nada the lily-第54章

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

and　found　no　way。　Now　it　seems　that　there　is　a　way；　and　I　am　glad。　Yet

this　is　a　great　adventure；　and　perhaps　before　it　is　done　with　the

People　of　the　Axe　will　be　no　more。〃　And　he　ceased　and　took　snuff；

watching　our　faces　over　the　spoon。



〃Galazi　the　Wolf；〃　said　Umslopogaas；　〃for　me　also　the　matter　has

another　face。　You　have　lost　your　father　at　the　hands　of　these　Halakazi

dogs；　and；　though　till　last　night　I　did　not　know　it；　I　have　lost　my

mother　by　their　spears；　and　with　her　one　whom　I　loved　above　all　in　the

world；　my　sister　Nada；　who　loved　me　also。　Both　are　dead　and　the

Halakazi　have　killed　them。　This　man；　the　mouth　of　Dingaan；〃　and　he

pointed　to　me；　Mopo；　〃this　man　says　that　if　I　can　stamp　out　the

Halakazi　and　make　captive　of　the　Lily　maid；　I　shall　win　the　heart　of

Dingaan。　Little　do　I　care　for　Dingaan；　I　who　would　go　my　way　alone；

and　live　while　I　may　live；　and　die　when　I　must；　by　the　hands　of

Dingaan　as　by　those　of　anotherwhat　does　it　matter？　Yet；　for　this

reason；　because　of　the　death　of　Macropha；　my　mother；　and　Nada；　the

sister　who　was　dear　to　me；　I　will　make　war　upon　these　Halakazi　and

conquer　them；　or　be　conquered　by　them。　Perhaps；　O　Mouth　of　Dingaan；

you　will　see　me　soon　at　the　king's　kraal　on　the　Mahlabatine；　and　with

me　the　Lily　maid　and　the　cattle　of　the　Halakazi；　or　perhaps　you　shall

not　see　me；　and　then　you　will　know　that　I　am　dead；　and　the　Warriors　of

the　Axe　are　no　more。〃



So　Umslopogaas　spoke　to　me　before　Galazi　the　Wolf；　but　afterwards　he

embraced　me　and　bade　me　farewell；　for　he　had　no　great　hope　that　we

should　meet　again。　And　I　also　doubted　it；　for；　as　Galazi　said；　the

adventure　was　great；　yet；　as　I　had　seen　many　times；　it　is　the　bold

thrower　who　oftenest　wins。　So　we　partedI　to　return　to　Dingaan　and

tell　him　that　Bulalio；　Chief　of　the　People　of　the　Axe；　had　gone　up

against　the　Halakazi　to　win　the　Lily　maid　and　bring　her　to　him　in

atonement；　while　Umslopogaas　remained　to　make　ready　his　impi　for　war。



I　went　swiftly　from　the　Ghost　Mountain　back　to　the　kraal

Umgugundhlovu；　and　presented　myself　before　Dingaan；　who　at　first

looked　on　me　coldly。　But　when　I　told　him　my　message；　and　how　that　the

Chief　Bulalio　the　Slaughterer　had　taken　the　war…path　to　win　him　the

Lily；　his　manner　changed。　He　took　me　by　the　hand　and　said　that　I　had

done　well；　and　he　had　been　foolish　to　doubt　me　when　I　lifted　up　my

voice　to　persuade　him　from　sending　an　impi　against　the　Halakazi。　Now

he　saw　that　it　was　my　purpose　to　rake　this　Halakazi　fire　with　another

hand　than　his；　and　to　save　his　hand　from　the　burning；　and　he　thanked

me。



Moreover；　he　said；　that　if　this　Chief　of　the　People　of　the　Axe　brought

him　the　maid　his　heart　desired；　not　only　would　he　forgive　him　the

words　he　had　spoken　by　the　mouth　of　Masilo　to　the　Black　One　who　was

dead；　but　also　all　the　cattle　of　the　Halakazi　should　be　his；　and　he

would　make　him　great　in　the　land。　I　answered　that　all　this　was　as　the

king　willed。　I　had　but　done　my　duty　by　the　king　and　worked　so　that；

whatever　befell；　a　proud　chief　should　be　weakened　and　a　foe　should　be

attacked　at　no　cost　to　the　king；　in　such　fashion　also　that　perhaps　it

might　come　about　that　the　king　would　shortly　have　the　Lily　at　his

side。



Then　I　sat　down　to　wait　what　might　befall。



Now　it　is；　my　father；　that　the　white　men　come　into　my　story；　whom　we

named　the　Amaboona；　but　you　call　the　Boers。　Ou！　I　think　ill　of　those

Amaboona；　though　it　was　I　who　gave　them　the　victory　over　DingaanI

and　Umslopogaas。



Before　this　time；　indeed；　a　few　white　men　had　come　to　and　fro　to　the

kraals　of　Chaka　and　Dingaan；　but　these　came　to　pray　and　not　to　fight。

Now　the　Boers　both　fight　and　pray；　also　they　steal；　or　used　to　steal；

which　I　do　not　understand；　for　the　prayers　of　you　white　men　say　that

these　things　should　not　be　done。



Well；　when　I　had　been　back　from　the　Ghost　Mountain　something　less　than

a　moon；　the　Boers　came；　sixty　of　them　commanded　by　a　captain　named

Retief；　a　big　man；　and　armed　with　roersthe　long　guns　they　had　in

those　daysor；　perhaps　they　numbered　a　hundred　in　all；　counting　their

servants　and　after…riders。　This　was　their　purpose：　to　get　a　grant　of

the　land　in　Natal　that　lies　between　the　Tugela　and　the　Umzimoubu

rivers。　But；　by　my　council　and　that　of　other　indunas；　Dingaan；

bargained　with　the　Boers　that　first　they　should　attack　a　certain　chief

named　Sigomyela；　who　had　stolen　some　of　the　king's　cattle；　and　who

lived　near　the　Quathlamba　Mountains；　and　bring　back　those　cattle。　This

the　Boers　agreed　to；　and　went　to　attack　the　chief；　and　in　a　little

while　they　came　back　again；　having　destroyed　the　people　of　Sigomyela；

and　driving　his　cattle　before　them　as　well　as　those　which　had　been

stolen　from　the　king。



The　face　of　Dingaan　shone　when　he　saw　the　cattle；　and　that　night　he

called　us；　the　council　of　the　Amapakati；　together；　and　asked　us　as　to

the　granting　of　the　country。　I　spoke　the　first；　and　said　that　it

mattered　little　if　he　granted　it；　seeing　that　the　Black　One　who　was

dead　had　already　given　it　to　the　English；　the　People　of　George；　and

the　end　of　the　matter　would　be　that　the　Amaboona　and　the　People　of

George　would　fight　for　the　land。　Yet　the　words　of　the　Black　One　were

coming　to　pass；　for　already　it　seemed　we　could　hear　the　sound　of　the

running　of　a　white　folk　who　should　eat　up　the　kingdom。



Now　when　I　had　spoken　thus　the　heart　of　Dingaan　grew　heavy　and　his

face　dark；　for　my　words　stuck　in　his　breast　like　a　barbed　spear。

Still；　he　made　no　answer；　but　dismissed　the　council。



On　the　morrow　the　king　promised　to　sign　the　paper　giving　the　lands

they　asked　for　to　the　Boers；　and　all　was　smooth　as　water　when　there　is

no　wind。　Before　the　paper　was　signed　the　king　gave　a　great　dance；　for

there　were　many　regiments　gathered　at　the　kraal；　and　for　three　days

this　dance　went　on；　but　on　the　third　day　he　dismissed　the　regiments；

all　except　one；　an　impi　of　lads；　who　were　commanded　to　stay。　Now　all

this　while　I　wondered　what　was　in　the　mind　of　Dingaan　and　was　afraid

for　the　Amaboona。　But　he　was　secret；　and　told　nothing　except　to　the

captains　of　the　regiment　aloneno；　not　even　to　one　of　his　council。

Yet　I　knew　that　he　planned　evil；　and　was　half　inclined　to　warn　the

Captain　Retief；　but　did　not；　fearing　to　make　myself　foolish。　Ah！　my

father；　if　I　had　spoken；　how　many　would　have　lived　who　were　soon　dead！

But　what　does　it　matter？　In　any　case　most　of　them　would　have　been　dead

by　now。



On　the　fourth　morning；　early；　Dingaan　sent　a　messenger　to　the　Boers；

bidding　them　meet　him　in　the　cattle　kraal；　for　there　he　would　mark　the

paper。　So　they　came；　stacking　their　guns　at　the　gate　of　the　kraal；　for

it　was　death　for　any　man；　white　or　black；　to　come　armed　before　the

presence　of　the　king。　Now；　my　father；　the　kraal　Umgugundhlovu　was

built　in　a　great　circle；　after　the　fashion　of　royal　kraals。　First　came

the　high　outer　fence；　then　the　thousands　of　huts　that　ran　three　parts

round　between　the　great　fence　and　the　inner　one。　Within　this　inner

fence　was　the　large　open　space；　big　enough　to　hold　five　regiments；　and

at　the　top　of　itopposite　the　entrancestood　the　cattle　kraal

itself；　that　cut　off　a　piece　of　the　open　space　by　another　fence　bent

like　a　bow。　Behind　this　again　were　the　Emposeni；　the　place　of　the

king's　women；　the　guard…house；　the　labyrinth；　and　the　Intunkulu；　the

house　of　the　king。　Dingaan　came　out　on　that　day　and　sat　on　a　stool　in

front　of　the　cattle　kraal；　and　by　him　stood　a　man　holding　a　shield

over　his　head　to　keep　the　sun　from　him。　Also　we　of　the　Amapakati；　the

council；　were　there；　and　ranged　round　the　fence　of　the　space；　armed

with　short　sticks　onlynot　with　kerries；　my　fatherwas　that　regiment

of　young　men　which　Dingaan　had　not　sent　away；　the　captain　of　the

regiment　being　stationed　near　to　the　king；　on　the　right。



Presently　the　Boers　came　in　on　foot　and　walked　up　to　the　king　in　a

body；　and　Dingaan　greeted　them　kindly　and