the ivory child-第12章

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！



our　company。〃



At　this　point　it　was　my　turn　to　shiver　and　become　pale；　as　any　may

guess　who　may　have　chanced　to　read　the　history　of　Mameena；　and　the

turn　of　Miss　Holmes　to　watch　/me/　with　animated　interest。



〃O　Slayer　of　evil　men　and　beasts！〃　they　went　on；　in　their　rich…voiced；

monotonous　chant；　〃who；　as　our　magic　tells　us；　are　destined　to　deliver

our　land　from　the　terrible　scourge；　we　greet　you；　we　bow　before　you；

we　acknowledge　you　as　our　lord　and　brother；　to　whom　we　vow　safety

among　us　and　in　the　desert；　to　whom　we　promise　a　great　reward。〃



Again　they　bowed；　once；　twice；　thrice；　then　stood　silent　before　me

with　folded　arms。



〃What　on　earth　are　they　saying？〃　asked　Scroope。　〃I　could　catch　a　few

words〃he　knew　a　little　kitchen　Zulu〃but　not　much。〃



I　told　him　briefly　while　the　others　listened。



〃What　does　Mameena　mean？〃　asked　Miss　Holmes；　with　a　horrible

acuteness。　〃Is　it　a　woman's　name？〃



Hearing　her；　Har？t　and　Mar？t　bowed　as　though　doing　reverence　to　that

name。　I　am　sorry　to　say　that　at　this　point　I　grew　confused；　though

really　there　was　no　reason　why　I　should；　and　muttered　something　about

a　native　girl　who　had　made　trouble　in　her　day。



Miss　Holmes　and　the　other　ladies　looked　at　me　with　amused　disbelief；

and　to　my　dismay　the　venerable　Har？t　turned　to　Miss　Holmes；　and　with

his　inevitable　bow；　said　in　broken　English：



〃Mameena　very　beautiful　woman；　perhaps　more　beautiful　than　you；　lady。

Mameena　love　the　white　lord　Macumazana。　She　love　him　while　she　live；

she　love　him　now　she　dead。　She　tell　me　so　again　just　now。　You　ask

white　lord　tell　you　pretty　story　of　how　he　kiss　her　before　she　kill

herself。〃



Needless　to　say　all　this　very　misleading　information　was　received　by

the　audience　with　an　attention　that　I　can　but　call　rapt；　and　in　a　kind

of　holy　silence　which　was　broken　only　by　a　sudden　burst　of　sniggering

on　the　part　of　Scroope。　I　favoured　him　with　my　fiercest　frown。　Then　I

fell　upon　that　venerable　villain　Har？t；　and　belaboured　him　in　Bantu；

while　the　audience　listened　as　intently　as　though　they　understood。



I　asked　him　what　he　meant　by　coming　here　to　asperse　my　character。　I

asked　him　who　the　deuce　he　was。　I　asked　him　how　he　came　to　know

anything　about　Mameena；　and　finally　I　told　him　that　soon　or　late　I

would　be　even　with　him；　and　paused　exhausted。



He　stood　there　looking　for　all　the　world　like　a　statue　of　the

patriarch　Job　as　I　imagine　him；　and　when　I　had　done；　replied　without

moving　a　muscle　and　in　English：



〃O　Lord；　Zikali；　Zulu　wizard；　friend　of　mine！　All　great　wizard　friend

just　like　all　elephant　and　all　snake。　Zikali　make　me　know　Mameena；　and

she　tell　me　story　and　send　you　much　love；　and　say　she　wait　for　you

always。〃　（More　sniggers　from　Scroope；　and　still　intenser　interest

evinced　by　Miss　Holmes　and　others。）　〃If　you　like；　I　show　you　Mameena

'fore　I　go。〃　（Murmurs　from　Miss　Holmes　and　Miss　Manners　of　〃Oh；

/please/　do！〃）　〃But　that　very　little　business；　for　what　one　long…ago

lady　out　of　so　many？〃



Then　suddenly　he　broke　into　Bantu；　and　added：　〃A　jest　is　a　jest；

Macumazana；　though　often　there　is　meaning　in　a　jest；　and　you　shall　see

Mameena　if　you　will。　I　come　here　to　ask　you　to　do　my　people　a　service

for　which　you　shall　not　lack　reward。　We；　the　White　Kendah；　the　People

of　the　Child；　are　at　war　with　the　Black　Kendah；　our　subjects　who

outnumber　us。　The　Black　Kendah　have　an　evil　spirit　for　a　god；　which

spirit　from　the　beginning　has　dwelt　in　the　largest　elephant　in　all　the

world；　a　beast　that　none　can　kill；　but　which　kills　many　and　bewitches

more。　While　that　elephant；　which　is　named　Jana；　lives　we；　the　People

of　the　Child；　go　in　terror；　for　day　by　day　it　destroys　us。　We　have

learnedhow　it　does　not　matterthat　you　alone　can　kill　that

elephant。　If　you　will　come　and　kill　it；　we　will　show　you　the　place

where　all　the　elephants　go　to　die；　and　you　shall　take　their　ivory；

many　wagon…loads；　and　grow　rich。　Soon　you　are　going　on　a　journey　that

has　to　do　with　a　flower；　and　you　will　visit　peoples　named　the　Mazitu

and　the　Pongo　who　live　on　an　island　in　a　lake。　Far　beyond　the　Pongo

and　across　the　desert　dwell　my　people；　the　Kendah；　in　a　secret　land。

When　you　wish　to　visit　us；　as　you　will　do；　journey　to　the　north　of

that　lake　where　the　Pongo　dwell；　and　stay　there　on　the　edge　of　the

desert　shooting　till　we　come。　Now　mock　me　if　you　will；　but　do　not

forget；　for　these　things　shall　befall　in　their　season；　though　that

time　be　far。　If　we　meet　no　more　for　a　while；　still　do　not　forget。　When

you　have　need　of　gold　or　of　the　ivory　that　is　gold；　then　journey　to

the　north　of　the　lake　where　the　Pongo　dwell；　and　call　on　the　names　of

Har？t　and　Mar？t。〃



〃And　call　on　the　names　of　Har？t　and　Mar？t；〃　repeated　the　younger　man；

who　hitherto　appeared　to　take　no　interest　in　our　talk。



Next；　before　I　could　answer；　before　I　could　think　the　thing　out

indeed；　for　all　this　breath　from　savage　and　mystical　Africa　blowing　on

me　suddenly　here　in　an　Essex　drawing…room；　seemed　to　overwhelm　me；　the

ineffable　Har？t　proceeded　in　his　English　conjurer's　patter：



〃Rich　ladies　and　gentlemen　want　see　trick　by　poor　old　wizard　from

centre　Africa。　Well；　we　show　them；　but　please　'member　no　magic；　all

quite　simple　trick。　Teach　it　you　if　you　pay。　Please　not　look　too　hard；

no　want　you　learn　how　it　done。　What　you　like　see？　Tree　grow　out　of

nothing；　eh？　Good！　Please　lend　me　that　platewhat　you　call　him

china。〃



Then　the　performance　began。　The　tree　grew　admirably　upon　the　china

plate　under　the　cover　of　an　antimacassar。　A　number　of　bits　of　stick

danced　together　on　the　said　plate；　apparently　without　being　touched。

At　a　whistle　from　Mar？t　a　second　snake　crawled　out　of　the　pocket　of

the　horrified　Mr。　Savage；　who　stood　observing　these　proceedings　at　a

respectful　distance；　erected　itself　on　its　tail　upon　the　plate　and

took　fire　till　it　was　consumed　to　ashes；　and　so　forth。



The　show　was　very　good；　but　to　tell　the　truth　I　did　not　take　much

notice　of　it；　for　I　had　seen　similar　things　before　and　was　engaged　in

thoughts　much　excited　by　what　Har？t　had　said　to　me。　At　length　the　pair

paused　amidst　the　clapping　of　the　audience；　and　Mar？t　began　to　pack　up

the　properties　as　though　all　were　done。　Then　Har？t　observed　casually：



〃The　Lord　Macumazana　think　this　poor　business　and　he　right。　Very　poor

business；　any　conjurer　do　better。　All　common　trick〃here　his　eye　fell

upon　Mr。　Savage　who　was　wriggling　uneasily　in　the　background。　〃What

matter　with　that　gentleman？　Brother　Mar？t；　go　see。〃



Brother　Mar？t　went　and　freed　Mr。　Savage　from　two　more　snakes　which

seemed　to　have　taken　possession　of　various　parts　of　his　garments。

Also；　amidst　shouts　of　laughter；　from　a　large　dead　rat　which　he

appeared　to　draw　from　his　well…oiled　hair。



〃Ah！〃　said　Har？t；　as　his　confederate　returned　with　these　prizes；

leaving　Savage　collapsed　in　a　chair；　〃snake　love　that　gentleman　much。

He　earn　great　money　in　Africa。　Well；　he　keep　rat　in　hair；　hungry　snake

always　want　rat。　But　as　I　say；　this　poor　business。　Now　you　like　to　see

some　better；　eh？　Mameena；　eh？〃



〃No；〃　I　replied　firmly；　whereat　everyone　laughed。



〃Elephant　Jana　we　want　you　kill；　eh？　Just　as　he　look　this　minute。〃



〃Yes；〃　I　said；　〃very　much　indeed；　only　how　will　you　show　it　me？〃



〃That　quite　easy；　Macumazana。　You　just　smoke　little　Kendah　'bacco　and

see　many　things；　if　you　have　gift；　as　I　/think/　you　got；　and　as　I

almost　/sure/　that　lady　got；〃　and　he　pointed　to　Miss　Holmes。

〃Sometimes　they　things　people　want　see；　and　sometimes　they　things

people　not　want　see。〃



〃Dakka；〃　I　said　contemptuously；　alluding　to　the　Indian　hemp　on　which

natives　make　themselves　drunk　throughout　great　districts　of　Africa。



〃Oh！　no；　not　dakka；　that　common　stuff；　this　'bacco　much　better　than

dakka；　only　grow　in　Kendah…land。　You　think　all　nonsense？　Well；　you

see。　Give　me　match　please。〃



Then　while　we　watched　he　placed　some　tobacco；　at　least　it　looked　like

tobacco；　in　a　little　wooden　b