prester john-第42章

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ll　that　the　collar　was　in　his　pouch。

He　stopped；　turned　west；　and　I　lost　him。　　The　bush　world　for　a　space　was　quite　silent；　and　I　watched　it　eagerly　as　an　aeronaut　would　watch　the　ground　for　a　descent。　　For　a　long　time　I　could　see　nothing。　　Then　in　a　wood　near　a　river　there　seemed　to　be　a　rustling。　　Some　guinea…fowl　flew　up　as　if　startled；　and　a　stembok　scurried　out。　　I　knew　that　Laputa　must　be　there。

Then；　as　I　looked　at　the　river；　I　saw　a　head　swimming。　　Nay；　I　saw　two；　one　some　distance　behind　the　other。　　The　first　man　landed　on　the　far　bank；　and　I　recognized　Laputa。　　The　second　was　a　slight　short　figure；　and　I　knew　it　was　Henriques。

I　remember　feeling　very　glad　that　these　two　had　come　together。　　It　was　certain　now　that　Henriques　would　not　escape。　Either　Laputa　would　find　out　the　truth　and　kill　him；　or　I　would　come　up　with　him　and　have　my　revenge。　　In　any　case　he　was　outside　the　Kaffir　pale；　adventuring　on　his　own。

I　watched　the　two　till　they　halted　near　a　ruined　building。　Surely　this　was　the　store　I　had　built　at　Umvelos'。　　The　thought　gave　me　a　horrid　surprise。　　Laputa　and　Henriques　were　on　their　way　to　the　Rooirand！


I　woke　with　a　start　to　find　my　forehead　damp　with　sweat。　There　was　some　fever　on　me；　I　think；　for　my　teeth　were　chattering。　　Very　clear　in　my　mind　was　the　disquieting　thought　that　Laputa　and　Henriques　would　soon　be　in　the　cave。

One　of　two　things　must　happen　…　either　Henriques　would　kill　Laputa；　get　the　collar　of　rubies；　and　be　in　the　wilds　of　Mozambique　before　I　could　come　up　with　his　trail；　or　Laputa　would　outwit　him；　and　have　the　handling　himself　of　the　treasure　of　gold　and　diamonds　which　had　been　laid　up　for　the　rising。　　If　he　thought　there　was　a　risk　of　defeat；　I　knew　he　would　send　my　gems　to　the　bottom　of　the　Labongo；　and　all　my　weary　work　would　go　for　nothing。　　I　had　forgotten　all　about　patriotism。　　In　that　hour　the　fate　of　the　country　was　nothing　to　me；　and　I　got　no　satisfaction　from　the　thought　that　Laputa　was　severed　from　his　army。　　My　one　idea　was　that　the　treasure　would　be　lost；　the　treasure　for　which　I　had　risked　my　life。

There　is　a　kind　of　courage　which　springs　from　bitter　anger　and　disappointment。　　I　had　thought　that　I　had　bankrupted　my　spirit；　but　I　found　that　there　was　a　new　passion　in　me　to　which　my　past　sufferings　taught　no　lesson。　　My　uneasiness　would　not　let　me　rest　a　moment　longer。　　I　rose　to　my　feet；　holding　on　by　the　bed；　and　staggered　to　the　tent　pole。　　I　was　weak；　but　not　so　very　weak　that　I　could　not　make　one　last　effort。　　It　maddened　me　that　I　should　have　done　so　much　and　yet　fail　at　the　end。

From　a　nail　on　the　tent　pole　hung　a　fragment　of　looking…　glass　which　Arcoll　used　for　shaving。　　I　caught　a　glimpse　of　my　face　in　it；　white　and　haggard　and　lined；　with　blue　bags　below　the　eyes。　　The　doctor　the　night　before　had　sponged　it；　but　he　had　not　got　rid　of　all　the　stains　of　travel。　　In　particular　there　was　a　faint　splash　of　blood　on　the　left　temple。　　I　remembered　that　this　was　what　I　had　got　from　the　basin　of　goat's　blood　that　night　in　the　cave。　I　think　that　the　sight　of　that　splash　determined　me。　　Whether　I　willed　it　or　not；　I　was　sealed　of　Laputa's　men。　　I　must　play　the　game　to　the　finish；　or　never　again　know　peace　of　mind　on　earth。　　These　last　four　days　had　made　me　very　old。


I　found　a　pair　of　Arcoll's　boots；　roomy　with　much　wearing；　into　which　I　thrust　my　bruised　feet。　　Then　I　crawled　to　the　door；　and　shouted　for　a　boy　to　bring　my　horse。　　A　Basuto　appeared；　and；　awed　by　my　appearance；　went　off　in　a　hurry　to　see　to　the　schimmel。　　It　was　late　afternoon；　about　the　same　time　of　day　as　had　yesterday　seen　me　escaping　from　Machudi's。　　The　Bruderstroom　camp　was　empty；　though　sentinels　were　posted　at　the　approaches。　　I　beckoned　the　only　white　man　I　saw；　and　asked　where　Arcoll　was。　　He　told　me　that　he　had　no　news；　but　added　that　the　patrols　were　still　on　the　road　as　far　as　Wesselsburg。　From　this　I　gathered　that　Arcoll　must　have　gone　far　out　into　the　bush　in　his　chase。　　I　did　not　want　to　see　him；　above　all；　I　did　not　want　him　to　find　Laputa。　　It　was　my　private　business　that　I　rode　on；　and　I　asked　for　no　allies。

Somebody　brought　me　a　cup　of　thick　coffee；　which　I　could　not　drink；　and　helped　me　into　the　saddle。　　The　Schimmel　was　fresh；　and　kicked　freely　as　I　cantered　off　the　grass　into　the　dust　of　the　highroad。　　The　whole　world；　I　remember；　was　still　and　golden　in　the　sunset。


CHAPTER　XX　MY　LAST　SIGHT　OF　THE　REVEREND　JOHN　LAPUTA


It　was　dark　before　I　got　into　the　gorge　of　the　Letaba。　　I　passed　many　patrols；　but　few　spoke　to　me；　and　none　tried　to　stop　me。　Some　may　have　known　me；　but　I　think　it　was　my　face　and　figure　which　tied　their　tongues。　　I　must　have　been　pale　as　death；　with　tangled　hair　and　fever　burning　in　my　eyes。　　Also　on　my　left　temple　was　the　splash　of　blood。

At　Main　Drift　I　found　a　big　body　of　police　holding　the　ford。　I　splashed　through　and　stumbled　into　one　of　their　camp…fires。　A　man　questioned　me；　and　told　me　that　Arcoll　had　got　his　quarry。　　'He's　dead；　they　say。　　They　shot　him　out　on　the　hills　when　he　was　making　for　the　Limpopo。'　　But　I　knew　that　this　was　not　true。　　It　was　burned　on　my　mind　that　Laputa　was　alive；　nay；　was　waiting　for　me；　and　that　it　was　God's　will　that　we　should　meet　in　the　cave。

A　little　later　I　struck　the　track　of　the　Kaffirs'　march。　　There　was　a　broad；　trampled　way　through　the　bush；　and　I　followed　it；　for　it　led　to　Dupree's　Drift。　　All　this　time　I　was　urging　the　Schimmel　with　all　the　vigour　I　had　left　in　me。　　I　had　quite　lost　any　remnant　of　fear。　　There　were　no　terrors　left　for　me　either　from　Nature　or　man。　　At　Dupree's　Drift　I　rode　the　ford　without　a　thought　of　crocodiles。　　I　looked　placidly　at　the　spot　where　Henriques　had　slain　the　Keeper　and　I　had　stolen　the　rubies。　There　was　no　interest　or　imagination　lingering　in　my　dull　brain。　　My　nerves　had　suddenly　become　things　of　stolid；　untempered　iron。　　Each　landmark　I　passed　was　noted　down　as　one　step　nearer　to　my　object。　　At　Umvelos'　I　had　not　the　leisure　to　do　more　than　glance　at　the　shell　which　I　had　built。　　I　think　I　had　forgotten　all　about　that　night　when　I　lay　in　the　cellar　and　heard　Laputa's　plans。　　Indeed；　my　doings　of　the　past　days　were　all　hazy　and　trivial　in　my　mind。　　I　only　saw　one　sight　clearly　…　two　men；　one　tall　and　black；　the　other　little　and　sallow；　slowly　creeping　nearer　to　the　Rooirand；　and　myself；　a　midget　on　a　horse；　spurring　far　behind　through　the　bush　on　their　trail。　　I　saw　the　picture　as　continuously　and　clearly　as　if　I　had　been　looking　at　a　scene　on　the　stage。　　There　was　only　one　change　in　the　setting；　the　three　figures　seemed　to　be　gradually　closing　together。

I　had　no　exhilaration　in　my　quest。　　I　do　not　think　I　had　even　much　hope；　for　something　had　gone　numb　and　cold　in　me　and　killed　my　youth。　　I　told　myself　that　treasure…hunting　was　an　enterprise　accursed　of　God；　and　that　I　should　most　likely　die。　That　Laputa　and　Henriques　would　die　I　was　fully　certain。　The　three　of　us　would　leave　our　bones　to　bleach　among　the　diamonds；　and　in　a　little　the　Prester's　collar　would　glow　amid　a　little　heap　of　human　dust。　　I　was　quite　convinced　of　all　this；　and　quite　apathetic。　　It　really　did　not　matter　so　long　as　I　came　up　with　Laputa　and　Henriques；　and　settled　scores　with　them。　　That　mattered　everything　in　the　world；　for　it　was　my　destiny。

I　had　no　means　of　knowing　how　long　I　took；　but　it　was　after　midnight　before　I　passed　Umvelos'；　and　ere　I　got　to　the　Rooirand　there　was　a　fluttering　of　dawn　in　the　east。　　I　must　have　passed　east　of　Arcoll's　men；　who　were　driving　the　bush　towards　Majinje's。　　I　had　ridden　the　night　down　and　did　not　feel　so　very　tired。　　My　horse　was　stumbling；　but　my　own　limbs　scarcely　pained　me。　　To　be　sure　I　was　stiff　and　nerveless　as　if　hewn　out　of　wood；　but　I　had　been　as　bad　when　I　left　Bruderstroom。　　I　felt　as　if　I　could　go　on　riding　to　the　end　of　the　world。

At　the　brink　of　the　bush　I　dismounted　and　turned　the　Schimmel　loose。　　I　had　brought　no　halter；　and　I　left　him　to　graze　and　roll。　　The　light　was　sufficient　to　let　me　see　the　great　rock　face　rising　in　a　tower　of　dim　purple。　　The　sky　was　still　picked　out　with　stars；　but　the　moon　had　long　gone　down；　and　the　east　was　flushing。　　I　marched　up　the　path　to　the　cave；　very　different　from　the　timid　being