benita-第14章

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he　looked　at　Mr。　Clifford。



〃Benita；　my　dear；〃　said　her　father；　〃rather　a　curious　thing　has

happened。〃　Her　face　lit　up；　but　he　shook　his　head。　〃No；　nothing　to　do

with　the　shipwreckthat　is　all　finished。　Still；　something　that　may

interest　you；　if　you　care　to　hear　a　story。〃



Benita　nodded；　she　was　in　a　mood　to　hear　anything　that　would　occupy

her　thoughts。



〃You　know　something　about　this　treasure　business；〃　went　on　her　father。

〃Well；　this　is　the　tale　of　it。　Years　ago；　after　you　and　your　mother

had　gone　to　England；　I　went　on　a　big　game　shooting　expedition　into　the

interior。　My　companion　was　an　old　fellow　called　Tom　Jackson；　a　rolling

stone；　and　one　of　the　best　elephant　hunters　in　Africa。　We　did　pretty

well；　but　the　end　of　it　was　that　we　separated　north　of　the　Transvaal；

I　bringing　down　the　ivory　that　we　had　shot；　and　traded；　and　Tom

stopping　to　put　in　another　season；　the　arrangement　being　that　he　was

to　join　me　afterwards；　and　take　his　share　of　the　money。　I　came　here

and　bought　this　farm　from　a　Boer　who　was　tired　of　itcheap　enough；

too；　for　I　only　gave　him　￡100　for　the　6；000　acres。　The　kitchens　behind

were　his　old　house；　for　I　built　a　new　one。



〃A　year　had　gone　by　before　I　saw　any　more　of　Tom　Jackson；　and　then　he

turned　up　more　dead　than　alive。　He　had　been　injured　by　an　elephant；

and　lay　for　some　months　among　the　Makalanga　to　the　north　of

Matabeleland；　where　he　got　fever　badly　at　a　place　called　Bambatse；　on

the　Zambesi。　These　Makalanga　are　a　strange　folk。　I　believe　their　name

means　the　People　of　the　Sun；　at　any　rate；　they　are　the　last　of　some

ancient　race。　Well；　while　he　was　there　he　cured　the　old　Molimo；　or

hereditary　high…priest　of　this　tribe；　of　a　bad　fever　by　giving　him

quinine；　and　naturally　they　grew　friendly。　The　Molimo　lived　among

ruins　of　which　there　are　many　over　all　that　part　of　South　Africa。　No

one　knows　who　built　them　now；　probably　it　was　people　who　lived

thousands　of　years　ago。　However；　this　Molimo　told　Tom　Jackson　a　more

recent　legend　connected　with　the　place。



〃He　said　that　six　generations　before；　when　his　great…great…great

grandfather　was　chief　（Mambo；　he　called　it）；　the　natives　of　all　that

part　of　South　Africa　rose　against　the　white　menPortuguese；　I　suppose

who　still　worked　the　gold　there。　They　massacred　them　and　their

slaves　by　thousands；　driving　them　up　from　the　southward；　where

Lobengula　rules　now；　to　the　Zambesi　by　which　the　Portuguese　hoped　to

escape　to　the　coast。　At　length　a　remnant　of　them；　not　more　than　about

two　hundred　men　and　women；　arrived　at　the　stronghold　called　Bambatse；

where　the　Molimo　now　lives　in　a　great　ruin　built　by　the　ancients　upon

an　impregnable　mountain　which　overhangs　the　river。　With　them　they

brought　an　enormous　quantity　of　gold；　all　the　stored…up　treasure　of

the　land　which　they　were　trying　to　carry　off。　But　although　they

reached　the　river　they　could　not　escape　by　it；　since　the　natives；　who

pursued　them　in　thousands；　watched　day　and　night　in　canoes；　and　the

poor　fugitives　had　no　boats。　Therefore　it　came　about　that　they　were

shut　up　in　this　fortress　which　it　was　impossible　to　storm；　and　there

slowly　perished　of　starvation。



〃When　it　was　known　that　they　were　all　dead；　the　natives　who　had

followed　them　from　the　south；　and　who　wanted　blood　and　revenge；　not

gold；　which　was　of　no　use　to　them；　went　away；　but　the　old　priest's

forefather　who　knew　the　secret　entrance　to　the　place；　and　who　had　been

friendly　to　the　Portuguese；　forced　his　way　in　and　there；　amidst　the

dead；　found　one　woman　living；　but　mad　with　griefa　young　and

beautiful　girl；　the　daughter　of　the　Portuguese　lord　or　captain。　He

gave　her　food；　but　in　the　night；　when　some　strength　had　returned　to

her；　she　left　him；　and　at　daybreak　he　found　her　standing　on　the　peak

that　overhangs　the　river；　dressed　all　in　white。



〃He　called　some　of　his　councillors；　and　they　tried　to　persuade　her　to

come　down　from　the　rock；　but　she　answered；　'No；　her　betrothed　and　all

her　family　and　friends　were　dead；　and　it　was　her　will　to　follow　them。'

Then　they　asked　where　was　the　gold；　for　having　watched　day　and　night

they　knew　it　had　not　been　thrown　into　the　river。　She　answered　that　it

was　where　it　was；　and　that；　seek　as　he　might；　no　black　man　would　ever

find　it。　She　added　that　she　gave　it　into　his　keeping；　and　that　of　his

descendants；　to　safeguard　until　she　came　again。　Also　she　said　that　if

they　were　faithless　to　that　trust；　then　it　had　been　revealed　to　her

from　heaven　above　that　those　same　savages　who　had　killed　her　father

and　her　people；　would　kill　his　people　also。　When　she　had　spoken　thus

she　stood　a　while　praying　on　the　peak；　then　suddenly　hurled　herself

into　the　river；　and　was　seen　no　more。



〃From　that　day　to　this　the　ruin　has　been　held　to　be　haunted；　and　save

the　Molimo　himself；　who　retires　there　to　meditate　and　receive

revelations　from　the　spirits；　no　one　is　allowed　to　set　a　foot　in　its

upper　part；　indeed；　the　natives　would　rather　die　than　do　so。

Consequently　the　gold　still　remains　where　it　was　hidden。　This　place

itself　Tom　Jackson　did　not　see；　since；　notwithstanding　his　friendship

for　him；　the　Molimo　refused　to　allow　him　to　enter　there。



〃Well；　Tom　never　recovered；　he　died　here；　and　is　buried　in　the　little

graveyard　behind　the　house　which　the　Boers　made　for　some　of　their

people。　It　was　shortly　before　his　death　that　Mr。　Meyer　became　my

partner；　for　I　forgot　to　say　that　I　had　told　him　the　story；　and　we

determined　to　have　a　try　for　that　great　wealth。　You　know　the　rest。　We

trekked　to　Bambatse；　pretending　to　be　traders；　and　found　the　old

Molimo　who　knew　of　me　as　having　been　Tom　Jackson's　friend。　We　asked

him　if　the　story　he　had　told　to　Jackson　were　true；　and　he　answered

that；　surely　as　the　sun　shone　in　the　heavens；　it　was　trueevery　word

of　itfor　it；　and　much　more　than　he　had　spoken　of；　had　been　handed

down　from　father　to　son；　and　that　they　even　knew　the　name　of　the　white

lady　who　had　killed　herself。　It　was　Ferreirayour　mother's　name；

Benita；　though　a　common　one　enough　in　South　Africa。



〃We　asked　him　to　allow　us　to　enter　the　topmost　stronghold；　which

stands　upon　the　hill；　but　he　refused；　saying　that　the　curse　still　lay

upon　him　and　his；　and　that　no　man　should　enter　until　the　lady　Ferreira

came　again。　For　the　rest　the　place　was　free　to　us；　we　might　dig　as　we

would。　So　we　did　dig；　and　found　some　gold　buried　with　the　ancients；

beads　and　bangles　and　wireabout　￡100　worth。　Alsothat　was　on　the

day　when　the　young　Seymours　came　upon　us；　and　accounts　for　Meyer's

excitement；　for　he　thought　that　we　were　on　the　track　of　the　treasure

we　found　a　single　gold　coin；　no　doubt　one　that　had　been　dropped　by　the

Portuguese。　Here　it　is。〃　And　he　threw　a　thin　piece　of　gold　on　the

table　before　her。　〃I　have　shown　it　to　a　man　learned　in　those　matters；

and　he　says　that　it　is　a　ducat　struck　by　one　of　the　doges　of　Venice。



〃Well；　we　never　found　any　more。　The　end　of　it　was　that　the　Makalanga

caught　us　trying　to　get　in　to　the　secret　stronghold　by　stealth；　and

gave　us　the　choice　of　clearing　out　or　being　killed。　So　we　cleared　out；

for　treasure　is　not　of　much　use　to　dead　men。〃



Mr。　Clifford　ceased　speaking；　and　filled　his　pipe；　while　Meyer　helped

himself　to　squareface　in　an　absent　manner。　As　for　Benita；　she　stared

at　the　quaint　old　coin；　which　had　a　hole　in　it；　wondering　with　what

scenes　of　terror　and　of　bloodshed　it　had　been　connected。



〃Keep　it；〃　said　her　father。　〃It　will　go　on　that　bracelet　of　yours。〃



〃Thank　you；　dear；〃　she　answered。　〃Though　I　don't　know　why　I　should

take　all　the　Portuguese　treasure　since　we　shall　never　see　any　more　of

it。〃



〃Why　not；　Miss　Clifford？〃　asked　Meyer　quickly。



〃The　story　tells　you　whybecause　the　natives　won't　even　let　you　look

for　it；　also；　looking　and　finding　are　different　things。〃



〃Natives　change　their　minds　sometimes；　Miss　Clifford。　That　story　is

not　done；　it　is　only　begun；　and　now　you　shall　hear　its　second　chapter。

Clifford；　may　I　call　in　the　messengers？〃　And　wit