登陆注册
5421800000091

第91章

Now the mind of Dingaan was heavy, and he sought something to lighten it. Presently he bethought himself of the white praying man, who had come to the kraal seeking to teach us people of the Zulu to worship other gods than the assegai and the king. Now this was a good man, but no luck went with his teaching, which was hard to understand; and, moreover, the indunas did not like it, because it seemed to set a master over the master, and a king over the king, and to preach of peace to those whose trade was war. Still, Dingaan sent for the white man that he might dispute with him, for Dingaan thought that he himself was the cleverest of all men.

Now the white man came, but his face was pale, because of that which he had seen befall the Boers, for he was gentle and hated such sights.

The king bade him be seated and spoke to him saying:--"The other day, O White Man, thou toldest me of a place of fire whither those go after death who have done wickedly in life. Tell me now of thy wisdom, do my fathers lie in that place?""How can I know, King," answered the prayer-doctor, "who may not judge of the deeds of men? This I say only: that those who murder and rob and oppress the innocent and bear false witness shall lie in that place of fire.""It seems that my fathers have done all these things, and if they are in this place I would go there also, for I am minded to be with my fathers at the last. Yet I think that I should find a way to escape if ever I came there.""How, King?"

Now Dingaan had set this trap for the prayer-doctor. In the centre of that open space where he had caused the Boers to be fallen upon he had built up a great pyre of wood--brushwood beneath, and on top of the brushwood logs, and even whole trees. Perhaps, my father, there were sixty full wagonloads of dry wood piled together there in the centre of the place.

"Thou shalt see with thine eyes, White Man," he answered, and bidding attendants set fire to the pile all round, he summoned that regiment of young men which was left in the kraal. Maybe there were a thousand and half a thousand of them--not more--the same that had slain the Boers.

Now the fire began to burn fiercely, and the regiment filed in and took its place in ranks. By the time that all had come, the pyre was everywhere a sheet of raging flame, and, though we sat a hundred paces from it, its heat was great when the wind turned our way.

"Now, Doctor of Prayers, is thy hot place hotter than yonder fire?"said the king.

He answered that he did not know, but the fire was certainly hot.

"Then I will show thee how I will come out of it if ever I go to lie in such a fire--ay, though it be ten times as big and fierce. Ho! my children!" he cried to the soldiers, and, springing up, "You see yonder fire. Run swiftly and stamp it flat with your feet. Where there was fire let there be blackness and ashes."Now the White Man lifted his hands and prayed Dingaan not to do this thing that should be the death of many, but the king bade him be silent. Then he turned his eyes upward and prayed to his gods. For a moment also the soldiers looked on each other in doubt, for the fire raged furiously, and spouts of flame shot high toward the heaven, and above it and about it the hot air danced. But their captain called to them loudly: "Great is the king! Hear the words of the king, who honours you! Yesterday we ate up the Amaboona--it was nothing, they were unarmed. There is a foe more worthy of our valour. Come, my children, let us wash in the fire--we who are fiercer than the fire!

Great is the king who honours us!"

同类推荐
  • 大圣天欢喜双身毗那夜迦法

    大圣天欢喜双身毗那夜迦法

    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。
  • 西南纪事

    西南纪事

    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。
  • 困知记

    困知记

    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。
  • 道应训

    道应训

    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。
  • 读书训

    读书训

    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
  • 云麓漫钞

    云麓漫钞

    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。
  • 单项人生旅途

    单项人生旅途

    作者故事“遇见你真好”,好喜欢你啊!看着你开心的样子,我也很开心,你喜欢的,我也喜欢,这是喜欢还是爱呢?不敢妄下定论,好喜欢你的笑,真的,笑起来是最漂亮的,又或者是欣赏罢了!这让我与你保持了一定的距离,想说又不敢,喜欢又害怕,哈哈,大概这就是最美好的年纪了吧????'其实,一开始就该知道的,只是自己不愿意去相信罢了,最后……
  • 心理师4:魅惑樱花

    心理师4:魅惑樱花

    疑云重重,人心难测,惊险刺激,多次反转,国内原创心理学推理神作,步步拯救美丽而濒临沉沦的灵魂。心理师孟新建一个客户的女儿离家出走,在寻找过程中,他发现似乎都和“黑色火焰”组织息息相关。同时,一个家族背景深厚的女孩子到日本后失联。最终,孟新建该如何和安倍青木等人斗智斗勇,解救身陷囹圄的失足妇女?又该如何给这些女孩子进行心理治疗?随着孟新建等人缜密的推理,真凶渐渐浮出水面......
  • 只有军事化管理才能救企业

    只有军事化管理才能救企业

    ”世界上最优秀的管理在军队!”这句话被世界上许多知名的企业家所认可,我国的华为、长虹、联想、远大、春兰等一批大型企业曾以军事化管理闻名,美国西点军校更是商业领袖的摇篮之一。要想让企业像军队一样高效,就需要对企业进行军事化管理。《只有军事化管理才能救企业》从战略战术、情报收集、思想教育、人才培养、制度建设等十个方面分别论述了军事化管理的独特理念,通过大量的经典案例,帮助你理解古今中外军事思想的精华,把军人的“野狼”习性和“亮剑”精神融入到企业管理中,学会军队的奉献精神、冒险精神、团队精神、探索精神、服从精神……从而提升企业的综合管理水平及企业的核心竞争力,帮你打造“少人高效”的一流团队!
  • 佛说妇人遇辜经

    佛说妇人遇辜经

    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。
  • THE FOOLISH VIRGIN

    THE FOOLISH VIRGIN

    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。
  • 基于重庆实证的新农村建设中土地流转机制研究

    基于重庆实证的新农村建设中土地流转机制研究

    本书主要内容包括:新农村建设理论研究;农村土地流转制度背景与理论研究;重庆新农村建设现状与问题;重庆市农村土地流转研究等。
  • 易逆

    易逆

    天地成,万物生,命运线是在阐释天机注定?入玄梦,预时空,先知的存在暗示着人不胜天?悟天道,纵众神,携天怨人怒是否篡历史改天命?破苍穹,逆乾坤,是在意味身不由己还是逆天逆地?亘古界,始宇宙,是灭世种族还是捍卫远古开天辟地?三层宇宙,须弥混沌,颠覆般的掌控谁甘心做命运的奴隶?他不是远古第一人,只是一个灵魂容器,然而他的任务只是改命逆天。
  • 世界历史文化之谜:千古疑案

    世界历史文化之谜:千古疑案

    漫漫历史,茫茫宇宙,缤纷的世界充满着神奇,今天的科学虽然发展到一定的程度,但还是有一些未解之谜和一些现有科学知识无法解决的疑案。
  • 肥妻娇宠记

    肥妻娇宠记

    耿墨羽表示,他对齐籽萱这种球形身材开始是拒绝的,渐渐却发现圆脸女孩看起来更可爱,再后来发现肉肉的女孩抱起来更有手感。后来的后来,高冷公子成了炫妻狂魔,逢人就夸:“我媳妇儿那不叫胖,那叫珠圆玉润懂不懂?我媳妇儿能三年生俩你媳妇儿能吗?”齐籽萱捂脸放闺女:“齐蓝,把你那丢人的傻爹拉回来!”推新书《部长大人,宠妻无度》,甜宠无虐,欢迎入坑