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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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