the yellow god-第18节

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lid　was　painted；　〃The　Reverend　Henry　Austin。　Passenger　to　Acra；〃
showing　that　it　had　once　been　his　uncle's　cabin　box。　The　key　hung　from
the　handle；　and　having　lit　more　candles；　Alan　drew　it　out　and　unlocked
it；　to　be　greeted　by　a　smell　of　musty　documents　done　up　in　great
bundles。　One　by　one　he　placed　them　on　the　floor。　It　was　a　dreary
occupation　alone　there　in　that　great；　silent　room　at　the　dead　of
night；　one　indeed　with　which　he　was　soon　satisfied；　for　somehow　it
reminded　him　of　rifling　coffins　in　a　vault。　Before　him　so　carefully
put　away　lay　the　records　of　a　good　if　not　a　distinguished　life；　and
until　this　moment　he　had　never　found　the　energy　even　to　look　through
them。

At　length　he　came　to　the　end　of　the　bundles　and　saw　that　beneath　lay　a
number　of　manuscript　books　packed　closely　with　their　backs　upwards；
marked〃Journal〃and　with　the　year　and　sometimes　the　place　of　the
author's　residence。　As　he　glanced　at　them　in　dismay；　for　they　were
many；　his　eye　caught　the　title　of　one　inscribedas　were　several
others〃West　Africa；〃　and　written　in　brackets　beneath〃This　vol。
contains　all　that　is　left　of　the　notes　of　my　escape　with　Jeekie　from
the　Asiki　Devil…worshippers。〃

Alan　drew　it　out；　and　having　refilled　and　closed　the　box；　bore　it　off
to　his　room；　where　he　proceeded　to　read　it　in　bed。　As　a　matter　of　fact
he　found　that　there　was　not　very　much　to　read；　for　the　reason　that
most　of　the　closely…written　volume　had　been　so　damaged　by　water；　that
the　pencilled　writing　had　run　and　become　utterly　illegible。　The　centre
pages；　however；　not　having　been　soaked；　could　still　be　deciphered；　at
any　rate　in　part；　also　there　was　a　large　manuscript　map；　executed　in
ink；　apparently　at　a　later　date；　on　the　back　of　which　was　written：　〃I
purpose；　D。V。；　to　re…write　at　some　convenient　time　all　the　history　of
my　visit　to　the　unknown　Asiki　people；　as　my　original　notes　were
practically　destroyed　when　the　canoe　overset　in　the　rapids　and　most　of
our　few　possessions　were　lost；　except　this　book　and　the　gold　fetish
mask　which　is　called　Little　Bonsa　or　Small　Swimming　Head。　This　I　think
I　can　do　with　the　aid　of　Jeekie　from　memory；　but　as　the　matter　has
only　a　personal　and　no　religious　interest；　seeing　that　I　was　not　able
even　to　preach　the　Word　among　those　benighted　and　blood…thirsty
savages　in　whose　country；　as　I　verily　believe；　the　Devil　has　one　of
his　principal　habitations；　it　must　stand　over　till　a　convenient
season；　such　as　the　time　of　old　age　or　sickness。　H。A。〃

〃P。S。　I　ought　to　add　with　gratitude　that　even　out　of　this　hell　fire　I
was　enabled　to　snatch　one　brand　from　the　burning；　namely；　the　negro
lad；　Jeekie；　to　whose　extraordinary　resource　and　faithfulness　I　owe　my
escape。　After　a　long　hesitation　I　have　been　able　to　baptize　him；
although　I　fear　that　the　taint　of　heathenism　still　clings　to　him。　Thus
not　six　months　ago　I　caught　him　sacrificing　a　white　cock　to　the　image；
Little　Bonsa；　in　gratitude；　as　to　my　horror　he　explained；　for　my
having　been　appointed　an　Honorary　Canon　of　the　Cathedral。　I　have　told
him　to　take　that　ugly　mask　which　has　been　so　often　soaked　in　human
blood；　and　melt　it　down　over　the　kitchen　stove；　after　picking　out　the
gems　in　the　eyes；　that　the　proceeds　may　be　given　to　the　poor。　/Note。/
I　had　better　see　to　this　myself；　as　where　Little　Bonsa　is　concerned；
Jeekie　is　not　to　be　trusted。　He　says　（with　some　excuse）　that　it　has
magic；　and　that　if　he　melts　it　down；　he　will　melt　down　too；　and　so
shall　I。　How　dark　and　ridiculous　are　the　superstitions　of　the　heathen！
Perhaps；　however；　instead　of　destroying　the　thing；　which　is　certainly
unique；　I　might　sell　it　to　a　museum；　and　thus　spare　the　feelings　of
that　weak　vessel；　Jeekie；　who　otherwise　would　very　likely　take　it　into
his　head　to　waste　away　and　die；　as　these　Africans　do　when　their　nerves
are　affected　by　terror　of　their　fetish。〃



CHAPTER　VII

THE　DIARY

Reflecting　that　time　evidently　had　made　little　change　in　Jeekie；　Alan
studied　this　route　map　with　care；　and　found　that　it　started　from　Old
Calabar；　in　the　Bight　of　Biafra；　on　the　west　coast　of　Africa；　whence
it　ran　up　to　the　Great　Qua　River；　which　it　followed　for　a　long　way。
Then　it　struck　across　country　marked　〃dense　forest；〃　northwards；　and
came　to　a　river　called　Katsena；　along　the　banks　of　which　the　route
went　eastwards。　Thence　it　turned　northward　again　through　swamps；　and
ended　in　mountains　called　Shaku。　In　the　middle　of　these　mountains　was
written　〃Asiki　People　live　here　on　Raaba　River。〃

The　map　was　roughly　drawn　to　scale；　and　Alan；　who　was　an　engineer
accustomed　to　such　things；　easily　calculated　that　the　distance　of　this
Raaba　River　from　Old　Calabar　was　about　350　miles　as　the　crow　flies；
though　probably　the　actual　route　to　be　travelled　was　nearer　five
hundred　miles。

Having　mastered　the　map；　he　opened　the　water…soaked　diary。　Turning
page　after　page；　only　here　and　there　could　he　make　out　a　sentence；
such　as　〃so　I　defied　that　beautiful　but　terrific　woman。　I；　a　Christian
minister；　the　husband　of　a　heathen　priestess！　Perish　the　thought。
Sooner　would　I　be　sacrificed　to　Bonsa。〃

Then　came　more　illegible　pages　and　again　a　paragraph　that　could　be
read〃They　gave　me　'The　Bean'　in　a　gold　cup；　and　knowing　its　deadly
nature　I　prepared　myself　for　death。　But　happily　for　me　my　stomach；
always　delicate；　rejected　it　at　once；　though　I　felt　queer　for　days
afterwards。　Whereon　they　clapped　their　hands　and　said　I　was　evidently
innocent　and　a　great　medicine　man。〃

And　again；　further　on〃never　did　I　see　so　much　gold　whether　in　dust；
nuggets；　or　worked　articles。　I　imagine　it　must　be　worth　millions；　but
at　that　time　gold　was　the　last　thing　with　which　I　wished　to　trouble
myself。〃

After　this　entry　many　pages　were　utterly　effaced。

The　last　legible　passage　ran　as　follows〃So　guided　by　the　lad　Jeekie；
and　wearing　the　gold　mask；　Little　Bonsa；　on　my　head；　I　ran　through
them　all；　holding　him　by　the　hand　as　though　I　were　dragging　him　away。
A　strange　spectacle　I　must　have　been　with　my　old　black　clergyman's
coat　buttoned　about　me；　my　naked　legs　and　the　gold　mask；　as　pretending
to　be　a　devil　such　as　they　worship；　I　rushed　through　them　in　the
moonlight；　blowing　the　whistle　in　the　mask　and　bellowing　like　a　bull。
。　。　。　Such　was　the　beginning　of　my　dreadful　six　months'　journey　to　the
coast。　Setting　aside　the　mercy　of　Providence　that　preserved　me　for　its
own　purposes；　I　could　never　have　lived　to　reach　it　had　it　not　been　for
Little　Bonsa；　since　curiously　enough　I　found　this　fetish　known　and
dreaded　for　hundreds　of　miles；　and　that　by　people　who　had　never　seen
it；　yes；　even　by　the　wild　cannibals。　Whenever　it　was　produced　food；
bearers；　canoes；　or　whatever　else　I　might　want　were　forthcoming　as
though　by　magic。　Great　is　the　fame　of　Big　and　Little　Bonsa　in　all　that
part　of　West　Africa；　although；　strange　as　it　may　seem；　the　outlying
tribes　seldom　mention　them　by　name。　If　they　must　speak　of　either　of
these　images　which　are　supposed　to　be　man　and　wife；　they　call　it　the
'Yellow…God…who…lives…yonder。'〃

Not　another　word　of　all　this　strange　history　could　Alan　decipher；　so
with　aching　eyes　he　shut　up　the　stained　and　tattered　volume；　and　at
last；　just　as　the　day　was　breaking；　fell　asleep。

At　eleven　o'clock　on　that　same　morning；　for　he　had　slept　late；　Alan
rose　from　his　breakfast　and　went　to　smoke　his　pipe　at　the　open　door　of
the　beautiful　old　hall　in　Yarleys　that　was　clad　with　brown　Elizabethan
oak　for　which　any　dealer　would　have　given　hundreds　of　pounds。　It　was　a
charming　morning；　one　of　those　that　comes　to　us　sometimes　in　an
English　April　when　the　air　is　soft　like　that　of　Italy　and　the　smell　of
the　earth　rises　like　that　of　incense；　and　little　clouds　float　idly
across　a　sky　of　tender　blue。　Standing　thus　he　looked　out　upon　the　park
where　the　elms　already　showed　a　tinge　of　green　and　the　ash…buds　were
coal　black。　Only　the　walnuts　and　the　great　oaks；　some　of　them　pollards
of　a　thousand　years　of　age；　remained　stark　and　stern　in　their　winter
dress。

Alan　was　in　a　reflective　mood　and　involuntarily　began　to　wonder　how
many　of　his　forefathers　had　stood　in　that　same　spot　upon　such　April
mornings　and　looked　out　upon　those　identical　trees　wakening　in　the
breath　of　spring。　Only　the　trees　and　the　landscape　knew；　those　trees
which　had　seen　every　one　of　them　borne　to　baptism；　to　bridal　and　to
burial。　The　men　and　women　themselves　were　forgotten。　Their　portraits；
each　in　the　garb　of　his　or　her　generation；　hung　here　and　there　upon
the　walls　of　the　ancient　house　which　once　they　had　owned　or　inhabited；
but　who　remembered　anything　of　them　to…day？　In　many　cases　their　names
even　were　lost；　for　believing　that　they；　so　important　in　their　time；
could　never　sink　into　oblivion；　they　had　not　thought　it　necessary　to
record　them　upon　their　pictures。

And　now　the　thing　was　coming　to　an　end。　Unless　in　this　way　or　in　that
he　could　save　it；　what　remained　of　the　old　place；　for　the　outlying
lands　had　long　since　been　sold；　must　go　to　the　hammer　and　become　the
property　of　some　pushing　and　successful　person　who　desired　to　found　a
family；　and　perhaps　in　days　to　be　would　claim　these　very　pictures　that
hung　upon　the　walls　as　those　of　his　own　ancestors；　declaring　that　he
had　brought　in　the　estate　bec