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black heart and white heart-第1部分
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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
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