友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
合租小说网 返回本书目录 加入书签 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 『收藏到我的浏览器』

black heart and white heart-第1部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!






Black Heart and White Heart



by H。 Rider Haggard









DEDICATION



To the Memory of the Child



Nada Burnham;



  who 〃bound all to her〃 and; while her father cut his way through

  the hordes of the Ingobo Regiment; perished of the hardships of

  war at Buluwayo on 19th May; 1896; I dedicate these talesand

  more particularly the last; that of a Faith which triumphed over

  savagery and death。



H。 Rider Haggard。



  Ditchingham。









AUTHOR'S NOTE



  Of the three stories that comprise this volume; one; 〃The

  Wizard;〃 a tale of victorious faith; first appeared some years ago

  as a Christmas Annual。 Another; 〃Elissa;〃 is an attempt; difficult

  enough owing to the scantiness of the material left to us by time;

  to recreate the life of the ancient Ph?nician Zimbabwe; whose

  ruins still stand in Rhodesia; and; with the addition of the

  necessary love story; to suggest circumstances such as might have

  brought about or accompanied its fall at the hands of the

  surrounding savage tribes。 The third; 〃Black Heart and White

  Heart;〃 is a story of the courtship; trials and final union of a

  pair of Zulu lovers in the time of King Cetywayo。









BLACK HEART AND WHITE HEART



A ZULU IDYLL







CHAPTER I



PHILIP HADDEN AND KING CETYWAYO



At the date of our introduction to him; Philip Hadden was a transport…

rider and trader in 〃the Zulu。〃 Still on the right side of forty; in

appearance he was singularly handsome; tall; dark; upright; with keen

eyes; short…pointed beard; curling hair and clear…cut features。 His

life had been varied; and there were passages in it which he did not

narrate even to his most intimate friends。 He was of gentle birth;

however; and it was said that he had received a public school and

university education in England。 At any rate he could quote the

classics with aptitude on occasion; an accomplishment which; coupled

with his refined voice and a bearing not altogether common in the wild

places of the world; had earned for him among his rough companions the

/soubriquet/ of 〃The Prince。〃



However these things may have been; it is certain that he had

emigrated to Natal under a cloud; and equally certain that his

relatives at home were content to take no further interest in his

fortunes。 During the fifteen or sixteen years which he had spent in or

about the colony; Hadden followed many trades; and did no good at any

of them。 A clever man; of agreeable and prepossessing manner; he

always found it easy to form friendships and to secure a fresh start

in life。 But; by degrees; the friends were seized with a vague

distrust of him; and; after a period of more or less application; he

himself would close the opening that he had made by a sudden

disappearance from the locality; leaving behind him a doubtful

reputation and some bad debts。



Before the beginning of this story of the most remarkable episodes in

his life; Philip Hadden was engaged for several years in transport…

ridingthat is; in carrying goods on ox waggons from Durban or

Maritzburg to various points in the interior。 A difficulty such as had

more than once confronted him in the course of his career; led to his

temporary abandonment of this means of earning a livelihood。 On

arriving at the little frontier town of Utrecht in the Transvaal; in

charge of two waggon loads of mixed goods consigned to a storekeeper

there; it was discovered that out of six cases of brandy five were

missing from his waggon。 Hadden explained the matter by throwing the

blame upon his Kaffir 〃boys;〃 but the storekeeper; a rough…tongued

man; openly called him a thief and refused to pay the freight on any

of the load。 From words the two men came to blows; knives were drawn;

and before anybody could interfere the storekeeper received a nasty

wound in his side。 That night; without waiting till the matter could

be inquired into by the landdrost or magistrate; Hadden slipped away;

and trekked back into Natal as quickly as his oxen would travel。

Feeling that even here he was not safe; he left one of his waggons at

Newcastle; loaded up the other with Kaffir goodssuch as blankets;

calico; and hardwareand crossed into Zululand; where in those days

no sheriff's officer would be likely to follow him。



Being well acquainted with the language and customs of the natives; he

did good trade with them; and soon found himself possessed of some

cash and a small herd of cattle; which he received in exchange for his

wares。 Meanwhile news reached him that the man whom he had injured

still vowed vengeance against him; and was in communication with the

authorities in Natal。 These reasons making his return to civilisation

undesirable for the moment; and further business being impossible

until he could receive a fresh supply of trade stuff; Hadden like a

wise man turned his thoughts to pleasure。 Sending his cattle and

waggon over the border to be left in charge of a native headman with

whom he was friendly; he went on foot to Ulundi to obtain permission

from the king; Cetywayo; to hunt game in his country。 Somewhat to his

surprise; the Indunas or headmen; received him courteouslyfor

Hadden's visit took place within a few months of the outbreak of the

Zulu war in 1878; when Cetywayo was already showing unfriendliness to

the English traders and others; though why the king did so they knew

not。



On the occasion of his first and last interview with Cetywayo; Hadden

got a hint of the reason。 It happened thus。 On the second morning

after his arrival at the royal kraal; a messenger came to inform him

that 〃the Elephant whose tread shook the earth〃 had signified that it

was his pleasure to see him。 Accordingly he was led through the

thousands of huts and across the Great Place to the little enclosure

where Cetywayo; a royal…looking Zulu seated on a stool; and wearing a

kaross of leopard skins; was holding an /indaba/; or conference;

surrounded by his counsellors。 The Induna who had conducted him to the

august presence went down upon his hands and knees; and; uttering the

royal salute of /Bayéte/; crawled forward to announce that the white

man was waiting。



〃Let him wait;〃 said the king angrily; and; turning; he continued the

discussion with his counsellors。



Now; as has been said; Hadden thoroughly understood Zulu; and; when

from time to time the king raised his voice; some of the words he

spoke reached his ear。



〃What!〃 Cetywayo said; to a wizened and aged man who seemed to be

pleading with him earnestly; 〃am I a dog that these white hyenas

should hunt me thus? Is not the land mine; and was it not my father's

before me? Are not the people mine to save or to slay? I tell you that

I will stamp out these little white men; my /impis/ shall eat them up。

I have said!〃



Again the withered aged man interposed; evidently in the character of

a peacemaker。 Hadden could not hear his talk; but he rose and pointed

towards the sea; while from his expressive gestures and sorrowful

mien; he seemed to be prophesying disaster should a certain course of

action be followed。



For a while the king listened to him; then he sprang from his seat;

his eyes literally ablaze with rage。



〃Hearken;〃 he cried to the counsellor; 〃I have guessed it for long;

and now I am sure of it。 You are a traitor。 You are Sompseu's'*' dog;

and the dog of the Natal Government; and I will not keep another man's

dog to bite me in my own house。 Take him away!〃



'*' Sir Theophilus Shepstone's。



A slight involuntary murmur rose from the ring of /indunas/; but the

old man never flinched; not even when the soldiers; who presently

would murder him; came and seized him roughly。 For a few seconds;

perhaps five; he covered his face with the corner of the kaross he

wore; then he looked up and spoke to the king in a clear voice。



〃O King;〃 he said; 〃I am a very old man; as a youth I served under

Chaka the Lion; and I heard his dying prophecy of the coming of the

white man。 Then the white men came; and I fought for Dingaan at the

battle of the Blood River。 They slew Dingaan; and for many years I was

the counsellor of Panda; your father。 I stood by you; O King; at the

battle of the Tugela; when its grey waters were turned to red with the

blood of Umbulazi your brother; and of the tens of thousands of his

people。 Afterwards I became your counsellor; O King; and I was with

you when Sompseu set the crown upon your head and you made promises to

Sompseupromises that you have not kept。 Now you are weary of me; and

it is well; for I am very old; and doubtless my talk is foolish; as it

chances to the old。 Yet I think that the prophecy of Chaka; your

great…uncle; will come true; and that the white men will prevail

against you and that through them you shall find your death。 I would

that I might have stood in one more battle and fought for you; O King;

since fight you will; but the end which you choose is for me the best

end。 Sleep in peace; O King; and farewell。 /Bayéte!/〃'*'



'*' The royal salute of the Zulus。



For a space there was silence; a silence of expectation while men

waited to hear the tyrant reverse his judgment。 But it did not please

him to be merciful; or the needs of policy outweighed his pity。



〃Take him away;〃 he repeated。 Then; with a slow smile on his face and

one word; 〃Good…night;〃 upon his lips; supported by the arm of a

soldier; the old warrior and statesman shuffled forth to the place of

death。



Hadden watched and listened in amazement not unmixed with fear。 〃If he

treats his own servants like this; what will happen to me?〃 he

reflected。 〃We English must have fallen out of favour since I left

Natal。 I wonder whether he means to make war on us or what? If so;

this isn't my place。〃



Just then the king; who had been gazing moodily at the ground; chanced

to look up。 〃Bring the stranger he
返回目录 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
快捷操作: 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!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!