登陆注册
15451200000075

第75章 CHAPTER XXII A GREAT PERIL AND A GREAT SALVATION(3

Then the indaba began, Arcoll leading off. It was a fine speech he made, one of the finest I have ever listened to. He asked them what their grievances were; he told them how mighty was the power of the white man; he promised that what was unjust should be remedied, if only they would speak honestly and peacefully; he harped on their old legends and songs, claiming for the king of England the right of their old monarchs. It was a fine speech, and yet I saw that it did not convince them. They listened moodily, if attentively, and at the end there was a blank silence.

Arcoll turned to me. 'For God's sake, Davie,' he said, 'talk to them about Laputa. It's our only chance.'

I had never tried speaking before, and though I talked their tongue I had not Arcoll's gift of it. But I felt that a great cause was at stake, and I spoke up as best I could.

I began by saying that Inkulu had been my friend, and that at Umvelos' before the rising he had tried to save my life. At the mention of the name I saw eyes brighten. At last the audience was hanging on my words.

I told them of Henriques and his treachery. I told them frankly and fairly of the doings at Dupree's Drift. I made no secret of the part I played. 'I was fighting for my life,' I said.

'Any man of you who is a man would have done the like.'

Then I told them of my last ride, and the sight I saw at the foot of the Rooirand. I drew a picture of Henriques lying dead with a broken neck, and the Inkulu, wounded to death, creeping into the cave.

In moments of extremity I suppose every man becomes an orator. In that hour and place I discovered gifts I had never dreamed of. Arcoll told me afterwards that I had spoken like a man inspired, and by a fortunate chance had hit upon the only way to move my hearers. I told of that last scene in the cave, when Laputa had broken down the bridge, and had spoken his dying words - that he was the last king in Africa, and that without him the rising was at an end. Then I told of his leap into the river, and a great sigh went up from the ranks about Me.

'You see me here,' I said, 'by the grace of God. I found a way up the fall and the cliffs which no man has ever travelled before or will travel again. Your king is dead. He was a great king, as I who stand here bear witness, and you will never more see his like. His last words were that the Rising was over.

Respect that word, my brothers. We come to you not in war but in peace, to offer a free pardon, and the redress of your wrongs. If you fight you fight with the certainty of failure, and against the wish of the heir of John. I have come here at the risk of my life to tell you his commands. His spirit approves my mission. Think well before you defy the mandate of the Snake, and risk the vengeance of the Terrible Ones.'

After that I knew that we had won. The chiefs talked among themselves in low whispers, casting strange looks at me. Then the greatest of them advanced and laid his rifle at my feet.

'We believe the word of a brave man,' he said. 'We accept the mandate of the Snake.'

Arcoll now took command. He arranged for the disarmament bit by bit, companies of men being marched off from Inanda's Kraal to stations on the plateau where their arms were collected by our troops, and food provided for them. For the full history I refer the reader to Mr Upton's work. It took many days, and taxed all our resources, but by the end of a week we had the whole of Laputa's army in separate stations, under guard, disarmed, and awaiting repatriation.

Then Arcoll went south to the war which was to rage around the Swaziland and Zululand borders for many months, while to Aitken and myself was entrusted the work of settlement. We had inadequate troops at our command, and but for our prestige and the weight of Laputa's dead hand there might any moment have been a tragedy. The task took months, for many of the levies came from the far north, and the job of feeding troops on a long journey was difficult enough in the winter season when the energies of the country were occupied with the fighting in the south. Yet it was an experience for which I shall ever be grateful, for it turned me from a rash boy into a serious man. I knew then the meaning of the white man's duty. He has to take all risks, recking nothing of his life or his fortunes, and well content to find his reward in the fulfilment of his task. That is the difference between white and black, the gift of responsibility, the power of being in a little way a king; and so long as we know this and practise it, we will rule not in Africa alone but wherever there are dark men who live only for the day and their own bellies. Moreover, the work made me pitiful and kindly. I learned much of the untold grievances of the natives, and saw something of their strange, twisted reasoning. Before we had got Laputa's army back to their kraals, with food enough to tide them over the spring sowing, Aitken and I had got sounder policy in our heads than you will find in the towns, where men sit in offices and see the world through a mist of papers.

By this time peace was at hand, and I went back to Inanda's Kraal to look for Colin's grave. It was not a difficult quest, for on the sward in front of the merula tree they had buried him.

I found a mason in the Iron Kranz village, and from the excellent red stone of the neighbourhood was hewn a square slab with an inscription. It ran thus: 'Here lies buried the dog Colin, who was killed in defending D. Crawfurd, his master.

To him it was mainly due that the Kaffir Rising failed.' I leave those who have read my tale to see the justice of the words.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 学武求道

    学武求道

    十八岁生日那天,姜平想要一份惊喜,结果上天给他一份惊吓。来到异界的姜平想学武,因为他想助人,成为一代大侠。后来他发现学武能够助人但不能救己,所以他要求道。他还有句话一直憋在心里——老天,十八岁那天你把我扔到异界,这事儿你得给我说清楚。
  • 催霜

    催霜

    她用尽一生,只为他最后一次回眸,终是辜负断肠人,只是情深,怎奈缘浅……
  • 星辰使

    星辰使

    在星辰大陆有这样一批人,他们可以感应到苍穹之中的星辰,可以获取星辰的力量,飞檐走壁,排山倒海,他们拥有强大的力量,他们被称做星辰使
  • 花世界的另一端

    花世界的另一端

    我们只知道花朵使用来欣赏、装饰之类的,而,在花世界的另一端,住着一群神奇的生物——花灵!
  • 修罗一统

    修罗一统

    修罗神王的巅峰之战的结束不是故事的结束而是一个新的开始!数百万年之后盘古大罗又将谱写一个新的传奇!
  • 对不起,不能再喜欢你了

    对不起,不能再喜欢你了

    和周杰伦、辛夷坞、九夜茴一起缅怀:我们再也回不去的初恋!张佳玮、辜妤洁、自由极光、天涯蝴蝶浪子联袂推荐!《ceci姐妹》杂志采访、太平洋女性网专访!我爱上你,就像飞鸟恋上鱼。当熬过象牙塔,亲历大都市的冰冷与繁华,请允许渺小的我亲手埋葬爱情!每个人的青春,都有一首周杰伦!相爱了那么多年,最后还是不能在一起。学霸沐芷和学渣赵可以的青春,是伴随周杰伦成长的一路青春。他们的爱情,从蔡依林开始,到昆凌结束,12年想必也是所有人的爱情和青春。他们的故事,是一部漫长的电影,也是令所有人感怀的青春回忆。在不久以后,它将会出现在大银幕上,唤起更多人的共鸣和泪点。
  • 青梅竹马:离开是爱的借口

    青梅竹马:离开是爱的借口

    “叶星辰!你怎么可以随便收下别人给你的情书?”蓝雅晴气鼓鼓的说到。“晴天,你这么生气……不会是吃醋了吧?”叶星辰痞痞的笑着。那年,她9岁,他11岁。“叶星辰,真的回不去了吗?我们之间怎么会变成现在这样?”蓝雅晴淋着大雨,却一点也感觉不到冷,她只觉得,心更冷。“晴天,我们……不合适!”叶星辰不敢看她,绝决的转身,离去。那年,她15岁,他17岁。蓝雅晴,“叶子,我们真的回不去了吗……”
  • 太上九要心印妙经

    太上九要心印妙经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 穿越星际战悟空

    穿越星际战悟空

    变形人穿越到异世界为了生存,拥有了定海神针,甚至和孙悟空发生了激烈的战斗(你想象不到的情节)
  • 解码赵泰来

    解码赵泰来

    《解码赵泰来》主要内容包括:匆匆过客故人缘,直笔人戮赵秉钧,“出世人世”伍廷芳,“革命圣人”朱执信,“晚节不保”郑孝胥,生于寒露不逢时,“哑巴”童年不言愁,动荡岁月倍寒心,非法探亲过香江等。