prester john-第29章

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　was　rising；　but　the　long　shallows　of　the　ford　were　clear。　　My　heart　was　beginning　to　flutter　wildly；　but　I　kept　a　tight　grip　on　myself　and　prayed　for　patience。　　As　I　stared　into　the　evening　my　hopes　sank。　　I　had　expected；　foolishly　enough；　to　see　on　the　far　bank　some　sign　of　my　friends；　but　the　tall　bush　was　dead　and　silent。

The　drift　slants　across　the　river　at　an　acute　angle；　roughly　S。S。W。　　I　did　not　know　this　at　the　time；　and　was　amazed　to　see　the　van　of　the　march　turn　apparently　up　stream。　　Laputa's　great　voice　rang　out　in　some　order　which　was　repeated　down　the　column；　and　the　wide　flanks　of　the　force　converged　on　the　narrow　cart…track　which　entered　the　water。　　We　had　come　to　a　standstill　while　the　front　ranks　began　the　passage。

I　sat　shaking　with　excitement；　my　eyes　straining　into　the　gloom。　　Water　holds　the　evening　light　for　long；　and　I　could　make　out　pretty　clearly　what　was　happening。　　The　leading　horsemen　rode　into　the　stream　with　Laputa　in　front。　　The　ford　is　not　the　best　going；　so　they　had　to　pick　their　way；　but　in　five　or　ten　minutes　they　were　over。　　Then　came　some　of　the　infantry　of　the　flanks；　who　crossed　with　the　water　to　their　waists；　and　their　guns　held　high　above　their　heads。　　They　made　a　portentous　splashing；　but　not　a　sound　came　from　their　throats。　　I　shall　never　know　how　Laputa　imposed　silence　on　the　most　noisy　race　on　earth。　　Several　thousand　footmen　must　have　followed　the　riders；　and　disappeared　into　the　far　bush。　　But　not　a　shot　came　from　the　bluffs　in　front。

I　watched　with　a　sinking　heart。　　Arcoll　had　failed；　and　there　was　to　be　no　check　at　the　drift。　　There　remained　for　me　only　the　horrors　at　Inanda's　Kraal。　　I　resolved　to　make　a　dash　for　freedom；　at　all　costs；　and　was　in　the　act　of　telling　Arcoll's　man　to　cut　my　bonds；　when　a　thought　occurred　to　me。

Henriques　was　after　the　rubies；　and　it　was　his　interest　to　get　Laputa　across　the　river　before　the　attack　began。　　It　was　Arcoll's　business　to　split　the　force；　and　above　all　to　hold　up　the　leader。　Henriques　would　tell　him；　and　for　that　matter　he　must　have　assumed　himself；　that　Laputa　would　ride　in　the　centre　of　the　force。　　Therefore　there　would　be　no　check　till　the　time　came　for　the　priest's　litter　to　cross。

It　was　well　that　I　had　not　had　my　bonds　cut。　　Henriques　came　riding　towards　me；　his　face　sharp　and　bright　as　a　ferret's。　He　pulled　up　and　asked　if　I　were　safe。　　My　Kaffir　showed　my　strapped　elbows　and　feet；　and　tugged　at　the　cords　to　prove　their　tightness。

'Keep　him　well；'　said　Henriques；　'or　you　will　answer　to　Inkulu。　　Forward　with　him　now　and　get　him　through　the　water。'　　Then　he　turned　and　rode　back。

My　warder；　apparently　obeying　orders；　led　me　out　of　the　column　and　into　the　bush　on　the　right　hand。　　Soon　we　were　abreast　of　the　litter　and　some　twenty　yards　to　the　west　of　it。　The　water　gleamed　through　the　trees　a　few　paces　in　front。　　I　could　see　the　masses　of　infantry　converging　on　the　drift；　and　the　churning　like　a　cascade　which　they　made　in　the　passage。

Suddenly　from　the　far　bank　came　an　order。　　It　was　Laputa's　voice；　thin　and　high…pitched；　as　the　Kaffir　cries　when　he　wishes　his　words　to　carry　a　great　distance。　　Henriques　repeated　it；　and　the　infantry　halted。　　The　riders　of　the　column　in　front　of　the　litter　began　to　move　into　the　stream。

We　should　have　gone　with　them；　but　instead　we　pulled　our　horses　back　into　the　darkness　of　the　bush。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　odd　things　were　happening　around　the　priest's　litter。　Henriques　had　left　it；　and　dashed　past　me　so　close　that　I　could　have　touched　him。　　From　somewhere　among　the　trees　a　pistol…　shot　cracked　into　the　air。

As　if　in　answer　to　a　signal　the　high　bluff　across　the　stream　burst　into　a　sheet　of　fire。　　'A　sheet　of　fire'　sounds　odd　enough　for　scientific　warfare。　　I　saw　that　my　friends　were　using　shot…　guns　and　firing　with　black　powder　into　the　mob　in　the　water。　It　was　humane　and　it　was　good　tactics；　for　the　flame　in　the　grey　dusk　had　the　appearance　of　a　heavy　battery　of　ordnance。　Once　again　I　heard　Henriques'　voice。　　He　was　turning　the　column　to　the　right。　　He　shouted　to　them　to　get　into　cover；　and　take　the　water　higher　up。　　I　thought；　too；　that　from　far　away　I　heard　Laputa。

These　were　maddening　seconds。　　We　had　left　the　business　of　cutting　my　bonds　almost　too　late。　　In　the　darkness　of　the　bush　the　strips　of　hide　could　only　be　felt　for；　and　my　Kaffir　had　a　woefully　blunt　knife。　　Reims　are　always　tough　to　sever；　and　mine　had　to　be　sawn　through。　　Soon　my　arms　were　free；　and　I　was　plucking　at　my　other　bonds。　　The　worst　were　those　on　my　ankles　below　the　horse's　belly。　　The　Kaffir　fumbled　away　in　the　dark；　and　pricked　my　beast　so　that　he　reared　and　struck　out。　And　all　the　while　I　was　choking　with　impatience；　and　gabbling　prayers　to　myself。

The　men　on　the　other　side　had　begun　to　use　ball…cartridge。　I　could　see　through　a　gap　the　centre　of　the　river；　and　it　was　filled　with　a　mass　of　struggling　men　and　horses'。　　I　remember　that　it　amazed　me　that　no　shot　was　fired　in　return。　　Then　I　remembered　the　vow；　and　was　still　more　amazed　at　the　power　of　a　ritual　on　that　savage　horde。

The　column　was　moving　past　me　to　the　right。　　It　was　a　disorderly　rabble　which　obeyed　Henriques'　orders。　　Bullets　began　to　sing　through　the　trees；　and　one　rider　was　hit　in　the　shoulder　and　came　down　with　a　crash。　　This　increased　the　confusion；　for　most　of　them　dismounted　and　tried　to　lead　their　horses　in　the　cover。　　The　infantry　coming　in　from　the　wings　collided　with　them；　and　there　was　a　struggle　of　excited　beasts　and　men　in　the　thickets　of　thorn　and　mopani。　　And　still　my　Kaffir　was　trying　to　get　my　ankles　loose　as　fast　as　a　plunging　horse　would　let　him。　At　last　I　was　free；　and　dropped　stiffly　to　the　ground。　　I　fell　prone　on　my　face　with　cramp；　and　when　I　got　up　I　rolled　like　a　drunk　man。　　Here　I　made　a　great　blunder。　　I　should　have　left　my　horse　with　my　Kaffir；　and　bidden　him　follow　me。　　But　I　was　too　eager　to　be　cautious；　so　I　let　it　go；　and　crying　to　the　Kaffir　to　await　me；　I　ran　towards　the　litter。

Henriques　had　laid　his　plans　well。　　The　column　had　abandoned　the　priest；　and　by　the　litter　were　only　the　two　bearers。　As　I　caught　sight　of　them　one　fell　with　a　bullet　in　his　chest。　The　other；　wild　with　fright；　kept　turning　his　head　to　every　quarter　of　the　compass。　　Another　bullet　passed　close　to　his　head。　　This　was　too　much　for　him；　and　with　a　yell　he　ran　away。

As　I　broke　through　the　thicket　I　looked　to　the　quarter　whence　the　bullets　had　come。　　These；　I　could　have　taken　my　oath；　were　not　fired　by　my　friends　on　the　farther　bank。　　It　was　close…quarter　shooting；　and　I　knew　who　had　done　it。　　But　I　saw　nobody。　　The　last　few　yards　of　the　road　were　clear；　and　only　out　in　the　water　was　the　struggling　shouting　mass　of　humanity。　I　saw　a　tall　man　on　a　big　horse　plunge　into　the　river　on　his　way　back。　　It　must　be　Laputa　returning　to　command　the　panic。

My　business　was　not　with　Laputa　but　with　Henriques。　　The　old　priest　in　the　litter；　who　had　been　sleeping；　had　roused　himself；　and　was　looking　vacantly　round　him。　　He　did　not　look　long。　　A　third　bullet；　fired　from　a　dozen　yards　away；　drilled　a　hole　in　his　forehead。　　He　fell　back　dead；　and　the　ivory　box；　which　lay　on　his　lap；　tilted　forward　on　the　ground。

I　had　no　weapon　of　any　kind；　and　I　did　not　want　the　fourth　bullet　for　myself。　　Henriques　was　too　pretty　a　shot　to　trifle　with。　　I　waited　quietly　on　the　edge　of　the　shade　till　the　Portugoose　came　out　of　the　thicket。　　I　saw　him　running　forward　with　a　rifle　in　his　hand。　　A　whinny　from　a　horse　told　me　that　somewhere　near　his　beast　was　tied　up。　　It　was　all　but　dark；　but　it　seemed　to　me　that　I　could　see　the　lust　of　greed　in　his　eyes　as　he　rushed　to　the　litter。

Very　softly　I　stole　behind　him。　　He　tore　off　the　lid　of　the　box；　and　pulled　out　the　great　necklace。　　For　a　second　it　hung　in　his　hands；　but　only　for　a　second。　　So　absorbed　was　he　that　he　did　not　notice　me　standing　full　before　him。　　Nay；　he　lifted　his　head；　and　gave　me　the　finest　chance　of　my　life。　　I　was　something　of　a　boxer；　and　all　my　accumulated　fury　went　into　the　blow。　　It　caught　him　on　the　point　of　the　chin；　and　his　neck　cricked　like　the　bolt　of　a　rifle。　　He　fell　limply　on　the　ground　and　the　jewels　dropped　from　his　hand。

I　picked　them　up　and　stuffed　them　into　my　b