the ivory child- 第27部分

you　come　with　Macumazana　to　call　at　our　poor　house；　as　we　call　at　your

fine　one　in　England。　You　think　we　got　the　beautiful　lady　you　marry；

she　we　give　old　necklace。　That　is　not　so。　No　white　lady　ever　in

Kendahland。　We　hear　story　from　Macumazana　and　believe　that　lady

drowned　in　Nile；　for　you　'member　she　walk　much　in　her　sleep。　We　very

sorry　for　you；　but　gods　know　their　business。　They　leave　when　they　will

leave；　and　take　when　they　will　take。　You　find　her　again　some　day　more

beautiful　still　and　with　her　soul　come　back。〃



Here　I　looked　at　him　sharply。　I　had　told　him　nothing　about　Lady

Ragnall　having　lost　her　wits。　How　then　did　he　know　of　the　matter？

Still　I　thought　it　best　to　hold　my　peace。　I　think　that　Har？t　saw　he

had　made　some　mistake；　for　leaving　the　subject　of　Lady　Ragnall；　he

went　on：



〃You　very　welcome；　O　Lord；　but　it　right　tell　you　this　most　dangerous

journey；　since　elephant　Jana　not　like　strangers；　and；〃　he　continued

slowly；　〃think　no　elephant　like　your　blood；　and　all　elephants

brothers。　What　one　hate　rest　hate　everywhere　in　world。　See　it　in　your

face　that　you　already　suffer　great　hurt　from　elephant；　you　or　someone

near　you。　Also　some　of　Kendah　very　fierce　people　and　love　fighting；

and　p'raps　there　war　in　the　land　while　you　there；　and　in　war　people

get　killed。〃



〃Very　good；　my　friend；〃　said　Ragnall；　〃I　am　prepared　to　take　my　chance

of　these　things。　Either　we　all　go　to　your　country　together；　as

Macumazana　has　explained　to　you；　or　none　of　us　go。〃



〃We　understand。　That　is　our　bargain　and　we　no　break　word；〃　replied

Har？t。



Then　he　turned　his　benevolent　gaze　upon　Savage；　and　said：　〃So　you　come

too；　Mr。　Bena。　That　your　name　here；　eh？　Well；　you　learn　lot　things　in

Kendahland；　about　snakes　and　all　rest。〃



Here　the　jovial…looking　Mar？t　whispered　something　into　the　ear　of　his

companion；　smiling　all　over　his　face　and　showing　his　white　teeth　as　he

did　so。　〃Oh！〃　went　on　Har？t；　〃my　brother　tells　me　you　meet　one　snake

already；　down　in　country　called　Natal；　but　sit　on　him　so　hard；　that　he

grow　quite　flat　and　no　bite。〃



〃Who　told　him　that？〃　gasped　Savage。



〃Oh！　forget。　Think　Macumazana。　No？　Then　p'raps　you　tell　him　in　sleep；

for　people　talk　much　in　sleep；　you　know；　and　some　other　people　got

good　ears　and　hear　long　way。　Or　p'raps　little　joke　Har？t。　You　'member；

he　first…rate　conjurer。　P'raps　he　send　that　snake。　No　trouble　if　know

how。　Well；　we　show　you　much　better　snake　Kendahland。　But　you　no　sit　on

/him/；　Mr。　Bena。〃



To　me；　I　know　not　why；　there　was　something　horrible　in　all　this

jocosity；　something　that　gave　me　the　creeps　as　always　does　the　sight

of　a　cat　playing　with　a　mouse。　I　felt　even　then　that　it　foreshadowed

terrible　things。　How　/could/　these　men　know　the　details　of　occurrences

at　which　they　were　not　present　and　of　which　no　one　had　told　them？　Did

that　strange　〃tobacco〃　of　theirs　really　give　them　some　clairvoyant

power；　I　wondered；　or　had　they　other　secret　methods　of　obtaining　news？

I　glanced　at　poor　Savage　and　perceived　that　he　too　felt　as　I　did；　for

he　had　turned　quite　pale　beneath　his　tan。　Even　Hans　was　affected；　for

he　whispered　to　me　in　Dutch：　〃These　are　not　men；　these　are　devils；

Baas；　and　this　journey　of　ours　is　one　into　hell。〃



Only　Ragnall　sat　stern；　silent；　and　apparently　quite　unmoved。　Indeed

there　was　something　almost　sphinx…like　about　the　set　and　expression　of

his　handsome　face。　Moreover；　I　felt　sure　that　Har？t　and　Mar？t

recognized　the　man's　strength　and　determination　and　that　he　was　one

with　whom　they　must　reckon　seriously。　Beneath　all　their　smiles　and

courtesies　I　could　read　this　knowledge　in　their　eyes；　also　that　it　was

causing　them　grave　anxiety。　It　was　as　though　they　knew　that　here　was

one　against　whom　their　power　had　no　avail；　whose　fate　was　the　master

of　their　fate。　In　a　sense　Har？t　admitted　this　to　me；　for　suddenly　he

looked　up　and　said　in　a　changed　voice　and　in　Bantu：



〃You　are　a　good　reader　of　hearts；　O　Macumazana；　almost　as　good　as　I

am。　But　remember　that　there　is　One　Who　writes　upon　the　book　of　the

heart；　Who　is　the　Lord　of　us　who　do　but　read；　and　that　what　He　writes；

that　will　befall；　strive　as　we　may；　for　in　His　hands　is　the　future。〃



〃Quite　so；〃　I　replied　coolly；　〃and　that　is　why　I　am　going　with　you　to

Kendahland　and　fear　you　not　at　all。〃



〃So　it　is　and　so　let　it　be；〃　he　answered。　〃And　now；　Lords；　are　you

ready　to　start？　For　long　is　the　road　and　who　knows　what　awaits　us　ere

we　see　its　end？〃



〃Yes；〃　I　replied；　〃long　is　the　road　of　life　and　who　knows　what　awaits

us　ere　we　see　its　endand　after？〃







Three　hours　later　I　halted　the　splendid　white　riding…camel　upon　which

I　was　mounted；　and　looked　back　from　the　crest　of　a　wave　of　the　desert。

There　far　behind　us　on　the　horizon；　by　the　help　of　my　glasses；　I　could

make　out　the　site　of　the　camp　we　had　left　and　even　the　tall　ant…hill

whence　I　had　gazed　in　the　moonlight　at　our　mysterious　escort　which

seemed　to　have　sprung　from　the　desert　as　though　by　magic。



This　was　the　manner　of　our　march：　A　mile　or　so　ahead　of　us　went　a

picket　of　eight　or　ten　men　mounted　on　the　swiftest　beasts；　doubtless

to　give　warning　of　any　danger。　Next；　three　or　four　hundred　yards　away；

followed　a　body　of　about　fifty　Kendah；　travelling　in　a　double　line；

and　behind　these　the　baggage　men；　mounted　like　everyone　else；　and

leading　behind　them　strings　of　camels　laden　with　water；　provisions；

tents　of　skin　and　all　our　goods；　including　the　fifty　rifles　and　the

ammunition　that　Ragnall　had　brought　from　England。　Then　came　we　three

white　men　and　Hans；　each　of　us　riding　as　swift　and　fine　a　camel　as

Africa　can　breed。　On　our　right　at　a　distance　of　about　half　a　mile；　and

also　on　our　left；　travelled　other　bodies　of　the　Kendah　of　the　same

numerical　strength　as　that　ahead；　while　the　rear　was　brought　up　by　the

remainder　of　the　company　who　drove　a　number　of　spare　camels。



Thus　we　journeyed　in　the　centre　of　a　square　whence　any　escape　would

have　been　impossible；　for　I　forgot　to　say　that　our　keepers　Har？t　and

Mar？t　rode　exactly　behind　us；　at　such　a　distance　that　we　could　call　to

them　if　we　wished。



At　first　I　found　this　method　of　travelling　very　tiring；　as　does

everyone　who　is　quite　unaccustomed　to　camel…back。　Indeed　the　swing　and

the　jolt　of　the　swift　creature　beneath　me　seemed　to　wrench　my　bones

asunder　to　such　an　extent　that　at　the　beginning　I　had　once　or　twice　to

be　lifted　from　the　saddle　when；　after　hours　of　torture；　at　length　we

camped　for　the　night。　Poor　Savage　suffered　even　more　than　I　did；　for

the　motion　reduced　him　to　a　kind　of　jelly。　Ragnall；　however；　who　I

think　had　ridden　camels　before；　felt　little　inconvenience；　and　the

same　may　be　said　of　Hans；　who　rode　in　all　sorts　of　positions；

sometimes　sideways　like　a　lady；　and　at　others　kneeling　on　the　saddle

like　a　monkey　on　a　barrel…organ。　Also；　being　very　light　and　tough　as

rimpis；　the　swaying　motion　did　not　seem　to　affect　him。



By　degrees　all　these　troubles　left　us　to　such　an　extent　that　I　could

cover　my　fifty　miles　a　day；　more　or　less；　without　even　feeling　tired。

Indeed　I　grew　to　like　the　life　in　that　pure　and　sparkling　desert　air；

perhaps　because　it　was　so　restful。　Day　after　day　we　journeyed　on

across　the　endless；　sandy　plain；　watching　the　sun　rise；　watching　it

grow　high；　watching　it　sink　again。　Night　after　night　we　ate　our　simple

food　with　appetite　and　slept　beneath　the　glittering　stars　till　the　new

dawn　broke　in　glory　from　the　bosom　of　the　immeasurable　East。



We　spoke　but　little　during　all　this　time。　It　was　as　though　the　silence

of　the　wilderness　had　got　hold　of　us　and　sealed　our　lips。　Or　perhaps

each　of　us　was　occupied　with　his　own　thoughts。　At　any　rate　I　know　that

for　my　part　I　seemed　to　live　in　a　kind　of　dreamland；　thinking　of　the

past；　reflecting　much　upon　the　innumerable　problems　of　this　passing

show　called　life；　but　not　paying　much　heed　to　the　future。　What　did　the

future　matter　to　me；　who　did　not　know　whether　I　should　have　a　share　of

it　even　for　another　month；　or　week；　or　day；　surrounded　as　I　was　by　the

shadow　of　death？　No；　I　troubled　little　as　to　any　earthly　future；

although　I　admit　that　in　this　oasis　of　calm　I　reflected　upon　that

state　where　past；　present　and　future　will　all　be　one；　also　that　those

reflections；　which　were　in　their　essence　a　kind　of　unshaped　prayer；

brought　much　calm　to　my　spirit。



With　the　regiment　of　escort　we　had　practically　no　communication；　I

think　that　they　had　been　forbidden　to　talk　to　us。　They　were　a　very

silent　set　of　men；　finely…made；　capable　persons；　of　an　Arab　type；

light　rather　than　dark　in　colour；　who　seemed　for　the　most　part　to

communicate　with　each　other　by　signs　or　in　low…muttered　words。

Evidently　they　looked　upon　Har？t　and　Mar？t　with　great　veneration；　for

any　order　which　either　of　these　brethren　gave；　if　they　were　brethren；

was　obeyed　without　dispute　or　delay。　Thus；　when　I　happened　to　mention

that　I　had　lost　a　pocket…knife　at　one　of　our　camping…places　two　days'

journey　back；　three　of　them；　much　against　my　wish；　were　ordered　to

return　to　look　for　it；　and　did　so；　making　no　question。　Eight　days

later　they　rejoined　us　much　exhausted　and　having　lost　a　camel；　but

with　the　knife；　which　they　handed　to　me　with　a　low　bow；　and　I　confess

that　I　felt　ashamed　to　take　the　thing。



Nor　did　we　exchange　many　further　confidences　with　Har？t　and　Mar？t。　Up

to　the　time　of　our　arrival　at　the　boundaries　of　the　Kendah　country；

our　only　talk　with　them　was　of　the　incidents　of　travel；　of　where　we

should　camp；　of　how　far　it　might　be　to　the　next　water；　for　water…holes

or　old　wells　existed　in　this　desert；　of　such　birds　as　we　saw；　and　so

forth。　As　to　other　and　more　important　matters　a　kind　of　truce　seemed

to　prevail。　Still；　I　observed　that　they　were　always　studying　us；　and

especially　Lord　Ragnall；　who　rode　on　day　after　day；　self…absorbed　and

staring　straight　in　front　of　him　as　though　he　looked　at　something　we

could　not　see。



Thus　we　covered