nada the lily-第35章

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the　captain's　in　the　gate；　saying：



〃Lament；　ye　captains　and　ye　soldiers；　weep　and　lament；　for　your　father

is　no　more！　He　who　nursed　you　is　no　more！　The　king　is　dead！　now　earth

and　heaven　will　come　together；　for　the　king　is　dead！〃



〃How　so；　Mopo？〃　cried　the　leader　of　the　Bees。　〃How　is　our　father

dead？〃



〃He　is　dead　by　the　hand　of　a　wicked　wanderer　named　Masilo；　who；　when

he　was　doomed　to　die　by　the　king；　snatched　this　assegai　from　the

king's　hand　and　stabbed　him；　and　afterwards；　before　he　could　be　cut

down　himself　by　us　three；　the　princes　and　myself；　he　killed　the　chiefs

Inguazonca　and　Umxamama　also。　Draw　near　and　look　on　him　who　was　the

king；　it　is　the　command　of　Dingaan　and　Umhlangana；　the　kings；　that　you

draw　near　and　look　on　him　who　was　the　king；　that　his　death　at　the　hand

of　Masilo　may　be　told　through　all　the　land。〃



〃You　are　better　at　making　of　kings；　Mopo；　than　at　the　saving　of　one

who　was　your　king　from　the　stroke　of　a　wanderer；〃　said　the　leader　of

the　Bees；　looking　at　me　doubtfully。



But　his　words　passed　unheeded；　for　some　of　the　captains　went　forward

to　look　on　the　Great　One　who　was　dead；　and　some；　together　with　most　of

the　soldiers；　ran　this　way　and　that；　crying　in　their　fear　that　now　the

heaven　and　earth　would　come　together；　and　the　race　of　man　would　cease

to　be；　because　Chaka；　the　king；　was　dead。



Now；　my　father；　how　shall　I；　whose　days　are　few；　tell　you　of　all　the

matters　that　happened　after　the　dead　of　Chaka？　Were　I　to　speak　of　them

all　they　would　fill　many　books　of　the　white　men；　and；　perhaps；　some　of

them　are　written　down　there。　For　this　reason　it　is；　that　I　may　be

brief；　I　have　only　spoken　of　a　few　of　those　events　which　befell　in　the

reign　of　Chaka；　for　my　tale　is　not　of　the　reign　of　Chaka；　but　of　the

lives　of　a　handful　of　people　who　lived　in　those　days；　and　of　whom　I

and　Umslopogaas　alone　are　left　aliveif；　indeed；　Umslopogaas；　the　son

of　Chaka；　is　still　living　on　the　earth。　Therefore；　in　a　few　words　I

will　pass　over　all　that　came　about　after　the　fall　of　Chaka　and　till　I

was　sent　down　by　Dingaan；　the　king；　to　summon　him　to　surrender　to　the

king　who　was　called　the　Slaughterer　and　who　ruled　the　People　of　the

Axe。　Ah！　would　that　I　had　known　for　certain　that　this　was　none　other

than　Umslopogaas；　for　then　had　Dingaan　gone　the　way　that　Chaka　went

and　which　Umhlangana　followed；　and　Umslopogaas　ruled　the　people　of　the

Zulus　as　their　king。　But；　alas！　my　wisdom　failed　me。　I　paid　no　heed　to

the　voice　of　my　heart　which　told　me　that　this　was　Umslopogaas　who　sent

the　message　to　Chaka　threatening　vengeance　for　one　Mopo；　and　I　knew

nothing　till　too　late；　surely；　I　thought；　the　man　spoke　of　some　other

Mopo。　For　thus；　my　father；　does　destiny　make　fools　of　us　men。　We　think

that　we　can　shape　our　fate；　but　it　is　fate　that　shapes　us；　and　nothing

befalls　except　fate　will　it。　All　things　are　a　great　pattern；　my

father；　drawn　by　the　hand　of　the　Umkulunkulu　upon　the　cup　whence　he

drinks　the　water　of　his　wisdom；　and　our　lives；　and　what　we　do；　and

what　we　do　not　do；　are　but　a　little　bit　of　the　pattern；　which　is　so

big　that　only　the　eyes　of　Him　who　is　above；　the　Umkulunkulu；　can　see

it　all。　Even　Chaka；　the　slayer　of　men；　and　all　those　he　slew；　are　but

as　a　tiny　grain　of　dust　in　the　greatness　of　that　pattern。　How；　then；

can　we　be　wise；　my　father；　who　are　but　the　tools　of　wisdom？　how　can　be

build　who　are　but　pebbles　in　a　wall？　how　can　we　give　life　who　are

babes　in　the　womb　of　fate？　or　how　can　we　slay　who　are　but　spears　in

the　hands　of　the　slayer？



This　came　about；　my　father。　Matters　were　made　straight　in　the　land

after　the　death　of　Chaka。　At　first　people　said　that　Masilo；　the

stranger；　had　stabbed　the　king；　then　it　was　known　that　Mopo；　the　wise

man；　the　doctor　and　the　body…servant　of　the　king；　had　slain　the　king；

and　that　the　two　great　bulls；　his　brothers　Umhlangana　and　Dingaan；

children　of　Senzangacona；　had　also　lifted　spears　against　him。　But　he

was　dead；　and　earth　and　heaven　had　not　come　together；　so　what　did　it

matter？　Moreover；　the　two　new　kings　promised　to　deal　gently　with　the

people；　and　to　lighten　the　heavy　yoke　of　Chaka；　and　men　in　a　bad　case

are　always　ready　to　home　for　a　better。　So　it　came　about　that　the　only

enemies　the　princes　found　were　each　other　and　Engwade；　the　son　of

Unandi；　Chaka's　half…brother。　But　I；　Mopo；　who　was　now　the　first　man

in　the　land　after　the　kings；　ceasing　to　be　a　doctor　and　becoming　a

general；　went　up　against　Engwade　with　the　regiment　of　the　Bees　and　the

regiment　of　the　Slayers　and　smote　him　in　his　kraals。　It　was　a　hard

fight；　but　in　the　end　I　destroyed　him　and　all　his　people：　Engwade

killed　eight　men　with　his　own　hand　before　I　slew　him。　Then　I　came　back

to　the　kraal　with　the　few　that　were　left　alive　of　the　two　regiments。



After　that　the　two　kings　quarrelled　more　and　more；　and　I　weighed　them

both　in　my　balance；　for　I　would　know　which　was　the　most　favourable　to

me。　In　the　end　I　found　that　both　feared　me；　but　that　Umhlangana　would

certainly　put　me　to　death　if　he　gained　the　upper　hand；　whereas　this

was　not　yet　in　the　mind　of　Dingaan。　So　I　pressed　down　the　balance　of

Umhlangana　and　raised　that　of　Dingaan；　sending　the　fears　of　Umhlangana

to　sleep　till　I　could　cause　his　hut　to　be　surrounded。　Then　Umhlangana

followed　upon　the　road　of　Chaka　his　brother；　the　road　of　the　assegai；

and　Dingaan　ruled　alone　for　awhile。　Such　are　the　things　that　befall

princes　of　this　earth；　my　father。　See；　I　am　but　a　little　man；　and　my

lot　is　humble　at　the　last；　yet　I　have　brought　about　the　death　of　three

of　them；　and　of　these　two　died　by　my　hand。



It　was　fourteen　days　after　the　passing　away　of　the　Prince　Umhlangana

that　the　great　army　came　back　in　a　sorry　plight　from　the　marshes　of

the　Limpopo；　for　half　of　them　were　left　dead　of　fever　and　the　might　of

the　foe；　and　the　rest　were　starving。　It　was　well　for　them　who　yet

lived　that　Chaka　was　no　more；　else　they　had　joined　their　brethren　who

were　dead　on　the　way；　since　never　before　for　many　years　had　a　Zulu

impi　returned　unvictorious　and　without　a　single　head　of　cattle。　Thus

it　came　about　that　they　were　glad　enough　to　welcome　a　king　who　spared

their　lives；　and　thenceforth；　till　his　fate　found　him；　Dingaan　reigned

unquestioned。



Now；　Dingaan　wa　a　prince　of　the　blood　of　Chaka　indeed；　for；　like

Chaka；　he　was　great　in　presence　and　cruel　at　heart；　but　he　had　not　the

might　and　the　mind　of　Chaka。　Moreover；　he　was　treacherous　and　a　liar；

and　these　Chaka　was　not。　Also；　he　loved　women　much；　and　spent　with

them　the　time　that　he　should　have　given　to　matters　of　the　State。　Yet

he　reigned　awhile　in　the　land。　I　must　tell　this　also；　that　Dingaan

would　have　killed　Panda；　his　half…brother；　so　that　the　house　of

Senzangacona；　his　father；　might　be　swept　out　clean。　Now　Panda　was　a

man　of　gentle　heart；　who　did　not　love　war；　and　therefore　it　was

thought　that　he　was　half…witted；　and；　because　I　loved　Panda；　when　the

question　of　his　slaying　came　on；　I　and　the　chief　Mapita　spoke　against

it；　and　pleaded　for　him；　saying　that　there　was　nothing　to　be　feared　at

his　hands　who　was　a　fool。　So　in　the　end　Dingaan　gave　way；　saying；

〃Well；　you　ask　me　to　spare　this　dog；　and　I　will　spare　him；　but　one　day

he　will　bite　me。〃



So　Panda　was　made　governor　of　the　king's　cattle。　Yet　in　the　end　the

words　of　Dingaan　came　true；　for　it　was　the　grip　of　Panda's　teeth　that

pulled　him　from　the　throne；　only；　if　Panda　was　the　dog　that　bit；　I；

Mopo；　was　the　man　who　set　him　on　the　hunt。







CHAPTER　XXII



MOPO　GOES　TO　SEEK　THE　SLAUGHTERER



Now　Dingaan；　deserting　the　kraal　Duguza；　moved　back　to　Zululand；　and

built　a　great　kraal　by　the　Mahlabatine；　which　he　named　〃Umgugundhlovu〃

that　is；　〃the　rumbling　of　the　elephant。〃　Also；　he　caused　all　the

fairest　girls　in　the　land　to　be　sought　out　as　his　wives；　and　though

many　were　found　yet　he　craved　for　more。　And　at　this　time　a　rumour　came

to　the　ears　of　the　King　Dingaan　that　there　lived　in　Swaziland　among

the　Halakazi　tribe　a　girl　of　the　most　wonderful　beauty；　who　was　named

the　Lily；　and　whose　skin　was　whiter　than　are　the　skins　of　our　people；

and　he　desired　greatly　to　have　this　girl　to　wife。　So　Dingaan　sent　an

embassy　to　the　chief　of　the　Halakazi；　demanding　that　the　girl　should

be　given　to　him。　At　the　end　of　a　month　the　embassy　returned　again；　and

told　the　king　that　they　had　found　nothing　but　hard　words　at　the　kraal

of　the　Halakazi；　and　had　been　driven　thence　with　scorn　and　blows。



This　was　the　message　of　the　chief　of　the　Halakazi　to　Dingaan；　king　of

the　Zulus：　That　the　maid　who　was　named　the　Lily；　was；　indeed；　the

wonder　of　the　earth；　and　as　yet　unwed；　for　she　had　found　no　man　upon

whom　she　looked　with　favour；　and　she　was　held　in　such　love　by　this

people　that　it　was　not　their　wish　to　force　any　husband　on　her。

Moreover；　the　chief　said　that　he　and　his　people　defied　Dingaan　and　the

Zulus；　as　their　fathers　had　defied　Chaka　before　him；　and　spat　upon　his

name；　and　that　no　maid　of　theirs　should　go　to　be　the　wife　of　a　Zulu

dog。



Then　the　chief　of　the　Halakazi　caused　the　maid　who　was　named　the　Lily

to　be　led　before　the　messengers　of　Dingaan；　and　they　found　her

wonderfully　fair；　for　so　they　said：　she　was　tall　as　a　reed；　and　her

grace　was　the　grace　of　a　reed　that　is　shaken　in　the　wind。　Moreover；

her　hair　curled；　and　hung　upon　her　shoulders；　her　eyes　were　large　and

brown；　and　soft　as　a　buck's；　her　colour　was　the　colour　of　rich　cream；

her　smile　was　like　a　ripple　on　the　waters；　and　when　she　spoke　her

voice　was　low　and　sweeter　than　the　sound　of　an　instrument　of　music。

They　said　also　that　the　girl　wished　to　speak　with　them；　but　the　chief

forbade　it；　and　caused　her　to　be　led　thence　with　all　honour。



Now；　when　Dingaan　heard　this　message　he　grew　mad　as　a　lion　in　a　net；

for　he　desired　this　maid　above　everything；　and　yet　he　who　had　all

things　could　not　win　the　maid。　This　was　his　command；　that　a　great　impi

should　be　gathered　and　sent　to　Swaziland　against　the　Halakazi　tribe；

to　destroy　them　and　seize　the　maid。　But　when　the　matter　came　on　to　be

discussed　with　the　indunas　in　the　presence　of　the　king；　at　the

Amapakati　or　council；　I；　as　chief　of　the　indunas；　spoke　against　it；

saying　that　the　tribe　of　the　Halakazi　were　great　and　strong；　and　that

war　with　them　would　mean　war　with　the　Swazis　also；　moreover；　they　had

their　dwelling　in　caves　which　were　had　to　win。　Also；　I　said；　that　this

was　no　time　to　send　impis　to　seek　a　single　girl；　for　few　years　had

gone　by　since　the　Black　One　fell；　and　foes　were　many；　and　the　soldiers

of　the　land　had　waxed　few　with　slaughter；　half　of　them　having　perished

in　the　marshes　of　the　Limpopo。　Now；　time　must　be　given　them　to　grow　up

again；　for　to…day　they　were　as　a　little　child；　or　like　a　man　wasted

with　hunger。　Maids　were　many；　let　the　king　take　them　and　satisfy　his

heart；　but　let　him　make　no　war　for　this　one。



Thus　I　spoke　boldly　in　the　face　of　the　king；　as　none　had　dared　to

speak　before　Chaka