child of storm-第6章

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women　wind　their　arms　about　your　neck；　and　one　by　one　your　enemies　go
down　before　you。　　You　love　much；　and　sin　much　for　the　sake　of　the　love；
and　she　for　whom　you　sin　comes　and　goes　and　comes　again。　　And　the　road
is　short；　Saduko；　and　near　the　end　of　it　are　many　spirits；　and　though
you　shut　your　eyes　you　see　them；　and　though　you　fill　your　ears　with　clay
you　hear　them；　for　they　are　the　ghosts　of　your　slain。　　But　the　end　of
your　journeying　I　see　not。　　Now　choose　which　road　you　will；　Son　of
Matiwane；　and　choose　swiftly；　for　I　speak　no　more　of　this　matter。'

〃Then；　Macumazahn；　I　thought　a　while　of　the　safe　and　lonely　path　of
wisdom；　also　of　the　blood…red　path　of　spears　where　I　should　find　love
and　war；　and　my　youth　rose　up　in　me　andI　chose　the　path　of　spears　and
the　love　and　the　sin　and　the　unknown　death。〃

〃A　foolish　choice；　Saduko；　supposing　that　there　is　any　truth　in　this
tale　of　roads；　which　there　is　not。〃

〃Nay；　a　wise　one；　Macumazahn；　for　since　then　I　have　seen　Mameena　and
know　why　I　chose　that　path。〃

〃Ah！〃　I　said。　　〃MameenaI　forgot　her。　　Well；　after　all；　perhaps　there
is　some　truth　in　your　tale　of　roads。　　When　_I_　have　seen　Mameena　I　will
tell　you　what　I　think。〃

〃When　you　have　seen　Mameena；　Macumazahn；　you　will　say　that　the　choice
was　very　wise。　　Well；　Zikali；　Opener　of　Doors；　laughed　loudly　when　he
heard　it。　　'The　ox　seeks　the　fat　pasture；　but　the　young　bull　the　rough
mountainside　where　the　heifers　graze；'　he　said；　'and　after　all；　a　bull
is　better　than　an　ox。　　Now　begin　to　travel　your　own　road；　Son　of
Matiwane；　and　from　time　to　time　return　to　the　Black　Kloof　and　tell　me
how　it　fares　with　you。　　I　will　promise　you　not　to　die　before　I　know　the
end　of　it。'

〃Now；　Macumazahn；　I　have　told　you　things　that　hitherto　have　lived　in　my
own　heart　only。　　And；　Macumazahn；　Bangu　is　in　ill　favour　with　Panda；
whom　he　defies　in　his　mountain；　and　I　have　a　promisenever　mind
howthat　he　who　kills　him　will　be　called　to　no　account　and　may　keep　his
cattle。　　Will　you　come　with　me　and　share　those　cattle；　O
Watcher…by…Night？〃

〃Get　thee　behind　me；　Satan；〃　I　said　in　English；　then　added　in　Zulu：　〃I
don't　know。　　If　your　story　is　true　I　should　have　no　objection　to　helping
to　kill　Bangu；　but　I　must　learn　lots　more　about　this　business　first。　
Meanwhile　I　am　going　on　a　shooting　trip　to…morrow　with　Umbezi　the　Fat；
and　I　like　you；　O　Chooser　of　the　Road　of　Spears　and　Blood。　　Will　you　be
my　companion　and　earn　the　gun　with　two　mouths　in　payment？〃

〃Inkoosi；〃　he　said；　lifting　his　hand　in　salute　with　a　flash　of　his　dark
eyes；　〃you　are　generous；　you　honour　me。　　What　is　there　that　I　should
love　better？　　Yet；〃　he　added；　and　his　face　fell；　〃first　I　must　ask
Zikali　the　Little；　Zikali　my　foster…father。〃

〃Oh！〃　I　said；　〃so　you　are　still　tied　to　the　Wizard's　girdle；　are　you？〃

〃Not　so；　Macumazahn；　but　I　promised　him　not　long　ago　that　I　would
undertake　no　enterprise；　save　that　you　know　of；　until　I　had　spoken　with
him。〃

〃How　far　off　does　Zikali　live？〃　I　asked　Saduko。

〃One　day's　journeying。　　Starting　at　sunrise　I　can　be　there　by　sunset。〃

〃Good！　　Then　I　will　put　off　the　shooting　for　three　days　and　come　with
you　if　you　think　that　this　wonderful　old　dwarf　will　receive　me。〃

〃I　believe　that　he　will；　Macumazahn；　for　this　reasonhe　told　me　that　I
should　meet　you　and　love　you；　and　that　you　would　be　mixed　up　in　my
fortunes。〃

〃Then　he　poured　moonshine　into　your　gourd　instead　of　beer；〃　I　answered。　
〃Would　you　keep　me　here　till　midnight　listening　to　such　foolishness　when
we　must　start　at　dawn？　　Begone　now　and　let　me　sleep。〃

〃I　go；〃　he　answered　with　a　little　smile。　　〃But　if　this　is　so；　O
Macumazana；　why　do　you　also　wish　to　drink　of　the　moonshine　of　Zikali？〃
and　he　went。

Yet　I　did　not　sleep　very　well　that　night；　for　Saduko　and　his　strange　and
terrible　story　had　taken　a　hold　of　my　imagination。　　Also；　for　reasons　of
my　own；　I　greatly　wished　to　see　this　Zikali；　of　whom　I　had　heard　a　great
deal　in　past　years。　　I　wished　further　to　find　out　if　he　was　a　common
humbug；　like　so　many　witch…doctors；　this　dwarf　who　announced　that　my
fortunes　were　mixed　up　with　those　of　his　foster…son；　and　who　at　least
could　tell　me　something　true　or　false　about　the　history　and　position　of
Bangu；　a　person　for　whom　I　had　conceived　a　strong　dislike；　possibly
quite　unjustified　by　the　facts。　　But　more　than　all　did　I　wish　to　see
Mameena；　whose　beauty　or　talents　produced　so　much　impression　upon　the
native　mind。　　Perhaps　if　I　went　to　see　Zikali　she　would　be　back　at　her
father's　kraal　before　we　started　on　our　shooting　trip。

Thus　it　was　then　that　fate　wove　me　and　my　doings　into　the　web　of　some
very　strange　events；　terrible；　tragic　and　complete　indeed　as　those　of　a
Greek　play；　as　it　has　often　done　both　before　and　since　those　days。



CHAPTER　II




THE　MOONSHINE　OF　ZIKALI





On　the　following　morning　I　awoke；　as　a　good　hunter　always　should　do；
just　at　that　time　when；　on　looking　out　of　the　wagon；　nothing　can　be　seen
but　a　little　grey　glint　of　light　which　he　knows　is　reflected　from　the
horns　of　the　cattle　tied　to　the　trek…tow。　　Presently；　however；　I　saw
another　glint　of　light　which　I　guessed　came　from　the　spear　of　Saduko；
who　was　seated　by　the　ashes　of　the　cooking　fire　wrapped　in　his　kaross　of
wildcatskins。　　Slipping　from　the　voorkisse；　or　driving…box；　I　came
behind　him　softly　and　touched　him　on　the　shoulder。　　He　leapt　up　with　a
start　which　revealed　his　nervous　nature；　then　recognising　me　through　the
soft　grey　gloom；　said：

〃You　are　early；　Macumazahn。〃

〃Of　course；〃　I　answered；　〃am　I　not　named　Watcher…by…Night？　　Now　let　us
go　to　Umbezi　and　tell　him　that　I　shall　be　ready　to　start　on　our　hunting
trip　on　the　third　morning　from　to…day。〃

So　we　went；　to　find　that　Umbezi　was　in　a　hut　with　his　last　wife　and
asleep。　　Fortunately　enough；　however；　as　under　the　circumstances　I　did
not　wish　to　disturb　him；　outside　the　hut　we　found　the　Old　Cow；　whose
sore　ear　had　kept　her　very　wide　awake；　who；　for　purposes　of　her　own；
although　etiquette　did　not　allow　her　to　enter　the　hut；　was　waiting　for
her　husband　to　emerge。

Having　examined　her　wound　and　rubbed　some　ointment　on　it；　with　her　I
left　my　message。　　Next　I　woke　up　my　servant　Scowl；　and　told　him　that　I
was　going　on　a　short　journey；　and　that　he　must　guard　all　things　until　my
return；　and　while　I　did　so；　took　a　nip　of　raw　rum　and　made　ready　a　bag
of　biltong；　that　is　sun…dried　flesh；　and　biscuits。

Then；　taking　with　me　a　single…barrelled　gun；　that　same　little　Purdey
rifle　with　which　I　shot　the　vultures　on　the　Hill　of　Slaughter　at
Dingaan's　Kraal；*　we　started　on　foot；　for　I　would　not　risk　my　only　horse
on　such　a　journey。

＇*For　the　story　of　this　shooting　of　the　vultures　by　Allan　Quatermain；
see　the　book　called　〃Marie。〃EDITOR。＇

A　rough　journey　it　proved　to　be　indeed；　over　a　series　of　bush…clad　hills
that　at　their　crests　were　covered　with　rugged　stones　among　which　no
horse　could　have　travelled。　　Up　and　down　these　hills　we　went；　and　across
the　valleys　that　divided　them；　following　some　path　which　I　could　not
see；　for　all　that　live…long　day。　　I　have　always　been　held　a　good　walker；
being　by　nature　very　light　and　active；　but　I　am　bound　to　say　that　my
companion　taxed　my　powers　to　the　utmost；　for　on　he　marched　for　hour
after　hour；　striding　ahead　of　me　at　such　a　rate　that　at　times　I　was
forced　to　break　into　a　run　to　keep　up　with　him。　　Although　my　pride　would
not　suffer　me　to　complain；　since　as　a　matter　of　principle　I　would　never
admit　to　a　Kafir　that　he　was　my　master　at　anything；　glad　enough　was　I
when；　towards　evening；　Saduko　sat　himself　down　on　a　stone　at　the　top　of
a　hill　and　said：

〃Behold　the　Black　Kloof；　Macumazahn；〃　which　were　almost　the　first　words
he　had　uttered　since　we　started。

Truly　the　spot　was　well　named；　for　there；　cut　out　by　water　from　the
heart　of　a　mountain　in　some　primeval　age；　lay　one　of　the　most　gloomy
places　that　ever　I　had　beheld。　　It　was　a　vast　cleft　in　which　granite
boulders　were　piled　up　fantastically；　perched　one　upon　another　in　great
columns；　and　upon　its　sides　grew　dark　trees　set　sparsely　among　the
rocks。　　It　faced　towards　the　west；　but　the　light　of　the　sinking　sun　that
flowed　up　it　served　only　to　accentuate　its　va