the ivory child- 第26部分

too；　Light…in…Darkness；　Lord…of…the…Fire；　Cunning…one　whose　wit　saved

us　in　the　battle　of　the　Gate。　But　where　is　Dogeetah；　where　is　Wazeela；

and　where　are　the　Mother　and　the　Child　of　the　Flower？〃



〃Far　away　across　the　Black　Water；　Babemba；〃　I　answered。　〃But　here　are

two　others　in　place　of　them；〃　and　I　introduced　him　to　Ragnall　and

Savage　by　their　native　names　of　Igeza　and　Bena。



He　contemplated　them　for　a　moment；　then　said：



〃This；〃　pointing　to　Ragnall；　〃is　a　great　lord；　but　this；〃　pointing　to

Savage；　who　was　much　the　better　dressed　of　the　two；　〃is　a　cock　of　the

ashpit　arrayed　in　an　eagle's　feathers；〃　a　remark　I　did　not　translate；

but　one　which　caused　Hans　to　snigger　vacuously。



While　we　breakfasted　on　food　prepared　by　the　〃Cock　of　the　Ashpit；〃　who

amongst　many　other　merits　had　that　of　being　an　excellent　cook；　I　heard

all　the　news。　Bausi　the　king　was　dead　but　had　been　succeeded　by　one　of

his　sons；　also　named　Bausi；　whom　I　remembered。　Beza…Town　had　been

rebuilt　after　the　great　fire　that　destroyed　the　slavers；　and　much　more

strongly　fortified　than　before。　Of　the　slavers　themselves　nothing　more

had　been　seen；　or　of　the　Pongo　either；　though　the　Mazitu　declared　that

their　ghosts；　or　those　of　their　victims；　still　haunted　the　island　in

the　lake。　That　was　all；　except　the　ill　tidings　as　to　two　of　our

messengers　which　the　third；　who　had　returned　with　the　Mazitu；　reported

to　us。



After　breakfast　I　addressed　and　sent　away　our　Zulus；　each　with　a

handsome　present　from　the　trade　goods；　giving　into　their　charge　the

remaining　wagon　and　our　servants；　none　of　whom；　somewhat　to　my　relief；

wished　to　accompany　us　farther。　They　sang　their　song　of　good…bye；

saluted　and　departed　over　the　rise；　still　looking　hungrily　behind　them

at　the　Mazitu；　and　we　were　very　pleased　to　see　the　last　of　them

without　bloodshed　or　trouble。



When　we　had　watched　the　white　tilt　of　the　wagon　vanish；　we　set　to　work

to　get　ourselves　and　our　goods　across　the　river。　This　we　accomplished

safely；　for　the　Mazitu　worked　for　us　like　friends　and　not　as　do　hired

men。　On　the　farther　bank；　however；　it　took　us　two　full　days　so　to

divide　up　the　loads　that　the　bearers　could　carry　them　without　being

overladen。



At　length　all　was　arranged　and　we　started。　Of　the　month's　trek　that

followed　there　is　nothing　to　tell；　except　that　we　completed　it　without

notable　accidents　and　at　last　reached　the　new　Beza…Town；　which　much

resembled　the　old；　where　we　were　accorded　a　great　public　reception。

Bausi　II　himself　headed　the　procession　which　met　us　outside　the　south

gate　on　that　very　mound　which　we　had　occupied　in　the　great　fight；

where　the　bones　of　the　gallant　Mavovo　and　my　other　hunters　lay　buried。

Almost　did　it　seem　to　me　as　though　I　could　hear　their　deep　voices

joining　in　the　shouts　of　welcome。



That　night；　while　the　Mazitu　feasted　in　our　honour；　we　held　an

/indaba/　in　the　big　new　guest　house　with　Bausi　II；　a　pleasant…faced

young　man；　and　old　Babemba。　The　king　asked　us　how　long　we　meant　to

stay　at　Beza…Town；　intimating　his　hope　that　the　visit　would　be

prolonged。　I　replied；　but　a　few　days；　as　we　were　travelling　far　to　the

north　to　find　a　people　called　the　Kendah　whom　we　wished　to　see；　and

hoped　that　he　would　give　us　bearers　to　carry　our　goods　as　far　as　the

confines　of　their　country。　At　the　name　of　Kendah　a　look　of

astonishment　appeared　upon　their　faces　and　Babemba　said：



〃Has　madness　seized　you；　Macumazana；　that　you　would　attempt　this

thing？　Oh　surely　you　must　be　mad。〃



〃You　thought　us　mad；　Babemba；　when　we　crossed　the　lake　to　Rica　Town；

yet　we　came　back　safely。〃



〃True；　Macumazana；　but　compared　to　the　Kendah　the　Pongo　were　but　as

the　smallest　star　before　the　face　of　the　sun。〃



〃What　do　you　know　of　them　then？〃　I　asked。　〃But　staybefore　you

answer；　I　will　speak　what　I　know；〃　and　I　repeated　what　I　had　learned

from　Hans；　who　confirmed　my　words；　and　from　Har？t　and　Mar？t；　leaving

out；　however；　any　mention　of　their　dealings　with　Lady　Ragnall。



〃It　is　all　true；〃　said　Babemba　when　I　had　finished；　〃for　that　old

woman　of　whom　Light…in…the…Darkness　speaks；　was　one　of　the　wives　of　my

uncle　and　I　knew　her　well。　Hearken！　These　Kendah　are　a　terrible　nation

and　countless　in　number　and　of　all　the　people　the　fiercest。　Their　king

is　called　Simba；　which　means　Lion。　He　who　rules　is　always　called

Simba；　and　has　been　so　called　for　hundreds　of　years。　He　is　of　the

Black　Kendah　whose　god　is　the　elephant　Jana；　but　as　Light…in…Darkness

has　said；　there　are　also　the　White　Kendah　who　are　Arab　men；　the

priests　and　traders　of　the　people。　The　Kendah　will　allow　no　stranger

within　their　doors；　if　one　comes　they　kill　him　by　torment；　or　blind

him　and　turn　him　out　into　the　desert　which　surrounds　their　country；

there　to　die。　These　things　the　old　woman　who　married　my　uncle　told　me；

as　she　told　them　to　Light…in…Darkness；　also　I　have　heard　them　from

others；　and　what　she　did　not　tell　me；　that　the　White　Kendah　are　great

breeders　of　the　beasts　called　camels　which　they　sell　to　the　Arabs　of

the　north。　Go　not　near　them；　for　if　you　pass　the　desert　the　Black

Kendah　will　kill　you；　and　if　you　escape　these；　then　their　king；　Simba；

will　kill　you；　and　if　you　escape　him；　then　their　god　Jana　will　kill

you；　and　if　you　escape　him；　then　their　white　priests　will　kill　you

with　their　magic。　Oh！　long　before　you　look　upon　the　faces　of　those

priests　you　will　be　dead　many　times　over。〃



〃Then　why　did　they　ask　me　to　visit　them；　Babemba？〃



〃I　know　not；　Macumazana；　but　perhaps　because　they　wished　to　make　an

offering　of　you　to　the　god　Jana；　whom　no　spear　can　harm；　no；　nor　even

your　bullets　that　pierce　a　tree。〃



〃I　am　willing　to　make　trial　of　that　matter；〃　I　answered　confidently；

〃and　any　way　we　must　go　to　see　these　things　for　ourselves。〃



〃Yes；〃　echoed　Ragnall；　〃we　must　certainly　go；〃　while　even　Savage；　for

I　had　been　translating　to　them　all　this　while；　nodded　his　head

although　he　looked　as　though　he　would　much　rather　stay　behind。



〃Ask　him　if　there　are　any　snakes　there；　sir；〃　he　said；　and　foolishly

enough　I　put　the　question　to　give　me　time　to　think　of　other　things。



〃Yes；　O　Bena。　Yes；　O　Cock　of　the　Ashpit；〃　replied　Babemba。　〃My　uncle's

Kendar　wife　told　me　that　one　of　the　guardians　of　the　shrine　of　the

White　Kendah　is　such　a　snake　as　was　never　seen　elsewhere　in　the

world。〃



〃Then　say　to　him；　sir；〃　said　Savage；　when　I　had　translated　almost

automatically；　〃that　shrine　ain't　a　church　where　/I/　shall　go　to　say

my　prayers。〃



Alas！　poor　Savage　little　knew　the　future　and　its　gifts。



Then　we　came　to　the　question　of　bearers。　The　end　of　it　was　that　after

some　hesitation　Bausi　II；　because　of　his　great　affection　for　us；

promised　to　provide　us　with　these　upon　our　solemnly　undertaking　to

dismiss　them　at　the　borders　of　the　desert；　〃so　that　they　might　escape

our　doom；〃　as　he　remarked　cheerfully。



Four　days　later　we　started；　accompanied　by　about　one　hundred　and

twenty　picked　men　under　the　command　of　old　Babemba　himself；　who；　he

explained；　wished　to　be　the　last　to　see　us　alive　in　the　world。　This

was　depressing；　but　other　circumstances　connected　with　our　start　were

calculated　to　weigh　even　more　upon　my　spirit。　Thus　the　night　before　we

left　Hans　arrived　and　asked　me　to　〃write　a　paper〃　for　him。　I　inquired

what　he　wanted　me　to　put　in　the　paper。　He　replied　that　as　he　was　going

to　his　death　and　had　property；　namely　the　￡650　that　had　been　left　in　a

bank　to　his　credit；　he　desired　to　make　a　〃white　man's　will〃　to　be　left

in　the　charge　of　Babemba。　The　only　provision　of　the　said　will　was　that

I　was　to　inherit　his　property；　if　I　lived。　If　I　died；　which；　he　added；

〃of　course　you　must；　Baas；　like　the　rest　of　us；〃　it　was　to　be　devoted

to　furnishing　poor　black　people　in　hospital　with　something　comforting

to　drink　instead　of　the　〃cow's　water〃　that　was　given　to　them　there。

Needless　to　say　I　turned　him　out　at　once；　and　that　testamentary

deposition　remained　unrecorded。　Indeed　it　was　unnecessary；　since；　as　I

reminded　him；　on　my　advice　he　had　already　made　a　will　before　we　left

Durban；　a　circumstance　that　he　had　quite　forgotten。



The　second　event；　which　occurred　about　an　hour　before　our　departure；

was；　that　hearing　a　mighty　wailing　in　the　market…place　where　once　Hans

and　I　had　been　tied　to　stakes　to　be　shot　to　death　with　arrows；　I　went

out　to　see　what　was　the　matter。　At　the　gateway　I　was　greeted　by　the

sight　of　about　a　hundred　old　women　plastered　all　over　with　ashes；

engaged　in　howling　their　loudest　in　a　melancholy　unison。　Behind　these

stood　the　entire　population　of　Beza…Town；　who　chanted　a　kind　of

chorus。



〃What　the　devil　are　they　doing？〃　I　asked　of　Hans。



〃Singing　our　death…song；　Baas；〃　he　replied　stolidly；　〃as　they　say　that

where　we　are　going　no　one　will　take　the　trouble　to　do　so；　and　it　is

not　right　that　great　lords　should　die　and　the　heavens　above　remain

uninformed　that　they　are　coming。〃



〃That's　cheerful；〃　I　remarked；　and　wheeling　ro