prester john-第32章

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open　that　it　was　the　precursor　of　dawn。　　Sure　enough；　as　I　glanced　back；　far　over　the　plain　a　pale　glow　was　stealing　upwards　into　the　sky。　　In　a　few　minutes　the　pall　melted　into　an　airy　haze；　and　above　me　I　saw　the　heavens　shot　with　tremors　of　blue　light。　　Then　the　foreground　began　to　clear；　and　there　before　me；　with　their　heads　still　muffled　in　vapour；　were　the　mountains。

Xenophon's　Ten　Thousand　did　not　hail　the　sea　more　gladly　than　I　welcomed　those　frowning　ramparts　of　the　Berg。

Once　again　my　weariness　was　eased。　　I　cried　to　Colin；　and　together　we　ran　down　into　the　wide；　shallow　trough　which　lies　at　the　foot　of　the　hills。　　As　the　sun　rose　above　the　horizon；　the　black　masses　changed　to　emerald　and　rich　umber；　and　the　fleecy　mists　of　the　summits　opened　and　revealed　beyond　shining　spaces　of　green。　　Some　lines　of　Shakespeare　ran　in　my　head；　which　I　have　always　thought　the　most　beautiful　of　all　poetry：

　　　　　'Night's　candles　are　burned　out；　and　jocund　day　　　　　　Walks　tiptoe　on　the　misty　mountain　tops。'

Up　there　among　the　clouds　was　my　salvation。　　Like　the　Psalmist；　I　lifted　my　eyes　to　the　hills　from　whence　came　my　aid。

Hope　is　a　wonderful　restorative。　　To　be　near　the　hills；　to　smell　their　odours；　to　see　at　the　head　of　the　glens　the　lines　of　the　plateau　where　were　white　men　and　civilization　…　all　gave　me　new　life　and　courage。　　Colin　saw　my　mood；　and　spared　a　moment　now　and　then　to　inspect　a　hole　or　a　covert。　　Down　in　the　shallow　trough　I　saw　the　links　of　a　burn；　the　Machudi；　which　flowed　down　the　glen　it　was　my　purpose　to　ascend。　Away　to　the　north　in　the　direction　of　Majinje's　were　patches　of　Kaffir　tillage；　and　I　thought　I　discerned　the　smoke　from　fires。　Majinje's　womankind　would　be　cooking　their　morning　meal。　To　the　south　ran　a　thick　patch　of　forest；　but　I　saw　beyond　it　the　spur　of　the　mountain　over　which　runs　the　highroad　to　Wesselsburg。　　The　clear　air　of　dawn　was　like　wine　in　my　blood。　I　was　not　free；　but　I　was　on　the　threshold　of　freedom。　　If　I　could　only　reach　my　friends　with　the　Prester's　collar　in　my　shirt；　I　would　have　performed　a　feat　which　would　never　be　forgotten。　　I　would　have　made　history　by　my　glorious　folly。　Breakfastless　and　footsore；　I　was　yet　a　proud　man　as　I　crossed　the　hollow　to　the　mouth　of　Machudi's　glen。

My　chickens　had　been　counted　too　soon；　and　there　was　to　be　no　hatching。　　Colin　grew　uneasy；　and　began　to　sniff　up　wind。　　I　was　maybe　a　quarter　of　a　mile　from　the　glen　foot；　plodding　through　the　long　grass　of　the　hollow；　when　the　behaviour　of　the　dog　made　me　stop　and　listen。　　In　that　still　air　sounds　carry　far；　and　I　seemed　to　hear　the　noise　of　feet　brushing　through　cover。　　The　noise　came　both　from　north　and　south；　from　the　forest　and　from　the　lower　course　of　the　Machudi。

I　dropped　into　shelter；　and　running　with　bent　back　got　to　the　summit　of　a　little　bush…clad　knoll。　　It　was　Colin　who　first　caught　sight　of　my　pursuers。　　He　was　staring　at　a　rift　in　the　trees；　and　suddenly　gave　a　short　bark。　　I　looked　and　saw　two　men；　running　hard；　cross　the　grass　and　dip　into　the　bed　of　the　stream。　　A　moment　later　I　had　a　glimpse　of　figures　on　the　edge　of　the　forest；　moving　fast　to　the　mouth　of　the　glen。　　The　pursuit　had　not　followed　me；　it　had　waited　to　cut　me　off。　　Fool　that　I　was；　I　had　forgotten　the　wonders　of　Kaffir　telegraphy。　　It　had　been　easy　for　Laputa　to　send　word　thirty　miles　ahead　to　stop　any　white　man　who　tried　to　cross　the　Berg。

And　then　I　knew　that　I　was　very　weary。


CHAPTER　XV　MORNING　IN　THE　BERG


I　was　perhaps　half　a　mile　the　nearer　to　the　glen；　and　was　likely　to　get　there　first。　　And　after　that？　　I　could　see　the　track　winding　by　the　waterside　and　then　crossing　a　hill…shoulder　which　diverted　the　stream。　　It　was　a　road　a　man　could　scarcely　ride；　and　a　tired　man　would　have　a　hard　job　to　climb。　　I　do　not　think　that　I　had　any　hope。　　My　exhilaration　had　died　as　suddenly　as　it　had　been　born。　　I　saw　myself　caught　and　carried　off　to　Laputa；　who　must　now　be　close　on　the　rendezvous　at　Inanda's　Kraal。　　I　had　no　weapon　to　make　a　fight　for　it。　　My　foemen　were　many　and　untired。　　It　must　be　only　a　matter　of　minutes　till　I　was　in　their　hands。

More　in　a　dogged　fury　of　disappointment　than　with　any　hope　of　escape　I　forced　my　sore　legs　up　the　glen。　　Ten　minutes　ago　I　had　been　exulting　in　the　glories　of　the　morning；　and　now　the　sun　was　not　less　bright　or　the　colours　less　fair；　but　the　heart　had　gone　out　of　the　spectator。　　At　first　I　managed　to　get　some　pace　out　of　myself；　partly　from　fear　and　partly　from　anger。　　But　I　soon　found　that　my　body　had　been　tried　too　far。　I　could　plod　along；　but　to　save　my　life　I　could　not　have　hurried。　　Any　healthy　savage　could　have　caught　me　in　a　hundred　yards。

The　track；　I　remember；　was　overhung　with　creepers；　and　often　I　had　to　squeeze　through　thickets　of　tree…ferns。　　Countless　little　brooks　ran　down　from　the　hillside；　threads　of　silver　among　the　green　pastures。　　Soon　I　left　the　stream　and　climbed　up　on　the　shoulder；　where　the　road　was　not　much　better　than　a　precipice。　　Every　step　was　a　weariness。　　I　could　hardly　drag　one　foot　after　the　other；　and　my　heart　was　beating　like　the　fanners　of　a　mill；　I　had　spasms　of　acute　sickness；　and　it　took　all　my　resolution　to　keep　me　from　lying　down　by　the　roadside。

At　last　I　was　at　the　top　of　the　shoulder　and　could　look　back。　There　was　no　sign　of　anybody　on　the　road　so　far　as　I　could　see。　　Could　I　have　escaped　them？　　I　had　been　in　the　shadow　of　the　trees　for　the　first　part；　and　they　might　have　lost　sight　of　me　and　concluded　that　I　had　avoided　the　glen　or　tried　one　of　the　faces。　　Before　me；　I　remember；　there　stretched　the　upper　glen；　a　green　cup…shaped　hollow　with　the　sides　scarred　by　ravines。　There　was　a　high　waterfall　in　one　of　them　which　was　white　as　snow　against　the　red　rocks。　　My　wits　must　have　been　shaky；　for　I　took　the　fall　for　a　snowdrift；　and　wondered　sillily　why　the　Berg　had　grown　so　Alpine。

A　faint　spasm　of　hope　took　me　into　that　green　cup。　　The　bracken　was　as　thick　as　on　the　Pentlands；　and　there　was　a　multitude　of　small　lovely　flowers　in　the　grass。　　It　was　like　a　water…meadow　at　home；　such　a　place　as　I　had　often　in　boyhood　searched　for　moss…cheepers'　and　corncrakes'　eggs。　　Birds　were　crying　round　me　as　I　broke　this　solitude；　and　one　small　buck　…　a　klipspringer　…　rose　from　my　feet　and　dashed　up　one　of　the　gullies。　　Before　me　was　a　steep　green　wall　with　the　sky　blue　above　it。　　Beyond　it　was　safety；　but　as　my　sweat…dimmed　eyes　looked　at　it　I　knew　that　I　could　never　reach　it。

Then　I　saw　my　pursuers。　　High　up　on　the　left　side；　and　rounding　the　rim　of　the　cup；　were　little　black　figures。　　They　had　not　followed　my　trail；　but；　certain　of　my　purpose；　had　gone　forward　to　intercept　me。　　I　remember　feeling　a　puny　weakling　compared　with　those　lusty　natives　who　could　make　such　good　going　on　steep　mountains。　　They　were　certainly　no　men　of　the　plains；　but　hillmen；　probably　some　remnants　of　old　Machudi's　tribe　who　still　squatted　in　the　glen。　　Machudi　was　a　blackguard　chief　whom　the　Boers　long　ago　smashed　in　one　of　their　native　wars。　　He　was　a　fierce　old　warrior　and　had　put　up　a　good　fight　to　the　last；　till　a　hired　impi　of　Swazis　had　surrounded　his　hiding…place　in　the　forest　and　destroyed　him。　　A　Boer　farmer　on　the　plateau　had　his　skull；　and　used　to　drink　whisky　out　of　it　when　he　was　merry。

The　sight　of　the　pursuit　was　the　last　straw。　　I　gave　up　hope；　and　my　intentions　were　narrowed　to　one　frantic　desire　…　to　hide　the　jewels。　　Patriotism；　which　I　had　almost　forgotten；　flickered　up　in　that　crisis。　　At　any　rate　Laputa　should　not　have　the　Snake。　　If　he　drove　out　the　white　man；　he　should　not　clasp　the　Prester's　rubies　on　his　great　neck。

There　was　no　cover　in　the　green　cup；　so　I　turned　up　the　ravine　on　the　right　side。　　The　enemy；　so　far　as　I　could　judge；　were　on　the　left　and　in　front；　and　in　the　gully　I　might　find　a　pot…hole　to　bury　the　necklet　in。　　Only　a　desperate　resolution　took　me　through　the　tangle　of　juniper　bushes　into　the　red　screes　of　the　gully。　　At　first　I　could　not　find　what　I　sought。　　The　stream　in　the　ravine　slid　down　a　long　slope　like　a　mill…race；　and　the　sides　were　bare　and　stony。　　Still　I　plodded　on；　helping　myself　with　a　hand　on　Colin's　back；　for　my　legs　were　numb　with　fatigue。　　By…and…by　the　gully　narrowed；　and　I　cam