benita-第39章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



his　man…shooting；　in　which　Mr。　Clifford　joined　him；　though　with　less

effect。　Soon　it　became　evident　that　the　Matabele　were　very　much

annoyed　by　the　fatal　accuracy　of　this　fire。　Loss　of　life　they　did　not

mind　in　the　abstract；　but　when　none　of　them　knew　but　that　their　own

turn　might　come　next　to　perish　beneath　these　downward　plunging

bullets；　the　matter　wore　a　different　face　to　them。　To　leave　their　camp

was　not　easy；　since　they　had　made　a　thorn　/boma/　round　it；　to　protect

them　in　case　the　Makalanga　should　make　a　night　sally；　also　they　could

find　no　other　convenient　spot。　The　upshot　of　it　all　was　to　hurry　their

assault；　which　they　delivered　before　they　had　prepared　sufficient

ladders　to　make　it　effective。



At　the　first　break　of　dawn　on　the　third　day　after　Mr。　Clifford's

attempt　at　mesmerism；　Benita　was　awakened　by　the　sounds　of　shouts　and

firing。　Having　dressed　herself　hastily；　she　hurried　in　the　growing

light　towards　that　part　of　the　wall　from　below　which　the　noise　seemed

to　come；　and　climbing　it；　found　her　father　and　Jacob　already　seated

there；　their　rifles　in　hand。



〃The　fools　are　attacking　the　small　gate　through　which　you　went　out

riding；　Miss　Clifford；　the　very　worst　place　that　they　could　have

chosen；　although　the　wall　looks　very　weak　there；〃　said　the　latter。　〃If

those　Makalanga　have　any　pluck　they　ought　to　teach　them　a　lesson。〃



Then　the　sun　rose　and　they　saw　companies　of　Matabele；　who　carried

ladders　in　their　hands；　rushing　onwards　through　the　morning　mist　till

their　sight　of　them　was　obstructed　by　the　swell　of　the　hill。　On　these

companies　the　two　white　men　opened　fire；　with　what　result　they　could

not　see　in　that　light。　Presently　a　great　shout　announced　that　the

enemy　had　gained　the　fosse　and　were　setting　up　the　ladders。　Up　to　this

time　the　Makalanga　appeared　to　have　done　nothing；　but　now　they　began

to　fire　rapidly　from　the　ancient　bastions　which　commanded　the　entrance

the　impi　was　striving　to　storm；　and　soon　through　the　thinning　fog　they

perceived　wounded　Matabele　staggering　and　crawling　back　towards　their

camp。　Of　these；　the　light　now　better；　Jacob　did　not　neglect　to　take

his　toll。



Meanwhile；　the　ancient　fortress　rang　with　the　hideous　tumult　of　the

attack。　It　was　evident　that　again　and　again；　as　their　fierce　war…

shouts　proclaimed；　the　Matabele　were　striving　to　scale　the　wall；　and

again　and　again　were　beaten　back　by　the　raking　rifle　fire。　Once　a

triumphant　yell　seemed　to　announce　their　success。　The　fire　slackened

and　Benita　grew　pale　with　fear。



〃The　Makalanga　cowards　are　bolting；〃　muttered　Mr。　Clifford；　listening

with　terrible　anxiety。



But　if　so　their　courage　came　back　to　them；　for　presently　the　guns

cracked　louder　and　more　incessant　than　before；　and　the　savage　cries　of

〃Kill！　Kill！　Kill！〃　dwindled　and　died　away。　Another　five　minutes　and

the　Matabele　were　in　full　retreat；　bearing　with　them　many　dead　and

wounded　men　upon　their　backs　or　stretched　out　on　the　ladders。



〃Our　Makalanga　friends　should　be　grateful　to　us　for　those　hundred

rifles；〃　said　Jacob　as　he　loaded　and　fired　rapidly；　sending　his

bullets　wherever　the　clusters　were　thickest。　〃Had　it　not　been　for　them

their　throats　would　have　been　cut　by　now；〃　he　added；　〃for　they　could

never　have　stopped　those　savages　with　the　spear。〃



〃Yes；　and　ours　too　before　nightfall；〃　said　Benita　with　a　shudder；　for

the　sight　of　this　desperate　fray　and　fear　of　how　it　might　end　had

sickened　her。　〃Thank　Heaven；　it　is　over！　Perhaps　they　will　give　up　the

siege　and　go　away。〃



But；　notwithstanding　their　costly　defeat；　for　they　had　lost　over　a

hundred　men；　the　Matabele；　who　were　afraid　to　return　to　Buluwayo

except　as　victors；　did　nothing　of　the　sort。　They　only　cut　down　a

quantity　of　reeds　and　scrub；　and　moved　their　camp　nearly　to　the　banks

of　the　river；　placing　it　in　such　a　position　that　it　could　no　longer　be

searched　by　the　fire　of　the　two　white　men。　Here　they　sat　themselves

down　sullenly；　hoping　to　starve　out　the　garrison　or　to　find　some　other

way　of　entering　the　fortress。



Now　Meyer's　shooting　having　come　to　an　end　for　lack　of　men　to　shoot

at；　since　the　enemy　exposed　themselves　no　more；　he　was　again　able　to

give　his　full　attention　to　the　matter　of　the　treasure　hunt。



As　nothing　could　be　found　in　the　cave　he　devoted　himself　to　the

outside　enclosure　which；　it　may　be　remembered；　was　grown　over　with

grass　and　trees　and　crowded　with　ruins。　In　the　most　important　of　these

ruins　they　began　to　dig　somewhat　aimlessly；　and　were　rewarded　by

finding　a　certain　amount　of　gold　in　the　shape　of　beads　and　ornaments；

and　a　few　more　skeletons　of　ancients。　But　of　the　Portuguese　hoard

there　was　no　sign。　Thus　it　came　about　that　they　grew　gloomier　day　by

day；　till　at　last　they　scarcely　spoke　to　each　other。　Jacob's　angry

disappointment　was　written　on　his　face；　and　Benita　was　filled　with

despair；　since　to　escape　from　their　gaoler　above　and　the　Matabele

below　seemed　impossible。　Moreover；　she　had　another　cause　for　anxiety。



The　ill…health　which　had　been　threatening　her　father　for　a　long　while

now　fell　upon　him　in　earnest；　so　that　of　a　sudden　he　became　a　very　old

man。　His　strength　and　energy　left　him；　and　his　mind　was　so　filled　with

remorse　for　what　he　held　to　be　his　crime　in　bringing　his　daughter　to

this　awful　place；　and　with　terror　for　the　fate　that　threatened　her；

that　he　could　think　of　nothing　else。　In　vain　did　she　try　to　comfort

him。　He　would　only　wring　his　hands　and　groan；　praying　that　God　and　she

would　forgive　him。　Now；　too；　Meyer's　mastery　over　him　became

continually　more　evident。　Mr。　Clifford　implored　the　man；　almost　with

tears；　to　unblock　the　wall　and　allow　them　to　go　down　to　the　Makalanga。

He　even　tried　to　bribe　him　with　the　offer　of　all　his　share　of　the

treasure；　if　it　were　found；　and　when　that　failed；　of　his　property　in

the　Transvaal。



But　Jacob　only　told　him　roughly　not　to　be　a　fool；　as　they　had　to　see

the　thing　through　together。　Then　he　would　go　again　and　brood　by

himself；　and　Benita　noticed　that　he　always　took　his　rifle　or　a　pistol

with　him。　Evidently　he　feared　lest　her　father　should　catch　him

unprepared；　and　take　the　law　into　his　own　hands　by　means　of　a　sudden

bullet。



One　comfort　she　had；　however：　although　he　watched　her　closely；　the　Jew

never　tried　to　molest　her　in　any　way；　not　even　with　more　of　his

enigmatic　and　amorous　speeches。　By　degrees；　indeed；　she　came　to

believe　that　all　this　was　gone　from　his　mind；　or　that　he　had　abandoned

his　advances　as　hopeless。



A　week　passed　since　the　Matabele　attack；　and　nothing　had　happened。　The

Makalanga　took　no　notice　of　them；　and　so　far　as　she　was　aware　the　old

Molimo　never　attempted　to　climb　the　blocked　wall　or　otherwise　to

communicate　with　them；　a　thing　so　strange　that；　knowing　his　affection

for　her；　Benita　came　to　the　conclusion　that　he　must　be　dead；　killed

perhaps　in　the　attack。　Even　Jacob　Meyer　had　abandoned　his　digging；　and

sat　about　all　day　doing　nothing　but　think。



Their　meal　that　night　was　a　miserable　affair；　since　in　the　first　place

provisions　were　running　short　and　there　was　little　to　eat；　and　in　the

second　no　one　spoke　a　word。　Benita　could　swallow　no　food；　she　was

weary　of　that　sun…dried　trek…ox；　for　since　Meyer　had　blocked　the　wall

they　had　little　else。　But　by　good　fortune　there　remained　plenty　of

coffee；　and　of　this　she　drank　two　cups；　which　Jacob　prepared　and

handed　to　her　with　much　politeness。　It　tasted　very　bitter　to　her；　but

this；　Benita　reflected；　was　because　they　lacked　milk　and　sugar。　Supper

ended；　Meyer　rose　and　bowed　to　her；　muttering　that　he　was　going　to

bed；　and　a　few　minutes　later　Mr。　Clifford　followed　his　example。　She

went　with　her　father　to　the　hut　beneath　the　tree；　and　having　helped

him　to　remove　his　coat；　which　now　he　seemed　to　find　difficulty　in

doing　for　himself；　bade　him　good…night　and　returned　to　the　fire。



It　was　very　lonely　there　in　the　silence；　for　no　sound　came　from　either

the　Matabele　or　the　Makalanga　camps；　and　the　bright