the ivory child-第19节

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and　feared　because　she　was　wise　and　made　medicines　out　of　herbs；　and

told　fortunes。　I　used　to　go　to　see　her。　She　was　quite　blind；　Baas；　and

fond　of　talking　with　mewhich　shows　how　wise　she　was。　I　told　her　all

about　the　Pongo　gorilla…god；　of　which　already　she　knew　something。　When

I　had　done　she　said　that　he　was　as　nothing　compared　with　a　certain　god

that　she　had　seen　in　her　youth；　seven　tens　of　years　ago；　when　she

became　marriageable。　I　asked　her　for　that　story；　and　she　spoke　it

thus：



〃Far　away　to　the　north　and　east　live　a　people　called　the　Kendah；　who

are　ruled　over　by　a　sultan。　They　are　a　very　great　people　and　inhabit　a

most　fertile　country。　But　all　round　their　country　the　land　is　desolate

and　manless；　peopled　only　by　game；　for　the　reason　that　they　will

suffer　none　to　dwell　there。　That　is　why　nobody　knows　anything　about

them：　he　that　comes　across　the　wilderness　into　that　land　is　killed　and

never　returns　to　tell　of　it。



〃She　told　me　also　that　she　was　born　of　this　people；　but　fled　because

their　sultan　wished　to　place　her　in　his　house　of　women；　which　she　did

not　desire。　For　a　long　while　she　wandered　southwards；　living　on　roots

and　berries；　till　she　came　to　desert　land　and　at　last；　worn　out；　lay

down　to　die。　Then　she　was　found　by　some　of　the　Mazitu　who　were　on　an

expedition　seeking　ostrich　feathers　for　war…plumes。　They　gave　her　food

and；　seeing　that　she　was　fair；　brought　her　back　to　their　country；

where　one　of　them　married　her。　But　of　her　own　land　she　uttered　only

lying　words　to　them　because　she　feared　that　if　she　told　the　truth　the

gods　who　guard　its　secrets　would　be　avenged　on　her；　though　now　when

she　was　near　to　death　she　dreaded　them　no　more；　since　even　the　Kendah

gods　cannot　swim　through　the　waters　of　death。　That　is　all　she　said

about　her　journey　because　she　had　forgotten　the　rest。〃



〃Bother　her　journey；　Hans。　What　did　she　say　about　her　god　and　the

Kendah　people？〃



〃This；　Baas：　that　the　Kendah　have　not　one　god　but　two；　and　not　one

ruler　but　two。　They　have　a　good　god　who　is　a　child…fetish〃　（here　I

started）　〃that　speaks　through　the　mouth　of　an　oracle　who　is　always　a

woman。　If　that　woman　dies　the　god　does　not　speak　until　they　find

another　woman　bearing　certain　marks　which　show　that　she　holds　the

spirit　of　the　god。　Before　the　woman　dies　she　always　tells　the　priests

in　what　land　they　are　to　look　for　her　who　is　to　come　after　her；　but

sometimes　they　cannot　find　her　and　then　trouble　falls　because　'the

Child　has　lost　its　tongue；'　and　the　people　become　the　prey　of　the

other　god　that　never　dies。〃



〃And　what　is　that　god；　Hans？〃



〃That　god；　Baas；　is　an　elephant〃　（here　I　started　again）；　〃a　very　bad

elephant　to　which　human　sacrifice　is　offered。　I　think；　Baas；　that　it

is　the　devil　wearing　the　shape　of　an　elephant；　at　least　that　is　what

she　said。　Now　the　sultan　is　a　worshipper　of　the　god　that　dwells　in　the

elephant　Jana〃　（here　I　positively　whistled）　〃and　so　are　most　of　the

people；　indeed　all　those　among　them　who　are　black。　For　once　far　away

in　the　beginning　the　Kendah　were　two　peoples；　but　the　lighter…coloured

people　who　worshipped　the　Child　came　down　from　the　north　and　conquered

the　black　people；　bringing　the　Child　with　them；　or　so　I　understood

her；　Baas；　thousands　and　thousands　of　years　ago　when　the　world　was

young。　Since　then　they　have　flowed　on　side　by　side　like　two　streams　in

the　same　channel；　never　mixing；　for　each　keeps　its　own　colour。　Only；

she　said；　that　stream　which　comes　from　the　north　grows　weaker　and　that

from　the　south　more　strong。〃



〃Then　why　does　not　the　strong　swallow　up　the　weak？〃



〃Because　the　weak　are　still　the　pure　and　the　wise；　Baas；　or　so　the　old

vrouw　declared。　Because　they　worship　the　good　while　the　others　worship

the　devil；　and　as　your　father　the　Predikant　used　to　say；　Good　is　the

cock　which　always　wins　the　fight　at　the　last；　Baas。　Yes；　when　he　seems

to　be　dead　he　gets　up　again　and　kicks　the　devil　in　the　stomach　and

stands　on　him　and　crows；　Baas。　Also　these　northern　folk　are　mighty

magicians。　Through　their　Child…fetish　they　give　rain　and　fat　seasons

and　keep　away　sickness；　whereas　Jana　gives　only　evil　gifts　that　have

to　do　with　cruelty　and　war　and　so　forth。　Lastly；　the　priests　who　rule

through　the　Child　have　the　secrets　of　wealth　and　ancient　knowledge；

whereas　the　sultan　and　his　followers　have　only　the　might　of　the　spear。

This　was　the　song　which　the　old　woman　sang　to　me；　Baas。〃



〃Why　did　you　not　tell　me　of　these　matters　when　we　were　at　Beza…Town

and　I　could　have　talked　with　her　myself；　Hans？〃



〃For　two　reasons；　Baas。　The　first　was　that　I　feared；　if　I　told　you；

you　would　wish　to　go　on　to　find　these　people；　whereas　I　was　tired　of

travelling　and　wanted　to　come　to　Natal　to　rest。　The　second　was　that　on

the　night　when　the　old　woman　finished　telling　me　her　story；　she　was

taken　sick　and　died；　and　therefore　it　would　have　been　no　use　to　bring

you　to　see　her。　So　I　saved　it　up　in　my　head　until　it　was　wanted。

Moreover；　Baas；　all　the　Mazitu　declared　that　old　woman　to　be　the

greatest　of　liars。〃



〃She　was　not　altogether　a　liar；　Hans。　Hear　what　I　have　learned；〃　and　I

told　him　of　the　magic　of　Har？t　and　Mar？t　and　of　the　picture　that　I　had

seemed　to　see　of　the　elephant　Jana　and　of　the　prayer　that　Har？t　and

Mar？t　had　made　to　me；　to　all　of　which　he　listened　quite　stolidly。　It

is　not　easy　to　astonish　a　Hottentot's　brain；　which　often　draws　no

accurate　dividing…line　between　the　possible　and　what　the　modern　world

holds　to　be　impossible。



〃Yes；　Baas；〃　he　said　when　I　had　finished；　〃then　it　seems　that　the　old

woman　was　not　such　a　liar　after　all。　Baas；　when　shall　we　start　after

that　hoard　of　dead　ivory；　and　which　way　will　you　go？　By　Kilwa　or

through　Zululand？　It　should　be　settled　soon　because　of　the　seasons。〃



After　this　we　talked　together　for　a　long　while；　for　with　pockets　as

empty　as　mine　were　then；　the　problem　seemed　difficult；　if　not

insoluble。







CHAPTER　VII



LORD　RAGNALL'S　STORY



That　night　Hans　slept　at　my　house；　or　rather　outside　of　it　in　the

garden；　or　upon　the　stoep；　saying　that　he　feared　arrest　if　he　went　to

the　town；　because　of　his　quarrel　with　the　white　man。　As　it　happened；

however；　the　other　party　concerned　never　stirred　further　in　the

business；　probably　because　he　was　too　drunk　to　remember　who　had

knocked　him　into　the　sluit　or　whether　he　had　gravitated　thither　by

accident。



On　the　following　morning　we　renewed　our　discussion；　debating　in　detail

every　possible　method　of　reaching　the　Kendah　people　by　help　of　such

means　as　we　could　command。　Like　that　of　the　previous　night　it　proved

somewhat　abortive。　Obviously　such　a　long　and　hazardous　expedition

ought　to　be　properly　financed　andwhere　was　the　money？　At　length　I

came　to　the　conclusion　that　if　we　went　at　all　it　would　be　best；　in　the

circumstances；　for　Hans　and　myself　to　start　alone　with　a　Scotch　cart

drawn　by　oxen　and　driven　by　a　couple　of　Zulu　hunters；　which　we　could

lade　with　ammunition　and　a　few　necessaries。



Thus　lightly　equipped　we　might　work　through　Zululand　and　thence

northward　to　Beza…Town；　the　capital　of　the　Mazitu；　where　we　were　sure

of　a　welcome。　After　that　we　must　take　our　chance。　It　was　probable　that

we　should　never　reach　the　district　where　these　Kendah　were　supposed　to

dwell；　but　at　least　I　might　be　able　to　kill　some　elephants　in　the　wild

country　beyond　Zululand。



While　we　were　talking　I　heard　the　gun　fired　which　announced　the

arrival　of　the　English　mail；　and　stepping　to　the　end　of　the　garden；

saw　the　steamer　lying　at　anchor　outside　the　bar。　Then　I　went　indoors

to　write　a　few　business　letters　which；　since　I　had　become　immersed　in

the　affairs　of　that　unlucky　gold　mine；　had　grown　to　be　almost　a　daily

task　with　me。　I　had　got　through　several　with　many　groanings；　for　none

were　agreeable　in　their　tenor；　when　Hans　poked　his　head　through　the

window　in　a　silent　kind　of　a　way　as　a　big　snake　might　do；　and　said：

〃Baas；　I　think　there　are　two　baases　out　on　the　road　there　who　are

looking　for　you。　Very　fine　baases　whom　I　don't　know。〃



〃Shareholders　in　the　Bona　Fide　Gold　Mine；〃　thought　I　to　myself；　then

added　as　I　prepared　to　leave　through　the　back　door：　〃If　they　come　here

tell　them　I　am　not　at　home。　Tell　them　I　left　early　this　morning　for

the　Congo　River　to　look　for　the　sources　of　the　Nile。〃



〃Yes；　Baas；〃　said　Hans；　collapsing　on　to　the　stoep。



I　went　out　through　the　back　door；　sorrowing　that　I；　Allan　Quatermain；

should　have　reached　a　rung　in　the　ladder　of　life　whence　I　shrank　from

looking　any　stranger　in　the　face；　for　fear　of　what　he　might　have　to

say　to　me。　Then　suddenly　my　pride　asserted　itself。　After　all　what　was

there　of　which　I　should　be　ashamed？　I　would　face　these　irate

shareholders　as　I　had　faced　the　others　yesterday。



I　walked　round　the　little　house　to　the　front　garden　which　was　planted

with　orange　trees；　and　up　to　a　big　moonflower　bush；　I　believe　/datura/

is　its　right　name；　that　grew　near　the　pomegranate　h