the ivory child-第46部分

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myself　have　seen　him　upon　the　Holy　Mount；　though　how　he　came　or　how　he

went　none　can　tell。〃



〃Why　was　he　wandering　there；　Har？t？〃



〃Who　can　say；　Lord？　Tell　me　why　evil　wanders　through　the　world　and　I

will　answer　your　question。　Only　I　repeatlet　those　who　have　harmed

Jana　beware　of　Jana。〃



〃And　let　Jana　beware　of　me　if　I　can　meet　him　with　a　decent　gun　in　my

hand；　for　I　have　a　score　to　settle　with　the　beast。　Now；　Har？t；　there

is　another　matter。　Just　before　he　was　killed　Mar？t；　your　brother；

began　to　tell　me　something　about　the　wife　of　the　Lord　Ragnall。　I　had

no　time　to　listen　to　the　end　of　his　words；　though　I　thought　he　said

that　she　was　upon　yonder　Holy　Mount。　Did　I　hear　aright？〃



Instantly　Har？t's　face　became　like　that　of　a　stone　idol；　impenetrable；

impassive。



〃Either　you　misunderstood；　Lord；〃　he　answered；　〃or　my　brother　raved　in

his　fear。　Wherever　she　may　be；　that　beautiful　lady　is　not　upon　the

Holy　Mount；　unless　there　is　another　Holy　Mount　in　the　Land　of　Death。

Moreover；　Lord；　as　we　are　speaking　of　this　matter；　let　me　tell　you　the

forest　upon　that　Mount　must　be　trodden　by　none　save　the　priest　of　the

Child。　If　others　set　foot　there　they　die；　for　it　is　watched　by　a

guardian　more　terrible　even　than　Jana；　nor　is　he　the　only　one。　Ask　me

nothing　of　that　guardian；　for　I　will　not　answer；　and；　above　all；　if

you　or　your　comrades　value　life；　let　them　not　seek　to　look　upon　him。〃



Understanding　that　it　was　quite　useless　to　pursue　this　subject　farther

at　the　moment；　I　turned　to　another；　remarking　that　the　hailstorm　which

had　smitten　the　country　of　the　Black　Kendah　was　the　worst　that　I　had

ever　experienced。



〃Yes；〃　answered　Har？t；　〃so　I　have　learned。　That　was　the　first　of　the

curses　which　the　Child；　through　my　mouth；　promised　to　Simba　and　his

people　if　they　molested　us　upon　our　road。　The　second；　you　will

remember；　was　famine；　which　for　them　is　near　at　hand；　seeing　that　they

have　little　corn　in　store　and　none　left　to　gather；　and　that　most　of

their　cattle　are　dead　of　the　hail。〃



〃If　they　have　no　corn　while；　as　I　noted；　you　have　plenty　which　the

storm　spared；　will　not　they；　who　are　many　in　number　but　near　to

starving；　attack　you　and　take　your　corn；　Har？t？〃



〃Certainly　they　will　do　so；　Lord；　and　then　will　fall　the　third　curse；

the　curse　of　war。　All　this　was　foreseen　long　ago；　Macumazana；　and　you

are　here　to　help　us　in　that　war。　Among　your　goods　you　have　many　guns

and　much　powder　and　lead。　You　shall　teach　our　people　how　to　use　those

guns；　that　with　them　we　may　destroy　the　Black　Kendah。〃



〃I　think　not；〃　I　replied　quietly。　〃I　came　here　to　kill　a　certain

elephant；　and　to　receive　payment　for　my　service　in　ivory；　not　to　fight

the　Black　Kendah；　of　whom　I　have　already　seen　enough。　Moreover；　the

guns　are　not　my　property　but　that　of　the　Lord　Ragnall；　who　perhaps

will　ask　his　own　price　for　the　use　of　them。〃



〃And　the　Lord　Ragnall；　who　came　here　against　our　will；　is；　as　it

chances；　our　property　and　we　may　ask　your　own　price　for　his　life。　Now；

farewell　for　a　while；　since　you；　who　are　still　sick　and　weak；　have

talked　enough。　Only　before　I　go；　as　your　friend　and　that　of　those　with

you；　I　will　add　one　word。　If　you　would　continue　to　look　upon　the　sun；

let　none　of　you　try　to　set　foot　in　the　forest　upon　the　Holy　Mount。

Wander　where　you　will　upon　its　southern　slopes；　but　strive　not　to　pass

the　wall　of　rock　which　rings　the　forest　round。〃



Then　he　rose；　bowed　gravely　and　departed；　leaving　me　full　of

reflections。



Shortly　afterwards　Savage　and　Hans　returned；　bringing　me　some　meat

which　the　former　had　cooked　in　an　admirable　fashion。　I　ate　of　it

heartily；　and　just　as　they　were　carrying　off　the　remains　of　the　meal

Ragnall　himself　arrived。　Our　greeting　was　very　warm；　as　might　be

expected　in　the　case　of　two　comrades　who　never　thought　to　speak　to

each　other　again　on　this　side　of　the　grave。　As　I　had　supposed；　he　was

certain　that　Hans　and　I　had　been　cut　off　and　killed　by　the　Black

Kendah；　as；　after　we　were　missed；　some　of　the　camelmen　asserted　that

they　had　actually　seen　us　fall。　So　he　went　on；　or　rather　was　carried

on　by　the　rush　of　the　camels；　grieving；　since；　it　being　impossible　to

attempt　to　recover　our　bodies　or　even　to　return；　that　was　the　only

thing　to　do；　and　in　due　course　reached　the　Town　of　the　Child　without

further　accident。　Here　they　rested　and　mourned　for　us；　till　some　days

later　Har？t　suddenly　announced　that　we　still　lived；　though　how　he　knew

this　they　could　not　ascertain。　Then　they　sallied　out　and　found　us；　as

has　been　told；　in　great　danger　from　the　ignorant　villagers　who；　until

we　appeared；　had　not　even　heard　of　our　existence。



I　asked　what　they　had　done　and　what　information　they　had　obtained

since　their　arrival　at　this　place。　His　answer　was：　Nothing　and　none

worth　mentioning。　The　town　appeared　to　be　a　small　one　of　not　much　over

two　thousand　inhabitants；　all　of　whom　were　engaged　in　agricultural

pursuits　and　in　camel…breeding。　The　herds　of　camels；　however；　they

gathered；　for　the　most　part　were　kept　at　outlying　settlements　on　the

farther　side　of　the　cone…shaped　mountain。　As　they　were　unable　to　talk

the　language　the　only　person　from　whom　they　could　gain　knowledge　was

Har？t；　who　spoke　to　them　in　his　broken　English　and　told　them　much　what

he　had　told　me；　namely　that　the　upper　mountain　was　a　sacred　place　that

might　only　be　visited　by　the　priests；　since　any　uninitiated　person　who

set　foot　there　came　to　a　bad　end。　They　had　not　seen　any　of　these

priests　in　the　town；　where　no　form　of　worship　appeared　to　be

practised；　but　they　had　observed　men　driving　small　numbers　of　sheep　or

goats　up　the　flanks　of　the　mountain　towards　the　forest。



Of　what　went　on　upon　this　mountain　and　who　lived　there　they　remained

in　complete　ignorance。　It　was　a　case　of　stalemate。　Har？t　would　not

tell　them　anything　nor　could　they　learn　anything　for　themselves。　He

added　in　a　depressed　way　that　the　whole　business　seemed　very　hopeless；

and　that　he　had　begun　to　doubt　whether　there　was　any　tidings　of　his

lost　wife　to　be　gained　among　the　Kendah；　White　or　Black。



Now　I　repeated　to　him　Mar？t's　dying　words；　of　which　most　unhappily　I

had　never　heard　the　end。　These　seemed　to　give　him　new　life　since　they

showed　that　tidings　there　was　of　some　sort；　if　only　it　could　be

extracted。　But　how　might　this　be　done？　How；　how？







For　a　whole　week　things　went　on　thus。　During　this　time　I　recovered　my

strength　completely；　except　in　one　particular　which　reduced　me　to

helplessness。　The　place　on　my　thigh　where　Jana　had　pinched　out　a　bit

of　the　skin　healed　up　well　enough；　but　the　inflammation　struck　inwards

to　the　nerve　of　my　left　leg；　where　once　I　had　been　injured　by　a　lion；

with　the　result　that　whenever　I　tried　to　move　I　was　tortured　by　pains

of　a　sciatic　nature。　So　I　was　obliged　to　lie　still　and　to　content

myself　with　being　carried　on　the　bed　into　a　little　garden　which

surrounded　the　mud…built　and　white…washed　house　that　had　been　allotted

to　us　as　a　dwelling…place。



There　I　lay　hour　after　hour；　staring　at　the　Holy　Mount　which　began　to

spring　from　the　plain　within　a　few　hundred　yards　of　the　scattered

township。　For　a　mile　or　so　its　slopes　were　bare　except　for　grass　on

which　sheep　and　goats　were　grazed；　and　a　few　scattered　trees。　Studying

the　place　through　glasses　I　observed　that　these　slopes　were　crowned　by

a　vertical　precipice　of　what　looked　like　lava　rock；　which　seemed　to

surround　the　whole　mountain　and　must　have　been　quite　a　hundred　feet

high。　Beyond　this　precipice；　which　to　all　appearance　was　of　an

unclimbable　nature；　began　a　dense　forest　of　large　trees；　cedars　I

thought；　clothing　it　to　the　very　top；　that　is　so　far　as　I　could　see。



One　day　when　I　was　considering　the　place；　Har？t　entered　the　garden

suddenly　and　caught　me　in　the　act。



〃The　House　of　the　god　is　beautiful；〃　he　said；　〃is　it　not？〃



〃Very；〃　I　answered；　〃and　of　a　strange　formation。　But　how　do　those　who

dwell　on　it　climb　that　precipice？〃



〃It　cannot　be　climbed；〃　he　answered；　〃but　there　is　a　road　which　I　am

about　to　travel　who　go　to　worship　the　Child。　Yet　I　have　told　you；

Macumazana；　that　any　strangers　who　seek　to　walk　that　road　find　death。

If　they　do　not　believe　me；　let　them　try；〃　he　added　meaningly。



Then；　after　many　inquiries　about　my　health；　he　informed　me　that　news

had　reached　him　to　the　effect　that　the　Black　Kendah　were　mad　at　the

loss　of　their　crops　which　the　hail　had　destroyed　and　because　of　the

near　prospect　of　starvation。



〃Then　soon　they　will　be　wishing　to　reap　yours　with　spears；〃　I　said。



〃That　is　so。　Therefore；　my　Lord　Macumazana；　get　well　quickly　that　you

may　be　able　to　scare　away　these　crows　with　guns；　for　in　fourteen　days

the　harvest　should　begin　upon　our　uplands。　Farewell　and　have　no　fears；

for　during　my　absence　my　people　will　feed　and　watch　you　and　on　the

third　night　I　shall　return　again。〃



After　Har？t's　departure　a　deep　depression　fell　upon　all　of　us。　Even

Hans　was　depres