nada the lily-第75章

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

not　elsewhere　in　the　world；　and　they　seemed　afire；　for　the　sunset　beat

upon　them；　and　the　wolves　crept　round　their　feet；　red　with　blood　and

fire。



〃A　glorious　pair！〃　quoth　great　Faku；　〃would　that　I　fought　with　them

rather　than　against　them！　Yet；　they　must　die！〃　Then　he　began　to　climb

to　the　knees　of　the　Witch。



Now　Umslopogaas　glanced　up　at　the　stone　face　of　her　who　sat　aloft；　and

it　was　alight　with　the　sunset。



〃Said　I　not　that　the　old　Witch　should　smile　at　this　fray？〃　he　cried。

〃Lo！　she　smiles！　Up；　Galazi；　let　us　spend　the　remnant　of　our　people　on

the　foe；　and　fight　this　fight　out；　man　to　man；　with　no　beast　to　spoil

it！　Ho！　Blood　and　Greysnout！　ho！　Deathgrip！　ho！　wood…dwellers　grey　and

black；　at　them；　my　children！〃



The　wolves　heard；　they　were　few　and　they　were　sorry　to　see；　with

weariness　and　wounds；　but　still　they　were　fierce。　With　a　howl；　for　the

last　time　they　leaped　down　upon　the　foe；　tearing；　harrying；　and

killing　till　they　themselves　were　dead　by　the　spear；　every　one　of　them

except　Deathgrip；　who　crept　back　sorely　wounded　to　die　with　Galazi。



〃Now　I　am　a　chief　without　a　people；〃　cried　Galazi。　〃Well；　it　has　been

my　lot　in　life。　So　it　was　in　the　Halakazi　kraals；　so　it　is　on　Ghost

Mountain　at　the　last；　and　so　also　shall　it　be　even　for　the　greatest

kings　when　they　come　to　their　ends；　seeing　that　they；　too；　must　die

alone。　Say；　Slaughterer；　choose　where　you　will　stand；　to　the　left　or

to　the　right。〃



Now；　my　father；　the　track　below　separated；　because　of　a　boulder；　and

there　were　two　little　paths　which　led　to　the　platform　of　the　Witch's

knees　with；　perhaps；　ten　paces　between　them。　Umslopogaas　guarded　the

left…hand　path　and　Galazi　took　the　right。　Then　they　waited；　having

spears　in　their　hands。　Presently　the　soldiers　came　round　the　rock　and

rushed　up　against　them；　some　on　one　path　and　some　on　the　other。



Then　the　brethren　hurled　their　spears　at　them　and　killed　three　men。

Now　the　assegais　were　done；　and　the　foe　was　on　them。　Umslopogaas　bends

forward；　his　long　arm　shoots　out；　the　axe　gleams；　and　a　man　who　came

on　falls　back。



〃One！〃　cries　Umslopogaas。



〃One；　my　brother！〃　answers　Galazi；　as　he　draws　back　the　Watcher　from

his　blow。



A　soldier　rushes　forward；　singing。　To　and　fro　he　moves　in　front　of

Umslopogaas；　his　spear　poised　to　strike。　Groan…Maker　swoops　down；　but

the　man　leaps　back；　the　blow　misses；　and　the　Slaughterer's　guard　is

down。



〃A　poor　stroke；　Sorcerer！〃　cries　the　man　as　he　rushes　in　to　stab　him。

Lo！　the　axe　wheels　in　the　air；　it　circles　swiftly　low　down　by　the

ground；　it　smites　upward。　Before　the　spearsman　can　strike　the　horn　of

Groan…Maker　has　sped　from　chin　to　brain。



〃But　a　good　return；　fool！〃　says　Umslopogaas。



〃Two！〃　cries　Galazi；　from　the　right。



〃Two！　my　brother；〃　answers　Umslopogaas。



Again　two　men　come　on；　one　against　each；　to　find　no　better　luck。　The

cry　of　〃Three！〃　passes　from　brother　to　brother；　and　after　it　rises　the

cry　of　〃Four！〃



Now　Faku　bids　the　men　who　are　left　to　hold　their　shields　together　and

push　the　two　from　the　mouths　of　the　paths；　and　this　they　do；　losing

four　more　men　at　the　hands　of　the　brethren　before　it　is　done。



〃Now　we　are　on　the　open！　Ring　them　round　and　down　with　them！〃　cries

Faku。



But　who　shall　ring　round　Groan…Maker　that　shines　on　all　sides　at　once；

Groan…Maker　who　falls　heavily　no　more；　but　pecks　and　pecks　and　pecks

like　a　wood…bird　on　a　tree；　and　never　pecks　in　vain？　Who　shall　ring

round　those　feet　swifter　than　the　Sassaby　of　the　plains？　Wow！　He　is

here！　He　is　there！　He　is　a　sorcerer！　Death　is　in　his　hand；　and　death

looks　out　of　his　eyes！



Galazi　lives　yet；　for　still　there　comes　the　sound　of　the　Watcher　as　it

thunders　on　the　shields；　and　the　Wolf's　hoarse　cry　of　the　number　of

the　slain。　He　has　a　score　of　wounds；　yet　he　fights　on！　his　leg　is

almost　hewn　from　him　with　an　axe；　yet　he　fights　on！　His　back　is

pierced　again　and　again；　yet　he　fights　on！　But　two　are　left　alive

before　him；　one　twists　round　and　spears　him　from　behind。　He　heeds　it

not；　but　smites　down　the　foe　in　front。　Then　he　turns　and；　whirling　the

Watcher　on　high；　brings　him　down　for　the　last　time；　and　so　mightily

that　the　man　before　him　is　crushed　like　an　egg。



Galazi　brushes　the　blood　from　his　eyes　and　glares　round　on　the　dead。

〃All！　Slaughterer；〃　he　cries。



〃All　save　two；　my　brother；〃　comes　the　answer；　sounding　above　the　clash

of　steel　and　the　sound　of　smitten　shields。



Now　the　Wolf　would　come　to　him；　but　cannot；　for　his　life　ebbs。



〃Fare　you　well；　my　brother！　Death　is　good！　Thus；　indeed；　I　would　die；

for　I　have　made　me　a　mat　of　men　to　lie　on；〃　he　cried　with　a　great

voice。



〃Fare　you　well！　Sleep　softly；　Wolf！〃　came　the　answer。　〃All　save　one！〃



Now　Galazi　fell　dying　on　the　dead；　but　he　was　not　altogether　gone；　for

he　still　spoke。　〃All　save　one！　Ha！　ha！　ill　for　that　one　then　when

Groan…Maker　yet　is　up。　It　is　well　to　have　lived　so　to　die。　Victory！

Victory！〃



And　Galazi　the　Wolf　struggled　to　his　knees　and　for　the　last　time　shook

the　Watcher　about　his　head；　then　fell　again　and　died。



Umslopogaas；　the　son　of　Chaka；　and　Faku；　the　captain　of　Dingaan；　gazed

on　each　other。　They　alone　were　left　standing　upon　the　mountain；　for

the　rest　were　all　down。　Umslopogaas　had　many　wounds。　Faku　was　unhurt；

he　was　a　strong　man；　also　armed　with　an　axe。



Faku　laughed　aloud。　〃So　it　has　come　to　this；　Slaughterer；〃　he　said；

〃that　you　and　I　must　settle　whether　the　king's　word　be　done　or　no。

Well；　I　will　say　that　however　it　should　fall　out；　I　count　it　a　great

fortune　to　have　seen　this　fight；　and　the　highest　of　honours　to　have

had　to　do　with　two　such　warriors。　Rest　you　a　little；　Slaughterer；

before　we　close。　That　wolf…brother　of　yours　died　well；　and　if　it　is

given　me　to　conquer　in　this　bout；　I　will　tell　the　tale　of　his　end　from

kraal　to　kraal　throughout　the　land；　and　it　shall　be　a　tale　forever。〃







CHAPTER　XXXIV



THE　LILY'S　FAREWELL



Umslopogaas　listened；　but　he　made　no　answer　to　the　words　of　Faku　the

captain；　though　he　liked　them　well；　for　he　would　not　waste　his　breath

in　talking；　and　the　light　grew　low。



〃I　am　ready；　Man　of　Dingaan；〃　he　said；　and　lifted　his　axe。



Now　for　awhile　the　two　circled　round　and　round；　each　waiting　for　a

chance　to　strike。　Presently　Faku　smote　at　the　head　of　Umslopogaas；　but

the　Slaughterer　lifted　Groan…Maker　to　ward　the　blow。　Faku　crooked　his

arm　and　let　the　axe　curl　downwards；　so　that　its　keen　edge　smote

Umslopogaas　upon　the　head；　severing　his　man's　ring　and　the　scalp

beneath。



Made　mad　with　the　pain；　the　Slaughterer　awoke；　as　it　were。　He　grasped

Groan…maker　with　both　hands　and　struck　thrice。　The　first　blow　hewed

away　the　plumes　and　shield　of　Faku；　and　drive　him　back　a　spear's

length；　the　second　missed　its　aim；　the　third　and　mightiest　twisted　in

his　wet　hands；　so　that　the　axe　smote　sideways。　Nevertheless；　it　fell

full　on　the　breast　of　the　captain　Faku；　shattering　his　bones；　and

sweeping　him　from　the　ledge　of　rock　on　to　the　slope　beneath；　where　he

lay　still。



〃It　is　finished　with　the　daylight；〃　said　Umslopogaas；　smiling　grimly。

〃Now；　Dingaan；　send　more　Slayers　to　seek　your　slain；〃　and　he　turned　to

find　Nada　in　the　cave。



But　Faku　the　captain　was　not　yet　dead；　though　he　was　hurt　to　death。　He

sat　up；　and　with　his　last　strength　he　hurled　the　axe　in　his　hand　at

him　whose　might　had　prevailed　against　him。　The　axe　sped　true；　and

Umslopogaas　did　not　see　it　fly。　It　sped　true；　and　its　point　struck　him

on　the　left　temple；　driving　in　the　bone　and　making　a　great　hole。　Then

Faku　fell　back　dying；　and　Umslopogaas　threw　up　his　arms　and　dropped

like　an　ox　drops　beneath　the　blow　of　the　butcher；　and　lay　as　one　dead；

under　the　shadow　of　a　stone。



All　day　long　Nada　crouched　in　the　cave　listening　to　the　sounds　of　war

that　crept　faintly　up　the　mountain　side；　howling　of　wolves；　shouti