she-第73章

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Three　weeks　or　so　before　four　men　had　entered　the　
marshes　of　Ko^r；　and　now　two　of　us　were　dead；　and　the　
other　two　had　gone　through　adventures　and　experiences　
so　strange　and　terrible　that　Death　himself　hath　not　a　
more　fearful　countenance。　Three　weeksand　only　three　
weeks！　Truly　time　should　be　measured　by　events；　and　
not　by　the　lapse　of　hours。　It　seemed　like　thirty　years　
since　we　saw　the　last　of　our　whaleboat。

〃We　must　strike　out　for　the　Zambesi；　Leo；〃　I　said；　
〃but　God　knows　if　we　shall　ever　get　there。〃

Leo　nodded。　He　had　become　very　silent　of　late；　and　we　
started　with　nothing　but　the　clothes　we　stood　in；　a　
compass；　our　revolvers　and　express　rifles；　and　about　
two　hundred　rounds　of　ammunition；　and　so　ended　the　
history　of　our　visit　to　the　ancient　ruins　of　mighty　
and　imperial　Ko^r。

As　for　the　adventures　that　subsequently　befell　us；　
strange　and　varied　as　they　were；　I　have；　after　
deliberation；　determined　not　to　record　them　here。　In　
these　pages　I　have　only　tried　to　give　a　short　and　
clear　account　of　an　occurrence　which　I　believe　to　be　
unprecedented；　and　this　I　have　done；　not　with　a　view　
to　immediate　publication；　but　merely　to　put　on　paper　
while　they　are　yet　fresh　in　our　memories　the　details　
of　our　journey　and　its　result；　which　will；　I　believe；　
prove　interesting　to　the　world　if　ever　we　determine　to　
make　them　public。　This；　as　at　present　advised；　we　do　
not　intend　should　be　done　during　our　joint　lives。

For　the　rest；　it　is　of　no　public　interest；　resembling　
as　it　does　the　experience　of　more　than　one　Central　
African　traveller。　Suffice　it　to　say；　that　we　did；　
after　incredible　hardships　and　privations；　reach　the　
Zambesi；　which　proved　to　be　about　a　hundred　and　
seventy　miles　south　of　where　Billali　left　us。　There　we　
were　for　six　months　imprisoned　by　a　savage　tribe；　who　
believed　us　to　be　supernatural　beings；　chiefly　on　
account　of　Leo's　youthful　face　and　snow…white　hair。　
From　these　people　we　ultimately　escaped；　and；　crossing　
the　Zambesi；　wandered　off　southward；　where；　when　on　
the　point　of　starvation；　we　were　sufficiently　
fortunate　to　fall　in　with　a　half…caste　Portuguese　
elephant…hunter　who　had　followed　a　troop　of　elephants　
farther　inland　than　he　had　ever　been　before。　This　man　
treated　us　most　hospitably；　and　ultimately　through　his　
assistance　we；　after　innumerable　sufferings　and　
adventures；　reached　Delagoa　Bay；　more　than　eighteen　
months　from　the　time　when　we　emerged　from　the　marshes　
of　Ko^r；　and　the　very　next　day　managed　to　catch　one　of　
the　steamboats　that　run　round　the　Cape　to　England。　Our　
journey　home　was　a　prosperous　one；　and　we　set　our　foot　
on　the　quay　at　Southampton　exactly　two　years　from　the　
date　of　our　departure　upon　our　wild　and　seemingly　
ridiculous　quest；　and　I　now　write　these　last　words　
with　Leo　leaning　over　my　shoulder　in　my　old　room　in　my　
college；　the　very　same　into　which；　some　two…and…twenty　
years　ago；　my　poor　friend　Vincey　came　stumbling　on　the　
memorable　night　of　his　death；　bearing　the　iron　chest　
with　him。

And　that　is　the　end　of　this　history　so　far　as　it　
concerns　science　and　the　outside　world。　What　its　end　
will　be　as　regards　Leo　and　myself　is　more　than　I　can　
guess　at。　But　we　feel　that　it　is　not　reached　yet。　A　
story　that　began　more　than　two　thousand　years　ago　may　
stretch　a　long　way　into　the　dim　and　distant　future。

Is　Leo　really　a　reincarnation　of　the　ancient　
Kallikrates　of　whom　the　inscription　tells？　Or　was　
Ayesha　deceived　by　some　strange　hereditary　
resemblance？　The　reader　must　form　his　own　opinion　on　
this　as　on　many　other　matters。　I　have　mine；　which　is　
that　she　made　no　such　mistake。

Often　I　sit　alone　at　night；　staring　with；　the　eyes　of　
the　mind　into　the　blackness　of　unborn　time；　and　
wondering　in　what　shape　and　form　the　great　drama　will　
be　finally　developed；　and　where　the　scene　of　its　next　
act　will　be　laid。　And　when　that　final　development　
ultimately　occurs；　as　I　have　no　doubt　it　must　and　will　
occur；　in　obedience　to　a　fate　that　never　swerves　and　a　
purpose　that　cannot　be　altered；　what　will　be　the　part　
played　therein　by　that　beautiful　Egyptian　Amenartas；　
the　princess　of　the　royal　race　of　the　Pharaohs；　for　
the　love　of　whom　the　Priest　Kallikrates　broke　his　vows　
to　Isis；　and；　pursued　by　the　inexorable　vengeance　of　
the　outraged　goddess；　fled　down　the　coast　of　Libya　to　
meet　his　doom　at　Ko^r？





The　End