benita-第25章

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〃Now；〃　he　went　on；　〃now　the　spell　is　broken；　and　the　sleepers　must

depart　to　sleep　elsewhere。　Enter；　white　men；　enter；　if　you　dare；　and

ask　for　pardon　and　for　blessing　if　it　may　be　found；　and　gather　up　the

dry　bones　and　take　the　treasure　that　was　theirs；　if　it　may　be　found；

and　conquer　the　curse　that　goes　with　the　treasure　for　all　save　one；　if

you　can；　if　you　can；　if　you　can！　Rest　you　here；　maiden；　in　the　sweet

sunshine；　and　follow　me；　white　men；　follow　me　into　the　dark　of　the

dead　to　seek　for　that　which　the　white　men　love。〃　And　once　more　he

vanished　down　the　passage；　turning　now　and　again　to　beckon　to　them；

while　they　went　after　him　as　though　drawn　against　their　wish。　For　now；

at　the　last　moment；　some　superstitious　fear　spread　from　him　to　them；

and　showed　itself　in　their　eyes。



To　Benita；　half　fainting　upon　the　stone　seat；　for　this　experience　had

shaken　her　to　the　heart；　it　seemed　but　a　few　minutes；　though　really

the　best　part　of　an　hour　had　gone　by；　when　her　father　reappeared　as

white…faced　as　she　had　been。



〃Where　is　Mr。　Meyer？〃　she　asked。



〃Oh！〃　he　answered。　〃He　is　collecting　all　the　golden　ornaments　off

those　poor　bodies；　and　tumbling　their　bones　together　in　a　corner　of

the　cave。〃



Benita　uttered　an　exclamation　of　horror。



〃I　know　what　you　mean；〃　said　her　father。　〃But；　curse　the　fellow！　he

has　no　reverence；　although　at　first　he　seemed　almost　as　scared　as　I

was　myself。　He　said　that　as　we　could　not　begin　our　search　with　all

those　corpses　about；　they　had　best　be　got　out　of　the　way　as　soon　as

possible。　Or　perhaps　it　was　because　he　is　really　afraid　of　them；　and

wanted　to　prove　to　himself　that　they　are　nothing　more　than　dust。

Benita；〃　went　on　the　old　man；　〃to　tell　you　the　truth；　I　wish　heartily

that　we　had　left　this　business　alone。　I　don't　believe　that　any　good

will　come　of　it；　and　certainly　it　has　brought　enough　trouble　already。

That　old　prophet　of　a　Molimo　has　the　second　sight；　or　something　like

it；　and　he　does　not　hide　his　opinion；　but　keeps　chuckling　away　in　that

dreadful　place；　and　piping　out　his　promises　of　ill　to　be。〃



〃He　promised　me　nothing　but　good；〃　said　Benita　with　a　little　smile。

〃Though　I　don't　see　how　it　can　happen。　But　if　you　dislike　the　thing；

father；　why　not　give　it　up　and　try　to　escape？〃



〃It　is　too　late；　dear；〃　he　replied　passionately。　〃Meyer　would　never

come；　and　I　can't　in　honour　leave　him。　Also；　I　should　laugh　at　myself

for　the　rest　of　my　life；　and；　after　all；　why　should　we　not　have　the

gold　if　it　can　be　found？　It　belongs　to　nobody。　We　do　not　get　it　by

robbery；　or　murder；　nuggets　are　of　no　use　to　Portuguese　who　have　been

dead　two　hundred　years；　and　whose　heirs；　if　they　have　any；　it　is

impossible　to　discover。　Nor　can　it　matter　to　them　whether　they　lie

about　singly　as　they　died　or　were　placed　after　death；　or　piled

together　in　a　corner。　Our　fears　were　mere　churchyard　superstitions；

which　we　have　caught　from　that　ghoul　of　a　Molimo。　Don't　you　agree　with

me？〃



〃Yes；　I　suppose　so；〃　answered　Benita；　〃though　a　fate　may　cling　to

certain　things　or　places；　perhaps。　At　any　rate；　I　think　that　it　is　of

no　use　turning　back　now；　even　if　we　had　anywhere　to　turn；　so　we　may　as

well　go　through　with　the　venture　and　await　its　end。　Give　me　the　water…

bottle；　please。　I　am　thirsty。〃



A　while　later　Jacob　Meyer　appeared；　carrying　a　great　bundle　of

precious　objects　wrapped　in　one　of　the　gold　cere…cloths；　which　bundle

he　hid　away　behind　a　stone。



〃The　cave　is　much　tidier　now；〃　he　said；　as　he　flicked　the　thick　dust

which　had　collected　on　them　during　his　unhallowed　task　from　his　hands；

and　hair；　and　garments。　Then　he　drank　greedily；　and　asked：



〃Have　you　two　made　any　plans　for　our　future　researches？〃



They　shook　their　heads。



〃Well；　then；　I　have。　I　thought　them　out　while　I　was　bone…carting；　and

here　they　are。　It　is　no　use　our　going　down　below　again；　for　one　thing；

the　journey　is　too　dangerous；　and　takes　too　long；　and　for　another；　we

are　safer　up　above；　where　we　have　plenty　to　do。〃



〃But；〃　said　Benita；　〃how　about　things　to　eat　and　sleep　on；　and　the

rest？〃



〃Simple　enough；　Miss　Clifford；　we　must　get　them　up。　The　Kaffirs　will

bring　them　to　the　foot　of　the　third　wall；　and　we　will　haul　them　to　its

top　with　a　rope。　Of　water　it　seems　there　is　plenty　in　that　well；　which

is　fed　by　a　spring　a　hundred　and　fifty　feet　down；　and　the　old　chain　is

still　on　the　roller；　so　we　only　need　a　couple　of　buckets　from　the

waggon。　Of　wood　for　cooking　there　is　plenty　also；　growing　on　the　spot；

and　we　can　camp　in　the　cave　or　outside　of　it；　as　we　like；　according　to

the　state　of　the　weather。　Now；　do　you　rest　here　while　I　go　down。　I

will　be　back　in　an　hour　with　some　of　the　gear；　and　then　you　must　help

me。〃



So　he　went；　and　the　end　of　it　was　that　before　nightfall　they　had

enough　things　for　their　immediate　needs；　and　by　the　second　night；

working　very　hard；　were　more　or　less　comfortably　established　in　their

strange　habitation。　The　canvas　flap　from　the　waggon　was　arranged　as　a

tent　for　Benita；　the　men　sleeping　beneath　a　thick…leaved　tree　near　by。

Close　at　hand；　under　another　tree；　was　their　cooking　place。　The

provisions　of　all　sorts；　including　a　couple　of　cases　of　square…face

and　a　large　supply　of　biltong　from　the　slaughtered　cattle；　they　stored

with　a　quantity　of　ammunition　in　the　mouth　of　the　cave。　Fresh　meat

also　was　brought　to　them　daily；　and　hauled　up　in　basketsthat　is；

until　there　was　none　to　bringand　with　it　grain　for　bread；　and　green

mealies　to　serve　as　vegetables。　Therefore；　as　the　water　from　the　well

proved　to　be　excellent　and　quite　accessible；　they　were　soon　set　up　in

all　things　necessary；　and　to　these　they　added　from　time　to　time　as

opportunity　offered。



In　all　these　preparations　the　old　Molimo　took　a　part；　nor；　when　they

were　completed；　did　he　show　any　inclination　to　leave　them。　In　the

morning　he　would　descend　to　his　people　below；　but　before　nightfall　he

always　returned　to　the　cave；　where　for　many　years　it　had　been　his

custom　to　sleepat　any　rate　several　times　a　week；　in　the　gruesome

company　of　the　dead　Portuguese。　Jacob　Meyer　persuaded　Mr。　Clifford

that　his　object　was　to　spy　upon　them；　and　talked　of　turning　him　out；

but　Benita；　between　whom　and　the　old　man　had　sprung　up　a　curious

friendship　and　sympathy；　prevented　it；　pointing　out　that　they　were

much　safer　with　the　Molimo；　as　a　kind　of　hostage；　than　they　could　be

without　him；　also；　that　his　knowledge　of　the　place；　and　of　other

things；　might　prove　of　great　help　to　them。　So　in　the　end　he　was

allowed　to　remain；　as　indeed　he　had　a　perfect　right　to　do。



All　this　while　there　was　no　sign　of　any　attack　by　the　Matabele。

Indeed；　the　fear　of　such　a　thing　was　to　some　extent　dying　away；　and

Benita；　watching　from　the　top　of　the　wall；　could　see　that　their　nine

remaining　oxen；　together　with　the　two　horsesfor　that　belonging　to

Jacob　Meyer　had　diedand　the　Makalanga　goats　and　sheep；　were　daily

driven　out　to　graze；　also；　that　the　women　were　working　in　the　crops

upon　the　fertile　soil　around　the　lowest　wall。　Still；　a　strict　watch

was　kept；　and　at　night　everyone　slept　within　the　fortifications；

moreover；　the　drilling　of　the　men　and　their　instruction　in　the　use　of

firearms　went　on　continually　under　Tamas；　who　now；　in　his　father's　old

age；　was　the　virtual　chief　of　the　people。



It　was　on　the　fourth　morning　that　at　length；　all　their　preparations

being　completed；　the　actual　search　for　the　treasure　began。　First；　the

Molimo　was　closely　interrogated　as　to　its　whereabouts；　since　they

thought　that　even　if　he　did　not　know　this　exactly；　some　traditions　of

the　fact　might　have　descended　to　him　from　his　ancestors。　But　he

declared　with　earnestness　that　he　knew　nothing；　save　that　the

Portuguese　maiden　had　said　that　it　was　hidden；　nor；　he　added；　had　any

dream　or　vision　come　to　him　concerning　this　matter；　in　which　he　took

no　interest。　If　it　was　there；　it　was　there；　if　it　was　not　there；　it

was　not　thereit　remained　for　the　white　men