benita-第27节

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this　wildgoose　chase；　which　I　was　so　mad　as　to　be　led　into　by　the　love

of　wealth。　Indeed；　I　am　beginning　to　believe　that　if　it　goes　on　much

longer　I　shall　leave　my　bones　here。〃



〃And　if　such　a　dreadful　thing　as　that　were　to　happen；　what　would

become　of　me；　alone　with　Jacob　Meyer？〃　she　asked　quietly。　〃I　might

even　be　driven　to　the　same　fate　as　that　poor　girl　two　hundred　years

ago；〃　and　she　pointed　to　the　cone　of　rock　behind　her。



〃For　Heaven's　sake；　don't　talk　like　that！〃　he　broke　in。



〃Why　not？　One　must　face　things；　and　it　would　be　better　than　Jacob

Meyer；　for　who　would　protect　me　here？〃



Mr。　Clifford　walked　up　and　down　for　a　few　minutes；　while　his　daughter

watched　him　anxiously。



〃I　can　see　no　plan；〃　he　said；　stopping　opposite　her。　〃We　cannot　take

the　waggon　even　if　there　are　enough　oxen　left　to　draw　it；　for　it　is

his　as　much　as　mine；　and　I　am　sure　that　he　will　never　leave　this

treasure　unless　he　is　driven　away。〃



〃And　I　am　sure　I　hope　that　he　will　not。　But；　father；　the　horses　are

our　own；　it　was　his　that　died；　you　remember。　We　can　ride　away　on

them。〃



He　stared　at　her　and　answered：



〃Yes；　we　could　ride　away　to　our　deaths。　Suppose　they　got　sick　or　lame；

suppose　we　meet　the　Matabele；　or　could　find　no　game　to　shoot；　suppose

one　of　us　fell　illoh！　and　a　hundred　things。　What　then？〃



〃Why；　then　it　is　just　as　well　to　perish　in　the　wilderness　as　here；

where　our　risks　are　almost　as　great。　We　must　take　our　chance；　and

trust　to　God。　Perhaps　He　will　be　merciful　and　help　us。　Listen　now；

father。　To…morrow　is　Sunday；　when　you　and　I　do　no　work　that　we　can

help。　Mr。　Meyer　is　a　Jew；　and　he　won't　waste　Sunday。　Well　now；　I　will

say　that　I　want　to　go　down　to　the　outer　wall　to　fetch　some　clothes

which　I　left　in　the　waggon；　and　to　take　others　for　the　native　women　to

wash；　and　of　course　you　will　come　with　me。　Perhaps　he　will　be

deceived；　and　stay　behind；　especially　as　he　has　been　there　to…day。

Then　we　can　get　the　horses　and　guns　and　ammunition；　and　anything　else

that　we　can　carry　in　the　way　of　food；　and　persuade　the　old　Molimo　to

open　the　gate　for　us。　You　know；　the　little　side　gate　that　cannot　be

seen　from　up　here；　and　before　Mr。　Meyer　misses　us　and　comes　to　look；

we　shall　be　twenty　miles　away；　andhorses　can't　be　overtaken　by　a　man

on　foot。〃



〃He　will　say　that　we　have　deserted　him；　and　that　will　be　true。〃



〃You　can　leave　a　letter　with　the　Molimo　explaining　that　it　was　my

fault；　that　I　was　getting　ill　and　thought　that　I　should　die；　and　that

you　knew　it　would　not　be　fair　to　ask　him　to　come；　and　so　to　lose　the

treasure；　to　every　halfpenny　of　which　he　is　welcome　when　it　is　found。

Oh！　father；　don't　hesitate　any　longer；　say　that　you　will　take　me　away

from　Mr。　Meyer。〃



〃So　be　it　then；〃　answered　Mr。　Clifford；　and　as　he　spoke；　hearing　a

sound；　they　looked　up　and　saw　Jacob　approaching　them。



Luckily　he　was　so　occupied　with　his　own　thoughts　that　he　never　noted

the　guilty　air　upon　their　faces；　and　they　had　time　to　compose

themselves　a　little。　But　even　thus　his　suspicions　were　aroused。



〃What　are　you　talking　of　so　earnestly？〃　he　asked。



〃We　were　wondering　how　you　were　getting　on　with　the　Makalanga；〃

answered　Benita；　fibbing　boldly；　〃and　whether　you　would　persuade　them

to　face　the　ghosts。　Did　you？〃



〃Not　I；〃　he　answered　with　a　scowl。　〃Those　ghosts　are　our　worst　enemies

in　this　place；　the　cowards　swore　that　they　would　rather　die。　I　should

have　liked　to　take　some　of　them　at　their　word　and　make　ghosts　of　them；

but　I　remembered　the　situation　and　didn't。　Don't　be　afraid；　Miss

Clifford；　I　never　even　lost　my　temper；　outwardly　at　any　rate。　Well；

there　it　is；　if　they　won't　help　us；　we　must　work　the　harder。　I've　got

a　new　plan；　and　we'll　begin　on　it　to…morrow。〃



〃Not　to…morrow；　Mr。　Meyer；〃　replied　Benita　with　a　smile。　〃It　is

Sunday；　and　we　rest　on　Sunday；　you　know。〃



〃Oh！　I　forgot。　The　Makalanga　with　their　ghosts　and　you　with　your

Sundayreally　I　do　not　know　which　is　the　worse。　Well；　then；　I　must　do

my　own　share　and　yours　too；　I　suppose；〃　and　he　turned　with　a　shrug　of

his　shoulders。







XIV



THE　FLIGHT



The　next　morning；　Sunday；　Meyer　went　to　work　on　his　new　plan。　What　it

was　Benita　did　not　trouble　to　inquire；　but　she　gathered　that　it　had

something　to　do　with　the　measuring　out　of　the　chapel　cave　into　squares

for　the　more　systematic　investigation　of　each　area。　At　twelve　o'clock

he　emerged　for　his　midday　meal；　in　the　course　of　which　he　remarked

that　it　was　very　dreary　working　in　that　place　alone；　and　that　he　would

be　glad　when　it　was　Monday；　and　they　could　accompany　him。　His　words

evidently　disturbed　Mr。　Clifford　not　a　little；　and　even　excited　some

compunction　in　the　breast　of　Benita。



What　would　his　feelings　be；　she　wondered；　when　he　found　that　they　had

run　away；　leaving　him　to　deal　with　their　joint　undertaking　single…

handed！　Almost　was　she　minded　to　tell　him　the　whole　truth；　yetand

this　was　a　curious　evidence　of　the　man's　ascendancy　over　hershe　did

not。　Perhaps　she　felt　that　to　do　so　would　be　to　put　an　end　to　their

scheme；　since　then　by　argument；　blandishments；　threats；　force；　or

appeal　to　their　sense　of　loyalty；　it　mattered　not　which；　he　would

bring　about　its　abandonment。　But　she　wanted　to　fulfil　that　scheme；　to

be　free　of　Bambatse；　its　immemorial　ruins；　its　graveyard　cave；　and　the

ghoul；　Jacob　Meyer；　who　could　delve　among　dead　bones　and　in　living

hearts　with　equal　skill　and　insight；　and　yet　was　unable　to　find　the

treasure　that　lay　beneath　either　of　them。



So　they　hid　the　truth；　and　talked　with　feverish　activity　about　other

things；　such　as　the　drilling　of　the　Makalanga；　and　the　chances　of　an

attack　by　the　Matabele；　which　happily　now　seemed　to　be　growing　small；

also　of　the　conditions　of　their　cattle；　and　the　prospect　of　obtaining

more　to　replace　those　that　had　died。　Indeed；　Benita　went　farther；　in

her　new…found　zeal　of　deception　she　proceeded　to　act　a　lie；　yes；　even

with　her　father's　reproachful　eyes　fixed　upon　her。　Incidentally　she

mentioned　that　they　were　going　to　have　an　outing；　to　climb　down　the

ladder　and　visit　the　Makalanga　camp　between　the　first　and　second　walls

and　mix　with　the　great　world　for　a　few　hours；　also　to　carry　their

washing　to　be　done　there；　and　bring　up　some　clean　clothes　and　certain

books　which　she　had　left　below。



Jacob　came　out　of　his　thoughts　and　calculations；　and　listened

gloomily。



〃I　have　half　a　mind　to　come　with　you；〃　he　said；　words　at　which　Benita

shivered。　〃It　certainly　is　most　cursed　lonesome　in　that　cave；　and　I

seem　to　hear　things　in　it；　as　though　those　old　bones　were　rattling；

sounds　like　sighs　and　whispers　too；　which　are　made　by　the　draught。〃



〃Well；　why　don't　you？〃　asked　Benita。



It　was　a　bold　stroke；　but　it　succeeded。　If　he　had　any　doubts　they

vanished；　and　he　answered　at　once：



〃Because　I　have　not　the　time。　We　have　to　get　this　business　finished

one　way　or　another　before　the　wet　season　comes　on；　and　we　are　drowned

out　of　the　place　with　rain；　or　rotted　by　fever。　Take　your　afternoon

out；　Miss　Clifford；　every　maid　of　all　work　is　entitled　to　as　much；　and

I　am　afraid　that　is　your　billet　here。　Only；〃　he　added；　with　that　care

for　her　safety　which　he　always　showed　in　his　more　temperate　moods；

〃pray　be　careful；　Clifford；　to　get　back　before　sundown。　That　wall　is

too　risky　for　your　daughter　to　climb　in　the　dusk。　Call　me　from　the

foot　of　it；　you　have　the　whistle；　and　I　will　come　down　to　help　her　up。

I　think　I'll　go　with　you　after　all。　No；　I　won't。　I　made　myself　so

unpleasant　to　them　yesterday　that　those　Makalanga　can't　wish　to　see

any　more　of　me　at　present。　I　hope　you　will　have　a　more　agreeable

afternoon　than　I　shall。　Why　don't　you　take　a　ride　outside　the　wall？

Your　horses　are　fat　and　want　exercise；　and　I　do　not　think　that　you

need　be　afraid　of　the　Matabele。〃　Then　without　waiting　for　an　answer；

he　rose　and　left　them。



Mr。　Clifford　looked　after　him　doubtfully。



〃Oh；　I　know；〃　said　Benita；　〃it　seems　horribly　mean；　but　one　must　do

shabby　things　sometimes。　Here　are　the　bundles　all　ready；　so　let　us　be

off。〃



Accordingly　they　went；　and　from　the　top　of　the　wall　Benita　glanced

back　to　bid　goodbye　to　that　place　which　she　hoped　never　to　see　again。

Yet　she　could　not　feel　as　though　she　looked　her　last　upon　it；　to　her

it　wore　no　air　of　farewell；　and　even　as　she　descended　the　perilous

stairs；　she　found　herself　making　mental　notes　as　to　how　they　might

best　be　climbed　again。　Also；　she　could　not　believe　that　she　had　done

with　Mr。　Meyer。　It　seemed　to　her　as　though　for　a　long　while　yet　her

future　would　be　full　of　him。



They　reached　the　outer　fortifications　in　safety；　and　there　were

greeted　with　some　surprise　but　with　no　displeasure　by　the　Makalanga；

whom　they　found　still　drilling　with　the　rifles；　in　the　use　of　which　a

certain　number　of　them　appeared　to　have　become　fairly　proficient。

Going　to　the　hut　in　which　the　spare　goods　from　the　waggon　had　been

stored；