benita-第20节

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anxieties　had　told　upon　him。　Supposing　that　anything　were　to　happen　to

himif　he　died；　for　instance；　how　dreadful　her　position　might　become；

left　alone　far　from　the　reach　of　help；　with　savagesand　Jacob　Meyer。



Oh！　if　it　had　not　been　for　that　dreadful　shipwreck；　how　different

might　be　her　lot　to…day！　Well；　it　was　the　thought　of　the　shipwreck　and

of　him　whom　she　had　lost　therein；　which　had　driven　her　on　to　this

adventure；　that　in　it　perhaps　her　suffering　mind　might　be　numbed　to

rest；　and　now　she　must　face　its　issues。　God　still　remained　above　her；

and　she　would　put　her　trust　in　Him。　After　all；　if　she　died；　what　did

it　matter？



But　that　old　Molimo　had　promised　her　that　she　was　safe　from　death；

that　she　should　find　here　happiness　and　rest；　though　not　that　of　the

grave。　He　promised　this；　speaking　as　one　who　knew　of　all　her　grief；

and　a　very　little　while　afterwards；　in　the　case　of　the　Matabele

soldier；　he　had　proved　himself　a　prophet　of　awful　power。　Alsoshe

knew　not　how；　she　knew　not　whynow；　as　before；　her　inmost　heart

seemed　to　bear　witness　that　this　old　dreamer's　words　were　true；　and

that　for　her；　in　some　strange　manner　unforeseen；　there　still　remained

a　rest。



Comforted　a　little　by　this　intuition；　at　length　Benita　fell　asleep。



Next　morning；　when　she　came　out　of　the　hut；　Benita　was　met　by　her

father；　who　with　a　cheerful　countenance　informed　her　that　at　any　rate

as　yet　there　was　no　sign　of　the　Matabele。　A　few　hours　later；　too；　some

spies　came　in　who　said　that　for　miles　round　nothing　could　be　seen　or

heard　of　them。　Still　the　preparations　for　defence　went　on；　and　the

hundred　best　men　having　been　furnished　with　the　rifles；　were　being

drilled　in　the　use　of　them　by　Tamas　and　his　two　companions；　Tamala　and

Hoba；　who　had　learned　how　to　handle　a　gun　very　well　in　the　course　of

their　long　journey。　The　shooting　of　these　raw　recruits；　however；

proved　to　be　execrable；　indeed；　so　dangerous　were　they　that　when　one

of　them　fired　at　a　mark　set　upon　the　wall；　it　was　found　necessary　to

order　all　the　rest　to　lie　down。　As　it　was；　a　poor　trek　oxluckily　it

was　sickand　two　sheep　were　killed。



Foreseeing　a　scarcity　of　provisions　in　the　event　of　a　siege；　Meyer；

provident　as　ever；　had　already　decreed　the　death　of　the　tetse…bitten

cattle。　These　were　accordingly　despatched；　and　having　been　skinned　and

cut　up；　their　flesh　was　severed　into　long　strips　to　be　dried　in　the

burning　sun　as　biltong；　which　secretly　Benita　hoped　she　might　never　be

called　upon　to　eat。　Yet　the　time　was　to　come　when　she　would　swallow

that　hard；　tetse…poisoned　flesh　with　thankfulness。



At　midday；　after　they　had　eaten；　Mr。　Clifford　and　Meyer　went　to　the

Molimo；　where　he　sat　against　the　second　wall；　and；　pointing　to　the　men

with　the　guns；　said：



〃We　have　fulfilled　our　bargain。　Now　fulfil　yours。　Lead　us　to　the　holy

place　that　we　may　begin　our　search。〃



〃So　be　it；〃　he　answered。　〃Follow　me；　white　people。〃



Then；　quite　unattended；　he　guided　them　round　the　inner　wall　till　they

came　to　a　path　of　rock　not　more　than　a　yard　wide；　beneath　which　was　a

precipice　fifty　feet　or　so　in　depth　that　almost　overhung　the　river。

This　giddy　path　they　followed　for　about　twenty　paces；　to　find　that　it

ended　in　a　cleft　in　the　wall　so　narrow　that　only　one　person　could　walk

through　it　at　a　time。　That　it　must　have　been　the　approach　to　the

second　stronghold　was　evident；　however；　since　it　was　faced　on　either

side　with　dressed　stones；　and　even　the　foundation　granite　had　been

worn　by　the　human　feet　which　had　passed　here　for　ages　upon　ages。　This

path　zigzagged　to　and　fro　in　the　thickness　of　the　wall　till　it　brought

them　finally　within　its　circle；　a　broad　belt　of　steeply…rising　ground；

covered　like　that　below　with　the　tumbled　ruins　of　buildings　amidst

which　grew　bush　and　trees。



〃Heaven　send　that　the　gold　is　not　buried　here；〃　said　Mr。　Clifford；

surveying　the　scene；　〃for　if　it　is；　we　shall　never　find　it。〃



The　Molimo　seemed　to　guess　the　meaning　of　his　words　from　his　face；　for

he　answered：



〃I　think　not　here。　The　besiegers　won　this　place　and　camped　in　it　for

many　weeks。　I　could　show　you　were　they　built　their　fires　and　tried　to

undermine　the　last　wall　within　which　the　Portuguese　sat　about　until

hunger　killed　them；　for　they　could　not　eat　their　gold。　Follow　me

again。〃



So　on　they　went　up　the　slope　till　they　came　to　the　base　of　the　third

wall；　and　as　before；　passed　round　it；　and　reached　a　point　above　the

river。　But　now　there　was　no　passage；　only　some　shallow　and　almost

precipitous　steps　cut　from　single　stones　leading　from　the　foot　of　the

wall　to　its　summit；　more　than　thirty　feet　above。



〃Really；〃　said　Benita；　contemplating　this　perilous　ascent　with　dismay；

〃the　ways　of　treasure　seekers　are　hard。　I　don't　think　I　can；〃　while

her　father　also　looked　at　them　and　shook　his　head。



〃We　must　get　a　rope；〃　said　Meyer　to　the　Molimo　angrily。　〃How　can　we

climb　that　place　without　one；　with　such　a　gulf　below？〃



〃I　am　old；　but　I　climb　it；〃　said　the　aged　man　in　mild　surprise；　since

to　him；　who　had　trodden　it　all　his　life；　it　seemed　not　difficult。

〃Still；〃　he　added；　〃I　have　a　rope　above　which　I　use　upon　dark　nights。

I　will　ascend　and　let　it　down。〃



Ascend　he　did　accordingly；　indeed；　it　was　a　wondrous　sight　to　see　his

withered　legs　scrambling　from　step　to　step　as　unconcernedly　as　though

he　were　going　upstairs。　No　monkey　could　have　been　more　agile；　or　more

absolutely　impervious　to　the　effects　of　height。　Soon　he　vanished　in

or；　rather；　throughthe　crest　of　the　wall；　and　presently　appeared

again　on　the　top　step；　whence　he　let　down　a　stout　hide　rope；　remarking

that　it　was　securely　tied。　So　anxious　was　Meyer　to　enter　the　hidden

place　of　which　he　had　dreamed　so　long　that　he　scarcely　waited　for　it

to　reach　his　hand　before　he　began　the　climb；　which　he　accomplished

safely。　Then；　sitting　on　the　top　of　the　wall；　he　directed　Mr。　Clifford

to　fasten　the　end　of　the　rope　round　Benita's　waist；　and　her　turn　came。



It　was　not　so　bad　as　she　expected；　for　she　was　agile；　and　the

knowledge　that　the　rope　would　prevent　disaster　gave　her　confidence。　In

a　very　little　while　she　had　grasped　Meyer's　outstretched　hand；　and

been　drawn　into　safety　through　a　kind　of　aperture　above　the　top　step。

Then　the　rope　was　let　down　again　for　her　father；　who　tied　it　about　his

middle。　Well　was　it　that　he　did　so；　since　when　he　was　about　half…way

up；　awkwardness；　or　perhaps　loss　of　nerveneither　of　them　wonderful

in　an　old　mancaused　his　foot　to　slip；　and　had　it　not　been　for　the

rope　which　Meyer　and　the　Molimo　held；　he　would　certainly　have　fallen

into　the　river　some　hundreds　of　feet　below。　As　it　was；　he　recovered

himself；　and　presently　arrived　panting　and　very　pale。　In　her　relief

Benita　kissed　him；　and　even　as　she　did　so　thought　again　that　she　had

been　very　near　to　being　left　alone　with　Jacob　Meyer。



〃All's　well　that　ends　well；　my　dear；〃　he　said。　〃But　upon　my　word　I　am

beginning　to　wish　that　I　had　been　content　with　the　humble　profits　of

horse…breeding。〃



Benita　made　no　answer；　it　seemed　too　late　for　any　useful　consideration

of　the　point。



〃Clever　men；　those　ancients；〃　said　Meyer。　〃See；〃　and　he　pointed　out　to

her　how；　by　drawing　a　heavy　stone　which　still　lay　close　by　over　the

aperture　through　which　they　had　crept；　the　ascent　of　the　wall　could　be

made　absolutely　impossible　to　any　enemy；　since　at　its　crest　it　was

battened　outwards；　not　inwards；　as　is　usual　in　these　ancient　ruins。



〃Yes；〃　she　answered；　〃we　ought　to　feel　safe　enough　inside　here；　and

that's　as　well　since　I　do　not　feel　inclined　to　go　out　again　at

present。〃



Then　they　paused　to　look　about　them；　and　this　was　what　they　saw：



The　wall；　built　like　those　below；　of　unmortared　blocks　of　stone；

remained　in　a　wonderfully　good　state　of　preservation；　for　its　only

enemies　had　been　time；　the　tropical　rains；　and　the　growth　of　shrubs

and　trees　which　here　and　there　had　cracked　and　displaced　the　stones。

It　enclosed　all　the　top　of　the　hill；　perhaps　three　acres　of　ground；

and　on　it　at　intervals　were　planted　soap…stone　pillars；　each　of　them

about　twelve　feet　in　height；　and　fashioned　at　the　top　to　a　rude

resemblance　of　a　vulture。　Many　of　these　columns；　however　had　been

blown　down；　or　perhaps　struck　by　lightning；　and　lay　broken　upon　the

wall；　or　if　they　had　fallen　inward；　at　its　foot；　but　some；　six　or

eight　perhaps；　were　still　standing。



Benita　learned　afterwards　that　they　must　have　been　placed　there　by　the

ancient　Ph？nicians；　or　whatever　people　constructed　this　gigantic

fortification；　and　had　something　to　do　with　the　exact　recordings　of

the　different　seasons　of　the　year；　and　their　sub…divisions；　by　means

of　the　shadows　which　they　cast。　As　yet；　however；　she　did　not　pay　much

attention　to　them；　for　she　was　engaged　in　considering　a　more

remarkable　relic　of　antiquity　which　stood　upon　the　very　verge　of　the

precipice；　the　wall；　indeed；　being　built　up　to　its　base　on　either

side。



It　was　the　great