prester john-第37章

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ist？　　You　call　yourself　a　patriot？　　Will　you　not　give　me　leave　to　be　a　patriot　in　turn？'

'If　you　are　a　Christian；　what　sort　of　Christianity　is　it　to　deluge　the　land　with　blood？'

'The　best；'　he　said。　　'The　house　must　be　swept　and　garnished　before　the　man　of　the　house　can　dwell　in　it。　　You　have　read　history；　Such　a　purging　has　descended　on　the　Church　at　many　times；　and　the　world　has　awakened　to　a　new　hope。　　It　is　the　same　in　all　religions。　　The　temples　grow　tawdry　and　foul　and　must　be　cleansed；　and；　let　me　remind　you；　the　cleanser　has　always　come　out　of　the　desert。'

I　had　no　answer；　being　too　weak　and　forlorn　to　think。　　But　I　fastened　on　his　patriotic　plea。

'Where　are　the　patriots　in　your　following？　　They　are　all　red　Kaffirs　crying　for　blood　and　plunder。　　Supposing　you　were　Oliver　Cromwell　you　could　make　nothing　out　of　such　a　crew。'

'They　are　my　people；'　he　said　simply。

By　this　time　we　had　forded　the　Great　Letaba；　and　were　making　our　way　through　the　clumps　of　forest　to　the　crown　of　the　plateau。　　I　noticed　that　Laputa　kept　well　in　cover；　preferring　the　tangle　of　wooded　undergrowth　to　the　open　spaces　of　the　water…meadows。　　As　he　talked；　his　wary　eyes　were　keeping　a　sharp　look…out　over　the　landscape。　　I　thrilled　with　the　thought　that　my　own　folk　were　near　at　hand。

Once　Laputa　checked　me　with　his　hand　as　I　was　going　to　speak；　and　in　silence　we　crossed　the　kloof　of　a　little　stream。　After　that　we　struck　a　long　strip　of　forest　and　he　slackened　his　watch。

'if　you　fight　for　a　great　cause；'　I　said；　'why　do　you　let　a　miscreant　like　Henriques　have　a　hand　in　it？　　You　must　know　that　the　man's　only　interest　in　you　is　the　chance　of　loot。　　I　am　for　you　against　Henriques；　and　I　tell　you　plain　that　if　you　don't　break　the　snake's　back　it　will　sting　you。'

Laputa　looked　at　me　with　an　odd；　meditative　look。

'You　misunderstand　again；　Mr　Storekeeper。　　The　Portuguese　is　what　you　call　a　〃mean　white。〃　His　only　safety　is　among　us。　　I　am　campaigner　enough　to　know　that　an　enemy；　who　has　a　burning　grievance　against　my　other　enemies；　is　a　good　ally。　You　are　too　hard　on　Henriques。　　You　and　your　friends　have　treated　him　as　a　Kaffir；　and　a　Kaffir　he　is　in　everything　but　Kaffir　virtues。　　What　makes　you　so　anxious　that　Henriques　should　not　betray　me？'

'I'm　not　a　mean　white；'　I　said；　'and　I　will　speak　the　truth。　　I　hope；　in　God's　name；　to　see　you　smashed；　but　I　want　it　done　by　honest　men；　and　not　by　a　yellow　devil　who　has　murdered　my　dog　and　my　friends。　　Sooner　or　later　you　will　find　him　out；　and　if　he　escapes　you；　and　there's　any　justice　in　heaven；　he　won't　escape　me。'

'Brave　words；'　said　Laputa；　with　a　laugh；　and　then　in　one　second　he　became　rigid　in　the　saddle。　　We　had　crossed　a　patch　of　meadow　and　entered　a　wood；　beyond　which　ran　the　highway。　I　fancy　he　was　out　in　his　reckoning；　and　did　not　think　the　road　so　near。　　At　any　rate；　after　a　moment　he　caught　the　sound　of　horses；　and　I　caught　it　too。　　The　wood　was　thin；　and　there　was　no　room　for　retreat；　while　to　recross　the　meadow　would　bring　us　clean　into　the　open。　　He　jumped　from　his　horse；　untied　with　amazing　quickness　the　rope　halter　from　its　neck；　and　started　to　gag　me　by　winding　the　thing　round　my　jaw。

I　had　no　time　to　protest　that　I　would　keep　faith；　and　my　right　hand　was　tethered　to　his　pommel。　　In　the　grip　of　these　great　arms　I　was　helpless；　and　in　a　trice　was　standing　dumb　as　a　lamp…post；　while　Laputa；　his　left　arm　round　both　of　mine；　and　his　right　hand　over　the　schimmel's　eyes；　strained　his　ears　like　a　sable　antelope　who　has　scented　danger。

There　was　never　a　more　brutal　gagging。　　The　rope　crushed　my　nose　and　drove　my　lips　down　on　my　teeth；　besides　gripping　my　throat　so　that　I　could　scarcely　breathe。　　The　pain　was　so　great　that　I　became　sick；　and　would　have　fallen　but　for　Laputa。　Happily　I　managed　to　get　my　teeth　apart；　so　that　one　coil　slipped　between；　and　eased　the　pain　of　the　jaws。　　But　the　rest　was　bad　enough　to　make　me　bite　frantically　on　the　tow；　and　I　think　in　a　little　my　sharp　front　teeth　would　have　severed　it。　　All　this　discomfort　prevented　me　seeing　what　happened。　　The　wood；　as　I　have　said；　was　thin；　and　through　the　screen　of　leaves　I　had　a　confused　impression　of　men　and　horses　passing　interminably。　　There　can　only　have　been　a　score　at　the　most；　but　the　moments　drag　if　a　cord　is　gripping　your　throat。　　When　Laputa　at　length　untied　me；　I　had　another　fit　of　nausea；　and　leaned　helplessly　against　a　tree。

Laputa　listened　till　the　sound　of　the　horses　had　died　away；　then　silently　we　stole　to　the　edge　of　the　road；　across；　and　into　the　thicker　evergreen　bush　on　the　far　side。　　At　a　pace　which　forced　me　to　run　hard；　we　climbed　a　steepish　slope；　till　ahead　of　us　we　saw　the　bald　green　crown　of　the　meadowlands。　　I　noticed　that　his　face　had　grown　dark　and　sullen　again。　　He　was　in　an　enemy's　country；　and　had　the　air　of　the　hunted　instead　of　the　hunter。　　When　I　stopped　he　glowered　at　me；　and　once；　when　I　was　all　but　overcome　with　fatigue；　he　lifted　his　hand　in　a　threat。　　Had　he　carried　a　sjambok；　it　would　have　fallen　on　my　back。

If　he　was　nervous；　so　was　I。　　The　fact　that　I　was　out　of　the　Kaffir　country　and　in　the　land　of　my　own　folk　was　a　kind　of　qualified　liberty。　　At　any　moment；　I　felt；　Providence　might　intervene　to　set　me　free。　　It　was　in　the　bond　that　Laputa　should　shoot　me　if　we　were　attacked；　but　a　pistol　might　miss。　　As　far　as　my　shaken　wits　would　let　me；　I　began　to　forecast　the　future。　Once　he　got　the　jewels　my　side　of　the　bargain　was　complete。　He　had　promised　me　my　life；　but　there　had　been　nothing　said　about　my　liberty；　and　I　felt　assured　that　Laputa　would　never　allow　one　who　had　seen　so　much　to　get　off　to　Arcoll　with　his　tidings。　　But　back　to　that　unhallowed　kraal　I　was　resolved　I　would　not　go。　　He　was　armed；　and　I　was　helpless；　he　was　strong；　and　I　was　dizzy　with　weakness；　he　was　mounted；　and　I　was　on　foot：　it　seemed　a　poor　hope　that　I　should　get　away。　There　was　little　chance　from　a　wandering　patrol；　for　I　knew　if　we　were　followed　I　should　have　a　bullet　in　my　head；　while　Laputa　got　off　on　the　Schimmel。　　I　must　wait　and　bide　events。　At　the　worst；　a　clean　shot　on　the　hillside　in　a　race　for　life　was　better　than　the　unknown　mysteries　of　the　kraal。　　I　prayed　earnestly　to　God　to　show　me　His　mercy；　for　if　ever　man　was　sore　bested　by　the　heathen　it　was　I。

To　my　surprise；　Laputa　chose　to　show　himself　on　the　green　hill…shoulder。　　He　looked　towards　the　Wolkberg　and　raised　his　hands。　　It　must　have　been　some　signal。　　I　cast　my　eyes　back　on　the　road　we　had　come；　and　I　thought　I　saw　some　figures　a　mile　back；　on　the　edge　of　the　Letaba　gorge。　　He　was　making　sure　of　my　return。

By　this　time　it　was　about　four　in　the　afternoon；　and　as　heavenly　weather　as　the　heart　of　man　could　wish。　　The　meadows　were　full　of　aromatic　herbs；　which；　as　we　crushed　them；　sent　up　a　delicate　odour。　　The　little　pools　and　shallows　of　the　burns　were　as　clear　as　a　Lothian　trout…stream。　　We　were　now　going　at　a　good　pace；　and　I　found　that　my　earlier　weariness　was　growing　less。　　I　was　being　keyed　up　for　some　great　crisis；　for　in　my　case　the　spirit　acts　direct　on　the　body；　and　fatigue　grows　and　ebbs　with　hope。　　I　knew　that　my　strength　was　not　far　from　breaking…point；　but　I　knew　also　that　so　long　as　a　chance　was　left　me　I　should　have　enough　for　a　stroke。

Before　I　realized　where　we　were　we　had　rounded　the　hill；　and　were　looking　down　on　the　green　cup　of　the　upper　Machudi's　glen。　　Far　down；　I　remember；　where　the　trees　began；　there　was　a　cloud　of　smoke。　　Some　Kaffir　…　or　maybe　Arcoll　…　had　fired　the　forest。　　The　smoke　was　drifting　away　under　a　light　west　wind　over　the　far　plains；　so　that　they　were　seen　through　a　haze　of　opal。

Laputa　bade　me　take　the　lead。　　I　saw　quite　clear　the　red　kloof　on　the　far　side；　where　the　collar　was　hid。　　To　get　there　we　might　have　ridden　straight　into　the　cup；　but　a　providential　instinct　made　me　circle　round　the　top　till　we　were　on　the　lip　of　the　ravine。　　This　was　the　road　some　of　Machudi's　men　had　taken；　and　unthinkingly　I　followed　them。　　Twenty　minutes'　riding　brought　us　to　the　place；　and　all　the　while　I　had　no　kind　of　plan　of　escape。　　I　was　in　the　hands　of　my　Maker；　watching；　like　the　Jews　of　old；　for　a　sign。

Laputa　dismounted　and　looked　down　into　the　gorge。

'There　is　no　road