the ivory child-第14部分

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〃but　another　time　you　will　lose。　That　beautiful　lady　belongs　to　us　and

the　People　of　the　White　Kendah；　for　she　is　marked　with　the　holy　mark

of　the　young　moon。　The　call　of　the　Child　of　Heaven　is　heard　in　her

heart；　and　will　bring　her　home　to　the　Child　as　it　has　brought　her　to

us　to…night。　Now　lead　her　hence　still　sleeping；　O　brave　and　clever

one；　so　well　named　Watcher…by…Night。〃



Then　they　were　gone　and　presently　I　heard　the　sound　of　horses　being

driven　rapidly　along　the　drive。



For　a　moment　I　hesitated　as　to　whether　I　would　or　would　not　run　in　and

shoot　those　horses。　Two　considerations　stayed　me。　The　first　was　that

if　I　did　so　my　pistol　would　be　empty；　or　even　if　I　shot　one　horse　and

retained　a　barrel　loaded；　with　it　I　could　only　kill　a　single　man；

leaving　myself　defenceless　against　the　knife　of　the　other。　The　second

consideration　was　that　now　as　before　I　did　not　wish　to　wake　up　Miss

Holmes。



I　crept　to　her　and　not　knowing　what　else　to　do；　took　hold　of　one　of

her　outstretched　hands。　She　turned　and　came　with　me　at　once　as　though

she　knew　me；　remaining　all　the　while　fast　asleep。　Thus　we　went　back　to

the　house；　through　the　still　open　door；　up　the　stairway　straight　to

her　own　room；　on　the　threshold　of　which　I　loosed　her　hand。　The　room

was　dark　and　I　could　see　nothing；　but　I　listened　until　I　heard　a　sound

as　of　a　person　throwing　herself　upon　the　bed　and　drawing　up　the

blankets。　Then　knowing　that　she　was　safe　for　a　while；　I　shut　the　door；

which　opened　outwards　as　doors　of　ancient　make　sometimes　do；　and　set

against　it　a　little　table　that　stood　in　the　passage。



Next；　after　reflecting　for　a　minute；　the　circumstances　being　awkward

in　many　ways；　I　went　to　my　room　and　lit　a　candle。　Obviously　it　was　my

duty　to　inform　Lord　Ragnall　of　what　had　happened　and　that　as　soon　as

possible。　But　I　had　no　idea　in　what　part　of　that　huge　building　his

sleeping　place　might　be；　nor；　for　patent　reasons；　was　it　desirable

that　I　should　disturb　the　house　and　so　create　talk。　In　this　dilemma　I

remembered　that　Lord　Ragnall's　confidential　servant；　Mr。　Savage；　when

he　conducted　me　to　my　room　on　the　previous　night；　which　he　made　a

point　of　doing　perhaps　because　he　wished　to　talk　over　the　matter　of

the　snakes　that　had　found　their　way　into　his　pockets；　had　shown　me　a

bell　in　it　which　he　said　rang　outside　his　door。　He　called　it　an

〃emergency　bell。〃　I　remarked　idly　that　it　was　improbable　that　I　should

have　any　occasion　for　its　use。



〃Who　knows；　sir？〃　said　Mr。　Savage　prophetically。　〃There　are　folk　who

say　that　this　old　castle　is　haunted；　which　after　what　I　have　seen

to…night　I　can　well　believe。　If　you　should　chance　to　meet　a　ghost

looking；　let　us　say；　like　those　black　villains；　Harum　and　Scarum；　or

whatever　they　call　themselveswell；　sir；　two's　better　company　than

one。〃



I　considered　that　bell　but　was　loath　to　ring　it　for　the　reasons　I　have

given。　Then　I　went　outside　the　room　and　looked。　As　I　had　hoped　might

be　the　case；　there　ran　the　wire　on　the　face　of　the　wall　connected

along　its　length　by　other　wires　with　the　various　rooms　it　passed。



I　set　to　work　and　followed　that　wire。　It　was　not　an　easy　job；　indeed

once　or　twice　it　reminded　me　of　that　story　of　the　old　Greek　hero　who

found　his　way　through　a　labyrinth　by　means　of　a　silken　thread。　I

forget　whether　it　were　a　bull　or　a　lady　he　was　looking　for；　but　with

care　and　perseverance　he　found　one　or　the　other；　or　it　may　have　been

both。



Down　staircases　and　various　passages　I　went　with　my　eye　glued　upon　the

wire；　which　occasionally　got　mixed　up　with　other　wires；　till　at　length

it　led　me　through　a　swing　door　covered　with　red　baize　into　what

appeared　to　be　a　modern　annexe　to　the　castle。　Here　at　last　it

terminated　on　the　spring　of　an　alarming…looking　and　deep…throated　bell

that　hung　immediately　over　a　certain　door。



On　this　door　I　knocked；　hoping　that　it　might　be　that　of　Mr。　Savage　and

praying　earnestly　that　it　did　not　enclose　the　chaste　resting…place　of

the　cook　or　any　other　female。　Too　late；　I　mean　after　I　had　knocked；　it

occurred　to　me　that　if　so　my　position　would　be　painful　to　a　degree。

However　in　this　particular　Fortune　stood　my　friend；　which　does　not

always　happen　to　the　virtuous。　For　presently　I　heard　a　voice　which　I

recognized　as　that　of　Mr。　Savage；　asking；　not　without　a　certain　quaver

in　its　tone；



〃Who　the　devil　is　that？〃



〃Me；〃　I　replied；　being　flustered。



〃'Me'　won't　do；〃　said　the　voice。　'Me'　might　be　Harum　or　it　might　be

Scarum；　or　it　might　be　someone　worse。　Who's　'Me'？〃



〃Allan　Quatermain；　you　idiot；〃　I　whispered　through　the　keyhole。



〃Anna　who？　Well；　never　mind。　Go　away；　Hanna。　I'll　talk　to　you　in　the

morning。〃



Then　I　kicked　the　door；　and　at　length；　very　cautiously；　Mr。　Savage

opened　it。



〃Good　heavens；　sir；〃　he　said；　〃what　are　you　doing　here；　sir？　Dressed

too；　at　this　hour；　and　with　the　handle　of　a　pistol　sticking　out　of

your　pocketor　is　itthe　head　of　a　snake？〃　and　he　jumped　back；　a

strange　and　stately　figure　in　a　long　white　nightshirt　which　apparently

he　wore　over　his　underclothing。



I　entered　the　room　and　shut　the　door；　whereon　he　politely　handed　me　a

chair；　remarking；



〃Is　it　ghosts；　sir；　or　are　you　ill；　or　is　it　Harum　and　Scarum；　of　whom

I　have　been　thinking　all　night？　Very　cold　too；　sir；　being　afraid　to

pull　up　the　bedclothes　for　fear　lest　there　might　be　more　reptiles　in

them。〃　He　pointed　to　his　dress…coat　hanging　on　the　back　of　another

chair　with　both　the　pockets　turned　inside　out；　adding　tragically；　〃To

think；　sir；　that　this　new　coat　has　been　a　nest　of　snakes；　which　I　have

hated　like　poison　from　a　child；　and　me　almost　a　teetotaller！〃



〃Yes；〃　I　said　impatiently；　〃it's　Harum　and　Scarum　as　you　call　them。

Take　me　to　Lord　Ragnall's　bedroom　at　once。〃



〃Ah！　sir；　burgling；　I　suppose；　or　mayhap　worse；〃　he　exclaimed　as　he

threw　on　some　miscellaneous　garments　and　seized　a　life…preserver　which

hung　upon　a　hook。　〃Now　I'm　ready；　only　I　hope　they　have　left　their

snakes　behind。　I　never　could　bear　the　sight　of　a　snake；　and　they　seem

to　know　itthe　brutes。〃



In　due　course　we　reached　Lord　Ragnall's　room；　which　Mr。　Savage

entered；　and　in　answer　to　a　stifled　inquiry　exclaimed；



〃Mr。　Allan　Quatermain　to　see　you；　my　lord。〃



〃What　is　it；　Quatermain？〃　he　asked；　sitting　up　in　bed　and　yawning。

〃Have　you　had　a　nightmare？〃



〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　and　Savage　having　left　us　and　shut　the　door；　I　told

him　everything　as　it　is　written　down。



〃Great　heavens！〃　he　exclaimed　when　I　had　finished。　〃If　it　had　not　been

for　you　and　your　intuition　and　courage〃



〃Never　mind　me；〃　I　interrupted。　〃The　question　iswhat　should　be　done

now？　Are　you　going　to　try　to　arrest　these　men；　or　will　youhold　your

tongue　and　merely　cause　them　to　be　watched？〃



〃Really　I　don't　know。　Even　if　we　can　catch　them　the　whole　story　would

sound　so　strange　in　a　law…court；　and　all　sorts　of　things　might　be

suggested。〃



〃Yes；　Lord　Ragnall；　it　would　sound　so　strange　that　I　beg　you　will　come

at　once　to　see　the　evidences　of　what　I　tell　you；　before　rain　or　snow

obliterates　them；　bringing　another　witness　with　you。　Lady　Longden；

perhaps。〃



〃Lady　Longden！　Why　one　might　as　well　write　to　/The　Times/。　I　have　it！

There's　Savage。　He　is　faithful　and　can　be　silent。〃



So　Savage　was　called　in　and；　while　Lord　Ragnall　dressed　himself

hurriedly；　told　the　outline　of　his　story　under　pain　of　instant

dismissal　if　he　breathed　a　word。　Really　to　watch　his　face　was　as　good

as　a　play。　So　astonished　was　he　that　all　he　could　ejaculate　was



〃The　black…hearted　villains！　Well；　they　ain't　friendly　with　snakes　for

nothing。〃



Then　having　made　sure　that　Miss　Holmes　was　still　in　her　room；　we　went

down　the　twisting　stair　and　through　the　side　doorway；　locking　the　door

after　us。　By　now　the　dawn　was　breaking　and　there　was　enough　light　to

enable　me　in　certain　places　where　the　snow　that　fell　after　the　gale

remained；　to　show　Lord　Ragnall　and　Savage　the　impress　of　the　little

bedroom　slippers　which　Miss　Holmes　wore；　and　of　my　stockinged　feet

following　after。



In　the　plantation　things　were　still　easier；　for　every　detail　of　the

movements　of　the　four　of　us　could　be　traced。　Moreover；　on　the　back

drive　was　the　spoor　of　the　horses　and　the　marks　of　the　wheels　of　the

carriage　that　had　been　brought　for　the　purposes　of　the　abduction。　Also

my　great　good　fortune；　for　this　seemed　to　prove　my　theory；　we　found　a

parcel　wrapped　in　native　linen　that　appeared　to　have　fallen　out　of　the

carriage　when　Har？t　and　Mar？t　made　their　hurried　escape；　as　one　of　the

wheels　had　gone　over　it。　It　contained　an　Eastern　woman's　dress　and

veil；　intended；　I　suppose；　to　be　used　in　disguising　Miss　Holmes；　who

thence…forward　would　have　appeared　to　be　the　wife　or　daughter　of　one

of　the　abductors。



Savage　discovered　this　parcel；　which　he　lifted　only　to　drop　it　with　a

yell；　for　underneath　it　lay　a　torpid　snake；　doubtless　one　of　those

that　had　been　used　in　the　perfor