the ivory child-第47部分

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third　night　I　shall　return　again。〃



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

Hans　was　depressed；　while　Savage　became　like　a　man　under　sentence　of

execution　at　a　near　but　uncertain　date。　I　tried　to　cheer　him　up　and

asked　him　what　was　the　matter。



〃I　don't　know；　Mr。　Quatermain；〃　he　answered；　〃but　the　fact　is　this　is

a　'ateful　and　un'oly　'ole〃　（in　his　agitation　he　quite　lost　grip　of　his

h's；　which　was　always　weak）；　〃and　I　am　sure　that　it　is　the　last　I

shall　ever　see；　except　one。〃



〃Well；　Savage；〃　I　said　jokingly；　〃at　any　rate　there　don't　seem　to　be

any　snakes　here。〃



〃No；　Mr。　Quatermain。　That　is；　I　haven't　met　any；　but　they　crawl　about

me　all　night；　and　whenever　I　see　that　prophet　man　he　talks　of　them　to

me。　Yes；　he　talks　of　them　and　nothing　else　with　a　sort　of　cold　look　in

his　eyes　that　makes　my　back　creep。　I　wish　it　was　over；　I　do；　who　shall

never　see　old　England　again；〃　and　he　went　away；　I　think　to　hide　his

very　painful　and　evident　emotion。



That　evening　Hans　returned　from　an　expedition　on　which　I　had　sent　him

with　instructions　to　try　to　get　round　the　mountain　and　report　what　was

on　its　other　side。　It　had　been　a　complete　failure；　as　after　he　had

gone　a　few　miles　men　appeared　who　ordered　him　back。　They　were　so

threatening　in　their　demeanour　that　had　it　not　been　for　the　little

rifle；　Intombi；　which　he　carried　under　pretence　of　shooting　buck；　a

weapon　that　they　regarded　with　great　awe；　they　would；　he　thought；　have

killed　him。　He　added　that　he　had　been　quite　unsuccessful　in　his

efforts　to　collect　any　news　of　value　from　man；　woman　or　child；　all　of

whom；　although　very　polite；　appeared　to　have　orders　to　tell　him

nothing；　concluding　with　the　remark　that　he　considered　the　White

Kendah　bigger　devils　than　the　Black　Kendah；　inasmuch　as　they　were　more

clever。







Shortly　after　this　abortive　attempt　we　debated　our　position　with

earnestness　and　came　to　a　certain　conclusion；　of　which　I　will　speak　in

its　place。



If　I　remember　right　it　was　on　this　same　night　of　our　debate；　after

Har？t's　return　from　the　mountain；　that　the　first　incident　of　interest

happened。　There　were　two　rooms　in　our　house　divided　by　a　partition

which　ran　almost　up　to　the　roof。　In　the　left…hand　room　slept　Ragnall

and　Savage；　and　in　that　to　the　right　Hans　and　I。　Just　at　the　breaking

of　dawn　I　was　awakened　by　hearing　some　agitated　conversation　between

Savage　and　his　master。　A　minute　later　they　both　entered　my　sleeping

place；　and　I　saw　in　the　faint　light　that　Ragnall　looked　very　disturbed

and　Savage　very　frightened。



〃What's　the　matter？〃　I　asked。



〃We　have　seen　my　wife；〃　answered　Ragnall。



I　stared　at　him　and　he　went　on：



〃Savage　woke　me　by　saying　that　there　was　someone　in　the　room。　I　sat　up

and　looked　and；　as　I　live；　Quatermain；　standing　gazing　at　me　in　such　a

position　that　the　light　of　dawn　from　the　window…place　fell　upon　her；

was　my　wife。〃



〃How　was　she　dressed？〃　I　asked　at　once。



〃In　a　kind　of　white　robe　cut　rather　low；　with　her　hair　loose　hanging

to　her　waist；　but　carefully　combed　and　held　outspread　by　what　appeared

to　be　a　bent　piece　of　ivory　about　a　foot　and　a　half　long；　to　which　it

was　fastened　by　a　thread　of　gold。〃



〃Is　that　all？〃



〃No。　Upon　her　breast　was　that　necklace　of　red　stones　with　the　little

image　hanging　from　its　centre　which　those　rascals　gave　her　and　she

always　wore。〃



〃Anything　more？〃



〃Yes。　In　her　arms　she　carried　what　looked　like　a　veiled　child。　It　was

so　still　that　I　think　it　must　have　been　dead。〃



〃Well。　What　happened？〃



〃I　was　so　overcome　I　could　not　speak；　and　she　stood　gazing　at　me　with

wide…opened　eyes；　looking　more　beautiful　than　I　can　tell　you。　She

never　stirred；　and　her　lips　never　movedthat　I　will　swear。　And　yet

both　of　us　heard　her　say；　very　low　but　quite　clearly：　'The　mountain；

George！　Don't　desert　me。　Seek　me　on　the　mountain；　my　dear；　my

husband。'〃



〃Well；　what　next？〃



〃I　sprang　up　and　she　was　gone。　That's　all。〃



〃Now　tell　me　what　/you/　saw　and　heard；　Savage。〃



〃What　his　lordship　saw　and　heard；　Mr。　Quatermain；　neither　more　nor

less。　Except　that　I　was　awake；　having　had　one　of　my　bad　dreams　about

snakes；　and　saw　her　come　through　the　door。〃



〃Through　the　door！　Was　it　open　then？〃



〃No；　sir；　it　was　shut　and　bolted。　She　just　came　through　it　as　if　it

wasn't　there。　Then　I　called　to　his　lordship　after　she　had　been　looking

at　him　for　half　a　minute　or　so；　for　I　couldn't　speak　at　first。　There's

one　more　thing；　or　rather　two。　On　her　head　was　a　little　cap　that

looked　as　though　it　had　been　made　from　the　skin　of　a　bird；　with　a　gold

snake　rising　up　in　front；　which　snake　was　the　first　thing　I　caught

sight　of；　as　of　course　it　would　be；　sir。　Also　the　dress　she　wore　was

so　thin　that　through　it　I　could　see　her　shape　and　the　sandals　on　her

feet；　which　were　fastened　at　the　instep　with　studs　of　gold。〃



〃I　saw　no　feather　cap　or　snake；〃　said　Ragnall。



〃Then　that's　the　oddest　part　of　the　whole　business；〃　I　remarked。　〃Go

back　to　your　room；　both　of　you；　and　if　you　see　anything　more；　call　me。

I　want　to　think　things　over。〃



They　went；　in　a　bewildered　sort　of　fashion；　and　I　called　Hans　and

spoke　with　him　in　a　whisper；　repeating　to　him　the　little　that　he　had

not　understood　of　our　talk；　for　as　I　have　said；　although　he　never

spoke　it；　Hans　knew　a　great　deal　of　English。



〃Now；　Hans；〃　I　said　to　him；　〃what　is　the　use　of　you？　You　are　no　better

than　a　fraud。　You　pretend　to　be　the　best　watchdog　in　Africa；　and　yet　a

woman　comes　into　this　house　under　your　nose　and　in　the　grey　of　the

morning；　and　you　do　not　see　her。　Where　is　your　reputation；　Hans？〃



The　old　fellow　grew　almost　speechless　with　indignation；　then　he

spluttered　his　answer：



〃It　was　not　a　woman；　Baas；　but　a　spook。　Who　am　I　that　I　should　be

expected　to　catch　spooks　as　though　they　were　thieves　or　rats？　As　it

happens　I　was　wide　awake　half　an　hour　before　the　dawn　and　lay　with　my

eyes　fixed　upon　that　door；　which　I　bolted　myself　last　night。　It　never

opened；　Baas；　moreover；　since　this　talk　began　I　have　been　to　look　at

it。　During　the　night　a　spider　has　made　its　web　from　door…post　to　door…

post；　and　that　web　is　unbroken。　If　you　do　not　believe　me；　come　and　see

for　yourself。　Yet　they　say　the　woman　came　through　the　doorway　and

therefore　through　the　spider's　web。　Oh！　Baas；　what　is　the　use　of

wasting　thought　upon　the　ways　of　spooks　which；　like　the　wind；　come　and

go　as　they　will；　especially　in　this　haunted　land　from　which；　as　we

have　all　agreed；　we　should　do　well　to　get　away。〃



I　went　and　examined　the　door　for　myself；　for　by　now　my　sciatica；　or

whatever　it　may　have　been；　was　so　much　better　that　I　could　walk　a

little。　What　Hans　said　was　true。　There　was　the　spider's　web　with　the

spider　sitting　in　the　middle。　Also　some　of　the　threads　of　the　web　were

fixed　from　post　to　post；　so　that　it　was　impossible　that　the　door　could

have　been　opened　or；　if　opened；　that　anyone　could　have　passed　through

the　doorway　without　breaking　them。　Therefore；　unless　the　woman　came

through　one　of　the　little　window…places；　which　was　almost　incredible

as　they　were　high　above　the　ground；　or　dropped　from　the　smoke…hole　in

the　roof；　or　had　been　shut　into　the　place　when　the　door　was　closed　on

the　previous　night；　I　could　not　see　how　she　had　arrived　there。　And　if

any　one　of　these　incredible　suppositions　was　correct；　then　how　did　she

get　out　again　with　two　men　watching　her？



There　were　only　two　solutions　to　the　problemnamely；　that　the　whole

occurrence　was　hallucination；　or　that；　in　fact；　Ragnall　and　Savage　had

seen　something　unnatural　and　uncanny。　If　the　latter　were　correct　I

only　wished　that　I　had　shared　the　experience；　as　I　have　always　longed

to　see　a　ghost。　A　real；　indisputable　ghost　would　be　a　great　support　to

our　doubting　minds；　that　is　if　we　/knew/　its　owner　to　be　dead。



Butthis　was　another　thoughtif　by　any　chance　Lady　Ragnall　were

still　alive　and　a　prisoner　upon　that　mountain；　what　they　had　seen　was

no　ghost；　but　a　shadow　or　/simulacrum/　of　a　living　person　projected

consciously　or　unconsciously　by　that　person　for　some　unknown　purpose。

What　could　the　purpose　be？　As　it　chanced　the　answer　was　not　difficult；

and　to　it　the　words　she　was　reported　to　have　uttered　gave　a　cue。　Only

a　few　hours　ago；　just　before　we　turned　in　indeed；　as　I　have　said；　we

had　been　discussing　matters。　What　I　have　not　said　is　that　in　the　end

we　arrived　at　the　conclusion　that　our　quest　here　was　wild　and　useless

and　that　we　should　do　well　to　try　to　escape　from　the　place　before　we

became　involved　in　a　war　of　extermination　between　two　branches　of　an

obscure　tribe；　one　of　which　was　quite　and　the　other　semi…savage。



Indeed；　although　Ragnall　still　hung　back　a　little；　it　had　been

arranged　that　I　should　try　to　purchase　camels　in　exchange　for　guns；

unless　I　could　get　them　for　nothing　which　might　be　less　suspicious；

and　that　we　should　attempt　such　an　escape　under　cover　of