the ivory child-第30章

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Four　days　later　we　started；　accompanied　by　about　one　hundred　and

twenty　picked　men　under　the　command　of　old　Babemba　himself；　who；　he

explained；　wished　to　be　the　last　to　see　us　alive　in　the　world。　This

was　depressing；　but　other　circumstances　connected　with　our　start　were

calculated　to　weigh　even　more　upon　my　spirit。　Thus　the　night　before　we

left　Hans　arrived　and　asked　me　to　〃write　a　paper〃　for　him。　I　inquired

what　he　wanted　me　to　put　in　the　paper。　He　replied　that　as　he　was　going

to　his　death　and　had　property；　namely　the　￡650　that　had　been　left　in　a

bank　to　his　credit；　he　desired　to　make　a　〃white　man's　will〃　to　be　left

in　the　charge　of　Babemba。　The　only　provision　of　the　said　will　was　that

I　was　to　inherit　his　property；　if　I　lived。　If　I　died；　which；　he　added；

〃of　course　you　must；　Baas；　like　the　rest　of　us；〃　it　was　to　be　devoted

to　furnishing　poor　black　people　in　hospital　with　something　comforting

to　drink　instead　of　the　〃cow's　water〃　that　was　given　to　them　there。

Needless　to　say　I　turned　him　out　at　once；　and　that　testamentary

deposition　remained　unrecorded。　Indeed　it　was　unnecessary；　since；　as　I

reminded　him；　on　my　advice　he　had　already　made　a　will　before　we　left

Durban；　a　circumstance　that　he　had　quite　forgotten。



The　second　event；　which　occurred　about　an　hour　before　our　departure；

was；　that　hearing　a　mighty　wailing　in　the　market…place　where　once　Hans

and　I　had　been　tied　to　stakes　to　be　shot　to　death　with　arrows；　I　went

out　to　see　what　was　the　matter。　At　the　gateway　I　was　greeted　by　the

sight　of　about　a　hundred　old　women　plastered　all　over　with　ashes；

engaged　in　howling　their　loudest　in　a　melancholy　unison。　Behind　these

stood　the　entire　population　of　Beza…Town；　who　chanted　a　kind　of

chorus。



〃What　the　devil　are　they　doing？〃　I　asked　of　Hans。



〃Singing　our　death…song；　Baas；〃　he　replied　stolidly；　〃as　they　say　that

where　we　are　going　no　one　will　take　the　trouble　to　do　so；　and　it　is

not　right　that　great　lords　should　die　and　the　heavens　above　remain

uninformed　that　they　are　coming。〃



〃That's　cheerful；〃　I　remarked；　and　wheeling　round；　asked　Ragnall

straight　out　if　he　wished　to　persevere　in　this　business；　for　to　tell

the　truth　my　nerve　was　shaken。



〃I　must；〃　he　answered　simply；　〃but　there　is　no　reason　why　you　and　Hans

should；　or　Savage　either　for　the　matter　of　that。〃



〃Oh！　I'm　going　where　you　go；〃　I　said；　〃and　where　I　go　Hans　will　go。

Savage　must　speak　for　himself。〃



This　he　did　and　to　the　same　effect；　being　a　very　honest　and　faithful

man。　It　was　the　more　to　his　credit　since；　as　he　informed　me　in

private；　he　did　not　enjoy　African　adventure　and　often　dreamed　at

nights　of　his　comfortable　room　at　Ragnall　whence　he　superintended　the

social　activities　of　that　great　establishment。



So　we　departed　and　marched　for　the　matter　of　a　month　or　more　through

every　kind　of　country。　After　we　had　passed　the　head　of　the　great　lake

wherein　lay　the　island；　if　it　really　was　an　island；　where　the　Pongo

used　to　dwell　（one　clear　morning　through　my　glasses　I　discerned　the

mountain　top　that　marked　the　former　residence　of　the　Mother　of　the

Flower；　and　by　contrast　it　made　me　feel　quite　homesick）；　we　struck　up

north；　following　a　route　known　to　Babemba　and　our　guides。　After　this

we　steered　by　the　stars　through　a　land　with　very　few　inhabitants；

timid　and　nondescript　folk　who　dwelt　in　scattered　villages　and

scarcely　understood　the　art　of　cultivating　the　soil；　even　in　its　most

primitive　form。



A　hundred　miles　or　so　farther　on　these　villages　ceased　and

thenceforward　we　only　encountered　some　nomads；　little　bushmen　who

lived　on　game　which　they　shot　with　poisoned　arrows。　Once　they　attacked

us　and　killed　two　of　the　Mazitu　with　those　horrid　arrows；　against　the

venom　of　which　no　remedy　that　we　had　in　our　medicine　chest　proved　of

any　avail。　On　this　occasion　Savage　exhibited　his　courage　if　not　his

discretion；　for　rushing　out　of　our　thorn　fence；　after　missing　a

bushmen　with　both　barrels　at　a　distance　of　five　yardshe　was；　I

think；　the　worst　shot　I　ever　sawhe　seized　the　little　viper　with　his

hands　and　dragged　him　back　to　camp。　How　Savage　escaped　with　his　life　I

do　not　know；　for　one　poisoned　arrow　went　through　his　hat　and　stuck　in

his　hair　and　another　just　grazed　his　leg　without　drawing　blood。



This　valorous　deed　was　of　great　service　to　us；　since　we　were　able

through　Hans；　who　knew　something　of　the　bushmen's　language；　to　explain

to　our　prisoner　that　if　we　were　shot　at　again　he　would　be　hung。　This

information　he　contrived　to　shout；　or　rather　to　squeak　and　grunt；　to

his　amiable　tribe；　of　which　it　appeared　he　was　a　kind　of　chief；　with

the　result　that　we　were　no　more　molested。　Later；　when　we　were　clear　of

the　bushmen　country；　we　let　him　depart；　which　he　did　with　great

rapidity。



By　degrees　the　land　grew　more　and　more　barren　and　utterly　devoid　of

inhabitants；　till　at　last　it　merged　into　desert。　At　the　edge　of　this

desert　which　rolled　away　without　apparent　limit　we　came；　however；　to　a

kind　of　oasis　where　there　was　a　strong　and　beautiful　spring　of　water

that　formed　a　stream　which　soon　lost　itself　in　the　surrounding　sand。

As　we　could　go　no　farther；　for　even　if　we　had　wished　to　do　so；　and

were　able　to　find　water　there；　the　Mazitu　refused　to　accompany　us　into

the　desert；　not　knowing　what　else　to　do；　we　camped　in　the　oasis　and

waited。



As　it　happened；　the　place　was　a　kind　of　hunter's　paradise；　since　every

kind　of　game；　large　and　small；　came　to　the　water　to　drink　at　night；

and　in　the　daytime　browsed　upon　the　saltish　grass　that　at　this　season

of　the　year　grew　plentifully　upon　the　edge　of　the　wilderness。



Amongst　other　creatures　there　were　elephants　in　plenty　that　travelled

hither　out　of　the　bushlands　we　had　passed；　or　sometimes　emerged　from

the　desert　itself；　suggesting　that　beyond　this　waste　there　lay　fertile

country。　So　numerous　were　these　great　beasts　indeed　that　for　my　part　I

hoped　earnestly　that　it　would　prove　impossible　for　us　to　continue　our

journey；　since　I　saw　that　in　a　few　months　I　could　collect　an　enormous

amount　of　ivory；　enough　to　make　me　comparatively　rich；　if　only　I　were

able　to　get　it　away。　As　it　was　we　only　killed　a　few　of　them；　ten　in

all　to　be　accurate；　that　we　might　send　back　the　tusks　as　presents　to

Bausi　II。　To　slaughter　the　poor　animals　uselessly　was　cruel；

especially　as　being　unaccustomed　to　the　sight　of　man；　they　were　as

easy　to　approach　as　cows。　Even　Savage　slew　oneby　carefully　aiming　at

another　five　paces　to　its　left。



For　the　rest　we　lived　on　the　fat　of　the　land　and；　as　meat　was

necessary　to　us；　had　as　much　sport　as　we　could　desire　among　the

various　antelope。



For　fourteen　days　or　so　this　went　on；　till　at　length　we　grew

thoroughly　tired　of　the　business；　as　did　the　Mazitu；　who　were　so

gorged　with　flesh　that　they　began　to　desire　vegetable　food。　Twice　we

rode　as　far　into　the　desert　as　we　dared；　for　our　horses　remained　to　us

and　had　grown　fresh　again　after　the　rest；　but　only　to　return　without

information。　The　place　was　just　a　vast　wilderness　strewn　with　brown

stones　beautifully　polished　by　the　wind…driven　sand　of　ages；　and　quite

devoid　of　water。



After　our　second　trip；　on　which　we　suffered　severely　from　thirst；　we

held　a　consultation。　Old　Babemba　said　that　he　could　keep　his　men　no

longer；　even　for　us；　as　they　insisted　upon　returning　home；　and

inquired　what　we　meant　to　do　and　why　we　sat　here　〃like　a　stone。〃　I

answered　that　we　were　waiting　for　some　of　the　Kendah　who　had　bid　me　to

shoot　game　hereabouts　until　they　arrived　to　be　our　guides。　He　remarked

that　the　Kendah　to　the　best　of　his　belief　lived　in　a　country　that　was

still　hundreds　of　miles　away　and　that；　as　they　did　not　know　of　our

presence；　any　communication　across　the　desert　being　impossible；　our

proceedings　seemed　to　be　foolish。



I　retorted　that　I　was　not　quite　so　sure　of　this；　since　the　Kendah

seemed　to　have　remarkable　ways　of　acquiring　information。



〃Then；　Macumazana；　I　fear　that　you　will　have　to　wait　by