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she-第8部分

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before I die。 Do you know; my boy; I don't believe in 
the quest; but I do believe in big game; and really; 
on the whole; if; after thinking it over; you make up 
your mind to go; I will take a holiday; and come with 
you。〃

〃Ah;〃 said Leo; 〃I thought that you would not lose 
such a chance。 But how about money? We shall want a 
good lot。〃

〃You need not trouble about that;〃 I answered。 〃There 
is all your income that has been accumulating for 
years; and besides that I have saved two thirds of 
what your father left me; as I consider; in trust for 
you。 There is plenty of cash。〃

〃Very well; then; we may as well stow these things 
away and go up to town to see about our guns。 By the 
way; Job; are you coming too? It's time you began to 
see the world。〃

〃Well; sir;〃 answered Job; stolidly; 〃I don't hold 
much with foreign parts; but if both you gentlemen are 
going you will want somebody to look after you; and I 
am not the man to stop behind after serving you for 
twenty years。〃

〃That's right; Job;〃 said I。 〃You won't find out 
anything wonderful; but you will get some good 
shooting。 And now look here; both of you。 I won't have 
a word said to a living soul about this nonsense;〃 and 
I pointed to the potsherd。 〃If it got out; and 
anything happened to me; my next of kin would dispute 
my will on the ground of insanity; and I should become 
the laughing…stock of Cambridge。〃

That day three months we were on the ocean; bound for 
Zanzibar。


CHAPTER IV

THE SQUALL

How different is the scene that I have now to tell 
from that which has just been told! Gone are the quiet 
college rooms; gone the wind…swayed English elms and 
cawing rooks; and the familiar volumes on the shelves; 
and in their place there rises a vision of the great 
calm ocean gleaming in shaded silver lights beneath 
the beams of the full African moon。 A gentle breeze 
fills the huge sails of our dhow; and draws us through 
the water that ripples musically against our sides。 
Most of the men are sleeping forward; for it is near 
midnight; but a stout; swarthy Arab; Mahomed by name; 
stands at the tiller; lazily steering by the stars。 
Three miles or more to our starboard is a low dim 
line。 It is the eastern shore of Central Africa。 We 
are running to the southward; before the northeast 
monsoon; between the mainland and the reef that for 
hundreds of miles fringes that perilous coast。 The 
night is quiet; so quiet that a whisper can be heard 
fore and aft the dhow; so quiet that a faint booming 
sound rolls across the water to us from the distant 
land。

The Arab at the tiller holds up his hand; and says one 
word: 〃Simba (lion)!〃

We all sit up and listen。 Then it comes again; a slow; 
majestic sound; that thrills us to the marrow。

〃To…morrow by ten o'clock;〃 I say; 〃we ought; if the 
captain is not out in his reckoning; which I think 
very probable; to make this mysterious rock with a 
man's head; and begin our shooting。〃

〃And begin our search for the ruined city and the Fire 
of Life;〃 corrected Leo; taking his pipe from his 
mouth; and laughing a little。

〃Nonsense!〃 I answered。 〃You were airing your Arabic 
with that man at the tiller this afternoon。 What did 
he tell you? He has been trading (slave…trading 
probably) up and down these latitudes for half of his 
iniquitous life; and once landed on this very 'man' 
rock。 Did he ever hear anything of the ruined city or 
the caves?〃

〃No;〃 answered Leo。 〃He says that the country is all 
swamp behind; and full of snakes; especially pythons; 
and game; and that no man lives there。 But then there 
is a belt of swamp all along the East African coast; 
so that does not go for much。〃

〃Yes;〃 I said; 〃it doesit goes for malaria。 You see 
what sort of an opinion these gentry have of the 
country。 Not one of them will go with us。 They think 
that we are mad; and upon my word I believe that they 
are right。 If ever we see old England again I shall be 
astonished。 However; it does not greatly matter to me 
at my age; but I am anxious for you; Leo; and for Job。 
It's a Tom Fool's business; my boy。〃

〃All right; Uncle Horace。 So far as I am concerned; I 
am willing to take my chance。 Look! What is that 
cloud?〃 and he pointed to a dark blotch upon the 
starry sky; some miles astern of us。

〃Go and ask the man at the tiller;〃 I said。

He rose; stretched his arms; and went。 Presently he 
returned。

〃He says it is a squall; but it will pass far on one 
side of us。〃

Just then Job came up; looking very stout and English 
in his shooting…suit of brown flannel; and with a sort 
of perplexed appearance upon his honest round face 
that had been very common with him since he got into 
these strange waters。

〃Please; sir;〃 he said; touching his sun hat; which 
was stuck on to the back of his head in a somewhat 
ludicrous fashion; 〃as we have got all those guns and 
things in the whale…boat astern; to say nothing of the 
provisions in the lockers; I think it would be best if 
I got down and slept in her。 I don't like the looks〃 
(here he dropped his voice to a portentous whisper) 
〃of these black gentry; they have such a wonderful 
thievish way about them。 Supposing now that some of 
them were to slip into the boat at night and cut the 
cable; and make off with her! That would be a pretty 
go; that would。〃

The whale…boat; I may explain; was one specially built 
for us at Dundee; in Scotland。 We had brought it with 
us; as we knew that this coast was a network of 
creeks; and that we might require something to 
navigate them with。 She was a beautiful boat; thirty 
feet in length; with a centre…board for sailing; 
copper…bottomed to keep the worm out of her; and full 
of watertight compartments。 The captain of the dhow 
had told us that when we reached the rock; which he 
knew; and which appeared to be identical with the one 
described upon the sherd and by Leo's father; he would 
probably not be able to run up to it on account of the 
shallows and breakers。 Therefore we had employed three 
hours that very morning; while we were totally 
becalmed; the wind having dropped at sunrise; in 
transferring most of our goods and chattels to the 
whale…boat; and placing the guns; ammunition; and 
preserved provisions in the water…tight lockers 
specially prepared for them; so that when we did sight 
the fabled rock we should have nothing to do but step 
into the boat and run her ashore。 Another reason that 
induced us to take this precautionary step was that 
Arab captains are apt to run past the point that they 
are making; either from carelessness or owing to a 
mistake in its identity。 Now; as sailors know; it is 
quite impossible for a dhow which is only rigged to 
run before the monsoon to beat back against it。 
Therefore we got our boat ready to row for the rock at 
any moment。

〃Well; Job;〃 I said; 〃perhaps it would be as well。 
There are lots of blankets there; only be careful to 
keep out of the moon; or it may turn your head or 
blind you。〃

〃Lord; sir! I don't think it would much matter if it 
did; it is that turned already with the sight of these 
blackamoors and their filthy; thieving ways。 They are 
only fit for muck; they are; and they smell bad enough 
for it already。〃

Job; it will be perceived; was no admirer of the 
manners and customs of our dark…skinned brothers。

Accordingly we hauled up the boat by the tow…rope till 
it was right under the stern of the dhow; and Job 
bundled into her with all the grace of a falling sack 
of potatoes。 Then we returned and sat down on the deck 
again; and smoked and talked in little gusts and 
jerks。 The night was so lovely; and our brains were so 
full of suppressed excitement of one sort and another; 
that we did not feel inclined to turn in。 For nearly 
an hour we sat thus; and then; I think; we both dozed 
off。 At least I have a faint recollection of Leo 
sleepily explaining that the head was not a bad place 
to hit a buffalo; if you could catch him exactly 
between the horns; or send your bullet down his 
throat; or some nonsense of the sort。

Then I remember no more; till suddenlya frightful 
roar of wind; a shriek of terror from the awakening 
crew; and a whip like sting of water in our faces。 
Some of the men ran to let go the halyards and lower 
the sail; but the parral jammed and the yard would not 
come down。 I sprang to my feet and hung on to a rope。 
The sky aft was dark as pitch; but the moon still 
shone brightly ahead of us and lit up the blackness。 
Beneath its sheen a huge white…topped breaker; twenty 
feet high or more; was rushing on to us。 It was on the 
breakthe moon shone on its crest and tipped its foam 
with light。 On it rushed beneath the inky sky; driven 
by the awful squall behind it。 Suddenly; in the 
twinkling of an eye; I saw the black shape of the 
whale…boat cast high into the air on the crest of the 
breaking wave。 Thena shock of water; a wild rush of 
boiling foam; and I was clinging for my life to the 
shroud; aye; swept straight out from it like a flag in 
a gale。

We were pooped。

The wave passed。 It seemed to me that I was under 
water for mi
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