酷兔英语
    当前位置:
  1. 首页
  2. 文章
  3. 娱乐英语
  4. 原版小说
  5. 正文

Allan Quatermain-Part11_H.Rider Haggard(1856-1925)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

0 收藏 0 分享 0 赞

章节正文
文章总共2页
angular form of Mr Mackenzie, one arm outstretched as he talked,

and the other resting against the giant bole, his hat off, and



his plain but kindly face clearly betraying the anguish of his

mind. Next to him was his poor wife, who, seated on a chair,



had her face hidden in her hand. On the other side of her was

Alphonse, looking exceedinglyuncomfortable, and behind him stood



the three of us, with Umslopogaas' grim and towering form in

the background, resting, as usual, on his axe. In front stood



and squatted the group of armed men -- some with rifles in their

hands, and others with spears and shields -- following with eager



attention every word that fell from the speaker's lips. The

white light of the moon peering in beneath the lofty boughs threw



a strange wild glamour over the scene, whilst the melancholy

soughing of the night wind passing through the millions of pine



needles overhead added a sadness of its own to what was already

a sufficientlytragic occasion.



'Men,' said Mr Mackenzie, after he had put all the circumstances

of the case fully and clearly before them, and explained to them



the proposed plan of our forlorn hope -- 'men, for years I have

been a good friend to you, protecting you, teaching you, guarding



you and yours from harm, and ye have prospered with me. Ye have

seen my child -- the Water-lily, as ye call her -- grow year



by year, from tenderest infancy to tender childhood, and from

childhood on towards maidenhood. She has been your children's



playmate, she has helped to tend you when sick, and ye have loved

her.'



'We have,' said a deep voice, 'and we will die to save her.'

'I thank you from my heart -- I thank you. Sure am I that now,



in this hour of darkest trouble; now that her young life is like

to be cut off by cruel and savage men -- who of a truth "know



not what they do" -- ye will strive your best to save her, and

to save me and her mother from broken hearts. Think, too, of



your own wives and children. If she dies, her death will be

followed by an attack upon us here, and at the best, even if



we hold our own, your houses and gardens will be destroyed, and

your goods and cattle swept away. I am, as ye well know, a man



of peace. Never in all these years have I lifted my hand to

shed man's blood; but now I say strike, strike, in the name of



God, Who bade us protect our lives and homes. Swear to me,'

he went on with added fervour -- 'swear to me that whilst a man



of you remains alive ye will strive your uttermost with me and

with these brave white men to save the child from a bloody and



cruel death.'

'Say no more, my father,' said the same deep voice, that belonged



to a stalwart elder of the Mission; 'we swear it. May we and

ours die the death of dogs, and our bones be thrown to the jackals



and the kites, if we break the oath! It is a fearful thing to

do, my father, so few to strike at so many, yet will we do it



or die in the doing. We swear!'

'Ay, thus say we all,' chimed in the others.



'Thus say we all,' said I.

'It is well,' went on Mr Mackenzie. 'Ye are true men and not



broken reeds to lean on. And now, friends -- white and black

together -- let us kneel and offer up our humble supplication



to the Throne of Power, praying that He in the hollow of Whose

hand lie all our lives, Who giveth life and giveth death, may



be pleased to make strong our arms that we may prevail in what

awaits us at the morning's light.'



And he knelt down, an example that we all followed except Umslopogaas,

who still stood in the background, grimly leaning on Inkosi-kaas.



The fierce old Zulu had no gods and worshipped nought, unless

it were his battleaxe.



'Oh God of gods!' began the clergyman, his deep voice, tremulous

with emotion, echoing up in the silence even to the leafy roof;



'Protector of the oppressed, Refuge of those in danger, Guardian

of the helpless, hear Thou our prayer! Almighty Father, to Thee



we come in supplication. Hear Thou our prayer! Behold, one

child hast Thou given us -- an innocent child, nurtured in Thy



knowledge -- and now she lies beneath the shadow of the sword,

in danger of a fearful death at the hands of savage men. Be



with her now, oh God, and comfort her! Save her, oh Heavenly

Father! Oh God of battle, Who teacheth our hands to war and



our fingers to fight, in Whose strength are hid the destinies

of men, be Thou with us in the hour of strife. When we go forth



into the shadow of death, make Thou us strong to conquer. Breathe

Thou upon our foes and scatter them; turn Thou their strength






文章总共2页
文章标签:名著  

章节正文
Copyright © 2023 Qeto All rights reserved.
商务合作 | 联系我们 | 关于我们 | 版权声明 | 隐私条款 | 如果智培

京ICP备05059198号-1 京公网安备 11011202003401号