benita-第17章

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Meyer　was；　and　learned　that　he　had　already　departed　for　Wakkerstroom。



〃Certainly　he　is　in　earnest；〃　she　said　with　a　laugh。



〃Yes；〃　answered　her　father；　〃Jacob　is　always　in　earnest；　though；

somehow；　his　earnestness　has　not　brought　him　much　good　so　far。　If　we

fail；　it　will　not　be　want　of　thought　and　preparation　on　his　part。〃



Nearly　a　week　went　by　before　Meyer　returned　again；　and　meanwhile

Benita　made　ready　for　her　journey。　In　the　intervals　of　her　simple

preparations　also　she　talked　a　good　deal；　with　the　help　of　her　father；

to　the　three　sturdy…looking　Makalanga；　who　were　resting　thankfully

after　their　long　journey。　Their　conversation　was　general；　since　by

tacit　consent　no　further　mention　was　made　of　the　treasure　or　of

anything　to　do　with　it；　but　it　enabled　her　to　form　a　fair　opinion　of

them　and　their　people。　She　gathered　that　although　they　spoke　a　dialect

of　Zulu；　they　had　none　of　the　bravery　of　the　Zulus；　and　indeed　lived

in　deadly　terror　of　the　Matabele；　who　are　bastard　Zulussuch　terror；

in　fact；　that　she　greatly　doubted　whether　the　hundred　rifles　would　be

of　much　use　to　them；　should　they　ever　be　attacked　by　that　tribe。



They　were　what　their　fathers　had　been　before　them；　agriculturists　and

workers　in　metalsnot　fighting　men。　Also　she　set　herself　to　learn

what　she　could　of　their　tongue；　which　she　did　not　find　difficult；　for

Benita　had　a　natural　aptitude　for　languages；　and　had　never　forgotten

the　Dutch　and　Zulu　she　used　to　prattle　as　a　child；　which　now　came　back

to　her　very　fast。　Indeed；　she　could　already　talk　fairly　in　either　of

those　languages；　especially　as　she　spent　her　spare　hours　in　studying

their　grammar；　and　reading　them。



So　the　days　went　on；　till　one　evening　Jacob　Meyer　appeared　with　two

Scotch　carts　laden　with　ten　long　boxes　that　looked　like　coffins；　and

other　smaller　boxes　which　were　very　heavy；　to　say　nothing　of　a

multitude　of　stores。　As　Mr。　Clifford　prophesied；　he　had　forgotten

nothing；　for　he　even　brought　Benita　various　articles　of　clothing；　and

a　revolver　for　which　she　had　not　asked。



Three　days　later　they　trekked　away　from　Rooi　Krantz　upon　a　peculiarly

beautiful　Sunday　morning　in　the　early　spring；　giving　it　out　that　they

were　going　upon　a　trading　and　shooting　expedition　in　the　north　of　the

Transvaal。　Benita　looked　back　at　the　pretty　little　stead　and　the

wooded　kloof　behind　it　over　which　she　had　nearly　fallen；　and　the

placid　lake　in　front　of　it　where　the　nesting　wildfowl　wheeled；　and

sighed。　For　to　her；　now　that　she　was　leaving　it；　the　place　seemed　like

home；　and　it　came　into　her　mind　that　she　would　never　see　it　any　more。







VIII



BAMBATSE



Nearly　four　months　had　gone　by　when　at　length　the　waggon　with　which

were　Mr。　Clifford；　Benita；　and　Jacob　Meyer　camped　one　night　within　the

country　of　the　Molimo　of　Bambatse；　whose　name　was　Mambo。　Or　perhaps

that　was　his　title；　since　（according　to　Tamas　his　son）　every　chief　in

succession　was　called　Mambo；　though　not　all　of　them　were　Molimos；　or

representatives　and　prophets　of　God；　or　the　Great　Spirit　whom　they

knew　as　Munwali。　Thus　sometimes　the　Molimo；　or　priest　of　Munwali；　and

the　Mambo　or　chief　were　different　persons。　For　instance；　he　said　that

he；　Tamas；　would　be　Mambo　on　his　father's　death；　but　no　visions　were

given　to　him；　therefore　as　yet；　at　any　rate；　he　was　not　called　to　be

Molimo。



In　the　course　of　this　long　journey　they　had　met　with　many　adventures；

such　as　were　common　to　African　travellers　before　the　days　of

railroads；　adventures　with　wild　beasts　and　native　tribes；　adventures

with　swollen　rivers　also；　and　one　that　was　worst；　with　thirst；　since

for　three　days　（owing　to　the　failure　of　a　pit　or　pan；　where　they

expected　to　find　water）　they　were　obliged　to　go　without　drink。　Still；

none　of　these　were　very　serious；　nor　had　any　of　the　three　of　them　ever

been　in　better　health　than　they　were　at　this　moment；　for　by　good　luck

they　had　escaped　all　fever。　Indeed；　their　rough；　wild　life　had　agreed

with　Benita　extraordinarily　well；　so　well　that　any　who　had　known　her

in　the　streets　of　London　would　scarcely　have　recognized　her　as　the

sunburnt；　active　and　well…formed　young　woman　who　sat　that　night　by　the

camp　fire。



All　the　horses　they　had　brought　with　them　had　been　sold；　except　some

which　had　died；　and　three　that　were　〃salted；〃　or　proof　against　the

deadly　horse　sickness；　which　they　took　on　with　them。　Their　own

servants　also　had　been　sent　back　to　Rooi　Krantz　in　charge　of　a　Scotch

cart　laden　with　ivory；　purchased　from　Boer　hunters　who　had　brought　it

down　from　the　north　of　the　Transvaal。　Therefore；　for　this　was　part　of

the　bargain；　the　three　Makalanga　were　now　their　only　attendants　who

drove　and　herded　the　cattle；　while　Benita　cooked　the　food　which　the

two　white　men　shot；　or　sometimes　bought　from　natives。



For　days　they　had　been　passing　through　a　country　that　was　practically

deserted；　and　now；　having　crossed　a　high　nek；　the　same　on　which　Robert

Seymour　had　left　his　waggon；　they　were　camped　in　low　land　which；　as

they　could　see　by　the　remains　of　walls　that　appeared　everywhere；　had

once　been　extensively　enclosed　and　cultivated。　To　their　right　was　a

rising　mountainous　ground；　beyond　which；　said　the　Makalanga；　ran　the

Zambesi；　and　in　front　of　them；　not　more　than　ten　miles　away；　a　great

isolated　hill；　none　other　than　that　place　that　they　had　journeyed　so

far　to　reach；　Bambatse；　round　which　flowed　the　great　river。　Indeed；

thither　one　of　the　three　Makalanga；　he　who　was　named　Hoba；　had　gone　on

to　announce　their　approach。



They　had　outspanned　amongst　ruins；　most　of　them　circular　in　shape；　and

Benita；　studying　them　in　the　bright　moonlight；　guessed　that　once　these

had　been　houses。　That　place　now　so　solitary；　hundreds　or　thousands　of

years　ago　was　undoubtedly　the　home　of　a　great　population。　Thousands；

rather　than　hundreds；　she　thought；　since　close　at　hand　in　the　middle

of　one　of　these　round　houses；　grew　a　mighty　baobab　tree；　that　could

not　have　seen　less　than　ten　or　fifteen　centuries　since　the　seed　whence

it　sprang　pierced　the　cement　floor　which　was　still　visible　about　its

giant　bole。



Tamas；　the　Molimo's　son；　saw　her　studying　these　evidences　of

antiquity；　and；　approaching；　saluted　her。



〃Lady；〃　he　said　in　his　own　language；　which　by　now　she　spoke　very　well；

〃lady〃and　he　waved　his　hand　with　a　fine　gesture〃behold　the　city　of

my　people。〃



〃How　do　you　know　that　it　was　their　city？〃　she　asked。



〃I　do　not　know；　lady。　Stones　cannot　speak；　the　spirits　are　silent；　and

we　have　forgotten。　Still；　I　think　so；　and　our　fathers　have　told　us

that　but　six　or　eight　generations　ago　many　folk　lived　here；　though　it

was　not　they　who　built　these　walls。　Even　fifty　years　ago　there　were

many；　but　now　the　Matabele　have　killed　them；　and　we　are　few；　to…morrow

you　will　see　how　few。　Come　here　and　look；〃　and　he　led　her　through　the

entrance　of　a　square　cattle　kraal　which　stood　close　by。　Within　were

tufts　of　rank　grass；　and　a　few　bushes；　and　among　these　scores　of

skulls　and　other　bones。



〃The　Matabele　killed　these　in　the　time　of　Moselikatse；〃　he　said。　〃Now

do　you　wonder　that　we　who　remain　fear　the　Matabele；　and　desire　guns　to

defend　ourselves　from　them；　even　if　we　must　sell　our　secrets；　in　order

to　buy　those　guns；　who　have　no　money　to　pay　for　them？〃



〃No；〃　she　answered；　looking　at　the　tall；　dignified　man；　into　whose

soul　the　irons　of　fear　and　slavery　had　burnt　so　deep。　〃No；　I　do　not

wonder。〃



Next　morning　at　daybreak　they　trekked　on；　always　through　these

evidences　of　dead；　forgotten　people。　They　had　not　more　than　ten　miles

to　cover　to　reach　their　long　journey's　end；　but　the　road；　if　so　it

could　be　called；　ran　up…hill；　and　the　oxen；　whereof　only　fourteen　were

now　left　to　drag　the　heavy…laden　waggon；　were　thin　and　footsore；　so

that　their　progress　was　very　slow。　Indeed；　it　was　past　midday　when　at

length　they　began　to　enter　what　by　apology　might　be　called　the　town　of

Bambatse。



〃When　we　go　away　from　this；　it　wil