nada the lily- 第22部分

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；　for　now　I　must