the ivory child-第25节

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sleeping　puff　adder　which　was　curled　up　in　the　sand　of　that　little

frequented　road；　and　on　this　puff　adder　Savage　had　descended　with　so

much　force；　for　he　weighed　thirteen　stone；　that　the　creature　was

squashed　quite　flat　and　never　stirred　again。　This；　however；　he　did　not

notice　in　his　agitation；　being　convinced　indeed　that　it　was　hanging　to

him　behind　like　a　bulldog。



〃Snakes！　my　lord；〃　he　exclaimed；　when　at　last　after　careful　search　we

demonstrated　to　him　that　the　adder　had　died　before　it　could　come　into

action。



〃I　hate　'em；　my　lord；　and　they　haunts〃　（he　said　'aunts）　〃me。　If　ever　I

get　out　of　this　I'll　go　and　live　in　Ireland；　my　lord；　where　they　say

there　ain't　none。　But　it　isn't　likely　that　I　shall；〃　he　added

mournfully；　〃for　the　omen　is　horrid。〃



〃On　the　contrary；〃　I　answered；　〃it　is　splendid；　for　you　have　killed

the　snake　and　not　the　snake　you。　'The　dog　it　was　that　died；'　Savage。〃



After　this　the　Kafirs　gave　Savage　a　second　very　long　name　which　meant

〃He…who…sits…down…on…snakes…and…makes…them…flat。〃　Having　remounted　him

on　his　horse；　which　was　standing　patiently　a　few　yards　away；　at　length

we　got　off。　I　lingered　a　minute　behind　the　others　to　give　some

directions　to　my　old　Griqua　gardener；　Jack；　who　snivelled　at　parting

with　me；　and　to　take　a　last　look　at　my　little　home。　Alack！　I　feared　it

might　be　the　last　indeed；　knowing　as　I　did　that　this　was　a　dangerous

enterprise　upon　which　I　found　myself　embarked；　I　who　had　vowed　that　I

would　be　done　with　danger。



With　a　lump　in　my　throat　I　turned　from　the　contemplation　of　that

peaceful　dwelling　and　happy　garden　in　which　each　tree　and　plant　was

dear　to　me；　and　waving　a　good…bye　to　Jack；　cantered　on　to　where

Ragnall　was　waiting　for　me。



〃I　am　afraid　this　is　rather　a　sad　hour　for　you；　who　are　leaving　your

little　boy　and　your　home；〃　he　said　gently；　〃to　face　unknown　perils。〃



〃Not　so　sad　as　others　I　have　passed；〃　I　answered；　〃and　perils　are　my

daily　bread　in　every　sense　of　the　word。　Moreover；　whatever　it　is　for

me　it　is　for　you　also。〃



〃No；　Quatermain。　For　me　it　is　an　hour　of　hope；　a　faint　hope；　I　admit；

but　the　only　one　left；　for　the　letters　I　got　last　night　from　Egypt　and

England　report　that　no　clue　whatsoever　has　been　found；　and　indeed　that

the　search　for　any　has　been　abandoned。　Yes；　I　follow　the　last　star

left　in　my　sky　and　if　it　sets　I　hope　that　I　may　set　also；　at　any　rate

to　this　world。　Therefore　I　am　happier　than　I　have　been　for　months；

thanks　to　you；〃　and　he　stretched　out　his　hand；　which　I　shook。



It　was　a　token　of　friendship　and　mutual　confidence　which　I　am　glad　to

say　nothing　that　happened　afterwards　ever　disturbed　for　a　moment。







CHAPTER　IX



THE　MEETING　IN　THE　DESERT



Now　I　do　not　propose　to　describe　all　our　journey　to　Kendahland；　or　at

any　rate　the　first　part　thereof。　It　was　interesting　enough　in　its　way

and　we　met　with　a　few　hunting　adventures；　also　some　others。　But　there

is　so　much　to　tell　of　what　happened　to　us　after　we　reached　the　place

that　I　have　not　the　time；　even　if　I　had　the　inclination　to　set　all

these　matters　down。　Let　it　be　sufficient；　then；　to　say　that　although

owing　to　political　events　the　country　happened　to　be　rather　disturbed

at　the　time；　we　trekked　through　Zululand　without　any　great　difficulty。

For　here　my　name　was　a　power　in　the　land　and　all　parties　united　to

help　me。　Thence；　too；　I　managed　to　dispatch　three　messengers；　half…

bred　border　men；　lean　fellows　and　swift　of　foot；　forward　to　the　king

of　the　Mazitu；　as　Hans　had　suggested　that　I　should　do；　advising　him

that　his　old　friends；　Macumazana；　Watcher…by…Night；　and　the　yellow　man

who　was　named　Light…in…Darkness　and　Lord…of…the…Fire；　were　about　to

visit　him　again。



As　I　knew　we　could　not　take　the　wagons　beyond　a　certain　point　where

there　was　a　river　called　the　Luba；　unfordable　by　anything　on　wheels；　I

requested　him；　moreover；　to　send　a　hundred　bearers　with　whatever

escort　might　be　necessary；　to　meet　us　on　the　banks　of　that　river　at　a

spot　which　was　known　to　both　of　us。　These　words　the　messengers

promised　to　deliver　for　a　fee　of　five　head　of　cattle　apiece；　to　be

paid　on　their　return；　or　to　their　families　if　they　died　on　the　road；

which　cattle　we　purchased　and　left　in　charge　of　a　chief；　who　was　their

kinsman。　As　it　happened　two　of　the　poor　fellows　did　die；　one　of　them

of　cold　in　a　swamp　through　which　they　took　a　short　cut；　and　the　other

at　the　teeth　of　a　hungry　lion。　The　third；　however；　won　through　and

delivered　the　message。



After　resting　for　a　fortnight　in　the　northern　parts　of　Zululand；　to

give　time　to　our　wayworn　oxen　to　get　some　flesh　on　their　bones　in　the

warm　bushveld　where　grass　was　plentiful　even　in　the　dry　season；　we

trekked　forward　by　a　route　known　to　Hans　and　myself。　Indeed　it　was　the

same　which　we　had　followed　on　our　journey　from　Mazituland　after　our

expedition　in　search　for　the　Holy　Flower。



We　took　with　us　a　small　army　of　Zulu　bearers。　This；　although　they　were

difficult　to　feed　in　a　country　where　no　corn　could　be　bought；　proved

fortunate　in　the　end；　since　so　many　of　our　cattle　died　from　tsetse

bite　that　we　were　obliged　to　abandon　one　of　the　wagons；　which　meant

that　the　goods　it　contained　must　be　carried　by　men。　At　length　we

reached　the　banks　of　the　river；　and　camped　there　one　night　by　three

tall　peaks　of　rock　which　the　natives　called　〃The　Three　Doctors；〃　where

I　had　instructed　the　messengers　to　tell　the　Mazitu　to　meet　us。　For

four　days　we　remained　here；　since　rains　in　the　interior　had　made　the

river　quite　impassable。　Every　morning　I　climbed　the　tallest　of　the

〃Doctors〃　and　with　my　glasses　looked　over　its　broad　yellow　flood；

searching　the　wide；　bush…clad　land　beyond　in　the　hope　of　discovering

the　Mazitu　advancing　to　meet　us。　Not　a　man　was　to　be　seen；　however；

and　on　the　fourth　evening；　as　the　river　had　now　become　fordable；　we

determined　that　we　would　cross　on　the　morrow；　leaving　the　remaining

wagon；　which　it　was　impossible　to　drag　over　its　rocky　bottom；　to　be

taken　back　to　Natal　by　our　drivers。



Here　a　difficulty　arose。　No　promise　of　reward　would　induce　any　of　our

Zulu　bearers　even　to　wet　their　feet　in　the　waters　of　this　River　Luba；

which　for　some　reason　that　I　could　not　extract　from　them　they　declared

to　be　/tagati/；　that　is；　bewitched；　to　people　of　their　blood。　When　I

pointed　out　that　three　Zulus　had　already　undertaken　to　cross　it；　they

answered　that　those　men　were　half…breeds；　so　that　for　them　it　was　only

half　bewitched；　but　they　thought　that　even　so　one　or　more　of　them

would　pay　the　penalty　of　death　for　this　rash　crime。



It　chanced　that　this　happened；　for；　as　I　have　said；　two　of　the　poor

fellows　did　die；　though　not；　I　think；　owing　to　the　magical　properties

of　the　waters　of　the　Luba。　This　is　how　African　superstitions　are　kept

alive。　Sooner　or　later　some　saying　of　the　sort　fulfils　itself　and　then

the　instance　is　remembered　and　handed　down　for　generations；　while

other　instances　in　which　nothing　out　of　the　common　has　occurred　are

not　heeded；　or　are　forgotten。



This　decision　on　the　part　of　those　stupid　Zulus　put　us　in　an　awkward


fix；　since　it　was　impossible　for　us　to　carry　over　all　our　baggage　and

ammunition　without　help。　Therefore　glad　was　I　when　before　dawn　on　the

fifth　morning　the　nocturnal　Hans　crept　into　the　wagon；　in　the　after

part　of　which　Ragnall　and　I　were　sleeping；　and　informed　us　that　he

heard　men's　voices　on　the　farther　side　of　the　river；　though　how　he

could　hear　anything　above　that　roar　of　water　passed　my　comprehension。



At　the　first　break　of　dawn　again　we　climbed　the　tallest　of　the

〃Doctor〃　rocks　and　stared　into　the　mist。　At　length　it　rolled　away　and

there　on　the　farther　side　of　the　river　I　saw　quite　a　hundred　men　who

by　their　dress　and　spears　I　knew　to　be　Mazitu。　They　saw　me　also　and

raising　a　cheer；　dashed　into　the　water；　groups　of　them　holding　each

other　round　the　middle　to　prevent　their　being　swept　away。　Thereupon

our　silly　Zulus　seized　their　spears　and　formed　up　upon　the　bank。　I

slid　down　the　steep　side　of　the　〃Great　Doctor〃　and　ran　forward；

calling　out　that　these　were　friends　who　came。



〃Friends　or　foes；〃　answered　their　captain　sullenly；　〃it　is　a　pity　that

we　should　walk　so　far　and　not　have　a　fight　with　those　Mazitu　dogs。〃



Well；　I　drove　them　off　to　a　distance；　not　knowing　what　might　happen　if

the　two　peoples　met；　and　then　went　down　to　the　bank。　By　now　the　Mazitu

were　near；　and　to　my　delight　at　the　head　of　them　I　perceived　no　other

than　my　old　friend；　their　chief　general；　Babemba；　a　one…eyed　man　with

whom　Hans　and　I　had　shared　many　adventures。　Through　the　water　he

plunged　with　great　bounds　and　reaching　the　shore；　greeted　me　literally

with　rapture。



〃O　Macumazana；〃　he　said；　〃little　did　I　hope　that　ever　again　I　should

look　upon　your　face。　Welcome　to　you；　a　thousand　welcomes；　and　to　you

too；　Light…in…Darkness；　Lord…of…the…Fire；　Cunning…one　whose　wit　saved

us　in　the　battle　of　the　Gate。　But　where　is　Dogeetah；　where