benita-第22章

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you　that　it　is　best　to　stay　where　we　are；　and　trust　to　God。〃







X



THE　MOUNTAIN　TOP



If　our　adventurers；　or　any　of　them；　hoped　that　they　were　going　to　be

led　to　the　secret　places　of　the　fortress　that　day；　they　were　destined

to　disappointment。　Indeed；　the　remainder　of　it　was　employed　arduously

enough　in　unpacking　rifles；　and　a　supply　of　ammunition；　also　in　giving

to　a　few　of　the　leading　Makalanga　preliminary　lessons　in　the　method　of

their　use；　a　matter　as　to　which　their　ideas　were　of　the　vaguest。　The

rest　of　the　tribe；　having　brought　their　women　and　children　into　the

outer　enclosure　of　the　ancient　stronghold；　and　with　them　their　sheep

and　goats　and　the　few　cattle　which　remained　to　them；　were　employed　in

building　up　the　entrance　permanently　with　stones；　a　zigzag　secret　path

upon　the　river　side；　that　could　be　stopped　in　a　few　minutes；　being　now

their　only　method　of　ingress　and　egress　through　the　thickness　of　the

walls。　A　certain　number　of　men　were　also　sent　out　as　spies　to

discover；　if　possible；　the　whereabouts　of　the　Matabele　impi。



That　there　was　some　impi　they　were　almost　sure；　for　a　woman　who　had

followed　them　reported　that　the　injured　captain；　Maduna；　and　his

companion　had　been　met　at　a　distance　of　about　three　miles　from

Bambatse　by　a　small　party　of　Matabele；　who　were　hiding　in　some　bushes；

and　that　these　men　had　made　litters　for　them；　and　carried　them　away；

whither　she　did　not　know；　for　she　had　not　dared　to　pursue　them

further。



That　night　Benita　passed　in　the　guesthouse；　which　was　only　a　hut

rather　larger　than　the　others；　while　the　two　men　slept　in　the　waggon

just　outside。　She　was　so　tired　that　for　a　long　while　she　could　not

rest。　Her　mind　kept　flying　back　to　all　the　events　of　the　day：　the

strange　words　of　that　mystic　old　Molimo；　concerning　herself；　the

arrival　of　the　brutal　messengers　and　the　indaba　that　followed；　then

the　sudden　and　awful　destruction　of　their　spokesman　at　the　hand　of

Jacob　Meyer。　The　scene　would　not　leave　her　eyes；　she　saw　it　again　and

yet　again：　the　quick　transformation　of　Meyer's　indifferent　face　when

the　soldier　began　to　insult　and　threaten　her；　the　lightning…like

movement　of　his　hand；　the　flash；　the　report；　the　change　from　life　to

death；　and　the　slayer's　cruel　laugh。　He　could　be　very　terrible；　Jacob

Meyer；　when　his　passions　were　roused！



And　what　had　roused　them　then？　She　could　not　doubt　that　it　was　herself

not　mere　chivalry　towards　a　woman。　Even　if　he　were　capable　of

chivalry；　merely　for　that　he　would　never　have　taken　such　risk　of

future　trouble　and　revenge。　No；　it　was　something　deeper。　He　had　never

said　anything　or　done　anything；　yet　long　ago　instinct　or　insight　had

caused　Benita　to　suspect　the　workings　of　his　mind；　and　now　she　was

sure　of　them。　The　thought　was　terribleworse　than　all　her　other

dangers　put　together。　True；　she　had　her　father　to　rely　on；　but　he　had

been　somewhat　ailing　of　late；　age　and　these　arduous　journeys　and

anxieties　had　told　upon　him。　Supposing　that　anything　were　to　happen　to

himif　he　died；　for　instance；　how　dreadful　her　position　might　become；

left　alone　far　from　the　reach　of　help；　with　savagesand　Jacob　Meyer。



Oh！　if　it　had　not　been　for　that　dreadful　shipwreck；　how　different

might　be　her　lot　to…day！　Well；　it　was　the　thought　of　the　shipwreck　and

of　him　whom　she　had　lost　therein；　which　had　driven　her　on　to　this

adventure；　that　in　it　perhaps　her　suffering　mind　might　be　numbed　to

rest；　and　now　she　must　face　its　issues。　God　still　remained　above　her；

and　she　would　put　her　trust　in　Him。　After　all；　if　she　died；　what　did

it　matter？



But　that　old　Molimo　had　promised　her　that　she　was　safe　from　death；

that　she　should　find　here　happiness　and　rest；　though　not　that　of　the

grave。　He　promised　this；　speaking　as　one　who　knew　of　all　her　grief；

and　a　very　little　while　afterwards；　in　the　case　of　the　Matabele

soldier；　he　had　proved　himself　a　prophet　of　awful　power。　Alsoshe

knew　not　how；　she　knew　not　whynow；　as　before；　her　inmost　heart

seemed　to　bear　witness　that　this　old　dreamer's　words　were　true；　and

that　for　her；　in　some　strange　manner　unforeseen；　there　still　remained

a　rest。



Comforted　a　little　by　this　intuition；　at　length　Benita　fell　asleep。



Next　morning；　when　she　came　out　of　the　hut；　Benita　was　met　by　her

father；　who　with　a　cheerful　countenance　informed　her　that　at　any　rate

as　yet　there　was　no　sign　of　the　Matabele。　A　few　hours　later；　too；　some

spies　came　in　who　said　that　for　miles　round　nothing　could　be　seen　or

heard　of　them。　Still　the　preparations　for　defence　went　on；　and　the

hundred　best　men　having　been　furnished　with　the　rifles；　were　being

drilled　in　the　use　of　them　by　Tamas　and　his　two　companions；　Tamala　and

Hoba；　who　had　learned　how　to　handle　a　gun　very　well　in　the　course　of

their　long　journey。　The　shooting　of　these　raw　recruits；　however；

proved　to　be　execrable；　indeed；　so　dangerous　were　they　that　when　one

of　them　fired　at　a　mark　set　upon　the　wall；　it　was　found　necessary　to

order　all　the　rest　to　lie　down。　As　it　was；　a　poor　trek　oxluckily　it

was　sickand　two　sheep　were　killed。



Foreseeing　a　scarcity　of　provisions　in　the　event　of　a　siege；　Meyer；

provident　as　ever；　had　already　decreed　the　death　of　the　tetse…bitten

cattle。　These　were　accordingly　despatched；　and　having　been　skinned　and

cut　up；　their　flesh　was　severed　into　long　strips　to　be　dried　in　the

burning　sun　as　biltong；　which　secretly　Benita　hoped　she　might　never　be

called　upon　to　eat。　Yet　the　time　was　to　come　when　she　would　swallow

that　hard；　tetse…poisoned　flesh　with　thankfulness。



At　midday；　after　they　had　eaten；　Mr。　Clifford　and　Meyer　went　to　the

Molimo；　where　he　sat　against　the　second　wall；　and；　pointing　to　the　men

with　the　guns；　said：



〃We　have　fulfilled　our　bargain。　Now　fulfil　yours。　Lead　us　to　the　holy

place　that　we　may　begin　our　search。〃



〃So　be　it；〃　he　answered。　〃Follow　me；　white　people。〃



Then；　quite　unattended；　he　guided　them　round　the　inner　wall　till　they

came　to　a　path　of　rock　not　more　than　a　yard　wide；　beneath　which　was　a

precipice　fifty　feet　or　so　in　depth　that　almost　overhung　the　river。

This　giddy　path　they　followed　for　about　twenty　paces；　to　find　that　it

ended　in　a　cleft　in　the　wall　so　narrow　that　only　one　person　could　walk

through　it　at　a　time。　That　it　must　have　been　the　approach　to　the

second　stronghold　was　evident；　however；　since　it　was　faced　on　either

side　with　dressed　stones；　and　even　the　foundation　granite　had　been

worn　by　the　human　feet　which　had　passed　here　for　ages　upon　ages。　This

path　zigzagged　to　and　fro　in　the　thickness　of　the　wall　till　it　brought

them　finally　within　its　circle；　a　broad　belt　of　steeply…rising　ground；

covered　like　that　below　with　the　tumbled　ruins　of　buildings　amidst

which　grew　bush　and　trees。



〃Heaven　send　that　the　gold　is　not　buried　here；〃　said　Mr。　Clifford；

surveying　the　scene；　〃for　if　it　is；　we　shall　never　find　it。〃



The　Molimo　seemed　to　guess　the　meaning　of　his　words　from　his　face；　for

he　answered：



〃I　think　not　here。　The　besiegers　won　this　place　and　camped　in　it　for

many　weeks。　I　could　show　you　were　they　built　their　fires　and　tried　to

undermine　the　last　wall　within　which　the　Portuguese　sat　about　until

hunger　killed　them；　for　they　could　not　eat　their　gold。　Follow　me

again。〃



So　on　they　went　up　the　slope　till　they　came　to　the　base　of　the　third

wall；　and　as　before；　passed　round　it；　and　reached　a　point　above　the

river。　But　now　there　was　no　passage；　only　some　shallow　and　almost

precipitous　steps　cut　from　single　stones　leading　from　the　foot　of　the

wall　to　its　summit；　more　than　thirty　feet　above。



〃Really；〃　said　Benita；　contemplating　this　perilous　ascent　with　dismay；

〃the　ways　of　treasure　seekers　are　hard。　I　don't　think　I　can；〃　while

her　father　also　looked　at　them　and　shook　his　head。



〃We　must　get　a　rope；〃　said　Meyer　to　the　Molimo　angrily。　〃How　can　we

climb　that　place　without　one；　with　such　a　gulf　below？〃



〃I　am　old；　but　I　climb　it；〃　said　the　aged　man　in　mild　surpri