child of storm-第10章
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outraged chief。
Being collected; the question arose what we should do。 Of course; I
wished to return to camp and get out of this ill…omened place as soon as
possible。 But I had reckoned without the vanity of Umbezi。 Umbezi
stretched over the edge of a sharp rock; whither he had been hoisted by
the nose of a buffalo; and imagining himself to be mortally wounded; was
one thing; but Umbezi in a borrowed moocha; although; because of his
bruises; he supported his person with one hand in front and with the
other behind; knowing his injuries to be purely superficial; was quite
another。
〃I am a hunter;〃 he said; 〃I am named 'Eater…up…of…Elephants';〃 and he
rolled his eyes; looking about for someone to contradict him; which
nobody did。 Indeed; his 〃praiser;〃 a thin; tired…looking person; whose
voice was worn out with his previous exertions; repeated in a feeble
way:
〃Yes; Black One; 'Eater…up…of…Elephants' is your name;
'Lifted…up…by…Buffalo' is your name。〃
〃Be silent; idiot;〃 roared Umbezi。 〃As I said; I am a hunter; I have
wounded the wild beast that subsequently dared to assault me。 'As a
matter of fact; it was I; Allan Quatermain; who had wounded it。' I
would make it bite the dust; for it cannot be far away。 Let us follow
it。〃
He glared round him; whereon his obsequious people; or one of them;
echoed:
〃Yes; by all means let us follow it; 'Eater…up…of…Elephants。'
Macumazahn; the clever white man; will show us how; for where is the
buffalo that he fears!〃
Of course; after this there was nothing else to be done; so; having
summoned the scratched Scowl; who seemed to have no heart in the
business; we started on the spoor of the herd; which was as easy to
track as a wagon road。
〃Never mind; Baas;〃 said Scowl; 〃they are two hours' march off by now。〃
〃I hope so;〃 I answered; but; as it happened; luck was against me; for
before we had covered half a mile some over…zealous fellow struck a
blood spoor。
I marched on that spoor for twenty minutes or so; till we came to a
patch of bush that sloped downwards to a river…bed。 Right to this river
I followed it; till I reached the edge of a big pool that was still full
of water; although the river itself had gone dry。 Here I stood looking
at the spoor and consulting with Saduko as to whether the beast could
have swum the pool; for the tracks that went to its very verge had
become confused and uncertain。 Suddenly our doubts were ended; since
out of a patch of dense bush which we had passedfor it had played the
common trick of doubling back on its own spoorappeared the buffalo; a
huge bull; that halted on three legs; my bullet having broken one of its
thighs。 As to its identity there was no doubt; since on; or rather
from; its right horn; which was cleft apart at the top; hung the remains
of Umbezi's moocha。
〃Oh; beware; Inkoosi;〃 cried Saduko in a frightened voice。 _〃It is the
buffalo with the cleft horn!_〃
I heard him; I saw。 All the scene in the hut of Zikali rose before
methe old dwarf; his words; everything。 I lifted my rifle and fired
at the charging beast; but knew that the bullet glanced from its skull。
I threw down the gunfor the buffalo was right on meand tried to jump
aside。
Almost I did so; but that cleft horn; to which hung the remains of
Umbezi's moocha; scooped me up and hurled me off the river bank
backwards and sideways into the deep pool below。 As I departed thither
I saw Saduko spring forward and heard a shot fired that caused the bull
to collapse for a moment。 Then with a slow; sliding motion it followed
me into the pool。
Now we were together; and there was no room for both; so after a certain
amount of dodging I went under; as the lighter dog always does in a
fight。 That buffalo seemed to do everything to me which a buffalo could
do under the circumstances。 It tried to horn me; and partially
succeeded; although I ducked at each swoop。 Then it struck me with its
nose and drove me to the bottom of the pool; although I got hold of its
lip and twisted it。 Then it calmly knelt on me and sank me deeper and
deeper into the mud。 I remember kicking it in the stomach。 After this
I remember no more; except a kind of wild dream in which I rehearsed all
the scene in the dwarf's hut; and his request that when I met the
buffalo with the cleft horn in the pool of a dried river; I should
remember that he was nothing but a 〃poor old Kafir cheat。〃
After this I saw my mother bending over a little child in my bed in the
old house in Oxfordshire where I was born; and thenblackness!
I came to myself again and saw; instead of my mother; the stately figure
of Saduko bending over me upon one side; and on the other that of Scowl;
the half…bred Hottentot; who was weeping; for his hot tears fell upon my
face。
〃He is gone;〃 said poor Scowl; 〃that bewitched beast with the split horn
has killed him。 He is gone who was the best white man in all South
Africa; whom I loved better than my father and all my relatives。〃
〃That you might easily do; Bastard;〃 answered Saduko; 〃seeing that you
do not know who they are。 But he is not gone; for the 'Opener…of…Roads'
said that he would live; also I got my spear into the heart of that
buffalo before he had kneaded the life out of him; as fortunately the
mud was soft。 Yet I fear that his ribs are broken〃; and he poked me
with his finger on the breast。
〃Take your clumsy hand off me;〃 I gasped。
〃There!〃 said Saduko; 〃I have made him feel。 Did I not tell you that he
would live?〃
After this I remember little more; except some confused dreams; till I
found myself lying in a great hut; which I discovered subsequently was
Umbezi's own; the same; indeed; wherein I had doctored the ear of that
wife of his who was called 〃Worn…out…old…Cow。〃
CHAPTER IV
MAMEENA
For a while I contemplated the roof and sides of the hut by the light
which entered it through the smoke…vent and the door…hole; wondering
whose it might be and how I came there。
Then I tried to sit up; and instantly was seized with agony in the
region of the ribs; which I found were bound about with broad strips of
soft tanned hide。 Clearly they; or some of them; were broken。
What had broken them? I asked myself; and in a flash everything came
back to me。 So I had escaped with my life; as the old dwarf;
〃Opener…of…Roads;〃 had told me that I should。 Certainly he was an
excellent prophet; and if he spoke truth in this matter; why not in
others? What was I to make of it all? How could a black savage;
however ancient; foresee the future?
By induction from the past; I supposed; and yet what amount of induction
would suffice to show him the details of a forthcoming accident that was
to happen to me through the agency of a wild beast with a peculiarly
shaped horn? I gave it up; as before and since that day I have found it
necessary to do in the case of many other events in life。 Indeed; the
question is one that I often have had cause to ask where Kafir
〃witch…doctors〃 or prophets are concerned; notably in the instance of a
certain Mavovo; of whom I hope to tell one day; whose predictions saved
my life and those of my companions。
Just then I heard the sound of someone creeping through the bee…hole of
the hut; and half…closed my eyes; as I did not feel inclined for
conversation。 The person came and stood over me; and somehowby
instinct; I supposeI became aware that my visitor was a woman。 Very
slowly I lifted my eyelids; just enough to enable me to see her。
There; standing in a beam of golden light that; passing through the
smoke…hole; pierced the soft gloom of the hut; stood the most beautiful
creature that I had ever seenthat is; if it be admitted that a person
who is black; or rather copper…coloured; can be beautiful。
She was a little above the medium height; not more; with a figure that;
so far as I am a judge of such matters; was absolutely perfectthat of
a Greek statue indeed。 On this point I had an opportunity of forming an
opinion; since; except for her little bead apron and a single string of
large blue beads about her throat; her costume waswell; that of a
Greek statue。 Her features showed no trace of the negro type; on the
contrary; they were singularly well cut; the nose being straight and
fine and the pouting mouth that just showed the ivory teeth between;
very small。 Then the eyes; large; dark and liquid; like those of a
buck; set beneath a smooth; broad forehead on which the curling; but not
woolly; hair grew low。 This hair; by the way; was not dressed up in any
of the eccentric native fashions; but simply parted in the middle and
tied in a big knot over the nape of the neck; the little ears peeping
out through its tresses。 The hands; like the feet; were very small and
delicate; and the curves of the bust soft and full without being coarse;
or even showing the promise of coarseness。
A lovely woman; truly; and yet there was something not quite pleasing
about that beautiful face; something; notwithstanding its childlike
outline; which reminded me of a flower breaking into bloom; that one
does not associate with youth and innocence。 I tried to analyse what
this might be; and came to the conclusion that without being hard; it
was too clever and; in a sense; too reflective。 I felt even then that
the brain within the shapely head was keen and bright as polished steel;
that this woman was one made to rule; not to be man's toy; or even his
loving companion; but to use him for her ends。
She dropped her chin till it hid the little; dimple…like depression
below her throat; which was one of her charms; and began not to look at;
but to study me; seeing which I shut my eyes tight and waited。
Evidently she thought that I was still in my swoon; for now she spoke to
herself in a low voice that was soft and sweet as honey。
〃A small man;〃 she said; 〃Saduko would make two of him; and the
other〃who was he; I wondered〃three。 His hair; too; is ugly; he cuts
it short and it sticks up like that on a cat's back。 Iya!〃 (i。e。
Piff!); and she moved her hand contemptuously; 〃a feather of a man。 But
whitewhite; one of those who rule。 Why; they all of them know that he
is their master。 They call him 'He…who…never…Sleeps。' They say that he
has the courage of a lioness with younghe who got away when Dingaan
killed Piti 'Retief' and the Boers; they say that he is quick and
cunning as a snake; and that Panda and his great indunas think more of
him than of any white man they know。 He is unmarried also; though they
say; too; that twice he had a wife; who died; and now he does not turn
to look at women; which is strange in any man; and shows that he will
escape trouble and succeed。 Still; it must be remembered that they are
all ugly down here in Zululand; cows; or heifers who will be cows。
Piff! no more。〃
She paused for a little while; then went on in her dreamy; reflective
voice:
〃Now; if he met a woman who is not merely a cow or a heifer; a woman
cleverer than himself; even if she were not white; I wonder〃
At this point I thought it well to wake up。 Turning my head I yawned;
opened my eyes and looked at her vaguely; seeing which her expression
changed in a f