the ivory child-第69节

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on　which　Jana　was　wont　to　stand。　There　were　the　rocks　behind　which　I

had　tried　to　hide；　and　near　to　them　some　crushed　human　bones　which　I

knew　to　be　those　of　the　unfortunate　Mar？t。　These　we　buried　with　due

reverence　on　the　spot　where　he　had　fallen；　I　meanwhile　thanking　God

that　my　own　bones　were　not　being　interred　at　their　side；　as　but　for

Hans　would　have　been　the　caseif　they　were　ever　interred　at　all。　All

about　lay　the　skeletons　of　dead　elephants；　and　from　among　these　we

collected　as　much　of　the　best　ivory　as　we　could　carry；　namely　about

fifty　camel　loads。　Of　course　there　was　much　more；　but　a　great　deal　of

the　stuff　had　been　exposed　for　so　long　to　sun　and　weather　that　it　was

almost　worthless。



Having　sent　this　ivory　back　to　the　Town　of　the　Child；　which　was　being

rebuilt　after　a　fashion；　we　went　on　to　Simba　Town　through　the　forest；

dispatching　pickets　ahead　of　us　to　search　and　make　sure　that　it　was

empty。　Empty　it　was　indeed；　never　did　I　see　such　a　place　of

desolation。



The　Black　Kendah　had　left　it　just　as　it　stood；　except　for　a　pile　of

corpses　which　lay　around　and　over　the　altar　in　the　market…place；　where

the　three　poor　camelmen　were　sacrificed　to　Jana；　doubtless　those　of

wounded　men　who　had　died　during　or　after　the　retreat。　The　doors　of　the

houses　stood　open；　many　domestic　articles；　such　as　great　jars

resembling　that　which　had　been　set　over　the　head　of　the　dead　man　whom

we　were　commanded　to　restore　life；　and　other　furniture　lay　about

because　they　could　not　be　carried　away。　So　did　a　great　quantity　of

spears　and　various　weapons　of　war；　whose　owners　being　killed　would

never　want　them　again。　Except　a　few　starved　dogs　and　jackals　no　living

creature　remained　in　the　town。　It　was　in　its　own　way　as　waste　and　even

more　impressive　than　the　graveyard　of　elephants　by　the　lonely　lake。



〃The　curse　of　the　Child　worked　well；〃　said　Har？t　to　me　grimly。　〃First；

the　storm；　the　hunger；　then　the　battle；　and　now　the　misery　of　flight

and　ruin。〃



〃It　seems　so；〃　I　answered。　〃Yet　that　curse；　like　others；　came　back　to

roost；　for　if　Jana　is　dead　and　his　people　fled；　where　are　the　Child

and　many　of　its　people？　What　will　you　do　without　your　god；　Har？t？〃



〃Repent　us　of　our　sins　and　wait　till　the　Heavens　send　us　another；　as

doubtless　they　will　in　their　own　season；〃　he　replied　very　sadly。



I　wonder　whether　they　ever　did　and；　if　so；　what　form　that　new　divinity

put　on。



I　slept；　or　rather　did　not　sleep；　that　night　in　the　same　guest…house

in　which　Mar？t　and　I　had　been　imprisoned　during　our　dreadful　days　of

fear；　reconstructing　in　my　mind　every　event　connected　with　them。　Once

more　I　saw　the　fires　of　sacrifice　flaring　upon　the　altar　and　heard　the

roar　of　the　dancing　hail　that　proclaimed　the　ruin　of　the　Black　Kendah

as　loudly　as　the　trumpet　of　a　destroying　angel。　Very　glad　was　I　when

the　morning　came　at　length　and；　having　looked　my　last　upon　Simba　Town；

I　crossed　the　moats　and　set　out　homewards　through　the　forest　whereof

the　stripped　boughs　also　spoke　of　death；　though　in　the　spring　these

would　grow　green　again。



Ten　days　later　we　started　from　the　Holy　Mount；　a　caravan　of　about　a

hundred　camels；　of　which　fifty　were　laden　with　the　ivory　and　the　rest

ridden　by　our　escort　under　the　command　of　Har？t　and　our　three　selves。

But　there　was　an　evil　fate　upon　this　ivory；　as　on　everything　else　that

had　to　do　with　Jana。　Some　weeks　later　in　the　desert　a　great　sandstorm

overtook　us　in　which　we　barely　escaped　with　our　lives。　At　the　height

of　the　storm　the　ivory…laden　camels　broke　loose；　flying　before　it。

Probably　they　fell　and　were　buried　beneath　the　sand；　at　any　rate　of

the　fifty　we　only　recovered　ten。



Ragnall　wished　to　pay　me　the　value　of　the　remaining　loads；　which　ran

into　thousands　of　pounds；　but　I　would　not　take　the　money；　saying　it

was　outside　our　bargain。　Sometimes　since　then　I　have　thought　that　I

was　foolish；　especially　when　on　glancing　at　that　codicil　to　his　will

in　after　days；　the　same　which　he　had　given　me　before　the　battle；　I

found　that　he　had　set　me　down　for　a　legacy　of　￡10；000。　But　in　such

matters　every　man　must　follow　his　own　instinct。



The　White　Kendah；　an　unemotional　people　especially　now　when　they　were

mourning　for　their　lost　god　and　their　dead；　watched　us　go　without　any

demonstration　of　affection；　or　even　of　farewell。　Only　those

priestesses　who　had　attended　upon　the　person　of　Lady　Ragnall　while　she

played　a　divine　part　among　them　wept　when　they　parted　from　her；　and

uttered　prayers　that　they　might　meet　her　again　〃in　the　presence　of　the

Child。〃



The　pass　through　the　great　mountains　proved　hard　to　climb；　as　the

foothold　for　the　camels　was　bad。　But　we　managed　it　at　last；　most　of

the　way　on　foot；　pausing　a　little　while　on　their　crest　to　look　our

last　for　ever　at　the　land　which　we　had　left；　where　the　Mount　of　the

Child　was　still　dimly　visible。　Then　we　descended　their　farther　slope

and　entered　the　northern　desert。



Day　after　day　and　week　after　week　we　travelled　across　that　endless

desert　by　a　way　known　to　Har？t　on　which　water　could　be　found；　the　only

living　things　in　all　its　vastness；　meeting　with　no　accidents　save　that

of　the　sandstorm　in　which　the　ivory　was　lost。　I　was　much　alone　during

that　time；　since　Har？t　spoke　little　and　Ragnall　and　his　wife　were

wrapped　up　in　each　other。



At　length；　months　later；　we　struck　a　little　port　on　the　Red　Sea；　of

which　I　forget　the　Arab　name；　a　place　as　hot　as　the　infernal　regions。

Shortly　afterwards；　by　great　good　luck；　two　trading　vessels　put　in　for

water；　one　bound　for　Aden；　in　which　I　embarked　en　route　for　Natal；　and

the　other　for　the　port　of　Suez；　whence　Ragnall　and　his　wife　could

travel　overland　to　Alexandria。



Our　parting　was　so　hurried　at　the　last；　as　is　often　the　way　after　long

fellowship；　that　beyond　mutual　thanks　and　good　wishes　we　said　little

to　one　another。　I　can　see　them　now　standing　with　their　arms　about　each

other　watching　me　disappear。　Concerning　their　future　there　is　so　much

to　tell　that　of　it　I　shall　say　nothing；　at　any　rate　here　and　now；

except　that　Lady　Ragnall　was　right。　We　did　not　part　for　the　last　time。



As　I　shook　old　Har？t's　hand　in　farewell　he　told　me　that　he　was　going

on　to　Egypt；　and　I　asked　him　why。



〃Perchance　to　look　for　another　god；　Lord　Macumazana；〃　he　answered

gravely；　〃whom　now　there　is　no　Jana　to　destroy。　We　may　speak　of　that

matter　if　we　should　meet　again。〃



Such　are　some　of　the　things　that　I　remember　about　this　journey；　but　to

tell　truth　I　paid　little　attention　to　them　and　many　others。



For　oh！　my　heart　was　sore　because　of　Hans。











End