she-第16节

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answer　he　should　bring　from　_i_　She　_i_　would　be　one　
favorable　to　the　continuation　of　our　existence；　but　at　
the　same　time　he　did　not　wish　to　conceal　from　us　that　
he　thought　this　doubtful；　as　every　stranger　who　had　
ever　come　into　the　country　during　his　grandmother's　
life；　his　mother's　life；　and　his　own　life；　had　been　
put　to　death　without　mercy；　and　in　a　way　that　he　would　
not　harrow　our　feelings　by　describing；　and　this　had　
been　done　by　the　order　of　_i_　She　_i_　herself；　at　
least　he　supposed　it　was　by　her　order。　At　any　rate；　
she　never　interfered　to　save　them。

〃Why；〃　I　said；　〃but　how　can　that　be？　You　are　an　old　
man；　and　the　time　you　talk　of　must　reach　back　three　
men's　lives。　How；　therefore；　could　_i_　She　_i_　have　
ordered　the　death　of　anybody　at　the　beginning　of　the　
life　of　your　grandmother；　seeing　that　she　herself　
would　not　have　been　born？〃

Again　he　smiledthat　same　faint；　peculiar　smile；　and　
with　a　deep　bow　departed；　without　making　any　answer；　
nor　did　we　see　him　again　for　five　days。

When　he　had　gone　we　discussed　the　situation；　which　
filled　me　with　alarm。　I　did　not　at　all　like　the　
accounts　of　this　mysterious　queen；　〃　_i_　She…who…must…
be…obeyed　_i_　；〃　or　more　shortly　_i_　She　_i_　；　who　
apparently　ordered　the　execution　of　any　unfortunate　
stranger　in　a　fashion　so　unmerciful。　Leo；　too；　was　
depressed　about　it；　but　proceeded　to　console　himself　
by　triumphantly　pointing　out　that　this　_i_　She　_i_　was　
undoubtedly　the　person　referred　to　in　the　writing　on　
the　potsherd　and　in　his　father's　letter；　in　proof　of　
which　he　advanced　Billali's　allusions　to　her　age　and　
power。　I　was　by　this　time　so　overwhelmed　with　the　
whole　course　of　events　that　I　had　not　even　got　the　
heart　left　to　dispute　a　proposition　so　absurd；　so　I　
suggested　that　we　should　try　and　go　out　and　get　a　
bath；　of　which　we　all　stood　sadly　in　need。

Accordingly；　having　indicated　our　wish　to　a　middle…
aged　individual　of　an　unusually　saturnine　cast　of　
countenance；　even　among　this　saturnine　people；　who　
appeared　to　be　deputed　to　look　after　us　now　that　the　
Father　of　the　hamlet　had　departed；　we　started　in　a　
bodyhaving　first　lit　our　pipes。　Outside　the　cave　we　
found　quite　a　crowd　of　people　evidently　watching　for　
our　appearance；　but　when　they　saw　us　come　out　smoking　
they　vanished　this　way　and　that；　calling　out　that　we　
were　great　magicians。　Indeed；　nothing　about　us　created　
so　great　a　sensation　as　our　tobacco　smokenot　even　
our　firearms。　After　this　we　succeeded　in　reaching　a　
stream　that　had　its　source　in　a　strong　ground　spring；　
and　taking　our　bath　in　peace；　though　some　of　the　
women；　not　excepting　Ustane；　showed　a　decided　
inclination　to　follow　us　even　there。

By　the　time　that　we　had　finished　this　most　refreshing　
bath　the　sun　was　setting；　indeed；　when　we　got　back　to　
the　big　cave　it　had　already　set。　The　cave　itself　was　
full　of　people　gathered　round　firesfor　several　more　
had　now　been　lightedand　eating　their　evening　meal　by　
their　lurid　light；　and　by　that　of　various　lamps　which　
were　set　about　or　hung　upon　the　walls。　These　lamps　
were　of　a　rude　manufacture　of　baked　earthenware；　and　
of　all　shapes；　some　of　them　graceful　enough。　The　
larger　ones　were　formed　of　big　red　earthenware　pots；　
filled　with　clarified　melted　fat；　and　having　a　reed　
wick　stuck　through　a　wooden　disk　which　filled　the　top　
of　the　pot；　and　this　sort　of　lamp　required　the　most　
constant　attention　to　prevent　its　going　out　whenever　
the　wick　burned　down；　as　there　were　no　means　of　
turning　it　up。　The　smaller　hand…lamps；　however；　which　
were　also　made　of　baked　clay；　were　fitted　with　wicks　
manufactured　from　the　pith　of　a　palm…tree；　or　
sometimes　from　the　stem　of　a　very　handsome　variety　of　
fern。　This　kind　of　wick　was　passed　through　a　round　
hole　at　the　end　of　the　lamp；　to　which　a　sharp　piece　of　
hard　wood　was　attached　wherewith　to　pierce　and　draw　it　
up　whenever　it　showed　signs　of　burning　low。

For　a　while　we　sat　down　and　watched　this　grim　people　
eating　their　evening　meal　in　silence　as　grim　as　
themselves；　till　at　length；　getting　tired　of　
contemplating　them　and　the　huge　moving　shadows　on　the　
rocky　walls；　I　suggested　to　our　new　keeper　that　we　
should　like　to　go　to　bed。

Without　a　word；　he　rose；　and；　taking　me　politely　by　
the　hand；　advanced　with　a　lamp　to　one　of　the　small　
passages　that　I　had　noticed　opening　out　of　the　central　
cave。　This　we　followed　for　about　five　paces；　when　it　
suddenly　widened　out　into　a　small　chamber；　about　eight　
feet　square；　and　hewn　out　of　the　living　rock。　On　one　
side　of　this　chamber　was　a　stone　slab；　about　three　
feet　from　the　ground；　and　running　its　entire　length　
like　a　bunk　in　a　cabin；　and　on　this　slab　he　intimated　
that　I　was　to　sleep。　There　was　no　window　or　air…hole　
to　the　chamber；　and　no　furniture；　and；　on　looking　at　
it　more　closely；　I　came　to　the　disturbing　conclusion　
（in　which；　as　I　afterwards　discovered；　I　was　quite　
right）　that　it　had　originally　served　for　a　sepulchre　
for　the　dead　rather　than　a　sleeping…place　for　the　
living；　the　slab　being　designed　to　receive　the　corpse　
of　the　departed。　The　thought　made　me　shudder　in　spite　
of　myself；　but；　seeing　that　I　must　sleep　somewhere；　I　
got　over　the　feeling　as　best　I　might；　and　returned　to　
the　cavern　to　get　my　blanket；　which　had　been　brought　
up　from　the　boat　with　the　other　things。　There　I　met　
Job；　who；　having　been　inducted　to　a　similar　apartment；　
had　flatly　declined　to　stop　in　it；　saying　that　the　
look　of　the　place　gave　him　the　horrors；　and　that　he　
might　as　well　be　dead　and　buried　in　his　grandfather's　
brick　grave　at　once；　and　expressed　his　determination　
of　sleeping　with　me　if　I　would　allow　him。　This；　of　
course；　I　was　only　too　glad　to　do。

The　night　passed　very　comfortably　on　the　whole。　I　say　
on　the　whole；　for　personally　I　went　through　a　most　
horrible　nightmare　of　being　buried　alive；　induced；　no　
doubt；　by　the　sepulchral　nature　of　my　surroundings。　At　
dawn　we　were　aroused　by　a　loud　trumpeting　sound；　
produced；　as　we　afterwards　discovered；　by　a　young　
Amahagger　blowing；　through　a　hole　bored　in　its　side；　
into　a　hollowed　elephant　tusk；　which　was　kept　for　the　
purpose。

Taking　the　hint；　we　got　up　and　went　down　to　the　stream　
to　wash；　after　which　the　morning　meal　was　served。　At　
breakfast　one　of　the　women；　no　longer　quite　young；　
advanced；　and　publicly　kissed　Job。　I　think　it　was　in　
its　way　the　most　delightful　thing　（putting　its　
impropriety　aside　for　a　moment）　that　I　ever　saw。　Never　
shall　I　forget　the　respectable　Job's　abject　terror　and　
disgust。　Job；　like　myself；　is　a　bit　of　a　misogynistI　
fancy　chiefly　owing　to　the　fact　of　his　having　been　one　
of　a　family　of　seventeenand　the　feelings　expressed　
upon　his　countenance　when　he　realized　that　he　was　not　
only　being　embraced　publicly；　and　without　
authorization　on　his　own　part；　but　also　in　the　
presence　of　his　masters；　were　too　mixed　and　painful　to　
admit　of　accurate　description。　He　sprang　to　his　feet；　
and　pushed　the　woman；　a　buxom　person　of　about　thirty；　
from　him。

〃Well；　I　never！〃　he　gasped；　whereupon；　probably　
thinking　that　he　was　only　coy；　she　embraced　him　again。

〃Be　off　with　you！　Get　away；　you　minx！〃　he　shouted；　
waving　the　wooden　spoon；　with　which　he　was　eating　his　
breakfast；　up　and　down　before　the　lady's　face。　〃Beg　
your　pardon；　gentlemen；　I　am　sure　I。　haven't　
encouraged　her。　Oh；　Lord！　she's　coming　for　me　again。　
Hold　her；　Mr。　Holly！　please　hold　her！　I　can't　stand　
it；　I　can't；　indeed。　This　has　never　happened　to　me　
before；　gentlemen；　never。　There's　nothing　against　my　
character；〃　and　here　he　broke　off；　and　ran　as　hard　as　
he　could　go　down　the　cave；　and　for　once　I　saw　the　
Amahagger　laugh。　As　for　the　woman；　however；　she　did　
not　laugh。　On　the　contrary；　she　seemed　to　bristle　with　
fury；　which　the　mockery　of　the　other　women　about　only　
served　to　intensify。　She　stood　there　literally　
snarling　and　shaking　with　indignation；　and；　seeing　
her；　I　wished　Job's　scruples　had　been　at　Jericho；　
forming　a　shrewd　guess　that　his　admirable　behavior　had　
endangered　our　throats。　Nor；　as　the　sequel　shows；　was　
I　wrong。

The　lady　having　retreated；　Job　returned　in　a　great　
state　of　nervousness；　and　keeping　his　weather　eye　
fixed　upon　every　woman　who　came　near　him。　I　took　an　
opportunity　to　explain　to　our　hosts　that　Job　was　a　
married　man；　and　had　had　very　unhappy　experiences　in　
his　domestic　relations；　which　accounted　for　his　
presence　here　and　his　terror　at　the　sight　of　women；　
but　my　remarks　were　received　in　grim　silence；　it　being　
evident　that　our　retainer's　behavior　was　considered　as　
a　slight　to　the　〃household〃　at　large；　although　the　
women；　after　the　manner　of　some　of　their　more　
civilized　sisters；　made　merry　at　the　rebuff　of　their　
companion。

After　breakfast　we　took　a　walk　and　inspected　the　
Amahagger　herds；　and　also　their　cultivated　lands。　They　
have　two　breeds　of　cattle；　one　large　and　angular；　with　
no　horns；　but　yielding　beautiful　milk；　and　the　other；　
a　red　breed；　very　small　and　fat；　excellent　for　meat；　
but　of　no　value　for　milking　purposes。　This　last　breed　
closely　resembles　the　Norfolk　red…pole　strain；　only　it　
has　horns　which　generally　curve　forward　over　the　head；　
sometimes　to　s