the ivory child-第15章

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have　nothing　left　except　ten　shillings。〃



〃Hans；〃　I　said　severely；　〃you　have　been　gambling　again；　you　have　been

drinking　again。　You　have　sold　your　property　and　your　cattle　to　pay

your　gambling　debts　and　to　buy　square…face　gin。〃



〃Yes；　Baas；　and　for　no　good　it　seems；　though　it　is　not　true　that　I

have　been　drinking。　I　sold　the　land　and　the　cattle　for　￡650；　Baas；　and

with　the　money　I　bought　other　things。〃



〃What　did　you　buy？〃　I　said。



He　fumbled　first　in　one　pocket　of　his　coat　and　then　in　the　other；　and

ultimately　produced　a　crumpled　and　dirty…looking　piece　of　paper　that

resembled　a　bank…note。　I　took　and　examined　this　document　and　next

minute　nearly　fainted。　It　certified　that　Hans　was　the　proprietor　of　I

know　not　how　many　debentures　or　shares；　I　forget　which　they　were；　in

the　Bona　Fide　Gold　Mine；　Limited；　that　same　company　of　which　I　was　the

unlucky　chairman；　in　consideration　for　which　he　had　paid　a　sum　of　over

six　hundred　and　fifty　pounds。



〃Hans；〃　I　said　feebly；　〃from　whom　did　you　buy　this？〃



〃From　the　baas　with　the　hooked　nose；　Baas。　He　who　was　named　Jacob；

after　the　great　man　in　the　Bible　of　whom　your　father；　the　Predikant；

used　to　tell　us；　that　one　who　was　so　slim　and　dressed　himself　up　in　a

goatskin　and　gave　his　brother　mealie　porridge　when　he　was　hungry；

after　he　had　come　in　from　shooting　buck；　Baas；　and　got　his　farm　and

cattle；　Baas；　and　then　went　to　Heaven　up　a　ladder；　Baas。〃



〃And　who　told　you　to　buy　them；　Hans？〃



〃Sammy；　Baas；　he　who　was　your　cook　when　we　went　to　Pongoland；　he　who

hid　in　the　mealie…pit　when　the　slavers　burned　Beza…Town　and　came　out

half　cooked　like　a　fowl　from　the　oven。　The　Baas　Jacob　stopped　at

Sammy's　hotel；　Baas；　and　told　him　that　unless　he　bought　bits　of　paper

like　this；　of　which　he　had　plenty；　you　would　be　brought　before　the

magistrate　and　sent　to　the　/trunk/；　Baas。　So　Sammy　bought　some；　Baas；

but　not　many　for　he　had　only　a　little　money；　and　the　Baas　Jacob　paid

him　for　all　he　ate　and　drank　with　other　bits　of　paper。　Then　Sammy　came

to　me　and　showed　me　what　it　was　my　duty　to　do；　reminding　me　that　your

reverend　father；　the　Predikant；　had　left　you　in　my　charge　till　one　of

us　dies；　whether　you　were　well　or　ill　and　whether　you　got　better　or

got　worsejust　like　a　white　wife；　Baas。　So　I　sold　the　farm　and　the

cattle　to　a　friend　of　the　Baas　Jacob's；　at　a　very　low　price；　Baas；　and

that　is　all　the　story。〃



I　heard　and；　to　tell　the　honest　truth；　almost　I　wept；　since　the

thought　of　the　sacrifice　which　this　poor　old　Hottentot　had　made　for　my

sake　on　the　instigation　of　a　rogue　utterly　overwhelmed　me。



〃Hans；〃　I　asked　recovering　myself；　〃tell　me　what　was　that　new　name

which　the　Zulu　captain　Mavovo　gave　you　before　he　died；　I　mean　after

you　had　fired　Beza…Town　and　caught　Hassan　and　his　slavers　in　their　own

trap？〃



Hans；　who　had　suddenly　found　something　that　interested　him　extremely

out　at　sea；　perhaps　because　he　did　not　wish　to　witness　my　grief；

turned　round　slowly　and　answered：



〃Mavovo　named　me　Light…in…Darkness；　and　by　that　name　the　Kafirs　know

me　now；　Baas；　though　some　of　them　call　me　Lord…of…the…Fire。〃



〃Then　Mavovo　named　you　well；　for　indeed；　Hans；　you　shine　like　a　light

in　the　darkness　of　my　heart。　I　whom　you　think　wise　am　but　a　fool；

Hans；　who　has　been　tricked　by　a　/vernuker/；　a　common　cheat；　and　he　has

tricked　you　and　Sammy　as　well。　But　as　he　has　shown　me　that　man　can　be

very　vile；　you　have　shown　me　that　he　can　be　very　noble；　and；　setting

the　one　against　the　other；　my　spirit　that　was　in　the　dust　rises　up

once　more　like　a　withered　flower　after　rain。　Light…in…Darkness；

although　if　I　had　ten　thousand　pounds　I　could　never　pay　you　back

since　what　you　have　given　me　is　more　than　all　the　gold　in　the　world

and　all　the　land　and　all　the　cattleyet　with　honour　and　with　love　I

will　try　to　pay　you；〃　and　I　held　out　my　hand　to　him。



He　took　it　and　pressed　it　against　his　wrinkled　old　forehead；　then

answered：



〃Talk　no　more　of　that；　Baas；　for　it　makes　me　sad；　who　am　so　happy。　How

often　have　you　forgiven　me　when　I　have　done　wrong？　How　often　have　you

not　flogged　me　when　I　should　have　been　flogged　for　being　drunk　and

other　thingsyes；　even　when　once　I　stole　some　of　your　powder　and　sold

it　to　buy　square…face　gin；　though　it　is　true　I　knew　it　was　bad　powder；

not　fit　for　you　to　use？　Did　I　thank　you　then　overmuch？　Why　therefore

should　you　thank　me　who　have　done　but　a　little　thing；　not　really　to

help　you　but　because；　as　you　know；　I　love　gambling；　and　was　told　that

this　bit　of　paper　would　soon　be　worth　much　more　than　I　gave　for　it。　If

it　had　proved　so；　should　I　have　given　you　that　money？　No；　I　should

have　kept　it　myself　and　bought　a　bigger　farm　and　more　cattle。〃



〃Hans；〃　I　said　sternly；　〃if　you　lie　so　hard；　you　will　certainly　go　to

hell；　as　the　Predikant；　my　father；　often　told　you。〃



〃Not　if　I　lie　for　you；　Baas；　or　if　I　do　it　doesn't　matter；　except　that

then　we　should　be　separated　by　the　big　kloof　written　of　in　the　Book；

especially　as　there　I　should　meet　the　Baas　Jacob；　as　I　very　much　want

to　do　for　a　reason　of　my　own。〃



Not　wishing　to　pursue　this　somewhat　unchristian　line　of　thought；　I

inquired　of　him　why　he　felt　happy。



〃Oh！　Baas；〃　he　answered　with　a　twinkle　in　his　little　black　eyes；

〃can't　you　guess　why？　Now　you　have　very　little　money　left　and　I　have

none　at　all。　Therefore　it　is　plain　that　we　must　go　somewhere　to　earn

money；　and　I　am　glad　of　that；　Baas；　for　I　am　tired　of　sitting　on　that

farm　out　there　and　growing　mealies　and　milking　cows；　especially　as　I

am　too　old　to　marry；　Baas；　as　you　are　tired　of　looking　for　gold　where

there　isn't　any　and　singing　sad　songs　in　that　house　of　meeting　yonder

like　you　did　this　afternoon。　Oh！　the　Great　Father　in　the　skies　knew

what　He　was　about　when　He　sent　the　Baas　Jacob　our　way。　He　beat　us　for

our　good；　Baas；　as　He　does　always　if　we　could　only　understand。〃



I　reflected　to　myself　that　I　had　not　often　heard　the　doctrine　of　the

Church　better　or　more　concisely　put；　but　I　only　said：



〃That　is　true；　Hans；　and　I　thank　you　for　the　lesson；　the　second　you

have　taught　me　to…day。　But　where　are　we　to　go　to；　Hans？　Remember；　it

must　be　elephants。〃



He　suggested　some　places；　indeed　he　seemed　to　have　come　provided　with

a　list　of　them；　and　I　sat　silent　making　no　comment。　At　length　he

finished　and　squatted　there　before　me；　chewing　a　bit　of　tobacco　I　had

given　him；　and　looking　up　at　me　interrogatively　with　his　head　on　one

side；　for　all　the　world　like　a　dilapidated　and　inquisitive　bird。



〃Hans；〃　I　said；　〃do　you　remember　a　story　I　told　you　when　you　came　to

see　me　a　year　or　more　ago；　about　a　tribe　called　the　Kendah　in　whose

country　there　is　said　to　be　a　great　cemetery　of　elephants　which　travel

there　to　die　from　all　the　land　about？　A　country　that　lies　somewhere　to

the　north…east　of　the　lake　island　on　which　the　Pongo　used　to　dwell？〃



〃Yes；　Baas。〃



〃And　you　said；　I　think；　that　you　had　never　heard　of　such　a　people。〃



〃No；　Baas；　I　never　said　anything　at　all。　I　have　heard　a　good　deal

about　them。〃



〃Then　why　did　you　not　tell　me　so　before；　you　little　idiot？〃　I　asked

indignantly。



〃What　was　the　good；　Baas？　You　were　hunting　gold　then；　not　ivory。　Why

should　I　make　you　unhappy；　and　waste　my　own　breath　by　talking　about

beautiful　things　which　were　far　beyond　the　reach　of　either　of　us；　far

as　that　sky？〃



〃Don't　ask　fool's　questions　but　tell　me　what　you　know；　Hans。　Tell　me

at　once。〃



〃This；　Baas：　When　we　were　up　at　Beza…Town　after　we　came　back　from

killing　the　gorilla…god；　and　the　Baas　Stephen　your　friend　lay　sick；

and　there　was　nothing　else　to　do；　I　talked　with　everyone　I　could　find

worth　talking　to；　and　they　were　not　many；　Baas。　But　there　was　one　very

old　woman　who　was　not　of　the　Mazitu　race　and　whose　husband　and

children　were　all　dead；　but　whom　the　people　in　the　town　looked　up　to

and　feared　because　she　was　wise　and　made　medicines　out　of　herbs；　and

told　fortunes。　I　used　to　go　to　see　her。　She　was　quite　blind；　Baas；　and

fond　of　talking　with　mewhich　shows　how　wise　she　was。　I　told　her　all

about　the　Pongo　gorilla…god；　of　which　already　she　knew　something。　When

I　had　done　she　said　that　he　was　as　nothing　compared　with　a　certain　god

that　she　had　seen　in　her　youth；　seven　tens　of　years　ago；　when　she

became　marriageable。　I　asked　her　for　that　story；　and　she　spoke　it

thus：



〃Far　away　to　the　north　and　east　live　a　people　called　the　Kendah；　who

are　ruled　over　by　a　sultan。　They　are　a　very　great　people　and　inhabit　a

most　fertile　country。　But　all　round　their　country　the　land　is　desolate

and　manless；　peopled　only　by　game；　for　the　reason　that　they　will

suffer　none　to　dwell　there。　That　is　why　nobody　knows　anything　about

them：　he　that　comes　across　the　wilderness　into　that　land　is　killed　and

never　returns　to　tell　of　it。



〃She　told　me　also　that　she　was　born　of　this　people；　but　fled　because

their　sultan　wished　to　place　her　in　his　house　of　women；　which　she　did

not　desire。　For　a　long　while　she　wandered　southwards；　living　on　roots

and　berries；　till　she　came　to　desert　land　and　at　last；　worn　out；　lay

down　to　die。　Then　she　was　found　by　some　of　the　Mazitu　who　were　on　an

expedition　seeking　ostrich　feathers　for　war…plumes。　They　gave　her　food

and；　seeing　that　she　was　fair；　brought　her　back　to　their　country；

where　one　of　them　married　her。　But　of　her　own　land　she　uttered　only

lying　words　to　them　because　she　feared　that　if　she　told　the　truth　the

gods　who　guard　its　secrets　would　be　avenged　on　her；　though　now　when

she　was　near　to　death　she　dreaded　them　no　more；　since　even　the　Kendah

gods　cannot　swim　through　the　waters　of　death。　That　is　all　she　said

about　her　journey　because　she　had　forgotten　the　rest。〃



〃Bother　her　journey；　Hans。　What　did　she　say　about　her　god　and　the

Kendah　people？〃



〃This；　Baas：　that　the　Kendah　have　not　one　god　but　two；　and　not　one

ruler　but　two。　They　have　a　good　god　who　is　a　child…fetish〃　（here　I

started）　〃that　speaks　through　the　mouth　of　an　oracle　who　is　always　a

woman。　If　that　woman　dies　the　god　does　not　speak　until　they　find

another　woman　bearing　certain　marks　which　show　that　she　holds　the

spirit　of　the　god。　Before　the　woman　dies　she　always　tells　the　priests

in　what　land　they　are　to　look　for　her　who　is　to　come　after　her；　but

sometimes　they　cannot　find　her　and　then　trouble　falls　because　'the

Child　has　lost　its　tongue；'　and　the　people　become　the　prey　of　the

other　god　that　never　dies。〃



〃And　what　is　that　god；　Hans？〃



〃That　god；　Baas；　is　an　elephant〃　（here　I　started　again）；　〃a　very　bad

elephant　to　which　human　sacrifice　is　offered。　I　think；　Baas；　that　it

is　the　devil　wearing　the　shape　of　an　elephant；　at　least　that　is　what

she　said。　Now　the　sultan　is　a　worshipper　of　the　god　that　dwells　in　the

elephant　Jana〃　（here　I　positively　whistled）　〃and　so　are　most　of　the

people；　indeed　all　those　among　them　who　are　black。　For　once　far　away

in　the　beginning　the　Kendah　were　two　peo