the ivory child-第24部分

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I　don't　know　that　I　need　set　out　the　details　of　the　interview。　He

waited　till　I　had　got　through　my　halting　speech　of　mingled　gratitude

and　expostulation；　then　remarked：



〃My　friend；　if　you　will　allow　me　to　call　you　so；　it　is　quite　true　that

I　have　done　this　because　I　wished　to　do　it。　But　it　is　equally　true

that　to　me　it　is　a　small　thingto　be　frank；　scarcely　a　month's

income；　what　I　have　saved　travelling　on　that　ship　to　Natal　would　pay

for　it　all。　Also　I　have　weighed　my　own　interest　in　the　matter；　for　I

am　anxious　that　you　should　start　upon　this　hazardous　journey　of　ours

up　country　with　a　mind　absolutely　free　from　self…reproach　or　any　money

care；　for　thus　you　will　be　able　to　do　me　better　service。　Therefore　I

beg　that　you　will　say　no　more　of　the　episode。　I　have　only　one　thing　to

add；　namely　that　I　have　myself　bought　up　at　par　value　a　few　of　the

debentures。　The　price　of　them　will　pay　the　lawyers　and　the　liquidation

fees；　moreover　they　give　me　a　status　as　a　shareholder　which　will

enable　me　to　sue　Mr。　Jacob　for　his　fraud；　to　which　business　I　have

already　issued　instructions。　For　please　understand　that　I　have　not

paid　off　any　shares　still　standing　in　his　name　or　in　those　of　his

friends。〃



Here　I　may　add　that　nothing　ever　came　of　this　action；　for　the　lawyers

found　themselves　unable　to　serve　any　writ　upon　that　elusive　person；

Mr。　Jacob；　who　by　then　had　probably　adopted　the　name　of　some　other

patriarch。



〃Please　put　it　all　down　as　a　rich　man's　whim；〃　he　concluded。



〃I　can't　call　that　a　whim　which　has　returned　￡1；500　odd　to　my　pocket

that　I　had　lost　upon　a　gamble；　Lord　Ragnall。〃



〃Do　you　remember；　Quatermain；　how　you　won　￡250　upon　a　gamble　at　my

place　and　what　you　did　with　it；　which　sum　probably　represented　to　you

twenty　or　fifty　times　what　it　would　to　me？　Also　if　that　argument　does

not　appeal　to　you；　may　I　remark　that　I　do　not　expect　you　to　give　me

your　services　as　a　professional　hunter　and　guide　for　nothing。〃



〃Ah！〃　I　answered；　fixing　on　this　point　and　ignoring　the　rest；　〃now　we

come　to　business。　If　I　may　look　upon　this　amount　as　salary；　a　very

handsome　salary　by　the　way；　paid　in　advance；　you　taking　the　risks　of

my　dying　or　becoming　incapacitated　before　it　is　earned；　I　will　say　no

more　of　the　matter。　If　not　I　must　refuse　to　accept　what　is　an　unearned

gift。〃



〃I　confess；　Quatermain；　that　I　did　not　regard　it　in　that　light；　though

I　might　have　been　willing　to　call　it　a　retaining　fee。　However；　do　not

let　us　wrangle　about　money　any　more。　We　can　always　settle　our　accounts

when　the　bill　is　added　up；　if　ever　we　reach　so　far。　Now　let　us　come　to

more　important　details。〃



So　we　fell　to　discussing　the　scheme；　route　and　details　of　our　proposed

journey。　Expenditure　being　practically　no　object；　there　were　several

plans　open　to　us。　We　might　sail　up　the　coast　and　go　by　Kilwa；　as　I　had

done　on　the　search　for　the　Holy　Flower；　or　we　might　retrace　the　line

of　our　retreat　from　the　Mazitu　country　which　ran　through　Zululand。

Again；　we　might　advance　by　whatever　road　we　selected　with　a　small　army

of　drilled　and　disciplined　retainers；　trusting　to　force　to　break　a　way

through　to　the　Kendah。　Or　we　might　go　practically　unaccompanied；

relying　on　our　native　wit　and　good　fortune　to　attain　our　ends。　Each　of

these　alternatives　had　so　much　to　recommend　it　and　yet　presented　so

many　difficulties；　that　after　long　hours　of　discussion；　for　this　talk

was　renewed　again　and　again；　I　found　it　quite　impossible　to　decide

upon　any　one　of　them；　especially　as　in　the　end　Lord　Ragnall　always

left　the　choice　with　its　heavy　responsibilities　to　me。



At　length　in　despair　I　opened　the　window　and　whistled　twice　on　a

certain　low　note。　A　minute　later　Hans　shuffled　in；　shaking　the　wet　off

the　new　corduroy　clothes　which　he　had　bought　upon　the　strength　of　his

return　to　affluence；　for　it　was　raining　outside；　and　squatted　himself

down　upon　the　floor　at　a　little　distance。　In　the　shadow　of　the　table

which　cut　off　the　light　from　the　hanging　lamp　he　looked；　I　remember；

exactly　like　an　enormous　and　antique　toad。　I　threw　him　a　piece　of

tobacco　which　he　thrust　into　his　corn…cob　pipe　and　lit　with　a　match。



〃The　Baas　called　me；〃　he　said　when　it　was　drawing　to　his　satisfaction；

〃what　does　Baas　want　of　Hans？〃



〃Light　in　darkness！〃　I　replied；　playing　on　his　native　name；　and

proceeded　to　set　out　the　whole　case　to　him。



He　listened　without　a　word；　then　asked　for　a　small　glass　of　gin；　which

I　gave　him　doubtfully。　Having　swallowed　this　at　a　gulp　as　though　it

were　water；　he　delivered　himself　briefly　to　this　effect：



〃I　think　the　Baas　will　do　well　not　to　go　to　Kilwa；　since　it　means

waiting　for　a　ship；　or　hiring　one；　also　there　may　be　more　slave…

traders　there　by　now　who　will　bear　him　no　love　because　of　a　lesson　he

taught　them　a　while　ago。　On　the　other　hand　the　road　through　Zululand

is　open；　though　it　be　long；　and　there　the　name　of　Macumazana　is　one

well　known。　I　think　also　that　the　Baas　would　do　well　not　to　take　too

many　men；　who　make　marching　slow；　only　a　wagon　or　two　and　some　drivers

which　might　be　sent　back　when　they　can　go　no　farther。　From　Zululand

messengers　can　be　dispatched　to　the　Mazitu；　who　love　you；　and　Bausi　or

whoever　is　king　there　to…day　will　order　bearers　to　meet　us　on　the

road；　until　which　time　we　can　hire　other　bearers　in　Zululand。　The　old

woman　at　Beza…Town　told　me；　moreover；　as　you　will　remember；　that　the

Kendah　are　a　very　great　people　who　live　by　themselves　and　will　allow

none　to　enter　their　land；　which　is　bordered　by　deserts。　Therefore　no

force　that　you　could　take　with　you　and　feed　upon　a　road　without　water

would　be　strong　enough　to　knock　down　their　gates　like　an　elephant；　and

it　seems　better　that　you　should　try　to　creep　through　them　like　a　wise

snake；　although　they　appear　to　be　shut　in　your　face。　Perhaps　also　they

will　not　be　shut　since　did　you　not　say　that　two　of　their　great　doctors

promised　to　meet　you　and　guide　you　through　them？〃



〃Yes；〃　I　interrupted；　〃I　dare　say　it　will　be　easier　to　get　in　than　to

get　out　of　Kendahland。〃



〃Last　of　all；　Baas；　if　you　take　many　men　armed　with　guns；　the　black

part　of　the　Kendah　people　of　whom　I　told　you　will　perhaps　think　you

come　to　make　war；　whatever　the　white　Kendah　may　say；　and　kill　us　all；

whereas　if　we　be　but　a　few　perchance　they　will　let　us　pass　in　peace。　I

think　that　is　all；　Baas。　Let　the　Baas　and　the　Lord　Igeza　forgive　me　if

my　words　are　foolish。〃



Here　I　should　explain　that　〃Igeza〃　was　the　name　which　the　natives　had

given　to　Lord　Ragnall　because　of　his　appearance。　The　word　means　a

handsome　person　in　the　Zulu　tongue。　Savage　they　called　〃Bena；〃　I　don't

know　why。　〃Bena〃　in　Zulu　means　to　push　out　the　breast　and　it　may　be

that　the　name　was　a　round…about　allusion　to　the　proud　appearance　of

the　dignified　Savage；　or　possibly　it　had　some　other　recondite

signification。　At　any　rate　Lord　Ragnall；　Hans　and　myself　knew　the

splendid　Savage　thenceforward　by　the　homely　appellation　of　Beans。　His

master　said　it　suited　him　very　well　because　he　was　so　green。



〃The　advice　seems　wise；　Hans。　Go　now。　No；　no　more　gin；〃　I　answered。



As　a　matter　of　fact　careful　consideration　convinced　us　it　was　so　wise

that　we　acted　on　it　down　to　the　last　detail。







So　it　came　about　that　one　fine　afternoon　about　a　fortnight　later；　for

hurry　as　we　would　our　preparations　took　a　little　time；　we　trekked　for

Zululand　over　the　sandy　roads　that　ran　from　the　outskirts　of　Durban。

Our　baggage　and　stores　were　stowed　in　two　half…tented　wagons；　very

good　wagons　since　everything　we　had　with　us　was　the　best　that　money

could　buy；　the　after…part　of　which　served　us　as　sleeping…places　at

night。　Hans　sat　on　the　/voor…kisse/　or　driving…seat　of　one　of　the

wagons；　Lord　Ragnall；　Savage　and　I　were　mounted　upon　〃salted〃　horses；

that　is；　horses　which　had　recovered　from　and　were　therefore　supposed

to　be　proof　against　the　dreadful　sickness；　valuable　and　docile　animals

which　were　trained　to　shooting。



At　our　start　a　little　contretemps　occurred。　To　my　amazement　I　saw

Savage；　who　insisted　upon　continuing　to　wear　his　funereal　upper

servant's　cut…away　coat；　engaged　with　grim　determination　in　mounting

his　steed　from　the　wrong　side。　He　got　into　the　saddle　somehow；　but

there　was　worse　to　follow。　The　horse；　astonished　at　such　treatment；

bolted　a　little　way；　Savage　sawing　at　its　mouth。　Lord　Ragnall　and　I

cantered　after　it　past　the　wagons；　fearing　disaster。　All　of　a　sudden

it　swerved　violently　and　Savage　flew　into　the　air；　landing　heavily　in

a　sitting　posture。



〃Poor　Beans！〃　ejaculated　Lord　Ragnall　as　we　sped　forward。　〃I　expect

there　is　an　end　of　his　journeyings。〃



To　our　surprise；　however；　we　saw　him　leap　from　the　ground　with　the

most　marvellous　agility　and　begin　to　dance　about　slapping　at　his

posterior　parts　and　shouting；



〃Take　it　off！　Kill　it！〃



A　few　seconds　later　we　discovered　the　reason。　The　horse　had　shied　at　a

sleeping　puff　adder　which　was　curled　up　in