prester john-第2章

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s　way；　the　lobster…pots　being　all　to　the　east；　and　the　stark　headland　of　the　Red　Neb　made　the　road　to　them　by　the　water's　edge　difficult。　　The　tan…　work　lads　used　to　come　now　and　then　for　a　swim；　but　you　would　not　find　a　tan…work　lad　bathing　on　a　chill　April　night。　Yet　there　was　no　question　where　our　precursor　had　gone。　　He　was　making　for　the　shore。　　Tam　unshuttered　his　lantern；　and　the　steps　went　clearly　down　the　corkscrew　path。　　'Maybe　he　is　after　our　cave。　　We'd　better　go　cannily。'

The　glim　was　dowsed　…　the　words　were　Archie's　…　and　in　the　best　contraband　manner　we　stole　down　the　gully。　　The　business　had　suddenly　taken　an　eerie　turn；　and　I　think　in　our　hearts　we　were　all　a　little　afraid。　　But　Tam　had　a　lantern；　and　it　would　never　do　to　turn　back　from　an　adventure　which　had　all　the　appearance　of　being　the　true　sort。　　Half　way　down　there　is　a　scrog　of　wood；　dwarf　alders　and　hawthorn；　which　makes　an　arch　over　the　path。　　I；　for　one；　was　glad　when　we　got　through　this　with　no　worse　mishap　than　a　stumble　from　Tam　which　caused　the　lantern　door　to　fly　open　and　the　candle　to　go　out。　We　did　not　stop　to　relight　it；　but　scrambled　down　the　screes　till　we　came　to　the　long　slabs　of　reddish　rock　which　abutted　on　the　beach。　　We　could　not　see　the　track；　so　we　gave　up　the　business　of　scouts；　and　dropped　quietly　over　the　big　boulder　and　into　the　crinkle　of　cliff　which　we　called　our　cave。

There　was　nobody　there；　so　we　relit　the　lantern　and　examined　our　properties。　　Two　or　three　fishing…rods　for　the　burn；　much　damaged　by　weather；　some　sea…lines　on　a　dry　shelf　of　rock；　a　couple　of　wooden　boxes；　a　pile　of　driftwood　for　fires；　and　a　heap　of　quartz　in　which　we　thought　we　had　found　veins　of　gold　…　such　was　the　modest　furnishing　of　our　den。　　To　this　I　must　add　some　broken　clay　pipes；　with　which　we　made　believe　to　imitate　our　elders；　smoking　a　foul　mixture　of　coltsfoot　leaves　and　brown　paper。　　The　band　was　in　session；　so　following　our　ritual　we　sent　out　a　picket。　　Tam　was　deputed　to　go　round　the　edge　of　the　cliff　from　which　the　shore　was　visible；　and　report　if　the　coast　was　clear。

He　returned　in　three　minutes；　his　eyes　round　with　amazement　in　the　lantern　light。　　'There's　a　fire　on　the　sands；'　he　repeated；　'and　a　man　beside　it。'

Here　was　news　indeed。　　Without　a　word　we　made　for　the　open；　Archie　first；　and　Tam；　who　had　seized　and　shuttered　his　lantern；　coming　last。　　We　crawled　to　the　edge　of　the　cliff　and　peered　round；　and　there　sure　enough；　on　the　hard　bit　of　sand　which　the　tide　had　left　by　the　burn　mouth；　was　a　twinkle　of　light　and　a　dark　figure。

The　moon　was　rising；　and　besides　there　was　that　curious　sheen　from　the　sea　which　you　will　often　notice　in　spring。　　The　glow　was　maybe　a　hundred　yards　distant；　a　little　spark　of　fire　I　could　have　put　in　my　cap；　and；　from　its　crackling　and　smoke；　composed　of　dry　seaweed　and　half…green　branches　from　the　burnside　thickets。　　A　man's　figure　stood　near　it；　and　as　we　looked　it　moved　round　and　round　the　fire　in　circles　which　first　of　all　widened　and　then　contracted。

The　sight　was　so　unexpected；　so　beyond　the　beat　of　our　experience；　that　we　were　all　a　little　scared。　　What　could　this　strange　being　want　with　a　fire　at　half…past　eight　of　an　April　Sabbath　night　on　the　Dyve　Burn　sands？　　We　discussed　the　thing　in　whispers　behind　a　boulder；　but　none　of　us　had　any　solution。　　'Belike　he's　come　ashore　in　a　boat；'　said　Archie。　　'He's　maybe　a　foreigner。'　　But　I　pointed　out　that；　from　the　tracks　which　Archie　himself　had　found；　the　man　must　have　come　overland　down　the　cliffs。　　Tam　was　clear　he　was　a　madman；　and　was　for　withdrawing　promptly　from　the　whole　business。

But　some　spell　kept　our　feet　tied　there　in　that　silent　world　of　sand　and　moon　and　sea。　　I　remember　looking　back　and　seeing　the　solemn；　frowning　faces　of　the　cliffs；　and　feeling　somehow　shut　in　with　this　unknown　being　in　a　strange　union。　　What　kind　of　errand　had　brought　this　interloper　into　our　territory？　　For　a　wonder　I　was　less　afraid　than　curious。　　I　wanted　to　get　to　the　heart　of　the　matter；　and　to　discover　what　the　man　was　up　to　with　his　fire　and　his　circles。

The　same　thought　must　have　been　in　Archie's　head；　for　he　dropped　on　his　belly　and　began　to　crawl　softly　seawards。　　I　followed；　and　Tam；　with　sundry　complaints；　crept　after　my　heels。　　Between　the　cliffs　and　the　fire　lay　some　sixty　yards　of　debris　and　boulders　above　the　level　of　all　but　the　high　spring　tides。　　Beyond　lay　a　string　of　seaweedy　pools　and　then　the　hard　sands　of　the　burnfoot。　　There　was　excellent　cover　among　the　big　stones；　and　apart　from　the　distance　and　the　dim　light；　the　man　by　the　fire　was　too　preoccupied　in　his　task　to　keep　much　look…out　towards　the　land。　　I　remember　thinking　he　had　chosen　his　place　well；　for　save　from　the　sea　he　could　not　be　seen。　　The　cliffs　are　so　undercut　that　unless　a　watcher　on　the　coast　were　on　their　extreme　edge　he　would　not　see　the　burnfoot　sands。

Archie；　the　skilled　tracker；　was　the　one　who　all　but　betrayed　us。　　His　knee　slipped　on　the　seaweed；　and　he　rolled　off　a　boulder；　bringing　down　with　him　a　clatter　of　small　stones。　　We　lay　as　still　as　mice；　in　terror　lest　the　man　should　have　heard　the　noise　and　have　come　to　look　for　the　cause。　　By…and…by　when　I　ventured　to　raise　my　head　above　a　flat…topped　stone　I　saw　that　he　was　undisturbed。　　The　fire　still　burned；　and　he　was　pacing　round　it。　On　the　edge　of　the　pools　was　an　outcrop　of　red　sandstone　much　fissured　by　the　sea。　　Here　was　an　excellent　vantage…　ground；　and　all　three　of　us　curled　behind　it；　with　our　eyes　just　over　the　edge。　　The　man　was　not　twenty　yards　off；　and　I　could　see　clearly　what　manner　of　fellow　he　was。　　For　one　thing　he　was　huge　of　size；　or　so　he　seemed　to　me　in　the　half…light。　　He　wore　nothing　but　a　shirt　and　trousers；　and　I　could　hear　by　the　flap　of　his　feet　on　the　sand　that　he　was　barefoot。

Suddenly　Tam　Dyke　gave　a　gasp　of　astonishment。　　'Gosh；　it's　the　black　minister！'　he　said。

It　was　indeed　a　black　man；　as　we　saw　when　the　moon　came　out　of　a　cloud。　　His　head　was　on　his　breast；　and　he　walked　round　the　fire　with　measured；　regular　steps。　　At　intervals　he　would　stop　and　raise　both　hands　to　the　sky；　and　bend　his　body　in　the　direction　of　the　moon。　　But　he　never　uttered　a　word。

'It's　magic；'　said　Archie。　　'He's　going　to　raise　Satan。　　We　must　bide　here　and　see　what　happens；　for　he'll　grip　us　if　we　try　to　go　back。　　The　moon's　ower　high。'

The　procession　continued　as　if　to　some　slow　music。　　I　had　been　in　no　fear　of　the　adventure　back　there　by　our　cave；　but　now　that　I　saw　the　thing　from　close　at　hand；　my　courage　began　to　ebb。　　There　was　something　desperately　uncanny　about　this　great　negro；　who　had　shed　his　clerical　garments；　and　was　now　practising　some　strange　magic　alone　by　the　sea。　　I　had　no　doubt　it　was　the　black　art；　for　there　was　that　in　the　air　and　the　scene　which　spelled　the　unlawful。　　As　we　watched；　the　circles　stopped；　and　the　man　threw　something　on　the　fire。　　A　thick　smoke　rose　of　which　we　could　feel　the　aromatic　scent；　and　when　it　was　gone　the　flame　burned　with　a　silvery　blueness　like　moonlight。　　Still　no　sound　came　from　the　minister；　but　he　took　something　from　his　belt；　and　began　to　make　odd　markings　in　the　sand　between　the　inner　circle　and　the　fire。　　As　he　turned；　the　moon　gleamed　on　the　implement；　and　we　saw　it　was　a　great　knife。

We　were　now　scared　in　real　earnest。　　Here　were　we；　three　boys；　at　night　in　a　lonely　place　a　few　yards　from　a　savage　with　a　knife。　The　adventure　was　far　past　my　liking；　and　even　the　intrepid　Archie　was　having　qualms；　if　I　could　judge　from　his　set　face。　As　for　Tam；　his　teeth　were　chattering　like　a　threshing…mill。

Suddenly　I　felt　something　soft　and　warm　on　the　rock　at　my　right　hand。　　I　felt　again；　and；　lo！　it　was　the　man's　clothes。　There　were　his　boots　and　socks；　his　minister's　coat　and　his　minister's　hat。

This　made　the　predicament　worse；　for　if　we　waited　till　he　finished　his　rites　we　should　for　certain　be　found　by　him。　　At　the　same　time；　to　return　over　the　boulders　in　the　bright　moonlight　seemed　an　equally　sure　way　to　discovery。　　I　whispered　to　Archie；　who　was　for　waiting　a　little　longer。　　'Something　may　turn　up；'　he　said。　　It　was　always　his　way。

I　do　not　know　what　would　have　turned　up；　for　we　had　no　chance　of　testing　it。　　The　situation　had　pro