the ivory child-第52节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





〃We　shall　not　wake　him　who　sleeps　in　the　cave；〃　I　answered

enigmatically；　as　we　departed　rejoicing；　for　now　we　had　learned　that

the　Kendah　did　not　yet　know　of　the　death　of　the　serpent。



An　hour's　walk　up　the　hill；　guided　by　Hans；　brought　us　to　the　mouth　of

the　tunnel。　To　tell　the　truth　I　could　have　wished　it　had　been　longer；

for　as　we　drew　near　all　sorts　of　doubts　assailed　me。　What　if　Hans

really　had　been　drinking　and　invented　this　story　to　account　for　his

absence？　What　if　the　snake　had　recovered　from　a　merely　temporary

indisposition？　What　if　it　had　a　wife　and　family　living　in　that　cave；

every　one　of　them　thirsting　for　vengeance？



Well；　it　was　too　late　to　hesitate　now；　but　secretly　I　hoped　that　one

of　the　others　would　prefer　to　lead　the　way。　We　reached　the　place　and

listened。　It　was　silent　as　a　tomb。　Then　that　brave　fellow　Hans　lit　the

lantern　and　said：



〃Do　you　stop　here；　Baases；　while　I　go　to　look。　If　you　hear　anything

happen　to　me；　you　will　have　time　to　run　away；〃　words　that　made　me　feel

somewhat　ashamed　of　myself。



However；　knowing　that　he　was　quick　as　a　weasel　and　silent　as　a　cat；　we

let　him　go。　A　minute　or　two　later　suddenly　he　reappeared　out　of　the

darkness；　for　he　had　turned　the　metal　shield　over　the　bull's…eye　of

the　lantern；　and　even　in　that　light　I　could　see　that　he　was　grinning。



〃It　is　all　right；　Baas；〃　he　said。　〃The　Father　of　Serpents　has　really

gone　to　that　land　whither　he　sent　Bena；　where　no　doubt　he　is　now

roasting　in　the　fires　of　hell；　and　I　don't　see　any　others。　Come　and

look　at　him。〃



So　in　we　went　and　there；　true　enough；　upon　the　floor　of　the　cave　lay

the　huge　reptile　stone　dead　and　already　much　swollen。　I　don't　know　how

long　it　was；　for　part　of　its　body　was　twisted　into　coils；　so　I　will

only　say　that　it　was　by　far　the　most　enormous　snake　that　I　have　ever

seen。　It　is　true　that　I　have　heard　of　such　reptiles　in　different　parts

of　Africa；　but　hitherto　I　had　always　put　them　down　as　fabulous

creatures　transformed　into　and　worshipped　as　local　gods。　Also　this

particular　specimen　was；　I　presume；　of　a　new　variety；　since；　according

to　Ragnall；　it　both　struck　like　the　cobra　or　the　adder；　and　crushed

like　the　boa…constrictor。　It　is　possible；　however；　that　he　was

mistaken　on　this　point；　I　do　not　know；　since　I　had　no　time；　or　indeed

inclination；　to　examine　its　head　for　the　poison　fangs；　and　when　next　I

passed　that　way　it　was　gone。



I　shall　never　forget　the　stench　of　that　cave。　It　was　horrible；　which

is　not　to　be　wondered　at　seeing　that　probably　this　creature　had　dwelt

there　for　centuries；　since　these　large　snakes　are　said　to　be　as　long

lived　as　tortoises；　and；　being　sacred；　of　course　it　had　never　lacked

for　food。　Everywhere　lay　piles　of　cast　bones；　amongst　one　of　which　I

noticed　fragments　of　a　human　skull；　perhaps　that　of　poor　Savage。　Also

the　projecting　rocks　in　the　place　were　covered　with　great　pieces　of

snake　skin；　doubtless　rubbed　off　by　the　reptile　when　once　a　year　it

changed　its　coat。



For　a　while　we　gazed　at　the　loathsome　and　still　glittering　creature；

then　pushed　on　fearful　lest　we　should　stumble　upon　more　of　its　kind。　I

suppose　that　it　must　have　been　solitary；　a　kind　of　serpent　rogue；　as

Jana　was　an　elephant　rogue；　for　we　met　none　and；　if　the　information

which　I　obtained　afterwards　may　be　believed；　there　was　no　species　at

all　resembling　it　in　the　country。　What　its　origin　may　have　been　I

never　learned。　All　the　Kendah　could　or　would　say　about　it　was　that　it

had　lived　in　this　hole　from　the　beginning　and　that　Black　Kendah

prisoners；　or　malefactors；　were　sometimes　given　to　it　to　kill；　as

White　Kendah　prisoners　were　given　to　Jana。



The　cave　itself　proved　to　be　not　very　long；　perhaps　one　hundred　and

fifty　feet；　no　more。　It　was　not　an　artificial　but　a　natural　hollow　in

the　lava　rock；　which　I　suppose　had　once　been　blown　through　it　by　an

outburst　of　steam。　Towards　the　farther　end　it　narrowed　so　much　that　I

began　to　fear　there　might　be　no　exit。　In　this　I　was　mistaken；　however；

for　at　its　termination　we　found　a　hole　just　large　enough　for　a　man　to

walk　in　upright　and　so　difficult　to　climb　through　that　it　became　clear

to　us　that　certainly　this　was　not　the　path　by　which　the　White　Kendah

approached　their　sanctuary。



Scrambling　out　of　this　aperture　with　thankfulness；　we　found　ourselves

upon　the　slope　of　a　kind　of　huge　ditch　of　lava　which　ran　first

downwards　for　about　eighty　paces；　then　up　again　to　the　base　of　the

great　cone　of　the　inner　mountain　which　was　covered　with　dense　forest。



I　presume　that　the　whole　formation　of　this　peculiar　hill　was　the

result　of　a　violent　volcanic　action　in　the　early　ages　of　the　earth。

But　as　I　do　not　understand　such　matters　I　will　not　dilate　upon　them

further　than　to　say　that；　although　comparatively　small；　it　bore　a

certain　resemblance　to　other　extinct　volcanoes　which　I　had　met　with　in

different　parts　of　Africa。



We　climbed　down　to　the　bottom　of　the　ditch　that　from　its　general

appearance　might　have　been　dug　out　by　some　giant　race　as　a　protection

to　their　stronghold；　and　up　its　farther　side　to　where　the　forest　began

on　deep　and　fertile　soil。　Why　there　should　have　been　rich　earth　here

and　none　in　the　ditch　is　more　than　we　could　guess；　but　perhaps　the

presence　of　springs　of　water　in　this　part　of　the　mount　may　have　been　a

cause。　At　any　rate　it　was　so。



The　trees　in　this　forest　were　huge　and　of　a　variety　of　cedar；　but　did

not　grow　closely　together；　also　there　was　practically　no　undergrowth；

perhaps　for　the　reason　that　their　dense；　spreading　tops　shut　out　the

light。　As　I　saw　afterwards　both　trunks　and　boughs　were　clothed　with

long　grey　moss；　which　even　at　midday　gave　the　place　a　very　ghostly

appearance。　The　darkness　beneath　those　trees　was　intense；　literally　we

could　not　see　an　inch　before　our　faces。　Yet　rather　than　stand　still　we

struggled　on；　Hans　leading　the　way；　for　his　instincts　were　quicker

than　ours。　The　steep　rise　of　the　ground　beneath　our　feet　told　us　that

we　were　going　uphill；　as　we　wished　to　do；　and　from　time　to　time　I

consulted　a　pocket　compass　I　carried　by　the　light　of　a　match；　knowing

from　previous　observations　that　the　top　of　the　Holy　Mount　lay　due

north。



Thus　for　hour　after　hour　we　crept　up　and　on；　occasionally　butting　into

the　trunk　of　a　tree　or　stumbling　over　a　fallen　bough；　but　meeting　with

no　other　adventures　or　obstacles　of　a　physical　kind。　Of　moral；　or

rather　mental；　obstacles　there　were　many；　since　to　all　of　us　the

atmosphere　of　this　forest　was　as　that　of　a　haunted　house。　It　may　have

been　the　embracing　darkness；　or　the　sough　of　the　night　wind　amongst

the　boughs　and　mosses；　or　the　sense　of　the　imminent　dangers　that　we

had　passed　and　that　still　awaited　us。　Or　it　may　have　been　unknown

horrors　connected　with　this　place　of　which　some　spiritual　essence

still　survived；　for　without　doubt　localities　preserve　such　influences；

which　can　be　felt　by　the　sensitive　among　living　things；　especially　in

favouring　conditions　of　fear　and　gloom。　At　any　rate　I　never

experienced　more　subtle　and　yet　more　penetrating　terrors　than　I　did

upon　that　night；　and　afterwards　Ragnall　confessed　to　me　that　my　case

was　his　own。　Black　as　it　was　I　thought　that　I　saw　apparitions；　among

them　glaring　eyes　and　that　of　the　elephant　Jana　standing　in　front　of

me　with　his　trunk　raised　against　the　bole　of　a　cedar。　I　could　have

sworn　that　I　saw　him；　nor　was　I　reassured　when　Hans　whispered　to　me

below　his　breath；　for　here　we　did　not　seem　to　dare　to　raise　our

voices：



〃Look；　Baas。　Is　it　Jana　glowing　like　hot　iron　who　stands　yonder？〃



〃Don't　be　a　fool；〃　I　answered。　〃How　can　Jana　be　here　and；　if　he　were

here；　how　could　we　see　him　in　the　night？〃　But　as　I　said　the　words　I

remembered　Har？t　had　told　us　that　Jana　had　been　met　with　on　the　Holy

Mount　〃in　the　spirit　or　in　the　flesh。〃　However　this　may　be；　next

instant　he　was　gone　and　we　beheld　him　or　his　shadow　no　more。　Also　we

thought　that　from　time　to　time　we　heard　voices　speaking　all　around　us；

now　here；　now　there　and　now　in　the　tree　tops　above　our　heads；　though

what　they　said　we　could　not　catch　or　understand。



Thus　the　long　night　wore　away。　Our　progress　was　very　slow；　but　guided

by　occasional　glimpses　at　the　compass　we　never　stopped　but　twice；　once

when　we　found　ourselves　apparently　surrounded　by　tree　boles　and　fallen

boughs；　and　once　when　we　got　into　swampy　ground。　Then　we　took　the　risk

of　lighting　the　lantern；　and　by　its　aid　picked　our　way　through　these

difficult　places。　By　degrees　the　trees　grew　fewer　so　that　we　could　see

the　stars　between　their　tops。　This　was　a　help　to　us　as　I　knew　that　one

of　them；　which　I　had　carefully　noted；　shone　at　this　season　of　the　year

directly　over　the　cone　of　the　mountain；　and　we　were　enabled　to　steer

thereby。



It　must　have　been　not　more　than　half　an　hour　before　the　dawn　that

Hans；　who　was　leadingwe　were　pushing　our　way　through　thick　bushes　at

the　timehalted　hurriedly；　saying：



〃Stop；　Baas；　we　are　on　th