the ivory child-第43章

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changed　its　coat。



For　a　while　we　gazed　at　the　loathsome　and　still　glittering　creature；

then　pushed　on　fearful　lest　we　should　stumble　upon　more　of　its　kind。　I

suppose　that　it　must　have　been　solitary；　a　kind　of　serpent　rogue；　as

Jana　was　an　elephant　rogue；　for　we　met　none　and；　if　the　information

which　I　obtained　afterwards　may　be　believed；　there　was　no　species　at

all　resembling　it　in　the　country。　What　its　origin　may　have　been　I

never　learned。　All　the　Kendah　could　or　would　say　about　it　was　that　it

had　lived　in　this　hole　from　the　beginning　and　that　Black　Kendah

prisoners；　or　malefactors；　were　sometimes　given　to　it　to　kill；　as

White　Kendah　prisoners　were　given　to　Jana。



The　cave　itself　proved　to　be　not　very　long；　perhaps　one　hundred　and

fifty　feet；　no　more。　It　was　not　an　artificial　but　a　natural　hollow　in

the　lava　rock；　which　I　suppose　had　once　been　blown　through　it　by　an

outburst　of　steam。　Towards　the　farther　end　it　narrowed　so　much　that　I

began　to　fear　there　might　be　no　exit。　In　this　I　was　mistaken；　however；

for　at　its　termination　we　found　a　hole　just　large　enough　for　a　man　to

walk　in　upright　and　so　difficult　to　climb　through　that　it　became　clear

to　us　that　certainly　this　was　not　the　path　by　which　the　White　Kendah

approached　their　sanctuary。



Scrambling　out　of　this　aperture　with　thankfulness；　we　found　ourselves

upon　the　slope　of　a　kind　of　huge　ditch　of　lava　which　ran　first

downwards　for　about　eighty　paces；　then　up　again　to　the　base　of　the

great　cone　of　the　inner　mountain　which　was　covered　with　dense　forest。



I　presume　that　the　whole　formation　of　this　peculiar　hill　was　the

result　of　a　violent　volcanic　action　in　the　early　ages　of　the　earth。

But　as　I　do　not　understand　such　matters　I　will　not　dilate　upon　them

further　than　to　say　that；　although　comparatively　small；　it　bore　a

certain　resemblance　to　other　extinct　volcanoes　which　I　had　met　with　in

different　parts　of　Africa。



We　climbed　down　to　the　bottom　of　the　ditch　that　from　its　general

appearance　might　have　been　dug　out　by　some　giant　race　as　a　protection

to　their　stronghold；　and　up　its　farther　side　to　where　the　forest　began

on　deep　and　fertile　soil。　Why　there　should　have　been　rich　earth　here

and　none　in　the　ditch　is　more　than　we　could　guess；　but　perhaps　the

presence　of　springs　of　water　in　this　part　of　the　mount　may　have　been　a

cause。　At　any　rate　it　was　so。



The　trees　in　this　forest　were　huge　and　of　a　variety　of　cedar；　but　did

not　grow　closely　together；　also　there　was　practically　no　undergrowth；

perhaps　for　the　reason　that　their　dense；　spreading　tops　shut　out　the

light。　As　I　saw　afterwards　both　trunks　and　boughs　were　clothed　with

long　grey　moss；　which　even　at　midday　gave　the　place　a　very　ghostly

appearance。　The　darkness　beneath　those　trees　was　intense；　literally　we

could　not　see　an　inch　before　our　faces。　Yet　rather　than　stand　still　we

struggled　on；　Hans　leading　the　way；　for　his　instincts　were　quicker

than　ours。　The　steep　rise　of　the　ground　beneath　our　feet　told　us　that

we　were　going　uphill；　as　we　wished　to　do；　and　from　time　to　time　I

consulted　a　pocket　compass　I　carried　by　the　light　of　a　match；　knowing

from　previous　observations　that　the　top　of　the　Holy　Mount　lay　due

north。



Thus　for　hour　after　hour　we　crept　up　and　on；　occasionally　butting　into

the　trunk　of　a　tree　or　stumbling　over　a　fallen　bough；　but　meeting　with

no　other　adventures　or　obstacles　of　a　physical　kind。　Of　moral；　or

rather　mental；　obstacles　there　were　many；　since　to　all　of　us　the

atmosphere　of　this　forest　was　as　that　of　a　haunted　house。　It　may　have

been　the　embracing　darkness；　or　the　sough　of　the　night　wind　amongst

the　boughs　and　mosses；　or　the　sense　of　the　imminent　dangers　that　we

had　passed　and　that　still　awaited　us。　Or　it　may　have　been　unknown

horrors　connected　with　this　place　of　which　some　spiritual　essence

still　survived；　for　without　doubt　localities　preserve　such　influences；

which　can　be　felt　by　the　sensitive　among　living　things；　especially　in

favouring　conditions　of　fear　and　gloom。　At　any　rate　I　never

experienced　more　subtle　and　yet　more　penetrating　terrors　than　I　did

upon　that　night；　and　afterwards　Ragnall　confessed　to　me　that　my　case

was　his　own。　Black　as　it　was　I　thought　that　I　saw　apparitions；　among

them　glaring　eyes　and　that　of　the　elephant　Jana　standing　in　front　of

me　with　his　trunk　raised　against　the　bole　of　a　cedar。　I　could　have

sworn　that　I　saw　him；　nor　was　I　reassured　when　Hans　whispered　to　me

below　his　breath；　for　here　we　did　not　seem　to　dare　to　raise　our

voices：



〃Look；　Baas。　Is　it　Jana　glowing　like　hot　iron　who　stands　yonder？〃



〃Don't　be　a　fool；〃　I　answered。　〃How　can　Jana　be　here　and；　if　he　were

here；　how　could　we　see　him　in　the　night？〃　But　as　I　said　the　words　I

remembered　Har？t　had　told　us　that　Jana　had　been　met　with　on　the　Holy

Mount　〃in　the　spirit　or　in　the　flesh。〃　However　this　may　be；　next

instant　he　was　gone　and　we　beheld　him　or　his　shadow　no　more。　Also　we

thought　that　from　time　to　time　we　heard　voices　speaking　all　around　us；

now　here；　now　there　and　now　in　the　tree　tops　above　our　heads；　though

what　they　said　we　could　not　catch　or　understand。



Thus　the　long　night　wore　away。　Our　progress　was　very　slow；　but　guided

by　occasional　glimpses　at　the　compass　we　never　stopped　but　twice；　once

when　we　found　ourselves　apparently　surrounded　by　tree　boles　and　fallen

boughs；　and　once　when　we　got　into　swampy　ground。　Then　we　took　the　risk

of　lighting　the　lantern；　and　by　its　aid　picked　our　way　through　these

difficult　places。　By　degrees　the　trees　grew　fewer　so　that　we　could　see

the　stars　between　their　tops。　This　was　a　help　to　us　as　I　knew　that　one

of　them；　which　I　had　carefully　noted；　shone　at　this　season　of　the　year

directly　over　the　cone　of　the　mountain；　and　we　were　enabled　to　steer

thereby。



It　must　have　been　not　more　than　half　an　hour　before　the　dawn　that

Hans；　who　was　leadingwe　were　pushing　our　way　through　thick　bushes　at

the　timehalted　hurriedly；　saying：



〃Stop；　Baas；　we　are　on　the　edge　of　a　cliff。　When　I　thrust　my　stick

forward　it　stands　on　nothing。〃



Needless　to　say　we　pulled　up　dead　and　so　remained　without　stirring　an

inch；　for　who　could　say　what　might　be　beyond　us？　Ragnall　wished　to

examine　the　ground　with　the　lantern。　I　was　about　to　consent；　though

doubtfully；　when　suddenly　I　heard　voices　murmuring　and　through　the

screen　of　bushes　saw　lights　moving　at　a　little　distance；　forty　feet　or

more　below　us。　Then　we　gave　up　all　idea　of　making　further　use　of　the

lantern　and　crouched　still　as　mice　in　our　bushes；　waiting　for　the

dawn。



It　came　at　last。　In　the　east　appeared　a　faint　pearly　flush　that　by

degrees　spread　itself　over　the　whole　arch　of　the　sky　and　was　welcomed

by　the　barking　of　monkeys　and　the　call　of　birds　in　the　depths　of　the

dew…steeped　forest。　Next　a　ray　from　the　unrisen　sun；　a　single　spear　of

light　shot　suddenly　across　the　sky；　and　as　it　appeared；　from　the

darkness　below　us　arose　a　sound　of　chanting；　very　low　and　sweet　to

hear。　It　died　away　and　for　a　little　while　there　was　silence　broken

only　by　a　rustling　sound　like　to　that　of　people　taking　their　seats　in

a　dark　theatre。　Then　a　woman　began　to　sing　in　a　beautiful；　contralto

voice；　but　in　what　language　I　do　not　know；　for　I　could　not　catch　the

words；　if　these　were　words　and　not　only　musical　notes。



I　felt　Ragnall　trembling　beside　me　and　in　a　whisper　asked　him　what　was

the　matter。　He　answered；　also　in　a　whisper：



〃I　believe　that　is　my　wife's　voice。〃



〃If　so；　I　beg　you　to　control　yourself；〃　I　replied。



Now　the　skies　began　to　flame　and　the　light　to　pour　itself　into　a　misty

hollow　beneath　us　like　streams　of　many…coloured　gems　into　a　bowl；

driving　away　the　shadows。　By　degrees　these　vanished；　by　degrees　we　saw

everything。　Beneath　us　was　an　amphitheatre；　on　the　southern　wall　of

which　we　were　seated；　though　it　was　not　a　wall　but　a　lava　cliff

between　forty　and　fifty　feet　high　which　served　as　a　wall。　The

amphitheatre　itself；　however；　almost　exactly　resembled　those　of　the

ancients　which　I　had　seen　in　pictures　and　Ragnall　had　visited　in

Italy；　Greece；　and　Southern　France。　It　was　oval　in　shape　and　not　very

large；　perhaps　the　flat　space　at　the　bottom　may　have　covered　something

over　an　acre；　but　all　round　this　oval　ran　tiers　of　seats　cut　in　the

lava　of　the　crater。　For　without　doubt　this　was　the　crater　of　an

extinct　volcano。



Moreover；　in　what　I　will　call　the　arena；　stood　a　temple　that　in　its

main　outlines；　although　small；　exactly　resembled　those　still　to　be

seen　in　Egypt。　There　was　the　gateway　or　pylon；　there　the　open　outer

court　with　columns　round　it　supporting　roofed　cloisters；　which；　as　we

ascertained　afterwards；　were　used　as　dwelling…places　by　the　priests。

There　beyond　and　connected　with　the　first　by　a　short　passage　was　a

second　rather　smaller　court；　also　open　to　the　sky；　and　beyond　this

again；　built　like　all　the　rest　of　the　temple　of　lava　blocks；　a　roofed

erection　measuring　about　twelve　feet　square；　which　I　guessed　at　once

must　be　the　sanctuary。



This　temple　was；　as　I　have　said；　small；　but　extremely　well

proportioned；　every　detail　of　it　being　in　the　most　excellent　taste

though　unornamented　by　sculpture　or　painting。　I　have　to　add　that　in

front　of　the　sanctuary　door　stood　a　large　block　of　lava；　which　I

concluded　was　an　altar；　and　in　front　of　this　a　stone　seat　and　a　basin；

also　of　stone；　supported　upon　a　very　low　tripod。　Further；　behind　the

sanctuary　was　a　square　house　with　window…places。



At　the　moment　of　our　first　sight　of　this　place　the　courts　were　empty；

but　on　the　benches　of　the　amphitheatre　were　seated　about　three　hundred

persons；　male　and　female；　the　men　to　the　north　and　the　women　to　the

south。　They　were　all　clad　in　pure　white　robes；　the　heads　of　the　men

being　shaved　and　those　of　the　women　veiled；　but　leaving　the　face

exposed。　Lastly；　there　were　two　roadways　into　the　amphitheatre；　one

running　east　and　one　west　through　tunnels　hollowed　in　the　encircling

rock　of　the　crater；　both　of　which　roads　were　closed　at　the　mouths　of

the　tunnels　by　massive　wooden　double　doors；　seventeen　or　eighteen　feet

in　height。　From　these　roadways　and　their　doors　we　learned　two　things。

First；　that　the　cave　where　had　lived　the　Father　of　Serpents　was；　as　I

had　suspected；　not　the　real　approach　to　the　shrine　of　the　Child；　but

only　a　blind；　and；　secondly；　that　the　ceremony　we　were　about　to

witness　was　secret　and　might　only　be　attended　by　the　priestly　class　or

families　of　this　strange　tribe。



Scarcely　was　it　full　daylight　when　from　the　cells　of　the　cloisters

round　the　outer　court　issued　twelve　priests　headed　by　Har？t　himself；

who　looked　very　dignified　in　his　white　garment；　each　of　whom　carried

on　a　wooden　platter　ears　of　different　kinds　of　corn。　Then　from　the

cells　of　the　southern　cloister　issued　twelve　women；　or　rather　girls；

for　all　were　young　and　very　comely；　who　ranged　themselves　alongside　of

the　men。　These　also　carried　wooden　platters；　and　on　them　bl