the yellow god-第38节

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THE　MOTHER　OF　JEEKIE

〃Jeekie；〃　said　Alan　next　morning；　〃I　tell　you　again　that　I　have　had
enough　of　this　place；　I　want　to　get　out。〃

〃Yes；　Major；　that　just　what　mouse　say　when　he　finish　cheese　in　trap；
but　missus　come　along；　call　him　'Pretty；　pretty；'　and　drown　him　all
the　same；〃　and　he　nodded　in　the　direction　of　the　Asika's　house。

〃Jeekie；　it　has　got　to　be　donedo　you　hear　me？　I　had　rather　die
trying　to　get　away　than　stop　here　till　the　next　two　months　are　up。　If
I　am　here　on　the　night　of　the　next　full　moon　but　one；　I　shall　shoot
that　Asika　and　then　shoot　myself；　and　you　must　take　your　chance。　Do
you　understand？〃

〃Understand　that　foolish　game　and　poor　lookout　for　Jeekie；　Major；　but
can't　think　of　any　plan。〃　Then　he　rubbed　his　big　nose　reflectively　and
added；　〃Fahni　and　his　people　your　slaves　now；　'spose　we　have　talk　with
him。　I　tell　priests　to　bring　him　along　when　they　come　with　breakfast。
Leave　it　to　me；　Major。〃

Alan　did　leave　it　to　him；　with　the　result　that　after　long　argument　the
priests　consented　or　obtained　permission　to　produce　Fahni　and　his
followers；　and　a　little　while　after　the　great　men　arrived　looking　very
dejected；　and　saluted　Alan　humbly。　Bidding　the　rest　of　them　be　seated；
he　called　Fahni　to　the　end　of　the　room　and　asked　him　through　Jeekie　if
he　and　his　men　did　not　wish　to　return　home。

〃Indeed　we　do；　white　lord；〃　answered　the　old　chief；　〃but　how　can　we？
The　Asika　has　a　grudge　against　our　tribe　and　but　for　you　would　have
killed　every　one　of　us　last　night。　We　are　snared　and　must　stop　here
till　we　die。〃

〃Would　not　your　people　help　you　if　they　knew；　Fahni？〃

〃Yes；　lord；　I　think　so。　But　how　can　I　tell　them　who　doubtless　believe
us　dead？　Nor　can　I　send　a　messenger；　for　this　place　is　guarded　and　he
would　be　killed　at　once。　We　came　here　for　your　sake　because　you　had
Little　Bonsa；　a　god　that　is　known　in　the　east　and　the　west；　in　the
north　and　the　south；　and　because　you　saved　me　from　the　lion；　and　here；
alas！　we　must　perish。〃

〃Jeekie；〃　said　Alan；　〃can　you　not　find　a　messenger？　Have　you；　who　were
born　of　this　people；　no　friend　among　them　at　all？〃

Jeekie　shook　his　white　head　and　rolled　his　eyes。　Then　suddenly　an　idea
struck　him。

〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃I　think　one；　p'raps。　I　mean　my　ma。〃

〃Your　ma！〃　said　Alan。　〃Oh！　I　remember。　Have　you　heard　anything　more
about　her？〃

〃Yes；　Major。　Very　old　girl　now；　but　strong　on　leg；　so　they　say。
Believe　she　glad　go　anywhere；　because　she　public　nuisance；　they　tired
of　her　in　prison　and　there　no　workhouse　here；　so　they　want　turn　her
out　starve；　which　of　course　break　my　heart。　Perhaps　she　take　message。
Some　use　that　way。　Only　think　she　afraid　go　Ogula…land　because　they
nasty　cannibal　and　eat　old　woman。〃

When　all　this　was　translated　to　Fahni　he　assured　Jeekie　with
earnestness　that　nothing　would　induce　the　Ogula　people　to　eat　his
mother；　moreover；　that　for　her　sake　they　would　never　look
carnivorously　on　another　old　woman；　fat　or　thin。

〃Well；〃　said　Jeekie；　〃I　try　again　to　get　hold　of　old　lady　and　we　see。
I　pray　priests；　whom　you　save　other　day；　let　her　out　of　chokey　as　I
sick　to　fall　upon　bosom；　which　quite　true；　only　so　much　to　think　of
that　no　time　to　attend　to　domestic　relation　till　now。〃

That　very　afternoon；　on　returning　to　his　room　from　walking　in　the
dismal　cedar　garden；　Alan's　ears　were　greeted　by　a　sound　of　shrill
quarrelling。　Looking　up　he　saw　an　extraordinary　sight。　A　tall；　gaunt；
withered　female　who　might　have　been　of　any　age　between　sixty　and　a
hundred；　had　got　Jeekie's　ear　in　one　hand；　and　with　the　other　was
slapping　him　in　the　face　while　she　exclaimed：

〃O　thief；　whom　by　the　curse　of　Bonsa　I　brought　into　the　world；　what
have　you　done　with　my　blanket？　Was　it　not　enough　that　you；　my　only
son；　should　leave　me　to　earn　my　own　living？　Must　you　also　take　my　best
blanket　with　you；　for　which　reason　I　have　been　cold　ever　since。　Where
is　it；　thief；　where　is　it？〃

〃Worn　out；　my　mother；　worn　out；〃　he　answered；　trying　to　free　himself。
〃You　forget；　honourable　mother；　that　I　grow　old　and　you　should　have
been　dead　years　ago。　How　can　you　expect　a　blanket　to　last　so　long？
Leave　go　of　my　ear；　beloved　mother；　and　I　will　give　you　another。　I
have　travelled　across　the　world　to　find　you　and　I　want　to　hear　news　of
your　husband。〃

〃My　husband；　thief；　which　husband？　Do　you　mean　your　father；　the　one
with　the　broken　nose；　who　was　sacrificed　because　you　ran　away　with　the
white　man　whom　Bonsa　loved？　Well；　you　look　out　for　him　when　you　get
into　the　world　of　ghosts；　for　he　said　that　he　was　going　to　wait　for
you　there　with　the　biggest　stick　that　he　could　find。　Why　I　haven't
thought　of　him　for　years；　but　then　I　have　had　three　other　husbands
since　his　time；　bad　enough；　but　better　than　he　was；　so　who　would？　And
now　Bonsa　has　got　the　lot；　and　I　have　no　children　alive；　and　they　say
I　am　to　be　driven　out　of　the　prison　to　starve　next　week　as　they　won't
feed　me　any　longer；　I　who　can　still　work　against　any　one　of　them；　and
you've　got　my　blanket；　you　ugly　old　rascal；〃　and　collapsing　beneath
the　weight　of　her　recited　woes；　the　hag　burst　into　a　melancholy　howl。

〃Peace；　my　mother；〃　said　Jeekie；　patting　her　on　the　head。　〃Do　what　I
tell　you　and　you　shall　have　more　blankets　than　you　can　wear　and；　as
you　are　still　so　handsome；　another　husband　too　if　you　like；　and　a
garden　and　slaves　to　work　for　you　and　plenty　to　eat。〃

〃How　shall　I　get　all　these　things；　my　son？〃　asked　the　old　woman；
looking　up。　〃Will　you　take　me　to　your　home　and　support　me；　or　will
that　white　lord　marry　me？　They　told　me　that　the　Asika　had　named　him　as
the　Mungana；　and　she　is　very　jealous；　the　most　jealous　Asika　that　I
have　ever　known。〃

〃No；　mother；　he　would　like　to；　but　he　dare　not；　and　I　cannot　support
you　as　I　should　wish；　as　here　I　have　no　house　or　property。　You　will
get　all　this　by　taking　a　walk　and　holding　your　tongue。　You　see　this
man　here；　he　is　Fahni；　king　of　a　great　tribe；　the　Ogula。　He　wants　you
to　carry　a　message　for　him；　and　by　and　by　he　will　marry　you；　won't
you；　Fahni？〃

〃Oh！　yes；　yes；〃　said　Fahni；　〃I　will　do　anything　she　likes。　No　one
shall　be　so　rich　and　honoured　in　my　country；　and　for　her　sake　we　will
never　eat　another　old　woman；　whereas　if　she　stays　here　she　will　be
driven　to　the　mountains　to　starve　in　a　week。〃

〃Set　out　the　matter；〃　said　the　mother　of　Jeekie；　who　was　by　no　means
so　foolish　as　she　seemed。

So　they　told　her　what　she　must　do；　namely；　travel　down　to　the　Ogula
and　tell　them　of　the　plight　of　their　chief；　bidding　them　muster　all
their　fighting　men　and　when　the　swamps　were　dry　enough；　advance　as
near　as　they　dared　to　the　Asiki　country　and；　if　they　could　not　attack
it；　wait　till　they　had　further　news。

The　end　of　it　was　that　the　mother　of　Jeekie；　who　knew　her　case　to　be
desperate　at　home；　where　she　was　in　no　good　repute；　promised　to
attempt　the　journey　in　consideration　of　advantages　to　be　received。
Since　she　was　to　be　turned　adrift　to　meet　her　fate　with　as　much　food
as　she　could　carry；　this　she　could　do　without　exciting　any　suspicion；
for　who　would　trouble　about　the　movements　of　a　useless　old　thief？
Meanwhile　Jeekie　gave　her　one　of　the　robes　which　the　Asika　had
provided　for　Alan；　also　various　articles　which　she　desired　and；　having
learned　Fahni's　message　by　heart　and　announced　that　she　considered
herself　his　affianced　bride；　the　gaunt　old　creature　departed　happy
enough　after　exchanging　embraces　with　her　long　lost　son。

〃She　will　tell　somebody　all　about　it　and　we　shall　only　get　our　throats
cut；〃　said　Alan　wearily；　for　the　whole　thing　seemed　to　him　a　foolish
farce。

〃No；　no；　Major。　I　make　her　swear　not　split　on　ghosts　of　all　her
husbands　and　by　Big　Bonsa　hisself。　She　sit　tight　as　wax；　because　she
think　they　haunt　her　if　she　don't　and　I　too　by　and　by　when　I　dead。
P'raps　she　get　to　Ogula　country　and　p'raps　not。　If　she　don't；　can't
help　it　and　no　harm　done。　Break　my　heart；　but　only　one　old　woman　less。
Anyhow　she　hold　tongue；　that　main　point；　and　I　really　very　glad　find
my　ma；　who　never　hoped　to　see　again。　Heaven　very　kind　to　Jeekie；　give
him　back　to　family　bosom；〃　he　added；　unctuously。

That　day　there　were　no　excitements；　and　to　Alan's　intense　relief　he
saw　nothing　of　the　Asika。　After　its　orgy　of　witchcraft　and　bloodshed
on　the　previous　night；　weariness　and　silence　seemed　to　have　fallen
upon　the　town。　At　any　rate　no　sound　came　from　it　that　could　be　heard
above　the　low；　constant　thunder　of　the　great　waterfall　rushing　down
its　precipice；　and　in　the　cedar…shadowed　garden　where　Alan　walked　till
he　was　weary；　attended　by　Jeekie　and　the　Ogula　savages；　not　a　soul　was
to　be　seen。

On　the　following　morning；　when　he　was　sitting　moodily　in　his　room；　two
priests　came　to　conduct　him　to　the　Asika。　Having　no　choice；　followed
by　Jeekie；　he　accompanied　them　to　her　house；　masked　as　usual；　for
without　this　hateful　disguise　he　was　not　allowed　to　stir。　He　found　her
lying　upon　a　pile　of　cushions　in　a　small　room　that　he　had　never　seen
before；　which　was　better　lighted　than　most　in　that　melancholy　abode；
and　seemed　to　serve　as　her　private　chamber。　In　front　of　her　lay　the
skin　of　the　lion　that　he　had　sent　as　a　present；　and　about　her　throat
hung　a　necklace　made　of　its　claws；　heavily　set　in　gold；　with　w