benita-第24节

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discovered　a　marked　and　progressive　change　in　his　demeanour。　Hitherto

he　had　appeared　to　be　a　reserved　man；　one　who　kept　tight　hand　upon

himself；　and；　if　she　knew　certain　things　about　him；　it　was　rather

because　she　guessed；　or　deduced　them；　than　because　he　allowed　them　to

be　seen。　On　two　occasions　only　had　he　shown　his　heart　before　herwhen

they　had　spoken　together　by　the　shores　of　Lake　Chrissie　on　the　day　of

the　arrival　of　the　messengers；　and　he　declared　his　ardent　desire　for

wealth　and　power；　and　quite　recently；　when　he　killed　the　Matabele

envoy。　Yet　she　felt　certain　that　this　heart　of　his　was　very　passionate

and　insurgent；　that　his　calm　was　like　the　ice　that　hides　the　stream；

beneath　which　its　currents　run　fiercely；　none　can　see　whither。　The

fashion　in　which　his　dark　eyes　would　flash；　even　when　his　pale

countenance　remained　unmoved；　told　her　so；　as　did　other　things。



For　instance；　when　he　was　recovering　from　his　swoon；　the　first　words

that　passed　his　lips　were　in　German；　of　which　she　understood　a　little；

and　she　thought　that　they　shaped　themselves　to　her　name；　coupled　with

endearing　epithets。　From　that　time　forward　he　became　less　guardedor；

rather；　it　seemed　as　though　he　were　gradually　losing　power　to　control

himself。　He　would　grow　excited　without　apparent　cause；　and　begin　to

declaim　as　to　what　he　would　do　when　he　had　found　the　gold；　how　he

would　pay　the　world　back　all　it　had　caused　him　to　sufferhow　he　would

become　a　〃king。〃



〃I　am　afraid　that　you　will　find　that　exalted　position　rather　lonely；〃

said　Benita　with　a　careless　laugh；　and　next　minute　was　sorry　that　she

had　spoken；　for　he　answered；　looking　at　her　in　a　way　that　she　did　not

like：



〃Oh；　no！　There　will　be　a　queena　beautiful　queen；　whom　I　shall　endow

with　wealth；　and　deck　with　jewels；　and　surround　with　love　and

worship。〃



〃What　a　fortunate　lady！〃　she　said；　still　laughing；　but　taking　the

opportunity　to　go　away　upon　some　errand。



At　other　times；　especially　after　dark；　he　would　walk　up　and　down　in

front　of　the　cave；　muttering　to　himself；　or　singing　wild　old　German

songs　in　his　rich　voice。　Also；　he　made　a　habit　of　ascending　the

granite　pillar　and　seating　himself　there；　and　more　than　once　called

down　to　her　to　come　up　and　share　his　〃throne。〃　Still；　these　outbreaks

were　so　occasional　that　her　father；　whose　perceptions　appeared　to

Benita　to　be　less　keen　than　formerly；　scarcely　noticed　them；　and　for

the　rest　his　demeanour　was　what　it　had　always　been。



Further　researches　into　the　well　being　out　of　the　question；　their　next

step　was　to　make　a　thorough　inspection　of　the　chapel…cave　itself。　They

examined　the　walls　inch　by　inch；　tapping　them　with　a　hammer　to　hear　if

they　sounded　hollow；　but　without　result。　They　examined　the　altar；　but

it　proved　to　be　a　solid　mass　of　rock。　By　the　help　of　a　little　ladder

they　had　made；　they　examined　the　crucifix；　and　discovered　that　the

white　figure　on　the　cross　had　evidently　been　fashioned　out　of　some

heathen　statue　of　soft　limestone；　for　at　its　back　were　the　remains　of

draperies；　and　long　hair　which　the　artist　had　not　thought　it　necessary

to　cut　away。　Also；　they　found　that　the　arms　had　been　added；　and　were

of　a　slightly　different　stone；　and　that　the　weight　of　the　figure　was

taken　partly　by　an　iron　staple　which　supported　the　body；　and　partly　by

strong　copper　wire　twisted　to　resemble　cord；　and　painted　white；　which

was　passed　round　the　wrists　and　supported　the　arms。　This　wire　ran

through　loops　of　rock　cut　in　the　traverse　of　the　cross；　that　itself

was　only　raised　in　relief　by　chiselling　away　the　solid　stone　behind。



Curiously　enough；　this　part　of　the　search　was　left　to　Mr。　Clifford　and

Benita；　since　it　was　one　that　Jacob　Meyer　seemed　reluctant　to

undertake。　A　Jew　by　birth；　and　a　man　who　openly　professed　his　want　of

belief　in　that　or　any　other　religion；　he　yet　seemed　to　fear　this

symbol　of　the　Christian　faith；　speaking　of　it　as　horrible　and　unlucky；

yes；　he　who；　without　qualm　or　remorse；　had　robbed　and　desecrated　the

dead　that　lay　about　its　feet。　Well；　the　crucifix　told　them　nothing；

but　as　Mr。　Clifford；　lantern　in　hand；　descended　the　ladder；　which

Benita　held；　Jacob　Meyer；　who　was　in　front　of　the　altar；　called　to

them　excitedly　that　he　had　found　something。



〃Then　it　is　more　than　we　have；〃　said　Mr。　Clifford；　as　he　laid　down　the

ladder　and　hurried　to　him。



Meyer　was　sounding　the　floor　with　a　staff　of　woodan　operation　which

he　had　only　just　began　after　the　walls　proved　barren。



〃Listen　now；〃　he　said；　letting　the　heavy　staff　drop　a　few　paces　to　the

right　of　the　altar；　where　it　produced　the　hard；　metallic　clang　that

comes　from　solid　stone　when　struck。　Then　he　moved　to　the　front　of　the

altar　and　dropped　it　again；　but　now　the　note　was　hollow　and

reverberant。　Again　and　again　he　repeated　the　experiment；　till　they　had

exactly　mapped　out　where　the　solid　rock　ended　and　that　which　seemed　to

be　hollow　begana　space　of　about　eight　feet　square。



〃We've　got　it；〃　he　said　triumphantly。　〃That's　the　entrance　to　the

place　where　the　gold　is；〃　and　the　others　were　inclined　to　agree　with

him。



Now　it　remained　to　put　their　theory　to　the　proofa　task　of　no　small

difficulty。　Indeed；　it　took　them　three　days　of　hard；　continual　work。

It　will　be　remembered　that　the　floor　of　the　cave　was　cemented　over；

and　first　of　all　this　cement；　which　proved　to　be　of　excellent　quality；

being　largely　composed　of　powdered　granite；　must　be　broken　up。　By　the

help　of　a　steel　crowbar；　which　they　had　brought　with　them　in　the

waggon；　at　length　that　part　of　their　task　was　completed；　revealing　the

rock　beneath。　By　this　time　Benita　was　confident　that；　whatever　might

lie　below；　it　was　not　the　treasure；　since　it　was　evident　that　the

poor；　dying　Portuguese　would　not　have　had　the　time　or　the　strength　to

cement　it　over。　When　she　told　the　others　so；　however；　Meyer；　convinced

that　he　was　on　the　right　tack；　answered　that　doubtless　it　was　done　by

the　Makalanga　after　the　Portuguese　days；　as　it　was　well　known　that

they　retained　a　knowledge　of　the　building　arts　of　their　forefathers

until　quite　a　recent　period；　when　the　Matabele　began　to　kill　them　out。



When　at　length　the　cement　was　cleared　away　and　the　area　swept；　they

discoveredfor　there　ran　the　line　of　itthat　here　a　great　stone　was

set　into　the　floor；　it　must　have　weighed　several　tons。　As　it　was　set

in　cement；　however；　to　lift　it；　even　if　they　had　the　strength　to　work

the　necessary　levers；　proved　quite　impossible。　There　remained　only　one

thing　to　be　doneto　cut　a　way　through。　When　they　had　worked　at　this

task　for　several　hours；　and　only　succeeded　in　making　a　hole　six　inches

deep；　Mr。　Clifford；　whose　old　bones　ached　and　whose　hands　were　very

sore；　suggested　that　perhaps　they　might　break　it　up　with　gunpowder。

Accordingly；　a　pound　flask　of　that　explosive　was　poured　into　the　hole；

which　they　closed　over　with　wet　clay　and　a　heavy　rock；　leaving　a　quill

through　which　ran　an　extemporized　fuse　of　cotton　wick。　All　being

prepared；　their　fuse　was　lit；　and　they　left　the　cave　and　waited。



Five　minutes　afterwards　the　dull　sound　of　an　explosion　reached　their

ears；　but　more　than　an　hour　went　by　before　the　smoke　and　fumes　would

allow　them　to　enter　the　place；　and　then　it　was　to　find　that　the

results　did　not　equal　their　expectations。　To　begin　with；　the　slab　was

only　crackednot　shattered；　since　the　strength　of　the　powder　had　been

expended　upwards；　not　downwards；　as　would　have　happened　in　the　case　of

dynamite；　of　which　they　had　none。　Moreover；　either　the　heavy　stone

which　they　had　placed　upon　it；　striking　the　roof　of　the　cave；　or　the

concussion　of　the　air；　had　brought　down　many　tons　of　rock；　and　caused

wide　and　dangerous…looking　cracks。　Also；　though　she　said　nothing　of

it；　it　seemed　to　Benita　that　the　great　white　statue　on　the　cross　was

leaning　a　little　further　forward　than　it　used　to　do。　So　the　net　result

of　the　experiment　was　that　they　were　obliged　to　drag　away　great

fragments　of　the　fallen　roof　that　lay　upon　the　stone；　which　remained

almost　as　solid　and　obdurate　as　before。



So　there　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　go　on　working　with　the　crowbar。　At

length；　towards　the　evening　of　the　third　day　of　their　labour；　when　the

two　men　were　utterly　tired　out；　a　hole　was　broken　through；

demonstrating　the　fact　that　beneath　this　cover　lay　a　hollow　of　some

sort。　Mr。　Clifford；　to　say　nothing　of　Benita；　who　was　heartily　weary

of　the　business；　wished　to　postpone　proceedings　till　the　morrow；　but

Jacob　Meyer　would　not。　So　they　toiled　on　until　about　eleven　o'clock　at

night；　when　at　length　the　aperture　was　of　sufficient　size　to　admit　a

man。　Now；　as　in　the　case　of　the　well；　they　let　down　a　stone　tied　to　a

string；　to　find　that　the　place　beneath　was　not　more　than　eight　feet

deep。　Then；　to　ascertain　the　condition　of　the　air；　a　candle　was

lowered；　which　at　first　went　out；　but　presently　burnt　well　enough。

This　point　settled；　they　brought　their　ladder；　whereby　Jacob　descended

with　a　lantern。