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black heart and white heart-第6部分
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he went on peering ahead of him cautiously。
〃It is all right here; anyway;〃 said Hadden; pointing to the spoor
that ran straight forward printed deep in the marshy ground。
Nahoon did not answer; but stared steadily at the trunks of two trees
a few paces in front of them and to their right。 〃Look;〃 he whispered。
Hadden did so; and at length made out the outline of something brown
that was crouched behind the trees。
〃He is dead;〃 he exclaimed。
〃No;〃 answered Nahoon; 〃he has come back on his own path and is
waiting for us。 He knows that we are following his spoor。 Now if you
stand there; I think that you can shoot him through the back between
the tree trunks。〃
Hadden knelt down; and aiming very carefully at a point just below the
bull's spine; he fired。 There was an awful bellow; and the next
instant the brute was up and at them。 Nahoon flung his broad spear;
which sank deep into its chest; then they fled this way and that。 The
buffalo stood still for a moment; its fore legs straddled wide and its
head down; looking first after the one and then the other; till of a
sudden it uttered a low moaning sound and rolled over dead; smashing
Nahoon's assegai to fragments as it fell。
〃There! he's finished;〃 said Hadden; 〃and I believe it was your
assegai that killed him。 Hullo! what's that noise?〃
Nahoon listened。 In several quarters of the forest; but from how far
away it was impossible to tell; there rose a curious sound; as of
people calling to each other in fear but in no articulate language。
Nahoon shivered。
〃It is the /Esemkofu/;〃 he said; 〃the ghosts who have no tongue; and
who can only wail like infants。 Let us be going; this place is bad for
mortals。〃
〃And worse for buffaloes;〃 said Hadden; giving the dead bull a kick;
〃but I suppose that we must leave him here for your friends; the
/Esemkofu/; as we have got meat enough; and can't carry his head。〃
So they started back towards the open country。 As they threaded their
way slowly through the tree trunks; a new idea came into Hadden's
head。 Once out of this forest; he was within an hour's run of the Zulu
border; and once over the Zulu border; he would feel a happier man
than he did at that moment。 As has been said; he had intended to
attempt to escape in the darkness; but the plan was risky。 All the
Zulus might not over…eat themselves and go to sleep; especially after
the death of their comrade; Nahoon; who watched him day and night;
certainly would not。 This was his opportunitythere remained the
question of Nahoon。
Well; if it came to the worst; Nahoon must die: it would be easyhe
had a loaded rifle; and now that his assegai was gone; Nahoon had only
a kerry。 He did not wish to kill the man; though it was clear to him;
seeing that his own safety was at stake; that he would be amply
justified in so doing。 Why should he not put it to himand then be
guided by circumstances?
Nahoon was walking across a little open space about ten spaces ahead
of him where Hadden could see him very well; whilst he himself was
under the shadow of a large tree with low horizontal branches running
out from the trunk。
〃Nahoon;〃 he said。
The Zulu turned round; and took a step towards him。
〃No; do not move; I pray。 Stand where you are; or I shall be obliged
to shoot you。 Listen now: do not be afraid for I shall not fire
without warning。 I am your prisoner; and you are charged to take me
back to the king to be his servant。 But I believe that a war is going
to break out between your people and mine; and this being so; you will
understand that I do not wish to go to Cetywayo's kraal; because I
should either come to a violent death there; or my own brothers will
believe that I am a traitor and treat me accordingly。 The Zulu border
is not much more than an hour's journey awaylet us say an hour and a
half's: I mean to be across it before the moon is up。 Now; Nahoon;
will you lose me in the forest and give me this hour and a half's
startor will you stop here with that ghost people of whom you talk?
Do you understand? No; please do not move。〃
〃I understand you;〃 answered the Zulu; in a perfectly composed voice;
〃and I think that was a good name which we gave you this morning;
though; Black Heart; there is some justice in your words and more
wisdom。 Your opportunity is good; and one which a man named as you are
should not let fall。〃
〃I am glad to find that you take this view of the matter; Nahoon。 And
now will you be so kind as to lose me; and to promise not to look for
me till the moon is up?〃
〃What do you mean; Black Heart?〃
〃What I say。 Come; I have no time to spare。〃
〃You are a strange man;〃 said the Zulu reflectively。 〃You heard the
king's order to me: would you have me disobey the order of the king?〃
〃Certainly; I would。 You have no reason to love Cetywayo; and it does
not matter to you whether or no I return to his kraal to mend guns
there。 If you think that he will be angry because I am missing; you
had better cross the border also; we can go together。〃
〃And leave my father and all my brethren to his vengeance? Black
Heart; you do not understand。 How can you; being so named? I am a
soldier; and the king's word is the king's word。 I hoped to have died
fighting; but I am the bird in your noose。 Come; shoot; or you will
not reach the border before moonrise;〃 and he opened his arms and
smiled。
〃If it must be; so let it be。 Farewell; Nahoon; at least you are a
brave man; but every one of us must cherish his own life;〃 answered
Hadden calmly。
Then with much deliberation he raised his rifle and covered the Zulu's
breast。
Alreadywhilst his victim stood there still smiling; although a
twitching of his lips betrayed the natural terrors that no bravery can
banishalready his finger was contracting on the trigger; when of a
sudden; as instantly as though he had been struck by lightning; Hadden
went down backwards; and behold! there stood upon him a great spotted
beast that waved its long tail to and fro and glared down into his
eyes。
It was a leoparda tiger as they call it in Africawhich; crouched
upon a bough of the tree above; had been unable to resist the
temptation of satisfying its savage appetite on the man below。 For a
second or two there was silence; broken only by the purring; or rather
the snoring sound made by the leopard。 In those seconds; strangely
enough; there sprang up before Hadden's mental vision a picture of the
/inyanga/ called /Inyosi/ or the Bee; her death…like head resting
against the thatch of the hut; and her death…like lips muttering
〃think of my word when the great cat purrs above your face。〃
Then the brute put out its strength。 The claws of one paw it drove
deep into the muscles of his left thigh; while with another it
scratched at his breast; tearing the clothes from it and furrowing the
flesh beneath。 The sight of the white skin seemed to madden it; and in
its fierce desire for blood it drooped its square muzzle and buried
its fangs in its victim's shoulder。 Next moment there was a sound of
running feet and of a club falling heavily。 Up reared the leopard with
an angry snarl; up till it stood as high as the attacking Zulu。 At him
it came; striking out savagely and tearing the black man as it had
torn the white。 Again the kerry fell full on its jaws; and down it
went backwards。 Before it could rise again; or rather as it was in the
act of rising; the heavy knob…stick struck it once more; and with
fearful force; this time as it chanced; full on the nape of the neck;
and paralysing the brute。 It writhed and bit and twisted; throwing up
the earth and leaves; while blow after blow was rained upon it; till
at length with a convulsive struggle and a stifled roar it lay still
the brains oozing from its shattered skull。
Hadden sat up; the blood running from his wounds。
〃You have saved my life; Nahoon;〃 he said faintly; 〃and I thank you。〃
〃Do not thank me; Black Heart;〃 answered the Zulu; 〃it was the king's
word that I should keep you safely。 Still this tiger has been hardly
dealt with; for certainly /he/ has saved /my/ life;〃 and lifting the
Martini he unloaded the rifle。
At this juncture Hadden swooned away。
*****
Twenty…four hours had gone by when; after what seemed to him to be but
a little time of troubled and dreamful sleep; through which he could
hear voices without understanding what they said; and feel himself
borne he knew not whither; Hadden awoke to find himself lying upon a
kaross in a large and beautifully clean Kaffir hut with a bundle of
furs for a pillow。 There was a bowl of milk at his side and tortured
as he was by thirst; he tried to stretch out his arm to lift it to his
lips; only to find to his astonishment that his hand fell back to his
side like that of a dead man。 Looking round the hut impatiently; he
found that there was nobody in it to assist him; so he did the only
thing which remained for him to dohe lay still。 He did not fall
asleep; but his eyes closed; and a kind of gentle torpor crept over
him; half obscuring his recovered senses。 Presently he heard a soft
voice speaking; it seemed far away; but he could clearly distinguish
the words。
〃Black Heart still sleeps;〃 the voice said; 〃but there is colour in
his face; I think that he will wake soon; and find his thoughts
again。〃
〃Have no fear; Nanea; he will surely wake; his hurts are not
dangerous;〃 answered another voice; that of Nahoon。 〃He fell heavily
with the weight of the tiger on top of him; and that is why his senses
have been shaken for so long。 He went near to death; but certainly he
will not die。〃
〃It would have been a pity if he had died;〃 answered the soft voice;
〃he is so beautiful; never have I seen a white man who was so
beautiful。〃
〃I did not think him beautiful when he stood with his rifle pointed at
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