the ivory child-第32章

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〃I　don't　know；〃　I　replied；　〃but　I　do　know　that　you　are　the　biggest

liars　I　ever　met。〃



At　these　words；　which　some　might　have　thought　insulting；　Har？t　and

Mar？t　bowed　again　as　though　to　acknowledge　a　great　compliment。　Then

Har？t　said：



〃Let　us　leave　the　question　of　ladies　and　come　to　matters　that　have　to

do　with　men。　You　are　here　as　we　told　you　that　you　would　be　at　a　time

when　you　did　not　believe　us；　and　we　here　to　meet　/you/；　as　we　told　you

that　we　would　be。　How　we　knew　that　you　were　coming　and　how　we　came　do

not　matter　at　all。　Believe　what　you　will。　Are　you　ready　to　start　with

us；　O　Lord　Macumazana；　that　you　may　bring　to　its　death　the　wicked

elephant　Jana　which　ravages　our　land；　and　receive　the　great　reward　of

ivory？　If　so；　your　camel　waits。〃



〃One　camel　cannot　carry　four　men；〃　I　answered；　avoiding　the　question。



〃In　courage　and　skill　you　are　more　than　many　men；　O　Macumazana；　yet　in

body　you　are　but　one　and　not　four。〃



〃If　you　think　that　I　am　going　with　you　alone；　you　are　much　mistaken；

Har？t　and　Mar？t；〃　I　exclaimed。　〃Here　with　me　is　my　servant　without

whom　I　do　not　stir；〃　and　I　pointed　to　Hans；　whom　they　contemplated

gravely。　〃Also　there　is　the　Lord　Ragnall；　who　in　this　land　is　named

Igeza；　and　his　servant　who　here　is　named　Bena；　the　man　out　of　whom　you

drew　snakes　in　the　room　in　England。　They　also　must　accompany　us。〃



At　this　news　the　impassive　countenances　of　Har？t　and　Mar？t　showed；　I

thought；　some　signs　of　disturbance。　They　muttered　together　in　an

unknown　tongue。　Then　Har？t　said：



〃Our　secret　land　is　open　to　you　alone；　O　Macumazana；　for　one　purpose

onlyto　kill　the　elephant　Jana；　for　which　deed　we　promise　you　a　great

reward。　We　do　not　wish　to　see　the　others　there。〃



〃Then　you　can　kill　your　own　elephant；　Har？t　and　Mar？t；　for　not　one

step　do　I　go　with　you。　Why　should　I　when　there　is　as　much　ivory　here

as　I　want；　to　be　had　for　the　shooting？〃



〃How　if　we　take　you；　O　Macumazana？〃



〃How　if　I　kill　you　both；　O　Har？t　and　Mar？t？　Fools；　here　are　many　brave

men　at　my　command；　and　if　you　or　any　with　you　want　fighting　it　shall

be　given　you　in　plenty。　Hans；　bid　the　Mazitu　stand　to　their　arms　and

summon　Igeza　and　Bena。〃



〃Stay；　Lord；〃　said　Har？t；　〃and　put　down　that　weapon；〃　for　once　more　I

had　produced　the　pistol。　〃We　would　not　begin　our　fellowship　by

shedding　blood；　though　we　are　safer　from　you　than　you　think。　Your

companions　shall　accompany　you　to　the　land　of　the　Kendah；　but　let　them

know　that　they　do　so　at　their　own　risk。　Learn　that　it　is　revealed　to

us　that　if　they　go　in　there　some　of　them　will　pass　out　again　as

spirits　but　not　as　men。〃



〃Do　you　mean　that　you　will　murder　them？〃



〃No。　We　mean　that　yonder　are　some　stronger　than　us　or　any　men；　who

will　take　their　lives　in　sacrifice。　Not　yours；　Macumazana；　for　that；

it　is　decreed；　is　safe；　but　those　of　two　of　the　others；　which　two　we

do　not　know。〃



〃Indeed；　Har？t　and　Mar？t；　and　how　am　I　to　be　sure　that　any　of　us　are

safe；　or　that　you　do　not　but　trick　us　to　your　country；　there　to　kill

us　with　treachery　and　steal　our　goods？〃



〃Because　we　swear　it　by　the　oath　that　may　not　be　broken；　we　swear　it

by　the　Heavenly　Child；〃　both　of　them　exclaimed　solemnly；　speaking　with

one　voice　and　bowing　till　their　foreheads　almost　touched　the　ground。



I　shrugged　my　shoulders　and　laughed　a　little。



〃You　do　not　believe　us；〃　went　on　Har？t；　〃who　have　not　heard　what

happens　to　those　who　break　this　oath。　Come　now　and　see　something。

Within　five　paces　of　your　hut　is　a　tall　ant…heap　upon　which　doubtless

you　have　been　accustomed　to　stand　and　overlook　the　desert。〃　（This　was

true；　but　how　did　they　guess　it；　I　wondered。）　〃Go　climb　that　ant…heap

once　more。〃



Perhaps　it　was　rash；　but　my　curiosity　led　me　to　accept　this

invitation。　Out　I　went；　followed　by　Hans　with　a　loaded　double…

barrelled　rifle；　and　scrambled　up　the　ant…heap　which；　as　it　was　twenty

feet　high　and　there　were　no　trees　just　here；　commanded　a　very　fine

view　of　the　desert　beyond。



〃Look　to　the　north；〃　said　Har？t　from　its　foot。



I　looked；　and　there　in　the　bright　moonlight　five　or　six　hundred　yards

away；　ranged　rank　by　rank　upon　a　slope　of　sand　and　along　the　crest　of

the　ridge　beyond；　I　saw　quite　two　hundred　kneeling　camels；　and　by　each

camel　a　tall；　white…robed　figure　who　held　in　his　hand　a　long　lance　to

the　shaft　of　which；　not　far　beneath　the　blade；　was　attached　a　little

flag。　For　a　while　I　stared　to　make　sure　that　I　was　not　the　victim　of

an　illusion　or　a　mirage。　Then　when　I　had　satisfied　myself　that　these

were　indeed　men　and　camels　I　descended　from　the　ant…heap。



〃You　will　admit；　Macumazana；〃　said　Har？t　politely；　〃that　if　we　had

meant　you　any　ill；　with　such　a　force　it　would　have　been　easy　for　us　to

take　a　sleeping　camp　at　night。　But　these　men　come　here　to　be　your

escort；　not　to　kill　or　enslave　you　or　yours。　And；　Macumazana；　we　have

sworn　to　you　the　oath　that　may　not　be　broken。　Now　we　go　to　our　people。

In　the　morning；　after　you　have　eaten；　we　will　return　again　unarmed　and

alone。〃



Then　like　shadows　they　slipped　away。







CHAPTER　X



CHARGE！



Ten　minutes　later　the　truth　was　known　and　every　man　in　the　camp　was　up

and　armed。　At　first　there　were　some　signs　of　panic；　but　these　with　the

help　of　Babemba　we　managed　to　control；　setting　the　men　to　make　the

best　preparations　for　defence　that　circumstances　would　allow；　and　thus

occupying　their　minds。　For　from　the　first　we　saw　that；　except　for　the

three　of　us　who　had　horses；　escape　was　impossible。　That　great　camel

corps　could　catch　us　within　a　mile。



Leaving　old　Babemba　in　charge　of　his　soldiers；　we　three　white　men　and

Hans　held　a　council　at　which　I　repeated　every　word　that　had　passed

between　Har？t　and　Mar？t　and　myself；　including　their　absolute　denial　of

their　having　had　anything　to　do　with　the　disappearance　of　Lady　Ragnall

on　the　Nile。



〃Now；〃　I　asked；　〃what　is　to　be　done？　My　fate　is　sealed；　since　for

purposes　of　their　own；　of　which　probably　we　know　nothing；　these　people

intend　to　take　me　with　them　to　their　country；　as　indeed　they　are

justified　in　doing；　since　I　have　been　fool　enough　to　keep　a　kind　of

assignation　with　them　here。　But　they　don't　want　anybody　else。

Therefore　there　is　nothing　to　prevent　you　Ragnall；　and　you　Savage；　and

you　Hans；　from　returning　with　the　Mazitu。〃



〃Oh！　Baas；〃　said　Hans；　who　could　understand　English　well　enough

although　he　seldom　spoke　it；　〃why　are　you　always　bothering　me　with

such　/praatjes/？〃（that　is；　chatter）。　〃Whatever　you　do　I　will　do；　and

I　don't　care　what　you　do；　except　for　your　own　sake；　Baas。　If　I　am

going　to　die；　let　me　die；　it　doesn't　at　all　matter　how；　since　I　must

go　soon　and　make　report　to　your　reverend　father；　the　Predikant。　And

now；　Baas；　I　have　been　awake　all　night；　for　I　heard　those　camels

coming　a　long　while　before　the　two　spook　men　appeared；　and　as　I　have

never　heard　camels　before；　could　not　make　out　what　they　were；　for　they

don't　walk　like　giraffes。　So　I　am　going　to　sleep；　Baas；　there　in　the

sun。　When　you　have　settled　things；　you　can　wake　me　up　and　give　me　your

orders；〃　and　he　suited　the　action　to　the　word；　for　when　I　glanced　at

him　again　he　was；　or　appeared　to　be；　slumbering；　just　like　a　dog　at

its　master's　feet。



I　looked　at　Ragnall　in　interrogation。



〃I　am　going　on；〃　he　said　briefly。



〃Despite　the　denial　of　these　men　of　any　complicity　in　your　wife's

fate？〃　I　asked。　〃If　their　words　are　true；　what　have　you　to　gain　by

this　journey；　Ragnall？〃



〃An　interesting　experience　while　it　lasts；　that　is　all。　Like　Hans

there；　if　what　they　say　/is/　true；　my　future　is　a　matter　of　complete

indifference　to　me。　But　I　do　not　believe　a　word　of　what　they　say。

Something　tells　me　that　they　know　a　great　deal　which　they　do　not

choose　to　repeatabout　my　wife　I　mean。　That　is　why　they　are　so

anxious　that　I　should　not　accompany　you。〃



〃You　must　judge　for　yourself；〃　I　answered　doubtfully；　〃and　I　hope　to

Heaven　that　you　are　ju