nada the lily-第58章

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the　noise　of　blows；　and　once　more　light　crept　through　the　hole。　The

man　was　dead。



〃This　one　had　a　bad　snake；〃　said　the　second　soldier；　〃his　snake

deserted　him。　Let　me　see　if　mine　is　better。〃



So　down　he　went　on　his　hands　and　knees；　and　crawled　as　the　first　had

done；　only　he　put　his　shield　over　his　head。　For　awhile　they　heard　him

crawling；　then　once　more　came　the　sound　of　blows　echoing　on　the

ox…hide　shield；　and　after　the　blows　groans。　He　was　dead　also；　yet　it

seemed　that　they　had　left　his　body　in　the　hole；　for　now　no　light　came

through。　This　was　the　cause；　my　father：　when　they　struck　the　man　he

had　wriggled　back　a　little　way　and　died　there；　and　none　had　entered

from　the　farther　side　to　drag　him　out。



Now　the　soldiers　stared　at　the　mouth　of　the　passage　and　none　seemed　to

love　the　look　of　it；　for　this　was　but　a　poor　way　to　die。　Umslopogaas

and　Galazi　also　looked　at　it；　thinking。



〃Now　I　am　named　Wolf；〃　said　Galazi；　〃and　a　wolf　should　not　fear　the

dark；　also；　these　are　my　people；　and　I　must　be　the　first　to　visit

them；〃　and　he　went　down　on　his　hands　and　knees　without　more　ado。　But

Umslopogaas；　having　peered　once　more　down　the　burrow；　said：　〃Hold；

Galazi；　I　will　go　first！　I　have　a　plan。　Do　you　follow　me。　And　you；　my

children；　shout　loudly；　so　that　none　may　hear　us　move；　and；　if　we　win

through；　follow　swiftly；　for　we　cannot　hold　the　mouth　of　that　place

for　long。　Hearken；　also！　this　is　my　counsel　to　you：　if　I　fall　choose

another　chiefGalazi　the　Wolf；　if　he　is　still　living。〃



〃Nay；　Slaughterer；　do　not　name　me；〃　said　the　Wolf；　〃for　together　we

live　or　die。〃



〃So　let　it　be；　Galazi。　Then　choose　you　some　other　man　and　try　this

road　no　more；　for　if　we　cannot　pass　it　none　can；　but　seek　food　and　sit

down　here　till　those　jackals　bolt；　then　be　ready。　Farewell；　my

children！〃



〃Farewell；　father；〃　they　answered；　〃go　warily；　lest　we　be　left　like

cattle　without　a　herdsman；　wandering　and　desolate。〃



Then　Umslopogaas　crept　into　the　hole；　taking　no　shield；　but　holding

Groan…Maker　before　him；　and　at　his　heels　crept　Galazi。　When　he　had

covered　the　length　of　six　spears　he　stretched　out　his　hand；　and；　as　he

trusted　to　do；　he　found　the　feet　of　that　man　who　had　gone　before　and

died　in　the　place。　Then　Umslopogaas　the　way　did　this：　he　put　his　head

beneath　the　dead　man's　legs　and　thrust　himself　onward　till　all　the

body　was　on　his　back；　and　there　he　held　it　with　one　hand；　gripping　its

two　wrists　in　his　hand。　Then　he　crawled　forward　a　little　space　and　saw

that　he　was　coming　to　the　inner　mouth　of　the　burrow；　but　that　the

shadow　was　deep　there　because　of　a　great　mass　of　rock　which　lay　before

the　burrow　shutting　out　the　light。　〃This　is　well　for　me；〃　thought

Umslopogaas；　〃for　now　they　will　not　know　the　dead　from　the　living。　I

may　yet　look　upon　the　son　again。〃　Now　he　heard　the　Halakazi　soldiers

talking　without。



〃The　Zulu　rats　do　not　love　this　run；〃　said　one；　〃they　fear　the　rat…

catcher's　stick。　This　is　good　sport；〃　and　a　man　laughed。



Then　Umslopogaas　pushed　himself　forward　as　swiftly　as　he　could；

holding　the　dead　man　on　his　back；　and　suddenly　came　out　of　the　hole

into　the　open　place　in　the　dark　shadow　of　the　great　rock。



〃By　the　Lily；〃　cried　a　soldier；　〃here's　a　third！　Take　this；　Zulu　rat！〃

And　he　struck　the　dead　man　heavily　with　a　kerrie。　〃And　that！〃　cried

another；　driving　his　spear　through　him　so　that　it　pricked　Umslopogaas

beneath。　〃And　that！　and　this！　and　that！〃　said　others；　as　they　smote

and　stabbed。



Now　Umslopogaas　groaned　heavily　in　the　deep　shadow　and　lay　still。　〃No

need　to　waste　more　blows；〃　said　the　man　who　had　struck　first。　〃This

one　will　never　go　back　to　Zululand；　and　I　think　that　few　will　care　to

follow　him。　Let　us　make　an　end：　run；　some　of　you；　and　find　stones　to

stop　the　burrow；　for　now　the　sport　is　done。〃



He　turned　as　he　spoke　and　so　did　the　others；　and　this　was　what　the

Slaughter　sought。　With　a　swift　movement；　he　freed　himself　from　the

dead　man　and　sprang　to　his　feet。　They　heard　the　sound　and　turned

again；　but　as　they　turned　Groan…Maker　pecked　softly；　and　that　man　who

had　sworn　by　the　Lily　was　no　more　a　man。　Then　Umslopogaas　leaped

forwards；　and；　bounding　on　to　the　great　rock；　stood　there　like　a　buck


against　the　sky。



〃A　Zulu　rat　is　not　so　easily　slain；　O　ye　weasels！〃　he　cried；　as　they

came　at　him　from　all　sides　at　once　with　a　roar。　He　smote　to　the　right

and　the　left；　and　so　swiftly　that　men　could　scarcely　see　the　blows

fall；　for　he　struck　with　Groan…Maker's　beak。　But　though　men　scarcely

saw　the　blows；　yet；　my　father；　men　fell　beneath　them。　Now　foes　were

all　around；　leaping　up　at　the　Slaughterer　as　rushing　water　leaps　to

hide　a　rockeverywhere　shone　spears；　thrusting　at　him　from　this　side

and　from　that。　Those　in　front　and　to　the　side　Groan…Maker　served　to

stay；　but　one　wounded　Umslopogaas　in　the　neck；　and　another　was　lifted

to　pierce　his　back　when　the　strength　of　its　holder　was　bowed　to　the

dustto　the　dust；　to　become　of　the　dust。



For　now　the　Wolf　was　through　the　hole　also；　and　the　Watcher　grew　very

busy；　he　was　so　busy　that　soon　the　back　of　the　Slaughterer　had　nothing

to　fearyet　those　had　much　to　fear　who　stood　behind　his　back。　The

pair　fought　bravely；　making　a　great　slaughter；　and　presently；　one　by

one；　plumed　heads　of　the　People　of　the　Axe　showed　through　the　burrow

and　strong　arms　mingled　in　the　fray。　Swiftly　they　came；　leaping　into

battle　as　otters　leap　to　the　waternow　there　were　ten　of　them；　now

there　were　twentyand　now　the　Halakazi　broke　and　fled；　since　they　did

not　bargain　for　this。　Then　the　rest　of　the　Men　of　the　Axe　came　through

in　peace；　and　the　evening　grew　towards　the　dark　before　all　had　passed

the　hole。







CHAPTER　XXVI



THE　FINDING　OF　NADA



Umslopogaas　marshalled　his　companies。



〃There　is　little　light　left；〃　he　said；　〃but　it　must　serve　us　to　start

these　conies　from　their　burrows。　Come；　my　brother　Galazi；　you　know

where　the　conies　hide；　take　my　place　and　lead　us。〃



So　Galazi　led　the　impi。　Turning　a　corner　of　the　glen；　he　came　with

them　to　a　large　open　space　that　had　a　fountain　in　its　midst；　and　this

place　was　full　of　thousands　of　cattle。　Then　he　turned　again　to　the

left；　and　brought　them　to　the　inner　side　of　the　mountain；　where　the

cliff　hung　over；　and　here　was　the　mouth　of　a　great　cave。　Now　the　cave

was　dark；　but　by　its　door　was　stacked　a　pile　of　resinous　wood　to　serve

as　torches。



〃Here　is　that　which　will　give　us　light；〃　said　Galazi；　and　one　man　of

every　two　took　a　torch　and　lit　it　at　a　fire　that　burned　near　the　mouth

of　the　cave。　Then　they　rushed　in；　waving　the　flaring　torches　and　with

assegais　aloft。　Here　for　the　last　time　the　Halakazi　stood　against

them；　and　the　torches　floated　up　and　down　upon　the　wave　of　war。　But

they　did　not　stand　for　very　long；　for　all　the　heart　was　out　of　them。

Wow！　yes；　many　were　killedI　do　not　know　how　many。　I　know　this　only；

that　the　Halakazi　are　no　more　a　tribe　since　Umslopogaas；　who　is　named

Bulalio；　stamped　them　with　his　feetthey　are　nothing　but　a　name　now。

The　People　of　the　Axe　drove　them　out　into　the　open　and　finished　the

fight　by　starlight　among　the　cattle。



In　one　corner　of　the　cave　Umslopogaas　saw　a　knot　of　men　clustering

round　something　as　though　to　guard　it。　He　rushed　at　the　men；　and　with

him　went　Galazi　and　others。　But　when　Umslopogaas　was　through；　by　the

light　of　his　torch　he　perceived　a　tall　and　slender　man；　who　leaned

against　the　wall　of　the　cave　and　held　a　shield　before　his　face。



〃You　are　a　coward！〃　he　cried；　and　smote　with　Groan…Maker。　The　great

axe　pierced　the　hide；　but；　missing　the　head　behind；　rang　loudly

against　the　rock；　and　as　it　struck　a　sweet　voice　said：



〃Ah！　soldier；　do　not　kill　me！　Why　are　you　angry　with　me？〃



Now　the　shield　had　come　away　from　its　holder's　hands　upon　the　blade　of

the　axe；　and　there　was　something　in　the　notes　of　the　voice　that　caused

Umslopogaas　to　smite　no　more：　it　was　as　though　a　memory　of　childhood

had　come　to　him