nada the lily-第53章

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people　of　the　Langeni；　and　of　how　I　had　revenged　my　wrongs　upon　Chaka；

and　made　Dingaan　to　be　king　in　his　place；　and　was　now　the　first　man　in

the　land　under　the　king；　though　the　king　feared　me　much　and　loved　me

little。　But　I　did　not　tell　him　that　Baleka；　my　sister；　was　his　own

mother。



When　I　had　done　my　tale；　Umslopogaas　told　me　his：　how　Galazi　had

rescued　him　from　the　lioness；　how　he　became　one　of　the　Wolf…Brethren；

how　he　had　conquered　Jikiza　and　the　sons　of　Jikiza；　and　become　chief

of　the　People　of　the　Axe；　and　taken　Zinita　to　wife；　and　grown　great　in

the　land。



I　asked　him　how　it　came　about　that　he　still　hunted　with　the　wolves　as

he　had　done　last　night。　He　answered　that　now　he　was　great　and　there

was　nothing　more　to　win；　and　at　times　a　weariness　of　life　came　upon

him；　and　then　he　must　up；　and　together　with　Galazi　hunt　and　harry　with

the　wolves；　for　thus　only　could　he　find　rest。



I　said　that　I　would　show　him　better　game　to　hunt　before　all　was　done；

and　asked　him　further　if　he　loved　his　wife；　Zinita。　Umslopogaas

answered　that　he　would　love　her　better　if　she　loved　him　not　so　much；

for　she　was　jealous　and　quick　to　anger；　and　that　was　a　sorrow　to　him。

Then；　when　he　had　slept　awhile；　he　led　me　from　the　hut；　and　I　and

my　people　were　feasted　with　the　best；　and　I　spoke　with　Zinita　and　with

Galazi　the　Wolf。　For　the　last；　I　liked　him　well。　This　was　a　good　man

to　have　at　one's　back　in　battle；　but　my　heart　spoke　to　me　against

Zinita。　She　was　handsome　and　tall；　but　with　fierce　eyes　which　always

watched　Umslopogaas；　my　fosterling；　and　I　noted　that　he　who　was

fearless　of　all　other　things　yet　seemed　to　fear　Zinita。　Neither　did

she　love　me；　for　when　she　saw　how　the　Slaughterer　clung　to　me；　as　it

wee；　instantly　she　grew　jealousas　already　she　was　jealous　of　Galazi

and　would　have　been　rid　of　me　if　she　might。　Thus　it　came　about　that

my　heart　spoke　against　Zinita；　nor　did　it　tell　me　worse　things　of　her

than　those　which　she　was　to　do。







CHATPER　XXIV



THE　SLAYING　OF　THE　BOERS



On　the　morrow　I　led　Umslopogaas　apart；　and　spoke　to　him　thus：



〃My　son；　yesterday；　when　you　did　not　know　me　except　as　the　Mouth　of

Dingaan；　you　charged　me　with　a　certain　message　for　Dingaan　the　king；

that；　had　it　been　delivered　into　the　ears　of　the　king；　had　surely

brought　death　upon　you　and　all　your　people。　The　tree　that　stands　by

itself　on　a　plain；　Umslopogaas；　thinks　itself　tall　and　that　there　is

no　shade　to　equal　its　shade。　Yet　are　there　other　and　bigger　trees。　You

are　such　a　solitary　tree；　Umslopogaas；　but　the　topmost　branches　of　him

whom　I　serve　are　thicker　than　your　trunk；　and　beneath　his　shadow　live

many　woodcutters；　who　go　out　to　lop　those　that　would　grow　too　high。

You　are　no　match　for　Dingaan；　though；　dwelling　here　alone　in　an　empty

land；　you　have　grown　great　in　your　own　eyes　and　in　the　eyes　of　those

about　you。　Moreover；　Umslopogaas；　know　this：　Dingaan　already　hates　you

because　of　the　words　which　in　bygone　years　you　sent　by　Masilo　the　fool

to　the　Black　One　who　is　dead；　for　he　heard　those　words；　and　it　is　his

will　to　eat　you　up。　He　has　sent　me　hither　for　one　reason　only；　to　be

rid　of　me　awhile；　and；　whatever　the　words　I　bring　back　to　him；　the　end

will　be　the　samethat　night　shall　come　when　you　will　find　an　impi　at

your　gates。〃



〃Then　what　need　to　talk　more　of　the　matter；　my　father？〃　asked

Umslopogaas。　〃That　will　come　which　must　come。　Let　me　wait　here　for　the

impi　of　Dingaan；　and　fight　till　I　do。〃



〃Not　so；　Umslopogaas；　my　son；　there　are　more　ways　of　killing　a　man

than　by　the　assegai；　and　a　crooked　stick　can　still　be　bent　straight　in

the　stream。　It　is　my　desire；　Umslopogaas；　that　instead　of　hate　Dingaan

should　give　you　love；　instead　of　death；　advancement；　and　that　you

shall　grow　great　in　his　shadow。　Listen！　Dingaan　is　not　what　Chaka　was；

though；　like　Chaka；　he　is　cruel。　This　Dingaan　is　a　fool；　and　it　may

well　come　about　that　a　man　can　be　found　who；　growing　up　in　his　shadow；

in　the　end　shall　overshadow　him。　I　might　do　itI　myself；　but　I　am

old；　and；　being　worn　with　sorrow；　have　no　longing　to　rule。　But　you　are

young；　Umslopogaas；　and　there　is　no　man　like　you　in　the　land。

Moreover；　there　are　other　matters　of　which　it　is　not　well　to　speak；

that　shall　serve　you　as　a　raft　whereon　to　swim　to　power。〃



Now　Umslopogaas　glanced　up　sharply；　for　in　those　days　he　was

ambitious；　and　desired　to　be　first　among　the　people。　Indeed；　having

the　blood　of　Chaka　in　his　veins；　how　could　it　be　otherwise？



〃What　is　your　plan；　my　father？〃　he　asked。　〃Say　how　can　this　be　brought

about？〃



〃This　and　thus；　Umslopogaas。　Among　the　tribe　of　the　Halakazi　in

Swaziland　there　dwells　a　maid　who　is　named　the　Lily。　She　is　a　girl　of

the　most　wonderful　beauty；　and　Dingaan　is　afire　with　longing　to　have

her　to　wife。　Now；　awhile　since　Dingaan　dispatched　an　embassy　to　the

chief　of　the　Halakazi　asking　the　Lily　in　marriage；　and　the　chief　of

the　Halakazi　sent　back　insolent　words；　saying　that　the　Beauty　of　the

Earth　should　be　given　to　no　Zulu　dog　as　a　wife。　Then　Dingaan　was

angry；　and　he　would　have　gathered　his　impis　and　sent　them　against　the

Halakazi　to　destroy　them；　and　bring　him　the　maid；　but　I　held　him　back

from　it；　saying　that　now　was　no　time　to　begin　a　new　war；　and　it　is　for

this　cause　that　Dingaan　hates　me；　he　is　so　set　upon　the　plucking　of

the　Swazi　Lily。　Do　you　understand　now；　Umslopogaas？〃



〃Something；〃　he　answered。　〃But　speak　clearly。〃



〃Wow；　Umslopogaas！　Half　words　are　better　than　whole　ones　in　this　land

of　ours。　Listen；　then！　This　is　my　plan：　that　you　should　fall　upon　the

Halakazi　tribe；　destroy　it；　and　bring　back　the　maid　as　a　peace…

offering　to　Dingaan。〃



〃That　is　a　good　plan；　my　father；〃　he　answered。　〃At　the　least；　maid　or

no　maid；　there　will　be　fighting　in　it；　and　cattle　to　divide　when　the

fighting　is　done。〃



〃First　conquer；　then　reckon　up　the　spoils；　Umslopogaas。〃



Now　he　thought　awhile；　then　said；　〃Suffer　that　I　summon　Galazi　the

Wolf；　my　captain。　Do　not　fear；　he　is　trusty　and　a　man　of　few　words。〃



Presently　Galazi　came　and　sat　down　before　us。　Then　I　put　the　matter　to

him　thus：　that　Umslopogaas　would　fall　upon　the　Halakazi　and　bring　to

Dingaan　the　maid　he　longed　for　as　a　peace…offering；　but　that　I　wished

to　hold　him　back　from　the　venture　because　the　Halakazi　people　were

great　and　strong。　I　spoke　in　this　sense　so　that　I　might　have　a　door　to

creep　out　should　Galazi　betray　the　plot；　and　Umslopogaas　read　my

purpose；　though　my　craft　was　needless；　for　Galazi　was　a　true　man。



Galazi　the　Wolf　listened　in　silence　till　I　had　finished；　then　he

answered　quietly；　but　it　seemed　to　me　that　a　fire　shone　in　his　eyes　as

he　spoke：



〃I　am　chief　by　right　of　the　Halakazi；　O　Mouth　of　Dingaan；　and　know

them　well。　They　are　a　strong　people；　and　can　put　two　full　regiments

under　arms；　whereas　Bulalio　here　can　muster　but　one　regiment；　and　that

a　small　one。　Moreover；　they　have　watchmen　out　by　night　and　day；　and

spies　scattered　through　the　land；　so　that　it　will　be　hard　to　take　them

unawares；　also　their　stronghold　is　a　vast　cave　open　to　the　sky　in　the

middle；　and　none　have　won　that　stronghold　yet；　nor　could　it　be　found

except　by　those　who　know　its　secret。　They　are　few；　yet　I　am　one　of

them；　for　my　father　showed　it　to　me　when　I　was　a　lad。　Therefore；　Mouth

of　Dingaan；　you　will　know　that　this　is　no　easy　task　which　Bulalio

would　set　himself　and　usto　conquer　the　Halakazi。　That　is　the　face　of

the　matter　so　far　as　it　concerns　Bulalio；　but　for　me；　O　Mouth；　it　has

another　face。　Know　that；　long　years　ago；　I　swore　to　my　father　as　he

lay　dying　by　the　poison　of　a　witch　of　this　people　that　I　would　not

rest　till　I　had　avenged　himay；　till　I　had　stamped　out　the　Halakazi；

and　slain　their　men；　and　brought　their　women　to　the　houses　of

strangers；　and　their　children　to　bonds！　Year　by　year　and　month　by

month；　and　night　by　night；　as　I　have　lain　alone　upon　the　Ghost

Mountain　yonder；　I　have　wondered　how　I　might　bring　my　oath　to　pass；