the ivory child-第61节

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reverend　father；　and　a　very　great　deal　more；　for　they　seemed　never　to

be　tired　of　listening。　And　once；　when　I　mentioned　that　sometimes；

while　pretending　to　be　asleep；　I　had　heard　you　praying　aloud　at　night

for　the　Missie　Marie　who　died　for　you；　and　for　another　who　had　been

your　wife　whose　name　I　did　not　remember　but　who　had　also　died；　they

both　cried　a　little；　Baas。　Their　tears　shone　like　crystals　and　smelt

like　that　stuff　in　a　little　glass　tube　which　Har？t　said　that　he

brought　from　some　far　land　when　he　put　a　drop　or　two　on　your

handkerchief；　after　you　were　faint　from　the　pain　in　your　leg　at　the

house　yonder。　Or　perhaps　it　was　the　flowers　that　smelt；　for　where　the

tears　fell　there　sprang　up　white　lilies　shaped　like　two　babes'　hands

held　together　in　prayer。〃



Hearing　this；　I　hid　my　face　in　my　hands　lest　Hans　should　see　human

tears　unscented　with　attar　of　roses；　and　bade　him　continue。



〃Baas；　the　White　One　who　was　called　Star；　asked　me　of　your　son；　the

young　Baas　Harry；　and　I　told　her　that　when　last　I　had　seen　him　he　was

strong　and　well　and　would　make　a　bigger　man　than　you　were；　whereat　she

sighed　and　shook　her　head。　Then　the　Missie　Marie　said：　'Tell　the　Baas；

Hans；　that　I　also　have　a　child　which　he　will　see　one　day；　but　it　is

not　a　son。'



〃After　this　they；　too；　said　something　about　Love；　but　what　it　was　I

cannot　remember；　since　even　as　I　repeat　this　dream　to　you　it　is

beginning　to　slip　away　from　me　fast　as　a　swallow　skimming　the　water。

Their　last　words；　however；　I　do　remember。　They　were：　'Say　to　the　Baas

that　we　who　never　met　in　life；　but　who　here　are　as　twin　sisters；　wait

and　count　the　years　and　count　the　months　and　count　the　days　and　count

the　hours　and　count　the　minutes　and　count　the　seconds　until　once　more

he　shall　hear　our　voices　calling　to　him　across　the　night。'　That's　what

they　say；　Baas。　Then　they　were　gone　and　only　the　flowers　remained　to

show　that　they　had　been　standing　there。



〃Now　I　set　off　to　bring　you　the　message　and　travelled　a　very　long　way

at　a　great　rate；　if　Jana　himself　had　been　after　me　I　could　not　have

gone　more　fast。　At　last　I　got　out　of　that　quiet　place　and　among

mountains　where　there　were　dark　kloofs；　and　there　in　the　kloofs　I

heard　Zulu　impis　singing　their　war…song；　yes；　they　sang　the　/ingoma/

or　something　very　like　it。　Now　suddenly　in　the　pass　of　the　mountains

along　which　I　sped；　there　appeared　before　me　a　very　beautiful　woman

whose　skin　shone　like　the　best　copper　coffee　kettle　after　I　have

polished　it；　Baas。　She　was　dressed　in　a　leopard…like　moocha　and　wore

on　her　shoulders　a　fur　kaross；　and　about　her　neck　a　circlet　of　blue

beads；　and　from　her　hair　there　rose　one　crane's　feather　tall　as　a

walking…stick；　and　in　her　hand　she　held　a　little　spear。　No　flowers

sprang　beneath　her　feet　when　she　walked　towards　me　and　no　birds　sang；

only　the　air　was　filled　with　the　sound　of　a　royal　salute　which　rolled

among　the　mountains　like　the　roar　of　thunder；　and　her　eyes　flashed

like　summer　lightning。〃



Now　I　let　my　hands　fall　and　stared　at　him；　for　well　I　knew　what　was

coming。



〃'Stand；　yellow　man！'　she　said；　'and　give　me　the　royal　salute。'



〃So　I　gave　her　the　/Bayéte/；　though　who　she　might　be　I　did　not　know；

since　I　did　not　think　it　wise　to　stay　to　ask　her　if　it　were　hers　of

right；　although　I　should　have　liked　to　do　so。　Then　she　said：　'The　Old

Man　on　the　plain　yonder　and　those　two　pale　White　Ones　have　talked　to

you　of　their　love　for　your　master；　the　Lord　Macumazana。　I　tell　you；

little　Yellow　Dog；　that　they　do　not　know　what　love　can　be。　There　is

more　love　for　him　in　my　eyes　alone　than　they　have　in　all　that　makes

them　fair。　Say　it　to　the　Lord　Macumazana　that；　as　I　know　well；　he　goes

down　to　battle　and　that　the　Lady　Mameena　will　be　with　him　in　the

battle　as；　though　he　saw　her　not；　she　has　been　with　him　in　other

battles；　and　will　be　with　him　till　the　River　of　Time　has　run　over　the

edge　of　the　world　and　is　lost　beyond　the　sun。　Let　him　remember　this

when　Jana　rushes　on　and　death　is　very　near　to　him　to…day；　and　let　him

lookfor　then　perchance　he　shall　see　me。　Begone　now；　Yellow　Dog；　to

the　heels　of　your　master；　and　play　your　part　well　in　the　battle；　for

of　what　you　do　or　leave　undone　you　shall　give　account　to　me。　Say　that

Mameena　sends　her　greetings　to　the　Lord　Macumazana　and　that　she　adds

this；　that　when　the　Old　Man　and　the　White　ones　told　you　that　Love　is

the　secret　blood　of　the　worlds　which　makes　them　to　be　they　did　not

lie。　Love　reigns　and　I；　Mameena；　am　its　priestess；　and　the　heart　of

Macumazana　is　my　holy　house。'



〃Then；　Baas；　I　tumbled　off　a　precipice　and　woke　up　here；　and；　Baas；　as

we　may　not　light　a　fire　I　have　kept　some　coffee　hot　for　you　buried　in

warm　ashes；〃　and　without　another　word　he　went　to　fetch　that　coffee；

leaving　me　shaken　and　amazed。



For　what　kind　of　a　dream　was　it　which　revealed　to　an　old　Hottentot　all

these　mysteries　and　hidden　things　about　persons　whom　he　had　never　seen

and　of　whom　I　had　never　spoken　to　him？　My　father　and　my　wife　Marie

might　be　explained；　for　with　these　he　had　been　mixed　up；　but　how　about

Stella　and　above　all　Mameena；　although　of　course　it　was　possible　that

he　had　heard　of　the　latter；　who　made　some　stir　in　her　time？　But　to　hit

her　off　as　he　had　done　in　all　her　pride；　splendour；　and　dominion　of

desire！



Well；　that　was　his　story　which；　perhaps　fortunately；　I　lacked　time　to

analyse　or　brood　upon；　since　there　was　much　in　it　calculated　to

unnerve　a　man　just　entering　the　crisis　of　a　desperate　fray。　Indeed　a

minute　or　so　later；　as　I　was　swallowing　the　last　of　the　coffee；

messengers　arrived　about　some　business；　I　forget　what；　sent　by　Ragnall

I　think；　who　had　risen　before　I　woke。　I　turned　to　give　the　pannikin　to

Hans；　but　he　had　vanished　in　his　snake…like　fashion；　so　I　threw　it

down　upon　the　ground　and　devoted　my　mind　to　the　question　raised　in

Ragnall's　message。



Next　minute　scouts　came　in　who　had　been　watching　the　camp　of　the　Black

Kendah　all　night。



These　were　sleeping　not　more　than　half　a　mile　away；　in　an　open　place

on　the　slope　of　the　hill　with　pickets　thrown　out　round　them；　intending

to　advance　upon　us；　it　was　said；　as　soon　as　the　sun　rose；　since

because　of　their　number　they　feared　lest　to　march　at　night　should

throw　them　into　confusion　and；　in　case　of　their　falling　into　an

ambush；　bring　about　a　disaster。　Such　at　least　was　the　story　of　two

spies　whom　our　people　had　captured。



There　had　been　some　question　as　to　whether　we　should　not　attempt　a

night　attack　upon　their　camp；　of　which　I　was　rather　in　favour。　After

full　debate；　however；　the　idea　had　been　abandoned；　owing　to　the

fewness　of　our　numbers；　the　dislike　which　the　White　Kendah　shared　with

the　Black　of　attempting　to　operate　in　the　dark；　and　the　well　chosen

position　of　our　enemy；　whom　it　would　be　impossible　to　rush　before　we

were　discovered　by　their　outposts。　What　I　hoped　in　my　heart　was　that

they　might　try　to　rush　us；　notwithstanding　the　story　of　the　two

captured　spies；　and　in　the　gloom；　after　the　moon　had　sunk　low　and

before　the　dawn　came；　become　entangled　in　our　pitfalls　and　outlying

entrenchments；　where　we　should　be　able　to　destroy　a　great　number　of

them。　Only　on　the　previous　afternoon　that　cunning　old　fellow；　Hans；

had　pointed　out　to　me　how　advantageous　such　an　event　would　be　to　our

cause　and；　while　agreeing　with　him；　I　suggested　that　probably　the

Black　Kendah　knew　this　as　well　as　we　did；　as　the　prisoners　had　told

us。



Yet　that　very　thing　happened；　and　through　Hans　himself。　Thus：　Old

Har？t　had　come　to　me　just　one　hour　before　the　dawn　to　inform　me　that

all　our　people　were　awake　and　at　their　stations；　and　to　make　some　last

arrangements　as　to　the　course　of　the　defence；　also　about　our　final

concentration　behind　the　last　line　of　walls　and　in　the　first　court　of

the　temple；　if　we　should　be　driven　from　the　outer　entrenchments。　He

was　telling　me　that　the　Oracle　of　the　Child　had　uttered　words　at　the

ceremony　that　night　which　he　and　all　the　priests　considered　were　of

the　most　favourable　import；　news　to　which　I　listened　with　some

impatience；　feeling　as　I　did　that　this　business　had　passed　out　of　the

range　of　the　Child　and　its　Oracle。　As　he　spoke；　suddenly　through　the

silence　that　precedes　the　dawn；　there　floated　to　our　ears　the

unmistakable　sound　of　a　rifle。　Yes；　a　rifle　shot；　half　a　mile　or　so

away；　followed　by　the　roaring　murmur　of　a　great　camp　unexpectedly

alarmed　at　night。



〃Who　can　have　fired　that？〃　I　asked。　〃The　Black　Kendah　have　no　guns。〃



He　replied　that　he　did　not　know；　unless　some　of　my　fifty　men　had　left

their　posts。



While　we　were　investigating　the　matter；　scouts　rushed　in　with　the

intelligence　that　the　Black　Kendah；　thinking　apparently　that　they　were

being　attacked；　had　broken　camp　and　were　advancing　towards　us。　We

passed　a　warning　all　down　the　lines　and　stood　to　arms。　Five　minutes

later；　as　I　stood　listening　to　that　approaching　roar；　filled　with

every　kind　of　fear　and　melancholy　fore