the days of my life-第22章

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I　took　the　hint　and　sent　him；　not　money；　but　a　very　fine　hunting…knife　with　his　name　engraved　upon　it。
The　other　story　is　that　not　long　before　his　death；　which　took　place　in　1897；　Lady　Hely…Hutchinson；　the　wife　of　the　Governor　of　Natal；　asked　him　whether　he　was　not　proud　that　his　name　should　appear　in　books　which　the　white　men　read　all　over　the　world。
“No；　Inkoosikazi　（Chieftainess）；”　he　answered；　“to　me　it　is　nothing。　Yet　I　am　glad　that　Indanda　has　set　my　name　in　writings　that　will　not　be　forgotten；　so　that；　when　my　people　are　no　more　a　people；　one　of　them　at　least　may　be　remembered。”
I　have　a　photograph　of　Umslopogaas　which　was　taken　the　day　before　his　death。　The　face　might　have　served　some　Greek　sculptor　for　the　model　of　that　of　a　dying　god。
I　think　that　we　trekked　from　Maritzburg　on　December　20；　1876；　and　took　thirty…five　days　to　traverse　the　four　hundred　odd　miles　between　it　and　Pretoria　in　our　ox…waggon。　It　was　my　first　real　introduction　to　African　travel；　and　I　greatly　enjoyed　the　journey；　hot　as　it　was　at　that　time　of　year。
Well　do　I　remember　our　leisurely　progress　over　the　plains；　the　mountains；　and　the　vast；　rolling　high　veld　of　the　Transvaal　territory。　Still　I　can　see　the　fearful　sweeping　thunderstorms　that　overtook　us；　to　be　followed　by　moonlit　nights　of　surpassing　brilliancy　which　we　watched　from　beside　the　fires　of　our　camp。　Those　camps　were　very　pleasant；　and　in　them；　as　we　smoked　and　drank　our　“square　face”　after　a　day’s　trek；　I　heard　many　a　story　of　savage　Africa　from　Sir　Theophilus　himself；　from　Osborn　and　from　Fynney；　who　next　to　him；　perhaps；　knew　as　much　of　the　Zulus　and　their　history　as　any　living　in　Natal。
For　instance；　Osborn　actually　saw　the　battle　of　the　Tugela；　which　took　place　between　the　rival　princes　Cetewayo　and　Umbelazi　in　1856。　With　the　temerity　of　a　young　man　he　swam　his　horse　across　the　river　and　hid　himself　in　a　wooded　kopje　in　the　middle　of　the　battlefield。　He　saw　Umbelazi’s　host　driven　back　and　the　veteran　regiment；　nearly　three　thousand　strong；　that　Panda　had　sent　to　aid　his　favourite　son；　move　up　to　its　support。　He　described　to　me　the　frightful　fray　that　followed。　Cetewayo　sent　out　a　regiment　against　it。　They　met；　and　he　said　that　the　roll　of　the　shields　as　they　came　together　was　like　to　that　of　the　deepest　thunder。　Then　the　Greys　passed　over　Cetewayo’s　regiment　as　a　wave　passes　over　a　sunken　ridge　of　rock；　and　left　it　dead。　Another　regiment　came　against　them　and　the　scene　repeated　itself；　only　more　slowly；　for　many　of　the　veterans　were　down。　Now　the　six　hundred　of　them　who　remained　formed　themselves　in　a　ring　upon　a　hillock　and　fought　on　till　they　were　buried　beneath　the　heaps　of　the　slain。
I　have　described　this　battle；　in　which　and　the　subsequent　rout　tens　of　thousands　of　people　perished；　in　a　romance　as　yet　unpublished5　that　I　have　written　under　the　title　of　“Child　of　Storm。”　It　is　wonderful　that　Osborn　should　have　escaped　with　his　life。　This　he　did　by　hiding　close　and　tying　his　coat　over　his　horse’s　head　to　prevent　it　from　neighing。　When　darkness　fell　he　rode　back　to　the　Tugela　and　swam　its　corpse…crowded　waters。　Sir　Theophilus　visited　its　banks　a　day　or　two　afterwards；　and　told　me　that　he　never　saw　another　sight　so　fearful　as　they　presented；　because　of　the　multitude　of　dead　men；　women　and　children　with　which　they　were　strewn。
5　Published　in　1913。　—　Ed。
There　ong　us　of　Shepstone’s　staff　during　that　long　journey　or　afterwards。　Indeed　we　were　a　band　of　brothers　—　as　brothers　ought　to　be。　Personally　I　formed　friendships　then；　especially　with　Osborn　and　Clarke；　that　endured　till　their　deaths　and　I　trust　may　be　renewed　elsewhere。
When　we　crossed　into　the　Transvaal　our　expedition　assumed　a　more　business　aspect。　Greater　ceremony　was　observed　and　a　guard　was　mounted　at　night；　for　we　did　not　quite　know　how　we　should　be　received。　Now　I　made　my　first　real　acquaintance　with　the　Boers；　who　came　from　all　quarters　to　visit　or　to　spy　upon　us。　They　were　rough　folk：　big；　bearded　men　with　all　the　old　Dutch　characteristics；　who　made　a　greater　show　of　religion　than　they　practised；　especially　when　Kaffirs　were　concerned。　I　did　not　like　them　much　at　the　time　—　few　Englishmen　did　—　but　I　can　see　now　that　I　ought　to　have　made　more　allowances。　The　circumstances　of　their　history　and　up…bringing　account　for　that　which　was　repellent　both　in　their　actions　and　their　character。　Into　that　history　I　will　not　enter　further　than　to　say　that　they　had　been　bred　in　an　atmosphere　of　hereditary　hate　of　England　and　its　Governments；　which　in　some　particulars；　such　as　that　of　the　manner　of　freeing　of　the　slaves　in　the　Cape　Colony　in　1836；　was　not　altogether　unjustified。　Moreover　they　had　fought　fearful　battles　with　the　natives　in　the　territories　they　occupied；　and　learned　to　loathe　them。　The　Old　Testament　too　was　the　standard　by　which　they　ruled　their　conduct。　They　pared　themselves　to　the　Hebrews　marching　from　their　land　of　bondage　in　Egypt；　while　the　Kaffirs　in　the　parallel　filled　the　places　of　the　Canaanites　and　Jebusites　and　other　tribes　that　were　unfortunate　enough　to　stand　in　their　way。　So　they　slew　them　mercilessly；　and　under　the　name　of　apprenticeship　practically　enslaved　many　of　them。　But　in　those　days　I　saw　only　the　results；　and　judged　by　those　results。　I　did　not　see　nor　had　I　learned　the　causes　which　produced　them。　Now　I　know　that　there　is　much　to　admire　in　the　Boer　character；　also　that　among　them　were　many　men　of　real　worth。　Indeed；　as　I　shall　tell；　one　of　these　afterwards　saved　my　life　and　those　of　my　two　panions。
On　our　way　up　to　Pretoria　we　entertained　our　Dutch　visitors　on　several　occasions　as　well　as　the　circumstances　would　allow。　These　were　uncouth　dinner…parties；　but　very　amusing。　At　one　of　them　I　remember　a　jovial　old　boy　who　sat　next　to　me　invited　me　to　e　and　“opsit”　with　his　daughter；　whom　he　described　as　a　“mooi　mesje；”　that　is；　a　pretty　girl。　I　accepted　the　invitation；　packed　the　old　Boer　off　home；　and　went　to　Osborn　to　inquire　exactly　what　“opsitting”　might　be。
When　I　discovered　that　it　consisted　in　sitting　alone　with　a　young　woman　at　night　with　a　candle　burning　between　the　two；　which　somewhat　dreary　proceeding　ipso　facto　involved　a　promise　of　marriage；　I　did　not　follow　the　matter　further。　I　should　explain；　however；　that　the　engagement　depended　upon　the　length　of　the　candle。　If　the　young　lady　wished　to　encourage　the　“opsitter”　she　produced　a　long　one　that　would　last　till　dawn；　and　his　fate　was　sealed。　If　she　desired　to　be　rid　of　him　the　candle　was　of　the　shortest；　and　when　it　was　burnt　out　he　was　bound　to　go。　Conversation；　if　allowed；　was　unnecessary；　all　you　had　to　do　was　to　sit　on　either　side　of　the　candle；　which　might　not　be　passed。
I　wonder　if　they　still　“opsit”　in　South　Africa；　or　if　the　twentieth　century　has　made　an　end　of　this　quaint　and　doubtless　ancient　custom。
In　Pretoria；　where　everyone；　whatever　his　nationality；　was　utterly　sick　of　the　Boer　regime；　the　Mission　was　received　with　the　greatest　enthusiasm。　There　were　reception　mittees；　there　were　dinners；　there　were　balls；　for　although　the　munity　was　practically　bankrupt　this　did　not　detract　from　its　gaiety　or　the　lavishness　of　its　hospitality。　How　the　bills　were　paid　I　am　sure　I　do　not　know；　but　I　presume　it