the yellow god-第58章

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these　poor　devils；〃　and　he　pointed　to　the　mob　of　porters。　〃Besides；
mustn't　kill　holy　white　man；　poor　black　chap　don't　matter；　plenty　more
where　he　come　from。　Think　we　all　go　see　Miss　Barbara　now。　You　come
too；　my　Lord　Bart。；　but　p'raps　best　tie　your　hands　behind　you　first；
if　you　want　scratch　head；　I　do　it　for　you。　That　only　fair；　you　scratch
mine　this　morning。〃

Then　at　a　word　from　Jeekie　some　of　the　natives　sprang　on　Aylward　and
tied　his　hands　behind　his　back。

〃Is　Miss　Barbara　alive？〃　said　Alan　to　Jeekie　in　an　agonized　whisper；
at　the　same　time　nodding　towards　the　grave　that　was　so　ominously
short。

〃Hope　so；　think　so；　these　cards　say　so；　but　God　He　know　alone；〃
answered　Jeekie。　〃Go　and　look；　that　best　way　to　find　out。〃

So　they　advanced　into　the　camp　through　a　narrow　gateway　made　of　a
V…shaped　piece　of　wood；　to　where　the　two　tents　were　placed　in　its
inner　division。　Of　these　tents；　the　first；　was　open；　whereas　the
second　was　closed。　As　the　open　tent　was　obviously　empty；　they　went　to
the　second；　whereof　Jeekie　began　to　loosen　the　lashings　of　the　flap。
It　was　a　long　business；　for　they　seemed　to　have　been　carefully　knotted
inside；　indeed　at　last；　growing　impatient；　Jeekie　cut　the　cord；　using
the　curved　knife　with　which　the　Mungana　had　tried　to　kill　Alan。

Meanwhile　Alan　was　suffering　torments；　being　convinced　that　Barbara
was　dead　and　buried　in　that　new…made　grave　beneath　the　trees。　He　could
not　speak；　he　could　scarcely　stand；　and　yet　a　picture　began　to　form　in
his　numb　mind。　He　saw　himself　seated　in　the　dark　in　the　Treasure…house
at　Bonsa…Town；　he　saw　a　vision　in　the　air　before　him。

Lo！　the　tent　door　opened　and　that　vision　reappeared。

There　was　the　pale　Barbara　seated；　weeping。　There　again；　as　he　entered
she　sprang　up　and　snatching　the　pistol　that　lay　beside　her；　turned　it
to　her　breast。　Then　she　perceived　him　and　the　pistol　sank　downwards
till　from　her　relaxed　hand　it　dropped　to　the　ground。　She　threw　up　her
arms　and　without　a　sound　fell　backwards；　or　would　have　fallen；　had　he
not　caught　her。



CHAPTER　XIX

THE　LAST　OF　THE　ASIKI

Barbara　had　recovered。　She　sat　upon　her　bed　in　the　tent　and　by　her　sat
Alan；　holding　her　hand；　while　before　them　stood　Aylward　like　a
prisoner　in　the　dock；　and　behind　him　the　armed　Jeekie。

〃Tell　me　the　story；　Barbara；〃　said　Alan；　〃and　tell　it　briefly；　for　I
cannot　bear　much　more　of　this。〃

She　looked　at　him　and　began　in　a　slow；　even　voice：

〃After　you　had　gone；　dear；　things　went　on　as　usual　for　a　month　or　two。
Then　came　the　great　Sahara　Company　trouble。　First　there　were　rumours
and　the　shares　began　to　go　down。　My　uncle　bought　them　in　by　tens　and
hundreds　of　thousands；　to　hold　up　the　market；　because　he　was　being
threatened；　but　of　course　he　did　not　know　then　that　Lord　Aylwardfor
I　forgot　to　tell　you；　he　had　become　a　lord　somehowwas　secretly　one
of　the　principal　sellers；　let　him　deny　it　if　he　can。　At　last　the
Ottoman　Government；　through　the　English　ambassador；　published　its
repudiation　of　the　concession；　which　it　seems　was　a　forgery；　actually
executed　or　obtained　in　Constantinople　by　my　uncle。　Well；　there　was　a
fearful　smash。　Writs　were　taken　out　against　my　uncle；　but　before　they
could　be　served；　he　died　suddenly　of　heart　disease。　I　was　with　him　at
the　time　and　he　kept　saying　he　saw　that　gold　mask　which　Jeekie　calls
Bonsa；　the　thing　you　took　back　to　Africa。　He　had　a　fine　funeral；　for
what　he　had　done　was　not　publicly　known；　and　when　his　will　was　opened
I　found　that　he　had　left　me　his　fortune；　but　made　Lord　Aylward　there
my　trustee　until　I　came　to　the　full　age　of　twenty…five　under　my
father's　will。　Alan；　don't　force　me　to　tell　you　what　sort　of　a
guardian　he　was　to　me；　also　there　was　no　fortune；　it　had　all　gone；
also　I　had　very；　very　little　left；　for　almost　all　my　own　money　had
gone　too。　In　his　despair　he　had　forged　papers　to　get　it　in　order　to
support　those　Sahara　Syndicate　shares。　Still　I　managed　to　borrow　about
￡2000　from　that　little　lawyer　out　of　the　￡5000　that　remain　to　me；　an
independent　sum　which　he　was　unable　to　touch；　and；　Alan；　with　it　I
came　to　find　you。

〃Alan；　Lord　Aylward　followed　me；　although　everybody　else　was　ruined；
he　remained　rich；　very　very　rich；　they　say；　and　his　fancy　was　to　marry
me；　also　I　think　it　was　not　comfortable　for　him　in　England。　It　is　a
long　tale；　but　I　got　up　here　with　about　five…and…twenty　servants；　and
Snell；　my　maid；　whom　you　remember。　Then　we　were　both　taken　ill　with
some　dreadful　fever　and　had　it　not　been　for　those　good　black　people；　I
should　have　died；　for　I　have　been　very　sick；　Alan。　But　they　nursed　me
and　I　recovered；　it　was　poor　Snell　who　died；　they　buried　her　a　few
days　ago。　I　thought　that　she　would　live；　but　she　had　a　relapse。　Next
Lord　Aylward　appeared　with　twelve　soldiers　and　some　porters　who；　I
believe；　have　run　away　now；oh！　you　can　guess；　you　can　guess。　He
wanted　my　people　to　carry　me　away　somewhere；　to　the　coast；　I　suppose；
but　they　were　faithful　to　me　and　would　not。　Then　he　set　his　soldiers
on　to　maltreat　them。　They　shot　several　of　them　and　flogged　them　on
every　opportunity；　they　were　flogging　one　of　them　just　now；　I　heard
them。　Well；　the　poor　men　made　me　understand　that　they　could　bear　it　no
longer　and　must　do　what　he　told　them。

〃And　so；　Alan；　as　I　was　quite　hopeless　and　helpless；　I　made　up　my　mind
to　kill　myself；　hoping　that　God　would　forgive　me　and　that　I　should
find　you　somewhere；　perhaps　after　sleeping　a　while；　for　it　was　better
to　die　than　to　be　given　into　the　powerof　that　man。　I　thought　that　he
was　coming　for　me　just　now　and　I　was　about　to　do　it；　but　it　was　you
instead；　Alan；　/you/；　and　only　just　in　time。　That　is　all　the　story；
and　I　hope　you　will　not　think　that　I　have　acted　very　foolishly；　but　I
did　it　for　the　best。　If　you　only　knew　what　I　have　suffered；　Alan；　what
I　have　gone　through　in　one　way　and　another；　I　am　sure　that　you　would
not　judge　me　harshly；　also　I　kept　dreaming　that　you　were　in　trouble
and　wanted　me　to　come　to　you；　and　of　course　I　knew　where　you　were　gone
and　had　that　map。　Send　him　away；　Alan；　for　I　am　still　so　weak　and　I
cannot　bear　the　sight　of　his　face。　If　you　knew　everything；　you　would
understand。〃

Alan　turned　on　Aylward　and　in　a　cold；　quiet　voice　asked　him　what　he
had　to　say　to　this　story。

〃I　have　to　say；　Major　Vernon；　that　it　is　a　clever　mixture　of　truth　and
falsehood。　It　is　true　that　your　cousin；　Champers…Haswell；　has　been
proved　guilty　of　some　very　shameful　conduct。　For　instance　it　appears
that　he　did　forge；　or　rather　cause　to　be　forged　that　Firman　from　the
Sultan；　although　I　knew　nothing　of　this　until　it　was　publicly
repudiated。　It　is　also　true　that　fearing　exposure　he　entirely　lost　his
head　and　spent　not　only　his　own　great　fortune　but　that　of　Miss
Champers　also；　in　trying　to　support　Sahara　shares。　I　admit　also　that　I
sold　many　hundreds　of　thousands　of　those　shares　in　the　ordinary　way；
having　made　up　my　mind　to　retire　from　business　when　I　was　raised　to
the　peerage。　I　admit　further；　what　you　knew　before；　that　I　was
attached　to　Miss　Champers　and　wished　to　marry　her。　Why　should　I　not；
especially　as　I　had　a　good　deal　to　offer　to　a　lady　who　has　been　proved
to　be　almost　without　fortune？

〃For　the　rest　she　set　out　secretly　on　this　mad　journey　to　Africa；
whither　both　my　duty　as　her　trustee　and　my　affection　prompted　me　to
follow　her。　I　found　her　here　recovering　from　an　illness；　and　since　she
has　dwelt　upon　the　point；　in　self…defence　I　must　tell　you　that
whatever　has　taken　place　between　us；　has　been　with　her　full　consent
and　encouragement。　Of　course　I　allude　only　to　those　affectionate
amenities　which　are　common　between　people　who　purpose　to　marry　as　soon
as　opportunity　may　offer。〃

At　this　declaration　poor　Barbara　gasped　and　leaned　back　against　her
pillow。　Alan　stood　silent；　though　his　lips　turned　white；　while　Jeekie
thrust　his　big　head　through　the　tent　opening　and　stared　upwards。

〃What　are　you　looking　at；　Jeekie？〃　asked　Alan　irritably。

〃Seem　to　want　air；　Major；　also　look　to　see　if　clouds　tumble。　Believe
partickler　big　lie　do　that　sometimes。　Please　go　on；　O　good　Lord；　for
Jeekie　want　his　breakfast。〃

〃As　regards　the　execution　of　two　of　Miss　Champers'　bearers　and　the
flogging　of