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第20章

nada the lily-第20章

小说: nada the lily 字数: 每页3500字

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rushed through them。 None touched me; none could catch me; the man

does not live who can overtake me when my feet are on the ground and I

am away。〃



〃Yet I might try;〃 said Umslopogaas; smiling; for of all lads among

the Zulus he was the swiftest of foot。



〃First walk again; then run;〃 answered Galazi。



〃Take up the tale;〃 quoth Umslopogaas; 〃it is a merry one。〃



〃Something is left to tell; stranger。 I fled from the country of the

Halakazi; nor did I linger at all in the land of the Swazis; but came

on swiftly into the Zulu。 Now; it was in my mind to go to Chaka and

tell him of my wrongs; asking that he would send an impi to make an

end of the Halakazi。 But while I journeyed; finding food and shelter

as I might; I came one night to the kraal of an old man who knew

Chaka; and had known Siguyana; my grandfather; and to him; when I had

stayed there two days; I told my tale。 But the old man counselled me

against my plan; saying that Chaka; the king; did not love to welcome

new shoots sprung from the royal stock; and would kill me; moreover;

the man offered me a place in his kraal。 Now; I held that there was

wisdom in his words; and thought no more of standing before the king

to cry for justice; for he who cries to kings for justice sometimes

finds death。 Still; I would not stay in the kraal of the old man; for

he had sons to come after him who looked on me with no liking;

moreover; I wished to be a chief myself; even if I lived alone。 So I

left the kraal by night and walked on; not knowing where I should go。



〃Now; on the third night; I came to a little kraal that stands on the

farther side of the river at the foot of the mountain。 In front of the

kraal sat a very old woman basking in the rays of the setting sun。 She

saw me; and spoke to me; saying; 'Young man; you are tall and strong

and swift of foot。 Would you earn a famous weapon; a club; that

destroys all who stand before it?'



〃I said that I wished to have such a club; and asked what I should do

to win it。



〃'You shall do this;' said the old woman: 'to…morrow morning; at the

first light; you shall go up to yonder mountain;' and she pointed to

the mountain where you are now; stranger; on which the stone Witch

sits forever waiting for the world to die。 'Two…thirds of the way up

the mountain you will come to a path that is difficult to climb。 You

shall climb the path and enter a gloomy forest。 It is very dark in the

forest; but you must push through it till you come to an open place

with a wall of rock behind it。 In the wall of rock is a cave; and in

the cave you will find the bones of a man。 Bring down the bones in a

bag; and I will give you the club!'



〃While she spoke thus people came out of the kraal and listened。



〃'Do not heed her; young man;' they said; 'unless you are weary of

life。 Do not heed her: she is crazy。 The mountain is haunted; it is a

place of ghosts。 Look at the stone Witch who sits upon it! Evil

spirits live in that forest; and no man has walked there for many

years。 This woman's son was foolish: he went to wander in the forest;

saying that he cared nothing for ghosts; and the Amatongo; the ghost…

folk; killed him。 That was many years ago; and none have dared to seek

his bones。 Ever she sits here and asks of the passers by that they

should bring him to her; offering the great club for a reward; but

they dare not!'



〃'They lie!' said the old woman。 'There are no ghosts there。 The

ghosts live only in their cowardly hearts; there are but wolves。 I

know that the bones of my son lie in the cave; for I have seen them in

a dream; but; alas! my old limbs are too weak to carry me up the

mountain path; and all these are cowards; there is no man among them

since the Zulus killed my husband; covering him with wounds!'



〃Now; I listened; answering nothing; but when all had done; I asked to

see the club which should be given to him who dared to face the

Amatongo; the spirits who lived in the forest upon the Ghost Mountain。

Then the old woman rose; and creeping on her hands went into the hut。

Presently she returned again; dragging the great club after her。



〃Look at it; stranger! look at it! Was there ever such a club?〃 And

Galazi held it up before the eyes of Umslopogaas。



In truth; my father; that was a club; for I; Mopo; saw it in after

days。 It was great and knotty; black as iron that had been smoked in

the fire; and shod with metal that was worn smooth with smiting。



〃I looked at it;〃 went on Galazi; 〃and I tell you; stranger; a great

desire came into my heart to possess it。



〃'How is this club named?' I asked of the old woman。



〃'It is named Watcher of the Fords;' she answered; 'and it has not

watched in vain。 Five men have held that club in war and a hundred…

and…seventy…three have given up their lives beneath its strokes。 He

who held it last slew twenty before he was slain himself; for this

fortune goes with the clubthat he who owns it shall die holding it;

but in a noble fashion。 There is but one other weapon to match with it

in Zululand; and that is the great axe of Jikiza; the chief of the

People of the Axe; who dwells in the kraal yonder; the ancient horn…

hafted Imbubuzi; the Groan…Maker; that brings victory。 Were axe;

Groan…Maker; and club; Watcher of the Fords; side by side; there are

no thirty men in Zululand who could stand before them。 I have said。

Choose!' And the aged woman watched me cunningly through her horny

eyes。



〃'She speaks truly now;' said one of those who stood near。 'Let the

club be; young man: he who owns it smites great blows indeed; but in

the end he dies by the assegai。 None dare own the Watcher of the

Fords。'



〃'A good death and a swift!' I answered。 And pondered a time; while

still the old woman watched me through her horny eyes。 At length she

rose; 'La!; la!' she said; 'the Watcher is not for this one。 This is

but a child; I must seek me a man; I must seek me a man!'



〃'Not so fast; old wife;' I said。 'Will you lend me this club to hold

in my hand while I go to find the bones of your son and to snatch them

from the people of the ghosts?'



〃'Lend you the Watcher; boy? Nay; nay! I should see little of you

again or of the good club either。'



〃'I am no thief;' I answered。 'If the ghosts kill me; you will see me

no more; or the club either; but if I live I will bring you back the

bones; or; if I do not find them; I will render the Watcher into your

hands again。 At the least I say that if you will not lend me the club;

then I will not go into the haunted place。'



〃'Boy; your eyes are honest;' she said; still peering at me。 'Take the

Watcher; go seek the bones。 If you die; let the club be lost with you;

if you fail; bring it back to me; but if you win the bones; then it is

yours; and it shall bring you glory and you shall die a man's death at

last holding him aloft among the dead。'



〃So on the morrow at dawn I took the club Watcher in my hand and a

little dancing shield; and made ready to start。 The old woman blessed

me and bade me farewell; but the other people of the kraal mocked;

saying: 'A little man for so big a club! Beware; little man; lest the

ghosts use the club on you!' So they spoke; but one girl in the kraal

she is a granddaughter of the old womanled me aside; praying me

not to go; for the forest on the Ghost Mountain had an evil name: none

dared walk there; since it was certainly full of spirits; who howled

like wolves。 I thanked the girl; but to the others I said nothing;

only I asked of the path to the Ghost Mountain。



〃Now stranger; if you have strength; come to the mouth of the cave and

look out; for the moon is bright。〃



So Umslopogaas rose and crept through the narrow mouth of the cave。

There; above him; a great grey peak towered high into the air; shaped

like a seated woman; her chin resting upon her breast; the place where

the cave was being; as it were; on the lap of the woman。 Below this

place the rock sloped sharply; and was clothed with little bushes。

Lower down yet was a forest; great and dense; that stretched to the

top of a cliff; and at the foot of the cliff; beyond the waters of the

river; lay the wide plains of Zululand。



〃Yonder; stranger;〃 said Galazi; pointing with the club Watcher of the

Fords far away to the plain beneath; 〃yonder is the kraal where the

aged woman dwelt。 There is a cliff rising from the plain; up which I

must climb; there is the forest where dwell the Amatongo; the people

of the ghosts; there; on the hither side of the forest; runs the path

to the cave; and here is the cave itself。 See this stone lying at the

mouth of the cave; it turns thus; shutting up the entrance holeit

turns gently; though it is so large; a child may move it; for it rests

upon a sharp point of rock。 Only mark this; the stone must be pushed

too far; for; look! if it came to here;〃 and he pointed to a mark in

the mouth of the cave; 〃then that man need be strong who can draw it

back again; though I have done it myself; who am not a man full grown。

But if it pass beyond this mark; then; see; it will roll down the neck

of the cave like a pebble down the neck of a gourd; and I think that

two men; one striving from within and one dragging from without;

scarcely could avail to push it clear。 Look now; I close the stone; as

is my custom of a night; so;〃and he grasped the rock and swung it

round upon its pivot; on which it turned as a door turns。 〃Thus I

leave it; and though; except those to whom the secret is know; none

would guess that a cave was here; yet it can be rolled back again with

a push of the hand。 But enough of the stone。 Enter again; wanderer;

and I will go forward with my tale; for it is long and strange。



〃I started from the kraal of the old woman; and the people of the

kraal followed me to the brink of the river。 It was in flood; and few

had dared to cross it。



〃'Ha! ha!' they cried; 'now your journey is done; little man; watch by

the ford you who would win the Watcher of the Ford! Beat the water

with the club; perhaps so it shall grow gentle that your feet may pass

it!'



〃I answered nothing to their mocking; only I bound the shield upon my

shoulders with a string; and the bag that I had brought I made fast

about my middle; and I held the great club in my teeth by the thong。

Then I plunged into the river and swam。 Twice; stranger; the current

bore me under; and those on the bank shouted that I was lost; but I

rose again; and in the end I won the farther shore。



〃Now those on the bank mocked no more; they stood still wondering; and

I walked on till I came to the foot of the cliff。 That cliff is hard

to climb; stranger; when you are strong upon your feet; I will show

you the path。 Yet I found a way up it; and by midday I came to the

forest。 Here; on the edge of the forest; I rested awhile; and ate a

little food that I had brought with me in the bag

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