the ivory child-第47章

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there　seemed　to　be　nowhere　to　run；　the　second；　that　I　felt　sure；　if　I

did　run；　I　should　trip　up　over　the　skeletons　of　those　elephants　or　the

stones；　the　third；　that　I　did　not　think　of　it　at　once；　the　fourth；

that　Jana　had　not　yet　seen　me；　and　I　had　no　craving　to　introduce

myself　to　him　personally；　and　the　fifth　and　greatest；　that　I　was　so

paralysed　with　fear　that　I　did　not　feel　as　though　I　could　lift　myself

from　the　ground。　Everything　about　me　seemed　to　be　dead；　except　my

powers　of　observation；　which　were　painfully　alive。



Of　a　sudden　Mar？t　gave　up。　Less　than　a　stone's　throw　from　me　he

wheeled　round　and；　facing　Jana；　hurled　at　him　some　fearful　and

concentrated　curse；　of　which　all　that　I　could　distinguish　were　the

words：　〃The　Child！〃



Oddly　enough　it　seemed　to　have　an　effect　upon　the　furious　rogue；　which

halted　in　its　rush　and；　putting　its　four　feet　together；　slid　a　few

paces　nearer　and　stood　still。　It　was　just　as　though　the　beast　had

understood　the　words　and　were　considering　them。　If　so；　their　effect

was　to　rouse　him　to　perfect　madness。　He　screamed　terribly；　he　lashed

his　sides　with　his　trunk；　his　red　and　wicked　eyes　rolled；　foam　flew

from　the　cavern　of　his　open　mouth；　he　danced　upon　his　great　feet；　a

sort　of　hideous　Scottish　reel。　Then　he　charged！



I　shut　my　eyes　for　a　moment。　When　I　opened　them　again　it　was　to　see

poor　Mar？t　higher　in　the　air　than　ever　he　flew　before。　I　thought　that

he　would　never　come　down；　but　he　did　at　last　with　an　awesome　thud。

Jana　went　to　him　and　very　gently；　now　that　he　was　dead；　picked　him　up

in　his　trunk。　I　prayed　that　he　might　carry　him　away　to　some　hiding…

place　and　leave　me　in　peace。　But　not　so。　With　slow　and　stately

strides；　rocking　the　deceased　Mar？t　up　and　down　in　his　trunk；　as　a

nurse　might　rock　a　baby；　he　marched　on　to　the　very　stone　where　I　lay；

behind　which　I　suppose　he　had　seen　or　smelt　me　all　the　time。



For　quite　a　long　while；　it　seemed　more　than　a　century；　he　stood　over

me；　studying　me　as　though　I　interested　him　very　much；　the　water　of　the

lake　trickling　in　a　refreshing　stream　from　his　great　ears　on　to　my

back。　Had　it　not　been　for　that　water　I　think　I　should　have　fainted；

but　as　it　was　I　did　the　next　best　thingpretended　to　be　dead。　Perhaps

this　monster　would　scorn　to　touch　a　dead　man。　Watching　out　of　the

corner　of　my　eye；　I　saw　him　lift　one　vast　paw　that　was　the　size　of　an

arm…chair　and　hold　it　over　me。



Now　good…bye　to　the　world；　thought　I。　Then　the　foot　descended　as　a

steam…hammer　does；　but　also　as　a　steam…hammer　sometimes　does　when　used

to　crack　nuts；　stopped　as　it　touched　my　back；　and　presently　came　to

earth　again　alongside　of　me；　perhaps　because　Jana　thought　the　foothold

dangerous。　At　any　rate；　he　took　another　and　better　way。　Depositing　the

remains　of　Mar？t　with　the　most　tender　care　beside　me；　as　though　the

nurse　were　putting　the　child　to　bed；　he　unwound　his　yards　of　trunk　and

began　to　feel　me　all　over　with　its　tip；　commencing　at　the　back　of　my

neck。　Oh！　the　sensation　of　that　clammy；　wriggling　tip　upon　my　spinal

column！



Down　it　went　till　it　reached　the　seat　of　my　trousers。　There　it

pinched；　presumably　to　ascertain　whether　or　no　I　were　malingering；　a

most　agonizing　pinch　like　to　that　of　a　pair　of　blacksmith's　tongs。　So

sharp　was　it　that；　although　I　did　not　stir；　who　was　aware　that　the

slightest　movement　meant　death；　it　tore　a　piece　out　of　the　stout　cloth

of　my　breeches；　to　say　nothing　of　a　portion　of　the　skin　beneath。　This

seemed　to　astonish　the　beast；　for　it　lifted　the　tip　of　its　trunk　and

shifted　its　head；　as　though　to　examine　the　fragment　by　the　light　of

the　moon。



Now　indeed　all　was　over；　for　when　it　saw　blood　upon　that　cloth！　I

put　up　one　short；　piteous　prayer　to　Heaven　to　save　me　from　this

terrible　end；　and　lo；　it　was　answered！



For　just　as　Jana；　the　results　of　the　inspection　being　unsatisfactory；

was　cocking　his　ears　and　making　ready　to　slay　me；　there　rang　out　the

short；　sharp　report　of　a　rifle　fired　within　a　few　yards。　Glancing　up

at　the　instant；　I　saw　blood　spurt　from　the　monster's　left　eye；　where

evidently　the　bullet　had　found　a　home。



He　felt　at　his　eye　with　his　trunk；　then；　uttering　a　scream　of　pain；

wheeled　round　and　rushed　away。







CHAPTER　XIV



THE　CHASE



I　suppose　that　I　swooned　for　a　minute　or　two。　At　any　rate　I　remember　a

long　and　very　curious　dream；　such　a　dream　as　is　evolved　by　a　patient

under　laughing　gas；　that　is　very　clear　and　vivid　at　the　time　but

immediately　afterwards　slips　from　the　mind's　grasp　as　water　does　from

the　clenched　hand。　It　was　something　to　the　effect　that　all　those

hundreds　of　skeleton　elephants　rose　and　marshalled　themselves　before

me；　making　obeisance　to　me　by　bending　their　bony　knees；　because；　as　I

quite　understood；　I　was　the　only　human　being　that　had　ever　escaped

from　Jana。　Moreover；　on　the　foremost　elephant's　skull　Hans　was　perched

like　a　mahout；　giving　words　of　command；　to　their　serried　ranks　and

explaining　to　them　that　it　would　be　very　convenient　if　they　would

carry　their　tusks；　for　which　they　had　no　further　use；　and　pile　them　in

a　certain　placeI　forget　wherethat　must　be　near　a　good　road　to

facilitate　their　subsequent　transport　to　a　land　where　they　would　be

made　into　billiard　balls　and　the　backs　of　ladies'　hair…brushes。　Next；

through　the　figments　of　that　retreating　dream；　I　heard　the　undoubted

voice　of　Hans　himself；　which　of　course　I　knew　to　be　absurd　as　Hans　was

lost　and　doubtless　dead；　saying：



〃If　you　are　alive；　Baas；　please　wake　up　soon；　as　I　have　finished

reloading　Intombi；　and　it　is　time　to　be　going。　I　think　I　hit　Jana　in

the　eye；　but　so　big　a　beast　will　soon　get　over　so　little　a　thing　as

that　and　look　for　us；　and　the　bullet　from　Intombi　is　too　small　to　kill

him；　Baas；　especially　as　it　is　not　likely　that　either　of　us　could　hit

him　in　the　other　eye。〃



Now　I　sat　up　and　stared。　Yes；　there　was　Hans　himself　looking　just　the

same　as　usual；　only　perhaps　rather　dirtier；　engaged　in　setting　a　cap

on　to　the　nipple　of　the　little　rifle　Intombi。



〃Hans；〃　I　said　in　a　hollow　voice；　〃why　the　devil　are　you　here？〃



〃To　save　you　from　the　devil；　of　course；　Baas；〃　he　replied　aptly。　Then；

resting　the　gun　against　the　stone；　the　old　fellow　knelt　down　by　my

side　and；　throwing　his　arms　around　me；　began　to　blubber　over　me；

exclaiming：



〃Just　in　time；　Baas！　Only　just　in　time；　for　as　usual　Hans　made　a　mess

of　things　and　judged　badlyI'll　tell　you　afterwards。　Still；　just　in

time；　thanks　be　to　your　reverend　father；　the　Predikant。　Oh！　if　he　had

delayed　me　for　one　more　minute　you　would　have　been　as　flat　as　my　nose；

Baas。　Now　come　quickly。　I've　got　the　camel　tied　up　there；　and　he　can

carry　two；　being　fat　and　strong　after　four　days'　rest　with　plenty　to

eat。　This　place　is　haunted；　Baas；　and　that　king　of　the　devils；　Jana；

will　be　back　after　us　presently；　as　soon　as　he　has　wiped　the　blood　out

of　his　eye。〃



I　didn't　make　any　remark；　having　no　taste　for　conversation　just　then；

but　only　looked　at　poor　Mar？t；　who　lay　by　me　as　though　he　was

sleeping。



〃Oh；　Baas；〃　said　Hans；　〃there　is　no　need　to　trouble　about　him；　for　his

neck　is　broken　and　he's　quite　dead。　Also　it　is　as　well；〃　he　added

cheerfully。　〃For；　as　your　reverend　father　doubtless　remembered；　the

camel　could　never　carry　three。　Moreover；　if　he　stops　here；　perhaps

Jana　will　come　back　to　play　with　him　instead　of　following　us。〃



Poor　Mar？t！　This　was　his　requiem　as　sung　by　Hans。



With　a　last　glance　at　the　unhappy　man　to　whom　I　had　grown　attached　in

a　way　during　our　time　of　joint　captivity　and　trial；　I　took　the　arm　of

the　old　Hottentot；　or　rather　leant　upon　his　shoulder；　for　at　first　I

felt　too　weak　to　walk　by　myself；　and　picked　my　path　with　him　through

the　stones　and　skeletons　of　elephants　across　the　plateau　eastwards；

that　is；　away　from　the　lake。　About　two　hundred　yards　from　the　scene　of

our　tragedy　was　a　mound　of　rock　similar　to　that　on　which　Jana　had

appeared；　but　much　smaller；　behind　which　w