the ivory child-第38节

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filled　with　horrid　fears。



Nothing　happened　that　day　except　that　some　priests　arrived；　lifted　the

earthenware　pot；　examined　their　departed　colleague；　who　by　now　had

become　an　unencouraging　spectacle；　removed　old　dishes　of　food；

arranged　more　about　him；　and　went　off。　Also　the　clouds　grew　thicker

and　thicker；　and　the　air　more　and　more　chilly；　till；　had　we　been　in

any　northern　latitude；　I　should　have　said　that　snow　was　pending。　From

our　perch　on　the　roof…top　I　observed　the　population　of　Simba　Town

discussing　the　weather　with　ever…increasing　eagerness；　also　that　the

people　who　were　going　out　to　work　in　the　fields　wore　mats　over　their

shoulders。



Once　more　darkness　came；　and　this　night；　notwithstanding　the　cold；　we

spent　wrapped　in　rugs；　on　the　roof　of　the　house。　It　had　occurred　to　us

that　kidnapping　would　be　less　easy　there；　as　we　could　make　some　sort

of　a　fight　at　the　head　of　the　stairway；　or；　if　the　worst　came　to　the

worst；　dive　from　the　parapet　and　break　our　necks。　We　kept　watch　turn

and　turn　about。　During　my　watch　about　midnight　I　heard　a　noise　going

on　in　the　hut　behind　us；　scuffling　and　a　stifled　cry　which　turned　my

blood　cold。　About　an　hour　later　a　fire　was　lighted　in　the　centre　of

the　market…place　where　the　sheep　had　been　sacrificed；　and　by　the　flare

of　it　I　could　see　people　moving。　But　what　they　did　I　could　not　see；

which　was　perhaps　as　well。



Next　morning　only　one　of　the　camelmen　was　left。　This　remaining　man　was

now　almost　crazy　with　fear；　and　could　give　no　clear　account　of　what

had　happened　to　his　companion。



The　poor　fellow　implored　us　to　take　him　away　to　our　house；　as　he

feared　to　be　left　alone　with　〃the　black　devils。〃　We　tried　to　do　so；

but　armed　guards　appeared　mysteriously　and　thrust　him　back　into　his

own　hut。



This　day　was　an　exact　repetition　of　the　others。　The　same　inspection　of

the　deceased　and　renewal　of　his　food；　the　same　cold；　clouded　sky；　the

same　agitated　conferences　in　the　market…place。



For　the　third　time　darkness　fell　upon　us　in　that　horrible　place。　Once

more　we　took　refuge　on　the　roof；　but　this　night　neither　of　us　slept。

We　were　too　cold；　too　physically　miserable；　and　too　filled　with　mental

apprehensions。　All　nature　seemed　to　be　big　with　impending　disaster。

The　sky　appeared　to　be　sinking　down　upon　the　earth。　The　moon　was

hidden；　yet　a　faint　and　lurid　light　shone　now　in　one　quarter　of　the

horizon；　now　in　another。　There　was　no　wind；　but　the　air　moaned

audibly。　It　was　as　though　the　end　of　the　world　were　near　as；　I

reflected；　probably　might　be　the　case　so　far　as　we　were　concerned。

Never；　perhaps；　have　I　felt　so　spiritually　terrified　as　I　was　during

the　dreadful　inaction　of　that　night。　Even　if　I　had　known　that　I　was

going　to　be　executed　at　dawn；　I　think　that　by　comparison　I　should　have

been　light…hearted。　But　the　worst　part　of　the　business　was　that　I　knew

nothing。　I　was　like　a　man　forced　to　walk　through　dense　darkness　among

precipices；　quite　unable　to　guess　when　my　journey　would　end　in　space；

but　enduring　all　the　agonies　of　death　at　every　step。



About　midnight　again　we　heard　that　scuffle　and　stifled　cry　in　the　hut

behind　us。



〃He's　gone；〃　I　whispered　to　Mar？t；　wiping　the　cold　sweat　from　my　brow。



〃Yes；〃　answered　Mar？t；　〃and　very　soon　we　shall　follow　him；

Macumazana。〃



I　wished　that　his　face　were　visible　so　that　I　could　see　if　he　still

smiled　when　he　uttered　those　words。



An　hour　or　so　later　the　usual　fire　appeared　in　the　marketplace；　round

which　the　usual　figures　flitted　dimly。　The　sight　of　them　fascinated

me；　although　I　did　not　want　to　look；　fearing　what　I　might　see。

Luckily；　however；　we　were　too　far　off　to　discern　anything　at　night。



While　these　unholy　ceremonies　were　in　progress　the　climax　came；　that

is　so　far　as　the　weather　was　concerned。　Of　a　sudden　a　great　gale

sprang　up；　a　gale　of　icy　wind　such　as　in　Southern　Africa　sometimes

precedes　a　thunderstorm。　It　blew　for　half　an　hour　or　more；　then

lulled。　Now　lightning　flashed　across　the　heavens；　and　by　the　glare　of

it　we　perceived　that　all　the　population　of　Simba　Town　seemed　to　be

gathered　in　the　market…place。　At　least　there　were　some　thousands　of

them；　talking；　gesticulating；　pointing　at　the　sky。



A　few　minutes　later　there　came　a　great　crash　of　thunder；　of　which　it

was　impossible　to　locate　the　sound；　for　it　rolled　from　everywhere。

Then　suddenly　something　hard　struck　the　roof　by　my　side　and　rebounded；

to　be　followed　next　moment　by　a　blow　upon　my　shoulder　which　nearly

knocked　me　flat；　although　I　was　well　protected　by　the　skin　rugs。



〃Down　the　stair！〃　I　called。　〃They　are　stoning　us；〃　and　suited　the

action　to　the　word。



Ten　seconds　later　we　were　both　in　the　room；　crouched　in　its　farther

corner；　for　the　stones　or　whatever　they　were　seemed　to　be　following

us。　I　struck　a　match；　of　which　fortunately　I　had　some；　together　with

my　pipe　and　a　good　pocketful　of　tobaccomy　only　solace　in　those

daysand；　as　it　burned　up；　saw　first　that　blood　was　running　down

Mar？t's　face；　and　secondly；　that　these　stones　were　great　lumps　of　ice；

some　of　them　weighing　several　ounces；　which　hopped　about　the　floor

like　live　things。



〃Hailstorm！〃　remarked　Mar？t　with　his　accustomed　smile。



〃Hell　storm！〃　I　replied；　〃for　whoever　saw　hail　like　that　before？〃



Then　the　match　burnt　out　and　conversation　came　to　an　end　for　the

reason　that　we　could　no　longer　hear　each　other　speak。　The　hail　came

down　with　a　perpetual；　rattling　roar；　that　in　its　sum　was　one　of　the

most　terrible　sounds　to　which　I　ever　listened。　And　yet　above　it　I

thought　that　I　could　catch　another；　still　more　terrible；　the　wail　of

hundreds　of　people　in　agony。　After　the　first　few　minutes　I　began　to　be

afraid　that　the　roof　would　be　battered　in；　or　that　the　walls　would

crumble　beneath　this　perpetual　fire　of　the　musketry　of　heaven。　But　the

cement　was　good　and　the　place　well　built。



So　it　came　about　that　the　house　stood　the　tempest；　which　had　it　been

roofed　with　tiles　or　galvanized　iron　I　am　sure　it　would　never　have

done；　since　the　lumps　of　ice　must　have　shattered　one　and　pierced　the

other　like　paper。　Indeed　I　have　seen　this　happen　in　a　bad　hailstorm　in

Natal　which　killed　my　best　horse。　But　even　that　hail　was　as　snowflakes

compared　to　this。



I　suppose　that　this　natural　phenomenon　continued　for　about　twenty

minutes；　not　more；　during　ten　of　which　it　was　at　its　worst。　Then　by

degrees　it　ceased；　the　sky　cleared　and　the　moon　shone　out　beautifully。

We　climbed　to　the　roof　again　and　looked。　It　was　several　inches　deep　in

jagged　ice；　while　the　market…place　and　all　the　country　round　appeared

in　the　bright　moonlight　to　be　buried　beneath　a　veil　of　snow。



Very　rapidly；　as　the　normal　temperature　of　that　warm　land　reasserted

itself；　this　snow　or　rather　hail　melted；　causing　a　flood　of　water

which；　where　there　was　any　fall；　began　to　rush　away　with　a　gurgling

sound。　Also　we　heard　other　sounds；　such　as　that　from　the　galloping

hoofs　of　many　of　the　horses　which　had　broken　loose　from　their　wrecked

stables　at　the　north　end　of　the　market…place；　where　in　great　number

they　had　been　killed　by　the　falling　roofs　or　had　kicked　each　other　to

death；　and　a　wild　universal　wail　that　rose　from　every　quarter　of　the

big　town；　in　which　quantities　of　the　worst…built　houses　had　collapsed。

Further；　lying　here　and　there　about　the　market…place　we　could　see

scores　of　dark　shapes　that　we　knew　to　be　those　of　men；　women　and

children；　whom　those　sharp　missiles　hurled　from　heaven　had　caught

before　they　could　escape　and　slain　or　wounded　almost　to　death。　For　it

will　be　remembered　that　perhaps　not　fewer　than　two　thousand　people

were　gathered　on　this　market…place；　attending　the　horrid　midnight

sacrifice　and　discussing　the　unnatural　weather　when　the　storm　burst

upon　them　suddenly　as　an　avalanche。



〃The　Child　is　small；　yet　its　strength　is　great。　Behold　the　first

curse！〃　said　Mar？t　solemnly。



I　stared　at　him；　but　as　he　chose　to　believe　that　a　very　unusual

hailstorm　was　a　visitation　from　heaven　I　did　not　think　it　worth　while

arguing　the　point。　Only　I　wondered　if　he　really　did　believe　this。　Then

I　remembered　that　such　an　event　was　said　to　have　afflicted　the　old

Egyptians　in　the　hour　of　their　pride　because　they　would　not　〃let　the

people　go。〃　Well；　these　blackguardedly　Black　Kendah　were　certainly

worse　than　the　Egyptians　can　ever　have　been；　also　they　would　not　let

/us/　go。　It　was　not　wonderful　therefore　that　Mar？t　should　be　the

victim　of　phantasies　on　the　matter。



Not　until　the　following　morning　did　we　come　to　understand　the　full

extent　of　the　calamity　which　had　overtaken　the　Black　Kendah。　I　think　I

have　said　that　their　crops　this　year　were　magnificent　and　just

ripening　to　harvest。　From　our　roof　on　previous　days　we　could　see　a

great　area　of　them　stretching　to　the　edge　of　the　forest。　When　the　sun

rose　that　morning　this　area　had　vanished；　and　the　ground　was　covered

with　a　carpet　of　green　pulp。　Also　the　forest　itself　appeared　suddenly

to