benita-第43节

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which　I　doubt。　You　had　best　go；　Benita。〃



But　still　she　said　she　would　not。



〃Do　you　not　see；〃　he　added；　〃that　it　is　my　only　chance　of　life？　If　you

go　you　may　be　able　to　bring　me　help　before　the　end　comes。　Should　there

be　a　passage　the　probability　is　that；　although　they　know　nothing　of

it；　it　finishes　somewhere　by　the　wall　of　the　first　enclosure　where　the

Makalanga　are。　If　so；　you　may　find　the　Molimo；　or　if　he　is　dead；　Tamas

or　one　of　the　others；　and　they　will　help　us。　Go；　Benita；　go　at　once。〃



〃I　never　thought　of　that；〃　she　answered　in　a　changed　voice。　〃Of

course；　it　may　be　so；　if　the　passage　goes　down　at　all。　Well；　at　least

I　can　look　and　come　back　to　tell　you。〃



Then　Benita　placed　the　remainder　of　the　oil　close　by　her　father's

side；　so　that　he　could　refill　the　lamp；　for　the　use　of　his　hands　still

remained　to　him。　Also；　she　set　there　such　crumbs　of　biscuit　as　were

left；　some　of　the　biltong；　a　flask　of　Hollands；　and　a　pail　of　water。

This　done；　she　put　on　her　long　cloak；　filled　one　of　its　pockets　with

biltong；　and　the　other　with　matches　and　three　of　the　four　remaining

candles。　The　fourth　she　insisted　on　leaving　beside　her　father's　bed。

When　everything　was　ready　she　knelt　down　at　his　side；　kissed　him；　and

from　her　heart　put　up　a　prayer　that　they　might　both　live　to　meet

again；　although　she　knew　well　that　this　they　could　scarcely　hope　to

do。



Had　two　people　ever　been　in　a　more　dreadful　situation；　she　wondered；

as　she　looked　at　her　father　lying　there；　whom　she　must　leave　to　fight

with　Death　alone　in　that　awful　place；　while　she　went　forth　to　meet　him

in　the　unknown　bowels　of　the　earth！



Mr。　Clifford　read　her　thoughts。　〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃it　is　a　strange

parting　and　a　wild　errand。　But　who　knows？　It　may　please　Providence　to

take　you　through；　and　if　notwhy；　our　troubles　will　soon　be　over。〃



Then　once　more　they　kissed；　and　not　daring　to　try　to　speak；　Benita

tore　herself　away。　Passing　into　the　passage　whereof　the　lower　half　of

the　crucifix　formed　the　door；　she　paused　for　a　moment　to　examine　it

and　to　place　a　fragment　of　rock　in　such　fashion　that　it　could　not　shut

again　behind　her。　Her　idea　was　that　it　worked　by　aid　of　some　spring；

but　now　she　saw　that　this　was　not　so；　as　the　whole　mass　hung　upon

three　stone　hinges　beautifully　concealed。　The　dust　and　corrosion　of

ages　which　had　made　this　door　so　hard　to　open；　by　filling　up　the　tiny

spaces　between　it　and　its　framework；　had　also　rendered　these　cracks

utterly　imperceptible　to　the　eye。　So　accurately　was　it　fashioned；

indeed；　that　no　one　who　did　not　know　its　secret　would　have　discovered

it　if　they　searched　for　months　or　years。



Though　at　the　time　Benita　took　little　note　of　such　details；　the

passage　beyond　and　the　stair　descending　from　it　showed　the　same

perfect　workmanship。　Evidently　this　secret　way　dated　not　from　the

Portuguese　period；　but　from　that　of　the　Ph？nicians　or　other　ancients；

to　whose　treasure…chamber　it　was　the　approach；　opening　as　it　did　from

their　holy　of　holies；　to　which　none　were　admitted　save　the　head

priests。　The　passage；　which　was　about　seven　feet　high　by　four　wide；

had　been　hewn　out　of　the　live　rock　of　the　mountain；　for　thousands　of

little　marks　left　by　the　workmen's　chisels　were　still　discernible　upon

its　walls。　So　it　was　with　the　stair；　that　had　been　but　little　used；

and　remained　fresh　as　the　day　when　it　was　finished。



Down　the　steps；　candle　in　hand；　flitted　Benita；　counting　them　as　she

went。　The　thirtieth　brought　her　to　a　landing。　Here　it　was　that　she　saw

the　first　traces　of　that　treasure　which　they　had　suffered　so　much　to

find。　Something　glittered　at　her　feet。　She　picked　it　up。　It　was　a

little　bar　of　gold　weighing　two　or　three　ounces　that　doubtless　had

been　dropped　there。　Throwing　it　down　again　she　looked　in　front　of　her；

and　to　her　dismay　saw　a　door　of　wood　with　iron　bolts。　But　the　bolts

had　never　been　shot；　and　when　she　pulled　at　it　the　door　creaked　upon

its　rusty　hinges　and　opened。　She　was　on　the　threshold　of　the　treasure…

chamber！



It　was　square　and　of　the　size　of　a　small　room；　packed　on　either　side

almost　to　the　low；　vaulted　roof　with　small　bags　of　raw　hide；

carelessly　arranged。　Quite　near　to　the　door　one　of　these　bags　had

slipped　down　and　burst　open。　It　was　filled　with　gold；　some　in　ingots

and　some　in　raw　nuggets；　for　there　they　lay　in　a　shining；　scattered

heap。　As　she　stooped　to　look　it　came　into　the　mind　of　Benita　that　her

father　had　said　that　in　her　trance　she　had　told　them　that　one　of　the

bags　of　treasure　was　burst；　and　that　the　skin　of　which　it　had　been

made　was　black　and　red。　Behold！　before　her　lay　the　burst　bag；　and　the

colour　of　the　hide　was　black　and　red。



She　shivered。　The　thing　was　uncanny；　terrible。　Uncanny　was　it　also　to

see　in　the　thick　dust；　which　in　the　course　of　twenty　or　more　of

centuries　had　gathered　on　the　floor；　the　mark　of　footprints；　those　of

the　last　persons　who　had　visited　this　place。　There　had　been　two　of

them；　a　man　and　a　woman；　and　they　were　no　savages；　for　they　wore

shoes。　Benita　placed　her　foot　in　the　print　left　by　that　dead　woman。　It

filled　it　exactly；　it　might　have　been　her　own。　Perhaps；　she　thought　to

herself；　that　other　Benita　had　descended　here　with　her　father；　after

the　Portuguese　had　hidden　away　their　wealth；　that　she　might　be　shown

where　it　was；　and　of　what　it　consisted。



One　more　glance　at　all　this　priceless；　misery…working　gold；　and　on　she

went；　she　who　was　seeking　the　gold　of　life　and　liberty　for　herself　and

him　who　lay　above。　Supposing　that　the　stairway　ended　there？　She

stopped；　she　looked　round；　but　could　see　no　other　door。　To　see　the

better　she　halted　and　opened　the　glass　of　her　lantern。　Still　she　could

perceive　nothing；　and　her　heart　sank。　Yet　why　did　the　candle　flicker

so　fiercely？　And　why　was　the　air　in　this　deep　place　so　fresh？　She

walked　forward　a　pace　or　two；　then　noticed　suddenly　that　those

footprints　of　the　dead　that　she　was　following　disappeared　immediately

in　front　of　her；　and　she　stopped。



It　was　but　just　in　time。　One　step　more　and　she　would　have　fallen　down

the　mouth　of　a　deep　pit。　Once　it　had　been　covered　with　a　stone；　but

this　stone　was　removed；　and　had　never　been　replaced。　Look！　there　it

stood　against　the　wall　of　the　chamber。　Well　was　this　for　Benita；　since

her　frail　strength　would　not　have　sufficed　to　stir　that　massive　block；

even　if　she　had　discovered　its　existence　beneath　the　dust。



Now　she　saw　that　down　the　pit　ran　another　ladderlike　stair　of　stone；

very　narrow　and　precipitous。　Without　hesitation　she　began　its　descent。

Down　she　went　and　downone　hundred　steps；　two　hundred　steps；　two

hundred　and　seventy…five　steps；　and　all　the　way　wherever　the　dust　had

gathered　the　man's　and　the　woman's　footprints　ran　before　her。　There

was　a　double　line　of　them；　one　line　going　down　and　the　other　line

returning。　Those　that　returned　were　the　last；　for　often　they　appeared

over　those　that　descended。　Why　had　these　dead　people　returned；　Benita

wondered。



The　stair　had　ended；　now　she　was　in　a　kind　of　natural　cave；　for　its

sides　and　roof　were　rugged；　moreover；　water　trickled　and　dripped　from

them。　It　was　not　very　large；　and　it　smelt　horribly　of　mud　and　other

things。　Again　she　searched　by　the　feeble　light　of　her　candle；　but

could　see　no　exit。　Suddenly　she　saw　something　else；　however；　for

stepping　on　what　she　took　to　be　a　rock；　to　her　horror　it　moved　beneath

her。　She　heard　a　snap　as　of　jaws；　a　violent　blow　upon　the　leg　nearly

knocked　her　off　her　feet；　and　as　she　staggered　backwards　she　saw　a

huge　and　loathsome　shape　rushing　away　into　the　darkness。　The　rock　that

she　had　trodden　on　was　a　crocodile　which　had　its　den　here！　With　a

little　scream　she　retreated　to　her　stair。　Death　she　had　expectedbut

to　be　eaten　by　crocodiles！



Yet　as　Benita　stood　there　panting　a　blessed　hope　rose　in　her　breast。

If　a　crocodile　came　in　there　it　must　also　get　out；　and　where　such　a

great　creature　could　go；　a　woman　would　be　able　to　follow。　Also；　she

must　be　near　the　water；　since　otherwise　it　could　never　have　chosen

this　hole　for　its　habitation。　She　collected　her　courage；　and　having

clapped　her　hands　and　waved　the　lantern　about　to　scare　any　alligators

that　might　still　be　lurking　there；　hearing　and　seeing　nothing　more；

she　descended　to　where　she　had　trodden　upon　the　reptile。　Evidently

this　was　its　bed；　for　its　long　body　had　left　an　impress　upon　the　mud；

and　all　about　lay　the　remains　of　creatures　that　it　had　brought　in　for

food。　Moreover；　a　path　ran　outwards；　its　well…worn　trail　distinct　even

in　that　light。



She　followed　this　path；　which　ended　apparently　in　a　blank　wall。　Then

it　was　that　Benita　guessed　why　those　dead　folks'　footprints　had

returned；　for　here　had　been　a　doorway　which　in　some　past　age　those　who

used　it　built　up　with　blocks　of　stone　and　cement。　How；　then；　did　the

crocodile　get　out？　Stooping　down　she　searched；　and　perceived；　a　few

yards　to　the　right　of　the　door；　a　hole　that　looked　as　though　it　were

water…worn