nada the lily-第66章

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fear　him；　and　did　they　know　that　a　son　of　Chaka　lived；　and　that　son

the　Slaughterer；　he　well　might　climb　to　the　throne　upon　their

shoulders。　Also　the　soldiers　love　the　name　of　Chaka；　though　he　dealt

cruelly　with　them；　because　at　least　he　was　brave　and　generous。　But

they　do　not　love　Dingaan；　for　his　burdens　are　the　burdens　of　Chaka　but

his　gifts　are　the　gifts　of　Dingaan；　therefore　they　would　welcome

Chaka's　son　if　once　they　knew　him　for　certain。　But　it　is　here　that　the

necklet　chafes；　for　there　is　but　my　word　to　prove　it。　Yet　I　will　try。〃



〃Perhaps　it　is　worth　trying　and　perhaps　it　is　not；　my　uncle；〃　answered

Umslopogaas。　〃One　thing　I　know：　I　had　rather　see　Nada　at　my　gates　to…

night　than　hear　all　the　chiefs　in　the　land　crying　'Hail；　O　King！'〃



〃You　will　live　to　think　otherwise；　Umslopogaas；　and　now　spies　must　be

set　at　the　kraal　Umgugundhlovu　to　give　us　warning　of　the　mind　of　the

king；　lest　he　should　send　an　impi　suddenly　to　eat　you　up。　Perhaps　his

hands　may　be　too　full　for　that　ere　long；　for　those　white　Amaboona　will

answer　his　assegais　with　bullets。　And　one　more　word：　let　nothing　be

said　of　this　matter　of　your　birth；　least　of　all　to　Zinita　your　wife；

or　to　any　other　woman。〃



〃Fear　not；　uncle；〃　he　answered；　〃I　know　how　to　be　silent。〃



Now　after　awhile　Umslopogaas　left　me　and　went　to　the　hut　of　Zinita；

his　Inkosikasi；　where　she　lay　wrapped　in　her　blankets；　and；　as　it

seemed；　asleep。



〃Greeting；　my　husband；〃　she　said　slowly；　like　one　who　wakens。　〃I　have

dreamed　a　strange　dream　of　you。　I　dreamed　that　you　were　called　a　king；

and　that　all　the　regiments　of　the　Zulus　filed　past　giving　you　the

royal　salute；　Bayete。〃



Umslopogaas　looked　at　her　wondering；　for　he　did　not　know　if　she　had

learned　something　or　if　this　was　an　omen。　〃Such　dreams　are　dangerous；〃

he　said；　〃and　he　who　dreams　them　does　well　to　lock　them　fast　till　they

be　forgotten。〃



〃Or　fulfilled；〃　said　Zinita；　and　again　Umslopogaas　looked　at　her

wondering。



Now　after　this　night　I　began　my　work；　for　I　established　spies　at　the

kraal　of　Dingaan；　and　from　them　I　learned　all　that　passed　with　the

king。



At　first　he　gave　orders　that　an　impi　should　be　summoned　to　eat　up　the

People　of　the　Axe；　but　afterwards　came　tidings　that　the　Boers；　to　the

number　of　five　hundred　mounted　men；　were　marching　on　the　kraal

Umgugundhlovu。　So　Dingaan　had　no　impi　to　spare　to　send　to　the　Ghost

Mountain；　and　we　who　were　beneath　its　shadow　dwelt　there　in　peace。



This　time　for　Boers　were　beaten；　for　Bogoza；　the　spy；　led　them　into　an

ambush；　still　few　were　killed；　and　they　did　but　draw　back　that　they

might　jump　the　further；　and　Dingaan　knew　this。　At　this　time　also　the

English　white　men　of　Natal；　the　people　of　George；　who　attacked　Dingaan

by　the　Lower　Tugela；　were　slain　by　our　soldiers；　and　those　with　them。



Also；　by　the　help　of　certain　witch…doctors；　I　filled　the　land　with

rumours；　prophecies；　and　dark　sayings；　and　I　worked　cunningly　on　the

minds　of　many　chiefs　that　were　known　to　me；　sending　them　messages

hardly　to　be　understood；　such　as　should　prepare　their　thoughts　for　the

coming　of　one　who　should　be　declared　to　them。　They　listened；　but　the

task　was　long；　for　the　men　dwelt　far　apart；　and　some　of　them　were　away

with　the　regiments。



So　the　time　went　by；　till　many　days　had　passed　since　we　reached　the

Ghost　Mountain。　Umslopogaas　had　no　more　words　with　Zinita；　but　she

always　watched　him；　and　he　went　heavily。　For　he　awaited　Nada；　and　Nada

did　not　come。



But　at　length　Nada　came。







CHAPTER　XXX



THE　COMING　OF　NADA



One　nightit　was　a　night　of　full　moonI　sat　alone　with　Umslopogaas

in　my　hut；　and　we　spoke　of　the　matter　of　our　plots；　then；　when　we　had

finished　that　talk；　we　spoke　of　Nada　the　Lily。



〃Alas！　my　uncle；〃　said　Umslopogaas　sadly；　〃we　shall　never　look　more　on

Nada；　she　is　surely　dead　or　in　bonds；　otherwise　she　had　been　here　long

ago。　I　have　sought　far　and　wide；　and　can　hear　no　tidings　and　find

nothing。〃



〃All　that　is　hidden　is　not　lost；〃　I　answered；　yet　I　myself　believed

that　there　was　an　end　of　Nada。



Then　we　were　silent　awhile；　and　presently；　in　the　silence；　a　dog

barked。　We　rose；　and　crept　out　of　the　hut　to　see　what　it　might　be　that

stirred；　for　the　night　drew　on；　and　it　was　needful　to　be　wary；　since　a

dog　might　bark　at　the　stirring　of　a　leaf；　or　perhaps　it　might　be　the

distant　footfall　of　an　impi　that　it　heard。



We　had　not　far　to　look；　for　standing　gazing　at　the　huts；　like　one　who

is　afraid　to　call；　was　a　tall　slim　man；　holding　an　assegai　in　one　hand

and　a　little　shield　in　the　other。　We　could　not　see　the　face　of　the

man；　because　the　light　was　behind　him；　and　a　ragged　blanket　hung　about

his　shoulders。　Also；　he　was　footsore；　for　he　rested　on　one　leg。　Now　we

were　peering　round　the　hut；　and　its　shadow　hid　us；　so　that　the　man　saw

nothing。　For　awhile　he　stood　still；　then　he　spoke　to　himself；　and　his

voice　was　strangely　soft。



〃Here　are　many　huts；〃　said　the　voice；　〃now　how　may　I　know　which　is　the

house　of　my　brother？　Perhaps　if　I　call　I　shall　bring　soldiers　to　me；

and　be　forced　to　play　the　man　before　them；　and　I　am　weary　of　that。

Well；　I　will　lie　here　under　the　fence　till　morning；　it　is　a　softer　bed

than　some　I　have　found；　and　I　am　word　out　with　travelsleep　I　must；〃

and　the　figure　sighed　and　turned　so　that　the　light　of　the　moon　fell

full　upon　its　face。



My　father；　it　was　the　face　of　Nada；　my　daughter；　whom　I　had　not　seen

for　so　many　years；　yet　across　the　years　I　knew　it　at　once；　yes；　though

the　bud　had　become　a　flower　I　knew　it。　The　face　was　weary　and　worn；

but　ah！　it　was　beautiful；　never　before　nor　since　have　I　seen　such

beauty；　for　there　was　this　about　the　loveliness　of　my　daughter；　the

Lily：　it　seemed　to　flow　from　withinyes；　as　light　will　flow　through

the　thin　rind　of　a　gourd；　and　in　that　she　differed　from　the　other

women　of　our　people；　who；　when　they　are　fair　are　fair　with　the　flesh

alone。



Now　my　heart　went　out　to　Nada　as　she　stood　in　the　moonlight；　one

forsaken；　not　having　where　to　lay　her　head；　Nada；　who　alone　was　left

alive　of　all　my　children。　I　motioned　to　Umslopogaas　to　hide　himself　in

the　shadow；　and　stepped　forward。



〃Ho！〃　I　said　roughly；　〃who　are　you；　wanderer；　and　what　do　you　here？〃



Now　Nada　started　like　a　frightened　bird；　but　quickly　gathered　up　her

thoughts；　and　turned　upon　me　in　a　lordly　way。



〃Who　are　you　that　ask　me？〃　she　said；　feigning　a　man's　voice。



〃One　who　can　use　a　stick　upon　thieves　and　night…prowlers；　boy。　Come；

show　your　business　or　be　moving。　You　are　not　of　this　people；　surely

that　moocha　is　of　a　Swazi　make；　and　here　we　do　not　love　Swazis。〃



〃Were　you　not　old；　I　would　beat　you　for　your　insolence；〃　said　Nada；

striving　to　look　brave　and　all　the　while　searching　a　way　to　escape。

〃Also；　I　have　no　stick；　only　a　spear；　and　that　is　for　warriors；　not

for　an　old　umfagozan　like　you。〃　Ay；　my　father；　I　lived　to　hear　my

daughter　name　me　an　umfagozana　low　fellow！



Now　making　pretence　to　be　angry；　I　leaped　at　her　with　my　kerrie　up；

and；　forgetting　her　courage；　she　dropped　her　spear；　and　uttered　a

little　scream。　But　she　still　held　the　shield　before　her　face。　I　seized

her　by　the　arm；　and　struck　a　blow　upon　the　shield　with　my　kerrieit

would　scarcely　have　crushed　a　fly；　but　this　brave　warrior　trembled

sorely。



〃Where　now　is　your　valour；　you　who　name　my　umfagozan？〃　I　said：　〃you

who　cry　like　a　maid　and　whose　arm　is　soft　as　a　maid's。〃



She　made　no　answer；　but　hugged　her　tattered　blanket　round　her；　and

shifting　my　grip　from　her　arm；　I　seized　it　and　rent　it；　showing　her

breast　and　shoulder；　then　I　let　her　go；　laughing；　and　said：



〃Lo！　here　is　the　warrior　that　would　beat　an　old　umfagozan　for　his

insolence；　a　warrior　well　shaped　for　war！　Now；　my　pretty　maid　who

wander　at　night　in　the　garment　of　a　man；　what　tale　have　you　to　tell？

Swift　with　it；　lest　I　drag　you　to　the　chief　as　his　prize！　The　old　man

seeks　a　new　wife；　they　tell　me？〃



Now