prester john-第14章

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flats　than　in　the　dense　thickets　on　these　uplands。

The　watchers；　then；　did　not　mind　my　fossicking　round　their　sacred　place。　　Why；　then；　was　I　so　closely　watched　in　the　harmless　neighbourhood　of　the　store？　　I　thought　for　a　long　time　before　an　answer　occurred　to　me。　　The　reason　must　be　that　going　to　the　plains　I　was　going　into　native　country　and　away　from　civilization。　　But　Blaauwildebeestefontein　was　near　the　frontier。　　There　must　be　some　dark　business　brewing　of　which　they　may　have　feared　that　I　had　an　inkling。　　They　wanted　to　see　if　I　proposed　to　go　to　Pietersdorp　or　Wesselsburg　and　tell　what　I　knew；　and　they　clearly　were　resolved　that　I　should　not。　I　laughed；　I　remember；　thinking　that　they　had　forgotten　the　post…bag。　　But　then　I　reflected　that　I　knew　nothing　of　what　might　be　happening　daily　to　the　post…bag。

When　I　had　reached　this　conclusion；　my　first　impulse　was　to　test　it　by　riding　straight　west　on　the　main　road。　　If　I　was　right；　I　should　certainly　be　stopped。　　On　second　thoughts；　however；　this　seemed　to　me　to　be　flinging　up　the　game　prematurely；　and　I　resolved　to　wait　a　day　or　two　before　acting。

Next　day　nothing　happened；　save　that　my　sense　of　loneliness　increased。　　I　felt　that　I　was　being　hemmed　in　by　barbarism；　and　cut　off　in　a　ghoulish　land　from　the　succour　of　my　own　kind。　　I　only　kept　my　courage　up　by　the　necessity　of　presenting　a　brave　face　to　Mr　Wardlaw；　who　was　by　this　time　in　a　very　broken　condition　of　nerves。　　I　had　often　thought　that　it　was　my　duty　to　advise　him　to　leave；　and　to　see　him　safely　off；　but　I　shrank　from　severing　myself　from　my　only　friend。　　I　thought；　too；　of　the　few　Dutch　farmers　within　riding　distance；　and　had　half　a　mind　to　visit　them；　but　they　were　far　off　over　the　plateau　and　could　know　little　of　my　anxieties。

The　third　day　events　moved　faster。　　Japp　was　sober　and　wonderfully　quiet。　　He　gave　me　good…morning　quite　in　a　friendly　tone；　and　set　to　posting　up　the　books　as　if　he　had　never　misbehaved　in　his　days。　　I　was　so　busy　with　my　thoughts　that　I；　too；　must　have　been　gentler　than　usual；　and　the　morning　passed　like　a　honeymoon；　till　I　went　across　to　dinner。

I　was　just　sitting　down　when　I　remembered　that　I　had　left　my　watch　in　my　waistcoat　behind　the　counter；　and　started　to　go　back　for　it。　　But　at　the　door　I　stopped　short。　　For　two　horsemen　had　drawn　up　before　the　store。

One　was　a　native　with　what　I　took　to　be　saddle…bags；　the　other　was　a　small　slim　man　with　a　sun　helmet；　who　was　slowly　dismounting。　　Something　in　the　cut　of　his　jib　struck　me　as　familiar。　　I　slipped　into　the　empty　schoolroom　and　stared　hard。　Then；　as　he　half…turned　in　handing　his　bridle　to　the　Kaffir；　I　got　a　sight　of　his　face。　　It　was　my　former　shipmate；　Henriques。　He　said　something　to　his　companion；　and　entered　the　store。

You　may　imagine　that　my　curiosity　ran　to　fever…heat。　　My　first　impulse　was　to　march　over　for　my　waistcoat；　and　make　a　third　with　Japp　at　the　interview。　　Happily　I　reflected　in　time　that　Henriques　knew　my　face；　for　I　had　grown　no　beard；　having　a　great　dislike　to　needless　hair。　　If　he　was　one　of　the　villains　in　the　drama；　he　would　mark　me　down　for　his　vengeance　once　he　knew　I　was　here；　whereas　at　present　he　had　probably　forgotten　all　about　me。　　Besides；　if　I　walked　in　boldly　I　would　get　no　news。　　If　japp　and　he　had　a　secret；　they　would　not　blab　it　in　my　presence。

My　next　idea　was　to　slip　in　by　the　back　to　the　room　I　had　once　lived　in。　　But　how　was　I　to　cross　the　road？　　It　ran　white　and　dry　some　distance　each　way　in　full　view　of　the　Kaffir　with　the　horses。　　Further；　the　store　stood　on　a　bare　patch；　and　it　would　be　a　hard　job　to　get　in　by　the　back；　assuming；　as　I　believed；　that　the　neighbourhood　was　thick　with　spies。

The　upshot　was　that　I　got　my　glasses　and　turned　them　on　the　store。　　The　door　was　open；　and　so　was　the　window。　　In　the　gloom　of　the　interior　I　made　out　Henriques'　legs。　　He　was　standing　by　the　counter；　and　apparently　talking　to　Japp。　　He　moved　to　shut　the　door；　and　came　back　inside　my　focus　opposite　the　window。　　There　he　stayed　for　maybe　ten　minutes；　while　I　hugged　my　impatience。　　I　would　have　given　a　hundred　pounds　to　be　snug　in　my　old　room　with　japp　thinking　me　out　of　the　store。

Suddenly　the　legs　twitched　up；　and　his　boots　appeared　above　the　counter。　　Japp　had　invited　him　to　his　bedroom；　and　the　game　was　now　to　be　played　beyond　my　ken。　　This　was　more　than　I　could　stand；　so　I　stole　out　at　the　back　door　and　took　to　the　thickest　bush　on　the　hillside。　　My　notion　was　to　cross　the　road　half　a　mile　down；　when　it　had　dropped　into　the　defile　of　the　stream；　and　then　to　come　swiftly　up　the　edge　of　the　water　so　as　to　effect　a　back　entrance　into　the　store。

As　fast　as　I　dared　I　tore　through　the　bush；　and　in　about　a　quarter　of　an　hour　had　reached　the　point　I　was　making　for。　Then　I　bore　down　to　the　road；　and　was　in　the　scrub　about　ten　yards　off　it；　when　the　clatter　of　horses　pulled　me　up　again。　Peeping　out　I　saw　that　it　was　my　friend　and　his　Kaffir　follower；　who　were　riding　at　a　very　good　pace　for　the　plains。　　Toilfully　and　crossly　I　returned　on　my　tracks　to　my　long…delayed　dinner。　Whatever　the　purport　of　their　talk；　Japp　and　the　Portuguese　had　not　taken　long　over　it。

In　the　store　that　afternoon　I　said　casually　to　Japp　that　I　had　noticed　visitors　at　the　door　during　my　dinner　hour。　　The　old　man　looked　me　frankly　enough　in　the　face。　　'Yes；　it　was　Mr　Hendricks；'　he　said；　and　explained　that　the　man　was　a　Portuguese　trader　from　Delagoa　way；　who　had　a　lot　of　Kaffir　stores　east　of　the　Lebombo　Hills。　　I　asked　his　business；　and　was　told　that　he　always　gave　Japp　a　call　in　when　he　was　passing。

'Do　you　take　every　man　that　calls　into　your　bedroom；　and　shut　the　door？'　I　asked。

Japp　lost　colour　and　his　lip　trembled。　　'I　swear　to　God；　Mr　Crawfurd；　I've　been　doing　nothing　wrong。　　I've　kept　the　promise　I　gave　you　like　an　oath　to　my　mother。　　I　see　you　suspect　me；　and　maybe　you've　cause；　but　I'll　be　quite　honest　with　you。　　I　have　dealt　in　diamonds　before　this　with　Hendricks。　But　to…day；　when　he　asked　me；　I　told　him　that　that　business

was　off。　　I　only　took　him　to　my　room　to　give　him　a　drink。　　He　likes　brandy；　and　there's　no　supply　in　the　shop。'

I　distrusted　Japp　wholeheartedly　enough；　but　I　was　convinced　that　in　this　case　he　spoke　the　truth。　'Had　the　man　any　news？'　I　asked。

'He　had　and　he　hadn't；'　said　Japp。　　'He　was　always　a　sullen　beggar；　and　never　spoke　much。　　But　he　said　one　queer　thing。　He　asked　me　if　I　was　going　to　retire；　and　when　I　told　him　〃yes；〃　he　said　I　had　put　it　off　rather　long。　　I　told　him　I　was　as　healthy　as　I　ever　was；　and　he　laughed　in　his　dirty　Portugoose　way。　　〃Yes；　Mr　Japp；〃　he　says；　〃but　the　country　is　not　so　healthy。〃　I　wonder　what　the　chap　meant。　　He'll　be　dead　of　blackwater　before　many　months；　to　judge　by　his　eyes。'

This　talk　satisfied　me　about　Japp；　who　was　clearly　in　desperate　fear　of　offending　me；　and　disinclined　to　return　for　the　present　to　his　old　ways。　　But　I　think　the　rest　of　the　afternoon　was　the　most　wretched　time　in　my　existence。　　It　was　as　plain　as　daylight　that　we　were　in　for　some　grave　trouble；　trouble　to　which　I　believed　that　I　alone　held　any　kind　of　clue。　　I　had　a　pile　of　evidence　…　the　visit　of　Henriques　was　the　last　bit　…　which　pointed　to　some　great　secret　approaching　its　disclosure。　I　thought　that　that　disclosure　meant　blood　and　ruin。　　But　I　knew　nothing　definite。　　If　the　commander　of　a　British　army　had　come　to　me　then　and　there　and　offered　help；　I　could　have　done　nothing；　only　asked　him　to　wait　like　me。　　The　peril；　whatever　it　was；　did　not　threaten　me　only；　though　I　and　Wardlaw　and　Japp　might　be　the　first　to　suffer；　but　I　had　a　terrible　feeling　that　I　alone　could　do　something　to　ward　it　off；　and　just　what　that　something　was　I　could　not　tell。　　I　was　horribly　afraid；　not　only　of　unknown　death；　but　of　my　impotence　to　play　any　manly　part。　　I　was　alone；　knowing　too　much　and　yet　too　little；　and　there　was　no　chance　of　help　under　the　broad　sky。　　I　cursed　myself　for　not　writing　to　Aitken　at　Lourenco　Marques　weeks　before。　　He　had　promised　to　come　up；　and　he　was　the　kind　of　man　who　kept　his　word。

In　the　late　afternoon　I　dragged　Wardlaw　out　for　a　walk。　　In　his　presence　I　had　to　keep　up　a　forced　cheerfulness；　and　I　believe　the　pretence　did　me　good。　　We　took　a　p