she-第23章

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〃Thanks　to　thy　arrival；　my　father；〃　I　answered。　〃In　
another　minute　we　should　all　have　been　beyond　the　
reach　of　recovery；　for　those　devils　of　thine　would　
have　slain　us　as　they　would　have　slain　our　servant；〃　
and　I　pointed　towards　Mahomed。

The　old　man　ground　his　teeth；　and　I　saw　an　
extraordinary　expression　of　malignity　light　up　his　
eyes。

〃Fear　not；　my　son；〃　he　answered。　〃Vengeance　shall　be　
taken　on　them　such　as　would　make　the　flesh　twist　upon　
the　bones　merely　to　hear　of　it。　To　_i_　She　_i_　shall　
they　go；　and　her　vengeance　shall　be　worthy　of　her　
greatness。　That　man；〃　pointing　to　Mahomed；　〃I　tell　
thee　that　man　would　have　died　a　merciful　death　to　the　
death　these　hyena…men　shall　die。　Tell　me；　I　pray　of　
thee；　how　it　came　about。〃

In　a　few　words　I　sketched　what　had　happened。

〃Ah；　so；〃　he　answered。　〃Thou　seest；　my　son；　here　there　
is　a　custom　that　if　a　stranger　comes　into　this　country　
he　may　be　slain　by　'the　pot；'　and　eaten。〃

〃It　is　hospitality　turned　upside　down；〃　I　answered；　
feebly。　〃In　our　country　we　entertain　a　stranger；　and　
give　him　food　to　eat。　Here　ye　eat　him；　and　are　
entertained。〃

〃It　is　a　custom；〃　he　answered；　with　a　shrug。　〃Myself　I　
think　it　an　evil　one；　but　then；〃　he　added；　by　an　
afterthought；　〃I　do　not　like　the　taste　of　strangers；　
especially　after　they　have　wandered　through　the　swamps　
and　lived　on　wild　fowl。　When　_i_　She…who…must…be…
obeyed　_i_　sent　orders　that　ye　were　to　be　saved　alive　
she　said　naught　of　the　black　man；　therefore；　being　
hyenas；　these　men　lusted　after　his　flesh；　and　the　
woman　it　was；　whom　thou　didst　rightly　slay；　who　put　it　
into　their　evil　hearts　to　hot…pot　him。　Well；　they　will　
have　their　reward。　Better　for　them　would　it　be　if　they　
had　never　seen　the　light　than　that　they　should　stand　
before　_i_　She　_i_　in　her　terrible　anger。　Happy　are　
those　of　them　who　died　by　your　hands。〃

〃Ah；〃　he　went　on；　〃it　was　a　gallant　fight　that　ye　
fought。　Knowest　thou；　that　thou；　long…armed　old　baboon　
that　thou　art；　hast　crushed　in　the　ribs　of　those　two　
who　are　laid　out　there　as　though　they　were　but　as　the　
shell　on　an　egg？　And　the　young　one；　the　lion；　it　was　a　
beautiful　stand　that　he　madeone　against　so　many
three　did　he　slay　outright；　and　that　one　there〃and　
he　pointed　to　a　body　that　was　still　moving　a　little
〃will　die　anon；　for　his　head　is　cracked　across；　and　
others　of　those　who　are　bound　are　hurt。　It　was　a　
gallant　fight；　and　thou　and　he　have　made　a　friend　of　
me　by　it；　for　I　love　to　see　a　well…fought　fray。　But　
tell　me；　my　son；　the　Baboonand　now　I　think　of　it　thy　
face；　too；　is　hairy；　and　altogether　like　a　baboon's
how　was　it　that　ye　slew　those　with　a　hole　in　them？　Ye　
made　a　noise；　they　say；　and　slew　themthey　fell　down　
on　their　faces　at　the　noise？〃

I　explained　to　him　as　well　as　I　could；　but　very　
shortlyI　was　terribly　wearied；　and　only　persuaded　to　
talk　at　all　through　of　offending　one　so　powerful　if　I　
refused　to　do　sowhat　were　the　properties　of　
gunpowder；　and　he　instantly　suggested　that　I　should　
illustrate　what　I　said　by　operating　on　the　person　of　
the　prisoners。　One；　he　said；　never　would　be　counted；　
and　it　would　not　only　very　interesting　to　him；　but　
would　give　me　an　opportunity　of　an　instalment　of　
revenge。　He　was　greatly　astonished　when　I　told　him　
that　it　was　not　our　custom　to　avenge　ourselves　in　cold　
blood　and　that　we　left　vengeance　to　the　law　and　a　
higher　power；　of　which　he　knew　nothing。　I　added；　
however；　that　when　I　recovered　I　would　take　him　out　
shooting　with　us；　and　he　should　kill　an　animal　for　
himself；　and　at　this　he　was　as　pleased。　as　a　child　at　
the　promise　of　a　new　toy。

Just　then　Leo　opened　his　eyes　beneath　the　stimulus　of　
some　brandy　（of　which　we　still　had　a　little）　that　Job　
had　poured　down　his　throat；　and　our　conversation　came　
to　an　end。

After　this　we　managed　to　get　Leo；　who　was　in　a　very　
poor　way　indeed；　and　only　half…conscious；　safely　off　
to　bed；　supported　by　Job　and　that　brave　girl　Ustane；　
to　whom；　had　I　not　been　afraid　she　might　resent　it；　I　
would　certainly　have　given　a　kiss　for　her　splendid　
behavior　in　saving　my　dear　boy's　life　at　the　risk　of　
her　own。　But　Ustane　was　not　the　sort　of　young　person　
with　whom　one　would　care　to　take　liberties　unless　one　
were　perfectly　certain　that　they　would　not　be　
misunderstood；　so　I　repressed　my　inclinations。　Then；　
bruised　and　battered；　but　with　a　sense　of　safety　in　my　
breast　to　which　I　had　for　some　days　been　a　stranger；　I　
crept　off　to　my　own　little　sepulchre；　not　forgetting　
before　I　laid　down　in　it　to　thank　Providence　from　the　
bottom　of　my　heart　that　it　was　not　a　sepulchre　indeed；　
as；　were　it　not　for　a　merciful　combination　of　events　
that　I　can　only　attribute　to　its　protection；　it　would　
certainly　have　been　for　me　that　night。　Few　men　have　
been　nearer　their　end　and　yet　escaped　it　than　we　were　
on　that　dreadful　day。

I　am　a　bad　sleeper　at　the　best　of　times；　and　my　dreams　
that　night；　when　at　last　I　got　to　rest；　were　not　of　
the　pleasantest。　The　awful　vision　of　poor　Mahomed　
struggling　to　escape　the　red…hot　pot　would　haunt　them；　
and　then　in　the　background；　as　it　were；　a　veiled　form　
was　always　hovering；　which；　from　time　to　time；　seemed　
to　draw　the　coverings　from　its　body；　revealing　now　the　
perfect　shape　of　a　lovely　blooming　woman；　and　now　
again　the　white　bones　of　a　grinning　skeleton；　and　
which；　as　it　veiled　and　unveiled；　uttered　the　
mysterious　and　apparently　meaningless　sentence：

〃That　which　is　alive　hath　known　death；　and　that　which　
is　dead　yet　can　never　die；　for　in　the　Circle　of　the　
Spirit　life　is　naught　and　death　is　naught。　Yea；　all　
things　live　forever；　though　at　times　they　sleep　and　
are　forgotten。〃

The　morning　came　at　last；　but　when　it　came　I　found　
that　I　was　too　stiff　and　sore　to　rise。　About　seven　Job　
arrived；　limping　terribly；　and　with　his　face　the　color　
of　a　rotten　apple；　and　told　me　that　Leo　had　slept　
fairly；　but　was　very　weak。　Two　hours　afterwards　
Billali　（Job　called　him　〃Billy…goat；〃　to　which　indeed　
his　white　beard　gave　him　some　resemblance；　or　more　
familiarly　〃Billy〃）　came　too；　bearing　a　lamp　in　his　
hand；　his　towering　form　reaching　nearly　to　the　roof　of　
the　little　chamber。　I　pretended　to　be　asleep；　and　
through　the　cracks　of　my　eyelids　watched　his　sardonic　
but　handsome　old　face。　He　fixed　his　hawk…like　eyes　
upon　me；　and　stroked　his　glorious　white　beard；　which；　
by　the　way；　would　have　been　worth　a　hundred　a　year　to　
any　London　barber　as　an　advertisement。

〃Ah！〃　I　heard　him　mutter　（Billali　had　a　habit　of　
muttering　to　himself）；　〃he　is　uglyugly　as　the　other　
is　beautifula　very　Baboon；　it　was　a　good　name。　But　I　
like　the　man。　Strange　now；　at　my　age；　that　I　should　
like　a　man。　What　says　the　proverb'Mistrust　all　men；　
and　slay　him　whom　thou　mistrustest　overmuch；　and　as　
for　women；　flee　from　them；　for　they　are　evil；　and　in　
the　end　will　destroy　thee。'　It　is　a　good　proverb；　
especially　the　last　part　of　it；　I　think　it　must　have　
come　down　from　the　ancients。　Nevertheless　I　like　this　
Baboon；　and　I　wonder　where　they　taught　him　his　tricks；　
and　I　trust　that　_i_　She　_i_　will　not　bewitch　him。　
Poor　Baboon！　he　must　be　wearied　after　that　fight。　I　
will　go；　lest　I　should　awake　him。〃

I　waited　till　he　had　turned　and　was　nearly　through　the　
entrance；　walking　softly　on　tiptoe；　and　then　I　called　
after　him。

〃My　father；〃　I　said；　〃is　it　thou？〃　

〃Yes；　my　son；　it　is　I；　but　let　me　not　disturb　thee。　I　
did　but　come　to　see　how　thou　didst　fare；　and　to　tell　
thee　that　those　who；　would　have　slain　thee；　my　Baboon；　
are　by　now　well　on　their　road　to　_i_　She　_i_　。　_i_　She　
_i_　said　that　ye　also　were　to　come　at　once；　but　I　fear　
ye　cannot　yet。〃

〃Nay；〃　I　said；　〃not　till　we　have　recovered　a　little；　
but　have　me　borne　out　into　the　daylight；　I　pray　thee；　
my　father。　I　love　not　this　place。〃

〃Ah；　no；〃　he　answered；　〃it　hath　a　sad　air。　I　remember　
when　I　was　a　boy　I　found　the　body　of　a　fair　woman　
lying　where　thou　liest　now；　yes；　on　that　very　bench。　
She　was　so　beautiful　that　I　was　wont　to　creep　in　
hither　with　a　lamp　and　gaze　upon　her。　Had　it　not　been　
for　her　cold　hands；　almost　could　I　think　that　she　
slept　and　would　one　day　awake；　so　fair　and　peac