benita-第32章

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What　can　he　know　of　the　future　more　than　any　of　the　rest　of　us？

Besides；　all　he　says　is　that　we　shall　come　back　again；　and　if　that

does　happen；　at　least　we　shall　have　been　free　for　a　little　while。

Come；　father。〃



〃As　you　wish；〃　answered　Mr。　Clifford；　who　seemed　too　miserable　and

depressed　to　argue。　Only　he　threw　down　the　letter　upon　the　Molimo's

lap；　and　begged　him　to　give　it　to　Meyer　when　he　came　to　look　for　them。



The　old　man　took　no　notice；　no；　not　even　when　Benita　bade　him　farewell

and　thanked　him　for　his　kindness；　praying　that　all　good　fortune　might

attend　him　and　his　tribe；　did　he　answer　a　single　word　or　even　look　up。

So　they　led　their　horses　down　the　narrow　passage　where　there　was

scarcely　room　for　them　to　pass；　and　up　the　steep　path　beyond。　On　the

further　side　of　the　ancient　ditch　they　remounted　them　while　the

Makalanga　watched　them　from　the　walls；　and　cantered　away　along　the

same　road　by　which　they　had　come。



Now　this　road；　or　rather　track；　ran　first　through　the　gardens　and　then

among　the　countless　ruined　houses　that　in　bygone　ages　formed　the　great

city　whereof　the　mount　Bambatse　had　been　the　citadel　and　sanctuary。

The　relics　of　a　lost　civilization　extended　for　several　miles；　and　were

bounded　by　a　steep　and　narrow　neck　or　pass　in　the　encircling　hills；

the　same　that　Robert　Seymour　and　his　brother　had　found　too　difficult

for　their　waggon　at　the　season　in　which　they　visited　the　place　some

years　before。　This　pass；　or　port　as　it　is　called　in　South　Africa；　had

been　strongly　fortified；　for　on　either　side　of　it　were　the　ruins　of

towers。　Moreover；　at　its　crest　it　was　so　narrow　and　steep…sided　that　a

few　men　posted　there；　even　if　they　were　armed　only　with　bows　and

arrows；　could　hold　an　attacking　force　in　check　for　a　considerable

time。　Beyond　it；　after　the　hill　was　descended；　a　bush…clad　plain

dotted　with　kopjes　and　isolated　granite　pillars　formed　of　boulders

piled　one　upon　another；　rolled　away　for　many　miles。



Mr。　Clifford　and　Benita　had　started　upon　their　mad　journey　about　three

o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　and　when　the　sun　began　to　set　they　found

themselves　upon　this　plain　fifteen　or　sixteen　miles　from　Bambatse；　of

which　they　had　long　lost　sight；　for　it　lay　beyond　the　intervening

hills。　Near　to　them　was　a　kopje；　where　they　had　outspanned　by　a　spring

of　water　when　on　their　recent　journey；　and　since　they　did　not　dare　to

travel　in　the　dark；　here　they　determined　to　off…saddle；　for　round　this

spring　was　good　grass　for　the　horses。



As　it　chanced；　they　came　upon　some　hartebeeste　here　which　were

trekking　down　to　drink；　but　although　they　would　have　been　glad　of

meat；　they　were　afraid　to　shoot；　fearing　lest　they　should　attract

attention；　nor　for　the　same　reason　did　they　like　to　light　a　fire。　So

having　knee…haltered　the　horses　in　such　fashion　that　they　could　not

wander　far；　and　turned　them　loose　to　feed；　they　sat　down　under　a　tree；

and　made　some　sort　of　a　meal　off　the　biltong　and　cooked　corn　which

they　had　brought　with　them。　By　the　time　this　was　finished　darkness

fell；　for　there　was　little　moon；　so　that　nothing　remained　to　do　except

to　sleep　within　a　circle　of　a　few　dead　thorn…boughs　which　they　had

drawn　about　their　camp。　This；　then；　they　did；　and　so　weary　were　they

both；　that　notwithstanding　all　the　emotions　through　which　they　had

passed；　and　their　fears　lest　lions　should　attack　themfor　of　these

brutes　there　were　many　in　this　veldrested　soundly　and　undisturbed

till　within　half　an　hour　of　dawn。



Rising　somewhat　chilled；　for　though　the　air　was　warm　a　heavy　dew　had

soaked　their　blankets；　once　more　they　ate　and　drank　by　starlight；

while　the　horses；　which　they　had　tied　up　close　to　them　during　the

night；　filled　themselves　with　grass。　At　the　first　break　of　day　they

saddled　them；　and　before　the　sun　rose　were　on　their　road　again。　At

length　up　it　came；　and　the　sight　and　warmth　of　it　put　new　heart　into

Benita。　Her　fears　seemed　to　depart　with　the　night；　and　she　said　to　her

father　that　this　successful　start　was　of　good　augury；　to　which　he　only

answered　that　he　hoped　so。



All　that　day　they　rode　forward　in　beautiful　weather；　not　pressing

their　horses；　for　now　they　were　sure　that　Jacob　Meyer；　who　if　he

followed　at　all　must　do　so　on　foot；　would　never　be　able　to　overtake

them。　At　noon　they　halted；　and　having　shot　a　small　buck；　Benita　cooked

some　of　it　in　the　one　pot　that　they　had　brought　with　them；　and　they

ate　a　good　meal　of　fresh　meat。



Riding　on　again；　towards　sundown　they　came　to　another　of　their　old

camping…places；　also　a　bush…covered　kopje。　Here　the　spring　of　water

was　more　than　halfway　up　the　hill；　so　there　they　off…saddled　in　a

green　bower　of　a　place　that　because　of　its　ferns　and　mosses　looked

like　a　rock　garden。　Now；　although　they　had　enough　cold　meat　for　food；

they　thought　themselves　quite　safe　in　lighting　a　fire。　Indeed；　this　it

seemed　necessary　to　do；　since　they　had　struck　the　fresh　spoor　of

lions；　and　even　caught　sight　of　one　galloping　away　in　the　tall　reeds

on　the　marshy　land　at　the　foot　of　the　hill。



That　evening　they　fared　sumptuously　upon　venison；　and　as　on　the

previous　day　lay　down　to　rest　in　a　little　〃boma〃　or　fence　made　of

boughs。　But　they　were　not　allowed　to　sleep　well　this　night；　for

scarcely　had　they　shut　their　eyes　when　a　hyena　began　to　howl　about

them。　They　shouted　and　the　brute　went　away；　but　an　hour　or　two　later；

they　heard　ominous　grunting　sounds；　followed　presently　by　a　loud　roar；

which　was　answered　by　another　roar；　whereat　the　horses　began　to　whinny

in　a　frightened　fashion。



〃Lions！〃　said　Mr。　Clifford；　jumping　up　and　throwing　dead　wood　on　the

fire　till　it　burnt　to　a　bright　blaze。



After　that　all　sleep　became　impossible；　for　although　the　lions　did　not

attack　them；　having　once　winded　the　horses　they　would　not　go　away；　but

continued　wandering　round　the　kopje；　grunting　and　growling。　This　went

on　till　abut　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　when　at　last　the　beasts

took　their　departure；　for　they　heard　them　roaring　in　the　distance。　Now

that　they　seemed　safe；　having　first　made　up　the　fire；　they　tried　to

get　some　rest。



When；　as　it　appeared　to　her；　Benita　had　been　asleep　but　a　little

while；　she　was　awakened　by　a　new　noise。　It　was　still　dark；　but　the

starlight　showed　her　that　the　horses　were　quite　quiet；　indeed；　one　of

them　was　lying　down；　and　the　other　eating　some　green　leaves　from　the

branches　of　the　tree　to　which　it　was　tethered。　Therefore　that　noise

had　not　come　from　any　wild　animal　of　which　they　were　afraid。　she

listened　intently；　and　presently　heard　it　again；　it　was　a　murmur　like

to　that　of　people　talking　somewhere　at　the　bottom　of　the　hill。　Then

she　woke　her　father　and　told　him；　but　although　once　or　twice　they

thought　they　heard　the　sound　of　footsteps；　nothing　else　could　be

distinguished。　Still　they　rose；　and　having　saddled　and　bridled　the

horses　as　noiselessly　as　might　be；　waited　for　the　dawn。



At　last　it　came。　Up　on　the　side　of　the　kopje　they　were　in　clear　air；

above　which　shone　the　red　lights　of　morning；　but　under　them　lay

billows　of　dense；　pearl…hued　mist。　By　degrees　this　thinned　beneath　the

rays　of　the　risen　sun；　and　through　it；　looking　gigantic　in　that　light；

Benita　saw　a　savage　wrapped　in　a　kaross；　who　was　walking　up　and　down

and　yawning；　a　great　spear　in　his　hand。



〃Look；〃　she　whispered；　〃look！〃　and　Mr。　Clifford　stared　down　the　line

of　her　outstretched　finger。



〃The　Matabele；〃　he　said。　〃My　God！　the　Matabele！〃







XV



THE　CHASE



The　Matabele　it　was；　sure　enough；　there　could　be　no　doubt　of　it；　for

soon　three　other　men　joined　the　sentry　and　began　to　talk　with　him；

pointing　with　their　great　spears　at　the　side　of　the　hill。　Evidently

they　were　arranging　a　surprise　when　there　was　sufficient　light　to

carry　it　out。



〃They　have　seen　our　fire；〃　whispered　her　father　to　Benita；　〃now；　if　we

wish　to　save　our　lives；　there　is　only　one　thing　to　doride　for　it

before　they　muster。　The　impi　will　be　camped　upon　the　other　side　of