the ivory child-第38章

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back　and　saw　Hans；　the　corn…cob　pipe　still　in　his　mouth　and　the　little

rifle；　〃Intombi；〃　still　at　his　shoulder。　He　had　fired　from　the　back　of

the　camel；　I　think　for　the　first　time　that　day；　and　whether　by　chance

or　through　good　marksmanship；　I　do　not　know；　had　killed　this　man。



His　sudden　and　unexpected　end　seemed　to　fill　the　Black　Kendah　with

grief　and　dismay。　Halting　in　their　charge　they　gathered　round　him；

while　a　fierce…looking　middle…aged　man；　also　adorned　with　much

barbaric　finery；　dismounted　to　examine　him。



〃That　is　Simba　the　King；〃　said　Mar？t；　〃and　the　slain　one　is　his　uncle；

Goru；　the　great　general　who　brought　him　up　from　a　babe。〃



〃Then　I　wish　I　had　another　cartridge　left　for　the　nephew；〃　I　began　and

stopped；　for　Hans　was　speaking　to　me。



〃Good…bye；　Baas；〃　he　said；　〃I　must　go；　for　I　cannot　load　'Intombi'　on

the　back　of　this　beast。　If　you　meet　your　reverend　father　the　Predikant

before　I　do；　tell　him　to　make　a　nice　place　ready　for　me　among　the

fires。〃



Then　before　I　could　get　out　an　answer；　Hans　dragged　his　camel　round；

as　I　have　said；　it　was　quite　uninjured。　Urging　it　to　a　shambling

gallop　with　blows　of　the　rifle　stock；　he　departed　at　a　great　rate；　not

towards　the　home　of　the　Child　but　up　the　hill　into　a　brake　of　giant

grass　mingled　with　thorn　trees　that　grew　quite　close　at　hand。　Here

with　startling　suddenness　both　he　and　the　camel　vanished　away。



If　the　Black　Kendah　saw　him　go；　of　which　I　am　doubtful；　for　they　all

seemed　to　be　lost　in　consultation　round　their　king　and　the　dead

general；　Goru；　they　made　no　attempt　to　follow　him。　Another　possibility

is　that　they　thought　he　was　trying　to　lead　them　into　some　snare　or

ambush。



I　do　not　know　what　they　thought　because　I　never　heard　them　mention

Hans　or　the　matter　of　his　disappearance；　if　indeed　they　ever　realized

that　there　was　such　a　person。　Curiously　enough　in　the　case　of　men　who

had　just　shown　themselves　so　brave；　this　last　accident　of　the　decease

of　Goru　coming　on　the　top　of　all　their　other　casualties；　seemed　to

take　the　courage　out　of　them。　It　was　as　though　they　had　come　to　the

conclusion　that　we　with　our　guns　were　something　more　than　mortal。



For　several　minutes　they　debated　in　evident　hesitation。　At　last

from　out　of　their　array　rode　a　single　man；　in　whom　I　recognized　one　of

the　envoys　who　had　met　us　in　the　morning；　carrying　in　his　hand　a　white

flag　as　he　had　done　before。　Thereon　I　laid　down　my　rifle　in　token　that

I　would　not　fire　at　him；　which　indeed　I　could　not　do　having　nothing　to

fire。　Seeing　this　he　came　to　within　a　few　yards　and　halting；　addressed

Mar？t。



〃O　second　Prophet　of　the　Child；〃　he　said；　〃these　are　the　words　of

Simba　the　King：　Your　god　has　been　too　strong　for　us　to…day；　though　in

a　day　to　come　it　may　be　otherwise。　I　thought　I　had　you　in　a　pit；　that

you　were　the　bucks　and　I　the　hunter。　But；　though　with　loss；　you　have

escaped　out　of　the　pit；〃　and　the　speaker　glanced　towards　our

retreating　force　which　was　now　but　a　cloud　of　dust　in　the　far

distance；　〃while　I　the　hunter　have　been　gored　by　your　horns；〃　and

again　he　glanced　at　the　dead　that　were　scattered　about　the　plain。　〃The

noblest　of　the　buck；　the　white　bull　of　the　herd；〃　and　he　looked　at　me；

who　in　any　other　circumstances　would　have　felt　complimented；　〃and　you；

O　Prophet　Mar？t；　and　one　or　two　others；　besides　those　that　I　have

slain；　are　however　still　in　the　pit　and　your　horn　is　a　magic　horn；〃

here　he　pointed　to　my　rifle；　〃which　pierces　from　afar　and　kills　dead

all　by　whom　it　is　touched。〃



〃So　I　caught　those　gentry　well　in　the　middle；〃　thought　I　to　myself；

〃and　with　soft…nosed　bullets！〃



〃Therefore　I；　Simba　the　King；　make　you　an　offer。　Yield　yourselves　and

I　swear　that　no　spear　shall　be　driven　through　your　hearts　and　no　knife

come　near　your　throats。　You　shall　only　be　taken　to　my　town　and　there

be　fed　on　the　best　and　kept　as　prisoners；　till　once　more　there　is

peace　between　the　Black　Kendah　and　the　White。　If　you　refuse；　then　I

will　ring　you　round　and　perhaps　in　the　dark　rush　on　you　and　kill　you

all。　Or　perhaps　I　will　watch　you　from　day　to　day　till　you；　who　have　no

water；　die　of　thirst　in　the　heat　of　the　sun。　These　are　my　words　to

which　nothing　may　be　added　and　from　which　nothing　shall　be　taken

away。〃



Having　finished　this　speech　he　rode　back　a　few　yards　out　of　earshot；

and　waited。



〃What　will　you　answer；　Lord　Macumazana？〃　asked　Mar？t。



I　replied　by　another　question。　〃Is　there　any　chance　of　our　being

rescued　by　your　people？〃



He　shook　his　head。　〃None。　What　we　have　seen　to…day　is　but　a　small　part

of　the　army　of　the　Black　Kendah；　one　regiment　of　foot　and　one　of

horse；　that　are　always　ready。　By　to…morrow　thousands　will　be　gathered；

many　more　than　we　can　hope　to　deal　with　in　the　open　and　still　less　in

their　strongholds；　also　Har？t　will　believe　that　we　are　dead。　Unless

the　Child　saves　us　we　shall　be　left　to　our　fate。〃



〃Then　it　seems　that　we　are　indeed　in　a　pit；　as　that　black　brute　of　a

king　puts　it；　Mar？t；　and　if　he　does　what　he　says　and　rushes　us　at

sundown；　everyone　of　us　will　be　killed。　Also　I　am　thirsty　already　and

there　is　nothing　to　drink。　But　will　this　king　keep　his　word？　There　are

other　ways　of　dying　besides　by　steel。〃



〃I　think　that　he　will　keep　his　word；　but　as　that　messenger　said；　he

will　not　add　to　his　word。　Choose　now；　for　see；　they　are　beginning　to

hedge　us　round。〃



〃What　do　you　say；　men？〃　I　asked　of　the　three　who　had　remained　with　us。



〃We　say；　Lord；　that　we　are　in　the　hands　of　the　Child；　though　we　wish

now　that　we　had　died　with　our　brothers；〃　answered　their　spokesman

fatalistically。



So　after　Mar？t　and　I　had　consulted　together　for　a　little　as　to　the

form　of　his　reply；　he　beckoned　to　the　messenger　and　said：



〃We　accept　the　offer　of　Simba；　although　it　would　be　easy　for　this　lord

to　kill　him　now　where　he　stands；　namely；　to　yield　ourselves　as

prisoners　on　his　oath　that　no　harm　shall　come　to　us。　For　know　that　if

harm　does　come；　the　vengeance　will　be　terrible。　Now　in　proof　of　his

good　faith；　let　Simba　draw　near　and　drink　the　cup　of　peace　with　us；

for　we　thirst。〃



〃Not　so；〃　said　the　messenger；　〃for　then　that　white　lord　might　kill　him

with　his　tube。　Give　me　the　tube　and　Simba　shall　come。〃



〃Take　it；〃　I　said　magnanimously；　handing　him　the　rifle；　which　he

received　in　a　very　gingerly　fashion。　After　all；　I　reflected；　there　is

nothing　much　more　useless　than　a　rifle　without　ammunition。



Off　he　went　holding　the　weapon　at　arm's　length；　and　presently　Simba

himself；　accompanied　by　some　of　his　men；　one　of　whom　carried　a　skin　of

water　and　another　a　large　cup　hollowed　from　an　elephant's　tusk；　rode

up　to　us。　This　Simba　was　a　fine　and　rather　terrifying　person　with　a

large　moustache　and　a　chin　shaved　except　for　a　little　tuft　of　hair

which　he　wore　at　its　point　like　an　Italian。　His　eyes　were　big　and

dark；　frank…looking；　yet　now　and　again　with　sinister　expression　in　the

corners　of　them。　He　was　not　nearly　so　black　as　most　of　his　followers；

probably　in　bygone　generations　his　blood　had　been　crossed　with　that　of

the　White　Kendah。　He　wore　his　hair　long　without　any　head…dress；　held

in　place　by　a　band　of　gold　which　I　suppose　represented　a　crown。　On　his

forehead　was　a　large　white　scar；　probably　received　in　some　battle。

Such　was　his　appearance。



He　looked　at　me　with　great　curiosity；　and　I　have　often　wondered　since

what　kind　of　an　impression　I　produced　upon　him。　My　hat　had　fallen　off；

or　I　had　knocked　it　off　when　I　fired　my　last　cartridge　into　his

people；　and　forgotten　to　replace　it；　and　my　intractable　hair；　which

was　longer　than　usual；　had　not　been　recently　brushed。　My　worn　Norfolk

jacket　was　dyed　with　blood　from　a　wounded　or　dying　man　who　had　tumbled

against　me　in　the　scrimmage　when　the　cavalry　charged　us；　and　my　right

leg　and　boot　were　stained　in　a　similar　fashion　from　having　rubbed

against　my　camel　where　a　spear　had　entered　it。　Altogether　I　must　have

appeared　a　most　disreputable　object。