The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-09-30

aeolse to know that she was dying and
that a voice she loved spoke without the
hole, saying in hollow accents:
"Nada! Do you yet live, NadaF"
Yea she answered hoarsely. WA
teri Give me watcr!'
Then came a sound 40 of a greatsnake
dragging itself along painfully. Awhile
passed. then a trembling hand thrust
little gourd OF water through the hole.
SIZE drank and now she could speak,
though the water seemed to flow through
her veins like fire.
lis it indeed you, UmslopogaasY' she
said, cor are you dead and do dream of
your"
at is Il. NADIA" said the voice. ''Heark-
Ell! Have you drawn the rock homer
ALAS, yes" she answered. per
chance If the two o. us strive at it it win
move"
"Aye, if our strength were what it was,
but nowl Still, let us try"
So they strove with the rock, but the
two of them together had not the
strength Of a girl, and it would not
move.
"Give over, Umslopogaas," said NADIA.
I'VE 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:
ut n5ay 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; ara pierced to the brain
with the point of an ax-no fair stroke
the captain of Dingaan hurled it at
me when l thought him dead, and 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 III the fray are picked
clean by the vultures-al 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 vultGre
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 wakenod me; would
that had died as l lay rather than
lived little while till you perish thus,
like trapped fox, Eada, and presently
follow you
at is hard to die so, Umslopogaas,"
she answered. - who am yet young
| and fair, who love you and hoped to
! give You children. But so it has come
/ about and it mag not be put away. l
| am well nigh sped. husband. Horror
and fear have slain me; my strength
| fails, but | 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-
llazi 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?'
J 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 til 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 tie fray
that had been and how it went.
All" she said that was Zinitas
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 1 hope that help may lind me and
! that may live q little while because Of
q certain vengeance | would wreak."
Speak not Of vengeance, love-" she
answered. "Lvould die with love and
love only in NY heart. and your name
! and yours only on my lips, so that If
; anywhere we live again ii shall be ready
to spring forth to greet you. Yet, hus-
! band, it is III 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 caye-yOu, UNI
! slopogaas, a great man, gaunt and gray,
stricken to the death, and the AK Groan-
maker wavering alOft, and many a man
! dead upOn a white and shining way,
and about you the fair faces Of white
women. And you had a hole in your
forehead, husband. and on the left side. "
THAT is like to be true, if | i've" he
answered, for the bone of my temple
is shattered"
Now NADIA ceased speaking and for a
long willie 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 lie thought of it and the tears
flowed down his face and fell onto tie
hand Of the Lily. She felt them fall
and spoke:
Weep not, my husband" she said.
II have been all too i'll a wife to you.
Weep not for me, yet remember that
loved you we'll" And again she was
silent for long space. Then she spoke
for the last time of all, and her voice
came in a little gushing whisper through
the hole in the rock:
Farewell, Umslopogaas, my husband
and my brother; l thank you for youl
love. All, der
Now UmslOpOgaas could make no an
swer, only he watched the little hand he
held Twice it opened twice it closed
upon his own, then it opened for the
third time, turned gray, qrivered and
was still forever. Now it was at the
hour Of dawn that NADIA died.