the ivory child-第67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！



in　the　doorway　of　the　cell　so　that　he　might　look　at　the　sun　setting

for　the　last　time；　〃for；　Baas；〃　he　added；　〃I　think　I　am　going　far

beyond　the　sun。〃



He　stared　at　it　for　a　while；　remarking　that　from　the　look　of　the　sky

there　should　be　fine　weather　coming；　〃which　will　be　good　for　your

journey　towards　the　Black　Water；　Baas；　with　all　that　ivory　to　carry。〃



I　answered　that　perhaps　I　should　never　get　the　ivory　from　the

graveyard　of　the　elephants；　as　the　Black　Kendah　might　prevent　this。



〃No；　no；　Baas；〃　he　replied；　〃now　that　Jana　is　dead　the　Black　Kendah

will　go　away。　I　know　it；　I　know　it！〃



Then　he　wandered　for　a　space；　speaking　of　sundry　adventures　we　had

shared　together；　till　quite　before　the　last　indeed；　when　his　mind

returned　to　him。



〃Baas；〃　he　said；　〃did　not　the　captain　Mavovo　name　me　Light…in…

Darkness；　and　is　not　that　my　name？　When　you　too　enter　the　Darkness；

look　for　that　Light；　it　will　be　shining　very　close　to　you。〃



He　only　spoke　once　more。　His　words　were：



〃Baas；　I　understand　now　what　your　reverend　father；　the　Predikant；

meant　when　he　spoke　to　me　about　Love　last　night。　It　had　nothing　to　do

with　women；　Baas；　at　least　not　much。　It　was　something　a　great　deal

bigger；　Baas；　something　as　big　as　what　I　feel　for　you！〃



Then　Hans　died　with　a　smile　on　his　wrinkled　face。



I　wept！







CHAPTER　XXI



HOMEWARDS



There　is　not　much　more　to　write　of　this　expedition；　or　if　that

statement　be　not　strictly　true；　not　much　more　that　I　wish　to　write；

though　I　have　no　doubt　that　Ragnall；　if　he　had　a　mind　that　way；　could

make　a　good　and　valuable　book　concerning　many　matters　on　which；

confining　myself　to　the　history　of　our　adventure；　I　have　scarcely

touched。　All　the　affinities　between　this　Central　African　Worship　of

the　Heavenly　Child　and　its　Guardian　and　that　of　Horus　and　Isis　in

Egypt　from　which　it　was　undoubtedly　descended；　for　instance。　Also　the

part　which　the　great　serpent　played　therein；　as　it　may　be　seen　playing

a　part　in　every　tomb　upon　the　Nile；　and　indeed　plays　a　part　in　our　own

and　other　religions。　Further；　our　journey　across　the　desert　to　the　Red

Sea　was　very　interesting；　but　I　am　tired　of　describing　journeysand

of　making　them。



The　truth　is　that　after　the　death　of　Hans；　like　to　Queen　Sheba　when

she　had　surveyed　the　wonders　of　Solomon's　court；　there　was　no　more

spirit　in　me。　For　quite　a　long　while　I　did　not　seem　to　care　at　all

what　happened　to　me　or　to　anybody　else。　We　buried　him　in　a　place　of

honour；　exactly　where　he　shot　Jana　before　the　gateway　of　the　second

court；　and　when　the　earth　was　thrown　over　his　little　yellow　face　I

felt　as　though　half　my　past　had　departed　with　him　into　that　hole。　Poor

drunken　old　Hans；　where　in　the　world　shall　I　find　such　another　man　as

you　were？　Where　in　the　world　shall　I　find　so　much　love　as　filled　the

cup　of　that　strange　heart　of　yours？



I　dare　say　it　is　a　form　of　selfishness；　but　what　every　man　desires　is

something　that　cares　for　him　/alone/；　which　is　just　why　we　are　so　fond

of　dogs。　Now　Hans　was　a　dog　with　a　human　brain　and　he　cared　for　me

alone。　Often　our　vanity　makes　us　think　that　this　has　happened　to　some

of　us　in　the　instance　of　one　or　more　women。　But　honest　and　quiet

reflection　may　well　cause　us　to　doubt　the　truth　of　such　supposings。

The　woman　who　as　we　believed　adored　us　solely　has　probably　in　the

course　of　her　career　adored　others；　or　at　any　rate　other　things。



To　take　but　one　instance；　that　of　Mameena；　the　Zulu　lady　whom　Hans

thought　he　saw　in　the　Shades。　She；　I　believe；　did　me　the　honour　to　be

very　fond　of　me；　but　I　am　convinced　that　she　was　fonder　still　of　her

ambition。　Now　Hans　never　cared　for　any　living　creature；　or　for　any

human　hope　or　object；　as　he　cared　for　me。　There　was　no　man　or　woman

whom　he　would　not　have　cheated；　or　even　murdered　for　my　sake。　There

was　no　earthly　advantage；　down　to　that　of　life　itself；　that　he　would

not；　and　in　the　end　did　not　forgo　for　my　sake；　witness　the　case　of　his

little　fortune　which　he　invested　in　my　rotten　gold　mine　and　thought

nothing　of　losingfor　my　sake。



That　is　love　/in　excelsis/；　and　the　man　who　has　succeeded　in　inspiring

it　in　any　creature；　even　in　a　low；　bibulous；　old　Hottentot；　may　feel

proud　indeed。　At　least　I　am　proud　and　as　the　years　go　by　the　pride

increases；　as　the　hope　grows　that　somewhere　in　the　quiet　of　that　great

plain　which　he　saw　in　his　dream；　I　may　find　the　light　of　Hans's　love

burning　like　a　beacon　in　the　darkness；　as　he　promised　I　should　do；　and

that　it　may　guide　and　warm　my　shivering；　new…born　soul　before　I　dare

the　adventure　of　the　Infinite。



Meanwhile；　since　the　sublime　and　the　ridiculous　are　so　very　near　akin；

I　often　wonder　how　he　and　Mameena　settled　that　question　of　her　right

to　the　royal　salute。　Perhaps　I　shall　learn　one　dayindeed　already　I

have　had　a　hint　of　it。　If　so；　even　in　the　blaze　of　a　new　and　universal

Truth；　I　am　certain　that　their　stories　will　differ　wildly。







Hans　was　quite　right　about　the　Black　Kendah。　They　cleared　out；

probably　in　search　of　food；　where　I　do　not　know　and　I　do　not　care；

though　whether　this　were　a　temporary　or　permanent　move　on　their　part

remains；　and　so　far　as　I　am　concerned　is　likely　to　remain；　veiled　in

obscurity。　They　were　great　blackguards；　though　extraordinarily　fine

soldiers；　and　what　became　of　them　is　a　matter　of　complete　indifference

to　me。　One　thing　is　certain；　however；　a　very　large　percentage　of　them

never　migrated　at　all；　for　something　over　three　thousand　of　their

bodies　did　our　people　have　to　bury　in　the　pass　and　about　the　temple；　a

purpose　for　which　all　the　pits　and　trenches　we　had　dug　came　in　very

useful。　Our　loss；　by　the　way；　was　five　hundred　and　three；　including

those　who　died　of　wounds。　It　was　a　great　fight　and；　except　for　those

who　perished　in　the　pitfalls　during　the　first　rush；　all　practically

hand　to　hand。



Jana　we　interred　where　he　fell　because　we　could　not　move　him；　within　a

few　feet　of　the　body　of　his　slayer　Hans。　I　have　always　regretted　that

I　did　not　take　the　exact　measurements　of　this　brute；　as　I　believe　the

record　elephant　of　the　world；　but　I　had　no　time　to　do　so　and　no　rule

or　tape　at　hand。　I　only　saw　him　for　a　minute　on　the　following　morning；

just　as　he　was　being　tumbled　into　a　huge　hole；　together　with　the

remains　of　his　master；　Simba　the　King。　I　found；　however；　that　the　sole

wounds　upon　him；　save　some　cuts　and　scratches　from　spears；　were　those

inflicted　by　Hansnamely；　the　loss　of　one　eye；　the　puncture　through

the　skin　over　the　heart　made　when　he　shot　at　him　for　the　second　time

with　the　little　rifle　Intombi；　and　two　neat　holes　at　the　back　of　the

mouth　through　which　the　bullets　from　the　elephant　gun　had　driven

upwards　to　the　base　of　the　brain；　causing　his　death　from　h？morrhage　on

that　organ。



I　asked　the　White　Kendah　to　give　me　his　two　enormous　tusks；

unequalled；　I　suppose；　in　size　and　weight　in　Africa；　although　one　was

deformed　and　broken。　But　they　refused。　These；　I　presume；　they　wished

to　keep；　together　with　the　chains　off　his　breast　and　trunk；　as

mementoes　of　their　victory　over　the　god　of　their　foes。　At　any　rate

they　hewed　the　former　out　with　axes　and　removed　the　latter　before

tumbling　the　carcass　into　the　grave。　From　the　worn…down　state　of　the

teeth　I　concluded　that　this　beast　must　have　been　extraordinarily　old；

how　old　it　is　impossible　to　say。



That　is　all　I　have　to　tell　of　Jana。　May　he　rest　in　peace；　which

certainly　he　will　not　do　if　Hans　dwells　anywhere　in　his　neighbourhood；

in　the　region　which　the　old　boy　used　to　call　that　of　the　〃fires　that

do　not　go　out。〃　Because　of　my　horrible　failure　in　connection　with　this

beast；　the　very　memory　of　which　humiliates　me；　I　do　not　like　to　think

of　it　more　than　I　can　help。



For　the　rest　the　White　Kendah　kept　faith　with　us　in　every　particular。

In　a　curious　and　semi…religious　ceremony；　at　which　I　was　not　present；

Lady　Ragnall　was　absolved　from　her　high　office　of　Guardian　or　Nurse　to

a　god　whereof　the　symbol　no　longer　existed；　though　I　believe　that　the

priests　collected　the　tiny　fragments　of　ivory；　or　as　many　of　them　as

could　be　found；　and　preserved　them　in　a　jar　in　the　sanctuary。　After

this　had　been　done　women　stripped　the　Nurse　of　her　hallowed　robes；　of

the　ancient　origin　of　which；　by　the　way；　I　believe　that　none　of　them；

except　perhaps　Har？t；　had　any　idea；　any　more　than　they　knew　that　the

Child　represented　the　Egyptian　Horus　and　his　lady　Guardian　the　moon…

goddess　Isis。　Then；　dressed　in　some　native　garments；　she　was　handed

over　to　Ragnall　and　thenceforth　treated　as　a　stranger…guest；　like

ourselves；　being　allowed；　however；　to　live　with　her　husband　in　the

same　house　that　she　had　occupied　during　all　the　period　of　her　strange

captivity。　Here　they　abode　together；　lost　in　the　mutual　bliss　of　this

wonderful　reunion　to　which　they　had　attained　through　so　much　bodily

and　spiritual　darkness　and　misery；　until　a　month　or　so　later　we

started　upon　our　journey　across　the