the yellow god-第21节

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presently　the　sun　shine　out；　so　might　be　much　worse；　no　cause　at　all
complain。〃

〃I　don't　know；〃　answered　Alan；　with　a　shiver。　〃I　believe　that　I　am
fever　proof；　but　otherwise　I　should　have　caught　it　last　night；　and
just　give　me　the　quinine；　I　will　take　five　grains　for　luck。〃

〃Yes；　yes；　for　luck；〃　answered　Jeekie　as　he　opened　the　medicine　chest
and　found　the　quinine；　at　the　same　time　glancing　anxiously　out　of　the
corner　of　his　eye　at　his　master's　face；　for　he　knew　that　the　spot
where　they　had　slept　was　deadly　to　white　men　at　this　season　of　the
year。　〃You　not　catch　fever；　Little　Bonsa；〃　here　he　dropped　his　voice
and　looked　down　at　the　box　which　had　served　Alan　for　a　pillow；　〃see　to
that。　But　quinine　give　you　appetite　for　breakfast。　Very　good　chop　this
morning。　Which　you　like　best？　Cold　ven'son；　or　fish；　or　one　of　them
ducks　you　shoot　yesterday？〃

〃Oh！　some　of　the　cold　meat；　I　think。　Give　the　ducks　to　the　boatmen；　I
don't　fancy　them　in　this　hot　place。　By　the　way；　Jeekie；　we　leave　the
Qua　River　here；　don't　we？〃

〃Yes；　yes；　Major；　just　here。　I　'member　spot　well；　for　your　uncle　he
pray　on　it　one　whole　hour；　I　pretend　pray　too；　but　in　heart　give
thanks　to　Little　Bonsa；　for　heathen　in　those　days；　quite　different
now。　This　morning　we　begin　walk　through　forest　where　it　rather　dark
and　cool　and　comfortable；　that　is　if　we　no　see　dwarf　people　from　whom
good　Lord　deliver　us；〃　and　he　bowed　towards　the　box　containing　Little
Bonsa。

〃Will　those　four　porters　come　with　us　through　the　forest；　Jeekie；　as
they　promised？〃

〃Yes；　yes；　they　come。　Last　night　they　say　they　not　come；　too　much
afraid　of　dwarf。　But　I　settle　their　hash。　I　tell　them　I　save　up　bits
of　their　hair　and　toe　nails　when　they　no　thinking；　and　I　mix　it　with
medicine；　and　if　they　not　come；　they　die　every　one　before　they　get
home。　They　think　me　great　doctor　and　they　believe。　Perhaps　they　die　if
they　go　on。　If　so；　I　tell　them　that　because　they　want　show　white
feather；　and　they　think　me　greater　doctor　still。　Oh！　they　come；　they
come；　no　fear；　or　else　Jeekie　know　reason　why。　Now；　here　coffee；
Major。　Drink　him　hot　before　you　go　take　tub；　but　keep　in　shallow
water；　because　crocodile　he　very　early　riser。〃

Alan　laughed；　and　departed　to　〃take　tub。〃　Notwithstanding　the
mosquitoes　that　buzzed　round　him　in　clouds；　the　water　was　cool　and
pleasant　by　comparison　with　the　hot；　sticky　air；　and　the　feel　of　it
seemed　to　rid　him　of　the　languor　resulting　from　his　disturbed　night。

A　month　had　passed　since　he　had　left　Old　Calabar；　and　owing　to　the
incessant　rains　the　journeying　had　been　hard。　Indeed　the　white　men
there　thought　that　he　was　mad　to　attempt　to　go　up　the　river　at　this
season。　Of　course　he　had　said　nothing　to　them　of　the　objects　of　his
expedition；　hinting　only　that　he　wished　to　explore　and　shoot；　and
perhaps　prospect　for　mines。　But　knowing　as　they　did；　that　he　was　an
Engineer　officer　with　a　good　record　and　much　African　experience；　they
soon　made　up　their　minds　that　he　had　been　sent　by　Government　upon　some
secret　mission　that　for　reasons　of　his　own　he　preferred　to　keep　to
himself。　This　conclusion；　which　Jeekie　zealously　fostered　behind　his
back；　in　fact　did　Alan　a　good　turn；　since　owing　to　it　he　obtained
boatmen　and　servants　at　a　season　when；　had　he　been　supposed　to　be　but
a　private　person；　these　would　scarcely　have　been　forthcoming　at　any
price。　Hitherto　his　journey　had　been　one　long　record　of　mud；
mosquitoes；　and　misery；　but　otherwise　devoid　of　incident；　except　the
eating　of　one　of　his　boatmen　by　a　crocodile　which　was　a　particularly
〃early　riser；〃　for　it　had　pulled　the　poor　fellow　out　of　the　canoe　in
which　he　lay　asleep　at　night。　Now；　however；　the　real　dangers　were
about　to　begin；　since　at　this　spot　he　left　the　great　river　and　started
forward　through　the　forest　on　foot　with　Jeekie　and　the　four　bearers
whom　he　had　paid　highly　to　accompany　him。

He　could　not　conceal　from　himself　that　the　undertaking　seemed　somewhat
desperate。　But　of　this　he　said　nothing　in　the　long　letter　he　had
written　to　Barbara　on　the　previous　night；　sighing　as　he　sealed　it；　at
the　thought　that　it　might　well　be　the　last　which　would　ever　reach　her
from　him；　even　if　the　boatmen　got　safely　back　to　Calabar　and
remembered　to　put　it　in　the　post。　The　enterprise　had　been　begun　and
must　be　carried　through；　until　it　ended　in　successor　death。

An　hour　later　they　started。　First　walked　Alan　as　leader　of　the
expedition；　carrying　a　double…barrelled　gun　that　could　be　used　either
for　ball　or　shot；　about　fifty　cartridges　with　brass　cases　to　protect
them　from　the　damp；　a　revolver；　a　hunting…knife；　a　cloth　mackintosh；
and　lastly；　strapped　upon　his　back　like　a　knapsack；　a　tin　box
containing　the　fetish；　Little　Bonsa；　which　was　too　precious　to　be
trusted　to　anyone　else。　It　was　quite　a　sufficient　load　for　any　white
man　in　that　climate；　but　being　very　wiry；　Alan　did　not　feel　its
weight；　at　any　rate　at　first。

After　him　in　single　file　came　the　four　porters；　laden　with　a　small
tent；　some　tinned　provisions　and　brandy；　ammunition；　a　box　containing
beads；　watches；　etc。　for　presents；　blankets；　spare　clothing　and　so
forth。　These　were　stalwart　fellows　enough；　who　knew　the　forest；　but
their　dejected　air　showed　that　now　they　had　come　face　to　face　with　its
dangers；　they　heartily　wished　themselves　anywhere　else。　Indeed；
notwithstanding　their　terror　of　Jeekie's　medicine；　at　the　last　moment
they　threw　down　their　loads　intending　to　make　a　wild　rush　for　the
departing　boat；　only　to　be　met　by　Jeekie　himself　who；　anticipating
some　such　move；　was　waiting　for　them　on　the　bank　with　a　shotgun。　Here
he　remained　until　the　canoe　was　too　far　out　in　the　stream　for　them　to
reach　it　by　swimming。　Then　he　asked　them　if　they　wished　to　sit　and
starve　there　with　the　devils　he　would　leave　them　for　company；　of　if
they　would　carry　out　their　bargain　like　honest　men？

The　end　of　it　was　they　took　up　their　loads　again　and　marched；　while
behind　them　walked　the　terrible　and　gigantic　Jeekie；　the　barrels　of
the　shotgun　which　he　carried　at　full　cock　and　occasionally　used　to
prod　them；　pointing　directly　at　their　backs。　A　strange　object　he
looked　truly；　for　in　addition　to　the　weapons　with　which　he　bristled；
several　cooking…pots　were　slung　about　him；　to　say　nothing　of　a　cork
mattress　and　a　mackintosh　sheet　tied　in　a　flat　bundle　to　his
shoulders；　a　box　containing　medicines　and　food　which　he　carried　on　his
head；　and　fastened　to　the　top　of　it　with　string　like　a　helmet　on　a
coffin；　an　enormous　solar…tope　stuffed　full　of　mosquito　netting；　of
which　the　ends　fell　about　him　like　a　green　veil。　When　Alan
remonstrated　with　him　as　to　the　cork　mattress；　suggesting　that　it
should　be　thrown　away　as　too　hot　to　wear；　Jeekie　replied　that　he　had
been　cold　for　thirty　years；　and　wished　to　get　warm　again。　Guessing
that　his　real　reason　for　declining　to　part　with　the　article；　was　that
his　master　should　have　something　to　lie　on；　other　than　the　damp
ground；　Alan　said　no　more　at　the　time；　which；　as　will　be　seen；　was
fortunate　enough　for　Jeekie。

For　a　mile　or　more　their　road　ran　through　fantastic…looking　mangrove
trees　rooted　in　the　mud；　that　in　the　mist　resembled；　Alan　thought；
many…legged　arboreal　octopi　feeling　for　their　food；　and　tall　reeds　on
the　tops　of　which　sat　crowds　of　chattering　finches。　Then　just　as　the
sun　broke　out；　strongly；　cheering　them　with　its　warmth　and　sucking　up
the　vapours；　they　entered　sparse　bush　with　palms　and　great　cotton
trees　growing　here　and　there；　and　so　at　length　came　to　the　borders　of
the　mighty　forest。

Oh！　dark；　dark　was　that　forest；　he　who　entered　it　from　the　cheerful
sunshine　felt　as　though　suddenly　and　without　preparation　he　had
wandered　out　of　the　light　we　know　into　some　dim　Hades　such　as　the　old
Greek　fancy　painted；　where　strengthless　ghosts　flit　aimlessly；
mourning　the　lost　light。　Everywhere　the　giant　boles　of　trees　shooting
the　height　of　a　church　tower　into　the　air　without　a　branch；　great　rib…
rooted　trees；　and　beneath　them　a　fierce　and　hungry　growth　of　creepers。
Where　a　tree　had　fallen　within　the　last　century　or　so；　these　creepers
ramped　upwards　in　luxuriance；　their　stems　thick　as　the　body　of　a　man；
drinking　the　shaft　of　light　that　pierced　downwards；　drinking　it　with
eagerness　ere　the　boughs　above　met　again　and　starved　them。　Where　no
tree　had　fallen　the　creepers　were　thin　and　weak；　from　year　to　year
they　lived　on　feebly；　biding　their　time；　but　still　they　lived；　knowing
that　some　day　it　would　come。　And　always　it　was　coming　to　those
expectant　parasites；　since　from　minute　to　minute；　somewhere　in　the
vast　depths；　miles　and　miles　away　perhaps；　a　great　crash　echoed　in　the
stillness；　the　crash　of　a　tree　that；　sown　when　the　Saxons　ruled　in
England；　or　perhaps　before　Cleopatra　bewitched　Anthony；　came　to　its
end　at　last。

On　the　second　day　of　their　march　in　the　forest　Alan　chanced　to　see
such　a　tree　fall；　and　the　sight　was　one　that　he　never　could　forget。　As
it　happened；　owing　to　the　vast　spread　of　its　branches　which　had　killed
out　all　rivals　beneath；　for　in　its　day　it　had　been　a　very　successful
tree　embued　with　an　excellent　constitution　by　its　parent；　it　stood
somewhat　alone；　so　that　from　several　hundred　yards　away　as　these　six
human　beings　crept　tow