benita-第28节

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

stored；　they　quickly　made　their　preparations。　Here　also；　Mr。　Clifford

wrote　a　letter；　one　of　the　most　unpleasant　that　he　had　ever　been

called　upon　to　compose。　It　ran　thus：



　〃Dear　Meyer；



　〃I　don't　know　what　you　will　think　of　us；　but　we　are　escaping　from

　　this　place。　The　truth　is　that　I　am　not　well；　and　my　daughter　can

　　bear　it　no　longer。　She　says　that　if　she　stops　here；　she　will　die；

　　and　that　hunting　for　treasure　in　that　ghastly　grave…yard　is

　　shattering　her　nerves。　I　should　have　liked　to　tell　you；　but　she

　　begged　me　not；　being　convinced　that　if　I　did；　you　would　over…

　　persuade　us　or　stop　us　in　some　way。　As　for　the　gold；　if　you　can

　　find　it；　take　it　all。　I　renounce　my　share。　We　are　leaving　you　the

　　waggon　and　the　oxen；　and　starting　down　country　on　our　horses。　It

　　is　a　perilous　business；　but　less　so　than　staying　here；　under　the

　　circumstances。　If　we　never　meet　again　we　hope　that　you　will

　　forgive　us；　and　wish　you　all　good　fortune。Yours　sincerely　and

　　with　much　regret；



〃T。　Clifford。〃





The　letter　written；　they　saddled　the　horses　which　had　been　brought　up

for　their　inspection；　and　were　found　to　be　in　good　case；　and　fastened

their　scanty　belongings；　and　as　many　cartridges　as　they　could　carry　in

packs　behind　their　saddles。　Then；　each　of　them　armed　with　a　riflefor

during　their　long　journeyings　Benita　had　learned　to　shootthey

mounted　and　made　for　the　little　side…entrance；　as　the　main　gate

through　which　they　had　passed　on　their　arrival　was　now　built　up。　This

side…entrance；　a　mere　slit　in　the　great　wall；　with　a　precipitous

approach；　was　open；　for　now　that　their　fear　of　the　Matabele　had　to

some　extent　passed　off；　the　Makalanga　used　it　to　drive　their　sheep　and

goats　in　and　out；　since　it　was　so　constructed　with　several　twists　and

turns　in　the　thickness　of　the　wall；　that　in　a　few　minutes　it　could　be

effectually　blocked　by　stones　that　lay　at　hand。　Also；　the　ancient

architect　had　arranged　it　in　such　a　fashion　that　it　was　entirely

commanded　from　the　crest　of　the　wall　on　either　side。



The　Makalanga；　who　had　been　watching　their　proceedings　curiously；　made

no　attempt　to　stop　them；　although　they　guessed　that　they　might　have　a

little　trouble　with　the　sentries　who　guarded　the　entrances　all　day；

and　even　when　it　was　closed　at　night；　with　whom　also　Mr。　Clifford

proposed　to　leave　the　letter。　When　they　reached　the　place；　however；

and　had　dismounted　to　lead　the　horses　down　the　winding　passage　and　the

steep　ascent　upon　its　further　side；　it　was　to　find　that　the　only　guard

visible　proved　to　be　the　old　Molimo　himself；　who　sat　there；　apparently

half　asleep。



But　as　they　came　he　showed　himself　to　be　very　much　awake；　for　without

moving　he　asked　them　at　once　whither　they　were　going。



〃To　take　a　ride；〃　answered　Mr。　Clifford。　〃The　lady；　my　daughter；　is

weary　of　being　cooped　up　in　this　fortress；　and　wishes　to　breathe　the

air　without。　Let　us　pass；　friend；　or　we　shall　not　be　back　by　sunset。〃



〃If　you　be　coming　back　at　sunset；　white　man；　why　do　you　carry　so　many

things　upon　your　packs；　and　why　are　your　saddle…bags　filled　with

cartridges？〃　he　asked。　〃Surely　you　do　not　speak　the　truth　to　me；　and

you　hope　that　never　more　will　you　see　the　sun　set　upon　Bambatse。〃



Now　understanding　that　it　was　hopeless　to　deceive　him；　Benita

exclaimed　boldly：



〃It　is　so；　but　oh！　my　Father；　stay　us　not；　for　fear　is　behind　us；　and

therefore　we　fly　hence。〃



〃And　is　there　no　fear　before　you；　maiden？　Fear　of　the　wilderness；

where　none　wander　save　perchance　the　Amandabele　with　their　bloody

spears；　fear　of　wild　beasts　and　of　sickness　that　may　overtake　you　so

that；　first　one　and　then　the　other；　you　perish　there？〃



〃There　is　plenty；　my　Father；　but　none　of　them　so　bad　as　the　fear

behind。　Yonder　place　is　haunted；　and　we　give　up　our　search　and　would

dwell　there　no　more。〃



〃It　is　haunted　truly；　maiden；　but　its　spirits　will　not　harm　you　whom

they　welcome　as　one　appointed；　and　we　are　ever　ready　to　protect　you

because　of　their　command　that　has　come　to　me　in　dreams。　Nor；　indeed；

is　it　the　spirits　whom　you　fear；　but　rather　the　white　man；　your

companion；　who　would　bend　you　to　his　will。　Deny　it　not；　for　I　have

seen　it　all。〃



〃Then　knowing　the　truth；　surely　you　will　let　us　go；〃　she　pleaded；　〃for

I　swear　to　you　that　I　dare　not　stay。〃



〃Who　am　I　that　I　should　forbid　you？〃　he　asked。　〃Yet　I　tell　you　that

you　would　do　well　to　stay　and　save　yourselves　much　terror。　Maiden；

have　I　not　said　it　days　and　day　ago；　that　here　and　here　only　you　must

accomplish　your　fate？　Go　now　if　you　will；　but　you　shall　return　again；〃

and　once　more　he　seemed　to　begin　to　doze　in　the　sun。



The　two　of　them　consulted　hastily　together。



〃It　is　no　use　turning　back　now；〃　said　Benita；　who　was　almost　weeping

with　doubt　and　vexation。　〃I　will　not　be　frightened　by　his　vague　talk。

What　can　he　know　of　the　future　more　than　any　of　the　rest　of　us？

Besides；　all　he　says　is　that　we　shall　come　back　again；　and　if　that

does　happen；　at　least　we　shall　have　been　free　for　a　little　while。

Come；　father。〃



〃As　you　wish；〃　answered　Mr。　Clifford；　who　seemed　too　miserable　and

depressed　to　argue。　Only　he　threw　down　the　letter　upon　the　Molimo's

lap；　and　begged　him　to　give　it　to　Meyer　when　he　came　to　look　for　them。



The　old　man　took　no　notice；　no；　not　even　when　Benita　bade　him　farewell

and　thanked　him　for　his　kindness；　praying　that　all　good　fortune　might

attend　him　and　his　tribe；　did　he　answer　a　single　word　or　even　look　up。

So　they　led　their　horses　down　the　narrow　passage　where　there　was

scarcely　room　for　them　to　pass；　and　up　the　steep　path　beyond。　On　the

further　side　of　the　ancient　ditch　they　remounted　them　while　the

Makalanga　watched　them　from　the　walls；　and　cantered　away　along　the

same　road　by　which　they　had　come。



Now　this　road；　or　rather　track；　ran　first　through　the　gardens　and　then

among　the　countless　ruined　houses　that　in　bygone　ages　formed　the　great

city　whereof　the　mount　Bambatse　had　been　the　citadel　and　sanctuary。

The　relics　of　a　lost　civilization　extended　for　several　miles；　and　were

bounded　by　a　steep　and　narrow　neck　or　pass　in　the　encircling　hills；

the　same　that　Robert　Seymour　and　his　brother　had　found　too　difficult

for　their　waggon　at　the　season　in　which　they　visited　the　place　some

years　before。　This　pass；　or　port　as　it　is　called　in　South　Africa；　had

been　strongly　fortified；　for　on　either　side　of　it　were　the　ruins　of

towers。　Moreover；　at　its　crest　it　was　so　narrow　and　steep…sided　that　a

few　men　posted　there；　even　if　they　were　armed　only　with　bows　and

arrows；　could　hold　an　attacking　force　in　check　for　a　considerable

time。　Beyond　it；　after　the　hill　was　descended；　a　bush…clad　plain

dotted　with　kopjes　and　isolated　granite　pillars　formed　of　boulders

piled　one　upon　another；　rolled　away　for　many　miles。



Mr。　Clifford　and　Benita　had　started　upon　their　mad　journey　about　three

o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　and　when　the　sun　began　to　set　they　found

themselves　upon　this　plain　fifteen　or　sixteen　miles　from　Bambatse；　of

which　they　had　long　lost　sight；　for　it　lay　beyond　the　intervening

hills。　Near　to　them　was　a　kopje；　where　they　had　outspanned　by　a　spring

of　water　when　on　their　recent　journey；　and　since　they　did　not　dare　to

travel　in　the　dark；　here　they　determined　to　off…saddle；　for　round　this

spring　was　good　grass　for　the　horses。



As　it　chanced；　they　came　upon　some　hartebeeste　here　which　were

trekking　down　to　drink；　but　although　they　would　have　been　glad　of

meat；　they　were　afraid　to　shoot；　fearing　lest　they　should　attract

attention；　nor　for　the　same　reason　did　they　like　to　light　a　fire。　So

having　knee…haltered　the　horses　in　such　fashion　that　they　could　not

wander　far；　and　turned　them　loose　to　feed；　they　sat　down　under　a　tree；

and　made　some　sort　of　a　meal　off　the　biltong　and　cooked　corn　which

they　had　brought　with　them。　By　the　time　this　was　finished　darkness

fell；　for　there　was　little　moon；　so　that　nothing　remained　to　do　except

to　sleep　within　a　circle　of　a　few　dead　thorn…boughs　which　they　had

drawn　about　their　camp。　This；　then；　they　did；　and　so　weary　were　they

both；　that　notwithstanding　all　the　emotions　through　which　they　had

passed；　and　their　fears　lest　lions　should　attack　themfor　of　these

brutes　there　were　many　in　this　veldrested　soundly　and　undisturbed

till　within　half　an　hour　of　dawn。



Rising　somewhat　chilled；　for　though　the　air　was　warm　a　heavy　dew　had

soaked　their　blankets；　once　more　they　ate　and　drank　by　starlight；

while　the　horses；　which　they　had　tied　up　close　to　them　during　the

night；　filled　themselves　with　grass。　At　the　first　break　of　day　they

saddled　them；　and　before　the　sun　rose　were　on　their　road　again。　At

length　up　it　came；　and　the　sight　and　warmth　of　it　put　new　heart　into

Benita。　Her　fears　seemed　to　depart　with　the　night；　and　she　said　to　her

father　that　this　successful　start　was　of　good　augury；　to　which　he　only

ans