the ivory child-第41部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


as　big　again　as　any　of　its　tribe　which　I　had　known　in　all　my　life's

experience。　It　was　enormous；　unearthly；　a　survivor　perhaps　of　some

ancient　species　that　lived　before　the　Flood；　or　at　least　a　very　giant

of　its　kind。　Its　grey…black　sides　were　scarred　as　though　with

fighting。　One　of　its　huge　tusks；　much　worn　at　the　end；　for　evidently

it　was　very　old；　gleamed　white　in　the　moonlight。　The　other　was　broken

off　about　halfway　down　its　length。　When　perfect　it　had　been　malformed；

for　it　curved　downwards　and　not　upwards；　also　rather　out　to　the　right。



There　stood　this　mammoth；　this　leviathan；　this　/monstrum　horrendum；

informe；　ingens/；　as　I　remember　my　old　father　used　to　call　a　certain

gigantic　and　misshapen　bull　that　we　had　on　the　Station；　flapping　a

pair　of　ears　that　looked　like　the　sides　of　a　Kafir　hut；　and　waving　a

trunk　as　big　as　a　weaver's　beamwhatever　a　weaver's　beam　may　bean

appalling　and　a　petrifying　sight。



I　squatted　behind　the　skeleton　of　an　elephant　which　happened　to　be

handy　and　well　covered　with　moss　and　ferns　and　watched　the　beast；

fascinated；　wishing　that　I　had　a　large…bore　rifle　in　my　hand。　What

became　of　Mar？t　I　do　not　exactly　know；　but　I　think　that　he　lay　down　on

the　ground。



During　the　minute　or　so　that　followed　I　reflected　a　good　deal；　as　we

do　in　times　of　emergency；　often　after　a　useless　sort　of　a　fashion。　For

instance；　I　wondered　why　the　brute　appeared　thus　upon　yonder　mound；

and　the　thought　suggested　itself　to　me　that　it　was　summoned　thither

from　some　neighbouring　lair　by　the　trumpet　call　of　the　dying　elephant。

It　occurred　to　me　even　that　it　was　a　kind　of　king　of　the　elephants；　to

which　they　felt　bound　to　report　themselves；　as　it　were；　in　the　hour　of

their　decease。　Certainly　what　followed　gave　some　credence　to　my

fantastical　notion　which；　if　there　were　anything　in　it；　might　account

for　this　great　graveyard　at　that　particular　spot。



After　standing　for　a　while　in　the　attitude　that　I　have　described；

testing　the　air　with　its　trunk；　Jana；　for　I　will　call　him　so；　lumbered

down　the　mound　and　advanced　straight　to　where　the　elephant　that　I　had

thought　to　be　dead　was　kneeling。　As　a　matter　of　fact　it　was　not　quite

dead；　for　when　Jana　arrived　it　lifted　its　trunk　and　curled　it　round

that　of　Jana　as　though　in　affectionate　greeting；　then　let　it　fall　to

the　ground　again。　Thereon　Jana　did　what　I　had　seen　it　do　in　my　dream

or　vision　at　Ragnall；　namely；　attacked　it；　knocking　it　over　on　to　its

side；　where　it　lay　motionless；　quite　dead　this　time。



Now　I　remembered　that　the　vision　was　not　accurate　after　all；　since　in

it　I　had　seen　Jana　destroy　a　woman　and　a　child；　who　on　the　present

occasion　were　wanting。　Since　then　I　have　thought　that　this　was　because

Har？t；　clairvoyantly　or　telepathically；　had　conveyed　to　me；　as　indeed

Mar？t　declared；　a　scene　which　he　had　witnessed　similar　to　that　which　I

was　witnessing；　but　not　identical　in　its　incidents。　Thus　it　happened；

perhaps；　that　while　the　act　of　the　woman　and　the　child　was　omitted；　in

our　case　there　was　another　act　of　the　play　to　follow　of　which　I　had

received　no　inkling　in　my　Ragnall　experience。　Indeed；　if　I　had

received　it；　I　should　not　have　been　there　that　night；　for　no

inducement　on　earth　would　have　brought　me　to　Kendahland。



This　was　the　act。　Jana；　having　prodded　his　dead　brother　to　his

satisfaction；　whether　from　viciousness　or　to　put　it　out　of　pain；　I

cannot　say；　stood　over　the　carcass　in　an　attitude　of　grief　or　pious

meditation。　At　this　time；　I　should　mention；　the　wind；　which　had　been

rustling　the　hail…stripped　reeds　at　the　lake　border；　had　died　away

almost；　but　not　completely；　that　is　to　say；　only　a　very　faint　gust

blew　now　and　again；　which；　with　a　hunter's　instinct；　I　observed　with

satisfaction　drew　/from/　the　direction　of　Jana　towards　ourselves。　This

I　knew；　because　it　struck　on　my　forehead；　which　was　wet　with

perspiration；　and　cooled　the　skin。



Presently；　however；　by　a　cursed　spite　of　fate；　one　of　these　gustsa

very　little　onecame　from　some　quarter　behind　us；　for　I　felt　it　in　my

back　hair；　that　was　as　damp　as　the　rest　of　me。　Just　then　I　was

glancing　to　my　right；　where　it　seemed　to　me　that　out　of　the　corner　of

my　eye　I　had　caught　sight　of　something　passing　among　the　stones　at　a

distance　of　a　hundred　yards　or　so；　possibly　the　shadow　of　a　cloud　or

another　elephant。　At　the　time　I　did　not　ascertain　which　it　was；　since

a　faint　rattle　from　Jana's　trunk　reconcentrated　all　my　faculties　on

him　in　a　painfully　vivid　fashion。



I　looked　to　see　that　all　the　contemplation　had　departed　from　his

attitude；　now　as　alert　as　that　of　a　fox…terrier　which　imagines　he　has

seen　a　rat。　His　vast　ears　were　cocked；　his　huge　bulk　trembled；　his

enormous　trunk　sniffed　the　air。



〃Great　Heavens！〃　thought　I　to　myself；　〃he　has　winded　us！〃　Then　I　took

such　consolation　as　I　could　from　the　fact　that　the　next　gust　once　more

struck　upon　my　forehead；　for　I　hoped　he　would　conclude　that　he　had

made　a　mistake。



Not　a　bit　of　it！　Jana　as　far　too　old　a　birdor　beastto　make　any

mistake。　He　grunted；　got　himself　going　like　a　luggage　train；　and　with

great　deliberation　walked　towards　us；　smelling　at　the　ground；　smelling

at　the　air；　smelling　to　the　right；　to　the　left；　and　even　towards

heaven　above；　as　though　he　expected　that　thence　might　fall　upon　him

vengeance　for　his　many　sins。　A　dozen　times　as　he　came　did　I　cover　him

with　an　imaginary　rifle；　marking　the　exact　spots　where　I　might　have

hoped　to　send　a　bullet　to　his　vitals；　in　a　kind　of　automatic　fashion；

for　all　my　real　brain　was　contemplating　my　own　approaching　end。




I　wondered　how　it　would　happen。　Would　he　drive　that　great　tusk　through

me；　would　he　throw　me　into　the　air；　or　would　he　kneel　upon　my　poor

little　body；　and　avenge　the　deaths　of　his　kin　that　had　fallen　at　my

hands？　Mar？t　was　speaking　in　a　rattling　whisper：



〃His　priests　have　told　Jana　to　kill　us；　we　are　about　to　die；〃　he　said。

〃Before　I　die　I　want　to　say　that　the　lady；　the　wife　of　the　lord〃



〃Silence！〃　I　hissed。　〃He　will　hear　you；〃　for　at　that　instant　I　took

not　the　slightest　interest　in　any　lady　on　the　earth。　Fiercely　I　glared

at　Mar？t　and　noted　even　then　how　pitiful　was　his　countenance。　There

was　no　smile　there　now。　All　its　jovial　roundness　had　vanished。　It　had

sunk　in；　it　was　blue　and　ghastly　with　large；　protruding　eyes；　like　to

that　of　a　man　who　had　been　three　days　dead。



I　was　rightJana　/had/　heard。　Low　as　the　whisper　was；　through　that

intense　silence　it　had　penetrated　to　his　almost　preternatural　senses。

Forward　he　came　at　a　run　for　twenty　paces　or　more　with　his　trunk　held

straight　out　in　front　of　him。　Then　he　halted　again；　perhaps　the　length

of　a　cricket　pitch　away；　and　smelt　as　before。



The　sight　was　too　much　for　Mar？t。　He　sprang　up　and　ran　for　his　life

towards　the　lake；　purposing；　I　suppose；　to　take　refuge　in　the　water。

Oh！　how　he　ran。　After　him　went　Jana　like　a　railway　engineexpress

this　timetrumpeting　as　he　charged。　Mar？t　reached　the　lake；　which　was

quite　close；　about　ten　yards　ahead；　and　plunging　into　it　with　a　bound；

began　to　swim。



Now；　I　thought；　he　may　get　away　if　the　crocodiles　don't　have　him；　for

that　devil　will　scarcely　take　to　the　water。　But　this　was　just　where　I

made　a　mistake；　for　with　a　mighty　splash　in　went　Jana　too。　Also　he　was

the　better　swimmer。　Mar？t　soon　saw　this　and　swung　round　to　the　shore；

by　which　man？uvre　he　gained　a　little　as　he　could　turn　quicker　than

Jana。



Back　they　came；　Jana　just　behind　Mar？t；　striking　at　him　with　his　great

trunk。　They　landed；　Mar？t　flew　a　few　yards　ahead　doubling　in　and　out

among　the　rocks　like　a　hare　and；　to　my　horror；　making　for　where　I　lay；

whether　by　accident　or　in　a　mad　hope　of　obtaining　protection；　I　do　not

know。



It　may　be　asked　why　I　had　not　taken　the　opportunity　to　run　also　in　the

opposite　direction。　There　are　several　answers。　The　first　was　that

there　seemed　to　be　nowhere　to　run；　the　second；　that　I　felt　sure；　if　I

did　run；　I　should　trip　up　over　the　skeletons　of　those　elephants　or　the

stones；　the　third；　that　I　did　not　think　of　it　at　once；　the　fourth；

that　Jana　had　not　yet　seen　me；　and　I　had　no　craving　to　introduce

myself　to　him　personally；　and　the　fifth　and　greatest；　that　I　was　so

paralysed　with　fear　that　I　did　not　feel　as　though　I　could　lift　myself

from　the　ground。　Everything　about　me　seemed　to　be　dead；　except　my

powers　of　observation；　which　were　painfully　alive。



Of　a　sudden　Mar？t　gave　up。　Less　than　a　stone's　throw　from　me　he

wheeled　round　and；　facing　Jana；　hurled　at　him　some　fearful　and

concentrated　curse；　of　which　all　that　I　could　distinguish　were　the

words：　〃The　Child！〃



Oddly　enough　it　seemed　to　have　an　effect　upon　the　furious　rogue；　which

halted　in　its　rush　and；　putting　its　four　feet　together；　slid　a　few

paces　nearer　and　stood　still。　It　was　just　as　though　the　beast　had

understood　the　words　and　were　considering　them。　If　so；　their　effect

was　to　rouse　him　to　perfect　madness。　He　screamed　terribly；　he