she-第15章

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or　nothing　more　to　hope　for…from　our　friendly　wind；　we　
stared。　For　the　first　hour　or　so　we　managed　to　row　the　
boat；　though　with　great　labor；　but　after　that　the　
weeds　got　too　thick　to　allow　of　it；　and　we　were；　
obliged　to　resort　to　the　primitive　and　most　exhausting　
resource　of　towing　her。　For　two　hours　we　labored；　
Mahomed；　Job；　and　I；　who　was　supposed　to　be　strong　
enough　to　pull　against　the　two　of　them；　on　the　bank；　
while　Leo　sat　in　the　bow　of　the　boat；　and　brushed　away　
the　weeds　which　collected　round　the　cutwater　with　
Mahomed's　sword。　At　dark　we　halted　for　some　hours　to　
rest　and　enjoy　the　mosquitoes；　but　about　midnight　we　
went　on　again；　taking　advantage　of　the　comparative　
cool　of　the　night。　At　dawn　we　rested　for　three　hours；　
and　then　started　once　more；　and　labored　on　till　about　
ten　o'clock；　when　a　thunderstorm；　accompanied　by　a　
deluge　of　rain；　overtook　us；　and　we　spent　the　next　six　
hours　practically　under　water。

I　do　not　know　that　there　is　any　necessity　for　me　to　
describe　the　next　four　days　of　our　voyage　in　detail；　
further　than　to　say　that　they　were；　on　the　whole；　the　
most　miserable　that　I　ever　spent　in　my　life；　forming　
one　monotonous　record　of　heavy　labor；　heat；　misery；　
and　mosquitoes。　All　the　way　we　passed　through　a　region　
of　almost　endless　swamp；　and　I　can　only　attribute　our　
escape　from　fever　and　death　to　the　constant　doses　of　
quinine　and　purgatives　which　we　took；　and　the　
unceasing　toil　which　we　were　forced　to　undergo。　On　the　
third　day　of　our　journey　up　the　canal　we　had　sighted　a　
round　hill　that　loomed　dimly　through　the　vapors　of　the　
marsh；　and　on　the　evening　of　the　fourth　night；　when　we　
camped；　this　hill　seemed　to　be　within　five…and…twenty　
or　thirty　miles　of　us。　We　were　by　now　utterly　
exhausted；　and　felt　as　though　our　blistered　hands　
could　not　pull　the　boat　a　yard　farther；　and　that　the　
best　thing　that　we　could　do　would　be　to　lie　down　and。　
die　in　that　dreadful　wilderness　of　swamp。　It　was　an　
awful　position；　and　one　in。　which　I　trust　no　other　
white　man　will　ever　be　placed；　and　as　I　threw　myself　
down　in　the　boat　to　sleep　the　sleep　of　utter　
exhaustion；　I　bitterly　cursed　my　folly　in　ever　having　
been　a　party　to　such　a　mad　undertaking；　which　could；　I　
saw；　only　end　in　our　death　in　this　ghastly　land。　I　
thought；　I　remember；　as　I　slowly　sank　into　a　doze；　of　
what　the　appearance　of　the　boat　and　her　unhappy　crew　
would　be　in　two　or　three　months'　time　from　that　night。　
There　she　would　lie；　with　gaping　seams　and　half　filled　
with　fetid　water；　which；　when　the　mist…laden　wind　
stirred　her；　would　wash　backward　and　forward　through　
our　mouldering　bones；　and　that　would　be　the　end　of　
her；　and　of　those　in　her　who　would　follow　after　myths　
and　seek　out　the　secrets　of　nature。

Already　I　seemed　to　hear　the　water　rippling　against　
the　desiccated　bones　and　rattling　them　together；　
rolling　my　skull　against　Mahomed's；　and　his　against　
mine；　till　at　last　Mahomed's　stood　straight　up　upon　
its　vertebrae；　and　glared　at　me　through　its　empty　eye　
holes；　and　cursed　me　with　its　grinning　jaws；　because　
I；　a　dog　of　a　Christian；　disturbed　the　last　sleep　of　a　
true　believer。　I　opened　my　eyes；　and　shuddered　at　the　
horrid　dream；　and　then　shuddered　again　at　something　
that　was　not　a　dream；　for　two　great　eyes　were　gleaming　
down　at　me　through　the　misty　darkness。　I　struggled　up；　
and　in　my　terror　and　confosion　shrieked；　and　shrieked　
again；　so　that　the　others　sprang　up　too；　reeling；　and　
drunken　with　sleep　and　fear。　And　then　all　of　a　sudden　
there　was　a　flash　of　cold　steel；　and　a　great　spear　was　
held　against　my　throat；　and　behind　it　other　spears　
gleamed　cruelly。

〃Peace；〃　said　a　voice；　speaking　in　Arabic；　or　rather　
in　some　dialect　into　which　Arabic　entered　very　
largely；　〃who　are　ye　who　come　hither　swimming　on　the　
water？　Speak　or　ye　die；〃　and　the　steel　pressed　sharply　
against　my　throat；　sending　a　cold　chili　through　me。

〃We　are　travellers；　and　have　come　hither　by　chance；〃　I　
answered　in　my　best　Arabic；　which　appeared　to　be　
understood；　for　the　man　turned　his　head　and；　
addressing　a　tall　form　that　towered　up　in　the　
background；　said；　〃Father；　shall　we　slay？〃

〃What　is　the　color　of　the　men？〃　said　a　deep　voice　in　
answer。

〃White　is　their　color。〃

〃Slay　not；〃　was　the　reply。　〃Four　suns　since　was　the　
word　brought　to　me　from　_i_　She…who…must…be…obeyed　_i_　
；　'White　men　come；　if　white　men　come；　slay　them　not。　
Let　them　be　brought　to　the　land　of　_i_　She…who…must…
be…obeyed　_i_　。'　Bring　forth　the　men；　and　let　that　
which　they　have　with　them　be　brought　forth　also。〃

〃Come；〃　said　the　man；　half　leading　and　half　dragging　
me　from　the　boat；　and　as　he　did　so　I　perceived　other　
men　doing　the　same　kind　office　to　my　companions。

On　the　bank　were　gathered　a　company　of　some　fifty　men。　
In　that　light　all　I　could　make　out　was　that　they　were　
armed　with　huge　spears　were　very　tall；　and　strongly　
built；　comparatively　light　in　color；　and　nude；　save　
for　a　leopard　skin　tied　round　the　middle。

Presently　Leo　and　Job　were　bundled　out　and　placed　
beside　me。

〃What　on　earth　is　up？〃　said　Leo；　rubbing　his　eyes。

〃Oh；　Lord！　sir；　here's　a　rum　go；〃　ejaculated　Job；　and　
just　at　that　moment　a　disturbance　ensued；　and　Mahomed　
came　tumbling　between　us；　followed　by　a　shadowy　form　
with　an　up…lifted　spear。

〃Allah！　Allah！〃　howled　Mahomed；　feeling　that　he　had　
little　to　hope　from　man；　〃protect　me！　protect　me！〃

〃Father；　it　is　a　black　one；〃　said　a　voice。　〃What　said　
'She…who…must…be…obeyed'　about　the　black　one？〃

〃She　said　naught；　but　slay　him　not。　Come　hither；　my　
son。〃

The　man　advanced；　and　the　tail；　shadowy　form　bent　
forward　and　whispered　something。

〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　the　other；　and　chuckled　in　a　rather　
blood…curdling　tone。

〃Are　the　three　white　men　there？〃　asked　the　form。

〃Yes；　they　are　there。〃

〃Then　bring　up　that　which　is　made　ready　for　them；　and　
let　the　men　take　all　that　can　be　brought　from　the　
thing　which　floats。〃

Hardly　had　he　spoken　when　men　came　running　up；　
carrying　on　their　shoulders　neither　more　nor　less　than　
palanquinsfour　bearers　and　two　spare　men　to　a　
palanquinand　in　these　it　was　promptly　indicated　we　
were　expected　to　stow　ourselves。

〃Well！〃　said　Leo；　〃it　is　a　blessing　to　find　anybody　to　
carry　us　after　having　to　carry　ourselves　so　long。〃'

Leo　always　takes　a　cheerful　view　of　things。

There　being　no　help　for　it；　after　seeing　the　others　
into　theirs　I　tumbled　into　my　own　litter；　and　very　
comfortable　I　found　it。　It　appeared　to　be　manufactured　
of　cloth　woven　from　grass　fibre；　which　stretched　and　
yielded　to　every　motion　after　the　body；　and；　being　
bound　top　and　bottom　to　the　bearing　pole；　gave　a　
grateful　support　to　the　head　and　neck。

Scarcely　had　I　settled　myself　when；　accompanying　their　
steps　with　a　monotonous　song；　the　bearers　started　at　a　
swinging　trot。　For　half　an　hour　or　so　I　lay　still；　
reflecting　on　the　very　remarkable　experiences　that　we　
were　going　through；　and　wondering　if　any　of　my　
eminently　respectable　fossil　friends　down　at　Cambridge　
would　believe　me　if　I　were　to　be　miraculously　set　at　
the　familiar　dinner…table　for　the　purpose　of　relating　
them。　I　don't　want　to　convey　any　disrespectful　notion　
or　slight　when　I　call　those　good　and　learned　men　
fossils；　but　my　experience　is　that　people　are　apt　to　
fossilize　even　at　a　university　if　they　follow　the　same　
paths　too　persistently。　I　was　getting　fossilized　
myself；　but　of　late　my　stock　of　ideas　has　been　very　
much　enlarged。　Well；　I　lay　and　reflected；　and　wondered　
what　on　earth　would　be　the　end　of　it　all；　till　at　last　
l　ceased　to　wonder；　and　went　to　sleep。

I　suppose　I　must　have　slept　for　seven　or　eight　hours；　
getting　the　first　real　rest　that　I　had　had　since　the　
night　before　the　loss　of　the　dhow；　for　when　I　woke　the　
sun　was　high　in　the　heavens。　We　were　still　journeying　
on　at　a　pace　of　about　four　miles　an　hour。　Peeping　out　
through　the　mistlike　curtains　of　the　litter；　which　
were　ingeniously　fixed　to　the　bearing　pole；　I　
perceived　to　my　infinite　relief　that　we　had　passed　out　
of　the　region　of　eternal　swamp；　and　were　now　
travelling　over　swelling　grassy　plains　towards　a　cup…
shaped　hill。　Whether　or