The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-12-19
CHAPTER XXI.
THE L1LY's FAREWELL.


cave, and now evening came apace and
the noise of battle drew near, swelled
and sank and died away. She heard
the voices of the Wolf Brethren as they
called to each other. Then, for the last
time, she heard the faint ringing of iron
on iron, and the light went out and all
grew still.
For awhile NADIA the Lily sat in the
da1k of the cave saying to herself:
canon he will come, my husband; he
will surely come. The Slayers are slain.
he does but tarry to bind his wounds,
scratch, perchance, here and there. Yes,
he will come, and it is we'll, for weary
of my loneliness. and this place is grim
and evil
Thus she spoke to herself in hope, but
nothing came except the silence. Then
she spoke again, and her voice echoed in
the hollow cave. Nov will be bold;
| will fear nothing. | will push aside
the stone and go out and find him.
know well he does but linger co tend
some who are wounded, perchance Ga
lazi. Doubtless Galazi is wounded. IL
must go and tend him, though he never
loved me, and love him not overmuch
who would stand between me and my
husband. He is foe to women, this
wild wolf man, and most of all foe to
me; yet will be kind to him. Come.
will go at once," and she rose and
pushed at the rock.
Why, what was this? 1t did not stir.
Then she remembered that she had
pulled it beyond the socket because of
her fear of the wolf, and that the rock
had slipped a little way down the neck
of the cave.
Now in her fear she shrieked aloud,
calling on the name of Umslopogaas
The walls of the cave answered, '.Um-
slopogaas! Umslopogaas!' and that
was all.
Thereafter madness came upon NADIA,
my daughter, and she lay in the cave
for days and nights. And with her mad
ness came visions.
And 10! her madness left her, and she
awoke 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, Nada?'
"Yea," she answered hoarsely. wa
ter! Give me water!'
Then came sound as Of a greatsnake
dragging itself along painfully. Awhile
passed, then a trembling hand thrust
little gourd of water through the hole
She drank and now she could speak,
though the water seemed to flow through
her veins like fire.
sis it indeed you, Umslopogaas?' she
said, ''or are you dead and do Idream of
you?'
"ItisI, NADIA, said the voice. '.Heark-
en-! Have you drawn the rock homer
Alas, yes" she answered. Per
chance if the two of us strive at it it will
move."
"Aye,if our strength were what it was
but now! Still, let us try"
| So they strove with the rock. but the
two of them together had not the
strength of -rl, and it would not
1 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:
at 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 te
/ 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 a
me when thought him dead, and fell
know not how long have lain yondel
under the shadow of the rock, but i
must be long, for my limbs are wasted
and those who fell in the fray are PICKED
clean by the vlltures-all except Galazi
for the old wolf Deathgrip lies on hi
breast dying, but not dead, licking m,
brothers wounds and soaring the fowl
away. 1t was the beak of vultur
who had smelled me out at last tina
woke me from my sleep beneath tn
stone. NADIA, and crept hither. Woul,
that he had not Weakened me; woul,
that | had died as l lay rather thai
} lived little while till you perish thus
like trapped fox, NADIA, and present.
follow you"
cit is hard to die so. Umslopogaas,
she answered. 81 who am yet youn
and fair, who love you and hoped t
give you children. But so it has com
about and it may not be put away.
am well nigh sped. husband. Horrc
and fear have slain me; my strengt
fails, but suffer little. Let us talk n
more of death: let us rather talk of GU
childhood, when we wandered hand i
hand; let us talk also of our love and {
the happy hours we have spent since til
great ak rang upon the rock in the Hall
kazi caves and my fear told you the s
I cret of my womanhood. See, thru
my hand through the hole; can you n,
: kissit, Umslopogaas?'
' Now Umslopogass stopped his sha
9 tered head and kissed the Lily's lit
y hand. Then he held it in his own. al
: so they sat till the end, he without, res
8 ing his back against the rock; she wit