prester john-第4节

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o　make　a　long　story　short；　when　I　put　your　case　to　him；　he　promised　you　a　place。　　I　had　a　wire　from　him　this　morning　confirming　the　offer。　　You　are　to　be　assistant　storekeeper　at　…'　（my　uncle　fumbled　in　his　pocket；　and　then　read　from　the　yellow　slip）　'at　Blaauwildebeestefontein。　　There's　a　mouthful　for　you。'

In　this　homely　way　I　first　heard　of　a　place　which　was　to　be　the　theatre　of　so　many　strange　doings。

'It's　a　fine　chance　for　you；'　my　uncle　continued。　　'You'll　only　be　assistant　at　first；　but　when　you　have　learned　your　job　you'll　have　a　store　of　your　own。　　Mackenzie's　people　will　pay　you　three　hundred　pounds　a　year；　and　when　you　get　a　store　you'll　get　a　percentage　on　sales。　　It　lies　with　you　to　open　up　new　trade　among　the　natives。　　I　hear　that　Blaauw　…　something　or　other；　is　in　the　far　north　of　the　Transvaal；　and　I　see　from　the　map　that　it　is　in　a　wild；　hilly　country。　　You　may　find　gold　or　diamonds　up　there；　and　come　back　and　buy　Portincross　House。'　　My　uncle　rubbed　his　hands　and　smiled　cheerily。

Truth　to　tell　I　was　both　pleased　and　sad。　　If　a　learned　profession　was　denied　me　I　vastly　preferred　a　veld　store　to　an　Edinburgh　office　stool。　　Had　I　not　been　still　under　the　shadow　of　my　father's　death　I　might　have　welcomed　the　chance　of　new　lands　and　new　folk。　　As　it　was；　I　felt　the　loneliness　of　an　exile。　That　afternoon　I　walked　on　the　Braid　Hills；　and　when　I　saw　in　the　clear　spring　sunlight　the　coast　of　Fife；　and　remembered　Kirkcaple　and　my　boyish　days；　I　could　have　found　it　in　me　to　sit　down　and　cry。

A　fortnight　later　I　sailed。　　My　mother　bade　me　a　tearful　farewell；　and　my　uncle；　besides　buying　me　an　outfit　and　paying　my　passage　money；　gave　me　a　present　of　twenty　sovereigns。　'You'll　not　be　your　mother's　son；　Davie；'　were　his　last　words；　'if　you　don't　come　home　with　it　multiplied　by　a　thousand。'　　I　thought　at　the　time　that　I　would　give　more　than　twenty　thousand　pounds　to　be　allowed　to　bide　on　the　windy　shores　of　Forth。


I　sailed　from　Southampton　by　an　intermediate　steamer；　and　went　steerage　to　save　expense。　　Happily　my　acute　homesickness　was　soon　forgotten　in　another　kind　of　malady。　　It　blew　half　a　gale　before　we　were　out　of　the　Channel；　and　by　the　time　we　had　rounded　Ushant　it　was　as　dirty　weather　as　ever　I　hope　to　see。　　I　lay　mortal　sick　in　my　bunk；　unable　to　bear　the　thought　of　food；　and　too　feeble　to　lift　my　head。　　I　wished　I　had　never　left　home；　but　so　acute　was　my　sickness　that　if　some　one　had　there　and　then　offered　me　a　passage　back　or　an　immediate　landing　on　shore　I　should　have　chosen　the　latter。

It　was　not　till　we　got　into　the　fair…weather　seas　around　Madeira　that　I　recovered　enough　to　sit　on　deck　and　observe　my　fellow…passengers。　　There　were　some　fifty　of　us　in　the　steerage；　mostly　wives　and　children　going　to　join　relations；　with　a　few　emigrant　artisans　and　farmers。　　I　early　found　a　friend　in　a　little　man　with　a　yellow　beard　and　spectacles；　who　sat　down　beside　me　and　remarked　on　the　weather　in　a　strong　Scotch　accent。　　He　turned　out　to　be　a　Mr　Wardlaw　from　Aberdeen；　who　was　going　out　to　be　a　schoolmaster。　　He　was　a　man　of　good　education；　who　had　taken　a　university　degree；　and　had　taught　for　some　years　as　an　under…master　in　a　school　in　his　native　town。　　But　the　east　winds　had　damaged　his　lungs；　and　he　had　been　glad　to　take　the　chance　of　a　poorly　paid　country　school　in　the　veld。　　When　I　asked　him　where　he　was　going　I　was　amazed　to　be　told；　'Blaauwildebeestefontein。'

Mr　Wardlaw　was　a　pleasant　little　man；　with　a　sharp　tongue　but　a　cheerful　temper。　　He　laboured　all　day　at　primers　of　the　Dutch　and　Kaffir　languages；　but　in　the　evening　after　supper　he　would　walk　with　me　on　the　after…deck　and　discuss　the　future。　　Like　me；　he　knew　nothing　of　the　land　he　was　going　to；　but　he　was　insatiably　curious；　and　he　affected　me　with　his　interest。　　'This　place；　Blaauwildebeestefontein；'　he　used　to　say；　'is　among　the　Zoutpansberg　mountains；　and　as　far　as　I　can　see；　not　above　ninety　miles　from　the　railroad。　　It　looks　from　the　map　a　well…watered　country；　and　the　Agent…General　in　London　told　me　it　was　healthy　or　I　wouldn't　have　taken　the　job。　　It　seems　we'll　be　in　the　heart　of　native　reserves　up　there；　for　here's　a　list　of　chiefs　…　'Mpefu；　Sikitola；　Majinje；　Magata；　and　there　are　no　white　men　living　to　the　east　of　us　because　of　the　fever。　　The　name　means　the　〃spring　of　the　blue　wildebeeste；〃　whatever　fearsome　animal　that　may　be。　　It　sounds　like　a　place　for　adventure；　Mr　Crawfurd。　　You'll　exploit　the　pockets　of　the　black　men　and　I'll　see　what　I　can　do　with　their　minds。'　There　was　another　steerage　passenger　whom　I　could　not　help　observing　because　of　my　dislike　of　his　appearance。　　He；　too；　was　a　little　man；　by　name　Henriques；　and　in　looks　the　most　atrocious　villain　I　have　ever　clapped　eyes　on。　　He　had　a　face　the　colour　of　French　mustard　…　a　sort　of　dirty　green　…　and　bloodshot；　beady　eyes　with　the　whites　all　yellowed　with　fever。　He　had　waxed　moustaches；　and　a　curious；　furtive　way　of　walking　and　looking　about　him。　　We　of　the　steerage　were　careless　in　our　dress；　but　he　was　always　clad　in　immaculate　white　linen；　with　pointed；　yellow　shoes　to　match　his　complexion。　　He　spoke　to　no　one；　but　smoked　long　cheroots　all　day　in　the　stern　of　the　ship；　and　studied　a　greasy　pocket…book。　Once　I　tripped　over　him　in　the　dark；　and　he　turned　on　me　with　a　snarl　and　an　oath。　　I　was　short　enough　with　him　in　return；　and　he　looked　as　if　he　could　knife　me。

'I'll　wager　that　fellow　has　been　a　slave…driver　in　his　time；'　I　told　Mr　Wardlaw；　who　said；　'God　pity　his　slaves；　then。'

And　now　I　come　to　the　incident　which　made　the　rest　of　the　voyage　pass　all　too　soon　for　me；　and　foreshadowed　the　strange　events　which　were　to　come。　　It　was　the　day　after　we　crossed　the　Line；　and　the　first…class　passengers　were　having　deck　sports。　　A　tug…of…war　had　been　arranged　between　the　three　classes；　and　a　half…dozen　of　the　heaviest　fellows　in　the　steerage；　myself　included；　were　invited　to　join。　　It　was　a　blazing　hot　afternoon；　but　on　the　saloon　deck　there　were　awnings　and　a　cool　wind　blowing　from　the　bows。　　The　first…class　beat　the　second　easily；　and　after　a　tremendous　struggle　beat　the　steerage　also。　　Then　they　regaled　us　with　iced…drinks　and　cigars　to　celebrate　the　victory。

I　was　standing　at　the　edge　of　the　crowd　of　spectators；　when　my　eye　caught　a　figure　which　seemed　to　have　little　interest　in　our　games。　　A　large　man　in　clerical　clothes　was　sitting　on　a　deck…chair　reading　a　book。　　There　was　nothing　novel　about　the　stranger；　and　I　cannot　explain　the　impulse　which　made　me　wish　to　see　his　face。　　I　moved　a　few　steps　up　the　deck；　and　then　I　saw　that　his　skin　was　black。　　I　went　a　little　farther；　and　suddenly　he　raised　his　eyes　from　his　book　and　looked　round。　It　was　the　face　of　the　man　who　had　terrified　me　years　ago　on　the　Kirkcaple　shore。

I　spent　the　rest　of　the　day　in　a　brown　study。　　It　was　clear　to　me　that　some　destiny　had　prearranged　this　meeting。　　Here　was　this　man　travelling　prosperously　as　a　first…class　passenger　with　all　the　appurtenances　of　respectability。　　I　alone　had　seen　him　invoking　strange　gods　in　the　moonlight；　I　alone　knew　of　the　devilry　in　his　heart；　and　I　could　not　but　believe　that　some　day　or　other　there　might　be　virtue　in　that　knowledge。

The　second　engineer　and　I　had　made　friends；　so　I　got　him　to　consult　the　purser's　list　for　the　name　of　my　acquaintance。　He　was　down　as　the　Rev。　　John　Laputa；　and　his　destination　was　Durban。　The　next　day　being　Sunday；　who　should　appear　to　address　us　steerage　passengers　but　the　black　minister。　　He　was　introduced　by　the　captain　himself；　a　notably　pious　man；　who　spoke　of　the　labours　of　his　brother　in　the　dark　places　of　heathendom。　Some　of　us　were　hurt　in　our　pride　in　being　made　the　target　of　a　black　man's　oratory。　　Especially　Mr　Henriques；　whose　skin　spoke　of　the　tar…brush；　protested　with　oaths　against　the　insult。　Finally　he　sat　down　on　a　coil　of　rope；　and　spat　scornfully　in　the　vicinity　of　the　preacher。

For　myself　I　was　intensely　curious；　and　not　a　little　impressed。　　The　man's　face　was　as　commanding　as　his　figure；　and　his　voice　was　the　most　wonderful　thing　that　ever　came　out　of　human　mouth。　　It　was　full　and　rich；　and　gentle；　with　the　tones　of　a　great　organ。　　He　had　none　of　the　squat　and　preposterous　negro　lineaments；　but　a　hawk　nose　like　an　Arab；　dark　flashing　eyes；　and　a　cruel　and　resolute　mouth。　　He　was　black　as　my　hat；　but　for　the　rest　he　might　have　sat　for　a　figure　of　a　Crusader。　　I　do　not　know　what　the　sermon　was　about；　though　others　told　me　that　it　was　excellent。　　All　the　time　I　watched　him；　and　kept　saying　to　myself；　'You　hunted　me　up　the　Dyve　Burn；　but　I　bashed　your　face　for　you。'　　Indeed；　I　thought　I　could　see　faint　scars　on　his　cheek。

The　following　night　I　had　toothache；　and　could　not　sleep。　　It　was　too　hot　to　breathe　under　cover；　so　I　got　up；　lit　a　pipe；　and　walked　on　the　after…deck　to　ease　the　pain。　　The　air　was　very　still；　save　for　the　whish　of　water　from　the　screws　and　the　steady　beat　of　the　engines。　　Above；　a　great　yellow　moon　looked　down　on　me；　and　a　host　of　pale　stars。

The　moonlight　set　me　remembering　the　old　affair　of　the　Dyve　Burn；　and　my　mind　began　to　run　on　the　Rev。　　John　Laputa。　　It　pleased　me　to　think　that　I　was　on　the　track　of　some　mystery　of　which　I　alone　had　the　clue。　　I　promised　myself　to　search　o