prester john-第40章

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Arcoll；　still　holding　my　hands；　brought　his　face　close　to　mine；　so　that　his　clear　eyes　mastered　and　constrained　me。

'Look　at　me；　Davie；'　I　heard　him　say。　　'You　have　something　to　tell　me；　and　it　is　very　important。　　It　is　about　Laputa；　isn't　it？　Think；　man。　　You　took　him　to　Machudi's　and　gave　him　the　collar。　　He　has　gone　back　with　it　to　Inanda's　Kraal。　　Very　well；　my　guns　will　hold　him　there。'

I　shook　my　head。　　'You　can't。　　You　may　split　the　army；　but　you　can't　hold　Laputa。　　He　will　be　over　the　Olifants　before　you　fire　a　shot。'　'We　will　hunt　him　down　before　he　crosses。　　And　if　not；　we　will　catch　him　at　the　railway。'

'For　God's　sake；　hurry　then；'　I　cried。　　'In　an　hour　he　will　be　over　it　and　back　in　the　kraal。'

'But　the　river　is　a　long　way。'

'River？'　I　repeated　hazily。　　'What　river？　　The　Letaba　is　not　the　place。　　It　is　the　road　I　mean。'

Arcoll's　hands　closed　firmly　on　my　wrists。

'You　left　Laputa　at　Machudi's　and　rode　here　without　stopping。　That　would　take　you　an　hour。　　Had　Laputa　a　horse？'

'Yes；　but　I　took　it；'　I　stammered。　　'You　can　see　it　behind　me。'　Arcoll　dropped　my　hands　and　stood　up　straight。

'By　God；　we've　got　him！'　he　said；　and　he　spoke　to　his　companions。　　A　man　turned　and　ran　out　of　the　tent。

Then　I　remembered　what　I　wanted　to　say。　　I　struggled　from　the　bed　and　put　my　hands　on　his　shoulders。

'Laputa　is　our　side　of　the　highroad。　　Cut　him　off　from　his　men；　and　drive　him　north　…　north　…　away　up　to　the　Rooirand。　Never　mind　the　Wolkberg　and　the　guns；　for　they　can　wait。　　I　tell　you　Laputa　is　the　Rising；　and　he　has　the　collar。　　Without　him　you　can　mop　up　the　Kaffirs　at　your　leisure。　　Line　the　high…　road　with　every　man　you　have；　for　he　must　cross　it　or　perish。　Oh；　hurry；　man；　hurry；　never　mind　me。　　We're　saved　if　we　can　chivy　Laputa　till　morning。　　Quick；　or　I'll　have　to　go　myself。'

The　tent　emptied；　and　I　lay　back　on　the　bed　with　a　dim　feeling　that　my　duty　was　done　and　I　could　rest。　　Henceforth　the　affair　was　in　stronger　hands　than　mine。　　I　was　so　weak　that　I　could　not　lift　my　legs　up　to　the　bed；　but　sprawled　half　on　and　half　off。

Utter　exhaustion　defeats　sleep。　　I　was　in　a　fever；　and　my　eyes　would　not　close。　　I　lay　and　drowsed　while　it　seemed　to　me　that　the　outside　world　was　full　of　men　and　horses。　　I　heard　voices　and　the　sound　of　hoofs　and　the　jingle　of　bridles；　but　above　all　I　heard　the　solid　tramp　of　an　army。　　The　whole　earth　seemed　to　be　full　of　war。　　Before　my　mind　was　spread　the　ribbon　of　the　great　highway。　　I　saw　it　run　white　through　the　meadows　of　the　plateau；　then　in　a　dark　corkscrew　down　the　glen　of　the　Letaba；　then　white　again　through　the　vast　moonlit　bush　of　the　plains；　till　the　shanties　of　Wesselsburg　rose　at　the　end　of　it。　　It　seemed　to　me　to　be　less　a　road　than　a　rampart；　built　of　shining　marble；　the　Great　Wall　of　Africa。　　I　saw　Laputa　come　out　of　the　shadows　and　try　to　climb　it；　and　always　there　was　the　sound　of　a　rifle…breech　clicking；　a　summons；　and　a　flight。　　I　began　to　take　a　keen　interest　in　the　game。　　Down　in　the　bush　were　the　dark　figures　of　the　hunted；　and　on　the　white　wall　were　my　own　people　…　horse；　foot；　and　artillery；　the　squadrons　of　our　defence。　　What　a　general　Arcoll　was；　and　how　great　a　matter　had　David　Crawfurd　kindled！

A　man　came　in　…　I　suppose　a　doctor。　　He　took　off　my　leggings　and　boots；　cutting　them　from　my　bleeding　feet；　but　I　knew　no　pain。　　He　felt　my　pulse　and　listened　to　my　heart。　　Then　he　washed　my　face　and　gave　me　a　bowl　of　hot　milk。　　There　must　have　been　a　drug　in　the　milk；　for　I　had　scarcely　drunk　it　before　a　tide　of　sleep　seemed　to　flow　over　my　brain。　　The　white　rampart　faded　from　my　eyes　and　I　slept。



CHAPTER　XIX　ARCOLL'S　SHEPHERDING



While　I　lay　in　a　drugged　slumber　great　things　were　happening。　What　I　have　to　tell　is　no　experience　of　my　own；　but　the　story　as　I　pieced　it　together　afterwards　from　talks　with　Arcoll　and　Aitken。　　The　history　of　the　Rising　has　been　compiled。　　As　I　write　I　see　before　me　on　the　shelves　two　neat　blue　volumes　in　which　Mr　Alexander　Upton；　sometime　correspondent　of　the　Times；　has　told　for　the　edification　of　posterity　the　tale　of　the　war　between　the　Plains　and　the　Plateau。　　To　him　the　Kaffir　hero　is　Umbooni；　a　half…witted　ruffian；　whom　we　afterwards　caught　and　hanged。　　He　mentions　Laputa　only　in　a　footnote　as　a　renegade　Christian　who　had　something　to　do　with　fomenting　discontent。　　He　considers　that　the　word　'Inkulu；'　which　he　often　heard；　was　a　Zulu　name　for　God。　　Mr　Upton　is　a　picturesque　historian；　but　he　knew　nothing　of　the　most　romantic　incident　of　all。　　This　is　the　tale　of　the　midnight　shepherding　of　the　'heir　of　John'　by　Arcoll　and　his　irregulars。

At　Bruderstroom；　where　I　was　lying　unconscious；　there　were　two　hundred　men　of　the　police；　sixty…three　Basuto　scouts　under　a　man　called　Stephen；　who　was　half　native　in　blood　and　wholly　native　in　habits；　and　three　commandoes　of　the　farmers；　each　about　forty　strong。　　The　commandoes　were　really　companies　of　the　North　Transvaal　Volunteers；　but　the　old　name　had　been　kept　and　something　of　the　old　loose　organization。　　There　were　also　two　four…gun　batteries　of　volunteer　artillery；　but　these　were　out　on　the　western　skirts　of　the　Wolkberg　following　Beyers's　historic　precedent。　　Several　companies　of　regulars　were　on　their　way　from　Pietersdorp；　but　they　did　not　arrive　till　the　next　day。　　When　they　came　they　went　to　the　Wolkberg　to　join　the　artillery。　　Along　the　Berg　at　strategic　points　were　pickets　of　police　with　native　trackers；　and　at　Blaauwildebeestefontein　there　was　a　strong　force　with　two　field　guns；　for　there　was　some　fear　of　a　second　Kaffir　army　marching　by　that　place　to　Inanda's　Kraal。　　At　Wesselsburg　out　on　the　plain　there　was　a　biggish　police　patrol；　and　a　system　of　small　patrols　along　the　road；　with　a　fair　number　of　Basuto　scouts。　　But　the　road　was　picketed；　not　held；　for　Arcoll's　patrols　were　only　a　branch　of　his　Intelligence　Department。　　It　was　perfectly　easy；　as　I　had　found　myself；　to　slip　across　in　a　gap　of　the　pickets。

Laputa　would　be　in　a　hurry；　and　therefore　he　would　try　to　cross　at　the　nearest　point。　　Hence　it　was　Arcoll's　first　business　to　hold　the　line　between　the　defile　of　the　Letaba　and　the　camp　at　Bruderstroom。　　A　detachment　of　the　police　who　were　well　mounted　galloped　at　racing　speed　for　the　defile；　and　behind　them　the　rest　lined　out　along　the　road。　　The　farmers　took　a　line　at　right　angles　to　the　road；　so　as　to　prevent　an　escape　on　the　western　flank。　　The　Basutos　were　sent　into　the　woods　as　a　sort　of　advanced　post　to　bring　tidings　of　any　movement　there。　Finally　a　body　of　police　with　native　runners　at　their　stirrups　rode　on　to　the　drift　where　the　road　crosses　the　Letaba。　　The　place　is　called　Main　Drift；　and　you　will　find　it　on　the　map。　The　natives　were　first　of　all　to　locate　Laputa；　and　prevent　him　getting　out　on　the　south　side　of　the　triangle　of　hill　and　wood　between　Machudi's；　the　road；　and　the　Letaba。　　If　he　failed　there；　he　must　try　to　ford　the　Letaba　below　the　drift；　and　cross　the　road　between　the　drift　and　Wesselsburg。　　Now　Arcoll　had　not　men　enough　to　watch　the　whole　line；　and　therefore　if　Laputa　were　once　driven　below　the　drift；　he　must　shift　his　men　farther　down　the　road。　　Consequently　it　was　of　the　first　importance　to　locate　Laputa's　whereabouts；　and　for　this　purpose　the　native　trackers　were　sent　forward。　　There　was　just　a　chance　of　capturing　him；　but　Arcoll　knew　too　well　his　amazing　veld…craft　and　great　strength　of　body　to　build　much　hope　on　that。

We　were　none　too　soon。　　The　advance　men　of　the　police　rode　into　one　of　the　Kaffirs　from　Inanda's　Kraal；　whom　Laputa　had　sent　forward　to　see　if　the　way　was　clear。　　In　two　minutes　more　he　would　have　been　across　and　out　of　our　power；　for　we　had　no　chance　of　overtaking　him　in　the　woody　ravines　of　the　Letaba。　　The　Kaffir；　when　he　saw　us；　dived　back　into　the　grass　on　the　north　side　of　the　road；　which　made　it　clear　that　Laputa　was　still　there。

After　that　nothing　happened　for　a　little。　　The　police　reached　their　drift；　and　all　the　road　west　of　that　point　was　strongly　held。　　The　flanking　commandoes　joined　hands　with　one　of　the　police　posts　farther　north；　and　moved　slowly　to　the　scarp　of　the　Berg。　　They　saw　nobody；　from　which　Arcoll　could　deduce　that　his　man　had　gone　down　the　Berg　into　the　forests。