the ivory child-第37部分

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looked　like　the　body　of　a　goat　or　a　sheep。　A　fantastically　dressed

man；　assisted　by　other　men；　appeared　to　be　engaged　in　inspecting　the

inside　of　this　animal　with；　we　gathered；　unsatisfactory　results；　for

presently　he　raised　his　arms　and　uttered　a　loud　wail。　Then　the

creature's　viscera　were　removed　from　it　and　thrown　upon　the　fire；

while　the　rest　of　the　carcass　was　carried　off。



I　asked　Mar？t　what　he　thought　they　were　doing。　He　replied　dejectedly：



〃Consulting　their　Oracle；　perhaps　as　to　whether　we　should　live　or　die；

Macumazana。〃



Just　then　the　priest　in　the　strange；　feathered　attire　approached　the

king；　carrying　some　small　object　in　his　hand。　I　wondered　what　it　could

be；　till　the　sound　of　a　report　reached　my　ears　and　I　saw　the　man　begin

to　jump　round　upon　one　leg；　holding　the　other　with　both　his　hands　at

the　knee　and　howling　loudly。



〃Ah！〃　I　said；　〃that　pistol　was　full　cocked；　and　the　bullet　got　him　in

the　foot。〃



Simba　shouted　out　something；　whereon　a　man　picked　up　the　pistol　and

threw　it　into　the　fire；　round　which　the　others　gathered　to　watch　it

burn。



〃You　wait；〃　I　said　to　Mar？t；　and　as　I　spoke　the　words　the　inevitable

happened。



Off　went　the　other　barrel　of　the　pistol；　which　hopped　out　of　the　fire

with　the　recoil　like　a　living　thing。　But　as　it　happened　one　of　the

assistant　priests　was　standing　in　front　of　the　mouth　of　that　barrel；

and　he　also　hopped　once；　but　never　again；　for　the　heavy　bullet　struck

him　somewhere　in　the　body　and　killed　him。　Now　there　was　consternation。

Everyone　ran　away；　leaving　the　dead　man　lying　on　the　ground。　Simba　led

the　rout　and　the　head…priest　brought　up　the　rear；　skipping　along　upon

one　leg。



Having　observed　these　events；　which　filled　me　with　an　unholy　joy；　we

descended　into　the　house　again　as　there　was　nothing　more　to　see；　also

because　it　occurred　to　me　that　our　presence　on　the　roof；　watching

their　discomfiture；　might　irritate　these　savages。　About　ten　minutes

later　the　gate　of　the　fence　round　the　guest…house　was　thrown　open；　and

through　it　came　four　men　carrying　on　a　stretcher　the　body　of　the

priest　whom　the　bullet　had　killed；　which　they　laid　down　in　front　of

our　door。　Then　followed　the　king　with　an　armed　guard；　and　after　him

the　befeathered　diviner　with　his　foot　bound　up；　who　supported　himself

upon　the　shoulders　of　two　of　his　colleagues。　This　man；　I　now

perceived；　wore　a　hideous　mask；　from　which　projected　two　tusks　in

imitation　of　those　of　an　elephant。　Also　there　were　others；　as　many　as

the　space　would　hold。



The　king　called　to　us　to　come　out　of　the　house；　which；　having　no

choice；　we　did。　One　glance　at　him　showed　me　that　the　man　was　frantic

with　fear；　or　rage；　or　both。



〃Look　upon　your　work；　magicians！〃　he　said　in　a　terrible　voice；

pointing　first　to　the　dead　priest；　then　to　the　diviner's　wounded　foot。



〃It　is　no　work　of　ours；　King　Simba；〃　answered　Mar？t。　〃It　is　your　own

work。　You　stole　the　magic　weapon　of　the　white　lord　and　made　it　angry；

so　that　it　has　revenged　itself　upon　you。〃



〃It　is　true；〃　said　Simba；　〃that　the　tube　has　killed　one　of　those　who

took　it　away　from　you　and　wounded　the　other〃　（here　was　luck　indeed）。

〃But　it　was　you　who　ordered　it　to　do　so；　magicians。　Now；　hark！

Yesterday　I　promised　you　safety；　that　no　spear　should　pierce　your

hearts　and　no　knife　come　near　your　throats；　and　drank　the　cup　of　peace

with　you。　But　you　have　broken　the　pact；　working　us　more　harm；　and

therefore　it　no　longer　holds；　since　there　are　many　other　ways　in　which

men　can　die。　Listen　again！　This　is　my　decree。　By　your　magic　you　have

taken　away　the　life　of　one　of　my　servants　and　hurt　another　of　my

servants；　destroying　the　middle　toe　of　his　left　foot。　If　within　three

days　you　do　not　give　back　the　life　to　him　who　seems　to　be　dead；　and

give　back　the　toe　to　him　who　seems　to　be　hurt；　as　you　well　can　do；

then　you　shall　join　those　whom　you　have　slain　in　the　land　of　death；

how　I　will　not　tell　you。〃



Now　when　I　heard　this　amazing　sentence　I　gasped　within　myself；　but

thinking　it　better　to　keep　up　my　r？le　of　understanding　nothing　of

their　talk；　I　preserved　an　immovable　countenance　and　left　Mar？t　to

answer。　This；　to　his　credit　be　it　recorded；　he　did　with　his　customary

pleasant　smile。



〃O　King；〃　he　said；　〃who　can　bring　the　dead　back　to　life？　Not　even　the

Child　itself；　at　any　rate　in　this　world；　for　there　is　no　way。〃



〃Then；　Prophet　of　the　Child；　you　had　better　find　a　way；　or；　I　repeat；

I　send　you　to　join　them；〃　he　shouted；　rolling　his　eyes。



〃What　did　my　brother；　the　great　Prophet；　promise　to　you　but　yesterday；

O　King；　if　you　harmed　us？〃　asked　Mar？t。　〃Was　it　not　that　the　three

great　curses　should　fall　upon　your　people？　Learn　now　that　if　so　much

as　one　of　us　is　murdered　by　you；　these　things　shall　swiftly　come　to

pass。　I；　Mar？t；　who　am　also　a　Prophet　of　the　Child；　have　said　it。〃



Now　Simba　seemed　to　go　quite　mad；　so　mad　that　I　thought　all　was　over。

He　waved　his　spear　and　danced　about　in　front　of　us；　till　the　silver

chains　clanked　upon　his　breast。　He　vituperated　the　Child　and　its

worshippers；　who；　he　declared；　had　worked　evil　on　the　Black　Kendah　for

generations。　He　appealed　to　his　god　Jana　to　avenge　these　evils；　〃to

pierce　the　Child　with　his　tusks；　to　tear　it　with　his　trunk；　and　to

trample　it　with　his　feet；〃　all　of　which　the　wounded　diviner　ably

seconded　through　his　horrid　mask。



There　we　stood　before　him；　I　leaning　against　the　wall　of　the　house

with　an　air　of　studied　nonchalance　mingled　with　mild　interest；　at

least　that　is　what　I　meant　to　do；　and　Mar？t　smiling　sweetly　and

staring　at　the　heavens。　Whilst　I　was　wondering　what　exact　portion　of

my　frame　was　destined　to　become　acquainted　with　that　spear；　of　a

sudden　Simba　gave　it　up。　Turning　to　his　followers；　he　bade　them　dig　a

hole　in　the　corner　of　our　little　enclosure　and　set　the　dead　man　in　it；

〃with　his　head　out　so　that　he　may　breathe；〃　an　order　which　they

promptly　executed。



Then　he　issued　a　command　that　we　should　be　well　fed　and　tended；　and

remarking　that　if　the　departed　was　not　alive　and　healthy　on　the　third

morning　from　that　day；　we　should　hear　from　him　again；　he　and　his

company　stalked　off；　except　those　men　who　were　occupied　with　the

interment。



Soon　this　was　finished　also。　There　sat　the　deceased　buried　to　the　neck

with　his　face　looking　towards　the　house；　a　most　disagreeable　sight。

Presently；　however；　matters　were　improved　in　this　respect　by　one　of

the　sextons　fetching　a　large　earthenware　pot　and　several　smaller　pots

full　of　food　and　water。　The　latter　they　set　round　the　head；　I　suppose

for　the　sustenance　of　the　body　beneath；　and　then　placed　the　big　vessel

inverted　over　all；　〃to　keep　the　sun　off　our　sleeping　brother；〃　as　I

heard　one　say　to　the　other。



This　pot　looked　innocent　enough　when　all　was　done；　like　one　of　those

that　gardeners　in　England　put　over　forced　rhubarb；　no　more。　And　yet；

such　is　the　strength　of　the　imagination；　I　think　that　on　the　whole　I

should　have　preferred　the　object　underneath　naked　and　unadorned。　For

instance；　I　have　forgotten　to　say　that　the　heads　of　those　of　the　White

Kendah　who　had　fallen　in　the　fight　had　been　set　up　on　poles　in　front

of　Simba's　house。　They　were　unpleasant　to　contemplate；　but　to　my　mind

not　so　unpleasant　as　that　pot。



As　a　matter　of　fact；　this　precaution　against　injury　from　the　sun　to

the　late　diviner　proved　unnecessary；　since　by　some　strange　chance　from

that　moment　the　sun　ceased　to　shine。　Quite　suddenly　clouds　arose　which

gradually　covered　the　whole　sky　and　the　weather　began　to　turn　very

cold；　unprecedentedly　so；　Mar？t　informed　me；　for　the　time　of　year；

which；　it　will　be　remembered；　in　this　country　was　the　season　just

before　harvest。　Obviously　the　Black　Kendah　thought　so　also；　since　from

our　seats　on　the　roof；　whither　we　had　retreated　to　be　as　far　as

possible　from　the　pot；　we　saw　them　gathered　in　the　market…place；

staring　at　the　sky　and　talking　to　each　other。



The　day　passed　without　any　further　event；　except　the　arrival　of　our

meals；　for　which　we　had　no　great　appetite。　The　night　came；　earlier

than　usual　because　of　the　clouds；　and　we　fell　asleep；　or　rather　into　a

series　of　dozes。　Once　I　thought　that　I　heard　someone　stirring　in　the

huts　behind　us；　but　as　it　was　followed　by　silence　I　took　no　more

notice。　At　length　the　light　broke　very　slowly；　for　now　the　clouds　were

denser　than　ever。　Shivering　with　the　cold；　Mar？t　and　I　made　a　visit　to

the　camel…drivers；　who　were　not　allowed　to　enter　our　house。　On　going

into　their　hut　we　saw　to　our　horror　that　only　two　of　them　remained；

seated　stonily　upon　the　floor。　We　asked　where　the　third　was。　They

replied　they　did　not　know。　In　the　middle　of　the　night；　they　said；　men

had　crept　in；　who　seized；　bound　and　gagged　him；　then　dragged　him　away。

As　there　was　nothing　to　be　said　or　done；　we　returned　to　breakfast

filled　with　horrid　fears。



Nothing　happened　that　day　except　that　some　priests　arrived；　lifted　the

earthenware　pot；　examined　t