she-第45节

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it　hath　its　lesson。　Trust　not　to　the　future；　for　who　
knows　what　the　future　may　bring！　Therefore；　live　for　
the　day；　and　endeavor　not　to　escape　the　dust　which　
seems　to　be　man's　end。　What　thinkest　thou　those　long…
forgotten　nobles　and　ladies　would　have　felt　had　they　
known　that　they　should　one　day　flare　to　light　the　
dance　or　boil　the　pot　of　savages？　But　see；　here　come　
the　dancers；　a　merry　creware　they　not？　The　stage　is　
litnow　for　the　play。〃

As　she　spoke；　we　perceived　two　lines　of　figures；　one　
male　and　the　other　female；　to　the　number　of　about　a　
hundred；　each　advancing　round　the　human　bonfire；　
arrayed　only　in　the　usual　leopard　and　buck　skins。　They　
formed　up；　in　perfect　silence；　in　two　lines；　facing　
each　other；　between　us　and　the　fire；　and　then　the　
dancea　sort　of　infernal　and　fiendish　cancanbegan。　
To　describe　it　is　quite　impossible；　but；　though　there　
was　a　good　deal　of　tossing　of　legs　and　double…
shuffling；　it　seemed　to　our　untutored　minds　to　be　more　
of　a　play　than　a　dance；　and；　as　usual　with　this　
dreadful　people；　whose　minds　seem　to　have　taken　their　
color　from　the　caves　in　which　they　live；　and　whose　
jokes　and　amusements　are　drawn　from　the　inexhaustible　
stores　of　preserved　mortality　with　which　they　share　
their　homes；　the　subject　appeared　to　be　a　most　ghastly　
one。　I　know　that　it　represented　an　attempted　murder　
first　of　all；　and　then　the　burial　alive　of　the　victim　
and　his　struggling　from　the　grave；　each　act　of　the　
abominable　drama；　which　was　carried　on　in　perfect　
silence；　being　rounded　off　and　finished　with　a　furious　
and　most　revolting　dance　round　the　supposed　victim；　
who　writhed　upon　the　ground　in　the　red　light　of　the　
bonfire。

Presently；　however；　this　pleasing　piece　was　
interrupted。　Suddenly　there　was　a　slight　commotion；　
and　a　large；　powerful　woman；　whom　I　had　noticed　as　one　
of　the　most　vigorous　of　the　dancers；　came；　made　mad　
and　drunken　with　unholy　excitement；　bounding　and　
staggering　towards　us；　shrieking　out　as　she　came：

〃I　want　a　black　goat；　I　must　have　a　black　goat；　bring　
me　a　black　goat！〃　and　down　she　fell　upon　the　rocky　
floor　foaming　and　writhing　and　shrieking　for　a　black　
goat；　about　as　hideous　a　spectacle　as　can　well　be　
conceived。

Instantly　most　of　the　dancers　came　up　and　got　round　
her；　though　some　still　continued　their　capers　in　the　
background。

〃She　has　got　a　Devil；〃　called　out　one　of　them。　〃Run　
and　get　a　black　goat。　There；　Devil；　keep　quiet！　keep　
quiet！　You　shall　have　the　goat　presently。　They　have　
gone　to　fetch　it；　Devil。〃

〃I　want　a　black　goat；　I　must　have　a　black　goat！〃　
shrieked　the　foaming；　rolling　creature　again。

〃All　right；　Devil；　the　goat　will　be　here　presently；　
keep　quiet；　there's　a　good　Devil！〃

And　so　on　till　the　goat；　taken　from　a　neighboring　
kraal；　did　at　last　arrive；　being　dragged　bleating　on　
to　the　scene　by　its　horns。

〃Is　it　a　black　one；　is　it　a　black　one？〃　shrieked　the　
possessed。

〃Yes；　yes；　Devil；　as　black　as　night；〃　then　aside；　
〃keep　it　behind　thee；　don't　let　the　Devil　see　that　it　
has　got　a　white　spot　on　its　rump　and　another　on　its　
belly。　In　one　minute；　Devil。　There；　cut　his　throat　
quick。　Where　is　the　saucer？〃

〃The　goat！　the　goat！　the　goat！　Give　me　the　blood　of　my　
black　goat！　I　must　have　it；　don't　you　see　I　must　have　
it？　Oh！　oh！　oh！　give　me　the　blood　of　the　goat。〃

At　this　moment　a　terrified　_i_　bah！　_i_　announced　that　
the　poor　goat　had　been　sacrificed；　and　the　next　minute　
a　woman　ran　up　with　a　saucer　full　of　the　blood。　This　
the　possessed　creature；　who　was　then　raving　and　
foaming　her　wildest；　seized　and　drank；　and　was　
instantly　recovered；　and　without　a　trace　of　hysteria；　
or　fits；　or　being　possessed；　or　whatever　dreadful　
thing　it　was　she　was　suffering　from。　She　stretched　her　
arms；　smiled　faintly；　and　walked　quietly　back　to　the　
dancers；　who　presently　withdrew　in　a　double　line　as　
they　had　come；　leaving　the　space　between　us　and　the　
bonfire　deserted。

I　thought　that　the　entertainment　was　now　over；　and；　
feeling　rather　queer；　was　about　to　ask　_i_　She　_i_　if　
we　could　rise；　when　suddenly　what　at　first　I　took　to　
be　a　baboon　came　hopping　round　the　fire；　and　was　
instantly　met　upon　the　other　side　by　a　lion；　or　rather　
a　human　being　dressed　in　a　lion's　skin。　Then　came　a　
goat；　then　a　man　wrapped　in　an　ox's　hide；　with　the　
horns　wobbling　about　in　a　ludicrous　way。　After　him　
followed　a　blesbok；　then　an　impala；　then　a　koodoo；　
then　more　goats；　and　many　other　animals；　including　a　
girl　sewn　up　in　the　shining　scaly　hide　of　a　boa　
constrictor；　several　yards　of　which　trailed　along　the　
ground　behind　her。　When　all　the　beasts　had　collected　
they　began　to　dance　about　in　a　lumbering；　unnatural　
fashion；　and　to　imitate　the　sounds　produced　by　the　
respective　animals　they　represented；　till　the　whole　
air　was　alive　with　roars　and　bleating　and　the　hissing　
of　snakes。　This　went　on　for　a　long　time；　till；　getting　
tired　of　the　pantomime；　I　asked　Ayesha　if　there　would　
be　any　objection　to　Leo　and　myself　walking　round　to　
inspect　the　human　torches；　and　as　she　had　nothing　to　
say　against　it；　we　started；　striking　round　to　the　
left。　After　looking　at　one　or　two　of　the　flaming　
bodies；　we　were　about　to　return；　thoroughly　disgusted　
with　the　grotesque　weirdness　of　the　spectacle；　when　
our　attention　was　attracted　by　one　of　the　dancers；　a　
particularly　active　leopard；　that　had　separated　itself　
from　its　fellow…beasts；　and　was　whisking　about　in　our　
immediate　neighborhood；　but　gradually　drawing　into　a　
spot　where　the　shadow　was　darkest；　equidistant　between　
two　of　the　flaming　mummies。　Drawn　by　curiosity；　we　
followed　it；　when　suddenly　it　darted　past　us　into　the　
shadows　beyond；　and　as　it　did　so　erected　itself　and　
whispered；　〃Come；〃　in　a　voice　that　we　both　recognized　
as　that　of　Ustane。　Without　waiting　to　consult　me　Leo　
turned　and　followed　her　into　the　outer　darkness；　and　
I；　feeling　sick　enough　at　heart；　went　after　them。　The　
leopard　crawled　on　for　about　fifty　pacesa　sufficient　
distance　to　be　quite　beyond　the　light　of　the　fire　and　
torchesand　then　Leo　came　up　with　it；　or；　rather；　
with　Ustane。

〃O　my　lord；〃　I　heard　her　whisper；　〃so　I　have　found　
thee！　Listen；　I　am　in　peril　of　my　life　from　_i_　She　
_i_　…who…must…be…obeyed。'　Surely　the　Baboon　has　told　
thee　how　she　drove　me　from　thee？　I　love　thee；　my　lord；　
and　thou　art　mine　according　to　the　custom　of　the　
country。　I　saved　thy　life！　My　Lion；　wilt　thou　cast　me　
off　now？〃

〃Of　course　not；〃　ejaculated　Leo；　〃I　have　been　
wondering　whither　thou　hadst　gone。　Let　us　go　and　
explain　matters　to　the　queen。〃

〃Nay；　nay；　she　would　slay　us。　Thou　knowest　not　her　
powerthe　Baboon　there；　he　knoweth；　for　he　saw。　Nay；　
there　is　but　one　way：　if　thou　wilt　cleave　to　me；　thou　
must　flee　with　me　across　the　marshes　even　now；　and　
then　perchance　we　may　escape。〃

〃For　Heaven's　sake；　Leo；〃　I　began；　but　she　broke　in

〃Nay；　listen　not　to　him。　Swiftbe　swiftdeath　is　in　
the　air　we　breathe。　Even　now；　mayhap；　_i_　She　_i_　
heareth　us；〃　and　without　more　ado　she　proceeded　to　
back　her　arguments　by　throwing　herself　into　his　arms。　
As　she　did　so　the　leopard's　head　slipped　from　her　
hair；　and　I　saw　the　three　white　finger…marks　upon　it　
gleaming　faintly　in　the　starlight。　Once　more　realizing　
the　desperate　nature　of　the　position；　I　was　about　to　
interpose；　for　I　knew　that　Leo　was　not　too　strong…
minded　where　women　were　concerned；　whenoh！　horror！
I　heard　a　little　silvery　laugh　behind　me。　I　turned　
round；　and　there　was　_i_　She　_i_　herself；　and　with　her　
Billali　and　two　male　mutes。　I　gasped　and　nearly　sank　
to　the　ground；　for　I　knew　that　such　a　situation　must　
result　in　some　dreadful　tragedy；　of　which　it　seemed　
exceedingly　probable　to　me　that　I　should　be　the　first　
victim。

As　for　Ustane；　she　untwined　her　arms　and　covered　her　
eyes　with　her　hands；　while　Leo；　not　knowing　the　full　
terror　of　the　position；　merely　colored　up；　and　looked　
as　foolish　as　a　man　caught　in　such　a　trap　would　
naturally　do。

CHAPTER　XX

TRIUMPH

THEN　followed　a　moment　of　the　most　painful　silence　
that　I　ever　endured。　It　was　broken　by　Ayesha；　who　
addressed　herself　to　Leo。

〃Nay；　now　my　lord　and　guest；〃　she　said；　in　her　softest　
tones；　which　yet　had　the　ring　of　steel　about　them；　
〃look　not　so　bashful。　Surely　the　sight　was　a　pretty　
onethe　leopard　and　the　lion！〃

〃Oh；　hang　it　all！〃　said　Leo；　in　English。

〃And　thou；　Ustane；〃　she　went　on；　〃surely　I　should　have　
passed　thee　by　had　not　the　light　fallen　on　the　white　
across　thy　hair；〃　and　she　pointed　to　the　bright　edge　
of　the　rising　moon　which　was　now　appearing　above　the　
horizon。　〃Well！　well！　the　dance　is　donesee；　the　
tapers　have　burned　down；　and　all　things　end　in　silence　
and　in　ashes。　So　thou　thoughtest　it　a　fit　time　for　
love；　Ustane；　my　servantand　I；　dreaming　not　that　I　
could　be　disobeyed；　thought　thee　already　far　away。〃

〃Play　not　with　me；〃　moaned　the　wretched　woman；　〃slay　
me；　and　let　be　an　end。〃

〃Nay；　why？　It　is　not　well　to　go　so　swift　from　the　hot　
lips　of　love　down　to　the　cold　mouth　of　the　grave；〃　and　
she　made　a　motion　to　the　mutes；　who　instantly　stepped　
up　and　caught　the　girl　by　either　arm。　With　an　oath　Leo　
sprang　upon　the　nearest；　and　hurle