登陆注册
5421800000057

第57章

A great shout went up from the crowd of watchers when they knew that Jikiza the Unconquered was killed at last, and there were many who hailed Umslopogaas, naming him Chief and Lord of the People of the Axe. But the sons of Jikiza to the number of ten, great men and brave, rushed on Umslopogaas to kill him. Umslopogaas ran backwards, lifting up the Groan-Maker, when certain councillors of the people flung themselves in between them, crying, "Hold!""Is not this your law, ye councillors," said Umslopogaas, "that, having conquered the chief of the People of the Axe, I myself am chief?""That is our law indeed, stranger," answered an aged councillor, "but this also is our law: that now you must do battle, one by one, with all who come against you. So it was in my father's time, when the grandfather of him who now lies dead won the axe, and so it must be again to-day.""I have nothing to say against the rule," said Umslopogaas. "Now who is there who will come up against me to do battle for the axe Groan-Maker and the chieftainship of the People of the Axe?"Then all the ten sons of Jikiza stepped forward as one man, for their hearts were made with wrath because of the death of their father and because the chieftainship had gone from their race, so that in truth they cared little if they lived or died. But there were none besides these, for all men feared to stand before Umslopogaas and the Groan-Maker.

Umslopogaas counted them. "There are ten, by the head of Chaka!" he cried. "Now if I must fight all these one by one, no time will be left to me this day to talk of the matter of Masilo and of the maid Zinita.

Hearken! What say you, sons of Jikiza the Conquered? If I find one other to stand beside me in the fray, and all of you come on at once against us twain, ten against two, to slay us or be slain, will that be to your minds?"The brethren consulted together, and held that so they should be in better case than if they went up one by one.

"So be it," they said, and the councillors assented.

Now, as he fled round and round, Umslopogaas had seen the face of Galazi, his brother, in the throng, and knew that he hungered to share the fight. So he called aloud that he whom he should choose, and who would stand back to back with him in the fray, if victory were theirs, should be the first after him among the People of the Axe, and as he called, he walked slowly down the line scanning the faces of all, till he came to where Galazi stood leaning on the Watcher.

"Here is a great fellow who bears a great club," said Umslopogaas.

"How are you named, fellow?"

"I am named Wolf," answered Galazi.

"Say, now, Wolf, are you willing to stand back to back with me in this fray of two against ten? If victory is ours, you shall be next to me amongst this people.""Better I love the wild woods and the mountain's breast than the kraals of men and the kiss of wives, Axebearer," answered Galazi.

"Yet, because you have shown yourself a warrior of might, and to taste again of the joy of battle, I will stand back to back with you, Axebearer, and see this matter ended.""A bargain, Wolf!" cried Umslopogaas. And they walked side by side--a mighty pair!--till they came to the centre of the cattle kraal. All there looked on them wondering, and it came into the thoughts of some of them that these were none other than the Wolf-Brethren who dwelt upon the Ghost Mountain.

"Now axe Groan-maker and club Watcher are come together, Galazi," said Umslopogaas as they walked, "and I think that few can stand before them.""Some shall find it so," answered Galazi. "At the least, the fray will be merry, and what matter how frays end?""Ah," said Umslopogaas, "victory is good, but death ends all and is best of all."Then they spoke of the fashion in which they would fight, and Umslopogaas looked curiously at the axe he carried, and at the point on its hammer, balancing it in his hand. When he had looked long, the pair took their stand back to back in the centre of the kraal, and people saw that Umslopogaas held the axe in a new fashion, its curved blade being inwards towards his breast, and the hollow point turned towards the foe. The ten brethren gathered themselves together, shaking their assegais; five of them stood before Umslopogaas and five before Galazi the Wolf. They were all great men, made fierce with rage and shame.

"Now nothing except witchcraft can save these two," said a councillor to one who stood by him.

"Yet there is virtue in the axe," answered the other, "and for the club, it seems that I know it: I think it is named Watcher of the Fords, and woe to those who stand before the Watcher. I myself have seen him aloft when I was young; moreover, these are no cravens who hold the axe and the club. They are but lads, indeed, yet they have drunk wolf's milk."Meanwhile, an aged man drew near to speak the word of onset; it was that same man who had set out the law to Umslopogaas. He must give the signal by throwing up a spear, and when it struck the ground, then the fight would begin. The old man took the spear and threw it, but his hand was weak, and he cast so clumsily that it fell among the sons of Jikiza, who stood before Umslopogaas, causing them to open up to let it pass between them, and drawing the eyes of all ten of them to it.

同类推荐
  • 轻诋

    轻诋

    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。
  • 释迦如来降生礼赞文

    释迦如来降生礼赞文

    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。
  • 正学隅见述

    正学隅见述

    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。
  • 圣迦柅忿怒金刚童子菩萨成就仪轨经

    圣迦柅忿怒金刚童子菩萨成就仪轨经

    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。
  • 鹦鹉洲

    鹦鹉洲

    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
  • 美眷难囚:娘子不安分(大结局)
  • 浮生若梦:红楼梦的前世今生

    浮生若梦:红楼梦的前世今生

    《浮生若梦:红楼梦的前世今生》是《红楼梦》研究的精华之作,收录了王国维、胡适、鲁迅、蔡元培等关于《红楼梦》研究的经典著作。红学研究的流派很多,包括“索隐派”、“新红学”、“评论派”等,著者从多个方面对《红楼梦》进行了系统而全面的分析和介绍。
  • 小青铜你别怂

    小青铜你别怂

    【2018王者荣耀文学大赛·征文参赛作品】【甜宠鸭,爆笑鸭,欢脱鸭】入坑王者荣耀第二天被大神收徒是什么情况?大神:“buff,要不要?”时沐:“要……”大神:“人头,要不要?”时沐:“要……”大神:“我,你要不要?”时沐:“……”大神:“带飞上王者,附赠男朋友一个。”据说A大校草林昭是国服第一高冷,谁知道他是国服第一妻奴,时沐:说出来你们可能不信,我男朋友是打王者送的……
  • 法学思与辩

    法学思与辩

    法学是社会科学中一门特殊的科学,研究“法”这一特定社会现象及其规律。法学肯定法律对于社会的制约和调整。从而,法学成为教育全体人民遵纪守法,具有特殊的价值。现代的法学,是指研究法律的科学。但是关于法学与科学的关系有不同的看法,这主要涉及价值论的研究是不是科学的问题。本书收录了作者关于法学思辨文集。
  • 栖凤坡

    栖凤坡

    外滩的风撩起我的长发。我斜倚在栏杆上,望着灯光琉璃的江面,想起那年在栖凤坡的那个傍晚,海音子天真欢快地描述着她的理想:我要买大房子,我要买几十套茶具,我天天喝茶。我戏谑道:一杯为品,二杯为解渴,三杯是驴饮水。她张牙舞爪地扑上来,两个十六岁的少女在槐树下笑着扭打成一团。若干年后,当我终于在一个陌生城市的角落安顿下来,精心泡好一杯栖凤茶,慢慢啜饮的时候,我会想起栖凤坡上那个人们口口相传却无从考证的传说。我相信这是真的。我打开电脑,一个字一个字地敲打描绘着,丝毫不吝笔墨:春暖花开时节,栖凤坡上有凤来仪。百鸟之王,不负盛名。体态高贵,全身五彩斑斓,飞向高空后直入云端,其鸣叫更是响彻九霄……
  • 鬼手娘子

    鬼手娘子

    当傅承宣和陆锦成亲后,收到了一份价值千金的盆景珊瑚。第二天,珊瑚变成了九百九十九颗珊瑚珠,穿成了门帘子……傅承宣:你的手是痒的荒么!败家女人!好好的东西被你磨成这样,有人欣赏我便自挖双目!隔日,珊瑚珠帘被皇宫重金收购!最后的最后,认识那个骁勇善战为人冷漠凶残的傅大将军的人都知道傅大将军的一句名言——和夫人比技术的都是傻逼!
  • 以退为进

    以退为进

    在地球毁灭后的诺亚方舟里,晋璃璃在“不进则退”的生存游戏里,为了让深爱的叶缺能够活着在新的星球上延续地球人的生命,而甘愿牺牲了自己的生命。百年之后,晋璃璃从营养仓苏醒过来,又重新见到了曾经的爱人,但是曾经的爱人因为无法接受她的死亡,而放弃了从前的记忆,成为了另一个人,他们还能再续前缘么?
  • 爱不释手,总裁的刁蛮妻

    爱不释手,总裁的刁蛮妻

    三年前的婚礼,他不只逃婚,而且一句话让他成了整个小区的一个笑话,家庭的耻辱,甚至害的她的姐姐也嫁不出去。宁小可发誓,这辈子要是让她再见到那个杀千刀的,她非剁了他不可。*********转眼再见,他是丰城阔少,她是暴发户的女儿。他陪着朋友来家里相亲,她帮着姐姐做馄饨应付相亲。仇人见面,分外眼红,她愤怒的看向他。某男邪魅开口:“你们认错人了,我是景桁的哥哥景琛。”某女:“……”************渣男“哥哥”大方表示,要帮宁小可收拾那个杀千刀的,而且立即执行,某女瞬间惊呆了。好吧,有人帮忙自己收拾渣男,何乐而不为。绑了揍一顿,可以!玩玩涂鸦,也可以!只要是想玩的,没什么不可以!宁小可觉得自己的日子简直是爽翻天了,对这个突然冒出来的前男友“哥哥”是感恩戴德,涕泪涟涟。景少悠悠开口:“亲爱的,既然那么感动,嫁给我可好!”某女眯眯眼:“等我虐够景桁了再说,明天我要……”某男泪:“……”他们同仇敌忾,臭味相投,齐心合力收拾“景桁”,查清一个个扑朔迷离的谜团,可是后来的后来,宁小可才发现,某景少给她挖了个坑,而且是很大很大一个坑,让她跳进去就再爬不出来了,而这个坑里是……
  • 圣经故事:历代愿望

    圣经故事:历代愿望

    《历代愿望》分册,是《圣经故事》的第三分册,讲述耶稣的生平故事,对应《圣经·新约》的前4卷。
  • 清白

    清白

    《清白》是《白豆》的姊妹篇,故事同樣發生在上世紀五十年代的新疆原野,所不同的是《白豆》描寫的是一個女人與三個男人之間的情感糾葛,而《清白》更多地描寫了男人與女人的戰爭以及愛情遭遇流言、權力之后的出路在哪裡。意蘊更為豐厚,故事更加好看。