prester john- 第42部分

Arcoll　received　my　message　from　Umvelos'　by　Colin；　or　rather　Wardlaw　received　it　and　sent　it　on　to　the　post　on　the　Berg　where　the　leader　had　gone。　　Close　on　its　heels　came　the　message　from　Henriques　by　a　Shangaan　in　his　pay。　　It　must　have　been　sent　off　before　the　Portugoose　got　to　the　Rooirand；　from　which　it　would　appear　that　he　had　his　own　men　in　the　bush　near　the　store；　and　that　I　was　lucky　to　get　off　as　I　did。　Arcoll　might　have　disregarded　Henriques'　news　as　a　trap　if　it　had　come　alone；　but　my　corroboration　impressed　and　perplexed　him。　　He　began　to　credit　the　Portugoose　with　treachery；　but　he　had　no　inclination　to　act　on　his　message；　since　it　conflicted　with　his　plans。　　He　knew　that　Laputa　must　come　into　the　Berg　sooner　or　later；　and　he　had　resolved　that　his　strategy　must　be　to　await　him　there。　　But　there　was　the　question　of　my　life。　　He　had　every　reason　to　believe　that　I　was　in　the　greatest　danger；　and　he　felt　a　certain　responsibility　for　my　fate。　　With　the　few　men　at　his　disposal　he　could　not　hope　to　hold　up　the　great　Kaffir　army；　but　there　was　a　chance　that　he　might　by　a　bold　stand　effect　my　rescue。　　Henriques　had　told　him　of　the　vow；　and　had　told　him　that　Laputa　would　ride　in　the　centre　of　the　force。　　A　body　of　men　well　posted　at　Dupree's　Drift　might　split　the　army　at　the　crossing；　and　under　cover　of　the　fire　I　might　swim　the　river　and　join　my　friends。　　Still　relying　on　the　vow；　it　might　be　possible　for　well…mounted　men　to　evade　capture。　　Accordingly　he　called　for　volunteers；　and　sent　off　one　of　his　Kaffirs　to　warn　me　of　his　design。　　He　led　his　men　in　person；　and　of　his　doings　the　reader　already　knows　the　tale。　But　though　the　crossing　was　flung　into　confusion；　and　the　rear　of　the　army　was　compelled　to　follow　the　northerly　bank　of　the　Letaba；　there　was　no　sign　of　me　anywhere。　　Arcoll　searched　the　river…banks；　and　crossed　the　drift　to　where　the　old　Keeper　was　lying　dead。　　He　then　concluded　that　I　had　been　murdered　early　in　the　march；　and　his　Kaffir；　who　might　have　given　him　news　of　me；　was　carried　up　the　stream　in　the　tide　of　the　disorderly　army。　　Therefore；　he　and　his　men　rode　back　with　all　haste　to　the　Berg　by　way　of　Main　Drift；　and　reached　Bruderstroom　before　Laputa　had　crossed　the　highway。

My　information　about　Inanda's　Kraal　decided　Arcoll's　next　move。　　Like　me　he　remembered　Beyers's　performance；　and　resolved　to　repeat　it。　　He　had　no　hope　of　catching　Laputa；　but　he　thought　that　he　might　hold　up　the　bulk　of　his　force　if　he　got　guns　on　the　ridge　above　the　kraal。　　A　message　had　already　been　sent　for　guns；　and　the　first　to　arrive　got　to　Bruderstroom　about　the　hour　when　I　was　being　taken　by　Machudi's　men　in　the　kloof。　　The　ceremony　of　the　purification　prevented　Laputa　from　keeping　a　good　look…out；　and　the　result　was　that　a　way　was　made　for　the　guns　on　the　north…western　corner　of　the　rampart　of　rock。　　It　was　the　way　which　Beyers　had　taken；　and　indeed　the　enterprise　was　directed　by　one　of　Beyers's　old　commandants。　　All　that　day　the　work　continued；　while　Laputa　and　I　were　travelling　to　Machudi's。　　Then　came　the　evening　when　I　staggered　into　camp　and　told　my　news。　　Arcoll；　who　alone　knew　how　vital　Laputa　was　to　the　success　of　the　insurrection；　immediately　decided　to　suspend　all　other　operations　and　devote　himself　to　shepherding　the　leader　away　from　his　army。　　How　the　scheme　succeeded　and　what　befell　Laputa　the　reader　has　already　been　told。

Aitken　and　Wardlaw；　when　I　descended　from　the　cliffs；　took　me　straight　to　Blaauwildebeestefontein。　　I　was　like　a　man　who　is　recovering　from　bad　fever；　cured；　but　weak　and　foolish；　and　it　was　a　slow　journey　which　I　made　to　Umvelos'；　riding　on　Aitken's　pony。　　At　Umvelos'　we　found　a　picket　who　had　captured　the　Schimmel　by　the　roadside。　　That　wise　beast；　when　I　turned　him　loose　at　the　entrance　to　the　cave；　had　trotted　quietly　back　the　way　he　had　come。　　At　Umvelos'　Aitken　left　me；　and　next　day；　with　Wardlaw　as　companion；　I　rode　up　the　glen　of　the　Klein　Labongo；　and　came　in　the　afternoon　to　my　old　home。　　The　store　was　empty；　for　japp　some　days　before　had　gone　off　post…haste　to　Pietersdorp；　but　there　was　Zeeta　cleaning　up　the　place　as　if　war　had　never　been　heard　of。　　I　slept　the　night　there；　and　in　the　morning　found　myself　so　much　recovered　that　I　was　eager　to　get　away。　　I　wanted　to　see　Arcoll　about　many　things；　but　mainly　about　the　treasure　in　the　cave。

It　was　an　easy　journey　to　Bruderstroom　through　the　meadows　of　the　plateau。　　The　farmers'　commandoes　had　been　recalled；　but　the　ashes　of　their　camp　fires　were　still　grey　among　the　bracken。　　I　fell　in　with　a　police　patrol　and　was　taken　by　them　to　a　spot　on　the　Upper　Letaba；　some　miles　west　of　the　camp；　where　we　found　Arcoll　at　late　breakfast。　　I　had　resolved　to　take　him　into　my　confidence；　so　I　told　him　the　full　tale　of　my　night's　adventure。　　He　was　very　severe　with　me；　I　remember；　for　my　daft…like　ride；　but　his　severity　relaxed　before　I　had　done　with　my　story。

The　telling　brought　back　the　scene　to　me；　and　I　shivered　at　the　picture　of　the　cave　with　the　morning　breaking　through　the　veil　of　water　and　Laputa　in　his　death　throes。　　Arcoll　did　not　speak　for　some　time。

'So　he　is　dead；'　he　said　at　last；　half…whispering　to　himself。　'Well；　he　was　a　king；　and　died　like　a　king。　　Our　job　now　is　simple；　for　there　is　none　of　his　breed　left　in　Africa。'

Then　I　told　him　of　the　treasure。

'It　belongs　to　you；　Davie；'　he　said；　'and　we　must　see　that　you　get　it。　　This　is　going　to　be　a　long　war；　but　if　we　survive　to　the　end　you　will　be　a　rich　man。'

'But　in　the　meantime？'　I　asked。　　'Supposing　other　Kaffirs　hear　of　it；　and　come　back　and　make　a　bridge　over　the　gorge？　They　may　be　doing　it　now。'

'I'll　put　a　guard　on　it；'　he　said；　jumping　up　briskly。　　'It's　maybe　not　a　soldier's　job；　but　you've　saved　this　country；　Davie；　and　I'm　going　to　make　sure　that　you　have　your　reward。'


After　that　I　went　with　Arcoll　to　Inanda's　Kraal。　　I　am　not　going　to　tell　the　story　of　that　performance；　for　it　occupies　no　less　than　two　chapters　in　Mr　Upton's　book。　　He　makes　one　or　two　blunders；　for　he　spells　my　name　with　an　'o；'　and　he　says　we　walked　out　of　the　camp　on　our　perilous　mission　'with　faces　white　and　set　as　a　Crusader's。'　　That　is　certainly　not　true；　for　in　the　first　place　nobody　saw　us　go　who　could　judge　how　we　looked；　and　in　the　second　place　we　were　both　smoking　and　feeling　quite　cheerful。　　At　home　they　made　a　great　fuss　about　it；　and　started　a　newspaper　cry　about　the　Victoria　Cross；　but　the　danger　was　not　so　terrible　after　all；　and　in　any　case　it　was　nothing　to　what　I　had　been　through　in　the　past　week。

I　take　credit　to　myself　for　suggesting　the　idea。　　By　this　time　we　had　the　army　in　the　kraal　at　our　mercy。　　Laputa　not　having　returned；　they　had　no　plans。　　It　had　been　the　original　intention　to　start　for　the　Olifants　on　the　following　day；　so　there　was　a　scanty　supply　of　food。　　Besides；　there　were　the　makings　of　a　pretty　quarrel　between　Umbooni　and　some　of　the　north…　country　chiefs；　and　I　verily　believe　that　if　we　had　held　them　tight　there　for　a　week　they　would　have　destroyed　each　other　in　faction　fights。　　In　any　case；　in　a　little　they　would　have　grown　desperate　and　tried　to　rush　the　approaches　on　the　north　and　south。　　Then　we　must　either　have　used　the　guns　on　them；　which　would　have　meant　a　great　slaughter；　or　let　them　go　to　do　mischief　elsewhere。　　Arcoll　was　a　merciful　man　who　had　no　love　for　butchery；　besides；　he　was　a　statesman　with　an　eye　to　the　future　of　the　country　after　the　war。　　But　it　was　his　duty　to　isolate　Laputa's　army；　and　at　all　costs；　it　must　be　prevented　from　joining　any　of　the　concentrations　in　the　south。

Then　I　proposed　to　him　to　do　as　Rhodes　did　in　the　Matoppos；　and　go　and　talk　to　them。　　By　this　time；　I　argued；　the　influence　of　Laputa　must　have　sunk；　and　the　fervour　of　the　purification　be　half…forgotten。　　The　army　had　little　food　and　no　leader。　　The　rank　and　file　had　never　been　fanatical；　and　the　chiefs　and　indunas　must　now　be　inclined　to　sober　reflections。　But　once　blood　was　shed　the　lust　of　blood　would　possess　them。　Our　only　chance　was　to　strike　when　their　minds　were　perplexed　and　undecided。

Arcoll　did　all　the　arranging。　　He　had　a　message　sent　to　the　chiefs　inviting　them　to　an　indaba；　and　presently　word　was　brought　back　that　an　indaba　was　called　for　the　next　day　at　noon。　　That　same　night　we　heard　that　Umbooni　and　about　twenty　of　his　men　had　managed　to　evade　our　ring　of　scouts　and　got　clear　away　to　the　south。　　This　was　all　to　our　advantage；　as　it　removed　from　the　coming　indaba　the　most　irreconcilable　of　the　chiefs。

That　indaba　was　a　queer　business。　　Arcoll　and　I　left　our　escort　at　the　foot　of　a　ravine；　and　entered　the　kraal　by　the　same　road　as　I　had　left　it。　　It　was　a　very　bright；　hot　winter's　day；　and　try　as　I　might；　I　could　not　bring　myself　to　think　of　any　danger。　I　believed　that　in　this　way　most　temerarious　deeds　are　done；　the　doer　has　become　insensible　to　danger；　and　his　imagination　is　clouded　with　some　engrossing　purpose。　　The　first　sentries　received　us　gloomily　enough；　and　closed　behind　us　as　they　had　done　when　Machudi's　men　haled　me　thither。　　Then　the　job　became　eerie；　for　we　had　to　walk　across　a　green　flat　with　thousands　of　eyes　watching　us。　　By…and…by　we　came　to　the　merula　tree　opposite　the　kyas；　and　there　we　found　a　ring　of　chiefs；　si