benita-第47章

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down　the　passage。



〃What　are　we　to　do？〃　asked　Mr。　Clifford　despairingly。　〃We　cannot　live

without　light；　and　if　we　have　light　he　will　certainly　creep　to　the

entrance　and　shoot　us。　He　is　quite　mad　now；　I　am　sure　of　it　from　his

voice。〃



Benita　thought　a　minute；　then　she　answered：



〃We　must　build　up　the　passage。　Look；〃　and　she　pointed　to　the　lumps　of

rock　that　the　explosion　of　their　mine　had　shaken　down　from　the　roof；

and　the　slabs　of　cement　that　they　had　broken　from　the　floor　with　the

crowbar。　〃At　once；　at　once；〃　she　went　on；　〃he　will　not　come　back　for

some　hours；　probably　not　till　night。〃



So　they　set　to　work；　and　never　did　Benita　labour　as　it　was　her　lot　to

do　that　day。　Such　of　the　fragments　as　they　could　lift　they　carried

between　them；　others　they　rolled　along　by　help　of　the　crowbar。　For

hour　after　hour　they　toiled　at　their　task。　Luckily　for　them；　the

passage　was　not　more　than　three　feet　wide　by　six　feet　six　high；　and

their　material　was　ample。　Before　the　evening　they　had　blocked　it

completely　with　a　wall　several　feet　in　thickness；　which　wall　they

supported　on　the　inside　with　lengths　of　the　firewood　lashed　across　to

the　old　hinges　and　bolt…holes；　or　set　obliquely　against　its　face。



It　was　done；　and　they　regarded　their　work　with　pride；　although　it

seemed　probable　that　they　were　building　up　their　own　tomb。　Because　of

its　position　at　an　angle　of　the　passage；　they　knew　that　Meyer　could

not　get　to　it　with　a　pole　to　batter　it　down。　Also；　there　was　no　loose

powder　left；　so　his　only　chance　would　be　to　pull　it　to　pieces　with　his

hands；　and　this；　they　thought；　might　be　beyond　his　power。　At　least；

should　he　attempt　it；　they　would　have　ample　warning。　Yet　that　day　was

not　to　pass　without　another　trouble。



Just　as　they　had　rolled　up　and　levered　into　place　a　long　fragment　of

rock　designed　to　prevent　the　ends　of　their　supporting　pieces　of　wood

from　slipping　on　the　cement　floor；　Mr。　Clifford　uttered　an

exclamation；　then　said：



〃I　have　wrung　my　back　badly。　Help　me　to　the　tent。　I　must　lie　down。〃



Slowly　and　with　great　pain　they　staggered　up　the　cave；　Mr。　Clifford

leaning　on　Benita　and　a　stick；　till；　reaching　the　tent　at　last；　he

almost　fell　on　to　the　blankets　and　remained　there　practically

crippled。



Now　began　Benita's　terrible　time；　the　worst　of　all　her　life。　Every

hour　her　father　became　more　ill。　Even　before　they　took　refuge　in　the

cave　he　was　completely　broken　down；　and　now　after　this　accident　he

began　to　suffer　very　much。　His　rheumatism　or　sciatica；　or　whatever　it

was；　seemed　to　settle　upon　the　hurt　muscles　of　his　back；　causing　him

so　much　pain　that　he　could　scarcely　sleep　for　ten　minutes　at　a

stretch。　Moreover；　he　would　swallow　but　little　of　the　rough　food　which

was　all　Benita　was　able　to　prepare　for　him；　nothing；　indeed；　except

biscuit　soaked　in　black　coffee；　which　she　boiled　over　a　small　fire

made　of　wood　that　they　had　brought　with　them；　and　occasionally　a

little　broth；　tasteless　stuff　enough；　for　it　was　only　the　essence　of

biltong；　or　sun…dried　flesh；　flavoured　with　some　salt。



Then　there　were　two　other　terrors　against　she　must　fight；　the　darkness

and　the　dread　of　Jacob　Meyer。　Perhaps　the　darkness　was　the　worse　of

them。　To　live　in　that　hideous　gloom　in　which　their　single　lamp；　for

she　dared　burn　no　more　lest　the　oil　should　give　out；　seemed　but　as　one

star　to　the　whole　night；　ah！　who　that　had　not　endured　it　could　know

what　it　meant？　There　the　sick　man；　yonder　the　grinning　skeletons；

around　the　blackness　and　the　silence；　and　beyond　these　again　a

miserable　death；　or　Jacob　Meyer。　But　of　him　Benita　saw　nothing；　though

once　or　twice　she　thought　that　she　heard　his　voice　raving　outside　the

wall　which　they　had　built。　If　so；　either　he　did　not　try　to　pull　it

down；　or　he　failed　in　the　attempt；　or　perhaps　he　feared　that　should　he

succeed；　he　would　be　greeted　by　a　bullet。　So　at　last　she　gave　up

thinking　about　him。　Should　he　force　his　way　into　the　cave　she　must

deal　with　the　situation　as　best　she　could。　Meanwhile；　her　father's

strength　was　sinking　fast。



Three　awful　days　went　by　in　this　fashion；　and　the　end　drew　near。

Although　she　tried　to　force　herself　to　it；　Benita　could　not　swallow

enough　food　to　keep　up　her　strength。　Now　that　the　passage　was　closed

the　atmosphere　of　this　old　vault；　for　it　was　nothing　more；　thickened

by　the　smoke　of　the　fire　which　she　was　obliged　to　burn；　grew　poisonous

and　choked　her。　Want　of　sleep　exhausted　her；　dread　of　what　the　morrow

might　bring　forth　crushed　her　strong　spirit。　She　began　to　break　down；

knowing　that　the　hour　was　near　when　she　and　her　father　must　die

together。



Once；　as　she　slept　awhile　at　his　side；　being　wakened　by　his　groaning；

Benita　looked　at　her　watch。　It　was　midnight。　She　rose；　and　going　to

the　embers　of　the　little　fire；　warmed　up　some　of　her　biltong　broth

which　she　poured　into　a　tin　pannikin。　With　difficulty　she　forced　him

to　swallow　a　few　mouthfuls　of　it；　then；　feeling　a　sudden　weakness；

drank　the　rest　herself。　It　gave　her　power　to　think；　and　her　father

dozed　off　into　an　uneasy　sleep。



Alas！　thinking　was　of　no　use；　nothing　could　be　done。　There　was　no　hope

save　in　prayer。　Restlessness　seized　Benita；　and　taking　the　lantern　she

wandered　round　the　cave。　The　wall　that　they　had　built　remained　intact；

and　oh！　to　think　that　beyond　it　flowed　the　free　air　and　shone　the

blessed　stars！　Back　she　came　again；　skirting　the　pits　that　Jacob　Meyer

had　dug；　and　the　grave　of　the　old　monk；　till　she　reached　the　steps　of

the　crucifix；　and　holding　up　her　candle；　looked　at　the　thorn…crowned

brow　of　the　Christ　above。



It　was　wonderfully　carved；　that　dying　face　was　full　of　pity。　Would　not

He　Whom　it　represented　pity　her？　She　knelt　down　on　the　topmost　step；

and　clasping　the　pierced　feet　with　her　arms；　began　to　pray　earnestly；

not　for　herself　but　that　she　might　save　her　father。　She　prayed　as　she

had　never　prayed　before；　and　so　praying；　sank　into　a　torpor　or　a

swoon。



It　seemed　to　Benita　that　this　sleep　of　hers　suddenly　became　alive；　in

it　she　saw　many　things。　For　instance；　she　saw　herself　seated　in　a

state　of　trance　upon　that　very　step　where　now　she　knelt；　while　before

her　stood　her　father　and　Jacob　Meyer。　Moreover；　something　spoke　in

her；　she　could　not　hear　a　voice；　but　she　seemed　to　see　the　words

written　in　the　air　before　her。　These　were　the　words：



　〃/Clasp　the　feet　of　the　Christ　and　draw　them　to　the　left。　The

　　passage　beneath　leads　to　the　chamber　where　the　gold　is　hid；　and

　　thence　to　the　river　bank。　That　is　the　secret　which　ere　I　depart；　I

　　the　dead　Benita；　pass　on　to　you；　the　living　Benita；　as　I　am

　　commanded。　In　life　and　death　peace　be　to　your　soul。/〃



Thrice　did　this　message　appear　to　repeat　itself　in　the　consciousness

of　Benita。　Then；　suddenly　as　she　had　slept；　she　woke　again　with　every

letter　of　it　imprinted　on　her　mind。　Doubtless　it　was　a　dream；　nothing

but　a　dream　bred　by　the　fact　that　her　arms　were　clasping　the　feet　of

the　crucifix。　What　did　it　say？　〃Draw　them　to　the　left。〃



She　did　so；　but　nothing　stirred。　Again　she　tried；　and　still　nothing

stirred。　Of　course　it　was　a　dream。　Why　had　such　been　sent　to　mock　her？

In　a　kind　of　mad　irritation　she　put　out　all　her　remaining　strength　and

wrestled　with　those　stony　feet。　/They　moved　a　little/then　of　a

sudden；　without　any　further　effort　on　her　part；　swung　round　as　high　as

the　knees　where　drapery　hung；　concealing　the　join　in　them。　Yes；　they

swung　round；　revealing　the　head　of　a　stair；　up　which　blew　a　cold　wind

that　it　was　sweet　to　breathe。



Benita　rose；　gasping。　Then　she　seized　her　lantern　and　ran　to　the

little　tent　where　her　father　lay。







XXII



THE　VOICE　OF　THE　LIVING



Mr。　Clifford　was　awake　again　now。



〃Where　have　you　been？〃　he　asked　querulously　in　a　thin　voice。　〃I　wanted

you。〃　Then　as　the　light　from　the　candle　shone　upon　it；　he　noted　the

change　that　had　come　over　her　pale　face；　and　added：　〃What　has

happened？　Is　Meyer　dead？　Are　we　free？〃