the ivory child-第35章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



same　as　usual；　only　perhaps　rather　dirtier；　engaged　in　setting　a　cap

on　to　the　nipple　of　the　little　rifle　Intombi。



〃Hans；〃　I　said　in　a　hollow　voice；　〃why　the　devil　are　you　here？〃



〃To　save　you　from　the　devil；　of　course；　Baas；〃　he　replied　aptly。　Then；

resting　the　gun　against　the　stone；　the　old　fellow　knelt　down　by　my

side　and；　throwing　his　arms　around　me；　began　to　blubber　over　me；

exclaiming：



〃Just　in　time；　Baas！　Only　just　in　time；　for　as　usual　Hans　made　a　mess

of　things　and　judged　badlyI'll　tell　you　afterwards。　Still；　just　in

time；　thanks　be　to　your　reverend　father；　the　Predikant。　Oh！　if　he　had

delayed　me　for　one　more　minute　you　would　have　been　as　flat　as　my　nose；

Baas。　Now　come　quickly。　I've　got　the　camel　tied　up　there；　and　he　can

carry　two；　being　fat　and　strong　after　four　days'　rest　with　plenty　to

eat。　This　place　is　haunted；　Baas；　and　that　king　of　the　devils；　Jana；

will　be　back　after　us　presently；　as　soon　as　he　has　wiped　the　blood　out

of　his　eye。〃



I　didn't　make　any　remark；　having　no　taste　for　conversation　just　then；

but　only　looked　at　poor　Mar？t；　who　lay　by　me　as　though　he　was

sleeping。



〃Oh；　Baas；〃　said　Hans；　〃there　is　no　need　to　trouble　about　him；　for　his

neck　is　broken　and　he's　quite　dead。　Also　it　is　as　well；〃　he　added

cheerfully。　〃For；　as　your　reverend　father　doubtless　remembered；　the

camel　could　never　carry　three。　Moreover；　if　he　stops　here；　perhaps

Jana　will　come　back　to　play　with　him　instead　of　following　us。〃



Poor　Mar？t！　This　was　his　requiem　as　sung　by　Hans。



With　a　last　glance　at　the　unhappy　man　to　whom　I　had　grown　attached　in

a　way　during　our　time　of　joint　captivity　and　trial；　I　took　the　arm　of

the　old　Hottentot；　or　rather　leant　upon　his　shoulder；　for　at　first　I

felt　too　weak　to　walk　by　myself；　and　picked　my　path　with　him　through

the　stones　and　skeletons　of　elephants　across　the　plateau　eastwards；

that　is；　away　from　the　lake。　About　two　hundred　yards　from　the　scene　of

our　tragedy　was　a　mound　of　rock　similar　to　that　on　which　Jana　had

appeared；　but　much　smaller；　behind　which　we　found　the　camel；　kneeling

as　a　well…trained　beast　of　the　sort　should　do　and　tethered　to　a　stone。



As　we　went；　in　brief　but　sufficient　language　Hans　told　me　his　story。

It　seemed　that　after　he　had　shot　the　Kendah　general　it　came　into　his

cunning；　foreseeing　mind　that　he　might　be　of　more　use　to　me　free　than

as　a　companion　in　captivity；　or　that　if　I　were　killed　he　might　in　that

case　live　to　bring　vengeance　on　my　slayers。　So　he　broke　away；　as　has

been　described；　and　hid　till　nightfall　on　the　hill…side。　Then　by　the

light　of　the　moon　he　tracked　us；　avoiding　the　villages；　and　ultimately

found　a　place　of　shelter　in　a　kind　of　cave　in　the　forest　near　to　Simba

Town；　where　no　people　lived。　Here　he　fed　the　camel　at　night；

concealing　it　at　dawn　in　the　cave。　The　days　he　spent　up　a　tall　tree；

whence　he　could　watch　all　that　went　on　in　the　town　beneath；　living

meanwhile　on　some　food　which　he　carried　in　a　bag　tied　to　the　saddle；

helped　out　by　green　mealies　which　he　stole　from　a　neighbouring　field。



Thus　he　saw　most　of　what　passed　in　the　town；　including　the　desolation

wrought　by　the　fearful　tempest　of　hail；　which；　being　in　their　cave；

both　he　and　the　camel　escaped　without　harm。　On　the　next　evening　from

his　post　of　outlook　up　the　tree；　where　he　had　now　some　difficulty　in

hiding　himself　because　the　hail　had　stripped　off　all　its　leaves；　he

saw　Mar？t　and　myself　brought　from　the　guest…house　and　taken　away　by

the　escort。　Descending　and　running　to　the　cave；　he　saddled　the　camel

and　started　in　pursuit；　plunging　into　the　forest　and　hiding　there　when

he　perceived　that　the　escort　were　leaving　us。



Here　he　waited　until　they　had　gone　by　on　their　return　journey。　So

close　did　they　pass　to　him　that　he　could　overhear　their　talk；　which


told　him　they　expected；　or　rather　were　sure；　that　we　should　be

destroyed　by　the　elephant　Jana；　their　devil　god；　to　whom　the　camelmen

had　been　already　sacrificed。　After　they　had　departed　he　remounted　and

followed　us。　Here　I　asked　him　why　he　had　not　overtaken　us　before　we

came　to　the　cemetery　of　elephants；　as　I　presumed　he　might　have　done；

since　he　stated　that　he　was　close　in　our　rear。　This　indeed　was　the

case；　for　it　was　the　head　of　the　camel　I　saw　behind　the　thorn　trees

when　I　looked　back；　and　not　the　trunk　of　an　elephant　as　I　had

supposed。



At　the　time　he　would　give　me　no　direct　answer；　except　that　he　grew

muddled　as　he　had　already　suggested；　and　thought　it　best　to　keep　in

the　background　and　see　what　happened。　Long　afterwards；　however；　he

admitted　to　me　that　he　acted　on　a　presentiment。



〃It　seemed　to　me；　Baas；〃　he　said；　〃that　your　reverend　father　was

telling　me　that　I　should　do　best　to　let　you　two　go　on　and　not　show

myself；　since　if　I　did　so　we　should　all　three　be　killed；　as　one　of　us

must　walk　whom　the　other　two　could　not　desert。　Whereas　if　I　left　you

as　you　were；　one　of　you　would　be　killed　and　the　other　escape；　and　that

the　one　to　be　killed　would　not　be　/you/；　Baas。　All　of　which　came　about

as　the　Spirit　spoke　in　my　head；　for　Mar？t　was　killed；　who　did　not

matter；　andyou　know　the　rest；　Baas。〃



To　return　to　Hans'　story。　He　saw　us　march　down　to　the　borders　of　the

lake；　and；　keeping　to　our　right；　took　cover　behind　the　knoll　of　rock；

whence　he　watched　also　all　that　followed。　When　Jana　advanced　to　attack

us　Hans　crept　forward　in　the　hope；　a　very　wild　one；　of　crippling　him

with　the　little　Purdey　rifle。　Indeed；　he　was　about　to　fire　at　the　hind

leg　when　Mar？t　made　his　run　for　life　and　plunged　into　the　lake。　Then

he　crawled　on　to　lead　me　away　to　the　camel；　but　when　he　was　within　a

few　yards　the　chase　returned　our　way　and　Mar？t　was　killed。



From　that　moment　he　waited　for　an　opportunity　to　shoot　Jana　in　the

only　spot　where　so　soft　a　bullet　would；　as　he　knew；　have　the　faintest

chance　of　injuring　him　vitallynamely；　in　the　eyefor　he　was　sure

that　its　penetration　would　not　be　sufficient　to　reach　the　vitals

through　that　thick　hide　and　the　mass　of　flesh　behind。　With　an　infinite

and　wonderful　patience　he　waited；　knowing　that　my　life　or　death　hung

in　the　balance。　While　Jana　held　his　foot　over　me；　while　he　felt　me

with　his　trunk；　still　Hans　waited；　balancing　the　arguments　for　and

against　firing　upon　the　scales　of　experience　in　his　clever　old　mind；

and　in　the　end　coming　to　a　right　and　wise　conclusion。



At　length　his　chance　came；　the　brute　exposed　his　eye；　and　by　the　light

of　the　clear　moon　Hans；　always　a　very　good　shot　at　a　distance　when　it

was　not　necessary　to　allow　for　trajectory　and　wind；　let　drive　and

/hit/。　The　bullet　did　not　get　to　the　brain　as　he　had　hoped；　it　had　not

strength　for　that；　but　it　destroyed　this　left　eye　and　gave　Jana　such

pain　that　for　a　while　he　forgot　all　about　me　and　everything　else

except　escape。



Such　was　the　Hottentot's　tale　as　I　picked　it　up　from　his　laconic；

colourless；　Dutch　/patois/　sentences；　then　and　afterwards；　a　very

wonderful　tale　I　thought。　But　for　him；　his　fidelity　and　his　bushman's

cunning；　where　should　I　have　found　myself　before　that　moon　set？







We　mounted　the　camel　after　I　had　paused　a　minute　to　take　a　pull　from　a

flask　of　brandy　which　remained　in　the　saddlebags。　Although　he　loved

strong　drink　so　well　Hans　had　saved　it　untouched　on　the　mere　chance

that　it　might　some　time　be　of　service　to　me；　his　master。　The　monkey…

like　Hottentot　sat　in　front　and　directed　the　camel；　while　I

accommodated　myself　as　best　I　could　on　the　sheepskins　behind。　Luckily

they　were　thick　and　soft；　for　Jana's　pinch　was　not　exactly　that　of　a

lover。



Off　we　went；　picking　our　way　carefully　till　we　reached　the　elephant

track　beyond　the　mound　where　Jana　had　appeared；　which；　in　the　light　of

faith；　we　hoped　would　lead　us　to　the　River　Tava。　Here　we　made　better

progress；　but　still　could　not　go　very　fast　because　of　the　holes　made

by　the　feet　of　Jana　and　his　company。　Soon　we　had　left　the　cemetery

behind　us；　and　lost　sight　of　the　lake　which　I　devoutly　trusted　I　might

never　see　again。



Now　the　track　ran　upwards　from　the　hollow　to　a　ridge　two　or　three

miles　away。　We　reached　the　crest　of　this　ridge　without　accident；

except　that　on　our　road　we　met　another　aged　elephant；　a　cow　with　very

poor　tusks；　travelling　to　its　last　resting　place；　or　so　I　suppose。　I

don't　know　which　was　the　more　frightened；　the　sick　cow　or　the　camel；

for　camels　hate　elephants　as　horses　hate　camels　until　they　get　used　to

them。　The　cow　bolted　to　the　right　as　quickly　as　it　could；　which　was

not　very　fast；　and　the　camel　bolted　to　the　left　with　such　convulsive

bounds　that　we　were　nearly　thrown　off　its　back。　However；　being　an

equable　brute；　it　soon　recovered　its　balance；　and　we　got　back　to　the

track　beyond　the　cow。



From　the　top　of　the　rise　we　saw　that　before　us　lay　a　sandy　plain

lightly　clothed　in　grass；　and；　to　our　joy；　about　ten　miles　away　at　the

foot　of　a　very　gentle　slope；　the　moonlight　gleamed　upon　the　waters　of

a　broad　river。　It　was　not　easy　to　make　out；　but　it　was　there；　we　were

both　sure　it　was　there；　we　could　not　mistake　the　wavering；　silver

flash。　On　we　went　for　another　quarter　of　a　mile；　when　something　caused

me　to　turn　round　on　the　sheepskin　and　look　back。



Oh　Heavens！　At　the　very　top　of　the　rise；　clearly　outlined　against　the

sky；　stood　Jana　himself　with　his　trunk　lifted。　Next　instant　he

trumpeted；　a　furious；　rattling　challenge　of　rage　and　defiance。



〃Allemagte！　Baas；〃　said　Hans；　〃the　old　devil　is　coming　to　look　for　his

lost　eye；　and　has　seen　us　with　that　which　remains。　He　has　been

travelling　on　our　spoor。〃



〃Forward！〃　I　answered；　bringing　my　heels　into　the　camel's　ribs。



Then　the　race　began。　The　camel　was　a　very　good　camel；　one　of　the　real

running　breed；　also；　as　Hans　said；　it　was　comparatively　fresh；　and

may；　moreover；　have　been　aware　that　it　was　near　to　the　plains　where　it

had　been　bred。　Lastly；　the　going　was　now　excellent；　soft　to　its　spongy

feet　but　not　too　deep　in　sand；　nor　were　there　any　rocks　over　which　it

could　fall。　It　went　off　like　the　wind；　making　nothing　of　our　united

weights　which　did　not　come　to　more　than　two　hundred　pounds；　or　a　half

of　what　it　could　carry　with　ease；　being　perhaps　urged　to　its　top　speed

by　the　knowledge　that　the　elephant　was　behind。　For　mile　after　mile　we

rushed　down　the　plain。　But　we　did　not　go　alone；　for　Jana　came　after　us

like　a　cruiser　after　a　gunboat。　Moreover；　swiftly　as　we　travelled；　he

travelled　just　a　little　swifter；　gaining　say　a　few　yards　in　every

hundred。　For　the　last　mile　before　we　came　to　the　river　bank；　half　an

hour　later　perhaps；　though　it　seemed　to　be　a　week；　he　was　not　more

than　fifty　paces　to　our　rear。　I　glanced　back　at　him；　and　in　the　light

of　the　moon；　which　was　growing　low；　he　bore　a　strange　resemblance　to　a

mud　cottage　with　broken　chimneys　（which　were　his　ears　flapping　on　each

side　of　him）；　and　the　yard　pump　projecting　from　the　upper　window。



〃We　shall　beat　him　now；　Hans；〃　I　said　looking　at