she-第14节

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beside　me。

〃What　on　earth　is　up？〃　said　Leo；　rubbing　his　eyes。

〃Oh；　Lord！　sir；　here's　a　rum　go；〃　ejaculated　Job；　and　
just　at　that　moment　a　disturbance　ensued；　and　Mahomed　
came　tumbling　between　us；　followed　by　a　shadowy　form　
with　an　up…lifted　spear。

〃Allah！　Allah！〃　howled　Mahomed；　feeling　that　he　had　
little　to　hope　from　man；　〃protect　me！　protect　me！〃

〃Father；　it　is　a　black　one；〃　said　a　voice。　〃What　said　
'She…who…must…be…obeyed'　about　the　black　one？〃

〃She　said　naught；　but　slay　him　not。　Come　hither；　my　
son。〃

The　man　advanced；　and　the　tail；　shadowy　form　bent　
forward　and　whispered　something。

〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　the　other；　and　chuckled　in　a　rather　
blood…curdling　tone。

〃Are　the　three　white　men　there？〃　asked　the　form。

〃Yes；　they　are　there。〃

〃Then　bring　up　that　which　is　made　ready　for　them；　and　
let　the　men　take　all　that　can　be　brought　from　the　
thing　which　floats。〃

Hardly　had　he　spoken　when　men　came　running　up；　
carrying　on　their　shoulders　neither　more　nor　less　than　
palanquinsfour　bearers　and　two　spare　men　to　a　
palanquinand　in　these　it　was　promptly　indicated　we　
were　expected　to　stow　ourselves。

〃Well！〃　said　Leo；　〃it　is　a　blessing　to　find　anybody　to　
carry　us　after　having　to　carry　ourselves　so　long。〃'

Leo　always　takes　a　cheerful　view　of　things。

There　being　no　help　for　it；　after　seeing　the　others　
into　theirs　I　tumbled　into　my　own　litter；　and　very　
comfortable　I　found　it。　It　appeared　to　be　manufactured　
of　cloth　woven　from　grass　fibre；　which　stretched　and　
yielded　to　every　motion　after　the　body；　and；　being　
bound　top　and　bottom　to　the　bearing　pole；　gave　a　
grateful　support　to　the　head　and　neck。

Scarcely　had　I　settled　myself　when；　accompanying　their　
steps　with　a　monotonous　song；　the　bearers　started　at　a　
swinging　trot。　For　half　an　hour　or　so　I　lay　still；　
reflecting　on　the　very　remarkable　experiences　that　we　
were　going　through；　and　wondering　if　any　of　my　
eminently　respectable　fossil　friends　down　at　Cambridge　
would　believe　me　if　I　were　to　be　miraculously　set　at　
the　familiar　dinner…table　for　the　purpose　of　relating　
them。　I　don't　want　to　convey　any　disrespectful　notion　
or　slight　when　I　call　those　good　and　learned　men　
fossils；　but　my　experience　is　that　people　are　apt　to　
fossilize　even　at　a　university　if　they　follow　the　same　
paths　too　persistently。　I　was　getting　fossilized　
myself；　but　of　late　my　stock　of　ideas　has　been　very　
much　enlarged。　Well；　I　lay　and　reflected；　and　wondered　
what　on　earth　would　be　the　end　of　it　all；　till　at　last　
l　ceased　to　wonder；　and　went　to　sleep。

I　suppose　I　must　have　slept　for　seven　or　eight　hours；　
getting　the　first　real　rest　that　I　had　had　since　the　
night　before　the　loss　of　the　dhow；　for　when　I　woke　the　
sun　was　high　in　the　heavens。　We　were　still　journeying　
on　at　a　pace　of　about　four　miles　an　hour。　Peeping　out　
through　the　mistlike　curtains　of　the　litter；　which　
were　ingeniously　fixed　to　the　bearing　pole；　I　
perceived　to　my　infinite　relief　that　we　had　passed　out　
of　the　region　of　eternal　swamp；　and　were　now　
travelling　over　swelling　grassy　plains　towards　a　cup…
shaped　hill。　Whether　or　not　it　was　the　same　hill　that　
we　had　seen　from　the　canal　I　do　not　know；　and　have　
never　since　been　able　to　discover；　for；　as　we　
afterwards　found　out；　these　people　will　give　little　
information　upon　such　points。　Next　I　glanced　at　the　
men　who　were　bearing　me。　They　were　of　a　magnificent　
build；　few　of　them　being　under　six　feet　in　height；　and　
yellowish　in　color。　Generally　their　appearance　had　a　
good　deal　in　common　with　that　of　the　East　African　
Somali；　only　their　hair　was　not　frizzed　up；　and　hung　
in　thick　black　locks　upon　their　shoulders。　Their　
features　were　aquiline；　and　in　many　cases　exceedingly　
handsome；　the　teeth　being　especially　regular　and　
beautiful。　But　notwithstanding　their　beauty；　it　struck　
me　that；　on　the　whole；　I　had　never　seen　a　more　evil　
looking　set　of　faces。　There　was　an　aspect　of　cold　and　
sullen　cruelty　stamped　upon　them　that　revolted　me；　and　
which　in　some　cases　was　almost　uncanny　in　its　
intensity。

Another　thing　which　struck　me　about　them　was　that　they　
never　seemed　to　smile。　Sometimes　they　sang　the　
monotonous　song　of　which　I　have　spoken；　but　when　they　
were　not　singing　they　remained　almost　perfectly　
silent；　and　the　light　of　a　laugh　never　came　to　
brighten　their　sombre　and　evil　countenances。　Of　what　
race　could　these　people　be？　Their　language　was　a　
bastard　Arabic；　and　yet　they　were　not　Arabs；　I　was　
quite　sure　of　that。　For　one　thing　they　were　too　dark；　
or；　rather；　yellow。　I　could　not　say　why；　but　I　know　
that　their　appearance　filled　me　with　a　sick　fear　of　
which　I　felt　ashamed。　While　I　was　still　wondering　
another　litter　came　up　alongside　of　mine。　In　itfor　
the　curtains　were　drawnsat　an　old　man；　clothed　in　a　
whitish　robe；　made　apparently　from　coarse　linen；　that　
hung　loosely　about　him；　who；　I　at　once　jumped　to　the　
conclusion；　was　the　shadowy　figure　who　had　stood　on　
the　bank　and　been　addressed　as　〃Father。〃

He　was　a　wonderful…looking　old　man；　with　a　snowy　
beard；　so　long　that　the　ends　of　it　hung　over　the　sides　
of　the　litter；　and　he　had　a　hooked　nose；　above　which　
flashed　out　a　pair　of　eyes　as　keen　as　a　snake's；　while　
his　whole　countenance　was　instinct　with　a　look　of　wise　
and　sardonic　humor　impossible　to　describe　on　paper。

〃Art　thou　awake；　stranger？〃　he　said；　in　a　deep　and　low　
voice。

〃Surely；　my　father；〃　I　answered；　courteously；　feeling　
certain　that　I　should　do　well　to　conciliate　this　
ancient　Mammon　of　Unrighteousness。

He　stroked　his　beautiful　white　beard；　and　smiled　
faintly。

〃From　whatever　country　thou　camest；〃　he　said；　〃and；　by　
the　way；　it　must　be　from　one　where　somewhat　of　our　
language　is　known；　they　teach　their　children　courtesy　
there；　my　stranger　son。　And　now；　wherefore　comest　thou　
unto　this　land；　which　scarce　an　alien　foot　has　pressed　
from　the　time　that　man　knoweth？　Art　thou　and　those　
with　thee　weary　of　life？〃

〃'We　came　to　find　new　things；〃　I　answered　boldly。　〃We　
are　tired　of　the　old　things；　we　have　come　up　out　of　
the　sea　to　know　that　which　is　unknown。　We　are　of　a　
brave　race　who　fear　not　death；　my　very　much　respected　
fatherthat　is；　if　we　can　get　a　little　fresh　
information　before　we　die。〃

〃Humph！〃　said　the　old　gentleman；　〃that　may　be　true；　it　
is　rash　to　contradict；　otherwise　I　should　say　that　
thou　wast　lying；　my　son。　However；　I　dare　say　that　_i_　
She…who…must…be…obeyed　_i_　will　meet　thy　wishes　in　the　
matter。〃

〃Who　is　'　_i_　She…who…must…be…obeyed　_i_　'？〃　I　asked；　
curiously。　

The　old　man　glanced　at　the　bearers；　and　then　answered；　
with　a　little　smile　that　somehow　sent　my　blood　to　my　
heart

〃Surely；　my　stranger　son；　thou　wilt　learn　soon　enough；　
if　it　be　her　pleasure　to　see　thee　at　all　in　the　
flesh。〃

〃In　the　flesh？〃　I　answered。　〃What　may　my　father　wish　
to　convey？〃

But　the　old　man　only　laughed　a　dreadful　laugh；　and　
made　no　reply。

〃What　is　the　name　of　my　father's　people？〃　I　asked。

〃The　name　of　my　people　is　Amahagger〃　（the　People　of　
the　Rocks）。

〃And；　if。　a　son　might　ask；　what　is　the　name　of　my　
father？〃

〃My　name　is　Billali。〃

〃And　whither　go　we；　my　father？〃　

〃That　shalt　thou　see；〃　and　at　a　sign　from　him　his　
bearers　stared　forward　at　a　run　till　they　reached　the　
litter　in　which　Job　was　reposing　（with　one　leg　hanging　
over　the　side）。　Apparently；　however；　he　could　not　make　
much　out　of　Job；　for　presently　I　saw　his　bearers　trot　
forward　to　Leo's　litter。

And　after　that；　as　nothing　fresh　occurred；　I　yielded　
to　the　pleasant　swaying　motion　of　the　litter；　and　went　
to　sleep　again。　I　was　dreadfully　tired。　When　I　woke　I　
found　that　we　were　passing　through　a　rocky　defile　of　a　
lava　formation　with　precipitous　sides；　in　which　grew　
many　beautiful　trees　and　flowering　shrubs。

Presently　this　defile　took　a　turn；　and　a　lovely　sight　
unfolded　itself　to　my　eyes。　Before　us　was　a　vast　cup　
of　green　from　four　to　six　miles　in　extent；　of　the　
shape　of　a　Roman　amphitheatre。　The　sides　of　this　great　
cup　were　rocky；　and　clothed　with　bush；　but　the　centre　
was　of　the　richest　meadow　land；　studded　with　single　
trees　of　magnificent　growth；　and　watered　by　meandering　
brooks。　On　this　rich　plain　grazed　herds　of　goats　and　
cattle；　but　I　saw　no　sheep。　At　first　I　could　not　
imagine　what　this　strange　spot　could　be；　but　presently　
it　flashed　upon　me　that　it　must　represent　the　crater　
of　some　long…extinct　volcano；　which　had　afterwards　
been　a　lake；　and　was　ultimately　drained　in　some　
unexplained　way。　And　here　I　may　state　that　from　my　
subsequent　experience　of　this　and　a　much　larger；　but　
otherwise　similar　spot；　which　I　shall　have　occasion　to　
describe　by　and　by；　I　have　every　reason　to　believe　
that　this　conclusion　was　correct。　What　puzzled　me；　
however；　was　that；　although　there　were　people　moving　
about　herding　the　goats　and　cattle；　I　saw　no　signs　of　
any　human　habitation。　Where　did　they　all　live？　I　
wondered。　My　curiosity　was　soon　destined　to　be　
gratified。　Turning　to　the　left；　the　string　of　litters　
followed　the　cliffy　sides　of　the　crater　for　a　distance　
of　about　half　a　mile；　or　perhaps　a　little　less；　and　
then　halted。　Seeing　the　old　gentleman；　my　adopted