登陆注册
5421800000108

第108章

One moment more Galazi watched. It was a little impi, perhaps they numbered two hundred men, running silently, but not to battle, for they wore no plumes. Yet they went out to kill, for they ran in companies, and each man carried assegais and a shield.

Now Galazi had heard tell of such impis that hunt by night, and he knew well that these were the king's dogs, and their game was men, a big kraal of sleeping men, otherwise there had been fewer dogs. Is a whole pack sent out to catch an antelope on its form? Galazi wondered whom they sought. Ah! now they turned to the ford, and he knew. It was his brother Umslopogaas and Nada the Lily and the People of the Axe.

These were the king's dogs, and Zinita had let them slip. For this reason she had called a feast of women, and taken the children with her; for this reason so many had been summoned from the kraal by one means or another: it was that they might escape the slaughter.

Galazi bounded to his feet. For one moment he thought. Might not these hunters be hunted? Could he not destroy them by the jaws of the wolves as once before they had destroyed a certain impi of the king's? Ay, if he had seen them but one hour before, then scarcely a man of them should have lived to reach the stream, for he would have waylaid them with his wolves. But now it might not be; the soldiers neared the ford, and Galazi knew well that his grey people would not hunt on the further plain, though for this he had heard one reason only, that which was given him by the lips of the dead in a dream.

What, then, might be done? One thing alone: warn Umslopogaas. Yet how?

For him who could swim a rushing river, there was, indeed, a swifter way to the place of the People of the Axe--a way that was to the path of the impi as is the bow-string to the strung bow. And yet they had travelled well-nigh half the length of the bow. Still, he might do it, he whose feet were the swiftest in the land, except those of Umslopogaas. At the least, he would try. Mayhap, the impi would tarry to drink at the ford.

So Galazi thought in his heart, and his thought was swift as the light. Then with a bound he was away down the mountain side. From boulder to boulder he leapt like a buck, he crashed through the brake like a bull, he skimmed the level like a swallow. The mountain was travelled now; there in front of him lay the yellow river foaming in its flood, so he had swum it before when he went to see the dead. Ah!

a good leap far out into the torrent; it was strong, but he breasted it. He was through, he stood upon the bank shaking the water from him like a dog, and now he was away up the narrow gorge of stones to the long slope, running low as his wolves ran.

Before him lay the town--one side shone silver with the sinking moon, one was grey with the breaking dawn. Ah! they were there, he saw them moving through the grass by the eastern gate; he saw the long lines of slayers creep to the left and the right.

How could he pass them before the circle of death was drawn? Six spear-throws to run, and they had but such a little way! The mealie-plants were tall, and at a spot they almost touched the fence. Up the path! Could Umslopogaas, his brother, move more fast, he wondered, than the Wolf who sped to save him? He was there, hidden by the mealie stalks, and there, along the fence to the right and to the left, the slayers crept!

"Wow! What was that?" said one soldier of the king to another man as they joined their guard completing the death circle. "Wow! something great and black crashed through the fence before me.""I heard it, brother," answered the other man. "I heard it, but I saw nothing. It must have been a dog: no man could leap so high.""More like a wolf," said the first; "at the least, let us pray that it was not an Esedowan[1] who will put us into the hole in its back. Is your fire ready, brother? Wow! these wizards shall wake warm; the signal should be soon."[1] A fabulous animal, reported by the Zulus to carry off human beings in a hole in its back.

Then arose the sound of a great voice crying, "Awake, ye sleepers, the foe is at your gates!"

同类推荐
  • 江上遗闻

    江上遗闻

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 六十种曲还魂记

    六十种曲还魂记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • John Bull on the Guadalquivir

    John Bull on the Guadalquivir

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 观所缘缘论

    观所缘缘论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 效特牲

    效特牲

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 老九门沙海之归来

    老九门沙海之归来

    “佛爷。”张副官迈着急促的步伐走进张大佛爷的办公室,手中拿着一封加急电报。
  • 南窗漫记引

    南窗漫记引

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说木槵经

    佛说木槵经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 爱上傻丫头

    爱上傻丫头

    冬青是东九和阿婆收养的傻瓜,一场车祸让冬青失去了记忆,一次意外夺去了东九的生命,阿婆受不了刺激心脏病发也死了。当冬青无路可去的时候遇到了杨道杰,并且在她家里当保姆,日子一直安静的过着。直到杨道杰的朋友梁逸飞看到冬青和自己朋友长的一模一样,疑心她们是失散多年的姐妹,偷偷拿了她们的头发去做DNA……
  • 适度的艺术

    适度的艺术

    有个成语叫过犹不及,意思是说事情做得过火就和做得不够一样,都是不好的;还有个成语叫适可而止,意思是说做事做到了适当的程度就可以了。其实,这两个成语都说明了一个意思,做事要有度。
  • 行书:千古行书精品

    行书:千古行书精品

    中华文化也叫华夏文化、华夏文明,是中国各民族文化的总称,是中华文明在发展过程中汇集而成的一种反映民族特质和风貌的民族文化,是中华民族历史上各种物态文化、精神文化、行为文化等方面的总体表现。
  • 人间四月芳菲尽

    人间四月芳菲尽

    之后她四海漂泊,住着狭隘的茅草屋,风雨不避。日日清茶淡饭,时时望着远方,默默流泪。没有几年,她已沧桑地不似人形。但她的心底,仍没有一丝一毫忘却过去那场梦。远在邙山修炼的青柏,亦日日夜夜和她做着同样的梦。他抄了半载经书,念了一年佛理,仍旧被旧梦纠缠,被自己曾亲手埋下的一道道线纠缠,至此他也才敢承认,自己也从未忘却过那个女子,那个英豪不羁的巾帼女子。还有那场宿醉方休的约定。
  • 圣无动尊安镇家国等法

    圣无动尊安镇家国等法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 千城悔首思歌浸

    千城悔首思歌浸

    “世道百转,无论是你的前世,还是你的今生,我千忆城永远爱的是现在的是,这一世的,唯一的,你……”他怀中抱着只剩着一丝微弱呼吸的女孩,她笑了,笑得如海棠花一般:“我也是……”
  • 废才狂妃:我家王爷太妖孽

    废才狂妃:我家王爷太妖孽

    一朝涅槃,枭雄重生,她是叶家二房痴傻废柴大小姐,强魂归来,要将算计她的人一一挑落马下。这个小傻子,还真是好运。妖孽王爷天天缠着,她想甩都甩不掉。情节虚构,请勿模仿