prester john-第13节

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tience。　　I　would　have　given　a　hundred　pounds　to　be　snug　in　my　old　room　with　japp　thinking　me　out　of　the　store。

Suddenly　the　legs　twitched　up；　and　his　boots　appeared　above　the　counter。　　Japp　had　invited　him　to　his　bedroom；　and　the　game　was　now　to　be　played　beyond　my　ken。　　This　was　more　than　I　could　stand；　so　I　stole　out　at　the　back　door　and　took　to　the　thickest　bush　on　the　hillside。　　My　notion　was　to　cross　the　road　half　a　mile　down；　when　it　had　dropped　into　the　defile　of　the　stream；　and　then　to　come　swiftly　up　the　edge　of　the　water　so　as　to　effect　a　back　entrance　into　the　store。

As　fast　as　I　dared　I　tore　through　the　bush；　and　in　about　a　quarter　of　an　hour　had　reached　the　point　I　was　making　for。　Then　I　bore　down　to　the　road；　and　was　in　the　scrub　about　ten　yards　off　it；　when　the　clatter　of　horses　pulled　me　up　again。　Peeping　out　I　saw　that　it　was　my　friend　and　his　Kaffir　follower；　who　were　riding　at　a　very　good　pace　for　the　plains。　　Toilfully　and　crossly　I　returned　on　my　tracks　to　my　long…delayed　dinner。　Whatever　the　purport　of　their　talk；　Japp　and　the　Portuguese　had　not　taken　long　over　it。

In　the　store　that　afternoon　I　said　casually　to　Japp　that　I　had　noticed　visitors　at　the　door　during　my　dinner　hour。　　The　old　man　looked　me　frankly　enough　in　the　face。　　'Yes；　it　was　Mr　Hendricks；'　he　said；　and　explained　that　the　man　was　a　Portuguese　trader　from　Delagoa　way；　who　had　a　lot　of　Kaffir　stores　east　of　the　Lebombo　Hills。　　I　asked　his　business；　and　was　told　that　he　always　gave　Japp　a　call　in　when　he　was　passing。

'Do　you　take　every　man　that　calls　into　your　bedroom；　and　shut　the　door？'　I　asked。

Japp　lost　colour　and　his　lip　trembled。　　'I　swear　to　God；　Mr　Crawfurd；　I've　been　doing　nothing　wrong。　　I've　kept　the　promise　I　gave　you　like　an　oath　to　my　mother。　　I　see　you　suspect　me；　and　maybe　you've　cause；　but　I'll　be　quite　honest　with　you。　　I　have　dealt　in　diamonds　before　this　with　Hendricks。　But　to…day；　when　he　asked　me；　I　told　him　that　that　business

was　off。　　I　only　took　him　to　my　room　to　give　him　a　drink。　　He　likes　brandy；　and　there's　no　supply　in　the　shop。'

I　distrusted　Japp　wholeheartedly　enough；　but　I　was　convinced　that　in　this　case　he　spoke　the　truth。　'Had　the　man　any　news？'　I　asked。

'He　had　and　he　hadn't；'　said　Japp。　　'He　was　always　a　sullen　beggar；　and　never　spoke　much。　　But　he　said　one　queer　thing。　He　asked　me　if　I　was　going　to　retire；　and　when　I　told　him　〃yes；〃　he　said　I　had　put　it　off　rather　long。　　I　told　him　I　was　as　healthy　as　I　ever　was；　and　he　laughed　in　his　dirty　Portugoose　way。　　〃Yes；　Mr　Japp；〃　he　says；　〃but　the　country　is　not　so　healthy。〃　I　wonder　what　the　chap　meant。　　He'll　be　dead　of　blackwater　before　many　months；　to　judge　by　his　eyes。'

This　talk　satisfied　me　about　Japp；　who　was　clearly　in　desperate　fear　of　offending　me；　and　disinclined　to　return　for　the　present　to　his　old　ways。　　But　I　think　the　rest　of　the　afternoon　was　the　most　wretched　time　in　my　existence。　　It　was　as　plain　as　daylight　that　we　were　in　for　some　grave　trouble；　trouble　to　which　I　believed　that　I　alone　held　any　kind　of　clue。　　I　had　a　pile　of　evidence　…　the　visit　of　Henriques　was　the　last　bit　…　which　pointed　to　some　great　secret　approaching　its　disclosure。　I　thought　that　that　disclosure　meant　blood　and　ruin。　　But　I　knew　nothing　definite。　　If　the　commander　of　a　British　army　had　come　to　me　then　and　there　and　offered　help；　I　could　have　done　nothing；　only　asked　him　to　wait　like　me。　　The　peril；　whatever　it　was；　did　not　threaten　me　only；　though　I　and　Wardlaw　and　Japp　might　be　the　first　to　suffer；　but　I　had　a　terrible　feeling　that　I　alone　could　do　something　to　ward　it　off；　and　just　what　that　something　was　I　could　not　tell。　　I　was　horribly　afraid；　not　only　of　unknown　death；　but　of　my　impotence　to　play　any　manly　part。　　I　was　alone；　knowing　too　much　and　yet　too　little；　and　there　was　no　chance　of　help　under　the　broad　sky。　　I　cursed　myself　for　not　writing　to　Aitken　at　Lourenco　Marques　weeks　before。　　He　had　promised　to　come　up；　and　he　was　the　kind　of　man　who　kept　his　word。

In　the　late　afternoon　I　dragged　Wardlaw　out　for　a　walk。　　In　his　presence　I　had　to　keep　up　a　forced　cheerfulness；　and　I　believe　the　pretence　did　me　good。　　We　took　a　path　up　the　Berg　among　groves　of　stinkwood　and　essenwood；　where　a　failing　stream　made　an　easy　route。　　It　may　have　been　fancy；　but　it　seemed　to　me　that　the　wood　was　emptier　and　that　we　were　followed　less　closely。　　I　remember　it　was　a　lovely　evening；　and　in　the　clear　fragrant　gloaming　every　foreland　of　the　Berg　stood　out　like　a　great　ship　above　the　dark　green　sea　of　the　bush。　When　we　reached　the　edge　of　the　plateau　we　saw　the　sun　sinking　between　two　far　blue　peaks　in　Makapan's　country；　and　away　to　the　south　the　great　roll　of　the　high　veld。　　I　longed　miserably　for　the　places　where　white　men　were　thronged　together　in　dorps　and　cities。　As　we　gazed　a　curious　sound　struck　our　ears。　　It　seemed　to　begin　far　up　in　the　north　…　a　low　roll　like　the　combing　of　breakers　on　the　sand。　　Then　it　grew　louder　and　travelled　nearer　…　a　roll；　with　sudden　spasms　of　harsher　sound　in　it；　reminding　me　of　the　churning　in　one　of　the　pot…holes　of　Kirkcaple　cliffs。　　Presently　it　grew　softer　again　as　the　sound　passed　south；　but　new　notes　were　always　emerging。　　The　echo　came　sometimes；　as　it　were；　from　stark　rock；　and　sometimes　from　the　deep　gloom　of　the　forests。　　I　have　never　heard　an　eerier　sound。　　Neither　natural　nor　human　it　seemed；　but　the　voice　of　that　world　between　which　is　hid　from　man's　sight　and　hearing。

Mr　Wardlaw　clutched　my　arm；　and　in　that　moment　I　guessed　the　explanation。　　The　native　drums　were　beating；　passing　some　message　from　the　far　north　down　the　line　of　the　Berg；　where　the　locations　were　thickest；　to　the　great　black　population　of　the　south。

'But　that　means　war；'　Mr　Wardlaw　cried。

'It　means　nothing　of　the　kind；'　I　said　shortly。　　'It's　their　way　of　sending　news。　　It's　as　likely　to　be　some　change　in　the　weather　or　an　outbreak　of　cattle　disease。'

When　we　got　home　I　found　Japp　with　a　face　like　grey　paper。　'Did　you　hear　the　drums？'he　asked。

'Yes；'　I　said　shortly。　　'What　about　them？'

'God　forgive　you　for　an　ignorant　Britisher；'　he　almost　shouted。　　'You　may　hear　drums　any　night；　but　a　drumming　like　that　I　only　once　heard　before。　　It　was　in　'79　in　the　'Zeti　valley。　Do　you　know　what　happened　next　day？　　Cetewayo's　impis　came　over　the　hills；　and　in　an　hour　there　wasn't　a　living　white　soul　in　the　glen。　　Two　men　escaped；　and　one　of　them　was　called　Peter　Japp。'

'We　are　in　God's　hands　then；　and　must　wait　on　His　will；'　I　said　solemnly。

There　was　no　more　sleep　for　Wardlaw　and　myself　that　night。　We　made　the　best　barricade　we　could　of　the　windows；　loaded　all　our　weapons；　and　trusted　to　Colin　to　give　us　early　news。　Before　supper　I　went　over　to　get　Japp　to　join　us；　but　found　that　that　worthy　had　sought　help　from　his　old　protector；　the　bottle；　and　was　already　sound　asleep　with　both　door　and　window　open。

I　had　made　up　my　mind　that　death　was　certain；　and　yet　my　heart　belied　my　conviction；　and　I　could　not　feel　the　appropriate　mood。　　If　anything　I　was　more　cheerful　since　I　had　heard　the　drums。　　It　was　clearly　now　beyond　the　power　of　me　or　any　man　to　stop　the　march　of　events。　　My　thoughts　ran　on　a　native　rising；　and　I　kept　telling　myself　how　little　that　was　probable。　Where　were　the　arms；　the　leader；　the　discipline？　　At　any　rate　such　arguments　put　me　to　sleep　before　dawn；　and　I　wakened　at　eight　to　find　that　nothing　had　happened。　　The　clear　morning　sunlight；　as　of　old；　made　Blaauwildebeestefontein　the　place　of　a　dream。　　Zeeta　brought　in　my　cup　of　coffee　as　if　this　day　were　just　like　all　others；　my　pipe　tasted　as　sweet；　the　fresh　air　from　the　Berg　blew　as　fragrantly　on　my　brow。　　I　went　over　to　the　store　in　reasonably　good　spirits；　leaving　Wardlaw　busy　on　the　penitential　Psalms。

The　post…runner　had　brought　the　mail　as　usual；　and　there　was　one　private　letter　for　me。　　I　opened　it　with　great　excitement；　for　the　envelope　bore　the　stamp　of　the　firm。　　At　last　Colles　had　deigned　to　answer。

Inside　was　a　sheet　of　the　firm's　notepaper；　with　the　signature　of　Colles　across　the　top。　　Below　some　one　had　pencilled　these　five　words：


'The　Blesbok*　are　changing　ground。'　　　　　　　　　　　*A　species　of　buck。

I　looked　to　see　that　Japp　had　not　suffocated　himself；　then　shut　up　the　store；　and　went　back　to　my　room　to　think　out　this　new　mystification。

The　thing　had　come　from　Colles；　for　it　was　the　private　notepaper　of　the　Durban　office；　and　there　was　Colles'　signature。　But　the　pencilling　was　in　a　different　hand。　　My　deduction　from　this　was　that　some　one　wished　to　send　me　a　message；　and　that　Colles　had　given　that　some　one　a　sheet　of　signed　paper　to　serve　as　a　kind　of　introduction。　　I　might　take　it；　therefore；　that　the　scribble　was　Colles'　reply　to　my　letter。

Now；　my　argument　continued；　if　the　unknown　person　saw　fit　to　send　me　a　message；　it　could　not　be　merely　one　of　warning。　Colles　must　have　told　him　that　I　was　awake　to　some　danger；　and　as　I　was　in　Blaauwildebeestefontein；　I　must　be　nearer　the　heart　of　things　than　any　one　else。　　The　message　must　therefore　be　in　the　nature　of　some　password；　which　I　was　to　remember　when　I　heard　it　again。

I　reasoned　the　whole　thing　out　very　clearly；　and　I　saw　no　gap　in　my　logic。　　I　cannot　describe　how　that　scribble　had　hear