the ivory child-第54章

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Another　moment；　and　the　mighty　trunk　had　wrapped　itself　about　Hans　and

hurled　him　through　the　air　to　fall　on　to　his　head　and　arms　thirty　or

forty　feet　away。



Jana　staggered　as　though　he　too　were　about　to　fall；　recovered　himself；

swerved　to　the　right；　perhaps　to　follow　Hans；　stumbled　on　a　few　paces；

missing　me　altogether；　then　again　came　to　a　standstill。　I　wriggled

myself　round　and；　seated　on　the　pavement　of　the　court；　watched　what

followed；　and　glad　am　I　that　I　was　able　to　do　so；　for　never　shall　I

behold　such　another　scene。



First　I　saw　Ragnall　run　up　with　a　rifle　and　fire　two　barrels　at　the

brute's　head；　of　which　he　took　no　notice　whatsoever。　Then　I　saw　his

wife；　who　in　this　land　was　known　as　the　Guardian　of　the　Child；　issuing

from　the　portals　of　the　second　court；　dressed　in　her　goddess　robes；

wearing　the　cap　of　bird's　feathers；　attended　by　the　two　priestesses

also　dressed　as　goddesses；　as　we　had　seen　her　on　the　morning　of

sacrifice；　and　holding　in　front　of　her　the　statue　of　the　Ivory　Child。



On　she　came　quite　quietly；　her　wide；　empty　eyes　fixed　upon　Jana。　As

she　advanced　the　monster　seemed　to　grow　uneasy。　Turning　his　head；　he

lifted　his　trunk　and　thrust　it　along　his　back　until　it　gripped　the

ankle　of　the　King　Simba；　who　all　this　while　was　seated　there　in　his

chair　making　no　movement。



With　a　slow；　steady　pull　he　dragged　Simba　from　the　chair　so　that　he

fell　upon　the　ground　near　his　left　foreleg。　Next　very　composedly　he

wound　his　trunk　about　the　body　of　the　helpless　man；　whose　horrified

eyes　I　can　see　to　this　day；　and　began　to　whirl　him　round　and　round　in

the　air；　gently　at　first　but　with　a　motion　that　grew　ever　more　rapid；

until　the　bright　chains　on　the　victim's　breast　flashed　in　the　sunlight

like　a　silver　wheel。　Then　he　hurled　him　to　the　ground；　where　the　poor

king　lay　a　mere　shattered　pulp　that　had　been　human。



Now　the　priestess　was　standing　in　front　of　the　beast…god；　apparently

quite　without　fear；　though　her　two　attendants　had　fallen　back。　Ragnall

sprang　forward　as　though　to　drag　her　away；　but　a　dozen　men　leapt　on　to

him　and　held　him　fast；　either　to　save　his　life　or　for　some　secret

reason　of　their　own　which　I　never　learned。



Jana　looked　down　at　her　and　she　looked　up　at　Jana。　Then　he　screamed

furiously　and；　shooting　out　his　trunk；　snatched　the　Ivory　Child　from

her　hands；　whirled　it　round　as　he　had　whirled　Simba；　and　at　last

dashed　it　to　the　stone　pavement　as　he　had　dashed　Simba；　so　that　its

substance；　grown　brittle　on　the　passage　of　the　ages；　shattered　into

ten　thousand　fragments。



At　this　sight　a　great　groan　went　up　from　the　men　of　the　White　Kendah；

the　women　dressed　as　goddesses　shrieked　and　tore　their　robes；　and

Har？t；　who　stood　near；　fell　down　in　a　fit　or　faint。



Once　more　Jana　screamed。　Then　slowly　he　knelt　down；　beat　his　trunk　and

the　clattering　metal　balls　upon　the　ground　thrice；　as　though　he　were

making　obeisance　to　the　beautiful　priestess　who　stood　before　him；

shivered　throughout　his　mighty　bulk；　and　rolled　overdead！







The　fighting　ceased。　The　Black　Kendah；　who　all　this　while　had　been

pressing　into　the　court　of　the　temple；　saw　and　stood　stupefied。　It　was

as　though　in　the　presence　of　events　to　them　so　pregnant　and　terrible

men　could　no　longer　lift　their　swords　in　war。



A　voice　called：　〃The　god　is　dead！　The　king　is　dead！　Jana　has　slain

Simba　and　has　himself　been　slain！　Shattered　is　the　Child；　spilt　is　the

blood　of　Jana！　Fly；　People　of　the　Black　Kendah；　fly；　for　the　gods　are

dead　and　your　land　is　a　land　of　ghosts！〃



From　every　side　was　this　wail　echoed：　〃Fly；　People　of　the　Black

Kendah；　for　the　gods　are　dead！〃



They　turned；　they　sped　away　like　shadows；　carrying　their　wounded　with

them；　nor　did　any　attempt　to　stay　them。　Thirty　minutes　later；　save　for

some　desperately　hurt　or　dying　men；　not　one　of　them　was　left　in　the

temple　or　the　pass　beyond。　They　had　all　gone；　leaving　none　but　the

dead　behind　them。



The　fight　was　finished！　The　fight　that　had　seemed　lost　was　won！







I　dragged　myself　from　the　ground。　As　I　gained　my　tottering　feet；　for

now　that　all　was　over　I　felt　as　if　I　were　made　of　running　water；　I　saw

the　men　who　held　Ragnall　loose　their　grip　of　him。　He　sprang　to　where

his　wife　was　and　stood　before　her　as　though　confused；　much　as　Jana　had

stood；　Jana　against　whose　head　he　rested；　his　left　hand　holding　to　the

brute's　gigantic　tusk；　for　I　think　that　he　also　was　weak　with　toil；

terror；　loss　of　blood　and　emotion。



〃Luna；〃　he　gasped；　〃Luna！〃



Leaning　on　the　shoulder　of　a　Kendah　man；　I　drew　nearer　to　see　what

passed　between　them；　for　my　curiosity　overcame　my　faintness。　For　quite

a　long　while　she　stared　at　him；　till　suddenly　her　eyes　began　to

change。　It　was　as　though　a　soul　were　arising　in　their　emptiness　as　the

moon　arises　in　the　quiet　evening　sky；　giving　them　light　and　life。　At

length　she　spoke　in　a　slow；　hesitating　voice；　the　tones　of　which　I

remembered　well　enough；　saying：



〃Oh！　George；　that　dreadful　brute；〃　and　she　pointed　to　the　dead

elephant；　〃has　killed　our　baby。　Look　at　it！　Look　at　it！　We　must　be

everything　to　each　other　now；　dear；　as　we　were　before　it　cameunless

God　sends　us　another。〃



Then　she　burst　into　a　flood　of　weeping　and　fell　into　his　arms；　after

which　I　turned　away。　So；　to　their　honour　be　it　said；　did　the　Kendah；

leaving　the　pair　alone　behind　the　bulk　of　dead　Jana。



Here　I　may　state　two　things：　first；　that　Lady　Ragnall；　whose　bodily

health　had　remained　perfect　throughout；　entirely　recovered　her　reason

from　that　moment。　It　was　as　though　on　the　shattering　of　the　Ivory

Child　some　spell　had　been　lifted　off　her。　What　this　spell　may　have

been　I　am　quite　unable　to　explain；　but　I　presume　that　in　a　dim　and

unknown　way　she　connected　this　effigy　with　her　own　lost　infant　and

that　while　she　held　and　tended　it　her　intellect　remained　in　abeyance。

If　so；　she　must　also　have　connected　its　destruction　with　the　death　of

her　own　child　which；　strangely　enough；　it　will　be　remembered；　was

likewise　killed　by　an　elephant。　The　first　death　that　occurred　in　her

presence　took　away　her　reason；　the　second　seeming　death；　which　also

occurred　in　her　presence；　brought　it　back　again！



Secondly；　from　the　moment　of　the　destruction　of　her　boy　in　the　streets

of　the　English　country　town　to　that　of　the　shattering　of　the　Ivory

Child　in　Central　Africa　her　memory　was　an　utter　blank；　with　one

exception。　This　exception　was　a　dream　which　a　few　days　later　she

narrated　to　Ragnall　in　my　presence。　That　dream　was　that　she　had　seen

him　and　Savage　sleeping　together　in　a　native　house　one　night。　In　view

of　a　certain　incident　recorded　in　this　history　I　leave　the　reader　to

draw　his　own　conclusions　as　to　this　curious　incident。　I　have　none　to

offer；　or　if　I　have　I　prefer　to　keep　them　to　myself。



Leaving　Ragnall　and　his　wife；　I　staggered　off　to　look　for　Hans　and

found　him　lying　senseless　near　the　north　wall　of　the　temple。　Evidently

he　was　beyond　human　help；　for　Jana　seemed　to　have　crushed　most　of　his

ribs　in　his　iron　trunk。　We　carried　him　to　one　of　the　priest's　cells

and　there　I　watched　him　till　the　end；　which　came　at　sundown。



Before　he　died　he　became　quite　conscious　and　talked　with　me　a　good

deal。



〃Don't　grieve　about　missing　Jana；　Baas；〃　he　said；　〃for　it　wasn't　you

who　missed　him　but　some　devil　that　turned　your　bullets。　You　see；　Baas；

he　was　bewitched　against　you　white　men。　When　you　look　at　him　closely

you　will　find　that　the　Lord　Igeza　missed　him　also〃　（strange　as　it　may

seem；　this　proved　to　be　the　case）；　〃and　when　you　managed　to　hit　the

tip　of　his　tusk　with　the　last　ball　the　magic　was　wearing　off　him；

that's　all。　But；　Baas；　those　Black　Kendah　wizards　forgot　to　bewitch

him　against　the　little　yellow　man；　of　whom　they　took　no　account。　So　I

hit　him　sure　enough　every　time　I　fired　at　him；　and　I　hope　he　liked　the

taste　of　my　bullets　in　that　great　mouth　of　his。　He　knew　who　had　sent

them　there　very　well。　That's　why　he　left　you　alone　and　made　for　me；　as

I　had　hoped　he　would。　Oh！　Baas；　I　die　happy；　quite　happy　since　I　have

killed　Jana　and　he　caught　me　and　not　you；　me　who　was　nearly　finished

anyhow。　For；　Baas；　though　I　didn't　say　anything　about　it；　a　thrown

spear　struck　my　groin　when　I　went　down　among　the　Black　Kendah　this

morning。　It　was　only　a　small　cut；　which　bled　little；　but　as　the

fighting　went　on　something　gave　way　and　my　inside　began　to　come

through　it；　though　I　tied　it　up　with　a　bit　of　cloth；　which　of　course

means　death　in　a　day　or　two。〃　（Subsequent　examination　showed　me　that

Hans's　story　of　this　wound　was　perfectly　true。　He　could　not　have　lived

for　very　long。）



〃Baas；〃　he　went　on　after　a　pause；　〃no　doubt　I　shall　meet　that　Zulu

lady　Mameena　to…night。　Tell　me；　is　she　really　entitled　to　the　royal

salute？　Because　if　not；　when　I　am　as　much　a　spook　as　she　is　I　will　not

give　it　to　her　again。　She　never　gave　me　my　titles；　which　are　good　ones

in　their　way；　so　why　should　I　give　her　the　/Bayéte/；　unless　it　is　hers

by　right　of　blood；　although　I　am　only　a　little　'yellow　dog'　as　she

chose　to　call　me？〃



As　this　ridiculous　point　seemed　to　weigh　upon　his　mind　I　told　him　that

Mameena　was　not　even　of　royal　blood　and　in　nowise　entitled　to　the

salute　of　kings。



〃Ah！〃　he　said　with　a　feeble　grin；　〃then　now　I　shall　know　how　to　deal

with　her；　especially　as　she　cannot　pretend　that　I　did　not　play　my　part

in　the　battle；　as　she　bade　me　do。　Did　you　see　anything　of　her　when

Jana　charged；　Baas；　because　I　thought　I　did？〃



〃I　seemed　to　see　something；　but　no　doubt　it　was　only　a　fancy。〃



〃A　fancy？　Explain　to　me；　Baas；　where　truths　end　and　fancies　begin　and

whether　what　we　think　are　fancies　are　not　sometimes　the　real　truths。

Once　or　twice　I　have　thought　so　of　late；　Baas。〃



I　could　not　answer　this　riddle；　so　instead　I　gave　him　some　water　which

he　asked　for；　and　he　continued：



〃Baas；　have　you　any　messages　for　the　two　Shining　ones；　for　her　whose

name　is　holy　and　her　sister；　and　for　the　child　of　her　whose　name　is

holy；　the　Missie　Marie；　and　for　your　reverend　father；　the　Predikant？

If　so；　tell　it　quickly　before　my　head　grows　too　empty　to　hold　the

words。〃



I　will　confess；　however　foolish　it　may　seem；　that　I　gave　him　certain

messages；　but　what　they　were　I　shall　not　write　down。　Let　them　remain

secret　between　me　and　him。　Yes；　between　me　and　him　and　perhaps　those

to　whom　they　were　to　be　delivered。　For　after　all；　in　his　own　words；

who　can　know　exactly　where　fancies　end　and　truth　begin；　and　whether　at

times　fancies　are　not　the　veritable　truths　in　this　universal　mystery

of　which　the　individual　life　of　each　of　us　is　so　small　a　part？



Hans　repeated　what　I　had　spoken　to　him　word　for　word；　as　a　native

does；　repeated　it　twice　over；　after　which　he　said　he　knew　it　by　heart

and　remained　silent　for　a　long　while。　Then　he　asked　me　to　lift　him　up

in　the　doorway　of　the　cell　so　that　he　might　look　at　the　sun　setting

for　the　last　time；　〃