she-第19章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


closely　resembles　the　Norfolk　red…pole　strain；　only　it　
has　horns　which　generally　curve　forward　over　the　head；　
sometimes　to　such　an　extent　that　they　have　to　be　cut　
to　prevent　them　from　growing　into　the　bones　of　the　
skull；　The　goats　are　long…haired；　and　are　used　for　
eating　only；　at　least　I　never　saw　them　milked。　As　for　
the　Amahagger　cultivation；　it　is　primitive　in　the　
extreme；　being　all　done　by　means　of　a　spade　made　of　
iron；　for　these　people　smelt　and　work　iron。　This　spade　
is　shaped　more　like　a　big　spearshead　than　anything　
else；　and　has　no　shoulder　to　it　on　which　the　foot　can　
be　set。　As　a　consequence；　the　labor　of　digging　is　very　
great。　It　is；　however；　all　done　by　the　men；　the　women；　
contrary　to　the　habits　of　most　savage　races；　being　
entirely　exempt　from　manual　toil。　But　then；　as　I　think　
I　have　said　elsewhere；　among　the　Amahagger　the　weaker　
sex　has　established　its　rights。

At　first　we　were　much　puzzled　as　to　the　origin　and　
constitution　of　this　extraordinary　race；　points　upon　
which　they　were　singularly　uucommunicative。　As　the　
time　went　on　for　the　next　four　days　passed　without　any　
striking　eventwe　learned　something　from　Leo's　lady　
friend　Ustane；　who；　by　the　way；　stuck　to　that　young　
gentleman　like　his　own　shadow。　As　to　origin；　they　had　
none；　at　least；　so　far　as　she　was　aware。　There　were；　
however；　she　informed　us；　mounds　of　masonry　and　many　
pillars　near　the　place　where　_i_　She　_i_　lived；　which　
was　called　Ko^r；　and　which　the　wise　said　had　once　been　
houses　wherein　men　lived；　and　it　was　suggested　that　
they　were　descended　from　these　men。　No　one；　however；　
dared　go　near　these　great　ruins　because　they　were　
haunted：　they　only　looked　on　them　from　a　distance。　
Other　similar　ruins　were　to　be　seen；　she　had　heard；　in　
various　parts　of　the　country；　that　is；　wherever　one　of　
the　mountains　rose　above　the　level　of　the　swamp。　Also　
the　caves　in　which　they　lived　had　been　hollowed　out　of　
the　rocks　by　men；　perhaps　the　same　who　built　the　
cities。　They　themselves　had　no　written　laws；　only　
custom；　which　was；　however；　quite　as　binding　as　law。　
If　any　man　offended　against　the　custom；　he　was　put　to　
death　by　order　of　the　Father　of　the　〃household。〃　I　
asked　how　he　was　put　to　death；　and　she　only　smiled；　
and　said　that　I　might　see　one　day　soon。

They　had　a　queen；　however。　_i_　She　_i_　was　their　
queen；　but　she　was　very　rarely　seen；　perhaps　once　in　
two　or　three　years；　when　she　came　forth　to　pass　
sentence　on　some　offenders；　and　when　seen　was　muffled　
up　in　a　big　cloak；　so　that　nobody　could　look　upon　her　
face。　Those　who　waited　upon　her　were　deaf　and　dumb；　
and　therefore　could　tell　no　tales；　but　it　was　reported　
that　she　was　lovely　as　no　other　woman　was　lovely；　or　
ever　had　been。　It　was　rumored　also　that　she　was　
immortal；　and　had　power。　over　all　things；　but　she；　
Ustane；　could　say　nothing　of　all　that。　What　she　
believed　was　that　the　queen　chose　a　husband　from　time　
to　time；　and　as　soon　as　a　female　child　was　born　this　
husband；　who　was　never　again　seen；　was　put　to　death。　
Then　the　female　child　grew　up　and　took　the　place　of　
the　queen　when　its　mother　died　and　had　been　buried　in　
the　great　caves。　But　of　these　matters　none　could　speak　
for　certain。　Only　_i_　She　_i_　was　obeyed　throughout　
the　length　and　breadth　of　the　land；　and　to　question　
her　command　was　certain　death。　_i_　She　_i_　kept　a　
guard；　but　had　no　regular　army；　and　to　disobey　her　was　
to　die。

I　asked　what　size　the　land　was；　and　how　many　people　
lived　in　it。　She　answered　that　there　were　ten　
〃households；〃　like　this　that　she　knew　of；　including　
the　big　〃household；〃　where　the　queen　was；　that　all　the　
〃households〃　lived　in　caves；　in　places　resembling　this　
stretch　of　raised　country；　dotted　about　in　a　vast　
extent　of　swamp；　which　was　only　to　be　threaded　by　
secret　paths。　Often　the　〃households〃　made　war　on　each　
other　until　_i_　She　_i_　sent　word　that　it　was　to　stop；　
and　then　they　instantly　ceased。　That　and　the　fever　
which　they　caught　in　crossing　the　swamps　prevented　
their　numbers　from　increasing　too　much。　They　had　no　
connection　with　any　other　race；　indeed　none　lived　near　
them；　or　were　able　to　thread　the　vast　swamps。　Once　an　
army　from　the　direction　of　the　great　river　（presumably　
the　Zambesi）　had　attempted　to　attack　them；　but　they　
got　lost　in　the　marshes；　and　at　night；　seeing　the　
great　balls　of　fire　that　move　about　there；　tried　to　
come　to　them；　thinking　that　they　marked　the　enemy's　
camp；　and　half　of　them　were　drowned。　As　for　the　rest；　
they　soon　died　of　fever　and　starvation；　not　a　blow　
being　struck　at　them。　The　marshes；　she　told　us；　were　
absolutely　impassable　except　to　those　who　knew　the　
paths；　adding；　what　I　could　well　believe；　that　we　
should　never　have　reached　this　place　where　we　then　
were　had　we　not　been　brought　thither。

These　and　many　other　things　we　learned　from　Ustane　
during　the　four　days　pause　before　our　real　adventures　
began　gave　us　considerable　cause　for　thought。　The　
whole　thing　was　exceedingly　remarkable；　almost　
incredibly　so；　indeed；　and　the　oddest　part　of　it　was　
that　so　far　it　did　more　or　less　correspond　to　the　
ancient　writing　on　the　sherd。　And　now　it　appeared　that　
there　was　a　mysterious　queen　clothed　by　rumor　with　
dread　and　wonderful　attributes；　and　commonly　known　by　
the　impersonal　but；　to　my　mind；　rather　awesome　title　
of　_i_　She　_i_　。　Altogether；　I　could　not　make　it　out；　
nor　could　Leo；　though　of　course　he　was　exceedingly　
triumphant　over　me　because　I　had　persistently　mocked　
at　the　whole　thing。　As　for　Job；　he　had　long　since　
abandoned　any　attempt　to　call　his　reason　his　own；　and　
left　it　to　drift　on　the　sea　of　circumstance。　Mahomed；　
the　Arab；　who　was；　by　the　way；　treated　civilly　indeed；　
but　with　chilling　contempt；　by　the　Amahagger；　was；　I　
discovered；　in　a　great　fright；　though　I　could　not　
quite　make　out　what　he　was　frightened　about。　He　would　
sit　crouched　in　a　corner　of　the　cave　all　day　long；　
calling　upon　Allah　and　the　Prophet　to　protect　him。　
When　I　pressed　him　about　it；　he　said　that　he　was　
afraid　because　these　people　were　not　men　and　women　at　
all；　but　devils；　and　that　this　was　an　enchanted　land；　
and；　upon　my　word；　once　or　twice　since　then　I　have　
been　inclined　to　agree　with　him。　And　so　the　time　went　
on；　till　the　night　of　the　fourth　day　after　Billali　had　
left；　when　something　happened。

We　three　and　Ustane　were　sitting　round　a　fire　in　the　
cave　just　before　bedtime；　when　suddenly　the　woman；　who　
had　been　brooding　in　silence；　rose；　and　laid　her　hand　
upon　Leo's　golden　curls；　and　addressed　him。　Even　now；　
when　I　shut　my　eyes；　I　can　see　her　proud；　imperial　
form；　clothed　alternately　in　dense　shadow　and　the　red　
flickering　of　the　fire；　as　she　stood；　the　wild　centre　
of　as　weird　a　scene　as　I　ever　witnessed；　and　delivered　
herself　of　the　burden　of　her　thoughts　and　forebodings　
in　a　kind　of　rhythmical　speech　that　ran　something　
follows：

＇poem　in　italics＇

〃Thou　art　my　chosenI　have　waited　

for　thee　from　the　beginning！

Thou　art　very　beautiful。　Who　hath　
　hair　like　unto　thee；　or　skin　so　
　white？

Who　hath　so　strong　an　arm；　who　is　
　so　much　a　man。　

Thine　eyes　are　the　sky；　and　the　light　

in　them　is　the　stars。　

Thou　art　perfect　and　of　a　happy　face；

and　my　heart　turned　itself　towards　thee。　

Ay；　when　mine　eyes　fell　on　thee　I　did　
　desire　thee

Then　did　I　take　thee　to　methou；　my　
　Beloved；　

And　hold　thee　fast；　lest　harm　should　
　come　unto　thee。　

Ay；　I　did　cover　thine　head　with　mine
　hair；　lest　the　sun　should　strike　it；　

And　altogether　was　I　thine；　and　thou

wast　altogether　mine。　

And　so　it　went　for　a　little　space；　till

Time　was　in　labor　with　an　evil

Day；　

And　then　what　befell　on　that　day？

Alas！　my　Beloved；　I　know　not！　

But　I；　I　saw　thee　no　moreI；　I　was

lost　in　the　blackness。　

And　she　who　is　stronger　did　take　thee；

ay；　she　who　is　fairer　than　Ustane。

Yet　didst　thou　turn　and　call　upon　me；　
　and　let　thine　eyes　wander　in　the
　darkness。

But；　nevertheless；　she　prevailed　by　
　Beauty；　and　led　thee　down　horrible
　places；　And　then；　ah！　then　my　Beloved〃

Here　this　extraordinary　woman　broke　off　her　speech；　or　
chant；　which　was　so　much　musical　gibberish