prester john-第5章

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low　shoes　to　match　his　complexion。　　He　spoke　to　no　one；　but　smoked　long　cheroots　all　day　in　the　stern　of　the　ship；　and　studied　a　greasy　pocket…book。　Once　I　tripped　over　him　in　the　dark；　and　he　turned　on　me　with　a　snarl　and　an　oath。　　I　was　short　enough　with　him　in　return；　and　he　looked　as　if　he　could　knife　me。

'I'll　wager　that　fellow　has　been　a　slave…driver　in　his　time；'　I　told　Mr　Wardlaw；　who　said；　'God　pity　his　slaves；　then。'

And　now　I　come　to　the　incident　which　made　the　rest　of　the　voyage　pass　all　too　soon　for　me；　and　foreshadowed　the　strange　events　which　were　to　come。　　It　was　the　day　after　we　crossed　the　Line；　and　the　first…class　passengers　were　having　deck　sports。　　A　tug…of…war　had　been　arranged　between　the　three　classes；　and　a　half…dozen　of　the　heaviest　fellows　in　the　steerage；　myself　included；　were　invited　to　join。　　It　was　a　blazing　hot　afternoon；　but　on　the　saloon　deck　there　were　awnings　and　a　cool　wind　blowing　from　the　bows。　　The　first…class　beat　the　second　easily；　and　after　a　tremendous　struggle　beat　the　steerage　also。　　Then　they　regaled　us　with　iced…drinks　and　cigars　to　celebrate　the　victory。

I　was　standing　at　the　edge　of　the　crowd　of　spectators；　when　my　eye　caught　a　figure　which　seemed　to　have　little　interest　in　our　games。　　A　large　man　in　clerical　clothes　was　sitting　on　a　deck…chair　reading　a　book。　　There　was　nothing　novel　about　the　stranger；　and　I　cannot　explain　the　impulse　which　made　me　wish　to　see　his　face。　　I　moved　a　few　steps　up　the　deck；　and　then　I　saw　that　his　skin　was　black。　　I　went　a　little　farther；　and　suddenly　he　raised　his　eyes　from　his　book　and　looked　round。　It　was　the　face　of　the　man　who　had　terrified　me　years　ago　on　the　Kirkcaple　shore。

I　spent　the　rest　of　the　day　in　a　brown　study。　　It　was　clear　to　me　that　some　destiny　had　prearranged　this　meeting。　　Here　was　this　man　travelling　prosperously　as　a　first…class　passenger　with　all　the　appurtenances　of　respectability。　　I　alone　had　seen　him　invoking　strange　gods　in　the　moonlight；　I　alone　knew　of　the　devilry　in　his　heart；　and　I　could　not　but　believe　that　some　day　or　other　there　might　be　virtue　in　that　knowledge。

The　second　engineer　and　I　had　made　friends；　so　I　got　him　to　consult　the　purser's　list　for　the　name　of　my　acquaintance。　He　was　down　as　the　Rev。　　John　Laputa；　and　his　destination　was　Durban。　The　next　day　being　Sunday；　who　should　appear　to　address　us　steerage　passengers　but　the　black　minister。　　He　was　introduced　by　the　captain　himself；　a　notably　pious　man；　who　spoke　of　the　labours　of　his　brother　in　the　dark　places　of　heathendom。　Some　of　us　were　hurt　in　our　pride　in　being　made　the　target　of　a　black　man's　oratory。　　Especially　Mr　Henriques；　whose　skin　spoke　of　the　tar…brush；　protested　with　oaths　against　the　insult。　Finally　he　sat　down　on　a　coil　of　rope；　and　spat　scornfully　in　the　vicinity　of　the　preacher。

For　myself　I　was　intensely　curious；　and　not　a　little　impressed。　　The　man's　face　was　as　commanding　as　his　figure；　and　his　voice　was　the　most　wonderful　thing　that　ever　came　out　of　human　mouth。　　It　was　full　and　rich；　and　gentle；　with　the　tones　of　a　great　organ。　　He　had　none　of　the　squat　and　preposterous　negro　lineaments；　but　a　hawk　nose　like　an　Arab；　dark　flashing　eyes；　and　a　cruel　and　resolute　mouth。　　He　was　black　as　my　hat；　but　for　the　rest　he　might　have　sat　for　a　figure　of　a　Crusader。　　I　do　not　know　what　the　sermon　was　about；　though　others　told　me　that　it　was　excellent。　　All　the　time　I　watched　him；　and　kept　saying　to　myself；　'You　hunted　me　up　the　Dyve　Burn；　but　I　bashed　your　face　for　you。'　　Indeed；　I　thought　I　could　see　faint　scars　on　his　cheek。

The　following　night　I　had　toothache；　and　could　not　sleep。　　It　was　too　hot　to　breathe　under　cover；　so　I　got　up；　lit　a　pipe；　and　walked　on　the　after…deck　to　ease　the　pain。　　The　air　was　very　still；　save　for　the　whish　of　water　from　the　screws　and　the　steady　beat　of　the　engines。　　Above；　a　great　yellow　moon　looked　down　on　me；　and　a　host　of　pale　stars。

The　moonlight　set　me　remembering　the　old　affair　of　the　Dyve　Burn；　and　my　mind　began　to　run　on　the　Rev。　　John　Laputa。　　It　pleased　me　to　think　that　I　was　on　the　track　of　some　mystery　of　which　I　alone　had　the　clue。　　I　promised　myself　to　search　out　the　antecedents　of　the　minister　when　I　got　to　Durban；　for　I　had　a　married　cousin　there；　who　might　know　something　of　his　doings。　　Then；　as　I　passed　by　the　companion…　way　to　the　lower　deck；　I　heard　voices；　and　peeping　over　the　rail；　I　saw　two　men　sitting　in　the　shadow　just　beyond　the　hatch　of　the　hold。

I　thought　they　might　be　two　of　the　sailors　seeking　coolness　on　the　open　deck；　when　something　in　the　figure　of　one　of　them　made　me　look　again。　　The　next　second　I　had　slipped　back　and　stolen　across　the　after…deck　to　a　point　just　above　them。　　For　the　two　were　the　black　minister　and　that　ugly　yellow　villain；　Henriques。

I　had　no　scruples　about　eavesdropping；　but　I　could　make　nothing　of　their　talk。　　They　spoke　low；　and　in　some　tongue　which　may　have　been　Kaffir　or　Portuguese；　but　was　in　any　case　unknown　to　me。　　I　lay；　cramped　and　eager；　for　many　minutes；　and　was　just　getting　sick　of　it　when　a　familiar　name　caught　my　ear。　　Henriques　said　something　in　which　I　caught　the　word　'Blaauwildebeestefontein。'　　I　listened　intently；　and　there　could　be　no　mistake。　　The　minister　repeated　the　name；　and　for　the　next　few　minutes　it　recurred　often　in　their　talk。　　I　went　back　stealthily　to　bed；　having　something　to　make　me　forget　my　aching　tooth。　　First　of　all；　Laputa　and　Henriques　were　allies。　　Second；　the　place　I　was　bound　for　had　something　to　do　with　their　schemes。

I　said　nothing　to　Mr　Wardlaw；　but　spent　the　next　week　in　the　assiduous　toil　of　the　amateur　detective。　　I　procured　some　maps　and　books　from　my　friend；　the　second　engineer；　and　read　all　I　could　about　Blaauwildebeestefontein。　　Not　that　there　was　much　to　learn；　but　I　remember　I　had　quite　a　thrill　when　I　discovered　from　the　chart　of　the　ship's　run　one　day　that　we　were　in　the　same　latitude　as　that　uncouthly…named　spot。　　I　found　out　nothing；　however；　about　Henriques　or　the　Rev。　John　Laputa。　　The　Portuguese　still　smoked　in　the　stern；　and　thumbed　his　greasy　notebook；　the　minister　sat　in　his　deck…　chair；　and　read　heavy　volumes　from　the　ship's　library。　　Though　I　watched　every　night；　I　never　found　them　again　together。

At　Cape　Town　Henriques　went　ashore　and　did　not　return。　The　minister　did　not　budge　from　the　ship　the　three　days　we　lay　in　port；　and；　indeed；　it　seemed　to　me　that　he　kept　his　cabin。　　At　any　rate　I　did　not　see　his　great　figure　on　deck　till　we　were　tossing　in　the　choppy　seas　round　Cape　Agulhas。　　Sea…　sickness　again　attacked　me；　and　with　short　lulls　during　our　stoppages　at　Port　Elizabeth　and　East　London；　I　lay　wretchedly　in　my　bunk　till　we　sighted　the　bluffs　of　Durban　harbour。

Here　it　was　necessary　for　me　to　change　my　ship；　for　in　the　interests　of　economy　I　was　going　by　sea　to　Delagoa　Bay；　and　thence　by　the　cheap　railway　journey　into　the　Transvaal。　　I　sought　out　my　cousin；　who　lived　in　a　fine　house　on　the　Berea；　and　found　a　comfortable　lodging　for　the　three　days　of　my　stay　there。　　I　made　inquiries　about　Mr　Laputa；　but　could　hear　nothing。　　There　was　no　native　minister　of　that　name；　said　my　cousin；　who　was　a　great　authority　on　all　native　questions。　　I　described　the　man；　but　got　no　further　light。　　No　one　had　seen　or　heard　of　such　a　being；　'unless；'　said　my　cousin；　'he　is　one　of　those　American　Ethiopian　rascals。'

My　second　task　was　to　see　the　Durban　manager　of　the　firm　which　I　had　undertaken　to　serve。　　He　was　a　certain　Mr　Colles；　a　big　fat　man；　who　welcomed　me　in　his　shirt…sleeves；　with　a　cigar　in　his　mouth。　　He　received　me　pleasantly；　and　took　me　home　to　dinner　with　him。

'Mr　Mackenzie　has　written　about　you；'　he　said。　　'I'll　be　quite　frank　with　you；　Mr　Crawfurd。　　The　firm　is　not　exactly　satisfied　about　the　way　business　has　been　going　lately　at　Blaauwildebeestefontein。　There's　a　grand　country　up　there；　and　a　grand　opportunity　for　the　man　who　can　take　it。　　Japp；　who　is　in　charge；　is　an　old　man　now　and　past　his　best；　but　he　has　been　long　with　the　firm；　and　we　don't　want　to　hurt　his　feelings。　　When　he　goes；　which　must　be　pretty　soon；　you'll　have　a　good　chance　of　the　place；　if　you　show　yourself　an　active　young　fellow。'

He　told　me　a　great　deal　more　about　Blaauwildebeestefon