第51部分(第3/7 頁)

gs　forth　many　noble　actions；　and　there　can　be　no　harm　in　teaching　the　young　that　their　hands　were　given　to　them　to　defend　their　flag　and　their　heads。　If　once　a　nation　forgets　to　learn　that　lesson　it　will　very　soon　be　called　upon　to　write　Finis　beneath　its　history。　I　fear　that　we；　or　some　of　us；　are　in　that　way　now　—　or　so　I　judge　from　the　horror　expressed　upon　every　side　at　the　doctrine　that　men　should　not　grudge　a　year　or　so　of　their　lives　to　be　spent　in　learning　the　art　of　war。　If　God　gave　us　our　homes；　I　presume　that　He　meant　for　us　to　protect　them！

I　think　that　the　next　book　I　wrote　after　“Eric；”　or　at　any　rate　the　next　that　was　printed；　was　“Nada　the　Lily；”　which　I　began　upon　June　27；　1889；　and　finished　on　January　15；　1890。　It　is　pure　Zulu　story；　and；　as　I　believe　I　have　said；　I　consider　it　my　best　or　one　of　my　best　books。　At　any　rate；　the　following　letter　from　my　friend　Rudyard　Kipling　seems　to　show　that　this　story　has　one　claim　on　the　gratitude　of　the　world。

Vermont；　U。S。A。：

October　20；　1895。

Dear　Haggard；　—　Watt　has　just　forwarded　me　a　letter　addressed　to　you　from　a　bee…keeping　man　ething　of　a　jungle　tale　of　mine。　I　dare　say　it　didn’t　amuse　you；　but　it　made　me　chuckle　a　little　and　reminded　me；　incidentally；　that　the　man　was　nearer　the　mark　than　he　knew：　for　it　was　a　chance　sentence　of　yours　in　“Nada　the　Lily”　that　started　me　off　on　a　track　that　ended　in　my　writing　a　lot　of　wolf　stories。　You　remember　in　your　tale　where　the　wolves　leaped　up　at　the　feet　of　a　dead　man　sitting　on　a　rock？　Somewhere　on　that　page　I　got　the　notion。　It’s　curious　how　things　e　back　again；　isn’t　it？　I　meant　to　tell　you　when　we　met；　but　I　don’t　remember　that　I　ever　did。

Yours　always　sincerely；

Rudyard　Kipling。

Here　are　some　extracts　from　Lang’s