black heart and white heart-第9部分

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girl　if　I　can　give　her　to　you。〃



〃You　swear　it；　Maputa？〃



〃I　swear　it　by　the　head　of　Chaka；　and　the　spirits　of　my　fathers。〃



〃Good。　At　dawn　on　the　fourth　day　from　now　it　is　the　purpose　of　Umgona；

his　daughter　Nanea；　and　Nahoon；　to　cross　the　river　into　Natal　by　the

drift　that　is　called　Crocodile　Drift；　taking　their　cattle　with　them

and　flying　from　the　king。　I　also　shall　be　of　their　company；　for　they

know　that　I　have　learned　their　secret；　and　would　murder　me　if　I　tried

to　leave　them。　Now　you　who　are　chief　of　the　border　and　guardian　of

that　drift；　must　hide　at　night　with　some　men　among　the　rocks　in　the

shallows　of　the　drift　and　await　our　coming。　First　Nanea　will　cross

driving　the　cows　and　calves；　for　so　it　is　arranged；　and　I　shall　help

her；　then　will　follow　Umgona　and　Nahoon　with　the　oxen　and　heifers。　On

these　two　you　must　fall；　killing　them　and　capturing　the　cattle；　and

afterwards　I　will　give　you　the　rifle。〃



〃What　if　the　king　should　ask　for　the　girl；　White　Man？〃



〃Then　you　shall　answer　that　in　the　uncertain　light　you　did　not

recognise　her　and　so　she　slipped　away　from　you；　moreover；　that　at

first　you　feared　to　seize　the　girl　lest　her　cries　should　alarm　the　men

and　they　should　escape　you。〃



〃Good；　but　how　can　I　be　sure　that　you　will　give　me　the　gun　once　you

are　across　the　river？〃



〃Thus：　before　I　enter　the　ford　I　will　lay　the　rifle　and　cartridges

upon　a　stone　by　the　bank；　telling　Nanea　that　I　shall　return　to　fetch

them　when　I　have　driven　over　the　cattle。〃



〃It　is　well；　White　Man；　I　will　not　fail　you。〃



So　the　plot　was　made；　and　after　some　further　conversation　upon　points

of　detail；　the　two　conspirators　shook　hands　and　parted。



〃That　ought　to　come　off　all　right；〃　reflected　Hadden　to　himself　as　he

plunged　and　floated　in　the　waters　of　the　stream；　〃but　somehow　I　don't

quite　trust　our　friend　Maputa。　It　would　have　been　better　if　I　could

have　relied　upon　myself　to　get　rid　of　Nahoon　and　his　respected　uncle

a　couple　of　shots　would　do　it　in　the　water。　But　then　that　would　be

murder　and　murder　is　unpleasant；　whereas　the　other　thing　is　only　the

delivery　to　justice　of　two　base　deserters；　a　laudable　action　in　a

military　country。　Also　personal　interference　upon　my　part　might　turn

the　girl　against　me；　while　after　Umgona　and　Nahoon　have　been　wiped　out

by　Maputa；　she　/must/　accept　my　escort。　Of　course　there　is　a　risk；　but

in　every　walk　of　life　the　most　cautious　have　to　take　risks　at　times。〃



As　it　chanced；　Philip　Hadden　was　correct　in　his　suspicions　of　his

coadjutor；　Maputa。　Even　before　that　worthy　chief　reached　his　own

kraal；　he　had　come　to　the　conclusion　that　the　white　man's　plan；　though

attractive　in　some　ways；　was　too　dangerous；　since　it　was　certain　that

if　the　girl　Nanea　escaped；　the　king　would　be　indignant。　Moreover；　the

men　he　took　with　him　to　do　the　killing　in　the　drift　would　suspect

something　and　talk。　On　the　other　hand　he　would　earn　much　credit　with

his　majesty　by　revealing　the　plot；　saying　that　he　had　learned　it　from

the　lips　of　the　white　hunter；　whom　Umgona　and　Nahoon　had　forced　to

participate　in　it；　and　of　whose　coveted　rifle　he　must　trust　to　chance

to　possess　himself。



*****



An　hour　later　two　discreet　messengers　were　bounding　across　the　plains；

bearing　words　from　the　Chief　Maputa；　the　Warden　of　the　Border；　to　the

〃great　Black　Elephant〃　at　Ulundi。







CHAPTER　V



THE　DOOM　POOL



Fortune　showed　itself　strangely　favourable　to　the　plans　of　Nahoon　and

Nanea。　One　of　the　Zulu　captain's　perplexities　was　as　to　how　he　should

lull　the　suspicions　and　evade　the　vigilance　of　his　own　companions；　who

together　with　himself　had　been　detailed　by　the　king　to　assist　Hadden

in　his　hunting　and　to　guard　against　his　escape。　As　it　chanced；

however；　on　the　day　after　the　incident　of　the　visit　of　Maputa；　a

messenger　arrived　from　no　less　a　person　than　the　great　military

Induna；　Tvingwayo　ka　Marolo；　who　afterwards　commanded　the　Zulu　army　at

Isandhlwana；　ordering　these　men　to　return　to　their　regiment；　the

Umcityu　Corps；　which　was　to　be　placed　upon　full　war　footing。

Accordingly　Nahoon　sent　them；　saying　that　he　himself　would　follow　with

Black　Heart　in　the　course　of　a　few　days；　as　at　present　the　white　man

was　not　sufficiently　recovered　from　his　hurts　to　allow　of　his

travelling　fast　and　far。　So　the　soldiers　went；　doubting　nothing。



Then　Umgona　gave　it　out　that　in　obedience　to　the　command　of　the　king

he　was　about　to　start　for　Ulundi；　taking　with　him　his　daughter　Nanea

to　be　delivered　over　into　the　/Sigodhla/；　and　also　those　fifteen　head

of　cattle　that　had　been　/lobola'd/　by　Nahoon　in　consideration　of　his

forthcoming　marriage；　whereof　he　had　been　fined　by　Cetywayo。　Under

pretence　that　they　required　a　change　of　veldt；　the　rest　of　his　cattle

he　sent　away　in　charge　of　a　Basuto　herd　who　knew　nothing　of　their

plans；　telling　him　to　keep　them　by　the　Crocodile　Drift；　as　there　the

grass　was　good　and　sweet。



All　preparations　being　completed；　on　the　third　day　the　party　started；

heading　straight　for　Ulundi。　After　they　had　travelled　some　miles；

however；　they　left　the　road　and　turning　sharp　to　the　right；　passed

unobserved　of　any　through　a　great　stretch　of　uninhabited　bush。　Their

path　now　lay　not　far　from　the　Pool　of　Doom；　which；　indeed；　was　close

to　Umgona's　kraal；　and　the　forest　that　was　called　Home　of　the　Dead；

but　out　of　sight　of　these。　It　was　their　plan　to　travel　by　night；

reaching　the　broken　country　near　the　Crocodile　Drift　on　the　following

morning。　Here　they　proposed　to　lie　hid　that　day　and　through　the　night；

then；　having　first　collected　the　cattle　which　had　preceded　them；　to

cross　the　river　at　the　break　of　dawn　and　escape　into　Natal。　At　least

this　was　the　plan　of　his　companions；　but；　as　we　know；　Hadden　had

another　programme；　whereon　after　one　last　appearance　two　of　the　party

would　play　no　part。



During　that　long　afternoon's　journey　Umgona；　who　knew　every　inch　of

the　country；　walked　ahead　driving　the　fifteen　cattle　and　carrying　in

his　hand　a　long　travelling　stick　of　black　and　white　/umzimbeet/　wood；

for　in　truth　the　old　man　was　in　a　hurry　to　reach　his　journey's　end。

Next　came　Nahoon；　armed　with　a　broad　assegai；　but　naked　except　for　his

moocha　and　necklet　of　baboon's　teeth；　and　with　him　Nanea　in　her　white

bead…bordered　mantle。　Hadden；　who　brought　up　the　rear；　noticed　that

the　girl　seemed　to　be　under　the　spell　of　an　imminent　apprehension；　for

from　time　to　time　she　clasped　her　lover's　arm；　and　looking　up　into　his

face；　addressed　him　with　vehemence；　almost　with　passion。



Curiously　enough；　the　sight　touched　Hadden；　and　once　or　twice　he　was

shaken　by　so　sharp　a　pang　of　remorse　at　the　thought　of　his　share　in

this　tragedy；　that　he　cast　about　in　his　mind　seeking　a　means　to

unravel　the　web　of　death　which　he　himself　had　woven。　But　ever　that

evil　voice　was　whispering　at　his　ear。　It　reminded　him　that　he；　the

white　/Inkoos/；　had　been　refused　by　this　dusky　beauty；　and　that　if　he

found　a　way　to　save　him；　within　some　few　hours　she　would　be　the　wife

of　the　savage　gentleman　at　her　side；　the　man　who　had　named　him　Black

Heart　and　who　despised　him；　the　man　whom　he　had　meant　to　murder　and

who　immediately　repaid　his　treachery　by　rescuing　him　from　the　jaws　of

the　leopard　at　the　risk　of　his　own　life。　Moreover；　it　was　a　law　of

Hadden's　existence　never　to　deny　himself　of　anything　that　he　desired

if　it　lay　within　his　power　to　take　ita　law　which　had　led　him　always

deeper　into　sin。　In　other　respects；　indeed；　it　had　not　carried　him

far；　for　in　the　past　he　had　not　desired　much；　and　he　had　won　little；

but　this　particular　flower　was　to　his　hand；　and　he　would　pluck　it。　If

Nahoon　stood　between　him　and　the　flower；　so　much　the　worse　for　Nahoon；

and　if　it　should　wither　in　his　grasp；　so　much　the　worse　for　the

flower；　it　could　always　be　thrown　away。　Thus　it　came　about　that；　not

for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　Philip　Hadden　discarded　the　somewhat

spasmodic　prickings　of　conscience　and　listened　to　that　evil　whispering

at　his　ear。



About　half…past　five　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　the　four　refugees　passed

the　stream　that　a　mile　or　so　down　fell　over　the　little　precipice　into

the　Doom　Pool；　and；　entering　a　patch　of　thorn　trees　on　the　further

side；　walked　straight　into　the　midst　of　two…and…twenty　soldiers；　who

were　beguiling　the　tedium　of　expectancy　by　the　taking　of　snuff　and　the

smoking　of　/dakka/　or　native　hemp。　With　these　soldiers；　seated　on　his

pony；　for　he　was　too　fat　to　walk；　waited　the　Chief　Maputa。



Observing　that　their　expected　guests　had　arrived；　the　men　knocked　out

the　/dakka/　pipe；　replaced　the　snuff　boxes　in　the　slits　made　in　the

lobes　of　their　ears；　and　secured　the　four　of　them。



〃What　is　the　meaning　of　this；　O　King's　soldiers？〃　asked　Umgona　in　a

quavering　voice。　〃We　journey　to　the　kraal　of　U'Cetywayo；　why　do　you

molest　us？〃



〃Indeed。　Wherefore　then　are　your　faces　set　towards　the　south。　Does　the

Black　One　live　in　the　south？　Well；　you　will　journey　to　another　kraal

presently；〃　answered　the　jovial…looking　captain　of　the　party　with　a

callous　laugh。



〃I　do　not　understand；〃　stammered　Umgona。



〃Then　I　will　explain　while　you　rest；〃　said　the　captain。　〃The　Chief

Maputa　yonder　sent　word　to　the　Black　One　at　Ulundi　that　he　had　learned

of　your　intended　flight　to　Natal　from　the　lips　of　this　white　man；　who

had　warned　him　of　it。　The　Black　One　was　angry；　and　despatched　us　to

catch　you　and　make　an　end　of　you。　That　is　all。　Come　on　now；　quietly；

and　let　us　finish　the　matter。　As　the　Doom　Pool　is　near；　your　deaths

will　be　easy。〃



Nahoon　heard　the　words；　and　sprang　straight　at　the　throat　of　Hadden；

but　he　did　not　reach　it；　for　the　soldiers　pulled　him　down。　Nanea　heard

them　also；　and　turning；　looked　the　traitor　in　the　eyes；　she　said

nothing；　she　only　looked；　but　he　could　never　forget　that　look。　The

white　man　for　his　part　was　filled　with　a　fiery　indignation　against

Maputa。



〃You　wicked　villain；〃　he　gasped；　where