prester john-第19章

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eld　telegraphs　laid　which　can　summon　further　troops　to　any　point。　　It　has　all　been　kept　secret；　because　we　are　still　in　the　dark　ourselves。　The　newspaper　public　knows　nothing　about　any　rising；　but　in　two　days　every　white　household　in　South　Africa　will　be　in　a　panic。　　Make　no　mistake；　Mr　Crawfurd；　this　is　a　grim　business。　We　shall　smash　Laputa　and　his　men；　but　it　will　be　a　fierce　fight；　and　there　will　be　much　good　blood　shed。　　Besides；　it　will　throw　the　country　back　another　half…century。　　Would　to　God　I　had　been　man　enough　to　put　a　bullet　through　his　head　in　cold　blood。　　But　I　could　not　do　it　…　it　was　too　like　murder；　and　maybe　I　shall　never　have　the　chance　now。'

'There's　one　thing　puzzles　me；'　I　said。　　'What　makes　Laputa　come　up　here　to　start　with？　　Why　doesn't　he　begin　with　Zululand？'

'God　knows！　　There's　sure　to　be　sense　in　it；　for　he　does　nothing　without　reason。　　We　may　know　to…morrow。'

But　as　Captain　Arcoll　spoke；　the　real　reason　suddenly　flashed　into　my　mind：　Laputa　had　to　get　the　Great　Snake；　the　necklet　of　Prester　John；　to　give　his　leadership　prestige。　　Apparently　he　had　not　yet　got　it；　or　Arcoll　would　have　known。　　He　started　from　this　neighbourhood　because　the　fetich　was　somewhere　hereabouts。　　I　was　convinced　that　my　guess　was　right；　but　I　kept　my　own　counsel。

'To…morrow　Laputa　and　Henriques　meet　at　Umvelos'；　probably　at　your　new　store；　Mr　Crawfurd。　　And　so　the　ball　commences。'

My　resolution　was　suddenly　taken。

'I　think；'　I　said；　'I　had　better　be　present　at　the　meeting；　as　representing　the　firm。'

Captain　Arcoll　stared　at　me　and　laughed。　　'I　had　thought　of　going　myself；'　he　said。

'Then　you　go　to　certain　death；　disguise　yourself　as　you　please。　　You　cannot　meet　them　in　the　store　as　I　can。　　I'm　there　on　my　ordinary　business；　and　they　will　never　suspect。　　If　you're　to　get　any　news；　I'm　the　man　to　go。'

He　looked　at　me　steadily　for　a　minute　or　so。　　'I'm　not　sure　that's　such　a　bad　idea　of　yours。　　I　would　be　better　employed　myself　on　the　Berg；　and；　as　you　say；　I　would　have　little　chance　of　hearing　anything。　　You're　a　plucky　fellow；　Mr　Crawfurd。　　I　suppose　you　understand　that　the　risk　is　pretty　considerable。'

'I　suppose　I　do；　but　since　I'm　in　this　thing；　I　may　as　well　see　it　out。　　Besides；　I've　an　old　quarrel　with　our　friend　Laputa。'

'Good　and　well；'　said　Captain　Arcoll。　　'Draw　in　your　chair　to　the　table；　then；　and　I'll　explain　to　you　the　disposition　of　my　men。　　I　should　tell　you　that　I　have　loyal　natives　in　my　pay　in　most　tribes；　and　can　count　on　early　intelligence。　　We　can't　match　their　telepathy；　but　the　new　type　of　field　telegraph　is　not　so　bad；　and　may　be　a　trifle　more　reliable。'

Till　midnight　we　pored　over　maps；　and　certain　details　were　burned　in　on　my　memory。　　Then　we　went　to　bed　and　slept　soundly；　even　Mr　Wardlaw。　　It　was　strange　how　fear　had　gone　from　the　establishment；　now　that　we　knew　the　worst　and　had　a　fighting　man　by　our　side。



CHAPTER　VIII　I　FALL　IN　AGAIN　WITH　THE　REVEREND　JOHN　LAPUTA


Once；　as　a　boy；　I　had　earnestly　desired　to　go　into　the　army；　and　had　hopes　of　rising　to　be　a　great　general。　　Now　that　I　know　myself　better；　I　do　not　think　I　would　have　been　much　good　at　a　general's　work。　　I　would　have　shirked　the　loneliness　of　it；　the　isolation　of　responsibility。　　But　I　think　I　would　have　done　well　in　a　subaltern　command；　for　I　had　a　great　notion　of　carrying　out　orders；　and　a　certain　zest　in　the　mere　act　of　obedience。　Three　days　before　I　had　been　as　nervous　as　a　kitten　because　I　was　alone　and　it　was　'up　to　me；'　as　Americans　say；　to　decide　on　the　next　step。　　But　now　that　I　was　only　one　wheel　in　a　great　machine　of　defence　my　nervousness　seemed　to　have　fled。　　I　was　well　aware　that　the　mission　I　was　bound　on　was　full　of　risk；　but；　to　my　surprise；　I　felt　no　fear。　　Indeed；　I　had　much　the　same　feeling　as　a　boy　on　a　Saturday's　holiday　who　has　planned　a　big　expedition。　　One　thing　only　I　regretted　…　that　Tam　Dyke　was　not　with　me　to　see　the　fun。　　The　thought　of　that　faithful　soul；　now　beating　somewhere　on　the　seas；　made　me　long　for　his　comradeship。　　As　I　shaved；　I　remember　wondering　if　I　would　ever　shave　again；　and　the　thought　gave　me　no　tremors。　For　once　in　my　sober　life　I　was　strung　up　to　the　gambler's　pitch　of　adventure。

My　job　was　to　go　to　Umvelos'　as　if　on　my　ordinary　business；　and　if　possible　find　out　something　of　the　evening's　plan　of　march。　　The　question　was　how　to　send　back　a　message　to　Arcoll；　assuming　I　had　any　difficulty　in　getting　away。　　At　first　this　puzzled　us　both；　and　then　I　thought　of　Colin。　　I　had　trained　the　dog　to　go　home　at　my　bidding；　for　often　when　I　used　to　go　hunting　I　would　have　occasion　to　visit　a　kraal　where　he　would　have　been　a　nuisance。　　Accordingly；　I　resolved　to　take　Colin　with　me；　and；　if　I　got　into　trouble；　to　send　word　by　him。

I　asked　about　Laputa's　knowledge　of　our　preparations。　Arcoll　was　inclined　to　think　that　he　suspected　little。　　The　police　and　the　commandos　had　been　kept　very　secret；　and；　besides；　they　were　moving　on　the　high　veld　and　out　of　the　ken　of　the　tribes。　　Natives；　he　told　me；　were　not　good　scouts　so　far　as　white　man's　work　was　concerned；　for　they　did　not　understand　the　meaning　of　what　we　did。　　On　the　other　hand；　his　own　native　scouts　brought　him　pretty　accurate　tidings　of　any　Kaffir　movements。　　He　thought　that　all　the　bush　country　of　the　plain　would　be　closely　watched；　and　that　no　one　would　get　through　without　some　kind　of　pass。　　But　he　thought　also　that　the　storekeeper　might　be　an　exception；　for　his　presence　would　give　rise　to　no　suspicions。　　Almost　his　last　words　to　me　were　to　come　back　hell…for…leather　if　I　saw　the　game　was　hopeless；　and　in　any　case　to　leave　as　soon　as　I　got　any　news。　　'If　you're　there　when　the　march　begins；'　he　said；　'they'll　cut　your　throat　for　a　certainty。'　　I　had　all　the　various　police　posts　on　the　Berg　clear　in　my　mind；　so　that　I　would　know　where　to　make　for　if　the　road　to　Blaauwildebeestefontein　should　be　closed。

I　said　good…bye　to　Arcoll　and　Wardlaw　with　a　light　heart；　though　the　schoolmaster　broke　down　and　implored　me　to　think　better　of　it。　　As　I　turned　down　into　the　gorge　I　heard　the　sound　of　horses'　feet　far　behind；　and；　turning　back；　saw　white　riders　dismounting　at　the　dorp。　　At　any　rate　I　was　leaving　the　country　well　guarded　in　my　rear。

It　was　a　fine　morning　in　mid…winter；　and　I　was　in　very　good　spirits　as　I　jogged　on　my　pony　down　the　steep　hill…road；　with　Colin　running　beside　me。　　A　month　before　I　had　taken　the　same　journey；　with　no　suspicion　in　my　head　of　what　the　future　was　to　bring。　　I　thought　about　my　Dutch　companions；　now　with　their　cattle　far　out　on　the　plains。　　Did　they　know　of　the　great　danger；　I　wondered。　　All　the　way　down　the　glen　I　saw　no　sign　of　human　presence。　　The　game…birds　mocked　me　from　the　thicket；　a　brace　of　white　berghaan　circled　far　up　in　the　blue；　and　I　had　for　pleasant　comrade　the　brawling　river。　　I　dismounted　once　to　drink；　and　in　that　green　haven　of　flowers　and　ferns　I　was　struck　sharply　with　a　sense　of　folly。　　Here　were　we　wretched　creatures　of　men　making　for　each　other's　throats；　and　outraging　the　good　earth　which　God　had　made　so　fair　a　habitation。

I　had　resolved　on　a　short　cut　to　Umvelos'；　avoiding　the　neighbourhood　of　Sikitola's　kraal；　so　when　the　river　emerged　from　the　glen　I　crossed　it　and　struck　into　the　bush。　　I　had　not　gone　far　before　I　realized　that　something　strange　was　going　on。　It　was　like　the　woods　on　the　Berg　a　week　before。　　I　had　the　impression　of　many　people　moving　in　the　bush；　and　now　and　then　I　caught　a　glimpse　of　them。　　My　first　thought　was　that　I　should　be　stopped；　but　soon　it　appeared　that　these　folk　had　business　of　their　own　which　did　not　concern　me。　　I　was　conscious　of　being　watched；　yet　it　was　clear　that　the　bush　folk　were　not　there　for　the　purpose　of　watching　me。

For　a　little　I　kept　my　spirits；　but　as　the　hours　passed　with　the　same　uncanny　hurrying　to　and　fro　all　about　me　my　nerves　began　to　suffer。　　Weeks　of　espionage　at　Blaauwildebeestefontein　had　made　me　jumpy。　　These　people　apparently　meant　me　no　ill；　and　had　no　time　to　spare　on　me；　But　the　sensation　of　moving　through　them　was　like　walking　on　a　black…dark　night　with　precipices　all　around。　　I　felt　odd　quiverings　between　my　shoulder　blades　where　a　spear　might　be　expected　to　lodge。　Overhe