran　silently　and

swift；　wolves'　teeth　gleamed　upon　their　heads；　wolves'　hides　hung

about　their　shoulders。　In　the　hands　of　one　was　an　axethe　moonlight

shone　upon　itin　the　hand　of　the　other　a　heavy　club。　Neck　and　neck

they　ran；　never　before　had　we　seen　men　travel　so　fast。　See！　they　sped

down　the　slope　towards　us；　the　wolves　were　left　behind；　all　except

four　of　them；　we　heard　the　beating　of　their　feet；　they　came；　they

passed；　they　were　gone；　and　with　them　their　unnumbered　company。　The

music　grew　faint；　it　died；　it　was　dead；　the　hunt　was　far　away；　and　the

night　was　still　again！



〃Now；　my　brethren；〃　I　asked　of　those　who　were　with　me；　〃what　is　this

that　we　have　seen？〃



Then　one　answered；　〃We　have　seen　the　Ghosts　who　live　in　the　lap　of　the

old　Witch；　and　those　men　are　the　Wolf…Brethren；　the　wizards　who　are

kings　of　the　Ghosts。〃







CHAPTER　XXIII



MOPO　REVEALS　HIMSELF　TO　THE　SLAUGHTERER



All　that　night　we　watched；　but　we　neither　saw　nor　heard　any　more　of

the　wolves；　nor　of　the　men　who　hunted　with　them。　On　the　morrow；　at

dawn；　I　sent　a　runner　to　Bulalio；　chief　of　the　People　of　the　Axe；

saying　that　a　messenger　came　to　him　from　Dingaan；　the　king；　who

desired　to　speak　with　him　in　peace　within　the　gates　of　his　kraal。　I

charged　the　messenger；　however；　that　he　should　not　tell　my　name；　but

should　say　only　that　it　was　〃Mouth　of　Dingaan。〃　Then　I　and　those　with

me　followed　slowly　on　the　path　of　the　man　whom　I　sent　forward；　for　the

way　was　still　far；　and　I　had　bidden　him　return　and　meet　me　bearing　the

words　of　the　Slaughterer；　Holder　of　the　Axe。



All　that　day　till　the　sun　grew　low　we　talked　round　the　base　of　the

great　Ghost　Mountain；　following　the　line　of　the　river。　We　met　no　one；

but　once　we　came　to　the　ruins　of　a　kraal；　and　in　it　lay　the　broken

bones　of　many　men；　and　with　the　bones　rusty　assegais　and　the　remains

of　ox…hide　shields；　black　and　white　in　colour。　Now　I　examined　the

shields；　and　knew　from　their　colour　that　they　had　been　carried　in　the

hands　of