the ivory child-第39章

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

appeared　a　most　disreputable　object。



Some　indication　of　his　opinion　was　given；　however；　in　a　remark；　which

of　course　I　pretended　not　to　understand；　that　I　overheard　him　make　to

one　of　his　officers：



〃Truly；〃　he　said；　〃we　must　not　always　look　to　the　strong　for　strength。

And　yet　this　little　white　porcupine　is　strength　itself；　for　see　how

much　damage　he　has　wrought　us。　Also　consider　his　eyes　that　appear　to

pierce　everything。　Jana　himself　might　fear　those　eyes。　Well；　time　that

grinds　the　rocks　will　tell　us　all。〃



All　of　this　I　caught　perfectly；　my　ears　being　very　sharp；　although　he

thought　that　he　spoke　out　of　my　hearing；　for　after　spending　a　month　in

their　company　I　understood　the　Kendah　dialect　of　Bantu　very　well。



Having　delivered　himself　thus　he　rode　nearer　and　said：



〃You；　Prophet　Mar？t；　my　enemy；　have　heard　the　terms　of　me；　Simba　the

King；　and　have　accepted　them。　Therefore　discuss　them　no　more。　What　I

have　promised　I　will　keep。　What　I　have　given　I　give；　neither　greater

nor　less　by　the　weight　of　a　hair。〃



〃So　be　it；　O　King；〃　answered　Mar？t　with　his　usual　smile；　which　nothing

ever　seemed　to　disturb。　〃Only　remember　that　if　those　terms　are　broken

either　in　the　letter　or　in　the　spirit；　especially　the　spirit〃　（that　is

the　best　rendering　I　can　give　of　his　word）；　〃the　manifold　curses　of

the　Child　will　fall　upon　you　and　yours。　Yes；　though　you　kill　us　all　by

treachery；　still　those　curses　will　fall。〃



〃May　Jana　take　the　Child　and　all　who　worship　it；〃　exclaimed　the　king

with　evident　irritation。



〃In　the　end；　O　King；　Jana　will　take　the　Child　and　its　followersor

the　Child　will　take　Jana　and　his　followers。　Which　of　these　things　must

happen　is　known　to　the　Child　alone；　and　perchance　to　its　prophets。

Meanwhile；　for　every　one　of　those　of　the　Child　I　think　that　three　of

the　followers　of　Jana；　or　more；　lie　dead　upon　this　field。　Also　the

caravan　is　now　out　of　your　reach　with　two　of　the　white　lords　and　many

of　such　tubes　which　deal　death；　like　that　which　we　have　surrendered　to

you。　Therefore　because　we　are　helpless；　do　not　think　that　the　Child　is

helpless。　Jana　must　have　been　asleep；　O　King；　or　you　would　have　set

your　trap　better。〃



I　thought　that　this　coolly　insolent　speech　would　have　produced　some

outburst；　but　in　fact　it　seemed　to　have　an　opposite　effect。　Making　no

reply　to　it；　Simba　said　almost　humbly：



〃I　come　to　drink　the　cup　of　peace　with　you　and　the　white　lord；　O

Prophet。　Afterwards　we　can　talk。　Give　me　water；　slave。〃



Then　a　man　filled　the　great　ivory　cup　with　water　from　the　skin　he

carried。　Simba　took　it　and　having　sprinkled　a　little　upon　the　ground；

I　suppose　as　an　offering；　drank　from　the　cup；　doubtless　to　show　that

it　was　not　poisoned。　Watching　carefully；　I　made　sure　that　he　swallowed

what　he　drank　by　studying　the　motions　of　his　throat。　Then　he　handed

the　cup　with　a　bow　to　Mar？t；　who　with　a　still　deeper　bow　passed　it　to

me。　Being　absolutely　parched　I　absorbed　about　a　pint　of　it；　and

feeling　a　new　man；　passed　the　horn　to　Mar？t；　who　swallowed　the　rest。

Then　it　was　filled　again　for　our　three　White　Kendah；　the　King　first

tasting　the　water　as　before；　after　which　Mar？t　and　I　had　a　second

pull。



When　at　length　our　thirst　was　satisfied；　horses　were　brought　to　us；

serviceable　and　docile　little　beasts　with　sheepskins　for　saddles　and

loops　of　hide　for　stirrups。　On　these　we　mounted　and　for　the　next　three

hours　rode　across　the　plain；　surrounded　by　a　strong　escort　and　with　an

armed　Black　Kendah　running　on　each　side　of　our　horses　and　holding　in

his　hand　a　thong　attached　to　the　ring　of　the　bridle；　no　doubt　to

prevent　any　attempt　to　escape。



Our　road　ran　past　but　not　through　some　villages　whence　we　saw　many

women　and　children　staring　at　us；　and　through　beautiful　crops　of

mealies　and　other　sorts　of　grain　that　in　this　country　were　now　just

ripening。　The　luxuriant　appearance　of　these　crops　suggested　that　the

rains　must　have　been　plentiful　and　the　season　all　that　could　be

desired。　From　some　of　the　villages　by　the　track　arose　a　miserable

sound　of　wailing。　Evidently　their　inhabitants　had　already　heard　that

certain　of　their　menkind　had　fallen　in　that　morning's　fight。



At　the　end　of　the　third　hour　we　began　to　enter　the　great　forest　which

I　had　seen　when　first　we　looked　down　on　Kendahland。　It　was　filled　with

splendid　trees；　most　of　them　quite　strange　to　me；　but　perhaps　because

of　the　denseness　of　their　overshadowing　crowns　there　was　comparatively

no　undergrowth。　The　general　effect　of　the　place　was　very　gloomy；　since

little　light　could　pass　through　the　interlacing　foliage　of　the　tops　of

those　mighty　trees。



Towards　evening　we　came　to　a　clearing　in　this　forest；　it　may　have　been

four　or　five　miles　in　diameter；　but　whether　it　was　natural　or

artificial　I　am　not　sure。　I　think；　however；　that　it　was　probably　the

former　for　two　reasons：　the　hollow　nature　of　the　ground；　which　lay　a

good　many　feet　lower　than　the　surrounding　forest；　and　the　wonderful

fertility　of　the　soil；　which　suggested　that　it　had　once　been　deposited

upon　an　old　lake　bottom。　Never　did　I　see　such　crops　as　those　that　grew

upon　that　clearing；　they　were　magnificent。



Wending　our　way　along　the　road　that　ran　through　the　tall　corn；　for

here　every　inch　was　cultivated；　we　came　suddenly　upon　the　capital　of

the　Black　Kendah；　which　was　known　as　Simba　Town。　It　was　a　large　place；

somewhat　different　from　any　other　African　settlement　with　which　I　am

acquainted；　inasmuch　as　it　was　not　only　stockaded　but　completely

surrounded　by　a　broad　artificial　moat　filled　with　water　from　a　stream

that　ran　through　the　centre　of　the　town；　over　which　moat　there　were

four　timber　bridges　placed　at　the　cardinal　points　of　the　compass。

These　bridges　were　strong　enough　to　bear　horses　or　stock；　but　so　made

that　in　the　event　of　attack　they　could　be　destroyed　in　a　few　minutes。



Riding　through　the　eastern　gate；　a　stout　timber　structure　on　the

farther　side　of　the　corresponding　bridge；　where　the　king　was　received

with　salutes　by　an　armed　guard；　we　entered　one　of　the　main　streets　of

the　town　which　ran　from　north　to　south　and　from　east　to　west。　It　was

broad　and　on　either　side　of　it　were　the　dwellings　of　the　inhabitants

set　close　together　because　the　space　within　the　stockade　was　limited。

These　were　not　huts　but　square　buildings　of　mud　with　flat　roofs　of

some　kind　of　cement。　Evidently　they　were　built　upon　the　model　of

Oriental　and　North　African　houses　of　which　some　debased　tradition

remained　with　these　people。　Thus　a　stairway　or　ladder　ran　from　the

interior　to　the　roof　of　each　house；　whereon　its　inhabitants　were

accustomed；　as　I　discovered　afterwards；　to　sleep　during　a　good　part　of

the　year；　also　to　eat　in　the　cool　of　the　day。　Many　of　them　were

gathered　there　now　to　watch　us　pass；　men；　women；　and　children；　all

except　the　little　ones　decently　clothed　in　long　garments　of　various

colours；　the　women　for　the　most　part　in　white　and　the　men　in　a　kind　of

bluish　linen。



I　saw　at　once　that　they　had　already　heard　of　the　fight　and　of　the

considerable　losses　which　their　people　had　sustained；　for　their

reception　of　us　prisoners　was　most　unfriendly。　Indeed　the　men　shook

their　fists　at　us；　the　women　screamed　out　curses；　while　the　children

stuck　out　their　tongues　in　token　of　derision　or　defiance。　Most　of

these　demonstrations；　however；　were　directed　at　Mar？t　and　his

followers；　who　only　smiled　indifferently。　At　me　they　stared　in　wonder

not　unmixed　with　fear。



A　quarter　of　a　mile　or　so　from　the　gate　we　came　to　an　inner　enclosure；

that　answered　to　the　South　African　cattle　kraal；　surrounded　by　a　dry

ditch　and　a　timber　palisade　outside　of　which　was　planted　a　green　fence

of　some　shrub　with　long　white　thorns。　Here　we　passed　through　more

gates；　to　find　ourselves　in　an　oval　space；　perhaps　five　acres　in

extent。　Evidently　this　served　as　a　market　ground；　but　all　around　it

were　open　sheds　where　hun