the ivory child-第43节

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had　been　already　sacrificed。　After　they　had　departed　he　remounted　and

followed　us。　Here　I　asked　him　why　he　had　not　overtaken　us　before　we

came　to　the　cemetery　of　elephants；　as　I　presumed　he　might　have　done；

since　he　stated　that　he　was　close　in　our　rear。　This　indeed　was　the

case；　for　it　was　the　head　of　the　camel　I　saw　behind　the　thorn　trees

when　I　looked　back；　and　not　the　trunk　of　an　elephant　as　I　had

supposed。



At　the　time　he　would　give　me　no　direct　answer；　except　that　he　grew

muddled　as　he　had　already　suggested；　and　thought　it　best　to　keep　in

the　background　and　see　what　happened。　Long　afterwards；　however；　he

admitted　to　me　that　he　acted　on　a　presentiment。



〃It　seemed　to　me；　Baas；〃　he　said；　〃that　your　reverend　father　was

telling　me　that　I　should　do　best　to　let　you　two　go　on　and　not　show

myself；　since　if　I　did　so　we　should　all　three　be　killed；　as　one　of　us

must　walk　whom　the　other　two　could　not　desert。　Whereas　if　I　left　you

as　you　were；　one　of　you　would　be　killed　and　the　other　escape；　and　that

the　one　to　be　killed　would　not　be　/you/；　Baas。　All　of　which　came　about

as　the　Spirit　spoke　in　my　head；　for　Mar？t　was　killed；　who　did　not

matter；　andyou　know　the　rest；　Baas。〃



To　return　to　Hans'　story。　He　saw　us　march　down　to　the　borders　of　the

lake；　and；　keeping　to　our　right；　took　cover　behind　the　knoll　of　rock；

whence　he　watched　also　all　that　followed。　When　Jana　advanced　to　attack

us　Hans　crept　forward　in　the　hope；　a　very　wild　one；　of　crippling　him

with　the　little　Purdey　rifle。　Indeed；　he　was　about　to　fire　at　the　hind

leg　when　Mar？t　made　his　run　for　life　and　plunged　into　the　lake。　Then

he　crawled　on　to　lead　me　away　to　the　camel；　but　when　he　was　within　a

few　yards　the　chase　returned　our　way　and　Mar？t　was　killed。



From　that　moment　he　waited　for　an　opportunity　to　shoot　Jana　in　the

only　spot　where　so　soft　a　bullet　would；　as　he　knew；　have　the　faintest

chance　of　injuring　him　vitallynamely；　in　the　eyefor　he　was　sure

that　its　penetration　would　not　be　sufficient　to　reach　the　vitals

through　that　thick　hide　and　the　mass　of　flesh　behind。　With　an　infinite

and　wonderful　patience　he　waited；　knowing　that　my　life　or　death　hung

in　the　balance。　While　Jana　held　his　foot　over　me；　while　he　felt　me

with　his　trunk；　still　Hans　waited；　balancing　the　arguments　for　and

against　firing　upon　the　scales　of　experience　in　his　clever　old　mind；

and　in　the　end　coming　to　a　right　and　wise　conclusion。



At　length　his　chance　came；　the　brute　exposed　his　eye；　and　by　the　light

of　the　clear　moon　Hans；　always　a　very　good　shot　at　a　distance　when　it

was　not　necessary　to　allow　for　trajectory　and　wind；　let　drive　and

/hit/。　The　bullet　did　not　get　to　the　brain　as　he　had　hoped；　it　had　not

strength　for　that；　but　it　destroyed　this　left　eye　and　gave　Jana　such

pain　that　for　a　while　he　forgot　all　about　me　and　everything　else

except　escape。



Such　was　the　Hottentot's　tale　as　I　picked　it　up　from　his　laconic；

colourless；　Dutch　/patois/　sentences；　then　and　afterwards；　a　very

wonderful　tale　I　thought。　But　for　him；　his　fidelity　and　his　bushman's

cunning；　where　should　I　have　found　myself　before　that　moon　set？







We　mounted　the　camel　after　I　had　paused　a　minute　to　take　a　pull　from　a

flask　of　brandy　which　remained　in　the　saddlebags。　Although　he　loved

strong　drink　so　well　Hans　had　saved　it　untouched　on　the　mere　chance

that　it　might　some　time　be　of　service　to　me；　his　master。　The　monkey…

like　Hottentot　sat　in　front　and　directed　the　camel；　while　I

accommodated　myself　as　best　I　could　on　the　sheepskins　behind。　Luckily

they　were　thick　and　soft；　for　Jana's　pinch　was　not　exactly　that　of　a

lover。



Off　we　went；　picking　our　way　carefully　till　we　reached　the　elephant

track　beyond　the　mound　where　Jana　had　appeared；　which；　in　the　light　of

faith；　we　hoped　would　lead　us　to　the　River　Tava。　Here　we　made　better

progress；　but　still　could　not　go　very　fast　because　of　the　holes　made

by　the　feet　of　Jana　and　his　company。　Soon　we　had　left　the　cemetery

behind　us；　and　lost　sight　of　the　lake　which　I　devoutly　trusted　I　might

never　see　again。



Now　the　track　ran　upwards　from　the　hollow　to　a　ridge　two　or　three

miles　away。　We　reached　the　crest　of　this　ridge　without　accident；

except　that　on　our　road　we　met　another　aged　elephant；　a　cow　with　very

poor　tusks；　travelling　to　its　last　resting　place；　or　so　I　suppose。　I

don't　know　which　was　the　more　frightened；　the　sick　cow　or　the　camel；

for　camels　hate　elephants　as　horses　hate　camels　until　they　get　used　to

them。　The　cow　bolted　to　the　right　as　quickly　as　it　could；　which　was

not　very　fast；　and　the　camel　bolted　to　the　left　with　such　convulsive

bounds　that　we　were　nearly　thrown　off　its　back。　However；　being　an

equable　brute；　it　soon　recovered　its　balance；　and　we　got　back　to　the

track　beyond　the　cow。



From　the　top　of　the　rise　we　saw　that　before　us　lay　a　sandy　plain

lightly　clothed　in　grass；　and；　to　our　joy；　about　ten　miles　away　at　the

foot　of　a　very　gentle　slope；　the　moonlight　gleamed　upon　the　waters　of

a　broad　river。　It　was　not　easy　to　make　out；　but　it　was　there；　we　were

both　sure　it　was　there；　we　could　not　mistake　the　wavering；　silver

flash。　On　we　went　for　another　quarter　of　a　mile；　when　something　caused

me　to　turn　round　on　the　sheepskin　and　look　back。



Oh　Heavens！　At　the　very　top　of　the　rise；　clearly　outlined　against　the

sky；　stood　Jana　himself　with　his　trunk　lifted。　Next　instant　he

trumpeted；　a　furious；　rattling　challenge　of　rage　and　defiance。



〃Allemagte！　Baas；〃　said　Hans；　〃the　old　devil　is　coming　to　look　for　his

lost　eye；　and　has　seen　us　with　that　which　remains。　He　has　been

travelling　on　our　spoor。〃



〃Forward！〃　I　answered；　bringing　my　heels　into　the　camel's　ribs。



Then　the　race　began。　The　camel　was　a　very　good　camel；　one　of　the　real

running　breed；　also；　as　Hans　said；　it　was　comparatively　fresh；　and

may；　moreover；　have　been　aware　that　it　was　near　to　the　plains　where　it

had　been　bred。　Lastly；　the　going　was　now　excellent；　soft　to　its　spongy

feet　but　not　too　deep　in　sand；　nor　were　there　any　rocks　over　which　it

could　fall。　It　went　off　like　the　wind；　making　nothing　of　our　united

weights　which　did　not　come　to　more　than　two　hundred　pounds；　or　a　half

of　what　it　could　carry　with　ease；　being　perhaps　urged　to　its　top　speed

by　the　knowledge　that　the　elephant　was　behind。　For　mile　after　mile　we

rushed　down　the　plain。　But　we　did　not　go　alone；　for　Jana　came　after　us

like　a　cruiser　after　a　gunboat。　Moreover；　swiftly　as　we　travelled；　he

travelled　just　a　little　swifter；　gaining　say　a　few　yards　in　every

hundred。　For　the　last　mile　before　we　came　to　the　river　bank；　half　an

hour　later　perhaps；　though　it　seemed　to　be　a　week；　he　was　not　more

than　fifty　paces　to　our　rear。　I　glanced　back　at　him；　and　in　the　light

of　the　moon；　which　was　growing　low；　he　bore　a　strange　resemblance　to　a

mud　cottage　with　broken　chimneys　（which　were　his　ears　flapping　on　each

side　of　him）；　and　the　yard　pump　projecting　from　the　upper　window。



〃We　shall　beat　him　now；　Hans；〃　I　said　looking　at　the　broad　river　which

was　now　close　at　hand。



〃Yes；　Baas；〃　answered　Hans　doubtfully　and　in　jerks。　〃This　is　very　good

camel；　Baas。　He　runs　so　fast　that　I　have　no　inside　left；　I　suppose

because　he　smells　his　wife　over　that　river；　to　say　nothing　of　death

behind　him。　But；　Baas；　I　am　not　sure；　that　devil　Jana　is　still　faster

than　the　camel；　and　he　wants　to　settle　for　his　lost　eye；　which　makes

him　lively。　Also　I　see　stones　ahead；　which　are　bad　for　camels。　Then

there　is　the　river；　and　I　don't　know　if　camels　can　swim；　but　Jana　can

as　Mar？t　learned。　Do　you　think；　Baas；　that　you　could　manage　to　sting

him　up　with　a　bullet　in　his　knee　or　that　great　trunk　of　his；　just　to

give　him　something　to　think　about　besides　ourselves？〃



Thus　he　prattled　on；　I　believe　to　occupy　my　mind　and　his　own；　till　at

length；　growing　impatient；　I　replied：



〃Be　silent；　donkey。　Can　I　shoot　an　elephant　backwards　over　my　shoulder

with　a　rifle　meant　for　springbuck？　Hit　the　camel！　Hit　it　hard！〃



Alas！　Hans　was　right！　There　/were/　stones　at　the　verge　of　the　river；

which　doubtless　it　had　washed　out　in　periods　of　past　flood；　and

presently　we　were　among　them。　Now　a　camel；　so　good　on　sand　that　is　its

native　heath；　is　a　worthless　brute　among　stones；　over　which　it　slips

and　flounders。　But　to　Jana　these　appeared　to　offer　little　or　no

obstacle。　At　any　rate　he　came　over　them　almost　if　not　quite　as　fast　as

before。　By　the　time　that　we　reached　the　brink　of　the　water　he　was　not

more　than　ten　yards　behind。　I　could　even　see　the　blood　running　down

from　the　socket　of　his　ruined　eye。



Moreover；　at　the　sight　of　the　foaming　but　shallow　torrent；　the　camel；

a　creature　unaccustomed　to　water；　pulled　up　in　a　mulish　kind　of　way

and　for　a　moment　refused　to　stir。　Luckily　at　this　instant　Jana　let　off

one　of　his　archangel　kind　of　trumpetings　which　started　our　beast

again；　since　it　was　more　afraid　of　elephants　than　it　was　of　water。



In　we　went　and　were　presently　floundering　among