prester john-第1章

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PRESTER　JOHN

JOHN　BUCHAN




TO

LIONEL　PHILLIPS

Time；　they　say；　must　the　best　of　us　capture；
And　travel　and　battle　and　gems　and　gold
No　more　can　kindle　the　ancient　rapture；
For　even　the　youngest　of　hearts　grows　old。
But　in　you；　I　think；　the　boy　is　not　over；
So　take　this　medley　of　ways　and　wars
As　the　gift　of　a　friend　and　a　fellow…lover
Of　the　fairest　country　under　the　stars。

　　　　　J。　B。




CONTENTS

i。　　The　Man　on　the　Kirkcaple　Shore
ii。　　Furth！　Fortune！
iii。　　Blaauwildebeestefontein
iv。　　My　Journey　to　the　Winter…Veld
v。　　Mr　Wardlaw　Has　a　Premonition
vi。　　The　Drums　Beat　at　Sunset
vii。　　Captain　Arcoll　Tells　a　Tale
viii。　　I　Fall　in　Again　with　the　Reverend　John　Laputa
ix。　　The　Store　at　Umvelos'
x。　　I　Go　Treasure…Hunting
xi。　　The　Cave　of　the　Rooirand
xii。　　Captain　Arcoll　Sends　a　Message
xiii。　　The　Drift　of　the　Letaba
xiv。　　I　Carry　the　Collar　of　Prester　John
xv。　　Morning　in　the　Berg
xvi。　　Inanda's　Kraal
xvii。　　A　Deal　and　Its　Consequences
xviii。　　How　a　Man　May　Sometimes　Put　His　Trust　in　a　Horse
xix。　　Arcoll's　Shepherding
xx。　　My　Last　Sight　of　the　Reverend　John　Laputa
xxi。　　I　Climb　the　Crags　a　Second　Time
xxii。　　A　Great　Peril　and　a　Great　Salvation
xxiii。　　My　Uncle's　Gift　Is　Many　Times　Multiplied



CHAPTER　I　THE　MAN　ON　THE　KIRKCAPLE　SHORE


I　mind　as　if　it　were　yesterday　my　first　sight　of　the　man。　　Little　I　knew　at　the　time　how　big　the　moment　was　with　destiny；　or　how　often　that　face　seen　in　the　fitful　moonlight　would　haunt　my　sleep　and　disturb　my　waking　hours。　　But　I　mind　yet　the　cold　grue　of　terror　I　got　from　it；　a　terror　which　was　surely　more　than　the　due　of　a　few　truant　lads　breaking　the　Sabbath　with　their　play。

The　town　of　Kirkcaple；　of　which　and　its　adjacent　parish　of　Portincross　my　father　was　the　minister；　lies　on　a　hillside　above　the　little　bay　of　Caple；　and　looks　squarely　out　on　the　North　Sea。　　Round　the　horns　of　land　which　enclose　the　bay　the　coast　shows　on　either　side　a　battlement　of　stark　red　cliffs　through　which　a　burn　or　two　makes　a　pass　to　the　water's　edge。　　The　bay　itself　is　ringed　with　fine　clean　sands；　where　we　lads　of　the　burgh　school　loved　to　bathe　in　the　warm　weather。　　But　on　long　holidays　the　sport　was　to　go　farther　afield　among　the　cliffs；　for　there　there　were　many　deep　caves　and　pools；　where　podleys　might　be　caught　with　the　line；　and　hid　treasures　sought　for　at　the　expense　of　the　skin　of　the　knees　and　the　buttons　of　the　trousers。　　Many　a　long　Saturday　I　have　passed　in　a　crinkle　of　the　cliffs；　having　lit　a　fire　of　driftwood；　and　made　believe　that　I　was　a　smuggler　or　a　Jacobite　new　landed　from　France。　　There　was　a　band　of　us　in　Kirkcaple；　lads　of　my　own　age；　including　Archie　Leslie；　the　son　of　my　father's　session…clerk；　and　Tam　Dyke；　the　provost's　nephew。　　We　were　sealed　to　silence　by　the　blood　oath；　and　we　bore　each　the　name　of　some　historic　pirate　or　sailorman。　　I　was　Paul　Jones；　Tam　was　Captain　Kidd；　and　Archie；　need　I　say　it；　was　Morgan　himself。　　Our　tryst　was　a　cave　where　a　little　water　called　the　Dyve　Burn　had　cut　its　way　through　the　cliffs　to　the　sea。　　There　we　forgathered　in　the　summer　evenings　and　of　a　Saturday　afternoon　in　winter；　and　told　mighty　tales　of　our　prowess　and　flattered　our　silly　hearts。　　But　the　sober　truth　is　that　our　deeds　were　of　the　humblest；　and　a　dozen　of　fish　or　a　handful　of　apples　was　all　our　booty；　and　our　greatest　exploit　a　fight　with　the　roughs　at　the　Dyve　tan…work。

My　father's　spring　Communion　fell　on　the　last　Sabbath　of　April；　and　on　the　particular　Sabbath　of　which　I　speak　the　weather　was　mild　and　bright　for　the　time　of　year。　　I　had　been　surfeited　with　the　Thursday's　and　Saturday's　services；　and　the　two　long　diets　of　worship　on　the　Sabbath　were　hard　for　a　lad　of　twelve　to　bear　with　the　spring　in　his　bones　and　the　sun　slanting　through　the　gallery　window。　　There　still　remained　the　service　on　the　Sabbath　evening　…　a　doleful　prospect；　for　the　Rev。　　Mr　Murdoch　of　Kilchristie；　noted　for　the　length　of　his　discourses；　had　exchanged　pulpits　with　my　father。　　So　my　mind　was　ripe　for　the　proposal　of　Archie　Leslie；　on　our　way　home　to　tea；　that　by　a　little　skill　we　might　give　the　kirk　the　slip。　　At　our　Communion　the　pews　were　emptied　of　their　regular　occupants　and　the　congregation　seated　itself　as　it　pleased。　　The　manse　seat　was　full　of　the　Kirkcaple　relations　of　Mr　Murdoch；　who　had　been　invited　there　by　my　mother　to　hear　him；　and　it　was　not　hard　to　obtain　permission　to　sit　with　Archie　and　Tam　Dyke　in　the　cock…loft　in　the　gallery。　　Word　was　sent　to　Tam；　and　so　it　happened　that　three　abandoned　lads　duly　passed　the　plate　and　took　their　seats　in　the　cock…loft。　　But　when　the　bell　had　done　jowing；　and　we　heard　by　the　sounds　of　their　feet　that　the　elders　had　gone　in　to　the　kirk；　we　slipped　down　the　stairs　and　out　of　the　side　door。　　We　were　through　the　churchyard　in　a　twinkling；　and　hot…foot　on　the　road　to　the　Dyve　Burn。　It　was　the　fashion　of　the　genteel　in　Kirkcaple　to　put　their　boys　into　what　were　known　as　Eton　suits　…　long　trousers；　cut…　away　jackets；　and　chimney…pot　hats。　　I　had　been　one　of　the　earliest　victims；　and　well　I　remember　how　I　fled　home　from　the　Sabbath　school　with　the　snowballs　of　the　town　roughs　rattling　off　my　chimney…pot。　　Archie　had　followed；　his　family　being　in　all　things　imitators　of　mine。　　We　were　now　clothed　in　this　wearisome　garb；　so　our　first　care　was　to　secrete　safely　our　hats　in　a　marked　spot　under　some　whin　bushes　on　the　links。　Tam　was　free　from　the　bondage　of　fashion；　and　wore　his　ordinary　best　knickerbockers。　　From　inside　his　jacket　he　unfolded　his　special　treasure；　which　was　to　light　us　on　our　expedition　…　an　evil…smelling　old　tin　lantern　with　a　shutter。

Tam　was　of　the　Free　Kirk　persuasion；　and　as　his　Communion　fell　on　a　different　day　from　ours；　he　was　spared　the　bondage　of　church　attendance　from　which　Archie　and　I　had　revolted。　　But　notable　events　had　happened　that　day　in　his　church。　　A　black　man；　the　Rev。　　John　Something…or…other；　had　been　preaching。　　Tam　was　full　of　the　portent。　　'A　nagger；'　he　said；　'a　great　black　chap　as　big　as　your　father；　Archie。'　　He　seemed　to　have　banged　the　bookboard　with　some　effect；　and　had　kept　Tam；　for　once　in　his　life；　awake。　　He　had　preached　about　the　heathen　in　Africa；　and　how　a　black　man　was　as　good　as　a　white　man　in　the　sight　of　God；　and　he　had　forecast　a　day　when　the　negroes　would　have　something　to　teach　the　British　in　the　way　of　civilization。　　So　at　any　rate　ran　the　account　of　Tam　Dyke；　who　did　not　share　the　preacher's　views。　　'It's　all　nonsense；　Davie。　　The　Bible　says　that　the　children　of　Ham　were　to　be　our　servants。　　If　I　were　the　minister　I　wouldn't　let　a　nigger　into　the　pulpit。　　I　wouldn't　let　him　farther　than　the　Sabbath　school。'

Night　fell　as　we　came　to　the　broomy　spaces　of　the　links；　and　ere　we　had　breasted　the　slope　of　the　neck　which　separates　Kirkcaple　Bay　from　the　cliffs　it　was　as　dark　as　an　April　evening　with　a　full　moon　can　be。　　Tam　would　have　had　it　darker。　　He　got　out　his　lantern；　and　after　a　prodigious　waste　of　matches　kindled　the　candle…end　inside；　turned　the　dark　shutter；　and　trotted　happily　on。　　We　had　no　need　of　his　lighting　till　the　Dyve　Burn　was　reached　and　the　path　began　to　descend　steeply　through　the　rift　in　the　crags。

It　was　here　we　found　that　some　one　had　gone　before　us。　Archie　was　great　in　those　days　at　tracking；　his　ambition　running　in　Indian　paths。　　He　would　walk　always　with　his　head　bent　and　his　eyes　on　the　ground；　whereby　he　several　times　found　lost　coins　and　once　a　trinket　dropped　by　the　provost's　wife。　　At　the　edge　of　the　burn；　where　the　path　turns　downward；　there　is　a　patch　of　shingle　washed　up　by　some　spate。　　Archie　was　on　his　knees　in　a　second。　　'Lads；'　he　cried；　'there's　spoor　here；'　and　then　after　some　nosing；　'it's　a　man's　track；　going　downward；　a　big　man　with　flat　feet。　　It's　fresh；　too；　for　it　crosses　the　damp　bit　of　gravel；　and　the　water　has　scarcely　filled　the　holes　yet。'

We　did　not　dare　to　question　Archie's　woodcraft；　but　it　puzzled　us　who　the　stranger　could　be。　　In　summer　weather　you　might　find　a　party　of　picnickers　here；　attracted　by　the　fine　hard　sands　at　the　burn　mouth。　　But　at　this　time　of　night　and　season　of　the　year　there　was　no　call　for　any　one　to　be　trespassing　on　our　preserves。　　No　fishermen　came　this