the ivory child-第39章

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〃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　an　expedition

to　kill　the　elephant　Jana。



Supposing　such　a　vision　to　be　possible；　then　might　it　not　have　come；

or　been　sent　to　deter　us　from　this　plan？　It　would　seem　so。



Thus　reflecting　I　went　to　sleep　worn　out　with　useless　wonderment；　and

did　not　wake　again　till　breakfast　time。　That　morning；　when　we　were

alone　together；　Ragnall　said　to　me：



〃I　have　been　thinking　over　what　happened；　or　seemed　to　happen　last

night。　I　am　not　at　all　a　superstitious　man；　or　one　given　to　vain

imaginings；　but　I　am　sure　that　Savage　and　I　really　did　see　and　hear

the　spirit　or　the　shadow　of　my　wife。　Her　body　it　could　not　have　been

as　you　will　admit；　though　how　she　could　utter；　or　seem　to　utter；

audible　speech　without　one　is　more　than　I　can　tell。　Also　I　am　sure

that　she　is　captive　upon　yonder　mountain　and　came　to　call　me　to　rescue

her。　Under　these　circumstances　I　feel　that　it　is　my　duty；　as　well　as

my　desire；　to　give　up　any　idea　of　leaving　the　country　and　try　to　find

out　the　truth。〃



〃And　how　will　you　do　that；〃　I　asked；　〃seeing　that　no　one　will　tell　us

anything？〃



〃By　going　to　see　for　myself。〃



〃It　is　impossible；　Ragnall。　I　am　too　lame　at　present　to　walk　half　a

mile；　much　less　to　climb　precipices。〃



〃I　know；　and　that　is　one　of　the　reasons　why　I　did　not　suggest　that　you

should　accompany　me。　The　other　is　that　there　is　no　object　in　all　of　us

risking　our　lives。　I　wished　to　face　the　thing　alone；　but　that　good

fellow　Savage　says　that　he　will　go　where　I　go；　leaving　you　and　Hans

here　to　make　further　attempts　if　we　do　not　return。　Our　plan　is　to　slip

out　of　the　town　during　the　night；　wearing　white　dresses　like　the

Kendah；　of　which　I　have　bought　some　for　tobacco；　and　make　the　best　of

our　way　up　the　slope　by　starlight　that　is　very　bright　now。　When　dawn

comes　we　will　try　to　find　the　road　through　that　precipice；　or　over　it；

and　for　the　rest　trust　to　Providence。〃



Dismayed　at　this　intelligence；　I　did　all　I　could　to　dissuade　him　from

such　a　mad　venture；　but　quite　without　avail；　for　never　did　I　know　a

more　determined　or　more　fearless　man　than　Lord　Ragnall。　He　had　made　up

his　mind　and　there　was　an　end　of　the　matter。　Afterwards　I　talked　with

Savage；　pointing　out　to　him　all　the　perils　involved　in　the　attempt；

but　likewise　without　avail。　He　was　more　depressed　than　usual；

apparently　on　the　ground　that　〃having　seen　the　ghost　of　her　ladyship〃

he　was　sure　he　had　not　long　to　live。　Still；　he　declared　that　where　his

master　went　he　would　go；　as　he　preferred　to　die　with　him　rather　than

alone。



So　I　was　obliged　to　give　in　and　with　a　melancholy　heart　to　do　what　I

could　to　help　in　the　simple　preparations　for　this　crazy　undertaking；

realizing　all　the　while　that　the　only　real　help　must　come　from　above；

since　in　such　a　case　man　was　powerless。　I　should　add　that　after

consultation；　Ragnall　gave　up　the　idea　of　adopting　a　Kendah　disguise

which　was　certain　to　be　discovered；　also　of　starting　at　night　when　the

town　was　guarded。



That　very　afternoon　they　went；　going　out　of　the　town　quite　openly　on

the　pretext　of　shooting　partridges　and　small　buck　on　the　lower　slopes

of　the　mountain；　where　both　were　numerous；　as　Har？t　had　informed　us　we

were　quite　at　liberty　to　do。　The　farewell　was　somewhat　sad；　especially

with　Savage；　who　gave　me　a　letter　he　had　written　for　his　old　mother　in

England；　requesting　me　to　post　it　if　ever　again　I　came　to　a　civilized

land。



I　did　my　best　to　put　a　better　spirit　in　him　but　without　avail。　He　only

wrung　my　hand　warmly；　said　that　it　was　a　pleasure　to　have　known　such　a

〃real　gentleman〃　as　myself；　and　expressed　a　hope　that　I　might　get　out

of　this　hell　and　live　to　a　green　old　age　amongst　Christians。　Then　he

wiped　away　a　tear　with　the　cuff　of　his　coat；　touched　his　hat　in　the

orthodox　fashion　and　departed。　Their　outfit；　I　should　add；　was　very

simple：　some　food　in　bags；　a　flask　of　spirits；　two　double…barrelled

guns　that　would　shoot　either　shot　or　ball；　a　bull's…eye　lantern；

matches　and　their　pistols。



Hans　walked　with　them　a　little　way　and；　leaving　them　outside　the　town；

returned。



〃Why　do　you　look　so　gloomy；　Hans？〃　I　asked。



〃Because；　Baas；〃　he　answered；　twiddling　his　hat；　〃I　had　grown　to　be

fond　of　the　white　man；　Bena；　who　was　always　very　kind　to　me　and　did

not　treat　me　like　dirt　as　low…born　whites　are　apt　to　do。　Also　he

cooked　well；　and　now　I　shall　have　to　do　that　work　which　I　do　not

like。〃



〃What　do　you　mean；　Hans？　The　man　isn't　dead；　is　he？〃



〃No；　Baas；　but　soon　he　will　be；　for　the　shadow　of　death　is　in　his

eyes。〃



〃Then　how　about　Lord　Ragnall？〃



〃I　saw　no　shadow　in　his　eyes；　I　think　that　he　will　live；　Baas。〃



I　tried　to　get　some　explanation　of　these　dark　sayings　out　of　the

Hottentot；　but　he　would　add　nothing　to　his　words。



All　the　following　night　I　lay　awake　filled　with　heavy　fears　which

deepened　as　the　hours　went　on。　Just　before　dawn　we　heard　a　knocking　on

our　door　and　Ragnall's　voice　whispering　to　us　to　open。　Hans　did　so

while　I　lit　a　candle；　of　which　we　had　a　good　supply。　As　it　burned　up

Ragnall　entered；　and　from　his　face　I　saw　at　once　that　something

terrible　had　happened。　He　went　to　the　jar　where　we　kept　our　water　and

drank　three　pannikin…fuls；　one　after　the　other。　Then　without　waiting

to　be　asked；　he　said：



〃Savage　is　dead；〃　and　paused　a　while　as　though　some　awful　recollection

overcame　him。　〃Listen；〃　he　went　on　presently。　〃We　worked　up　the　hill…

side　without　firing；　although　we　saw　plenty　of　partridges　and　one

buck；　till　just　as　twilight　was　closing　in；　we　came　to　the　cliff　face。

Here　we　perceived　a　track　that　ran　to　the　mouth　of　a　narrow　cave　or

tunnel　in　the　lava　rock　of　the　precipice；　which　looked　quite

unclimbable。　While　we　were　wondering　what　to　do；　eight　or　ten　white…

robed　men　appeared　out　of　the　shadows　and　seized　us　before　we　could

make　any　resistance。　After　talking　together　for　a　little　they　took

away　our　guns