the ivory child-第38章

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their　cattle　are　dead　of　the　hail。〃



〃If　they　have　no　corn　while；　as　I　noted；　you　have　plenty　which　the

storm　spared；　will　not　they；　who　are　many　in　number　but　near　to

starving；　attack　you　and　take　your　corn；　Har？t？〃



〃Certainly　they　will　do　so；　Lord；　and　then　will　fall　the　third　curse；

the　curse　of　war。　All　this　was　foreseen　long　ago；　Macumazana；　and　you

are　here　to　help　us　in　that　war。　Among　your　goods　you　have　many　guns

and　much　powder　and　lead。　You　shall　teach　our　people　how　to　use　those

guns；　that　with　them　we　may　destroy　the　Black　Kendah。〃



〃I　think　not；〃　I　replied　quietly。　〃I　came　here　to　kill　a　certain

elephant；　and　to　receive　payment　for　my　service　in　ivory；　not　to　fight

the　Black　Kendah；　of　whom　I　have　already　seen　enough。　Moreover；　the

guns　are　not　my　property　but　that　of　the　Lord　Ragnall；　who　perhaps

will　ask　his　own　price　for　the　use　of　them。〃



〃And　the　Lord　Ragnall；　who　came　here　against　our　will；　is；　as　it

chances；　our　property　and　we　may　ask　your　own　price　for　his　life。　Now；

farewell　for　a　while；　since　you；　who　are　still　sick　and　weak；　have

talked　enough。　Only　before　I　go；　as　your　friend　and　that　of　those　with

you；　I　will　add　one　word。　If　you　would　continue　to　look　upon　the　sun；

let　none　of　you　try　to　set　foot　in　the　forest　upon　the　Holy　Mount。

Wander　where　you　will　upon　its　southern　slopes；　but　strive　not　to　pass

the　wall　of　rock　which　rings　the　forest　round。〃



Then　he　rose；　bowed　gravely　and　departed；　leaving　me　full　of

reflections。



Shortly　afterwards　Savage　and　Hans　returned；　bringing　me　some　meat

which　the　former　had　cooked　in　an　admirable　fashion。　I　ate　of　it

heartily；　and　just　as　they　were　carrying　off　the　remains　of　the　meal

Ragnall　himself　arrived。　Our　greeting　was　very　warm；　as　might　be

expected　in　the　case　of　two　comrades　who　never　thought　to　speak　to

each　other　again　on　this　side　of　the　grave。　As　I　had　supposed；　he　was

certain　that　Hans　and　I　had　been　cut　off　and　killed　by　the　Black

Kendah；　as；　after　we　were　missed；　some　of　the　camelmen　asserted　that

they　had　actually　seen　us　fall。　So　he　went　on；　or　rather　was　carried

on　by　the　rush　of　the　camels；　grieving；　since；　it　being　impossible　to

attempt　to　recover　our　bodies　or　even　to　return；　that　was　the　only

thing　to　do；　and　in　due　course　reached　the　Town　of　the　Child　without

further　accident。　Here　they　rested　and　mourned　for　us；　till　some　days

later　Har？t　suddenly　announced　that　we　still　lived；　though　how　he　knew

this　they　could　not　ascertain。　Then　they　sallied　out　and　found　us；　as

has　been　told；　in　great　danger　from　the　ignorant　villagers　who；　until

we　appeared；　had　not　even　heard　of　our　existence。



I　asked　what　they　had　done　and　what　information　they　had　obtained

since　their　arrival　at　this　place。　His　answer　was：　Nothing　and　none

worth　mentioning。　The　town　appeared　to　be　a　small　one　of　not　much　over

two　thousand　inhabitants；　all　of　whom　were　engaged　in　agricultural

pursuits　and　in　camel…breeding。　The　herds　of　camels；　however；　they

gathered；　for　the　most　part　were　kept　at　outlying　settlements　on　the

farther　side　of　the　cone…shaped　mountain。　As　they　were　unable　to　talk

the　language　the　only　person　from　whom　they　could　gain　knowledge　was

Har？t；　who　spoke　to　them　in　his　broken　English　and　told　them　much　what

he　had　told　me；　namely　that　the　upper　mountain　was　a　sacred　place　that

might　only　be　visited　by　the　priests；　since　any　uninitiated　person　who

set　foot　there　came　to　a　bad　end。　They　had　not　seen　any　of　these

priests　in　the　town；　where　no　form　of　worship　appeared　to　be

practised；　but　they　had　observed　men　driving　small　numbers　of　sheep　or

goats　up　the　flanks　of　the　mountain　towards　the　forest。



Of　what　went　on　upon　this　mountain　and　who　lived　there　they　remained

in　complete　ignorance。　It　was　a　case　of　stalemate。　Har？t　would　not

tell　them　anything　nor　could　they　learn　anything　for　themselves。　He

added　in　a　depressed　way　that　the　whole　business　seemed　very　hopeless；

and　that　he　had　begun　to　doubt　whether　there　was　any　tidings　of　his

lost　wife　to　be　gained　among　the　Kendah；　White　or　Black。



Now　I　repeated　to　him　Mar？t's　dying　words；　of　which　most　unhappily　I

had　never　heard　the　end。　These　seemed　to　give　him　new　life　since　they

showed　that　tidings　there　was　of　some　sort；　if　only　it　could　be

extracted。　But　how　might　this　be　done？　How；　how？







For　a　whole　week　things　went　on　thus。　During　this　time　I　recovered　my

strength　completely；　except　in　one　particular　which　reduced　me　to

helplessness。　The　place　on　my　thigh　where　Jana　had　pinched　out　a　bit

of　the　skin　healed　up　well　enough；　but　the　inflammation　struck　inwards

to　the　nerve　of　my　left　leg；　where　once　I　had　been　injured　by　a　lion；

with　the　result　that　whenever　I　tried　to　move　I　was　tortured　by　pains

of　a　sciatic　nature。　So　I　was　obliged　to　lie　still　and　to　content

myself　with　being　carried　on　the　bed　into　a　little　garden　which

surrounded　the　mud…built　and　white…washed　house　that　had　been　allotted

to　us　as　a　dwelling…place。



There　I　lay　hour　after　hour；　staring　at　the　Holy　Mount　which　began　to

spring　from　the　plain　within　a　few　hundred　yards　of　the　scattered

township。　For　a　mile　or　so　its　slopes　were　bare　except　for　grass　on

which　sheep　and　goats　were　grazed；　and　a　few　scattered　trees。　Studying

the　place　through　glasses　I　observed　that　these　slopes　were　crowned　by

a　vertical　precipice　of　what　looked　like　lava　rock；　which　seemed　to

surround　the　whole　mountain　and　must　have　been　quite　a　hundred　feet

high。　Beyond　this　precipice；　which　to　all　appearance　was　of　an

unclimbable　nature；　began　a　dense　forest　of　large　trees；　cedars　I

thought；　clothing　it　to　the　very　top；　that　is　so　far　as　I　could　see。



One　day　when　I　was　considering　the　place；　Har？t　entered　the　garden

suddenly　and　caught　me　in　the　act。



〃The　House　of　the　god　is　beautiful；〃　he　said；　〃is　it　not？〃



〃Very；〃　I　answered；　〃and　of　a　strange　formation。　But　how　do　those　who

dwell　on　it　climb　that　precipice？〃



〃It　cannot　be　climbed；〃　he　answered；　〃but　there　is　a　road　which　I　am

about　to　travel　who　go　to　worship　the　Child。　Yet　I　have　told　you；

Macumazana；　that　any　strangers　who　seek　to　walk　that　road　find　death。

If　they　do　not　believe　me；　let　them　try；〃　he　added　meaningly。



Then；　after　many　inquiries　about　my　health；　he　informed　me　that　news

had　reached　him　to　the　effect　that　the　Black　Kendah　were　mad　at　the

loss　of　their　crops　which　the　hail　had　destroyed　and　because　of　the

near　prospect　of　starvation。



〃Then　soon　they　will　be　wishing　to　reap　yours　with　spears；〃　I　said。



〃That　is　so。　Therefore；　my　Lord　Macumazana；　get　well　quickly　that　you

may　be　able　to　scare　away　these　crows　with　guns；　for　in　fourteen　days

the　harvest　should　begin　upon　our　uplands。　Farewell　and　have　no　fears；

for　during　my　absence　my　people　will　feed　and　watch　you　and　on　the

third　night　I　shall　return　again。〃



After　Har？t's　departure　a　deep　depression　fell　upon　all　of　us。　Even

Hans　was　depressed；　while　Savage　became　like　a　man　under　sentence　of

execution　at　a　near　but　uncertain　date。　I　tried　to　cheer　him　up　and

asked　him　what　was　the　matter。



〃I　don't　know；　Mr。　Quatermain；〃　he　answered；　〃but　the　fact　is　this　is

a　'ateful　and　un'oly　'ole〃　（in　his　agitation　he　quite　lost　grip　of　his

h's；　which　was　always　weak）；　〃and　I　am　sure　that　it　is　the　last　I

shall　ever　see；　except　one。〃



〃Well；　Savage；〃　I　said　jokingly；　〃at　any　rate　there　don't　seem　to　be

any　snakes　here。〃



〃No；　Mr。　Quatermain。　That　is；　I　haven't　met　any；　but　they　crawl　about

me　all　night；　and　whenever　I　see　that　prophet　man　he　talks　of　them　to

me。　Yes；　he　talks　of　them　and　nothing　else　with　a　sort　of　cold　look　in

his　eyes　that　makes　my　back　creep。　I　wish　it　was　over；　I　do；　who　shall

never　see　old　England　again；〃　and　he　went　away；　I　think　to　hide　his

very　painful　and　evident　emotion。



That　evening　Hans　returned　from　an　expedition　on　which　I　had　sent　him

with　instructions　to　try　to　get　round　the　mountain　and　report　what　was

on　its　other　side。　It　had　been　a　complete　failure；　as　after　he　had

gone　a　few　miles　men　appeared　who　ordered　him　back。　They　were　so

threatening　in　their　demeanour　that　had　it　not　been　for　the　little

rifle；　Intombi；　which　he　carried　under　pretence　of　shooting　buck；　a

weapon　that　they　regarded　with　great　awe；　they　would；　he　thought；　have

killed　him。　He　added　that　he　had　been　quite　unsuccessful　in　his

efforts　to　collect　any　news　of　value　from　man；　woman　or　child；　all　of

whom；　although　very　polite；　appeared　to　have　orders　to　tell　him

nothing；　concluding　with　the　remark　that　he　considered　the　White

Kendah　bigger　devils　than　the　Black　Kendah；　inasmuch　as　they　were　more

clever。







Shortly　after　this　abortive　attempt　we　debated　our　position　with

earnestness　and　came　to　a　certain　conclusion；　of　which　I　will　speak　in

its　place。



If　I　remember　right　it　was　on　this　same　night　of　our　debate；　after

Har？t's　return　from　the　mountain；　that　the　first　incident　of　interest

happened。　There　were　two　rooms　in　our　house　divided　by　a　partition

which　ran　almost　up　to　the　roof。　In　the　left…hand　room　slept　Ragnall

and　Savage；　and　in　that　to　the　right　Hans　and　I。　Just　at　the　breaking

of　dawn　I　was　awakened　by　hearing　some　agitated　conversation　between

Savage　and　his　master。　A　minute　later　they　both　entered　my　sleeping

place；　and　I　saw　in　the　faint　light　that　Ragnall　looked　very　disturbed

and　Savage　very　frightened。



〃What's　the　matter？〃　I　asked。



〃We　have　seen　my　wife；〃　answered　Ragnall。



I　stared　at　him　and　he　went　on：



〃Savage　woke　me　by　saying　that　there　was　someone　in　the　room。　I　sat　up

and　looked　and；　as　I　live；　Quatermain；　standing　gazing　at　me　in　such　a

position　that　the　light　of　dawn　from　the　window…place　fell　upon　her；

was　my　wife。〃



〃How　was　she　dressed？〃　I　asked　at　once。



〃In　a　kind　of　white　robe　cut　rather　low；　with　her　hair　loose　hanging

to　her　waist；　but　carefully　combed　and　held　outspread　by　what　appeared

to　be　a　bent　piece　of　ivory　about　a　foot　and　a　half　long；　to　which　it

was　fastened　by　a　thread　of　gold。〃



〃Is　that　all？〃



〃No。　Upon　her　breast　was　that　necklace　of　red　stones　with　the　little

image　hanging　from　its　centre　which　those　rascals　gave　her　and　she

always　wore。〃



〃Anything　more？〃



〃Yes。　In　her　arms　she　carried　what　looked　like　a　veiled　child。　It　was

so　still　that　I　think　it　must　have　been　dead。〃



〃Well。　What　happened？〃



〃I　was　so　overcome　I　could　not　speak；　and　she　stood　gazing　at　me　with

wide…opened　eyes；　looking　more　beautiful　than　I　can　tell　you。　She

never　stirred；　and　her　lips　never　movedthat　I　will　swear。　And　yet

both　of　us　heard　her　say；　very　low　but　quite　clearly：　'The　mountain；

George！　Don't　desert　me。　Seek　me　on　the　mountain；　my　dear；　my

husband。'〃



〃Well；　what　next？〃



〃I　sprang　up　and　she　was　gone。　That's　all。〃



〃Now　tell　me　what　/you/　saw　and　heard；　Savage。〃



〃What　his　lordship　saw　and