child of storm-第62章

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madcall　it　which　you　will。　　The　mad　have　a　way　of　living　with　ghosts；
and　ghosts　have　a　way　of　sharing　their　food　with　the　mad。　　Now　you
understand　everything；　do　you　not？〃

〃Of　course；〃　I　answered；　〃it　is　as　plain　as　the　sun。〃

〃Oh！　did　I　not　say　you　were　clever；　Macumazahn；　you　who　know　where
madness　ends　and　ghosts　begin；　and　why　they　are　just　the　same　thing？　
Well；　the　sun　is　no　longer　plain。　　Look；　it　has　sunk；　and　you　would　be
on　your　road　who　wish　to　be　far　from　Nodwengu　before　morning。　　You　will
pass　the　plain　of　Endondakusuka；　will　you　not；　and　cross　the　Tugela　by
the　drift？　　Have　a　look　round；　Macumazahn；　and　see　if　you　can　recognise
any　old　friends。　　Umbezi；　the　knave　and　traitor；　for　instance；　or　some
of　the　princes。　　If　so；　I　should　like　to　send　them　a　message。　　What！　
You　cannot　wait？　　Well；　then；　here　is　a　little　present　for　you；　some　of
my　own　work。　　Open　it　when　it　is　light　again；　Macumazahn；　it　may　serve
to　remind　you　of　the　strange　little　tale　of　Mameena　with　the　Heart　of
Fire。　　I　wonder　where　she　is　now？　　Sometimes；　sometimes〃　　And　he
rolled　his　great　eyes　about　him　and　sniffed　at　the　air　like　a　hound。　
〃Farewell　till　we　meet　again。　　Farewell；　Macumazahn。　　Oh！　if　you　had
only　run　away　with　Mameena；　how　different　things　might　have　been
to…day！〃

I　jumped　up　and　fled　from　that　terrible　old　dwarf；　whom　I　verily
believe　No；　where　is　the　good　of　my　saying　what　I　believe？　　I　fled
from　him；　leaving　him　seated　on　the　stone　in　the　shadows；　and　as　I　fled；
out　of　the　darkness　behind　me　there　arose　the　sound　of　his　loud　and
eerie　laughter。

Next　morning　I　opened　the　packet　which　he　had　given　me；　after　wondering
once　or　twice　whether　I　should　not　thrust　it　down　an　ant…bear　hole　as　it
was。　　But　this；　somehow；　I　could　not　find　the　heart　to　do；　though　now　I
wish　I　had。　　Inside；　cut　from　the　black　core　of　the　umzimbiti　wood；　with
just　a　little　of　the　white　sap　left　on　it　to　mark　the　eyes；　teeth　and
nails；　was　a　likeness　of　Mameena。　　Of　course；　it　was　rudely　executed；
but　it　wasor　rather　is；　for　I　have　it　stilla　wonderfully　good
portrait　of　her；　for　whether　Zikali　was　or　was　not　a　wizard；　he　was
certainly　a　good　artist。　　There　she　stands；　her　body　a　little　bent；　her
arms　outstretched；　her　head　held　forward　with　the　lips　parted；　just　as
though　she　were　about　to　embrace　somebody；　and　in　one　of　her　hands；　cut
also　from　the　white　sap　of　the　umzimbiti；　she　grasps　a　human
heartSaduko's；　I　presume；　or　perhaps　Umbelazi's。

Nor　was　this　all；　for　the　figure　was　wrapped　in　a　woman's　hair；　which　I
knew　at　once　for　that　of　Mameena；　this　hair　being　held　in　place　by　the
necklet　of　big　blue　beads　she　used　to　wear　about　her　throat。

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Some　five　years　had　gone　by；　during　which　many　things　had　happened　to　me
that　need　not　be　recorded　here；　when　one　day　I　found　myself　in　a　rather
remote　part　of　the　Umvoti　district　of　Natal；　some　miles　to　the　east　of　a
mountain　called　the　Eland's　Kopje；　whither　I　had　gone　to　carry　out　a　big
deal　in　mealies；　over　which；　by　the　way；　I　lost　a　good　bit　of　money。　
That　has　always　been　my　fate　when　I　plunged　into　commercial　ventures。

One　night　my　wagons；　which　were　overloaded　with　these　confounded
weevilly　mealies；　got　stuck　in　the　drift　of　a　small　tributary　of　the
Tugela　that　most　inopportunely　had　come　down　in　flood。　　Just　as　darkness
fell　I　managed　to　get　them　up　the　bank　in　the　midst　of　a　pelting　rain
that　soaked　me　to　the　bone。　　There　seemed　to　be　no　prospect　of　lighting
a　fire　or　of　obtaining　any　decent　food；　so　I　was　about　to　go　to　bed
supperless　when　a　flash　of　lightning　showed　me　a　large　kraal　situated
upon　a　hillside　about　half　a　mile　away；　and　an　idea　entered　my　mind。

〃Who　is　the　headman　of　that　kraal？〃　I　asked　of　one　of　the　Kafirs　who　had
collected　round　us　in　our　trouble；　as　such　idle　fellows　always　do。

〃Tshoza；　Inkoosi；〃　answered　the　man。

〃Tshoza！　　Tshoza！〃　I　said；　for　the　name　seemed　familiar　to　me。　　〃Who　is
Tshoza？〃

〃Ikona　＇I　don't　know＇；　Inkoosi。　　He　came　from　Zululand　some　years　ago
with　Saduko　the　Mad。〃

Then；　of　course；　I　remembered　at　once；　and　my　mind　flew　back　to　the
night　when　old　Tshoza；　the　brother　of　Matiwane；　Saduko's　father；　had　cut
out　the　cattle　of　the　Bangu　and　we　had　fought　the　battle　in　the　pass。

〃Oh！〃　I　said；　〃is　it　so？　　Then　lead　me　to　Tshoza；　and　I　will　give　you　a
'Scotchman。'〃　（That　is；　a　two…shilling　piece；　so　called　because　some
enterprising　emigrant　from　Scotland　passed　off　a　vast　number　of　them
among　the　simple　natives　of　Natal　as　substitutes　for　half…crowns。）

Tempted　by　this　liberal　offerand　it　was　very　liberal；　because　I　was
anxious　to　get　to　Tshoza's　kraal　before　its　inhabitants　went　to　bedthe
meditative　Kafir　consented　to　guide　me　by　a　dark　and　devious　path　that
ran　through　bush　and　dripping　fields　of　corn。　　At　length　we　arrivedfor
if　the　kraal　was　only　half　a　mile　away；　the　path　to　it　covered　fully　two
milesand　glad　enough　was　I　when　we　had　waded　the　last　stream　and　found
ourselves　at　its　gate。

In　response　to　the　usual　inquiries；　conducted　amid　a　chorus　of　yapping
dogs；　I　was　informed　that　Tshoza　did　not　live　there；　but　somewhere　else；
that　he　was　too　old　to　see　anyone；　that　he　had　gone　to　sleep　and　could
not　be　disturbed；　that　he　was　dead　and　had　been　buried　last　week；　and　so
forth。

〃Look　here；　my　friend；〃　I　said　at　last　to　the　fellow　who　was　telling　me
all　these　lies；　〃you　go　to　Tshoza　in　his　grave　and　say　to　him　that　if　he
does　not　come　out　alive　instantly；　Macumazahn　will　deal　with　his　cattle
as　once　he　dealt　with　those　of　Bangu。〃

Impressed　with　the　strangeness　of　this　message；　the　man　departed；　and
presently；　in　the　dim　light　of　the　rain…washed　moon；　I　perceived　a
little　old　man　running　towards　me；　for　Tshoza；　who　was　pretty　ancient　at
the　beginning　of　this　history；　had　not　been　made　younger　by　a　severe
wound　at　the　battle　of　the　Tugela　and　many　other　troubles。

〃Macumazahn；〃　he　said；　〃is　that　really　you？　　Why；　I　heard　that　you　were
dead　long　ago；　yes；　and　sacrificed　an　ox　for　the　welfare　of　your
Spirit。〃

〃And　ate　it　afterwards；　I'll　be　bound；〃　I　answered。

〃Oh！　it　must　be　you；〃　he　went　on；　〃who　cannot　be　deceived；　for　it　is
true　we　ate　that　ox；　combining　the　sacrifice　to　your　Spirit　with　a
feast；　for　why　should　anything　be　wasted　when　one　is　poor？　　Yes；　yes；　it
must　be　you；　for　who　else　would　come　creeping　about　a　man's　kraal　at
night；　except　the　Watcher…by…Night？　　Enter；　Macumazahn；　and　be　welcome。〃

So　I　entered　and　ate　a　good　meal　while　we　talked　over　old　times。

〃And　now；　where　is　Saduko？〃　I　asked　suddenly　as　I　lit　my　pipe。

〃Saduko？〃　he　answered；　his　face　changing　as　he　spoke。　　〃Oh！　of　course　he
is　here。　　You　know　I　came　away　with　him　from　Zululand。　　Why？　　Well；　to
tell　the　truth；　because　after　the　part　we　had　playedagainst　my　will；
Macumazahnat　the　battle　of　Endondakusuka；　I　thought　it　safer　to　be
away　from　a　country　where　those　who　have　worn　their　karosses　inside　out
find　many　enemies　and　few　friends。〃

〃Quite　so；〃　I　said。　　〃But　about　Saduko？〃

〃Oh；　I　told　you；　did　I　not？　　He　is　in　the　next　hut；　and　dying！〃

〃Dying！　　What　of；　Tshoza？〃

〃I　don't　know；〃　he　answered　mysteriously；　〃but　I　think　he　must　be
bewitched。　　For　a　long　while；　a　year　or　more；　he　has　eaten　little　and
cannot　bear　to　be　alone　in　the　dark；　indeed；　ever　since　he　left　Zululand
he　has　been　very　strange　and　moody。〃

Now　I　remembered　what　old　Zikali　had　said　to　me　years　before　to　the
effect　that　Saduko　was　living　with　a　ghost　which　would　kill　him。

〃Does　he　think　much　about　Umbelazi；　Tshoza？〃　I　asked。

〃O　Macumazana；　he　thinks　of　nothing　else；　the　Spirit　of　Umbelazi　is　in
him　day　and　night。〃

〃Indeed；〃　I　said。　　〃Can　I　see　him？〃

〃I　don't　know；　Macumazahn。　　I　will　go　and　ask　the　lady　Nandie　at　once；
for；　if　you　can；　I　believe　there　is　no　time　to　lose。〃　And　he　left　the
hut。

Ten　minutes　later　he　returned　with　a　woman；　Nandie　the　Sweet　herself；
the　same　quiet；　dignified　Nandie　whom　I　used　to　know；　only　now　somewhat
worn　with　trouble　and　looking　older　than　her　years。

〃Greeting；　Macumazahn；〃　she　said。　　〃I　am　pleased　to　see　you；　although　it
is　strange；　very　strange；　that　you　should　come　here　just　at　this　time。　
Saduko