San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-08-31
"Aye, iii our strength were W hat it was,

two of them together had not the
strength of a girl, and it would not
move.
"Give over, Umslopogaas, said NADIA.
1--WE do but waste the time that is left
to me. Let us talk"
For awhile there was no answer, for
Umslopogaas had tainted, and NADIA
beat her breasts, thinking that he was
dead.
Presently he spoke, however, saying:
st may not be. We must perish here,
one on either side of the stone, not see
ing each others face, for my might is as
water, nor can stand upon my feet to
go seek food"
''Are you wounded. Umslopogaas?'
asked NADIA.
AYE, NADIA; am pierced to the brain
with the point of an ax-no fair stroke
the captain of Dingaan hurled it at
me when thought him dead, and l fell.
| know not how long have lain yonder
under the shadow of the rock, but it
must be long, for my limbs are wasted
and those who fell in the fray are picked
clean by the vultures-all except Galazi,
for the old wolf Deathgrip lies on his
breast dying, but not dead, licking my
brothers wounds and soaring the fowls
away. 1t was the beak of a vulture
who had smelled me out at last that
woke me from my sleep beneath the
stone, NADIA, and | crept hither. Would
that he had not Weakened me; would
that | had died as lay rather than
lived little while till you perish thus,
like trapped fox, NADIA, and presently
follow you"
sit is hard to die so, Umslopogaas,"
she answered. Il who am yet young
and fair, who love you and hoped to
give you children. But so it has come
about and it may not be put away. l
am well nigh sped, husband. Horror
and fear have slain me; my strength
fails, but l suffer little. Let us talk no
more of death; let us rather talk of our
childhood, when we wandered hand in
hand; let us talk also of our love and of
the happy hours we have spent since the
great ak rang upon the rock in the Hala-
kazi caves and my fear told you the Sc
cret of my womanhood. See, thrust
my hand through the hole; can you not
kiss it, Umslopogaas?"
Now Umslopogass stopped his shat
tered head and kissed the Lily's little
hand. Then he held it in his own, and
so they sat till the end, he without, rest
ing his back against the rock; she with
in, lying on her side, her arm stretched
through the little hole. They spoke of
their love and tried to forget their sor-
row in it. He told her also of the fray
that had been and how it went.
All" she said, that was Zinita's
work; Zinita, who hated me, and justly.
Doubtless she set Dingaan on this path"
"a little while gone" quoth Umslopo-
gaas, land hoped that your last breath
and mine might pass together, NADIA,
and that together we might go to seek
great Galazi, my brother, where he is.
Now hope that help may find me and
that | may live a little while because of
certain vengeance would wreak."
Speak not of vengeance, love-" she
answered. Il would die with love and
love only in my heart, and your name
and yours only on my lips, so that If
anywhere we live again it shall be ready
\ to spring forth to greet you. Yet, hus-
| band it is in my heart that you shall
not die with me: that you shall live on
! to die the greatest of deaths far away
! from here. 1t seems that | saw it as |
! lay in the dark of this cave-yOu, UNI
| slOpOgaas, a great man, gaunt and gray,
| stricken to the death, and the AK GrOan-
maker waveTing aloft, and many man
dead upon a white and shining way,
and about you the fair faces of white
women. And you had hole in your
| forehead, husband, and on the left side"
THAT is like to be true, if live" he
| answered, for the bone of my temple
| is shattered"
Now NADIA ceased speaking and for
long while was silent. Umslopogaas
| was also silent. Alas! he who had done
many deeds he might not save her now;
he could scarcely hold himself against
the rock. He thought of it and the tears
flowed down his face and fell onto the
hand of the Lily. She felt them fall
| and spoke:
"Weep not, my husband" she said.
| 81 have been all too i'll a wife to you:
| Weep not for me, yet remember that l
| loved you we'll" And again she was
sHenL loI d lOnS space. lneu sne spohe
l for the last time of all, and her voice
came in little gushing whisper through
lthe hole in the rock:
Farewell, Umslopogaas, my husband
Ind my brother; i thank you for your
3pve. All, der
Now Umslopogaas could make no an
slyer, only he watched the little hand he
b I'D. Twice it opened, twice it closed
U. BON his own, then it opened for the
THIRD time, turned gray, quivered and
WI still forever. Now it was at the
ho1 of dawn that NADIA died.
CHAPTER XXXIIl
rEr LVFNnEA NOE or rrMRnVA AND HIS EOS