the virgin of the sun-第26节

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on　the　following　morning　when　there　arrived　upon　the　shore　a　great
number　of　men；　quite　a　hundred　indeed；　who　brought　with　them　two
litters　made　of　light　wood　jointed　like　reeds；　only　harder；　in　which
Kari　said　he　and　I　were　to　be　carried。　Among　these　men　he　parcelled
out　the　loads　which　they　were　to　bear　upon　their　heads；　and　then　said
that　it　was　time　for　us　to　start　in　the　litters。

So　we　started；　but　first　I　went　down　into　a　cabin　and　kneeling　on　my
knees；　thanked　God　for　having　brought　me　safe　so　far；　and　prayed　Him
and　St。　Hubert　to　protect　me　on　my　further　wanderings；　and　if　I　died；
to　receive　my　soul。　This　done　I　left　the　ship　and　while　the　natives
bowed　themselves　about　me；　entered　my　litter；　which　was　comfortable
enough；　having　grass　mats　to　lie　on　and　other　mats　for　curtains；　very
finely　woven；　so　that　they　would　turn　even　the　heaviest　rain。

Then　away　we　went；　eight　men　bearing　the　pole　to　which　each　litter　was
slung　on　their　shoulders；　while　others　carried　the　bundles　upon　their
heads。　Our　road　ran　through　forest　uphill；　and　on　the　crest　of　the
first　hill　I　descended　from　the　litter　and　looked　back。

There　in　the　creek　below　lay　the　wreck　of　the　/Blanche/；　now　but　a
small　black　blot　showing　against　the　water；　and　beyond　it　the　great
sea　over　which　we　had　travelled。　Yonder　broken　hulk　was　the　last　link
which　bound　me　to　my　distant　home　thousands　of　miles　across　the　ocean；
that　home；　which　my　heart　told　me　I　should　never　see　again；　for　how
could　I　win　back　from　a　land　that　no　white　foot　had　ever　trod？

On　the　deck　of　this　ship　Blanche　herself　had　stood　and　smiled　and
talked；　for　once　we　visited　it　together　shortly　before　our　marriage；
and　I　remembered　how　I　had　kissed　her　in　its　cabin。　Now　Blanche　was
dead　by　her　own　hand　and　I；　the　great　London　merchant；　was　an　outcast
among　savages　in　a　country　of　which　I　did　not　even　know　the　name；
where　everything　was　new　and　different。　And　there　the　ship　with　her
rich　cargo；　after　bearing　us　so　bravely　through　weeks　of　tempest；　must
lie　until　she　rotted　in　the　sun　and　rain　and　never　again　would　my　eyes
behold　her。　Oh！　then　it　was　that　a　sense　of　all　my　misery　and
loneliness　gripped　my　heart　as　it　had　not　done　before　since　I　rode
away　after　killing　Deleroy　with　the　sword　Wave…Flame；　and　I　wondered
why　I　had　been　born；　and　almost　hoped　that　soon　I　might　die　and　go　to
seek　the　reason。

Back　into　the　litter　I　crept　and　there　hid　my　face　and　wept　like　a
child。　Truly　I；　the　prosperous　merchant　of　London　town　who　might　have
lived　to　become　its　mayor　and　magistrate　and　win　nobility；　was　now　an
outcast　adventurer　of　the　humblest。　Well；　so　God　had　decreed；　and
there　was　no　more　to　say。

That　night　we　encamped　upon　a　hilltop　past　which　rushed　a　river　in　the
vale　below　and　were　troubled　with　heat　and　insects　that　hummed　and
bit；　for　to　these　as　yet　I　was　not　accustomed；　and　ate　of　the　food
that　we　had　brought　with　us；　dried　flesh　and　corn。

Next　morning　with　the　light　we　started　on　again；　up　and　down　mountains
and　through　more　forests；　following　the　course　of　the　river　and　the
shores　of　a　lake。　So　it　went　on　until　on　the　third　evening　from　high
land　we　saw　the　sea　beneath　us；　a　different　sea　from　that　which　we　had
left；　for　it　seemed　that　we　had　been　crossing　an　isthmus；　not　so　wide
but　that　if　any　had　the　skill；　a　canal　might　be　cut　across　it　joining
those　two　great　seas。

Now　it　was　that　our　real　travels　began；　for　here；　after　staring　at　the
stars　and　brooding　apart　for　a　long　while；　Kari　turned　southwards。
With　this　I　had　nothing　to　do　who　did　not　greatly　care　which　way　he
turned。　Nor　did　he　speak　to　me　of　the　matter；　except　to　say　that　his
god　and　such　memory　as　remained　to　him　through　his　time　of　madness
told　him　that　the　land　of　his　people　lay　towards　the　south；　though
very　far　away。

So　southwards　we　went；　following　paths　through　the　forests　with　the
ocean　on　our　right　hand。　After　a　week　of　this　wearisome　marching　we
came　to　another　tribe　of　natives　of　whose　talk　those　with　us　could
understand　enough　to　tell　them　our　story。　Indeed　the　rumour　that　a
white　god　had　appeared　in　the　land　out　of　the　sea　had　already　reached
them；　and　therefore　they　were　prepared　to　worship　me。　Here　our　people
left　us；　saying　that　they　dared　not　go　further　from　their　own　country。

The　scene　of　the　departure　was　strange；　since　every　one　of　them　came
and　rubbed　his　forehead　in　the　dust　before　me　and　then　went　away；
walking　backwards　and　bowing。　Still　their　going　did　not　make　a　great
difference　to　us；　since　the　new　tribe　was　much　as　the　old　one；　though
if　anything；　rather　less　clothed　and　more　dirty。　Also　it　accepted　me
as　a　god　without　question　and　gave　us　all　the　food　we　needed。
Moreover；　when　we　left　their　land　men　were　provided　to　carry　the
litters　and　the　loads。

Thus；　then；　passing　from　tribe　to　tribe；　we　travelled　on　southward；
ever　southwards；　finding　always　that　the　rumour　of　the　coming　of　〃the
god〃　had　gone　before　us。　So　gentle　were　all　these　people；　that　not
once　did　we　meet　with　any　who　tried　to　harm　us　or　to　steal　our　goods；
or　who　refused　us　the　best　of　what　they　had。　Our　adventures；　it　is
true；　were　many。　Thus；　twice　we　came　to　tribes　that　were　at　war　with
other　tribes；　though　on　my　appearance　they　laid　down　their　arms；　at
any　rate；　for　a　time；　and　bore　our　litters　forward。

Again；　sometimes　we　met　tribes　who　were　cannibals　and　then　we　suffered
much　from　want　of　meat；　since　we　dared　not　touch　their　food　unless　it
were　grain。　In　the　town　of　the　first　of　these　cannibal　people；　being
moved　with　fury；　I　killed　a　man　whom　I　found　about　to　murder　a　child
and　eat　her；　sweeping　off　his　head　with　my　sword。　For　this　deed　I
expected　that　they　would　murder　us；　but　they　did　not。　They　only
shrugged　their　shoulders　and　saying　that　a　god　can　do　as　he　pleases；
took　away　the　slain　man　and　ate　him。

Sometimes　our　road　ran　through　terrible　forests　where　the　great　trees
shut　out　the　light　of　day；　and　a　path　must　be　hacked　through　the
undergrowth。　Sometimes　it　was　haunted　by　tigers　or　tree　lions　such　as
I　have　spoken　of；　against　which　we　must　watch　continuously；　especially
at　night；　keeping　the　brutes　off　by　means　of　fires。　Sometimes　we　were
forced　to　wade　great　rivers；　or　worse　still；　to　walk　over　them　on
swaying　bridges　made　of　cables　of　twisted　reeds　that　until　I　grew
accustomed　to　them　caused　my　head　to　swim；　though　never　did　I　permit
myself　to　show　fear　before　the　natives。　Again；　once　we　came　to　swampy
lands　that　were　full　of　snakes　which　terrified　me　much；　especially
after　I　had　seen　some　natives　whom　they　bit；　die　within　a　few　minutes。

Other　snakes　there　were　also；　as　thick　as　a　man's　body；　and　four　or
five　paces　in　length；　which　lived　in　trees　and　killed　their　food　by
coiling　round　it　and　pressing　it　to　death。　These　snakes；　it　was　said；
would　take　men　in　this　fashion；　though　I　never　saw　one　of　them　do　so。
At　any　rate；　they　were　terrible　to　look　on；　and　reminded　me　of　their
forefather　through　whose　mouth　Satan　talked　with　Mother　Eve　in　the
Garden　of　Eden；　and　thus　brought　us　all　to　woe。

Once；　too；　on　the　bank　of　a　great　river；　I　saw　such　a　snake　that　at
the　sight　of　it　my　knees　knocked　together。　By　St。　Hubert；　the　beast
was　sixty　feet　or　more　in　length；　its　head　was　of　the　bigness　of　a
barrel；　and　its　skin　was　of　all　the　colours　of　the　rainbow。　Moreover；
it　seemed　to　hold　me　with　its　eyes；　for　till　it　slipped　away　into　the
river　I　could　not　move　a　foot。

Month　after　month　we　travelled　thus；　covering　a　matter　of　perhaps　five
miles　a　day；　since　sometimes　the　country　was　open　and　we　crossed　it
with　speed。　Yet　although　our　dangers　were　so　many；　strangely　enough；
during　all　this　time；　even　in　that　heat　neither　of　us　fell　sick；　as　I
think　because　of　the　herb　which　Kari　carried　in　his　bag；　that　I　found
was　named　/Coca/；　whereof　we　obtained　more　as　we　went　and　ate　from
time　to　time。　Nor　did　we　ever　really　suffer　from　starvation；　since
when　we　were　hungry　we　took　more　of　this　herb　which　supported　us　until
we　could　find　food。　These　mercies　I　set　down　to　the　good　offices　of
St。　Hubert　watching　from　Heaven　over　me；　his　poor　namesake　and　godson；
though　perhaps　the　skill　and　courage　of　Kari　which　provided　against
everything　had　something　to　do　with　them。

At　length；　in　the　ninth　month　of　our　travelling；　as　Kari　reckoned　it
by　means　of　knots　which　he　tied　on　pieces　of　native　string；　for　I　had
long　lost　count　of　time；　we　came　to　the　borders　of　a　great　desert　that
the　natives　said　stretched　southwards　for　a　hundred　leagues　and　more
and　was　without　water。　Moreover；　to　the　east　of　this　desert　rose　a
chain　of　mountains　bordered　by　precipices　up　which　no　man　could　climb。
Here；　therefore；　it　seemed　as　though　our　journey　must　end；　since　Kari
had　no　knowledge　of　how　he　crossed　or　went　round　this　desert　in　his
madness　of　bygone　years；　if　indeed　he　ever　travelled　that　road　at　all；
a　matter　of　which　I　was　not　certain。

For　a　week　or　more　we　remained　among　the　tribe　that　lived　in　a
beautiful　watered　valley　upon　the　borders　of　this　desert；　wondering
what　we　should　do。　For　my　part　I　was　by　now　so　tired　of　travelling
upon　an　endless　quest　that　I　should　have　been　glad　to　stay　among　that
tribe；　a