按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
beautiful of Zulu women。 It is long； but you are here for many nights；
and； if I live to tell it； it shall be told。 Strengthen your heart； my
father； for I have much to say that is sorrowful； and even now； when I
think of Nada the tears creep through the horn that shuts out my old
eyes from light。
Do you know who I am； my father？ You do not know。 You think that I am
an old； old witch…doctor named Zweete。 So men have thought for many
years； but that is not my name。 Few have known it； for I have kept it
locked in my breast； lest； thought I live now under the law of the
White Man； and the Great Queen is my chieftainess； an assegai still
might find this heart did any know my name。
Look at this hand； my fatherno； not that which is withered with
fire； look on this right hand of mine。 You see it； though I who am
blind cannot。 But still； within me； I see it as it was once。 Ay！ I see
it red and strongred with the blood of two kings。 Listen； my father；
bend your ear to me and listen。 I am Mopoah！ I felt you start； you
start as the regiment of the Bees started when Mopo walked before
their ranks； and from the assegai in his hand the blood of Chaka＇1＇
dropped slowly to the earth。 I am Mopo who slew Chaka the king。 I
killed him with Dingaan and Umhlangana the princes； but the wound was
mine that his life crept out of； and but for me he would never have
been slain。 I killed him with the princes； but Dingaan； I and one
other slew alone。
＇1＇ The Zulu Napoleon； one of the greatest geniuses and most wicked
men who ever lived。 He was killed in the year 1828； having
slaughtered more than a million human beings。ED。
What do you say？ 〃Dingaan died by the Tongola。〃
Yes； yes； he died； but not there； he died on the Ghost Mountain； he
lies in the breast of the old Stone Witch who sits aloft forever
waiting for the world to perish。 But I also was on the Ghost Mountain。
In those days my feet still could travel fast； and vengeance would not
let me sleep。 I travelled by day； and by night I found him。 I and
another； we killed himah！ ah！
Why do I tell you this？ What has it to do with the loves of
Umslopogaas and Nada the Lily？ I will tell you。 I stabbed Chaka for
the sake of my sister； Baleka； the mother of Umslopogaas； and because
he had murdered my wives and children。 I and Umslopogaas slew Dingaan
for the sake of Nada； who was my daughter。
There are great names in the story； my father。 Yes； many have heard
the names： when the Impis roared them out as they charged in battle； I
have felt the mountains shake and seen the waters quiver in their
sound。 But where are they now？ Silence has them； and the white men
write them down in books。 I opened the gates of distance for the
holders of the names。 They passed through and they are gone beyond。 I
cut the strings that tied them to the world。 They fell off。 Ha！ ha！
They fell off！ Perhaps they are falling still； perhaps they creep
about their desolate kraals in the skins of snakes。 I wish I knew the
snakes that I might crush them with my heel。 Yonder； beneath us； at
the burying place of kings； there is a hole。 In that hole lies the
bones of Chaka； the king who died for Baleka。 Far away in Zululand
there is a cleft upon the Ghost Mountain。 At the foot of that cleft
lie the bones of Dingaan； the king who died for Nada。 It was far to
fall and he was heavy； those bones of his are broken into little
pieces。 I went to see them when the vultures and the jackals had done
their work。 And then I laughed three times and came here to die。
All that is long ago； and I have not died； though I wish to die and
follow the road that Nada trod。 Perhaps I have lived to tell you this
tale； my father； that you may repeat it to the white men if you will。
How old am I？ Nay； I do not know。 Very； very old。 Had Chaka lived he
would have been as old as I。＇2＇ None are living whom I knew when I was
a boy。 I am so old that I must hasten。 The grass withers； and the
winter comes。 Yes； while I speak the winter nips my heart。 Well； I am
ready to sleep in the cold； and perhaps I shall awake again in the
spring。
＇2＇ This would have made him nearly a hundred years old； an age rarely
attained by a native。 The writer remembers talking to an aged Zulu
woman； however； who told him that she was married when Chaka was
king。ED。
Before the Zulus were a peoplefor I will begin at the beginningI
was born of the Langeni tribe。 We were not a large tribe； afterwards；
all our able…bodied men numbered one full regiment in Chaka's army；
perhaps there were between two and three thousand of them； but they
were brave。 Now they are all dead； and their women and children with
them；that people is no more。 It is gone like last month's moon； how
it went I will tell you by…and…bye。
Our tribe lived in a beautiful open country； the Boers； whom we call
the Amaboona； are there now； they tell me。 My father； Makedama； was
chief of the tribe； and his kraal was built on the crest of a hill；
but I was not the son of his head wife。 One evening； when I was still
little； standing as high as a man's elbow only； I went out with my
mother below the cattle kraal to see the cows driven in。 My mother was
very fond of these cows； and there was one with a white face that
would follow her about。 She carried my little sister Baleka riding on
her hip； Baleka was a baby then。 We walked till we met the lads
driving in the cows。 My mother called the white…faced cow and gave it
mealie leaves which she had brought with her。 Then the boys went on
with the cattle； but the white…faced cow stopped by my mother。 She
said that she would bring it to the kraal when she came home。 My
mother sat down on the grass and nursed her baby； while I played round
her； and the cow grazed。 Presently we saw a woman walking towards us
across the plain。 She walked like one who is tired。 On her back was a
bundle of mats； and she led by the hand a boy of about my own age； but
bigger and stronger than I was。 We waited a long while； till at last
the woman came up to us and sank down on the veldt； for she was very
weary。 We saw by the way her hair was dressed that she was not of our
tribe。
〃Greeting to you！〃 said the woman。
〃Good…morrow！〃 answered my mother。 〃What do you seek？〃
〃Food； and a hut to sleep in；〃 said the woman。 〃I have travelled far。〃
〃How are you named？and what is your people？〃 asked my mother。
〃My name is Unandi： I am the wife of Senzangacona； of the Zulu tribe；〃
said the stranger。
Now there had been war between our people and the Zulu people； and
Senzangacona had killed some of our warriors and taken many of our
cattle。 So； when my mother heard the speech of Unandi she sprang up in
anger。
〃You dare to come here and ask me for food and shelter； wife of a dog
of a Zulu！〃 she cried； 〃begone； or I will call the girls to whip you
out of our country。〃
The woman； who was very handsome； waited till my mother had finished
her angry words； then she looked up and spoke slowly； 〃There is a cow
by you with milk dropping from its udder； will you not even give me
and my boy a gourd of milk？〃 And she took a gourd from her bundle and
held it towards us。
〃I will not；〃 s