nada the lily-第6章

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me　so　I　told　the　headman。



Now；　the　man　was　pleased；　and　said　that　if　my　sight　was　good；　and　he

found　the　cattle；　the　gifts　should　be　taken　from　Noma　and　given　to　me；

and　he　asked　the　people　who　were　sitting　round；　and　there　were　many；

if　this　was　not　just。　〃Yes；　yes；〃　they　said；　it　was　just；　and　they

would　see　that　it　was　done。　But　Noma　sat　still　and　looked　at　me

evilly。　He　knew　that　I　had　made　a　true　divination；　and　he　was　very

angry。　It　was　a　big　matter：　the　herd　of　cattle　were　many；　and；　if　they

were　found　where　I　had　said；　then　all　men　would　think　me　the　greater

wizard。　Now　it　was　late；　and　the　moon　had　not　yet　risen；　therefore　the

headman　said　that　he　would　sleep　that　night　in　our　kraal；　and　at　the

first　light　would　go　with　me　to　the　spot　where　I　said　the　cattle　were。

After　that　he　went　away。



I　too　went　into　my　hut　and　lay　down　to　sleep。　Suddenly　I　awoke；

feeling　a　weight　upon　my　breast。　I　tried　to　start　up；　but　something

cold　pricked　my　throat。　I　fell　back　again　and　looked。　The　door　of　the

hut　was　open；　the　moon　lay　low　on　the　sky　like　a　ball　of　fire　far

away。　I　could　see　it　through　the　door；　and　its　light　crept　into　the

hut。　It　fell　upon　the　face　of　Noma　the　witch…doctor。　He　was　seated

across　me；　glaring　at　me　with　his　one　eye；　and　in　his　hand　was　a

knife。　It　was　that　which　I　had　felt　prick　my　throat。



〃You　whelp　whom　I　have　bred　up　to　tear　me！〃　he　hissed　into　my　ear；

〃you　dared　to　divine　where　I　failed；　did　you？　Very　well；　now　I　will

show　you　how　I　serve　such　puppies。　First；　I　will　pierce　through　the

root　of　your　tongue；　so　that　you　cannot　squeal；　then　I　will　cut　you　to

pieces　slowly；　bit　by　bit；　and　in　the　morning　I　will　tell　the　people

that　the　spirits　did　it　because　you　lied。　Next；　I　will　take　off　your

arms　and　legs。　Yes；　yes；　I　will　make　you　like　a　stick！　Then　I　will〃

and　he　began　driving　in　the　knife　under　my　chin。



〃Mercy；　my　uncle；〃　I　said；　for　I　was　frightened　and　the　knife　hurt。

〃Have　mercy；　and　I　will　do　whatever　you　wish！〃



〃Will　you　do　this？〃　he　asked；　still　pricking　me　with　the　knife。　〃Will

you　get　up；　go　to　find　the　dog's　cattle　and　drive　them　to　a　certain

place；　and　hide　them　there？〃　And　he　named　a　secret　valley　that　was

known　to　very　few。　〃If　you　do　that；　I　will　spare　you　and　give　you

three　of　the　cows。　If　you　refuse　or　play　my　false；　then；　by　my

father's　spirit；　I　will　find　a　way　to　kill　you！〃



〃Certainly　I　will　do　it；　my　uncle；〃　I　answered。　〃Why　did　you　not　trust

me　before？　Had　I　known　that　you　wanted　to　keep　the　cattle；　I　would

never　have　smelt　them　out。　I　only　did　so　fearing　lest　you　should　lose

the　presents。〃



〃You　are　not　so　wicked　as　I　thought；〃　he　growled。　〃Get　up；　then；　and

do　my　bidding。　You　can　be　back　here　two　hours　after　dawn。〃



So　I　got　up；　thinking　all　the　while　whether　I　should　try　to　spring　on

him。　But　I　was　without　arms；　and　he　had　the　knife；　also　if；　by　chance；

I　prevailed　and　killed　him；　it　would　have　been　thought　that　I　had

murdered　him；　and　I　should　have　tasted　the　assegai。　So　I　made　another

plan。　I　would　go　and　find　the　cattle　in　the　valley　where　I　had　smelt

them　out；　but　I　would　not　bring　them　to　the　secret　hiding…place。　No；　I

would　drive　them　straight　to　the　kraal；　and　denounce　Noma　before　the

chief；　my　father；　and　all　the　people。　But　I　was　young　in　those　days；

and　did　not　know　the　heart　of　Noma。　He　had　not　been　a　witch…doctor

till　he　grew　old　for　nothing。　Oh！　he　was　evil！he　was　cunning　as　a

jackal；　and　fierce　like　a　lion。。　He　had　planted　me　by　him　like　a　tree；

but　he　meant　to　keep　me　clipped　like　a　bush。　Now　I　had　grown　tall　and

overshadowed　him；　therefore　he　would　root　me　up。



I　went　to　the　corner　of　my　hut；　Noma　watching　me　all　the　while；　and

took　a　kerrie　and　my　small　shield。　Then　I　started　through　the

moonlight。　Till　I　was　past　the　kraal　I　glided　along　quietly　as　a

shadow。　After　that；　I　began　to　run；　singing　to　myself　as　I　went；　to

frighten　away　the　ghosts；　my　father。



For　an　hour　I　travelled　swiftly　over　the　plain；　till　I　came　to　the

hillside　where　the　bush　began。　Here　it　was　very　dark　under　the　shade

of　the　trees；　and　I　sang　louder　than　ever。　At　last　I　found　the　little

buffalo　path　I　sought；　and　turned　along　it。　Presently　I　came　to　an

open　place；　where　the　moonlight　crept　in　between　the　trees。　I　knelt

down　and　looked。　Yes！　my　snake　had　not　lied　to　me；　there　was　the　spoor

of　the　cattle。　Then　I　went　on　gladly　till　I　reached　a　dell　through

which　the　water　ran　softly；　sometimes　whispering　and　sometimes　talking

out　loud。　Here　the　trail　of　the　cattle　was　broad：　they　had　broken　down

the　ferns　with　their　feet　and　trampled　the　grass。　Presently　I　came　to

a　pool。　I　knew　itit　was　the　pool　my　snake　had　shown　me。　And　there　at

the　edge　of　the　pool　floated　the　drowned　ox；　its　foot　caught　in　a

forked　root。　All　was　just　as　I　had　seen　it　in　my　heart。



I　stepped　forward　and　looked　round。　My　eye　caught　something；　it　was

the　faint　grey　light　of　the　dawn　glinted　on　the　cattle's　horns。　As　I

looked；　one　of　them　snorted；　rose　and　shook　the　dew　from　his　hide。　He

seemed　big　as　an　elephant　in　the　mist　and　twilight。



Then　I　collected　them　allthere　were　seventeenand　drove　them　before

me　down　the　narrow　path　back　towards　the　kraal。　Now　the　daylight　came

quickly；　and　the　sun　had　been　up　an　hour　when　I　reached　the　spot　where

I　must　turn　if　I　wished　to　hide　the　cattle　in　the　secret　place；　as

Noma　had　bid　me。　But　I　would　not　do　this。　No；　I　would　go　on　to　the

kraal　with　them；　and　tell　all　men　that　Noma　was　a　thief。　Still；　I　sat

down　and　rested　awhile；　for　I　was　tired。　As　I　sat；　I　heard　a　noise；

and　looked　up。　There；　over　the　slope　of　the　rise；　came　a　crowd　of　men；

and　leading　them　was　Noma；　and　by　his　side　the　headman　who　owned　the

cattle。　I　rose　and　stood　still；　wondering；　but　as　I　stood；　they　ran

towards　me　shouting　and　waving　sticks　and　spears。



〃There　he　is！〃　screamed　Noma。　〃There　he　is！the　clever　boy　whom　I

have　brought　up　to　bring　shame　on　me。　What　did　I　tell　you？　Did　I　not

tell　you　that　he　was　a　thief？　Yesyes！　I　know　your　tricks；　Mopo；　my

child！　See！　he　is　stealing　the　cattle！　He　knew　where　they　were　all　the

time；　and　now　he　is　taking　them　away　to　hide　them。　They　would　be

useful　to　buy　a　wife　with；　would　they　not；　my　clever　boy？〃　And　he　made

a　rush　at　me；　with　his　stick　lifted；　and　after　him　came　the　headman；

grunting　with　rage。



I　understood　now；　my　father。　My　heart　went　mad　in　me；　everything　began

to　swim　round；　a　red　cloth　seemed　to　lift　itself　up　and　down　before　my

eyes。　I　have　always　seen　it　thus　when　I　was　forced　to　fight。　I

screamed　out　one　word　only；　〃Liar！〃　and　ran　to　meet　him。　On　came　Noma。

He　struck　at　me　with　his　stick；　but　I　caught　the　blow　upon　my　little

shield；　and　hit　back。　Wow！　I　did　hit！　The　skull　of　Noma　met　my　kerrie；

and　down　he　fell　dead　at　my　feet。　I　yelled　again；　and　rushed　on　at　the

headman。　He　threw　an　assegai；　but　it　missed　me；　and　next　second　I　hit

him　too。　He　got　up　his　shield；　but　I　knocked　it　down　upon　his　head；

and　over　he　rolled　senseless。　Whether　he　lived　or　died　I　do　not　know；

my　father；　but　his　head　being　of　the　thickest；　I　think　it　likely　that

he　lived。　Then；　while　the　people　stood　astonished；　I　turned　and　fled

like　the　wind。　They　turned　too；　and　ran　after　me；　throwing　spears　at

me　and　trying　to　cut　me　off。　But　none　of　them　could　catch　meno；　not

one。　I　went　like　the　wind；　I　went　like　a　buck　when　the　dogs　wake　it

from　sleep；　and　presently　the　sound　of　their　chase　grew　fainter　and

fainter；　till　at　last　I　was　out　of　sight　and　alone。







CHAPTER　III



MOPO　VENTURES　HOME



I　threw　myself　down　on　the　grass　and　panted　till　my　breath　came　back；

then　I　went　and　hid　in　a　patch　of　reeds　down　by　a　swamp。　All　day　long

I　lay　there　thinking。　What　was　I　to　do？　Now　I　was　a　jackal　without　a

hole。　If　I　went　back　to　my　people；　certainly　they　would　kill　me；　whom

they　thought　a　thief。　My　blood　would　be　given　for　Noma's；　and　that　I

did　not　wish；　though　my　heart　was　sad。　Then　there　cam