She fell back, and then Isaw that the leap was her last for that time, for she had oversprungherself, and lay there howling, the black blood flowing from hermouth. Now as I watched, filled with fear and wonder, the shewolf, hertongue lolling from her jaws, made so mighty a bound that she almostreached the hanging foot, and yet not quite. I looked, or seemed to look, and thenI thought that the hanging jaw moved, and from it came a voice thatwas harsh and hollow as of one who speaks from an empty belly, througha withered throat. It was a red light, and he glowed in itas glows a thing that is rotten. I saw a lightperchance,Umslopogaas, it was the light of the moon, shining upon him that sataloft at of the cave. But I know this, thatof a sudden I seemed to look up and see. Then, licking theirred chops, they slunk back to the forest.ĭid I sleep or did I wake? Nay, I cannot tell. Now they gathered round the carcase, now they fell upon it andrent it, fighting horribly till all was finished. Presently the sound ofhowlings drew near again, and I saw the grey shapes creep up one byone. I cast it behind me, and seizing the carcasedragged it to the edge of the rock and left it. And if I dared not goalone, how much less should I dare to go bearing with me him who satin the cleft of the rock
GHOST ON THE SHORE GUITAR CHORDS FULL
Here, then, I must bide this night, for, though themoon shone white and full in the sky, I dared not wend towards theplains alone with the wolves and the ghosts. The sun was sinking: all the depth of the forest was black, butthe light still shone on the face of the stone woman who sits foreveron the mountain. Now I rested awhile, then went to the mouth of the cave and lookedout. Should I go back to be mocked bythe people of the kraal and by the old woman? And if I wished to go,should I not be killed by the ghosts at night in the forest? Nay, itwas better to die in the jaws of the wolves, and at once.
Now whether this was by chance or whetherthe Watcher would shame him who bore it, say you, for I do not know.At the least, shame entered into me. And, Umslopogaas, even as I turned, the great club Watcher ofthe Fords swung round and smote me on the back with such a blow as aman smites upon a coward. So I bethought me that I would fly, and turnedto go. But I had no wish to come there, beingafraid of the wolves, for now I knew that these were the ghosts wholive upon the mountain. Ilooked, I saw, and beyond I discovered the mouth of the cave, wherethe bones of the boy should be. Some slept andgrowled in their sleep, some gnawed at the skulls of dead game, somesat up like dogs and their tongues hung from their grinning jaws. I lifted byhead over the brink of the rock and looked, and I tell you,Umslopogaas, my blood ran cold and my heart turned to water, forthere, before the cave, rolled wolves, many and great. So I climbed up the steep rock, where little bushesgrow like hair on the arms of a man, till at last I came to the kneesof the stone Witch, which are the space before the cave. Here the sun shonemerrily, here lizards ran and birds flew to and fro, and though itgrew towards the eveningfor I had wandered long in the forestI wasafraid no more. Now Umslopogaas, son of Mopo, hear I had passed the forest, and hadcome, as it were, to the legs of the old stone Witch who sits up aloftthere forever waiting for the world to die. There came ascream of pain, and something galloped away into the shadows. With a yell, I lifted the Watcher and smote. Ah a sharp snout sniffed at the carcase which Iskinned.
And alwaysthe howlings drew nearer now I could see grey forms creeping to andfro in the shadows of the rocky place before me. Why had he tied it there? I wonderedperhaps to hide the facesof the fierce wolves as they sprang upwards to grip him. She seemed to grin at me, and, oh now by it I couldsee his shape of bone and skin, ay, and even the bandage about hiseyes. The moon shone full upon the face of the stoneWitch who sits aloft forever. It was awful here in the mouth of the cave, for I had not yet learnedthe secret of the stone, and if I had known it, should I have dared toclose it, leaving myself alone with the dead wolves and him whom thewolves had struggled to tear down? I walked out yonder on to theplatform and looked up.
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