marie-第31章

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



peculiar　and　blasted　appearance；　for　whereas　all　around　the　grass　was

vivid　with　the　green　of　spring；　on　this　place　none　seemed　to　grow。　　An

eminence　strewn　with　tumbled　heaps　of　blackish　rock；　and　among　them　a

few　struggling；　dark…leaved　bushes；　that　was　its　appearance。　　Moreover；

many　of　these　boulders　looked　as　though　they　had　been　splashed　and　lined

with　whitewash；　showing　that　they　were　the　resting…place　of　hundreds　of

gorged　vultures。



I　believe　it　is　the　Chinese　who　declare　that　particular　localities　have

good　or　evil　influences　attached　to　them；　some　kind　of　spirit　of　their

own；　and　really　Hloma　Amabutu　and　a　few　other　spots　that　I　am　acquainted

with　in　Africa　give　colour　to　the　fancy。　　Certainly　as　I　set　foot　upon

that　accursed　ground；　that　Golgotha；　that　Place　of　Skulls；　a　shiver　went

through　me。　　It　may　have　been　caused　by　the　atmosphere；　moral　and

actual；　of　the　mount；　or　it　may　have　been　a　prescience　of　a　certain

dreadful　scene　which　within　a　few　months　I　was　doomed　to　witness　there。　

Or　perhaps　the　place　itself　and　the　knowledge　of　the　trial　before　me

sent　a　sudden　chill　through　my　healthy　blood。　　I　cannot　say　which　it

was；　but　the　fact　remains　as　I　have　stated；　although　a　minute　or　two

later；　when　I　saw　what　kind　of　sleepers　lay　upon　that　mount；　it　would

not　have　been　necessary　for　me　to　seek　any　far…fetched　explanation　of　my

fear。



Across　this　hill；　winding　in　and　out　between　the　rough　rocks　that　lay

here；　there　and　everywhere　like　hailstones　after　a　winter　storm；　ran

sundry　paths。　　It　seems　that　the　shortest　road　to　various　places　in　the

neighbourhood　of　the　Great　Kraal　ran　over　it；　and　although　no　Zulu　ever

dared　to　set　foot　there　between　sun…set　and　rise；　in　the　daytime　they

used　these　paths　freely　enough。　　But　I　suppose　that　they　also　held　that

this　evil…omened　field　of　death　had　some　spirit　of　its　own；　some

invisible　but　imminent　fiend；　who　needed　to　be　propitiated；　lest　soon　he

should　claim　them　also。



This　was　their　method　of　propitiation；　a　common　one　enough；　I　believe；

in　many　lands；　though　what　may　be　its　meaning　I　cannot　tell。　　As　the

traveller　came　to　those　spots　where　the　paths　cut　across　each　other；　he

took　a　stone　and　threw　it　on　to　a　heap　that　had　been　accumulated　there

by　the　hands　of　other　travellers。　　There　were　many　such　heaps　upon　the

hill；　over　a　dozen；　I　think；　and　the　size　of　them　was　great。　　I　should

say　that　the　biggest　contained　quite　fifty　loads　of　stones；　and　the

smallest　not　fewer　than　twenty　or　thirty。



Now；　Hans；　although　he　had　never　set　foot　there　before；　seemed　to　have

learned　all　the　traditions　of　the　place；　and　what　rites　were　necessary

to　avert　its　curse。　　At　any　rate；　when　we　came　to　the　first　heap；　he

cast　a　stone　upon　it；　and　begged　me　to　do　the　same。　　I　laughed　and

refused；　but　when　we　reached　the　second　heap　the　same　thing　happened。　

Again　I　refused；　whereon；　before　we　came　to　a　third　and　larger　pile；

Hans　sat　down　upon　the　ground　and　began　to　groan；　swearing　that　he　would

not　go　one　step　farther　unless　I　promised　to　make　the　accustomed

offering。



〃Why　not；　you　fool？〃　I　asked。



〃Because　if　you　neglect　it；　baas；　I　think　that　we　shall　stop　here　for

ever。　　Oh！　you　may　laugh；　but　I　tell　you　that　already　you　have　brought

ill…luck　upon　yourself。　　Remember　my　words；　baas；　when　you　miss　two　of

the　five　aasvogels。〃



〃Bosh！〃　I　exclaimed；　or；　rather；　its　Dutch　equivalent。　　Still；　as　this

talk　of　missing　vultures　touched　me　nearly；　and　it　is　always　as　well　to

conform　to　native　prejudices；　at　the　next　and　two　subsequent　heaps　I

cast　my　stone　as　humbly　as　the　most　superstitious　Zulu　in　the　land。



By　this　time　we　had　reached　the　summit；　which　may　have　been　two　hundred

yards　long。　　It　was　hog…backed　in　shape；　with　a　kind　of　depression　in

the　middle　cleared　of　stones；　either　by　the　hand　of　man　or　nature；　and

not　unlike　a　large　circus　in　its　general　conformation。



Oh！　the　sight　that　met　my　eyes。　　All　about　lay　the　picked　and　scattered

bones　of　men　and　women；　many　of　them　broken　up　by　the　jaws　of　hyenas。　

Some　were　quite　fresh；　for　the　hair　still　clung　to　the　skulls；　others

blanched　and　old。　　But　new　or　ancient　there　must　have　been　hundreds　of

them。　　Moreover；　on　the　sides　of　the　hill　it　was　the　same　story；　though

there；　for　the　most　part；　the　bones　had　been　gathered　into　gleaming

heaps。　　No　wonder　that　the　vultures　loved　Hloma　Amabutu；　the　Place　of

Slaughter　of　the　bloody　Zulu　king。



Of　these　horrible　birds；　however；　at　the　moment　not　one　was　to　be　seen。　

As　there　had　been　no　execution　for　a　few　hours　they　were　seeking　their

food　elsewhere。　　Now；　for　my　own　purposes；　I　wanted　to　see　them；　since

otherwise　my　visit　was　in　vain；　and　presently　bethought　myself　of　a

method　of　securing　their　arrival。



〃Hans；〃　I　said；　〃I　am　going　to　pretend　to　kill　you；　and　then　you　must

lie　quite　still　out　there　like　one　dead。　　Even　if　the　aasvogels　settle

on　you；　you　must　lie　quite　still；　so　that　I　may　see　whence　they　come　and

how　they　settle。〃



The　Hottentot　did　not　take　at　all　kindly　to　this　suggestion。　　Indeed；　he

flatly　refused　to　obey　me；　giving　sundry　good　reasons。　　He　said　that

this　kind　of　rehearsal　was　ill…omened；　that　coming　events　have　a　way　of

casting　their　shadow　before；　and　he　did　not　wish　to　furnish　the　event。　

He　said　that　the　Zulus　declared　that　the　sacred　aasvogels　of　Hloma

Amabutu　were　as　savage　as　lions；　and　that　when　once　they　saw　a　man　down

they　would　tear　him　to　pieces；　dead　or　living。　　In　short；　Hans　and　I

came　to　ail　acute　difference　of　opinion。　　As　for　every　reason　it　was

necessary　that　my　view　should　prevail；　however；　I　did　not　hesitate　to

put　matters　to　him　very　plainly。



〃Hans；〃　I　said；　〃you　have　to　be　a　bait　for　vultures；　choose　if　you　will

be　a　live　bait　or　a　dead　bait；〃　and　I　cocked　the　rifle　significantly；

although；　in　truth；　the　last　thing　that　I　wished　or　intended　to　do　was

to　shoot　my　faithful　old　Hottentot　friend。　　But　Hans；　knowing　all　I　had

at　stake；　came　to　a　different　conclusion。



〃Allemachte！　baas；〃　he　said；　〃I　understand；　and　I　do　not　blame　you。　

Well；　if　I　obey　alive；　perhaps　my　guardian　Snake〃　（or　spirit）　〃will

protect　me　from　the　evil　omen；　and　perhaps　the　aasvogels　will　not　pick

out　my　eyes。　　But　if　once　you　send　a　bullet　through　my　stomachwhy；

then　everything　is　finished；　and　for　Hans　it　is　'Good　night；　sleep

well。'　　I　will　obey　you；　baas；　and　lie　where　you　wish；　only；　I　pray　you；

do　not　forget　me　and　go　away；　leaving　me　with　those　devil　birds。〃



I　promised　him　faithfully　that　I　would　not。　　Then　we　went　through　a　very

grim　little　pantomime。　　Proceeding　to　the　centre　of　the　arena…like

space；　I　lifted　the　gun；　and　appeared　to　dash　out　Hans'　brains　with　its

butt。　　He　fell　upon　his　back；　kicked　about　a　little；　and　lay　still。　

This　finished　Act　1。



Act　2　was　that；　capering　like　a　brute　of　a　Zulu　executioner；　I　retired

from　my　victim　and　hid　myself　in　a　bush　on　the　edge　of　the　plateau　at　a

distance　of　forty　yards。　　After　this　there　was　a　pause。　　The　place　was

intensely　bright　with　sunshine　and　intensely　silent；　as　silent　as　the

skeletons　of　the　murdered　men　about　me；　as　silent　as　Hans；　who　lay　there

looking　so　very　small　and　dead　in　that　big　theatre　where　no　grass　grew。　

It　was　an　eerie　wait　in　such　surroundings；　but　at　length　the　curtain

rang　up　for　Act　3。



In　the　infinite　arch　of　blue　above　me　I　perceived　a　speck；　no　larger

than　a　mote　of　dust。　　The　aasvogel　on　watch　up　there　far　out　of　the

range　of　man's　vision　had　seen　the　deed；　and；　by　sinking　downwards；

signalled　it　to　his　companions　that　were　quartering　the　sky　for　fifty

miles　round；　for　these　birds　prey　by　sight；　not　by　smell。　　Down　he　came

and　down；　and　long　before　he　had　reached　the　neighbourhood　of　earth

other　specks　appeared　in　the　distant　blue。　　Now　he　was　not　more　than

four　or　five　hundred　yards　above　me；　and　began　to　wheel；　floating　round

the　place　upon　his　wide　wings；　and　sinking　as　he　wheeled。　　So　he　sank

softly　and　slowly　until　he　was　about　a　hundred　and　fifty　feet　above

Hans。　　Then　suddenly　he　paused；　hung　quite　steady　for　a　few　seconds；

shut　his　wings　and　fell　like　a　bolt；　only　opening　them　again　just　before

he　reached　the　earth。



Here　he　settled；　tilting　forward　in　that　odd　way　which　vultures　have；

and　scrambling　a　few　awkward　paces　until　he　gained　his　balance。　　Then　he

froze　into　immobility；　gazing　with　in　awful；　stony　glare　at　the

prostrate　Hans；　who　lay　within　about　fifteen　feet　of　him。　　Scarcely　was

this　aasvogel　down；　when　others；　summoned　from　the　depths　of　sky；　did　as

he　had　done。　　They　appeared；　they　sank；　they　wheeled；　always　from　east

to　west；　the　way　the　sun　travels。　　They　hovered　for　a　few　seconds；　then

fell　like　stones；　pitched　on　to　their　beaks；　recovered　themselves；

waddled　forward　into　line；　and　sat　gazing　at　Hans。　　Soon　there　was　a

great　ring　of　them　about　him；　all　immovable；　all　gazing；　all　waiting　for

something。



Presently　that　something　appeared　in　the　shape　of　an　aasvogel　which　was

nearly　twice　as　big　as　any　of　the　others。　　This　was　what　the　Boers　and

the　natives　call　the　〃king　vulture；〃　one　of　which　goes　with　every　flock。

　He　it　is　who　rules　the　roost　and　also　the　carcase；　which　without　his

presence　and　permission　none　dare　to　attack。　　Whether　this　vile　fowl　is

of　a　different　species　from　the　others；　or　whether　he　is　a　bird　of　more

vigorous　growth　and　constitution　that　has　outgrown　the　rest　and　thus

become　their　overlord；　is　more　than　I　can　tell。　　At　least　it　is　certain；

as　I　can　testify　from　long　and　constant　observation；　that　almost　every

flock　of　vultures　has　its　king。



When　this　particular　royalty　had　arrived；　the　other　aasvogels；　of　which

perhaps　there　were　now　fifty　or　sixty　gathered　round　Hans；　began　to　show

signs　of　interested　animation。　　They　looked　at　the　king　bird；　they

looked　at　Hans；　stretching　out　their　naked　red　necks　and　winking　their

brilliant　eyes。　　I；　however；　did　not　pay　particular　attention　to　those

upon　the　earth；　being　amply　occupied　in　watching　their　fellows　in　the

air。



With　delight　I　observed　that　the　vulture　is　a　very　conservative

creature。　　They　all　did　what　doubtless　they　have　done　since　the　days　of

Adam　or　earlierwheeled；　and　then　hung　that　little　space　of　time　before

they　dropped　to　the　ground　like　lead。　　This；　then；　would　be　the　moment

at　which　to　shoot　them；　when　for　four　or　five　seconds　they　offered

practically　a　sitting　target。　　Now；　at　that　distance；　always　under　a

hundred　yards；　I　knew　well　that　I　could　hit　a　tea　plate　every　shot；　and

a　vulture　is　much　larger　than　a　tea　plate。　　So　it　seemed　to　me　that；

barring　accidents；　I　had　little　to　fear　from　the　terrible　trial　of　skill

which　lay　before　me。　　Again　and　again　I　covered　the　hovering　birds　with

my　rifle；　feeling　that　if　I　had　pressed　the　trigger　I　should　have

pierced　them　through。



Thinking　it　well　to　practise；　I　continued　this　game　for　a　long　while；

ti