benita-第36章

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digging　for　a　bone。　But　that　bone　is　not　for　him；　it　is　for　you；　Lady；

you　and　you　only。　Oh！　I　know；　you　do　not　seek；　still　you　shall　find。

Only　the　next　time　that　you　want　help；　do　not　run　away　into　the

wilderness。　Hear　the　word　of　Munwali　given　by　his　mouth；　the　Molimo　of

Bambatse！〃　And　as　he　spoke；　the　old　priest　backed　himself　out　of　the

tent；　stopping　now　and　again　to　bow　to　Benita。



A　few　minutes　later　her　father　entered；　looking　very　weak　and　shaken；

and　supporting　himself　upon　a　stick。　Happy　was　the　greeting　of　these

two　who；　with　their　arms　about　each　other's　neck；　gave　thanks　for

their　escape　from　great　peril。



〃You　see；　Benita；　we　can't　get　away　from　this　place；〃　Mr。　Clifford

said　presently。　〃We　must　find　that　gold。〃



〃Bother　the　gold；〃　she　answered　with　energy；　〃I　hate　its　very　name。

Who　can　think　of　gold　with　three　thousand　Matabele　waiting　to　kill

us？〃



〃Somehow　I　don't　feel　afraid　of　them　any　more；〃　said　her　father；　〃they

have　had　their　chance　and　lost　it；　and　the　Makalanga　swear　that　now

they　have　guns　to　command　the　gates；　the　fortress　cannot　be　stormed。

Still；　I　am　afraid　of　someone。〃



〃Who？〃



〃Jacob　Mayer。　I　have　seen　him　several　times；　and　I　think　that　he　is

going　mad。〃



〃The　Molimo　said　that　too；　but　why？〃



〃From　the　look　of　him。　He　sits　about　muttering　and　glowing　with　those

dark　eyes　of　his；　and　sometimes　groans；　and　sometimes　bursts　into

shouts　of　laughter。　That　is　when　the　fit　is　on　him；　for　generally　he

seems　right　enough。　But　get　up　if　you　think　you　can；　and　you　shall

judge　for　yourself。〃



〃I　don't　want　to；〃　said　Benita　feebly。　〃Father；　I　am　more　afraid　of

him　now　than　ever。　Oh！　why　did　you　not　let　me　stop　down　below；　among

the　Makalanga；　instead　of　carrying　me　up　here　again；　where　we　must

live　alone　with　that　terrible　Jew？〃



〃I　wished　to；　dear；　but　the　Molimo　said　we　should　be　safer　above；　and

ordered　his　people　to　carry　you　up。　Also；　Jacob　swore　that　unless　you

were　brought　back　he　would　kill　me。　Now　you　understand　why　I　believe

that　he　is　mad。〃



〃Why；　why？〃　gasped　Benita　again。



〃God　knows；〃　he　answered　with　a　groan；　〃but　I　think　that　he　is　sure

that　we　shall　never　find　the　gold　without　you；　since　the　Molimo　has

told　him　that　it　is　for　you　and　you　alone；　and　he　says　the　old　man　has

second　sight；　or　something　of　the　sort。　Well；　he　would　have　murdered

meI　saw　it　in　his　eyeso　I　thought　it　better　to　give　in　rather　than

that　you　should　be　left　here　sick　and　alone。　Of　course　there　was　one

way〃　and　he　paused。



She　looked　at　him　and　asked：



〃What　way？〃



〃To　shoot　him　before　he　shot　me；〃　he　answered　in　a　whisper；　〃for　your

sake；　dearbut　I　could　not　bring　myself　to　do　it。〃



〃No；〃　she　said　with　a　shudder；　〃not　thatnot　that。　Better　that　we

should　die　than　that　his　blood　should　be　upon　our　hands。　Now　I　will

get　up　and　try　to　show　no　fear。　I　am　sure　that　is　best；　and　perhaps　we

shall　be　able　to　escape　somehow。　Meanwhile；　let　us　humour　him；　and

pretend　to　go　on　looking　for　this　horrible　treasure。〃



So　Benita　rose　to　discover　that；　save　for　her　stiffness；　she　was　but

little　the　worse；　and　finding　all　things　placed　in　readiness；　set　to

work　with　her　father's　help　to　cook　the　evening　meal　as　usual。　Of

Meyer；　who　doubtless　had　placed　things　in　readiness；　she　saw　nothing。



Before　nightfall　he　came；　however；　as　she　knew　he　would。　Indeed；

although　she　heard　no　step　and　her　back　was　towards　him；　she　felt　his

presence；　the　sense　of　it　fell　upon　her　like　a　cold　shadow。　Turning

round　she　beheld　the　man。　He　was　standing　close　by；　but　above　her；

upon　a　big　granite　boulder；　in　climbing　which　his　soft　veld　schoons；

or　hide　shoes；　had　made　no　noise；　for　Meyer　could　move　like　a　cat。　The

last　rays　from　the　sinking　sun　struck　him　full；　outlining　his　agile；

nervous　shape　against　the　sky；　and　in　their　intense　red　light；　which

flamed　upon　him；　he　appeared　terrible。　He　looked　like　a　panther　about

to　spring；　his　eyes　shone　like　a　panther's；　and　Benita　knew　that　she

was　the　prey　whom　he　desired。　Still；　remembering　her　resolution；　she

determined　to　show　no　fear；　and　addressed　him：



〃Good…evening；　Mr。　Meyer。　Oh！　I　am　so　stiff　that　I　cannot　lift　my　neck

to　look　at　you；〃　and　she　laughed。



He　bounded　softly　from　the　rock；　like　a　panther　again；　and　stood　in

front　of　her。



〃You　should　thank　the　God　you　believe　in；〃　he　said；　〃that　by　now　you

are　not　stiff　indeedall　that　the　jackals　have　left　of　you。〃



〃I　do；　Mr。　Meyer；　and　I　thank　you；　too；　it　was　brave　of　you　to　come

out　to　save　us。　Father；〃　she　called；　〃come　and　tell　Mr。　Meyer　how

grateful　we　are　to　him。〃



Mr。　Clifford　hobbled　out　from　his　hut　under　the　tree；　saying：



〃I　have　told　him　already；　dear。〃



〃Yes；〃　answered　Jacob；　〃you　have　told　me；　why　repeat　yourself？　I　see

that　supper　is　ready。　Let　us　eat；　for　you　must　be　hungry；　afterwards　I

have　something　to　tell　you。〃



So　they　ate；　with　no　great　appetite；　any　of　themindeed　Meyer　touched

but　little　food；　though　he　drank　a　good　deal；　first　of　strong　black

coffee　and　afterwards　of　squareface　and　water。　But　on　Benita　he

pressed　the　choicest　morsels　that　he　could　find；　eyeing　her　all　the

while；　and　saying　that　she　must　take　plenty　of　nutriment　or　her　beauty

would　suffer　and　her　strength　wane。　Benita　bethought　her　of　the　fairy

tales　of　her　childhood；　in　which　the　ogre　fed　up　the　princess　whom　he

purposed　to　devour。



〃You　should　think　of　your　own　strength；　Mr。　Meyer；〃　she　said；　〃you

cannot　live　on　coffee　and　squareface。〃



〃It　is　all　I　need　to…night。　I　am　astonishingly　well　since　you　came

back。　I　can　never　remember　feeling　so　well；　or　so　strong。　I　can　do　the

work　of　three　men；　and　not　be　tired；　all　this　afternoon；　for　instance；

I　have　been　carrying　provisions　and　other　things　up　that　steep　wall；

for　we　must　prepare　for　a　long　siege　together；　yet　I　should　never　know

that　I　had　lifted　a　single　basket。　But　while　you　were　awayah！　then　I

felt　tired。〃



Benita　changed　the　subject；　asking　him　if　he　had　made　any　discoveries。



〃Not　yet；　but　now　that　you　are　back　the　discoveries　will　soon　come。　Do

not　be　afraid；　I　have　my　plan　which　cannot　fail。　Also；　it　was　lonely

working　in　that　cave　without　you；　so　I　only　looked　about　a　little

outside　till　it　was　time　to　go　to　meet　you；　and　shoot　some　of　those

Matabele。　Do　you　know？I　killed　seven　of　them　myself。　When　I　was

shooting　for　your　sake　I　could　not　miss；〃　and　he　smiled　at　her。



Benita　shrank　from　him　visibly；　and　Mr。　Clifford　said　in　an　angry

voice：



〃Don't　talk　of　those　horrors　before　my　daughter。　It　is　bad　enough　to

have　to　do　such　things；　without　speaking　about　them　afterwards。〃



〃You　are　right；〃　he　replied　reflectively；　〃and　I　apologise；　though

personally　I　never　enjoyed　anything　so　much　as　shooting　those

Matabele。　Well；　they　are　gone；　and　there　are　plenty　more　outside。

Listen！　They　are　singing　their　evening　hymn；〃　and　with　his　long　finger

he　beat　time　to　the　volleying　notes　of　the　dreadful　Matabele　war…

chant；　which　floated　up　from　the　plain　below。　〃It　sounds　quite

religious；　doesn't　it？　only　the　wordsno；　I　will　not　translate　them。

In　our　circumstances　they　are　too　personal。



〃Now　I　have　something　to　say　to　you。　It　was　unkind　of　you　to　run　away

and　leave　me　like　that；　not　honourable　either。　Indeed；〃　he　added　with

a　sudden　outbreak　of　the　panther　ferocity；　〃had　you　alone　been

concerned；　Clifford；　I　tell　you　frankly　that　when　we　met　again；　I

should　have　shot　you。　Traitors　deserve　to　be　shot；　don't　they？〃



〃Please　stop　talking　to　my　father　like　that；〃　broke　in　Benita　in　a

stern　voice；　for　her　anger　had　overcome　her　fear。　〃Also　it　is　I　whom

you　should　blame。〃



〃It　is　a　pleasure　to　obey　you；〃　he　answered　bowing；　〃I　will　never

mention　the　subject　any　more。　Nor　do　I　blame　youwho　could？not

Jacob　Meyer。　I　quite　understand　that　you　found　it　very　dull　up　here；

and　ladies　must　be　allowed　their　fancies。　Also　you　have　come　back；　so

why　talk