prester john-第44节

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The　wealth　did　not　dazzle　so　much　as　it　solemnized　me。　　I　had　no　impulse　to　spend　any　part　of　it　in　a　riot　of　folly。　　It　had　come　to　me　like　fairy　gold　out　of　the　void；　it　had　been　bought　with　men's　blood；　almost　with　my　own。　　I　wanted　to　get　away　to　a　quiet　place　and　think；　for　of　late　my　life　had　been　too　crowded　with　drama；　and　there　comes　a　satiety　of　action　as　well　as　of　idleness。　　Above　all　things　I　wanted　to　get　home。　They　gave　me　a　great　send…off；　and　sang　songs；　and　good　fellows　shook　my　hand　till　it　ached。　　The　papers　were　full　of　me；　and　there　was　a　banquet　and　speeches。　　But　I　could　not　relish　this　glory　as　I　ought；　for　I　was　like　a　boy　thrown　violently　out　of　his　bearings。　Not　till　I　was　in　the　train　nearing　Cape　Town　did　I　recover　my　equanimity。　　The　burden　of　the　past　seemed　to　slip　from　me　suddenly　as　on　the　morning　when　I　had　climbed　the　linn。　I　saw　my　life　all　lying　before　me；　and　already　I　had　won　success。　　I　thought　of　my　return　to　my　own　country；　my　first　sight　of　the　grey　shores　of　Fife；　my　visit　to　Kirkcaple；　my　meeting　with　my　mother。　　I　was　a　rich　man　now　who　could　choose　his　career；　and　my　mother　need　never　again　want　for　comfort。　　My　money　seemed　pleasant　to　me；　for　if　men　won　theirs　by　brains　or　industry；　I　had　won　mine　by　sterner　methods；　for　I　had　staked　against　it　my　life。　　I　sat　alone　in　the　railway　carriage　and　cried　with　pure　thankfulness。　　These　were　comforting　tears；　for　they　brought　me　back　to　my　old　common…　place　self。

My　last　memory　of　Africa　is　my　meeting　with　Tam　Dyke。　　I　caught　sight　of　him　in　the　streets　of　Cape　Town；　and　running　after　him；　clapped　him　on　the　shoulder。　　He　stared　at　me　as　if　he　had　seen　a　ghost。

'Is　it　yourself；　Davie？'　he　cried。　　'I　never　looked　to　see　you　again　in　this　world。　　I　do　nothing　but　read　about　you　in　the　papers。　　What　for　did　ye　not　send　for　me？　　Here　have　I　been　knocking　about　inside　a　ship　and　you　have　been　getting　famous。　　They　tell　me　you're　a　millionaire；　too。'

I　had　Tam　to　dinner　at　my　hotel；　and　later；　sitting　smoking　on　the　terrace　and　watching　the　flying…ants　among　the　aloes；　I　told　him　the　better　part　of　the　story　I　have　here　written　down。

'Man；　Davie；'　he　said　at　the　end；　'you've　had　a　tremendous　time。　　Here　are　you　not　eighteen　months　away　from　home；　and　you're　going　back　with　a　fortune。　　What　will　you　do　with　it？'　I　told　him　that　I　proposed；　to　begin　with；　to　finish　my　education　at　Edinburgh　College。　　At　this　he　roared　with　laughter。

'That's　a　dull　ending；　anyway。　　It's　me　that　should　have　the　money；　for　I'm　full　of　imagination。　　You　were　aye　a　prosaic　body；　Davie。'

'Maybe　I　am；'　I　said；　'but　I　am　very　sure　of　one　thing。　　If　I　hadn't　been　a　prosaic　body；　I　wouldn't　be　sitting　here　to…night。'


Two　years　later　Aitken　found　the　diamond　pipe；　which　he　had　always　believed　lay　in　the　mountains。　　Some　of　the　stones　in　the　cave；　being　unlike　any　ordinary　African　diamonds；　confirmed　his　suspicions　and　set　him　on　the　track。　　A　Kaffir　tribe　to　the　north…east　of　the　Rooirand　had　known　of　it；　but　they　had　never　worked　it；　but　only　collected　the　overspill。　　The　closing　down　of　one　of　the　chief　existing　mines　had　created　a　shortage　of　diamonds　in　the　world's　markets；　and　once　again　the　position　was　the　same　as　when　Kimberley　began。　　Accordingly　he　made　a　great　fortune；　and　to…day　the　Aitken　Proprietary　Mine　is　one　of　the　most　famous　in　the　country。　　But　Aitken　did　more　than　mine　diamonds；　for　he　had　not　forgotten　the　lesson　we　had　learned　together　in　the　work　of　resettlement。　　He　laid　down　a　big　fund　for　the　education　and　amelioration　of　the　native　races；　and　the　first　fruit　of　it　was　the　establishment　at　Blaauwildebeestefontein　itself　of　a　great　native　training　college。　　It　was　no　factory　for　making　missionaries　and　black　teachers；　but　an　institution　for　giving　the　Kaffirs　the　kind　of　training　which　fits　them　to　be　good　citizens　of　the　state。　　There　you　will　find　every　kind　of　technical　workshop；　and　the　finest　experimental　farms；　where　the　blacks　are　taught　modern　agriculture。　　They　have　proved　themselves　apt　pupils；　and　to…day　you　will　see　in　the　glens　of　the　Berg　and　in　the　plains　Kaffir　tillage　which　is　as　scientific　as　any　in　Africa。　　They　have　created　a　huge　export　trade　in　tobacco　and　fruit；　the　cotton　promises　well；　and　there　is　talk　of　a　new　fibre　which　will　do　wonders。　　Also　along　the　river　bottoms　the　india…rubber　business　is　prospering。

There　are　playing…fields　and　baths　and　reading…rooms　and　libraries　just　as　in　a　school　at　home。　　In　front　of　the　great　hall　of　the　college　a　statue　stands；　the　figure　of　a　black　man　shading　his　eyes　with　his　hands　and　looking　far　over　the　plains　to　the　Rooirand。　　On　the　pedestal　it　is　lettered　'Prester　John；'　but　the　face　is　the　face　of　Laputa。　　So　the　last　of　the　kings　of　Africa　does　not　lack　his　monument。

Of　this　institution　Mr　Wardlaw　is　the　head。　　He　writes　to　me　weekly；　for　I　am　one　of　the　governors；　as　well　as　an　old　friend；　and　from　a　recent　letter　I　take　this　passage：　…

'I　often　cast　my　mind　back　to　the　afternoon　when　you　and　I　sat　on　the　stoep　of　the　schoolhouse；　and　talked　of　the　Kaffirs　and　our　future。　　I　had　about　a　dozen　pupils　then；　and　now　I　have　nearly　three　thousand；　and　in　place　of　a　tin…roofed　shanty　and　a　yard；　I　have　a　whole　countryside。　　You　laughed　at　me　for　my　keenness；　Davie；　but　I've　seen　it　justified。　　I　was　never　a　man　of　war　like　you；　and　so　I　had　to　bide　at　home　while　you　and　your　like　were　straightening　out　the　troubles。　　But　when　it　was　all　over　my　job　began；　for　I　could　do　what　you　couldn't　do　…　I　was　the　physician　to　heal　wounds。　　You　mind　how　nervous　I　was　when　I　heard　the　drums　beat。　　I　hear　them　every　evening　now；　for　we　have　made　a　rule　that　all　the　Kaffir　farms　on　the　Berg　sound　a　kind　of　curfew。　　It　reminds　me　of　old　times；　and　tells　me　that　though　it　is　peace　nowadays　we　mean　to　keep　all　the　manhood　in　them　that　they　used　to　exercise　in　war。　　It　would　do　your　eyes　good　to　see　the　garden　we　have　made　out　of　the　Klein　Labongo　glen。　　The　place　is　one　big　orchard　with　every　kind　of　tropical　fruit　in　it；　and　the　irrigation　dam　is　as　full　of　fish　as　it　will　hold。　　Out　at　Umvelos'　there　is　a　tobacco…factory；　and　all　round　Sikitola's　we　have　square　miles　of　mealie　and　cotton　fields。　　The　loch　on　the　Rooirand　is　stocked　with　Lochleven　trout；　and　we　have　made　a　bridle…path　up　to　it　in　a　gully　east　of　the　one　you　climbed。　　You　ask　about　Machudi's。　　The　last　time　I　was　there　the　place　was　white　with　sheep；　for　we　have　got　the　edge　of　the　plateau　grazed　down；　and　sheep　can　get　the　short　bite　there。　　We　have　cleaned　up　all　the　kraals；　and　the　chiefs　are　members　of　our　county　council；　and　are　as　fond　of　hearing　their　own　voices　as　an　Aberdeen　bailie。　　It's　a　queer　transformation　we　have　wrought；　and　when　I　sit　and　smoke　my　pipe　in　the　evening；　and　look　over　the　plains　and　then　at　the　big　black　statue　you　and　Aitken　set　up；　I　thank　the　Providence　that　has　guided　me　so　far。　　I　hope　and　trust　that；　in　the　Bible　words；　〃the　wilderness　and　the　solitary　place　are　glad　for　us。〃　At　any　rate　it　will　not　be　my　fault　if　they　don't　〃blossom　as　the　rose〃。　　Come　out　and　visit　us　soon；　man；　and　see　the　work　you　had　a　hand　in　starting。　　。。。'

I　am　thinking　seriously　of　taking　Wardlaw's　advice。





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