the ivory child-第40节

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handful　of　grain　was　there　left　to　gather；　for　the　corn　had　been　not

only　〃laid〃　but　literally　cut　to　ribbons　by　the　hail。



After　running　for　some　miles　through　the　cultivated　land　the　road

entered　the　forest。　Here　it　was　dark　as　pitch；　so　dark　that　I　wondered

how　our　guides　found　their　way。　In　that　blackness　dreadful

apprehensions　seized　me；　for　I　became　convinced　that　we　had　been

brought　here　to　be　murdered。　Every　minute　I　expected　to　feel　a　knife…

thrust　in　my　back。　I　thought　of　digging　my　heels　into　the　horse's

sides　and　trying　to　gallop　off　anywhere；　but　abandoned　the　idea；　first

because　I　could　not　desert　Mar？t；　of　whom　I　had　lost　touch　in　the

gloom；　and　secondly　because　I　was　hemmed　in　by　the　escort。　For　the

same　reason　I　did　not　try　to　slip　from　the　horse　and　glide　away　into

the　forest。　There　was　nothing　to　be　done　save　to　go　on　and　await　the

end。



It　came　at　last　some　hours　later。　We　were　out　of　the　forest　now；　and

there　was　the　moon　rising；　past　her　full　but　still　very　bright。　Her

light　showed　me　that　we　were　on　a　wild　moorland；　swampy；　with

scattered　trees　growing　here　and　there；　across　which　what　seemed　to　be

a　game　track　ran　down　hill。　That　was　all　I　could　make　out。　Here　the

escort　halted；　and　Simba　the　King　said　in　a　sullen　voice：



〃Dismount　and　go　your　ways；　evil　spirits；　for　we　travel　no　farther

across　this　place　which　is　haunted。　Follow　the　track　and　it　will　lead

you　to　a　lake。　Pass　the　lake　and　by　morning　you　will　come　to　the　river

beyond　which　lies　the　country　of　your　friends。　May　its　waters　swallow

you　if　you　reach　them。　For　learn；　there　is　one　who　watches　on　this

road　whom　few　care　to　meet。〃



As　he　finished　speaking　men　sprang　at　us　and；　pulling　us　from　the

horses；　thrust　us　out　of　their　company。　Then　they　turned　and　in

another　minute　were　lost　in　the　darkness；　leaving　us　alone。



〃What　now；　friend　Mar？t？〃　I　asked。



〃Now；　Lord；　all　we　can　do　is　to　go　forward；　for　if　we　stay　here　Simba

and　his　people　will　return　and　kill　us　at　the　daylight。　One　of　them

said　so　to　me。〃



〃Then；　'come　on；　Macduff；'〃　I　exclaimed；　stepping　out　briskly；　and

though　he　had　never　read　Shakespeare；　Mar？t　understood　and　followed。



〃What　did　Simba　mean　about　'one　on　the　road　whom　few　care　to　meet'？〃　I

asked　over　my　shoulder　when　we　had　done　half　a　mile　or　so。



〃I　think　he　meant　the　elephant　Jana；〃　replied　Mar？t　with　a　groan。



〃Then　I　hope　Jana　isn't　at　home。　Cheer　up；　Mar？t。　The　chances　are　that

we　shall　never　meet　a　single　elephant　in　this　big　place。〃



〃Yet　many　elephants　have　been　here；　Lord；〃　and　he　pointed　to　the

ground。　〃It　is　said　that　they　come　to　die　by　the　waters　of　the　lake

and　this　is　one　of　the　roads　they　follow　on　their　death　journey；　a

road　that　no　other　living　thing　dare　travel。〃



〃Oh！〃　I　exclaimed。　〃Then　after　all　that　was　a　true　dream　I　had　in　the

house　in　England。〃



〃Yes；　Lord；　because　my　brother　Har？t　once　lost　his　way　out　hunting

when　he　was　young　and　saw　what　his　mind　showed　you　in　the　dream；　and

what　we　shall　see　presently；　if　we　live　to　come　so　far。〃



I　made　no　reply；　both　because　what　he　said　was　either　true　or　false；

which　I　should　ascertain　presently；　and　because　I　was　engaged　in

searching　the　ground　with　my　eyes。　He　was　right；　many　elephants　had

travelled　this　pathone　quite　recently。　I；　a　hunter　of　those　brutes；

could　not　be　deceived　on　this　point。　Once　or　twice　also　I　thought　that

I　caught　sight　of　the　outline　of　some　tall　creature　moving　silently

through　the　scattered　thorns　a　couple　of　hundred　yards　or　so　to　our

right。　It　might　have　been　an　elephant　or　a　giraffe；　or　perhaps　nothing

but　a　shadow；　so　I　said　nothing。　As　I　heard　no　noise　I　was　inclined　to

believe　the　latter　explanation。　In　any　case；　what　was　the　good　of

speaking？　Unarmed　and　solitary　amidst　unknown　dangers；　our　position

was　desperate；　and　as　Mar？t's　nerve　was　already　giving　out；　to

emphasize　its　horrors　to　him　would　be　mere　foolishness。



On　we　trudged　for　another　two　hours；　during　which　time　the　only　living

thing　that　I　saw　was　a　large　owl　which　sailed　round　our　heads　as

though　to　look　at　us；　and　then　flew　away　ahead。



This　owl；　Mar？t　informed　me；　was　one　of　〃Jana's　spies〃　that　kept　him

advised　of　all　that　was　passing　in　his　territory。　I　muttered　〃Bosh〃

and　tramped　on。　Still　I　was　glad　that　we　saw　no　more　of　the　owl；　for

in　certain　circumstances　such　dark　fears　are　catching。



We　reached　the　top　of　a　rise；　and　there　beneath　us　lay　the　most

desolate　scene　that　ever　I　have　seen。　At　least　it　would　have　been　the

most　desolate　if　I　did　not　chance　to　have　looked　on　it　before；　in　the

drawing…room　of　Ragnall　Castle！　There　was　no　doubt　about　it。　Below　was

the　black；　melancholy　lake；　a　large　sheet　of　water　surrounded　by

reeds。　Around；　but　at　a　considerable　distance；　appeared　the　tropical

forest。　To　the　east　of　the　lake　stretched　a　stony　plain。　At　the　time　I

could　make　out　no　more　because　of　the　uncertain　light　and　the

distance；　for　we　had　still　over　a　mile　to　go　before　we　reached　the

edge　of　the　lake。



The　aspect　of　the　place　filled　me　with　tremblings；　both　because　of　its

utter　uncanniness　and　because　of　the　inexplicable　truth　that　I　had

seen　it　before。　Most　people　will　have　experienced　this　kind　of　moral

shock　when　on　going　to　some　new　land　they　recognize　a　locality　as

being　quite　familiar　to　them　in　all　its　details。　Or　it　may　be　the

rooms　of　a　house　hitherto　unvisited　by　them。　Or　it　may　be　a

conversation　of　which；　when　it　begins；　they　already　foreknow　the

sequence　and　the　end；　because　in　some　dim　state；　when　or　how　who　can

say；　they　have　taken　part　in　that　talk　with　those　same　speakers。　If

this　be　so　even　in　cheerful　surroundings　and　among　our　friends　or

acquaintances；　it　is　easy　to　imagine　how　much　greater　was　the　shock　to

me；　a　traveller　on　such　a　journey　and　in　such　a　night。



I　shrank　from　approaching　the　shores　of　this　lake；　remembering　that　as

yet　all　the　vision　was　not　unrolled。　I　looked　about　me。　If　we　went　to

the　left　we　should　either　strike　the　water；　or　if　we　followed　its

edge；　still　bearing　to　the　left；　must　ultimately　reach　the　forest；

where　probably　we　should　be　lost。　I　looked　to　the　right。　The　ground

was　strewn　with　boulders；　among　which　grew　thorns　and　rank　grass；

impracticable　for　men　on　foot　at　night。　I　looked　behind　me；　meditating

retreat；　and　there；　some　hundreds　of　yards　away　behind　low；　scrubby

mimosas　mixed　with　aloe…like　plants；　I　saw　something　brown　toss　up　and

disappear　again　that　might　very　well　have　been　the　trunk　of　an

elephant。　Then；　animated　by　the　courage　of　despair　and　a　desire　to

know　the　worst；　I　began　to　descend　the　elephant　track　towards　the　lake

almost　at　a　run。



Ten　minutes　or　so　more　brought　us　to　the　eastern　head　of　the　lake；

where　the　reeds　whispered　in　the　breath　of　the　night　wind　like　things

alive。　As　I　expected；　it　proved　to　be　a　bare；　open　space　where　nothing

seemed　to　grow。　Yes；　and　all　about　me　were　the　decaying　remains　of

elephants；　hundreds　of　them；　some　with　their　bones　covered　in　moss；

that　may　have　lain　here　for　generations；　and　others　more　newly　dead。

They　were　all　old　beasts　as　I　could　tell　by　the　tusks；　whether　male　or

female。　Indeed　about　me　within　a　radius　of　a　quarter　of　a　mile　lay

enough　ivory　to　make　a　man　very　rich　for　life；　since　although

discoloured；　much　of　it　seemed　to　have　kept　quite　sound；　like　human

teeth　in　a　mummy　case。　The　sight　gave　me　a　new　zest　for　life。　If　only

I　could　manage　to　survive　and　carry　off　that　ivory！　I　would。　In　this

way　or　in　that　I　swore　that　I　would！　Who　could　possibly　die　with　so

much　ivory　to　be　had　for　the　taking？　Not　that　old　hunter；　Allan

Quatermain。



Then　I　forgot　about　the　ivory；　for　there　in　front　of　me；　just　where　it

should　be；　just　as　I　had　seen　it　in　the　dream…picture；　was　the　bull

elephant　dying；　a　thin　and　ancient　brute　that　had　lived　its　long　life

to　the　last　hour。　It　searched　about　as　though　to　find　a　convenient

resting…place；　and　when　this　was　discovered；　stood　over　it；　swaying　to

and　fro　for　a　full　minute。　Then　it　lifted　its　trunk　and　trumpeted

shrilly　thrice；　singing　its　swan…song；　after　which　it　sank　slowly　to

its　knees；　its　trunk　outstretched　and　the　points　of　its　worn　tusks

resting　on　the　ground。　Evidently　it　was　dead。



I　let　my　eyes　travel　on；　and　behold！　about　fifty　yards　beyond　the　dead

bull　was　a　mound　of　hard　rock。　I　watched　it　with　gasping　expectation

andyes；　on　the　top　of　the　mound　something　slowly　materialized。

Although　I　knew　what　it　must　be　well　enough；　for　a　while　I　could　not

see　quite　clearly　because　there　were　certain　little　clouds　about　and

one　of　them　had　floated　over　the　face　of　the　moon。　It　passed；　and

before　me；　perhaps　a　hundred　and　forty　paces　away；　outlined　clearly

against　the　sky；　I　perceived　the　devilish　elephant　of　my　vision。



Oh！　what　a　brute　was　that！　In　bulk　and　height　it　appeared　to　be　half

as　big　again　as　any　of　its　tribe　which　I　had　known　in　all　my　life'