nada the lily-第67章

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

seeks　a　new　wife；　they　tell　me？〃



Now　when　Nada　saw　that　I　had　discovered　her　she　threw　down　the　shield

after　the　spear；　as　a　thing　that　was　of　no　more　use；　and　hung　her　head

sullenly。　But　when　I　spoke　of　dragging　her　to　the　chief　then　she　flung

herself　upon　the　ground；　and　clasped　my　knees；　for　since　I　called　him

old；　she　thought　that　this　chief　could　not　be　Umslopogaas。



〃Oh；　my　father；〃　said　the　Lily；　〃oh；　my　father；　have　pity　on　me！　Yes；

yes！　I　am　a　girl；　a　maidno　wifeand　you　who　are　old；　you；　perchance

have　daughters　such　as　I；　and　in　their　name　I　ask　for　pity。　My　father；

I　have　journeyed　far；　I　have　endured　many　things；　to　find　my　way　to　a

kraal　where　my　brother　rules；　and　now　it　seems　I　have　come　to　the

wrong　kraal。　Forgive　me　that　I　spoke　to　you　so；　my　father；　it　was　but

a　woman's　feint；　and　I　was　hard　pressed　to　hide　my　sex；　for　my　father；

you　know　it　is　ill　to　be　a　lonely　girl　among　strange　men。〃



Now　I　said　nothing　in　answer；　for　this　reason　only：　that　when　I　heard

Nada　call　me　father；　not　knowing　me；　and　saw　her　clasp　my　knees　and

pray　to　me　in　my　daughter's　name；　I；　who　was　childless　save　for　her；

went　nigh　to　weeping。　But　she　thought　that　I　did　not　answer　her

because　I　was　angry；　and　about　to　drag　her　to　this　unknown　chief；　and

implored　me　the　more　even　with　tears。



〃My　father；〃　she　said；　〃do　not　this　wicked　thing　by　me。　Let　me　go　and

show　me　the　path　that　I　shall　ask：　you　who　are　old；　you　know　that　I　am

too　fair　to　be　dragged　before　this　chief　of　yours。　Hearken！　All　I　knew

are　dead；　I　am　alone　except　for　this　brother　I　seek。　Oh！　if　you　betray

me　may　such　a　fate　fall　upon　your　own　daughter　also！　May　she　also　know

the　day　of　slavery；　and　the　love　that　she　wills　not！〃　and　she　ceased；

sobbing。



Now　I　turned　my　head　and　spoke　towards　the　hut；　〃Chief；〃　I　said；　〃your

Ehlose　is　kind　to　you　to…night；　for　he　has　given　you　a　maid　fair　as

the　Lily　of　the　Halakazi〃here　Nada　glanced　up　wildly。　〃Come；　then；

and　take　the　girl。〃



Now　Nada　turned　to　snatch　up　the　assegai　from　the　ground；　but　whether

to　kill　me；　or　the　chief　she　feared　so　much；　or　herself；　I　do　not

know；　and　as　she　turned；　in　her　woe　she　called　upon　the　name　of

Umslopogaas。　She　found　the　assegai；　and　straightened　herself　again。

And　lo！　there　before　her　stood　a　tall　chief　leaning　on　an　axe；　but　the

old　man　who　threatened　her　was　gonenot　very　far；　in　truth；　but　round

the　corner　of　the　hut。



Now　Nada　the　Lily　looked；　then　rubbed　her　eyes；　and　looked　again。



〃Surely　I　dream？〃　she　said　at　last。　〃But　now　I　spoke　to　an　old　man；

and　in　his　place　there　stands　before　me　the　shape　of　one　whom　I　desire

to　see。〃



〃I　thought；　Maiden；　that　the　voice　of　a　certain　Nada　called　upon　one

Umslopogaas；〃　said　he　who　leaned　upon　the　axe。



〃Ay；　I　called：　but　where　is　the　old　man　who　treated　me　so　scurvily？

Nay；　what　does　it　matter？where　he　is；　there　let　him　stop。　At　least；

you　are　Umslopogaas；　my　brother；　or　should　be　by　your　greatness　and

the　axe。　To　the　man　I　cannot　altogether　swear　in　this　light；　but　to

the　axe　I　can　swear；　for　once　it　passed　so　very　near　my　eyes。〃



Thus　she　spoke　on；　gaining　time；　and　all　the　while　she　watched

Umslopogaas　till　she　was　sure　that　it　was　he　and　no　other。　Then　she

ceased　talking；　and；　flinging　herself　on　him；　she　kissed　him。



〃Now　I　trust　that　Zinita　sleeps　sound；〃　murmured　Umslopogaas；　for

suddenly　he　remembered　that　Nada　was　no　sister　of　his；　as　she　thought。



Nevertheless；　he　took　her　by　the　hand　and　said；　〃Enter；　sister。　Of　all

maidens　in　the　world　you　are　the　most　welcome　here；　for　know　I

believed　you　dead。〃



But　I；　Mopo；　ran　into　the　hut　before　her；　and　when　she　entered　she

found　me　sitting　by　the　fire。



〃Now；　here；　my　brother；〃　said　Nada；　pointing　at　me　with　her　finger；

〃here　is　that　old　umfagozan；　that　low　fellow；　who；　unless　I　dream；　but

a　very　little　while　ago　brought　shame　upon　meay；　my　brother；　he

struck　me；　a　maid；　with　his　kerrie；　and　that　only　because　I　said　that

I　would　stab　him　for　his　insolence；　and　he　did　worse：　he　swore　that　he

would　drag　me　to　some　old　chief　of　his　to　be　a　gift　to　him；　and　this

he　was　about　to　do；　had　you　not　come。　Will　you　suffer　these　things　to

go　unpunished；　my　brother？〃



Now　Umslopogaas　smiled　grimly；　and　I　answered：



〃What　was　it　that　you　called　me　just　now；　Nada；　when　you　prayed　me　to

protect　you？　Father；　was　it　not？〃　and　I　turned　my　face　towards　the

blaze　of　the　fire；　so　that　the　full　light　fell　upon　it。



〃Yes；　I　called　you　father；　old　man。　It　is　not　strange；　for　a　homeless

wanderer　must　find　fathers　where　she　canand　yet！　no；　it　cannot　be

so　changedand　that　white　hand？　And　yet；　oh！　who　are　you？　Once　there

was　a　man　named　Mopo；　and　he　had　a　little　daughter；　and　she　was　called

NadaOh！　my　father；　my　father；　I　know　you　now！〃



〃Ay；　Nada；　and　I　knew　you　from　the　first；　through　all　your　man's

wrappings　I　knew　you　after　these　many　years。〃



So　the　Lily　fell　upon　my　neck　and　sobbed　there；　and　I　remember　that　I

also　wept。



Now　when　she　had　sobbed　her　fill　of　joy；　Umslopogaas　brought　Nada　the

Lily　mass　to　eat　and　mealie　porridge。　She　ate　the　curdled　milk；　but

the　porridge　she　would　not　eat；　saying　that　she　was　too　weary。



Then　she　told　us　all　the　tale　of　her　wanderings　since　she　had　fled

away　from　the　side　of　Umslopogaas　at　the　stronghold　of　the　Halakazi；

and　it　was　long；　so　long　that　I　will　not　repeat　it；　for　it　is　a　story

by　itself。　This　I　will　say　only：　that　Nada　was　captured　by　robbers；

and　for　awhile　passed　herself　off　among　them　as　a　youth。　But；　in　the

end；　they　found　her　out　and　would　have　given　her　as　a　wife　to　their

chief；　only　she　persuaded　them　to　kill　the　chief　and　make　her　their

ruler。　They　did　this　because　of　that　medicine　of　the　eyes　which　Nada

had　only　among　women；　for　as　she　ruled　the　Halakazi　so　she　ruled　the

robbers。　But；　at　the　last；　they　all　loved　her；　and　she　gave　it　out

that　she　would　wed　the　strongest。　Then　some　of　them　fell　to　fighting；

and　while　they　killed　each　otherfor　it　came　about　that　Nada　brought

death　upon　the　robbers　as　on　all　othersshe　escaped；　for　she　said

that　she　did　not　wish　to　look　upon　their　struggle　but　would　await　the

upshot　in　a　place　apart。



After　that　she　had　many　further　adventures；　but　at　length　she　met　an

old　woman　who　guided　her　on　her　way　to　the　Ghost　Mountain。　And　who

this　old　woman　was　none　could　discover；　but　Galazi　swore　afterwards

that　she　was　the　Stone　Witch　of　the　mountain；　who　put　on　the　shape　of

an　aged　woman　to　guide　Nada　to　Umslopogaas；　to　be　the　sorrow　and　the

joy　of　the　People　of　the　Axe。　I　do　not　know；　my　father；　yet　it　seems

to　me　that　the　old　witch　would　scarcely　have　put　off　her　stone　for　so

small　a　matter。



Now；　when　Nada　had　made　an　end　of　her　tale；　Umslopogaas　told　his；　of

how　things　had　gone　with　Dingaan。　When　he　told　her　how　he　had　given

the　body　of　the　girl　to　the　king；　saying　that　it　was　the　Lily's　stalk；

she　said　it　had　been　well　done；　and　when　he　spoke　of　the　slaying　of

the　traitor　she　clapped　her　hands；　though　Nada；　whose　heart　was

gentle；　did　not　love　to　hear　of　deeds　of　death。　At　last　he　finished；

and　she　was　somewhat　sad；　and　said　it　seemed　that　her　fate　followed

her；　and　that　now　the　People　of　the　Axe　were　in　danger　at　the　hands　of

Dingaan　because　of　her。



〃Ah！　my　brother；〃　she　cried；　taking　Umslopogaas　by　the　hand；　〃it　were

better　I　should　die　than　that　I　should　bring　evil　upon　you　also。〃



〃That　would　not　mend　matters；　Nada；〃　he　answered。　〃For　whether　you　be

dead　or　alive；　the　hate　of　Dingaan。　Also；　Nada；　know　this：　I　am　not

your　brother。〃



When　the　Lily　heard　these　words　she　uttered　a　little　cry；　and；　letting

fall　the　hand　of　Umslopogaas；　clasped　mine；　shrinking　up　against　me。



〃What　is　this　tale；　father？〃　she　asked。　〃He　who　was　my　twin；　he　with

whom　I　have　been　bred　up；　says　that　he　has　deceived　me　these　many

years；　that　he　is