nada the lily-第74章

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no　more。　Now　the　foe　draws　on；　they　have　travelled　round　about　by　the

ford；　for　they　dared　not　face　the　torrent；　and　they　cried　to　me　that

they　are　sworn　to　slay　us　or　be　slain；　as　Dingaan；　the　king；

commanded。　So　the　fighting　will　be　of　the　best；　if；　indeed；　they　do

not　run　before　the　fangs　of　the　Grey　People。　Now；　Chief；　speak　your

word　that　I　may　obey　it。〃



Thus　Galazi　spoke　in　the　circle　of　the　wolves；　while　Umslopogaas

leaned　upon　his　Axe　Groan…Maker；　and　listened　to　him；　ay；　and　wept　as

he　listened；　for　after　the　Lily　and　me；　Mopo；　he　loved　Galazi　most

dearly　of　all　who　lived。　Then　he　answered：



〃Were　it　not　for　one　in　the　cave　above；　who　is　helpless　and　tender；　I

would　swear　to　you；　Wolf；　that　if　you　fall；　on　your　carcase　I　will

die；　and　I　do　swear　that；　should　you　fall；　while　I　live　Groan…Maker

shall　be　busy　from　year　to　year　till　every　man　of　yonder　impi　is　as

you　are。　Perchance　I　did　ill；　Galazi；　when　first　I　hearkened　to　the

words　of　Zinita　and　suffered　women　to　come　between　us。　May　we　one　day

find　a　land　where　there　are　no　women；　and　war　only；　for　in　that　land

we　shall　grow　great。　But　now；　at　the　least；　we　will　make　a　good　end　to

this　fellowship；　and　the　Grey　People　shall　fight　their　fill；　and　the

old　Witch　who　sits　aloft　waiting　for　the　world　to　die　shall　smile　to

see　that　fight；　if　she　never　smiled　before。　This　is　my　word：　that　we

fall　upon　the　men　of　Dingaan　twice；　once　in　the　glade　of　the　forest

whither　they　will　come　presently；　and；　if　we　are　beaten　back；　then　we

must　stand　for　the　last　time　on　the　knees　of　the　Witch　in　front　of　the

cave　where　Nada　is。　Say；　Wolf；　will　the　Grey　Folk　fight？〃



〃To　the　last；　brother；　so　long　as　one　is　left　to　lead　them；　after　that

I　do　not　know！　Still　they　have　only　fangs　to　set　against　spears。

Slaughterer；　your　plan　is　good。　Come；　I　am　rested。〃



So　they　rose　and　numbered　their　flock；　and　all　were　there；　though　it

was　not　as　it　had　been　years　ago　when　first　the　Wolf…Brethren　hunted

on　Ghost　Mountain；　for　many　of　the　wolves　had　died　by　men's　spears

when　they　harried　the　kraals　of　men；　and　no　young　were　born　to　them。

Then；　as　once　before；　the　pack　was　halved；　and　half；　the　she…wolves；

went　with　Umslopogaas；　and　half；　the　dog…wolves；　went　with　Galazi。



Now　they　passed　down　the　forest　paths　and　hid　in　the　tangle　of　the

thickets　at　the　head　of　the　darksome　glen；　one　on　each　side　of　the

glen。　Here　they　waited　till　they　heard　the　footfall　of　the　impi　of　the

king's　Slayers；　as　it　came　slowly　along　seeking　them。　In　front　of　the

impi　went　two　soldiers　watching　for　an　ambush；　and　these　two　men　were

the　same　who　had　talked　together　that　dawn　when　Galazi　sprang　between

them。　Now　also　they　spoke　as　they　peered　this　way　and　that；　then；

seeing　nothing；　stood　awhile　in　the　mouth　of　the　glen　waiting　the

coming　of　their　company；　and　their　words　came　to　the　ears　of

Umslopogaas。



〃An　awful　place　this；　my　brother；〃　said　one。　〃A　place　full　of　ghosts

and　strange　sounds；　of　hands　that　seem　to　press　us　back；　and　whinings

as　of　invisible　wolves。　It　is　named　Ghost　Mountain；　and　well　named。

Would　that　the　king　had　found　other　business　for　us　than　the　slaying

of　these　sorcerersfor　they　are　sorcerers　indeed；　and　this　is　the

home　of　their　sorceries。　Tell　me；　brother；　what　was　that　which　leaped

between　us　this　morning　in　the　dark！　I　say　it　was　a　wizard。　Wow！　they

are　all　wizards。　Could　any　who　was　but　a　man　have　done　the　deeds　which

he　who　is　named　the　Wolf　wrought　down　by　the　river　yonder；　and　then

have　escaped？　Had　the　Axe　but　stayed　with　the　Club　they　would　have

eaten　up　our　impi。〃



〃The　Axe　had　a　woman　to　watch；〃　laughed　the　other。　〃Yes；　it　is　true

this　is　a　place　of　wizards　and　evil　things。　Methinks　I　see　the　red

eyes　of　the　Esedowana　glaring　at　us　through　the　dark　of　the　trees　and

smell　their　smell。　Yet　these　wizards　must　be　caught；　for　know　this；　my

brother：　if　we　return　to　Umgugundhlovu　with　the　king's　command　undone；

then　there　are　stakes　hardening　in　the　fire　of　which　we　shall　taste

the　point。　If　we　are　all　killed　in　the　catching；　and　some；　it　seems；

are　missing　already；　yet　they　must　be　caught。　Say；　my　brother；　shall

we　draw　on？　The　impi　is　nigh。　Would　that　Faku；　our　captain　yonder；

might　find　two　others　to　take　our　place；　for　in　this　thicket　I　had

rather　run　last　than　first。　Well；　here　leads　the　spoora　wondrous

mass　of　wolf…spoor　mixed　with　the　footprints　of　men；　perhaps　they　are

sometimes　the　one　and　sometimes　the　otherwho　knows；　my　brother？　It

is　a　land　of　ghosts　and　wizards。　Let　us　on！　Let　us　on！〃



Now　all　this　while　the　Wolf…Brethren　had　much　ado　to　keep　their　people

quiet；　for　their　mouths　watered　and　their　eyes　shone　at　the　sight　of

the　men；　and　at　length　it　could　be　done　no　more；　for　with　a　howl　a

single　she…wolf　rushed　from　her　laid　and　leapt　at　the　throat　of　the

man　who　spoke；　nor　did　she　miss　her　grip。　Down　went　wolf　and　man；

rolling　together　on　the　ground；　and　there　they　killed　each　other。



〃The　Esedowana！　the　Esedowana　are　upon　us！〃　cried　the　other　scout；

and；　turning；　fled　towards　the　impi。　But　he　never　reached　it；　for　with

fearful　howlings　the　ghost…wolves　broke　their　cover　and　rushed　on　him

from　the　right　and　the　left；　and　lo！　there　was　nothing　of　him　left

except　his　spear　alone。



Now　a　low　cry　of　fear　rose　from　the　impi；　and　some　turned　to　fly；　but

Faku；　the　captain；　a　great　and　brave　man；　shouted　to　them；　〃Stand

firm；　children　of　the　king；　stand　firm；　these　are　no　Esedowana；　these

are　but　the　Wolf…Brethren　and　their　pack。　What！　will　ye　run　from　dogs；

ye　who　have　laughed　at　the　spears　of　men？　Ring　round！　Stand　fast！〃



The　soldiers　heard　the　voice　of　their　captain；　and　they　obeyed　his

voice；　forming　a　double　circle；　a　ring　within　a　ring。　They　looked　to

the　right；　there；　Groan…Maker　aloft；　the　wolf　fangs　on　his　brow；　the

worn　wolf…hide　streaming　on　the　wind；　Bulalio　rushed　upon　them　like　a

storm；　and　with　him　came　his　red…eyed　company。　They　looked　to　the　left

ah；　well　they　know　that　mighty　Watcher！　Have　they　not　heard　his

strokes　down　by　the　river；　and　well　they　know　the　giant　who　wields　it

like　a　wand；　the　Wolf　King；　with　the　strength　of　ten！　Wow！　They　are

here！　See　the　people　black　and　grey；　hear　them　howl　their　war…chant！

Look　how　they　leap　like　waterleap　in　a　foam　of　fangs　against　the

hedge　of　spears！　The　circle　is　broken；　Groan…Maker　has　broken　it！　Ha！

Galazi　also　is　through　the　double　ring；　now　must　men　stand　back　to

back　or　perish！



How　long　did　it　last？　Who　can　say？　Time　flies　fast　when　blows　fall

thick。　At　length　the　brethren　are　beaten　back；　they　break　out　as　they

broke　in；　and　are　gone；　with　such　of　their　wolf…folk　as　were　left

alive。　Yet　that　impi　was　somewhat　the　worse；　but　one…third　of　those

lived　who　looked　on　the　sun　without　the　forest；　the　rest　lay　smitten；

torn；　mangled；　dead；　hidden　under　the　heaps　of　bodies　of　wild　beasts。



〃Now　this　is　a　battle　of　evil　spirits　that　live　in　the　shapes　of

wolves；　and　as　for　the　Wolf…Brethren；　they　are　sorcerers　of　the

rarest；〃　said　Faku　the　captain；　〃and　such　sorcerers　I　love；　for　they

fight　furiously。　Yet　I　will　slay　them　or　be　slain。　At　the　least；　if

there　be　few　of　us　left；　the　most　of　the　wolves　are　dead　also；　and　the

arms　of　the　wizards　grow　weary。〃



So　he　moved　forward　up　the　mountain　with　those　of　the　soldiers　who

remained；　and　all　the　way　the　wolves　harried　them；　pulling　down　a　man

here　and　a　man　there；　but　though　they　heard　and　saw　them　cheering　on

their　pack　the　Wolf…Brethren　attacked　them　no　more；　for　they　saved

their　strength　for　the　last　fight　of　all。



The　road　was　long　up　the　mountain；　and　the　soldiers　knew　little　of　the

path；　and　ever　the　ghost…wolves　harried　on　their　flanks。　So　it　was

evening　before　they　came　to　the　feet　of　the　stone　Witch；　and　began　to

climb　to　the　platform　of　her　knees。　There；　on　her　knees　as　it　were；

they　saw　the　Wolf…Brethren　standing　side　by　side；　such　a　pair　as　were

not　elsewhere　in　the　world；　and　they　see