prester john-第12节

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I　confess　I　was　startled　by　these　words。　　You　must　remember　that　I　had　never　given　a　hint　of　my　suspicions　to　Mr　Wardlaw　beyond　asking　him　if　a　wizard　lived　in　the　neighbourhood　…　a　question　anybody　might　have　put。　　But　here　was　the　schoolmaster　discovering　for　himself　some　mystery　in　Blaauwildebeestefontein。

I　tried　to　get　at　his　evidence；　but　it　was　very　little。　　He　thought　there　were　an　awful　lot　of　blacks　about。　　'The　woods　are　full　of　them；'　he　said。　　I　gathered　he　did　not　imagine　he　was　being　spied　on；　but　merely　felt　that　there　were　more　natives　about　than　could　be　explained。　'There's　another　thing；'　he　said。　　'The　native　bairns　have　all　left　the　school。　　I've　only　three　scholars　left；　and　they　are　from　Dutch　farms。　　I　went　to　Majinje　to　find　out　what　was　up；　and　an　old　crone　told　me　the　place　was　full　of　bad　men。　　I　tell　you；　Davie；　there's　something　brewing；　and　that　something　is　not　good　for　us。'

There　was　nothing　new　to　me　in　what　Wardlaw　had　to　tell；　and　yet　that　talk　late　at　night　by　a　dying　fire　made　me　feel　afraid　for　the　second　time　since　I　had　come　to　Blaauwildebeestefontein。　　I　had　a　clue　and　had　been　on　the　look…out　for　mysteries；　but　that　another　should　feel　the　strangeness　for　himself　made　it　seem　desperately　real　to　me。　　Of　course　I　scoffed　at　Mr　Wardlaw's　fears。　　I　could　not　have　him　spoiling　all　my　plans　by　crying　up　a　native　rising　for　which　he　had　not　a　scrap　of　evidence。

'Have　you　been　writing　to　anybody？'　I　asked　him。

He　said　that　he　had　told　no　one；　but　he　meant　to；　unless　things　got　better。　　'I　haven't　the　nerve　for　this　job；　Davie；'　he　said；　'I'll　have　to　resign。　　And　it's　a　pity；　for　the　place　suits　my　health　fine。　　You　see　I　know　too　much；　and　I　haven't　your　whinstone　nerve　and　total　lack　of　imagination。'

I　told　him　that　it　was　simply　fancy；　and　came　from　reading　too　many　books　and　taking　too　little　exercise。　　But　I　made　him　promise　to　say　nothing　to　anybody　either　by　word　of　mouth　or　letter；　without　telling　me　first。　　Then　I　made　him　a　rummer　of　toddy　and　sent　him　to　bed　a　trifle　comforted。

The　first　thing　I　did　in　my　new　room　was　to　shift　the　bed　into　the　corner　out　of　line　with　the　window。　　There　were　no　shutters；　so　I　put　up　an　old　table…top　and　jammed　it　between　the　window　frames。　　Also；　I　loaded　my　shot…gun　and　kept　it　by　my　bedside。　　Had　Wardlaw　seen　these　preparations　he　might　have　thought　more　of　my　imagination　and　less　of　my　nerve。　　It　was　a　real　comfort　to　me　to　put　out　a　hand　in　the　darkness　and

feel　Colin's　shaggy　coat。



CHAPTER　VI　THE　DRUMS　BEAT　AT　SUNSET


japp　was　drunk　for　the　next　day　or　two；　and　I　had　the　business　of　the　store　to　myself。　　I　was　glad　of　this；　for　it　gave　me　leisure　to　reflect　upon　the　various　perplexities　of　my　situation。　　As　I　have　said；　I　was　really　scared；　more　out　of　a　sense　of　impotence　than　from　dread　of　actual　danger。　　I　was　in　a　fog　of　uncertainty。　Things　were　happening　around　me　which　I　could　only　dimly　guess　at；　and　I　had　no　power　to　take　one　step　in　defence。　　That　Wardlaw　should　have　felt　the　same　without　any　hint　from　me　was　the　final　proof　that　the　mystery　was　no　figment　of　my　nerves。　　I　had　written　to　Colles　and　got　no　answer。　　Now　the　letter　with　Japp's　resignation　in　it　had　gone　to　Durban。　　Surely　some　notice　would　be　taken　of　that。　　If　I　was　given　the　post；　Colles　was　bound　to　consider　what　I　had　said　in　my　earlier　letter　and　give　me　some　directions。　　Meanwhile　it　was　my　business　to　stick　to　my　job　till　I　was　relieved。

A　change　had　come　over　the　place　during　my　absence。　　The　natives　had　almost　disappeared　from　sight。　　Except　the　few　families　living　round　Blaauwildebeestefontein　one　never　saw　a　native　on　the　roads；　and　none　came　into　the　store。　　They　were　sticking　close　to　their　locations；　or　else　they　had　gone　after　some　distant　business。　　Except　a　batch　of　three　Shangaans　returning　from　the　Rand；　I　had　nobody　in　the　store　for　the　whole　of　one　day。　　So　about　four　o'clock　I　shut　it　up；　whistled　on　Colin；　and　went　for　a　walk　along　the　Berg。

If　there　were　no　natives　on　the　road；　there　were　plenty　in　the　bush。　　I　had　the　impression；　of　which　Wardlaw　had　spoken；　that　the　native　population　of　the　countryside　had　suddenly　been　hugely　increased。　　The　woods　were　simply　hotching　with　them。　　I　was　being　spied　on　as　before；　but　now　there　were　so　many　at　the　business　that　they　could　not　all　conceal　their　tracks。　　Every　now　and　then　I　had　a　glimpse　of　a　black　shoulder　or　leg；　and　Colin；　whom　I　kept　on　the　leash；　was　half…mad　with　excitement。　　I　had　seen　all　I　wanted；　and　went　home　with　a　preoccupied　mind。　　I　sat　long　on　Wardlaw's　garden…seat；　trying　to　puzzle　out　the　truth　of　this　spying。

What　perplexed　me　was　that　I　had　been　left　unmolested　when　I　had　gone　to　Umvelos'。　　Now；　as　I　conjectured；　the　secret　of　the　neighbourhood；　whatever　it　was；　was　probably　connected　with　the　Rooirand。　　But　when　I　had　ridden　in　that　direction　and　had　spent　two　days　in　exploring；　no　one　had　troubled　to　watch　me。　　I　was　quite　certain　about　this；　for　my　eye　had　grown　quick　to　note　espionage；　and　it　is　harder　for　a　spy　to　hide　in　the　spare　bush　of　the　flats　than　in　the　dense　thickets　on　these　uplands。

The　watchers；　then；　did　not　mind　my　fossicking　round　their　sacred　place。　　Why；　then；　was　I　so　closely　watched　in　the　harmless　neighbourhood　of　the　store？　　I　thought　for　a　long　time　before　an　answer　occurred　to　me。　　The　reason　must　be　that　going　to　the　plains　I　was　going　into　native　country　and　away　from　civilization。　　But　Blaauwildebeestefontein　was　near　the　frontier。　　There　must　be　some　dark　business　brewing　of　which　they　may　have　feared　that　I　had　an　inkling。　　They　wanted　to　see　if　I　proposed　to　go　to　Pietersdorp　or　Wesselsburg　and　tell　what　I　knew；　and　they　clearly　were　resolved　that　I　should　not。　I　laughed；　I　remember；　thinking　that　they　had　forgotten　the　post…bag。　　But　then　I　reflected　that　I　knew　nothing　of　what　might　be　happening　daily　to　the　post…bag。

When　I　had　reached　this　conclusion；　my　first　impulse　was　to　test　it　by　riding　straight　west　on　the　main　road。　　If　I　was　right；　I　should　certainly　be　stopped。　　On　second　thoughts；　however；　this　seemed　to　me　to　be　flinging　up　the　game　prematurely；　and　I　resolved　to　wait　a　day　or　two　before　acting。

Next　day　nothing　happened；　save　that　my　sense　of　loneliness　increased。　　I　felt　that　I　was　being　hemmed　in　by　barbarism；　and　cut　off　in　a　ghoulish　land　from　the　succour　of　my　own　kind。　　I　only　kept　my　courage　up　by　the　necessity　of　presenting　a　brave　face　to　Mr　Wardlaw；　who　was　by　this　time　in　a　very　broken　condition　of　nerves。　　I　had　often　thought　that　it　was　my　duty　to　advise　him　to　leave；　and　to　see　him　safely　off；　but　I　shrank　from　severing　myself　from　my　only　friend。　　I　thought；　too；　of　the　few　Dutch　farmers　within　riding　distance；　and　had　half　a　mind　to　visit　them；　but　they　were　far　off　over　the　plateau　and　could　know　little　of　my　anxieties。

The　third　day　events　moved　faster。　　Japp　was　sober　and　wonderfully　quiet。　　He　gave　me　good…morning　quite　in　a　friendly　tone；　and　set　to　posting　up　the　books　as　if　he　had　never　misbehaved　in　his　days。　　I　was　so　busy　with　my　thoughts　that　I；　too；　must　have　been　gentler　than　usual；　and　the　morning　passed　like　a　honeymoon；　till　I　went　across　to　dinner。

I　was　just　sitting　down　when　I　remembered　that　I　had　left　my　watch　in　my　waistcoat　behind　the　counter；　and　started　to　go　back　for　it。　　But　at　the　door　I　stopped　short。　　For　two　horsemen　had　drawn　up　before　the　store。

One　was　a　native　with　what　I　took　to　be　saddle…bags；　the　other　was　a　small　slim　man　with　a　sun　helmet；　who　was　slowly　dismounting。　　Something　in　the　cut　of　his　jib　struck　me　as　familiar。　　I　slipped　into　the　empty　schoolroom　and　stared　hard。　Then；　as　he　half…turned　in　handing　his　bridle　to　the　Kaffir；　I　got　a　sight　of　his　face。　　It　was　my　former　shipmate；　Henriques。　He　said　something　to　his　companion；　and　entered　the　store。

You　may　imagine　that　my　curiosity　ran　to　fever…heat。　　My　first　impulse　was　to　march　over　for　my　waistcoat；　and　make　a　third　with　Japp　at　the　interview。　　Happily　I　reflected　in　time　that　Henriques　knew　my　face；　for　I　had　grown　no　beard；　having　a　great　dislike　to　needless　hair。　　If　he　was　one　of　the　villains　in　the　drama；　he　would　mark　me　down　for　his　vengeance　once　he　knew　I　was　here；　whereas　at　present　he　had　probably　forgotten　all　about　me。　　Besides；　if　I　walked　in　boldly　I　would　get　no　news。　　If　japp　and　he　had　a　secret；　they　would　not　blab　it　in　my　presence。

My　next　idea　was　to　slip　in　by　the　back　to　the　room　I　had　once　lived　in。　　But　how　was　I　to　cross　the　road？　　It　ran　white　and　dry　some　distance　each　way　in　full　view　of　the　Kaffir　with　the　horses。　　Further；　the　store　stood　on　a　bare　patch；　and　it　would　be　a　hard　job　to　get　in　by　the　back；　assuming；　as　I　believed；　that　the　neighbourhood　was　thick　with　spies。

The　upshot　was　that　I　got　my　glasses　and　turned　them　on　the　store。　　The　door　was　open；　and　so　was　the　window。　　In　the　gloom　of　the　interior　I　made　out　Henriques'　legs。　　He　was　standing　by　the　counter；　and　apparently　talking　to　Japp。　　He　moved　to　shut　the　door；　and　came　back　inside　my　focus　opposite　the　window。　　There　he　stayed　for　maybe　ten　minutes；　while　I　hugged　my　impatience。　　I　would　have　given　a　hundred　pounds　to　be　snug　in　my　old　room　with　japp　thin