nada the lily-第76章

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

of　men；　and　the　clamour　of　iron　on　iron。　All　day　long　she　sat；　and　now

evening　came　apace；　and　the　noise　of　battle　drew　near；　swelled；　and

sank；　and　died　away。　She　heard　the　voices　of　the　Wolf…Brethren　as　they

called　to　each　other　like　bucks；　naming　the　number　of　the　slain。　She

heard　Galazi's　cry　of　〃Victory！〃　and　her　heart　leapt　to　it；　though　she

knew　that　there　was　death　in　the　cry。　Then　for　the　last　time　she　heard

the　faint　ringing　of　iron　on　iron；　and　the　light　went　out　and　all　grew

still。



All　grew　still　as　the　night。　There　came　no　more　shouting　of　men　and　no

more　clash　of　arms；　no　howlings　of　wolves；　no　cries　of　pain　or　triumph

all　was　quiet　as　death；　for　death　had　taken　all。



For　awhile　Nada　the　Lily　sat　in　the　dark　of　the　cave；　saying　to

herself；　〃Presently　he　will　come；　my　husband；　he　will　surely　come；　the

Slayers　are　slainhe　does　not　but　tarry　to　bind　his　wounds；　a

scratch；　perchance；　here　and　there。　Yes；　he　will　come；　and　it　is　well；

for　I　am　weary　of　my　loneliness；　and　this　place　is　grim　and　evil。〃



Thus　she　spoke　to　herself　in　hope；　but　nothing　came　except　the

silence。　Then　she　spoke　again；　and　her　voice　echoed　in　the　hollow

cave。　〃Now　I　will　be　bold；　I　will　fear　nothing；　I　will　push　aside　the

stone　and　go　out　to　find　him。　I　know　well　he　does　but　linger　to　tend

some　who　are　wounded；　perhaps　Galazi。　Doubtless　Galazi　is　wounded。　I

must　go　and　nurse　him；　though　he　never　loved　me；　and　I　do　not　love　him

overmuch　who　would　stand　between　me　and　my　husband。　This　wild　wolf…man

is　a　foe　to　women；　and；　most　of　all；　a　foe　to　me；　yet　I　will　be　kind

to　him。　Come；　I　will　go　at　once；〃　and　she　rose　and　pushed　at　the　rock。



Why；　what　was　this？　It　did　not　stir。　Then　she　remembered　that　she　had

pulled　it　beyond　the　socket　because　of　her　fear　of　the　wolf；　and　that

the　rock　had　slipped　a　little　way　down　the　neck　of　the　cave。

Umslopogaas　had　told　her　that　she　must　not　do　this；　and　she　had

forgotten　his　words　in　her　foolishness。　Perhaps　she　could　move　the

stone；　no；　not　by　the　breadth　of　a　grain　of　corn。　She　was　shut　in；

without　food　or　water；　and　here　she　must　bide　till　Umslopogaas　came。

And　if　he　did　not　come？　Then　she　must　surely　die。



Now　she　shrieked　aloud　in　her　fear；　calling　on　the　name　of

Umslopogaas。　The　walls　of　the　cave　answered　〃Umslopogaas！

Umslopogaas！〃　and　that　was　all。



Afterwards　madness　fell　upon　Nada；　my　daughter；　and　she　lay　in　the

cave　for　days　and　nights；　nor　knew　ever　how　long　she　lay。　And　with　her

madness　came　visions；　for　she　dreamed　that　the　dead　One　whom　Galazi

had　told　her　of　sat　once　more　aloft　in　his　niche　at　the　end　of　the

cave　and　spoke　to　her；　saying：



〃Galazi　is　dead！　The　fate　of　him　who　bears　the　Watcher　has　fallen　on

him。　Dead　are　the　ghost…wolves；　I　also　am　of　hunger　in　this　cave；　and

as　I　died　so　shall　you　die；　Nada　the　Lily！　Nada；　Star　of　Death！

because　of　whose　beauty　and　foolishness　all　this　death　has　come

about。〃



This　is　seemed　to　Nada；　in　her　madness；　that　the　shadow　of　him　who　had

sat　in　the　niche　spoke　to　her　from　hour　to　hour。



It　seemed　to　Nada；　in　her　madness；　that　twice　the　light　shone　through

the　hole　by　the　rock；　and　that　was　day；　and　twice　it　went　out；　and

that　was　night。　A　third　time　the　ray　shone　and　died　away；　and　lo！　her

madness　left　her；　and　she　awoke　to　know　that　she　was　dying；　and　that　a

voice　she　loved　spoke　without　the　hole；　saying　in　hollow　accents：



〃Nada？　Do　you　still　live；　Nada？〃



〃Yea；〃　she　answered　hoarsely。　〃Water！　give　me　water！〃



Next　she　heard　a　sound　as　of　a　great　snake　dragging　itself　along

painfully。　A　while　passed；　then　a　trembling　hand　thrust　a　little　gourd

of　water　through　the　hole。　She　drank；　and　now　she　could　speak；　though

the　water　seemed　to　flow　through　her　veins　like　fire。



〃Is　it　indeed　you；　Umslopogaas？〃　she　said；　〃or　are　you　dead；　and　do　I

dream　of　you？〃



〃It　is　I；　Nada；〃　said　the　voice。　〃Hearken！　have　you　drawn　the　rock

home？〃



〃Alas！　yes；〃　she　answered。　〃Perhaps；　if　the　two　of　us　strive　at　it；　it

will　move。〃



〃Ay；　if　our　strength　were　what　it　wasbut　now！　Still；　let　us　try。〃



So　they　strove　with　a　rock；　but　the　two　of　them　together　had　not　the

strength　of　a　girl；　and　it　would　not　stir。



〃Give　over；　Umslopogaas；〃　said　Nada；　〃we　do　but　waste　the　time　that　is

left　to　me。　Let　us　talk！〃



For　awhile　there　was　no　answer；　for　Umslopogaas　had　fainted；　and　Nada

beat　her　breast；　thinking　that　he　was　dead。



Presently　he　spoke；　however；　saying；　〃It　may　not　be；　we　must　perish

here；　one　on　each　side　of　the　stone；　not　seeing　the　other's　face；　for

my　might　is　as　water；　nor　can　I　stand　upon　my　feet　to　go　and　seek　for

food。〃



〃Are　you　wounded；　Umslopogaas？〃　asked　Nada。



〃Ay；　Nada；　I　am　pierced　to　the　brain　with　the　point　of　an　axe；　no　fair

stroke；　the　captain　of　Dingaan　hurled　it　at　me　when　I　thought　him

dead；　and　I　fell。　I　do　not　know　how　long　I　have　lain　yonder　under　the

shadow　of　the　rock；　but　it　must　be　long；　for　my　limbs　are　wasted；　and

those　who　fell　in　the　fray　are　picked　clean　by　the　vultures；　all

except　Galazi；　for　the　old　wolf　Deathgrip　lies　on　his　breast　dying；

but　not　dead；　licking　my　brother's　wounds；　and　scares　the　fowls　away。

It　was　the　beak　of　a　vulture；　who　had　smelt　me　out　at　last；　that　woke

me　from　my　sleep　beneath　the　stone；　Nada；　and　I　crept　hither。　Would

that　he　had　not　awakened　me；　would　that　I　had　died　as　I　lay；　rather

than　lived　a　little　while　till　you　perish　thus；　like　a　trapped　fox；

Nada；　and　presently　I　follow　you。〃



〃It　is　hard　to　die　so；　Umslopogaas；〃　she　answered；　〃I　who　am　yet　young

and　fair；　who　love　you；　and　hoped　to　give　you　children；　but　so　it　has

come　about；　and　it　may　not　be　put　away。　I　am　well…nigh　sped；　husband；

horror　and　fear　have　conquered　me；　my　strength　fails；　but　I　suffer

little。　Let　us　talk　no　more　of　death；　let　us　rather　speak　of　our

childhood；　when　we　wandered　hand　in　hand；　let　us　talk　also　of　our

love；　and　of　the　happy　hours　that　we　have　spent　since　your　great　axe

rang　upon　the　rock　in　the　Halakazi　caves；　and　my　fear　told　you　the

secret　of　my　womanhood。　See；　I　thrust　my　hand　through　the　hole；　can

you　not　kiss　it；　Umslopogaas？〃



Now　Umslopogaas　stooped　his　shattered　head；　and　kissed　the　Lily's

little　hand；　then　he　held　it　in　his　own；　and　so　they　sat　till　the　end

he　without；　resting　his　back　against　the　rock；　she　within；　lying　on

her　side；　her　arm　stretched　through　the　little　hole。　They　spoke　of

their　love；　and　tried　to　forget　their　sorrow　in　it；　he　told　her　also

of　the　fray　which　had　been　and　how　it　went。



〃Ah！〃　she　said；　〃that　was　Zinita's　work；　Zinita　who　hated　me；　and

justly。　Doubtless　she　set　Dingaan　on　this　path。〃



〃A　little　while　gone；〃　quoth　Umslopogaas；　〃and　I　hoped　that　your　last

breath　and　mine　might　pass　together；　Nada；　and　that　we　might　go

together　to　seek　great　Galazi；　my　brother；　where　he　is。　Now　I　hope

that　help　will　find　me；　and　that　I　may　live　a　little　while；　because　of

a　certain　vengeance　which　I　would　wreak。〃



〃Speak　not　of　vengeance；　husband；〃　she　answered；　〃I；　too；　am　near　to

that　land　where　the　Slayer　and　the　Slain；　the　Shedder　of　Blood　and　the

Avenger　of　Blood　are　lost　in　the　same　darkness。　I　would　die　with　love；

and　love　only；　in　my　heart；　and　your　name；　and　yours　only；　on　my　lips；

so　that　if　anywhere　we　live　again　it　shall　be　ready　to　spring　forth　to

greet　you。　Yet；　husband；　it　is　in　my　heart　that　you　will　not　go　with

me；　but　that　you　shall　live　on　to　die　the　greatest　of　deaths　far　away

from　here；　and　because　of　another　woman。　It　seems　that；　as　I　lay　in

the　dark　of　this　cave；　I　saw　you；　Umslopogaas；　a　great　man；　gaunt　and

grey；　stricken　to　the　death；　and　the　axe　Groan…maker　wavering　aloft；

and　many　a　man　dead　upon　a　white　and　shimmering　way；　and　about　you　the

fair　faces　of　white　women；　and　you　had　a　hole　in　your　forehead；

husband；　on　the　left　side。〃



〃That　is　like　to　be　true；　if　I　li