the ivory child-第31章

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promptly　executed。



Then　he　issued　a　command　that　we　should　be　well　fed　and　tended；　and

remarking　that　if　the　departed　was　not　alive　and　healthy　on　the　third

morning　from　that　day；　we　should　hear　from　him　again；　he　and　his

company　stalked　off；　except　those　men　who　were　occupied　with　the

interment。



Soon　this　was　finished　also。　There　sat　the　deceased　buried　to　the　neck

with　his　face　looking　towards　the　house；　a　most　disagreeable　sight。

Presently；　however；　matters　were　improved　in　this　respect　by　one　of

the　sextons　fetching　a　large　earthenware　pot　and　several　smaller　pots

full　of　food　and　water。　The　latter　they　set　round　the　head；　I　suppose

for　the　sustenance　of　the　body　beneath；　and　then　placed　the　big　vessel

inverted　over　all；　〃to　keep　the　sun　off　our　sleeping　brother；〃　as　I

heard　one　say　to　the　other。



This　pot　looked　innocent　enough　when　all　was　done；　like　one　of　those

that　gardeners　in　England　put　over　forced　rhubarb；　no　more。　And　yet；

such　is　the　strength　of　the　imagination；　I　think　that　on　the　whole　I

should　have　preferred　the　object　underneath　naked　and　unadorned。　For

instance；　I　have　forgotten　to　say　that　the　heads　of　those　of　the　White

Kendah　who　had　fallen　in　the　fight　had　been　set　up　on　poles　in　front

of　Simba's　house。　They　were　unpleasant　to　contemplate；　but　to　my　mind

not　so　unpleasant　as　that　pot。



As　a　matter　of　fact；　this　precaution　against　injury　from　the　sun　to

the　late　diviner　proved　unnecessary；　since　by　some　strange　chance　from

that　moment　the　sun　ceased　to　shine。　Quite　suddenly　clouds　arose　which

gradually　covered　the　whole　sky　and　the　weather　began　to　turn　very

cold；　unprecedentedly　so；　Mar？t　informed　me；　for　the　time　of　year；

which；　it　will　be　remembered；　in　this　country　was　the　season　just

before　harvest。　Obviously　the　Black　Kendah　thought　so　also；　since　from

our　seats　on　the　roof；　whither　we　had　retreated　to　be　as　far　as

possible　from　the　pot；　we　saw　them　gathered　in　the　market…place；

staring　at　the　sky　and　talking　to　each　other。



The　day　passed　without　any　further　event；　except　the　arrival　of　our

meals；　for　which　we　had　no　great　appetite。　The　night　came；　earlier

than　usual　because　of　the　clouds；　and　we　fell　asleep；　or　rather　into　a

series　of　dozes。　Once　I　thought　that　I　heard　someone　stirring　in　the

huts　behind　us；　but　as　it　was　followed　by　silence　I　took　no　more

notice。　At　length　the　light　broke　very　slowly；　for　now　the　clouds　were

denser　than　ever。　Shivering　with　the　cold；　Mar？t　and　I　made　a　visit　to

the　camel…drivers；　who　were　not　allowed　to　enter　our　house。　On　going

into　their　hut　we　saw　to　our　horror　that　only　two　of　them　remained；

seated　stonily　upon　the　floor。　We　asked　where　the　third　was。　They

replied　they　did　not　know。　In　the　middle　of　the　night；　they　said；　men

had　crept　in；　who　seized；　bound　and　gagged　him；　then　dragged　him　away。

As　there　was　nothing　to　be　said　or　done；　we　returned　to　breakfast

filled　with　horrid　fears。



Nothing　happened　that　day　except　that　some　priests　arrived；　lifted　the

earthenware　pot；　examined　their　departed　colleague；　who　by　now　had

become　an　unencouraging　spectacle；　removed　old　dishes　of　food；

arranged　more　about　him；　and　went　off。　Also　the　clouds　grew　thicker

and　thicker；　and　the　air　more　and　more　chilly；　till；　had　we　been　in

any　northern　latitude；　I　should　have　said　that　snow　was　pending。　From

our　perch　on　the　roof…top　I　observed　the　population　of　Simba　Town

discussing　the　weather　with　ever…increasing　eagerness；　also　that　the

people　who　were　going　out　to　work　in　the　fields　wore　mats　over　their

shoulders。



Once　more　darkness　came；　and　this　night；　notwithstanding　the　cold；　we

spent　wrapped　in　rugs；　on　the　roof　of　the　house。　It　had　occurred　to　us

that　kidnapping　would　be　less　easy　there；　as　we　could　make　some　sort

of　a　fight　at　the　head　of　the　stairway；　or；　if　the　worst　came　to　the

worst；　dive　from　the　parapet　and　break　our　necks。　We　kept　watch　turn

and　turn　about。　During　my　watch　about　midnight　I　heard　a　noise　going

on　in　the　hut　behind　us；　scuffling　and　a　stifled　cry　which　turned　my

blood　cold。　About　an　hour　later　a　fire　was　lighted　in　the　centre　of

the　market…place　where　the　sheep　had　been　sacrificed；　and　by　the　flare

of　it　I　could　see　people　moving。　But　what　they　did　I　could　not　see；

which　was　perhaps　as　well。



Next　morning　only　one　of　the　camelmen　was　left。　This　remaining　man　was

now　almost　crazy　with　fear；　and　could　give　no　clear　account　of　what

had　happened　to　his　companion。



The　poor　fellow　implored　us　to　take　him　away　to　our　house；　as　he

feared　to　be　left　alone　with　〃the　black　devils。〃　We　tried　to　do　so；

but　armed　guards　appeared　mysteriously　and　thrust　him　back　into　his

own　hut。



This　day　was　an　exact　repetition　of　the　others。　The　same　inspection　of

the　deceased　and　renewal　of　his　food；　the　same　cold；　clouded　sky；　the

same　agitated　conferences　in　the　market…place。



For　the　third　time　darkness　fell　upon　us　in　that　horrible　place。　Once

more　we　took　refuge　on　the　roof；　but　this　night　neither　of　us　slept。

We　were　too　cold；　too　physically　miserable；　and　too　filled　with　mental

apprehensions。　All　nature　seemed　to　be　big　with　impending　disaster。

The　sky　appeared　to　be　sinking　down　upon　the　earth。　The　moon　was

hidden；　yet　a　faint　and　lurid　light　shone　now　in　one　quarter　of　the

horizon；　now　in　another。　There　was　no　wind；　but　the　air　moaned

audibly。　It　was　as　though　the　end　of　the　world　were　near　as；　I

reflected；　probably　might　be　the　case　so　far　as　we　were　concerned。

Never；　perhaps；　have　I　felt　so　spiritually　terrified　as　I　was　during

the　dreadful　inaction　of　that　night。　Even　if　I　had　known　that　I　was

going　to　be　executed　at　dawn；　I　think　that　by　comparison　I　should　have

been　light…hearted。　But　the　worst　part　of　the　business　was　that　I　knew

nothing。　I　was　like　a　man　forced　to　walk　through　dense　darkness　among

precipices；　quite　unable　to　guess　when　my　journey　would　end　in　space；

but　enduring　all　the　agonies　of　death　at　every　step。



About　midnight　again　we　heard　that　scuffle　and　stifled　cry　in　the　hut

behind　us。



〃He's　gone；〃　I　whispered　to　Mar？t；　wiping　the　cold　sweat　from　my　brow。



〃Yes；〃　answered　Mar？t；　〃and　very　soon　we　shall　follow　him；

Macumazana。〃



I　wished　that　his　face　were　visible　so　that　I　could　see　if　he　still

smiled　when　he　uttered　those　words。



An　hour　or　so　later　the　usual　fire　appeared　in　the　marketplace；　round

which　the　usual　figures　flitted　dimly。　The　sight　of　them　fascinated

me；　although　I　did　not　want　to　look；　fearing　what　I　might　see。

Luckily；　however；　we　were　too　far　off　to　discern　anything　at　night。



While　these　unholy　ceremonies　were　in　progress　the　climax　came；　that

is　so　far　as　the　weather　was　concerned。　Of　a　sudden　a　great　gale

sprang　up；　a　gale　of　icy　wind　such　as　in　Southern　Africa　sometimes

precedes　a　thunderstorm。　It　blew　for　half　an　hour　or　more；　then

lulled。　Now　lightning　flashed　across　the　heavens；　and　by　the　glare　of

it　we　perceived　that　all　the　population　of　Simba　Town　seemed　to　be

gathered　in　the　market…place。　At　least　there　were　some　thousands　of

them；　talking；　gesticulating；　pointing　at　the　sky。



A　few　minutes　later　there　came　a　great　crash　of　thunder；　of　which　it

was　impossible　to　locate　the　sound；　for　it　rolled　from　everywhere。

Then　suddenly　something　hard　struck　the　roof　by　my　side　and　rebounded；

to　be　followed　next　moment　by　a　blow　upon　my　shoulder　which　nearly

knocked　me　flat；　although　I　was　well　protected　by　the　skin　rugs。



〃Down　the　stair！〃　I　called。　〃They　are　stoning　us；〃　and　suited　the

action　to　the　word。



Ten　seconds　later　we　were　both　in　the　room；　crouched　in　its　farther

corner；　for　the　stones　or　whatever　they　were　seemed　to　be　following

us。　I　struck　a　match；　of　which　fortunately　I　had　some；　together　with

my　pipe　and　a　good　pocketful　of　tobaccomy　only　solace　in　those

daysand；　as　it　burned　up；　saw　first　that　blood　was　running　down

Mar？t's　face；　and　secondly；　that　these　stones　were　great　lumps　of　ice；

some　of　them　weighing　several　ounces；　which　hopped　about　the　floor

like　live　things。



〃Hailstorm！〃　remarked　Mar？t　with　his　accustomed　smile。



〃Hell　storm！〃　I　replied；　〃for　whoever　saw　hail　like　that　before？〃



Then　the　match　burnt　out　and　conversation　came　to　an　end　for　the

reason　that　we　could　no　longer　hear　each　other　speak。　The　hail　came

down　with　a　perpetual；　rattling　roar；　that　in　its　sum　was　one　of　the

most　terrible　sounds　to　which　I　ever　listened。　And　yet　above　it　I

thought　that　I　could　catch　another；　still　more　terrible；　the　wail　of

hundreds　of　people　in　agony。　After　the　first　few　minutes　I　began　to　be

afraid　that　the　roof　would　be　battered　in；　or　that　the　walls　would

crumble　beneath　this　perpetual　fire　of　the　musketry　of　heaven。　But　the

cement　was　good　and　the　place　well　built。



So　it　came　about　that　the　house　stood　the　tempest；　which　had　it　been

roofed　with　tiles　or　galvanized　iron　I　am　sure　it　would　never　have

done；　since　the　lumps　of　ice　must　have　shattered　one　and　pierced　the

other　like　paper。　Indeed　I　have　seen　this　happen　in　a　bad　hailstorm　in

Natal　which　killed　my　best　horse。　But　even　that　hail　was　as　snowflakes

compared　to　this。



I　suppose　that　this　natural　phenomenon　continued　for　about　twenty

minutes；　not　more；　during　ten　of　which　it　was　at　its　worst。　Then　by

degrees　it　ceased；　the　sky　cleared　and　the　moon　shone　out　beautifully。

We　climbed　to　the　roof　again　and　looked。　It　was　several　inches　deep　in

jagged　ice；　while　the　market…place　and　all　the　country　round　appeared

in　the　bright　moonlight　to　be　buried　beneath　a　veil　of　snow。



Very　rapidly；　as　the　normal　temperature　of　that　warm　land　reasserted

itself；　this　snow　or　rather　hail　melted；　causing　a　flood　of　water

which；　where　there　was　any　fall；　began　to　rush　away　with　a　gurgling

sound。　Also　we　heard　other　sounds；　such　as　that　from　the　galloping

hoofs　of　many　of　the　horses　which　had　broken　loose　from　their　wrecked

stables　at　the　north　end　of　the　market…place；　where　in　great　number

they　had　been　killed　by　the　falling　roofs　or　had　kicked　each　other　to

death；　and　a　wild　universal　wail　that　rose　from　every　quarter　of　the

big　town；　in　which　quantities　of　the　worst…built　houses　had　collapsed。

Further；　lying　here　and　there　about　the　market…place　we　could　see

scores　of　dark　shapes　that　we　knew　to　be　those　of　men；　women　and

children；　whom　those　sharp　missiles　hurled　from　heaven　had　caught

before　they　could　escape　and　slain　or　wounded　almost　to　death。　For　it

will　be　remembered　that　perhaps　not　fewer　than　two　thousand　people

were　gathered　on　this　market…place；　attending　the　horrid　midnight

sacrifice　and　discussing　the　unnatural　weather　when　the　storm　burst

upon　them　suddenly　as　an　avalanche。



〃The　Child　is　small；　yet　its　strength　is　great。　Behold　the　first

curse！〃　said　Mar？t　solemnly。



I　stared　at　him；　but　as　he　chose　to　believe　that　a　very　unusual

hailstorm　was　a　visitation　from　heaven　I　did　not　think　it　w