prester john-第39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！



He　stretched　himself；　gasping；　and　in　the　growing　light　I　could　see　how　broken　he　was。　　His　cheeks　were　falling　in；　and　his　sombre　eyes　had　shrunk　back　in　their　sockets。　　He　seemed　an　old　worn　man　standing　there　among　the　ashes；　while　the　blood；　which　he　made　no　effort　to　staunch；　trickled　down　his　side　till　it　dripped　on　the　floor。　　He　had　ceased　to　be　the　Kaffir　king；　or　the　Christian　minister；　or　indeed　any　one　of　his　former　parts。　　Death　was　stripping　him　to　his　elements；　and　the　man　Laputa　stood　out　beyond　and　above　the　characters　he　had　played；　something　strange；　and　great；　and　moving；　and　terrible。

'We　met　for　the　first　time　three　days　ago；'　he　said；　'and　now　you　will　be　the　last　to　see　the　Inkulu。'

'Umvelos'　was　not　our　first　meeting；'　said　I。　　'Do　you　mind　the　Sabbath　eight　years　since　when　you　preached　in　the　Free　Kirk　at　Kirkcaple？　　I　was　the　boy　you　chased　from　the　shore；　and　I　flung　the　stone　that　blacked　your　eye。　　Besides；　I　came　out　from　England　with　you　and　Henriques；　and　I　was　in　the　boat　which　took　you　from　Durban　to　Delagoa　Bay。　　You　and　I　have　been　long　acquaint；　Mr　Laputa。'

'It　is　the　hand　of　God；'　he　said　solemnly。　　'Your　fate　has　been　twisted　with　mine；　and　now　you　will　die　with　me。'

I　did　not　understand　this　talk　about　dying。　　I　was　not　mortally　wounded　like　him；　and　I　did　not　think　Laputa　had　the　strength　to　kill　me　even　if　he　wished。　　But　my　mind　was　so　impassive　that　I　scarcely　regarded　his　words。

'I　will　make　you　rich；'　he　cried。　　'Crawfurd；　the　storekeeper；　will　be　the　richest　man　in　Africa。　　We　are　scattered；　and　our　wealth　is　another's。　　He　shall　have　the　gold　and　the　diamonds　…　all　but　the　Collar；　which　goes　with　me。'

He　staggered　into　a　dark　recess；　one　of　many　in　the　cave；　and　I　followed　him。　　There　were　boxes　there；　tea　chests；　cartridge　cases；　and　old　brass…ribbed　Portuguese　coffers。　Laputa　had　keys　at　his　belt；　and　unlocked　them；　his　fingers　fumbling　with　weakness。　　I　peered　in　and　saw　gold　coin　and　little　bags　of　stones。

'Money　and　diamonds；'　he　cried。　　'Once　it　was　the　war　chest　of　a　king；　and　now　it　will　be　the　hoard　of　a　trader。　　No；　by　the　Lord！　　The　trader's　place　is　with　the　Terrible　Ones。'　　An　arm　shot　out；　and　my　shoulder　was　fiercely　gripped。

'You　stole　my　horse。　　That　is　why　I　am　dying。　　But　for　you　I　and　my　army　would　be　over　the　Olifants。　　I　am　going　to　kill　you；　Crawfurd；'　and　his　fingers　closed　in　to　my　shoulder　blades。

Still　I　was　unperturbed。　　'No；　you　are　not。　　You　cannot。　　You　have　tried　to　and　failed。　　So　did　Henriques；　and　he　is　lying　dead　outside。　　I　am　in　God's　keeping；　and　cannot　die　before　my　time。'

I　do　not　know　if　he　heard　me；　but　at　any　rate　the　murderous　fit　passed。　　His　hand　fell　to　his　side　and　his　great　figure　tottered　out　into　the　cave。　　He　seemed　to　be　making　for　the　river；　but　he　turned　and　went　through　the　door　I　had　entered　by。　　I　heard　him　slipping　in　the　passage；　and　then　there　was　a　minute　of　silence。

Suddenly　there　came　a　grinding　sound；　followed　by　the　kind　of　muffled　splash　which　a　stone　makes　when　it　falls　into　a　deep　well。　　I　thought　Laputa　had　fallen　into　the　chasm；　but　when　I　reached　the　door　his　swaying　figure　was　coming　out　of　the　corridor。　　Then　I　knew　what　he　had　done。　　He　had　used　the　remnant　of　his　giant　strength　to　break　down　the　bridge　of　stone　across　the　gorge；　and　so　cut　off　my　retreat。

I　really　did　not　care。　　Even　if　I　had　got　over　the　bridge　I　should　probably　have　been　foiled　by　the　shut　turnstile。　　I　had　quite　forgotten　the　meaning　of　fear　of　death。

I　found　myself　giving　my　arm　to　the　man　who　had　tried　to　destroy　me。

'I　have　laid　up　for　you　treasure　in　heaven；'　he　said。　　'Your　earthly　treasure　is　in　the　boxes；　but　soon　you　will　be　seeking　incorruptible　jewels　in　the　deep　deep　water。　　It　is　cool　and　quiet　down　there；　and　you　forget　the　hunger　and　pain。'

The　man　was　getting　very　near　his　end。　　The　madness　of　despair　came　back　to　him；　and　he　flung　himself　among　the　ashes。

'We　are　going　to　die　together；　Crawfurd；'　he　said。　　'God　has　twined　our　threads；　and　there　will　be　only　one　cutting。　　Tell　me　what　has　become　of　my　army。'

'Arcoll　has　guns　on　the　Wolkberg；'　I　said。　　'They　must　submit　or　perish。'

'I　have　other　armies　。。。　　No；　no；　they　are　nothing。　　They　will　all　wander　and　blunder　and　fight　and　be　beaten。　　There　is　no　leader　anywhere　。。。　　And　I　am　dying。'

There　was　no　gainsaying　the　signs　of　death。　　I　asked　him　if　he　would　like　water；　but　he　made　no　answer。　　His　eyes　were　fixed　on　vacancy；　and　I　thought　I　could　realize　something　of　the　bitterness　of　that　great　regret。　　For　myself　I　was　as　cold　as　a　stone。　　I　had　no　exultation　of　triumph；　still　less　any　fear　of　my　own　fate。　　I　stood　silent；　the　half…remorseful　spectator　of　a　fall　like　the　fall　of　Lucifer。

'I　would　have　taught　the　world　wisdom。'　　Laputa　was　speaking　English　in　a　strange；　thin；　abstracted　voice。　　'There　would　have　been　no　king　like　me　since　Charlemagne；'　and　he　strayed　into　Latin　which　I　have　been　told　since　was　an　adaptation　of　the　Epitaph　of　Charles　the　Great。　　'Sub　hoc　conditorio；'　he　crooned；　'situm　est　corpus　Joannis；　magni　et　orthodoxi　Imperatoris；　qui　imperium　Africanum　nobiliter　ampliavit；　et　multos　per　annos　mundum　feliciter　rexit。'*　　He　must　have　chosen　this　epitaph　long　ago。　　　　　　　　　　　*'Under　this　stone　is　laid　the　body　of　John；　the　　　　　　great　and　orthodox　Emperor；　who　nobly　enlarged　the　　　　　　African　realm；　and　for　many　years　happily　ruled　　　　　　the　world。'

He　lay　for　a　few　seconds　with　his　head　on　his　arms；　his　breast　heaving　with　agony。

'No　one　will　come　after　me。　　My　race　is　doomed；　and　in　a　little　they　will　have　forgotten　my　name。　　I　alone　could　have　saved　them。　　Now　they　go　the　way　of　the　rest；　and　the　warriors　of　John　become　drudges　and　slaves。'

Something　clicked　in　his　throat；　he　gasped　and　fell　forward；　and　I　thought　he　was　dead。　　Then　he　struggled　as　if　to　rise。　　I　ran　to　him；　and　with　all　my　strength　aided　him　to　his　feet。

'Unarm；　Eros；'　he　cried。　　'The　long　day's　task　is　done。'　　With　the　strange　power　of　a　dying　man　he　tore　off　his　leopard…skin　and　belt　till　he　stood　stark　as　on　the　night　when　he　had　been　crowned。　　From　his　pouch　he　took　the　Prester's　Collar。　　Then　he　staggered　to　the　brink　of　the　chasm　where　the　wall　of　green　water　dropped　into　the　dark　depth　below。

I　watched；　fascinated；　as　with　the　weak　hands　of　a　child　he　twined　the　rubies　round　his　neck　and　joined　the　clasp。　　Then　with　a　last　effort　he　stood　straight　up　on　the　brink；　his　eyes　raised　to　the　belt　of　daylight　from　which　the　water　fell。　　The　light　caught　the　great　gems　and　called　fires　from　them；　the　flames　of　the　funeral　pyre　of　a　king。

Once　more　his　voice；　restored　for　a　moment　to　its　old　vigour；　rang　out　through　the　cave　above　the　din　of　the　cascade。　　His　words　were　those　which　the　Keeper　had　used　three　nights　before。　　With　his　hands　held　high　and　the　Collar　burning　on　his　neck　he　cried；　'The　Snake　returns　to　the　House　of　its　Birth。'

'Come；'　he　cried　to　me。　　'The　Heir　of　John　is　going　home。'　Then　he　leapt　into　the　gulf。　　There　was　no　sound　of　falling；　so　great　was　the　rush　of　water。　　He　must　have　been　whirled　into　the　open　below　where　the　bridge　used　to　be；　and　then　swept　into　the　underground　deeps；　where　the　Labongo　drowses　for　thirty　miles。　　Far　from　human　quest　he　sleeps　his　last　sleep；　and　perhaps　on　a　fragment　of　bone　washed　into　a　crevice　of　rock　there　may　hang　the　jewels　that　once　gleamed　in　Sheba's　hair。



CHAPTER　XXI　I　CLIMB　THE　CRAGS　A　SECOND　TIME


I　remember　that　I　looked　over　the　brink　into　the　yeasty　abyss　with　a　mind　hovering　between　perplexity　and　tears。　　I　wanted　to　sit　down　and　cry　…　why；　I　did　not　know；　except　that　some　great　thing　had　happened。　　My　brain　was　quite　clear　as　to　my　own　position。　　I　was　shut　in　this　place；　with　no　chance　of　escape　and　with　no　food。　　In　a　little　I　must　die　of　starvation；　or　go　mad　and　throw　myself　after　Laputa。　　And　yet　I　did　not　care　a　rush。　　My　nerves　had　been　tried　too　greatly　in　the　past　week。　Now　I　was　comatose；　and　beyond　hoping　or　fearing。

I　sat　for　a　long　time　watching　the　light　play　on　the　fretted　sheet　of　water　and　wondering　where　Laputa's　body　had　gone。　I　shivered　and　wished　he　had　not　left　me　alone；　for　the　darkness　would　come　in　time　and　I　had　no　matches。　　After　a　little　I　got　tired　of　doing　nothing；　and　went　groping　among　the　treasure　chests。　　One　or　two　were　full　of　coin　…　British　sovereigns；　Kruger　sovereigns；　Napoleons；　Spanish　and　Portuguese　gold　pieces；　and　many　older　coins　ranging　back　to　the　Middle　Ages　and　even　to　the　ancients。　　In　one　handful　there　was　a　splendid　gold　stater；　and　in　another　a　piece　of　Antoninus　Pius。　　The　treasure　had　been　collected　for　many　years　in　many　places；　contributions　of　chiefs　from　ancient　hoards　as　well　as　the　cash　received　from　I。D。B。　　I　untied　one　or　two　of　the　little　bags　of　stones　and　poured　the　contents　into　my　hands。　　Most　of　the　diamonds　were　small；　such　as　a　labourer　might　secrete　on　his　person。　　The　larger　ones　…　and　some　were　very　large　…　were　as　a　rule　discoloured；　looking　more　like　big　cairngorms。　　But　one　or　two　bags　had　big　stones　which　even　my　inexperienced　eye　told　me　were　of　the　purest　water。　　There　must　be　some　new　pipe；　I　thought；　for　these　could　not　have　been　stolen　from　any　known