benita-第52章

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The　lad　can　stop　to　herd　the　cattle。〃



Three　minutes　later；　followed　by　the　two　Zulus；　they　were　walkingor

rather；　runningalong　the　banks　of　the　Zambesi。



〃Why　do　you　not　come　quicker？〃　she　asked　impatiently。　〃Oh；　I　beg　your

pardon；　you　are　lame。　Robert；　what　made　you　lame；　and　oh！　why　are　you

not　dead；　as　they　all　swore　you　were；　you；　youhero；　for　I　know　that

part　of　the　story？〃



〃For　a　very　simple　reason；　Benita：　because　I　didn't　die。　When　that

Kaffir　took　the　watch　from　me　I　was　insensible；　that's　all。　The　sun

brought　me　to　life　afterwards。　Then　some　natives　turned　up；　good

people　in　their　way；　although　I　could　not　understand　a　word　they　said。

They　made　a　stretcher　of　boughs　and　carried　me　for　some　miles　to　their

kraal　inland。　It　hurt　awfully；　for　my　thigh　was　broken；　but　I　arrived

at　last。　There　a　Kaffir　doctor　set　my　leg　in　his　own　fashion；　it　has

left　it　an　inch　shorter　than　the　other；　but　that's　better　than

nothing。



〃In　that　place　I　lay　for　two　solid　months；　for　there　was　no　white　man

within　a　hundred　miles；　and　if　there　had　been　I　could　not　have

communicated　with　him。　Afterwards　I　spent　another　month　limping　up

towards　Natal；　until　I　could　buy　a　horse。　The　rest　is　very　short。

Hearing　of　my　reported　death；　I　came　as　fast　as　I　could　to　your

father's　farm；　Rooi　Krantz；　where　I　learned　from　the　old　vrouw　Sally

that　you　had　taken　to　treasure…hunting；　the　same　treasure　that　I　told

you　of　on　the　/Zanzibar/。



〃So　I　followed　your　spoor；　met　the　servants　whom　you　had　sent　back；

who　told　me　all　about　you；　and　in　due　course；　after　many　adventures；

as　they　say　in　a　book；　walked　into　the　camp　of　our　friends；　the

Matabele。



〃They　were　going　to　kill　me　at　once；　when　suddenly　you　appeared　upon

that　point　of　rock；　glittering　likelike　the　angel　of　the　dawn。　I

knew　that　it　must　be　you；　for　I　had　found　out　about　your　attempted

escape；　and　how　you　were　hunted　back　to　this　place。　But　the　Matabele

all　thought　that　it　was　the　Spirit　of　Bambatse；　who　has　a　great

reputation　in　these　parts。　Well；　that　took　off　their　attention；　and

afterwards；　as　I　told　you；　it　occurred　to　them　that　I　might　be　an

engineer。　You　know　the　rest；　don't　you？〃



〃Yes；〃　answered　Benita　softly。　〃I　know　the　rest。〃



Then　they　plunged　into　the　reeds　and　were　obliged　to　stop　talking；

since　they　must　walk　in　single　file。　Presently　Benita　looked　up　and

saw　that　she　was　under　the　thorn　which　grew　in　the　cleft　of　the　rock。

Also；　with　some　trouble　she　found　the　bunch　of　reeds　that　she　had　bent

down；　to　mark　the　inconspicuous　hole　through　which　she　had　crept；　and

by　it　her　lantern。　It　seemed　weeks　since　she　had　left　it　there。



〃Now；〃　she　said；　〃light　your　candles；　and　if　you　see　a　crocodile；

please　shoot。〃







XXIV



THE　TRUE　GOLD



〃Let　me　go　first；〃　said　Robert。



〃No；〃　answered　Benita。　〃I　know　the　way；　but　please　do　watch　for　that

horrible　crocodile。〃



Then　she　knelt　down　and　crept　into　the　hole；　while　after　her　came

Robert；　and　after　him　the　two　Zulus；　who　protested　that　they　were　not

ant…bears　to　burrow　under　ground。　Lifting　the　lantern　she　searched　the

cave；　and　as　she　could　see　no　signs　of　the　crocodile；　walked　on　boldly

to　where　the　stair　began。



〃Be　quick；〃　she　whispered　to　Robert；　for　in　that　place　it　seemed

natural　to　speak　low。　〃My　father　is　above　and　near　his　death。　I　am

dreadfully　afraid　lest　we　should　be　too　late。〃



So　they　toiled　up　the　endless　steps；　a　very　strange　procession；　for

the　two　Zulus；　bold　men　enough　outside；　were　shaking　with　fright；　till

at　length　Benita　clambered　out　of　the　trap　door　on　to　the　floor　of　the

treasure　chamber；　and　turned　to　help　Robert；　whose　lameness　made　him

somewhat　slow　and　awkward。



〃What's　all　that？〃　he　asked；　pointing　to　the　hide　sacks；　while　they

waited　for　the　two　scared　Kaffirs　to　join　them。



〃Oh！〃　she　answered　indifferently；　〃gold；　I　believe。　Look；　there　is

some　of　it　on　the　floor；　over　Benita　da　Ferreira's　footsteps。〃



〃Gold！　Why；　it　must　be　worth！　And　who　on　earth　is　Benita　da

Ferreira？〃



〃I　will　tell　you　afterwards。　She　has　been　dead　two　or　three　hundred

years；　it　was　her　gold；　or　her　people's；　and　those　are　her　footprints

in　the　dust。　How　stupid　you　are　not　to　understand！　Never　mind　the

hateful　stuff；　come　on　quickly。〃



So　they　passed　the　door　which　she　had　opened　that　morning；　and

clambered　up　the　remaining　stairway。　So　full　was　Benita　of　terrors

that　she　could　never　remember　how　she　climbed　them。　Suppose　that　the

foot　of　the　crucifix　had　swung　to；　suppose　that　her　father　were　dead；

suppose　that　Jacob　Meyer　had　broken　into　the　cave？　Well　for　herself

she　was　no　longer　afraid　of　Jacob　Meyer。　Oh；　they　were　there！　The

heavy　door　/had/　begun　to　close；　but　mercifully　her　bit　of　rock　kept

it　ajar。



〃Father！　Father！〃　she　cried；　running　towards　the　tent。



No　answer　came。　She　threw　aside　the　flap；　held　down　the　lantern　and

looked。　There　he　lay；　white　and　still。　She　was　too　late！



〃He　is　dead；　he　is　dead！〃　she　wailed。　Robert　knelt　down　at　her　side；

and　examined　the　old　man；　while　she　waited　in　an　agony。



〃He　ought　to　be；〃　he　said　slowly；　〃but；　Benita；　I　don't　think　he　is。　I

can　feel　his　heart　stir。　No；　don't　stop　to　talk。　Pour　out　some　of　that

squareface；　and　here；　mix　it　with　this　milk。〃



She　obeyed；　and　while　he　held　up　her　father's　head；　with　a　trembling

hand　emptied　a　little　of　the　drink　into　his　mouth。　At　first　it　ran　out

again；　then　almost　automatically　he　swallowed　some；　and　they　knew　that

he　was　alive；　and　thanked　Heaven。　Ten　minutes　later　Mr。　Clifford　was

sitting　up　staring　at　them　with　dull　and　wondering　eyes；　while　outside

the　two　Zulus；　whose　nerves　had　now　utterly　broken　down；　were

contemplating　the　pile　of　skeletons　in　the　corner　and　the　white

towering　crucifix；　and　loudly　lamenting　that　they　should　have　been

brought　to　perish　in　this　place　of　bones　and　ghosts。



〃Is　it　Jacob　Meyer　who　makes　that　noise？〃　asked　Mr。　Clifford　faintly。

〃And；　Benita；　where　have　you　been　so　long；　andwho　is　this　gentleman

with　you？　I　seem　to　remember　his　face。〃



〃He　is　the　white　man　who　was　in　the　waggon；　father；　an　old　friend　come

to　life　again。　Robert；　can't　you　stop　the　howling　of　those　Kaffirs？

Though　I　am　sure　I　don't　wonder　that　they　howl；　I　should　have　liked　to

do　so　for　days。　Oh！　father；　father；　don't　you　understand　me？　We　are

saved；　yes；　snatched　out　of　hell　and　the　jaws　of　death。〃



〃Is　Jacob　Meyer　dead；　then？〃　he　asked。



〃I　don't　know　where　he　is　or　what　has　happened　to　him；　and　I　don't

care；　but　perhaps　we　had　better　find　out。　Robert；　there　is　a　madman

outside。　Make　the　Kaffirs　pull　down　that　wall；　would　you？　and　catch

him。〃



〃What　wall？　What　madman？〃　he　asked；　staring　at　her。



〃Oh；　of　course　you　don't　know　that；　either。　You　know　nothing。　I'll

show　you；　and　you　must　be　prepared；　for　probably　he　will　shoot　at　us。〃



〃It　all　sounds　a　little　risky；　doesn't　it？〃　asked　Robert　doubtfully。



〃Yes；　but　we　must　take　the　risk。　We　cannot　carry　my　father　down　that

place；　and　unless　we　can　get　him　into　light　and　air　soon；　he　will

certainly　die。　The　man　outside　is　Jacob　Meyer；　his　partneryou

remember　him。　All　these　weeks　of　hardship　and　treasure…hunting　have

sent　him　off　his　head；　and　he　wanted　to　mesmerize　me　and〃



〃And　what？　Make　love　to　you？〃



She　nodded；　then　went　on：



〃So　when　he　could　not　get　his　way　about　the　mesmerism　and　so　forth；　he

threatened　to　murder　my　father；　and　that　is　why　we　had　to　hide　in　this

cave　and　build　ourselves　up；　till　at　last　I　found　the　way　out。〃



〃Amiable　gentleman；　Mr。　Jacob　Meyer；　now　as　always；〃　said　Robert

flushing。　〃To　think　that　you　should　have　been　in　the　power　of　a

scoundrel　like　that！　Well；　I　hope　to　come　square　with　him。〃



〃Don't　hurt　him；　dear；　unless　you　are　obliged。　Remember　he　is　not

responsible。　He　thought　he　saw　a　ghost　here　the　other　day。〃



〃Unless　he　behaves　himself　he　is　likely　to　see　a　good　many　soon；〃