she-第28章

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left　a　drain　to　keep　it　clear。　Seest　thou　the　river　to　
the　right？〃　and　he　pointed　to　a　fair…sized　stream　that　
wound　away　across　the　plain；　some　four　miles　from　us。　

〃That　is　the　drain；　and　it　comes　out　through　the　
mountain　wall　where　this　cutting　goes　in。　At　first；　
perhaps；　the　water　ran　down　this　canal；　but　afterwards　
the　people　turned　it；　and　used　the　cutting　for　a　
road。〃　

〃And　is　there　then　no　other　place　where　one　may　enter　
into　the　great　mountain；〃　I　asked；　〃except　through　the　
drain？〃　

〃There　is　a　place；〃　he　answered；　〃where　cattle　and　men　
on　foot　may　cross　with　much　labor；　but　it　is　a　secret。　
A　year　mightest　thou　search　and　shouldst　never　find　
it。　It　is　only　used　once　a　year；　when　the　herds　of　
cattle　that　have　been　fattening　on　the　slopes　of　the　
mountain；　and　on　this　plain；　are　driven　into　the　space　
within。〃

〃And　does　_i_　She　_i_　live　there　always？〃　I　asked；　〃or　
does　she　come　at　times　without　the　mountain？〃

〃Nay；　my　son；　where　she　is；　there　she　is！〃

By　now　we　were　well　on　to　the　great　plain；　and　I　was　
examining　with　delight　the　varied　beauty　of　its　semi…
tropical　flowers　and　trees；　the　latter　of　which　grew　
singly；　or　at　most　in　clumps　of　three　or　four；　much　of　
the　timber　being　of　large　size；　and　belonging　
apparently　to　a　variety　of　evergreen　oak。　There　were　
also　many　palms；　some　of　them　more　than　one　hundred　
feet　high；　and　the　largest　and　most　beautiful　tree…
ferns　that　I　ever　saw；　about　which　hung　clouds　of　
jewelled　honey…suckers　and　great…winged　butterflies。　
Wandering　about　among　the　trees　or　crouching　in　the　
long　and　leathered　grass　were　all　varieties　of　game；　
from　rhinoceroses　down。　I　saw　rhinoceros；　buffalo　（a　
large　herd）；　eland；　quagga；　and　sable　antelope；　the　
most　beautiful　of　all　the　bucks；　not　to　mention　many　
smaller　varieties　of　game；　and　three　ostriches　which　
scudded　away　at　our　approach　like　white　drift　before　a　
gale。　So　plentiful　was　the　game　that　at　last　I　could　
stand　it　no　longer。　I　had　a　single…barrel　sporting　
Martini　with　me　in　the　litter；　the　〃Express〃　being　too　
cumbersome；　and；　espying　a　beautiful　fat　eland　rubbing　
himself　under　one　of　the　oak　like　trees；　I　jumped　out　
of　the　litter　and　proceeded　to　creep　as　near　to　him　as　
I　could。　He　let　me　come　within　eighty　yards；　and　then　
turned　his　head　and　stared　at　me；　preparatory　to　
running　away。　I　lifted　and　taking　him　about　midway　
down　the　shoulder；　for　he　was　side　on　to　me；　fired。　I　
never　made　a　cleaner　shot　or　a　better　kill　in　all　my　
small　experience；　for　the　great　buck　sprang　right　up　
into　the　air　and　fell　dead。　The　bearers；　who　had　all　
halted　to　see　the　performance；　gave　a　murmur　of　
surprise；　an　unwonted　compliment　from　these　sullen　
people；　who　never　appear　to　be　surprised　at　anything；　
and　a　party　of　the　guard　at　once　ran　off　to　cut　the　
animal　up。　As　for　myself；　though　I　was　longing　to　have　
a　look　at　him；　I　sauntered　back　to　my　litter　as　though　
I　had　been　in　the　habit　of　killing　eland　all　my　life；　
feeling　that　I　had　gone　up　several　degrees　in　the　
estimation　of　the　Amahagger；　who　looked　on　the　whole　
thing　as　a　very　high…class　manifestation　of　
witchcraft。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　however；　I　had　never　
seen　an　eland　in　a　wild　state　before。　Billali　received　
me　with　enthusiasm。

〃It　is　wonderful；　my　son　the　Baboon；〃　he　cried；　
〃wonderful！　Thou　art　a　very　great　man；　though　so　ugly。　
Had　I　not　seen；　surely　I　would　never　have　believed。　
And　thou　sayest　that　thou　wilt　teach　me　to　slay　in　
this　fashion？〃

〃Certainly；　my　father；〃　I　said；　airily；　〃it　is　
nothing。〃

But　all　the　same　I　firmly　made　up　my　mind　that　when　
〃my　father〃　Billali　began　to　fire　I　would　without　fall　
lie　down　or　take　refuge　behind　a　tree。

After　this　little　incident　nothing　happened　of　any　
note　till　about　an　hour　and　a　half　before　sundown；　
when　we　arrived　beneath　the　shadow　of　the　towering　
volcanic　mass　that　I　have　already　described。　It　is　
quite　impossible　for　me　to　describe　its　grim　grandeur　
as　it　appeared　to　me　while　my　patient　bearers　toiled　
along　the　bed　of　the　ancient　watercourse　towards　the　
spot　where　the　rich　brown　clad　cliff　shot　up　from　
precipice　to　precipice　till　its　crown　lost　itself　in　
cloud。　All　I　can　say　is　that　it　almost　awed　me　by　the　
intensity　of　its　lonesome　and　most　solemn　greatness。　
On　we　went　up　the　bright　and　sunny　slope；　till　at　last　
the　creeping　shadows　from　above　swallowed　up　its　
brightness；　and　presently　we　began　to　pass　through　a　
cutting　hewn　in　the　living　rock。　Deeper　and　deeper　
grew　this　marvellous　work；　which　must；　I　should　say；　
have　employed　thousands　of　men　for　many　years。　Indeed；　
how　it　was　ever　executed　at　all　without　the　aid　of　
blasting　powder　or　dynamite　I　cannot　to　this　day　
imagine。　It　is　and　must　remain　one　of　the　mysteries　of　
that　wild　land。　I　can　only　suppose　that　these　cuttings　
and　the　vast　caves　that　had　been　hollowed　out　of　the　
rocks　they　pierced　were　the　State　undertakings　of　the　
people　of　Ko^r；　who　lived　here　in　the　dim　lost　ages　of　
the　world；　and；　as　in　the　case　of　the　Egyptian　
monuments；　were　executed　by　the　forced　labor　of　tens　
of　thousands　of　captives；　carried　on　through　an　
indefinite　number　of　centuries。　But　who　were　the　
people？

At　last　we　reached　the　face　of　the　precipice　itself；　
and　found　ourselves　looking　into　the　mouth　of　a　dark　
tunnel　that　forcibly　reminded　me　of　those　undertaken　
by　our　nineteenth…century　engineers　in　the　
construction　of　railway　lines。　Out　of　this　tunnel　
flowed　a　considerable　stream　of　water。　Indeed；　though　
I　do　not　think　that　I　have　mentioned　it；　we　had　
followed　this　stream；　which　ultimately　developed　into　
the　river　I　have　already　described　as　winding　away　to　
the　right；　from　the　spot　where　the　cutting　in　the　
solid　rock　commenced。　Half　of　this　cutting　formed　a　
channel　for　the　stream；　and　half；　which　was　placed　on　
a　slightly　higher　leveleight　feet　perhapswas　
devoted　to　the　purposes　of　a　roadway。　At　the　
termination　of　the　cutting；　however；　the　stream　turned　
off　across　the　plain　and　followed　a　channel　of　its　
own。　At　the　mouth　of　the　cave　the　cavalcade　was　
halted；　and；　while　the　men　employed　themselves　in　
lighting　some　earthenware　lamps　they　had　brought　with　
them；　Billali；　descending　from　his　litter；　informed　me　
politely　but　firmly　that　the　orders　of　_i_　She　_i_　
were　that　we　were　now　to　be　blindfolded；　so　that　we　
should　not　learn　the　secret　of　the　paths　through　the　
bowels　of　the　mountains。　To　this　I；　of　course；　
assented　cheerfully　enough；　but　Job；　who　was　now　very　
much　better；　notwithstanding　the　journey；　did　not　like　
it　at　all；　fancying；　I　believe；　that　it　was　but　a　
preliminary　step　to　being　hot…potted。　He　was；　however；　
a　little　consoled　when　I　pointed　out　to　him　that　there　
were　no　hot　pots　at　hand；　and；　so　far　as　I。　knew；　no　
fire　to　heat　them　in。　As　for　poor　Leo；　after　turning　
restlessly　for　hours；　he　had；　to　my　deep　thankfulness；　
at　last　dropped　off　into　a　sleep　or　stupor；　I　do　not　
know　which；　so　there　was　no　need　to　blindfold　him。　The　
blindfolding　was　performed　by　binding　a　piece　of　the　
yellowish　linen　whereof　those　of　the　Amahagger　who　
condescended　to　wear　anything　in　particular　made　their　
dresses　tightly　round　the　eyes。　This　linen；　I　
afterwards　discovered；　was　taken　from　the　tombs；　and　
was　not；　as　I　had　at　first　supposed；　of　native　
manufacture。　The　bandage　was　then　knotted　at　the　back　
of　the　head；　and　finally　brought　down　again　and　the　
ends　bound　under　the　chin　to　prevent　its　slipping。　
Ustane　was；　by　the　way；　also　blindfolded；　I　do　not　
know　why；　unless　it　was　from　fear　that　she　should　
impart　the　secrets　of　the　route　to　us。

This　operation　performed　we　started　on　once　more；　and　
soon；　by　the　echoing　sound　of　the　footsteps　of　the　
bearers　and　the　increased　noise　of　the　water　caused　by　
reverberation　in　a　confined　space；　I　knew　that　we　were　
entering　into　the　bowels　of　the　great　mountain。　It　was　
an　eerie　sensation；　being　borne　along　into　the　dead　
heart　of　the　rock　we　knew　not　whither；　but　I　was　
getting　used　to　eerie　sensations　by　this　time；　and　by　
now　was　pretty　well　prepared　for　anything。　So　I　lay　
still；　and　listened　to　the　tramp；　tra