she-第9章

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twenty　years。〃

〃That's　right；　Job；〃　said　I。　〃You　won't　find　out　
anything　wonderful；　but　you　will　get　some　good　
shooting。　And　now　look　here；　both　of　you。　I　won't　have　
a　word　said　to　a　living　soul　about　this　nonsense；〃　and　
I　pointed　to　the　potsherd。　〃If　it　got　out；　and　
anything　happened　to　me；　my　next　of　kin　would　dispute　
my　will　on　the　ground　of　insanity；　and　I　should　become　
the　laughing…stock　of　Cambridge。〃

That　day　three　months　we　were　on　the　ocean；　bound　for　
Zanzibar。


CHAPTER　IV

THE　SQUALL

How　different　is　the　scene　that　I　have　now　to　tell　
from　that　which　has　just　been　told！　Gone　are　the　quiet　
college　rooms；　gone　the　wind…swayed　English　elms　and　
cawing　rooks；　and　the　familiar　volumes　on　the　shelves；　
and　in　their　place　there　rises　a　vision　of　the　great　
calm　ocean　gleaming　in　shaded　silver　lights　beneath　
the　beams　of　the　full　African　moon。　A　gentle　breeze　
fills　the　huge　sails　of　our　dhow；　and　draws　us　through　
the　water　that　ripples　musically　against　our　sides。　
Most　of　the　men　are　sleeping　forward；　for　it　is　near　
midnight；　but　a　stout；　swarthy　Arab；　Mahomed　by　name；　
stands　at　the　tiller；　lazily　steering　by　the　stars。　
Three　miles　or　more　to　our　starboard　is　a　low　dim　
line。　It　is　the　eastern　shore　of　Central　Africa。　We　
are　running　to　the　southward；　before　the　northeast　
monsoon；　between　the　mainland　and　the　reef　that　for　
hundreds　of　miles　fringes　that　perilous　coast。　The　
night　is　quiet；　so　quiet　that　a　whisper　can　be　heard　
fore　and　aft　the　dhow；　so　quiet　that　a　faint　booming　
sound　rolls　across　the　water　to　us　from　the　distant　
land。

The　Arab　at　the　tiller　holds　up　his　hand；　and　says　one　
word：　〃Simba　（lion）！〃

We　all　sit　up　and　listen。　Then　it　comes　again；　a　slow；　
majestic　sound；　that　thrills　us　to　the　marrow。

〃To…morrow　by　ten　o'clock；〃　I　say；　〃we　ought；　if　the　
captain　is　not　out　in　his　reckoning；　which　I　think　
very　probable；　to　make　this　mysterious　rock　with　a　
man's　head；　and　begin　our　shooting。〃

〃And　begin　our　search　for　the　ruined　city　and　the　Fire　
of　Life；〃　corrected　Leo；　taking　his　pipe　from　his　
mouth；　and　laughing　a　little。

〃Nonsense！〃　I　answered。　〃You　were　airing　your　Arabic　
with　that　man　at　the　tiller　this　afternoon。　What　did　
he　tell　you？　He　has　been　trading　（slave…trading　
probably）　up　and　down　these　latitudes　for　half　of　his　
iniquitous　life；　and　once　landed　on　this　very　'man'　
rock。　Did　he　ever　hear　anything　of　the　ruined　city　or　
the　caves？〃

〃No；〃　answered　Leo。　〃He　says　that　the　country　is　all　
swamp　behind；　and　full　of　snakes；　especially　pythons；　
and　game；　and　that　no　man　lives　there。　But　then　there　
is　a　belt　of　swamp　all　along　the　East　African　coast；　
so　that　does　not　go　for　much。〃

〃Yes；〃　I　said；　〃it　doesit　goes　for　malaria。　You　see　
what　sort　of　an　opinion　these　gentry　have　of　the　
country。　Not　one　of　them　will　go　with　us。　They　think　
that　we　are　mad；　and　upon　my　word　I　believe　that　they　
are　right。　If　ever　we　see　old　England　again　I　shall　be　
astonished。　However；　it　does　not　greatly　matter　to　me　
at　my　age；　but　I　am　anxious　for　you；　Leo；　and　for　Job。　
It's　a　Tom　Fool's　business；　my　boy。〃

〃All　right；　Uncle　Horace。　So　far　as　I　am　concerned；　I　
am　willing　to　take　my　chance。　Look！　What　is　that　
cloud？〃　and　he　pointed　to　a　dark　blotch　upon　the　
starry　sky；　some　miles　astern　of　us。

〃Go　and　ask　the　man　at　the　tiller；〃　I　said。

He　rose；　stretched　his　arms；　and　went。　Presently　he　
returned。

〃He　says　it　is　a　squall；　but　it　will　pass　far　on　one　
side　of　us。〃

Just　then　Job　came　up；　looking　very　stout　and　English　
in　his　shooting…suit　of　brown　flannel；　and　with　a　sort　
of　perplexed　appearance　upon　his　honest　round　face　
that　had　been　very　common　with　him　since　he　got　into　
these　strange　waters。

〃Please；　sir；〃　he　said；　touching　his　sun　hat；　which　
was　stuck　on　to　the　back　of　his　head　in　a　somewhat　
ludicrous　fashion；　〃as　we　have　got　all　those　guns　and　
things　in　the　whale…boat　astern；　to　say　nothing　of　the　
provisions　in　the　lockers；　I　think　it　would　be　best　if　
I　got　down　and　slept　in　her。　I　don't　like　the　looks〃　
（here　he　dropped　his　voice　to　a　portentous　whisper）　
〃of　these　black　gentry；　they　have　such　a　wonderful　
thievish　way　about　them。　Supposing　now　that　some　of　
them　were　to　slip　into　the　boat　at　night　and　cut　the　
cable；　and　make　off　with　her！　That　would　be　a　pretty　
go；　that　would。〃

The　whale…boat；　I　may　explain；　was　one　specially　built　
for　us　at　Dundee；　in　Scotland。　We　had　brought　it　with　
us；　as　we　knew　that　this　coast　was　a　network　of　
creeks；　and　that　we　might　require　something　to　
navigate　them　with。　She　was　a　beautiful　boat；　thirty　
feet　in　length；　with　a　centre…board　for　sailing；　
copper…bottomed　to　keep　the　worm　out　of　her；　and　full　
of　watertight　compartments。　The　captain　of　the　dhow　
had　told　us　that　when　we　reached　the　rock；　which　he　
knew；　and　which　appeared　to　be　identical　with　the　one　
described　upon　the　sherd　and　by　Leo's　father；　he　would　
probably　not　be　able　to　run　up　to　it　on　account　of　the　
shallows　and　breakers。　Therefore　we　had　employed　three　
hours　that　very　morning；　while　we　were　totally　
becalmed；　the　wind　having　dropped　at　sunrise；　in　
transferring　most　of　our　goods　and　chattels　to　the　
whale…boat；　and　placing　the　guns；　ammunition；　and　
preserved　provisions　in　the　water…tight　lockers　
specially　prepared　for　them；　so　that　when　we　did　sight　
the　fabled　rock　we　should　have　nothing　to　do　but　step　
into　the　boat　and　run　her　ashore。　Another　reason　that　
induced　us　to　take　this　precautionary　step　was　that　
Arab　captains　are　apt　to　run　past　the　point　that　they　
are　making；　either　from　carelessness　or　owing　to　a　
mistake　in　its　identity。　Now；　as　sailors　know；　it　is　
quite　impossible　for　a　dhow　which　is　only　rigged　to　
run　before　the　monsoon　to　beat　back　against　it。　
Therefore　we　got　our　boat　ready　to　row　for　the　rock　at　
any　moment。

〃Well；　Job；〃　I　said；　〃perhaps　it　would　be　as　well。　
There　are　lots　of　blankets　there；　only　be　careful　to　
keep　out　of　the　moon；　or　it　may　turn　your　head　or　
blind　you。〃

〃Lord；　sir！　I　don't　think　it　would　much　matter　if　it　
did；　it　is　that　turned　already　with　the　sight　of　these　
blackamoors　and　their　filthy；　thieving　ways。　They　are　
only　fit　for　muck；　they　are；　and　they　smell　bad　enough　
for　it　already。〃

Job；　it　will　be　perceived；　was　no　admirer　of　the　
manners　and　customs　of　our　dark…skinned　brothers。

Accordingly　we　hauled　up　the　boat　by　the　tow…rope　till　
it　was　right　under　the　stern　of　the　dhow；　and　Job　
bundled　into　her　with　all　the　grace　of　a　falling　sack　
of　potatoes。　Then　we　returned　and　sat　down　on　the　deck　
again；　and　smoked　and　talked　in　little　gusts　and　
jerks。　The　night　was　so　lovely；　and　our　brains　were　so　
full　of　suppressed　excitement　of　one　sort　and　another；　
that　we　did　not　feel　inclined　to　turn　in。　For　nearly　
an　hour　we　sat　thus；　and　then；　I　think；　we　both　dozed　
off。　At　least　I　have　a　faint　recollection　of　Leo　
sleepily　explaining　that　the　head　was　not　a　bad　place　
to　hit　a　buffalo；　if　you　could　catch　him　exactly　
between　the　horns；　or　send　your　bullet　down　his　
throat；　or　some　nonsense　of　the　sort。

Then　I　remember　no　more；　till　suddenlya　frightful　
roar　of　wind；　a　shriek　of　terror　from　the　awakening　
crew；　and　a　whip　like　sting　of　water　in　our　faces。　
Some　of　the　men　ran　to　let　go　the　halyards　and　lower　
the　sail；　but　the　parral　jammed　and　the　yard　would　not　
come　down。　I　sprang　to　my　feet　and　hung　on　to　a　rope。　
The　sky　aft　was　dark　as　pitch；　but　the　moon　still　
shone　brightly　ahead　of　us　and　lit　up　the　blackness。　
Beneath　its　sheen　a　huge　white…topped　breaker；　twenty　
feet　high　or　more；　was　rushing　on　to　us。　It　was　on　the　
breakthe　moon　shone　on　its　crest　and　tipped　its　foam　
with　light。　On　it　rushed　beneath　the　inky　sky；　driven　
by　the　awful　squall　behind　it。　Suddenly；　in　the　
twinkling　of　an　eye；　I　saw　the　black　shape　of　the　
whale…boat　cast　high　into　the　air　on　the　crest　of　the　
breaking　wave。　Thena　shock　of　water；　a　wild　rush　of　
boiling　foam；　and　I　was　clinging　for　my　life　to　the　
shroud；　aye；　swept　straight　out　from　it　like　a　flag　in　
a　gale。

We　were　pooped。

The　wave　passed。　It　seemed　to　me　that　I　was　un