prester john-第6章

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you　show　yourself　an　active　young　fellow。'

He　told　me　a　great　deal　more　about　Blaauwildebeestefontein；　principally　trading　details。　　Incidentally　he　let　drop　that　Mr　Japp　had　had　several　assistants　in　the　last　few　years。　　I　asked　him　why　they　had　left；　and　he　hesitated。

'It's　a　lonely　place；　and　they　didn't　like　the　life。　　You　see；　there　are　few　white　men　near；　and　young　fellows　want　society。　They　complained；　and　were　moved　on。　　But　the　firm　didn't　think　the　more　of　them。'

I　told　him　I　had　come　out　with　the　new　schoolmaster。

'Yes；'　he　said　reflectively；　'the　school。　　That's　been　vacant　pretty　often　lately。　　What　sort　of　fellow　is　this　Wardlaw？　　Will　he　stay；　I　wonder？'

'From　all　accounts；'　I　said；　'Blaauwildebeestefontein　does　not　seem　popular。'

'It　isn't。　　That's　why　we've　got　you　out　from　home。　　The　colonial…born　doesn't　find　it　fit　in　with　his　idea　of　comfort。　　He　wants　society；　and　he　doesn't　like　too　many　natives。　　There's　nothing　up　there　but　natives　and　a　few　back…veld　Dutchmen　with　native　blood　in　them。　　You　fellows　from　home　are　less　set　on　an　easy　life；　or　you　wouldn't　be　here。'

There　was　something　in　Mr　Colles's　tone　which　made　me　risk　another　question。

'What's　the　matter　with　the　place？　　There　must　be　more　wrong　with　it　than　loneliness　to　make　everybody　clear　out。　　I　have　taken　on　this　job；　and　I　mean　to　stick　to　it；　so　you　needn't　be　afraid　to　tell　me。'

The　manager　looked　at　me　sharply。　　'That's　the　way　to　talk；　my　lad。　　You　look　as　if　you　had　a　stiff　back；　so　I'll　be　frank　with　you。　　There　is　something　about　the　place。　　It　gives　the　ordinary　man　the　jumps。　　What　it　is；　I　don't　know；　and　the　men　who　come　back　don't　know　themselves。　　I　want　you　to　find　out　for　me。　　You'll　be　doing　the　firm　an　enormous　service　if　you　can　get　on　the　track　of　it。　　It　may　be　the　natives；　or　it　may　be　the　takhaars；　or　it　may　be　something　else。　　Only　old　Japp　can　stick　it　out；　and　he's　too　old　and　doddering　to　care　about　moving。　　I　want　you　to　keep　your　eyes　skinned；　and　write　privately　to　me　if　you　want　any　help。　　You're　not　out　here　for　your　health；　I　can　see；　and　here's　a　chance　for　you　to　get　your　foot　on　the　ladder。

'Remember；　I'm　your　friend；'　he　said　to　me　again　at　the　garden　gate。　　'Take　my　advice　and　lie　very　low。　　Don't　talk；　don't　meddle　with　drink；　learn　all　you　can　of　the　native　jabber；　but　don't　let　on　you　understand　a　word。　　You're　sure　to　get　on　the　track　of　something。　　Good…bye；　my　boy；'　and　he　waved　a　fat　hand　to　me。

That　night　I　embarked　on　a　cargo…boat　which　was　going　round　the　coast　to　Delagoa　Bay。　　It　is　a　small　world　…　at　least　for　us　far…wandering　Scots。　　For　who　should　I　find　when　I　got　on　board　but　my　old　friend　Tam　Dyke；　who　was　second　mate　on　the　vessel？　　We　wrung　each　other's　hands；　and　I　answered；　as　best　I　could；　his　questions　about　Kirkcaple。　　I　had　supper　with　him　in　the　cabin；　and　went　on　deck　to　see　the　moorings　cast。

Suddenly　there　was　a　bustle　on　the　quay；　and　a　big　man　with　a　handbag　forced　his　way　up　the　gangway。　　The　men　who　were　getting　ready　to　cast　off　tried　to　stop　him；　but　he　elbowed　his　way　forward；　declaring　he　must　see　the　captain。　　Tam　went　up　to　him　and　asked　civilly　if　he　had　a　passage　taken。　　He　admitted　he　had　not；　but　said　he　would　make　it　right　in　two　minutes　with　the　captain　himself。　　The　Rev。　　John　Laputa；　for　some　reason　of　his　own；　was　leaving　Durban　with　more　haste　than　he　had　entered　it。

I　do　not　know　what　passed　with　the　captain；　but　the　minister　got　his　passage　right　enough；　and　Tam　was　even　turned　out　of　his　cabin　to　make　room　for　him。　　This　annoyed　my　friend　intensely。

'That　black　brute　must　be　made　of　money；　for　he　paid　through　the　nose　for　this；　or　I'm　a　Dutchman。　　My　old　man　doesn't　take　to　his　black　brethren　any　more　than　I　do。　　Hang　it　all；　what　are　we　coming　to；　when　we're　turning　into　a　blooming　cargo　boat　for　niggers？'

I　had　all　too　little　of　Tam's　good　company；　for　on　the　afternoon　of　the　second　day　we　reached　the　little　town　of　Lourenco　Marques。　　This　was　my　final　landing　in　Africa；　and　I　mind　how　eagerly　I　looked　at　the　low；　green　shores　and　the　bush…covered　slopes　of　the　mainland。　　We　were　landed　from　boats　while　the　ship　lay　out　in　the　bay；　and　Tam　came　ashore　with　me　to　spend　the　evening。　　By　this　time　I　had　lost　every　remnant　of　homesickness。　　I　had　got　a　job　before　me　which　promised　better　things　than　colleging　at　Edinburgh；　and　I　was　as　keen　to　get　up　country　now　as　I　had　been　loth　to　leave　England。　　My　mind　being　full　of　mysteries；　I　scanned　every　Portuguese　loafer　on　the　quay　as　if　he　had　been　a　spy；　and　when　Tam　and　I　had　had　a　bottle　of　Collates　in　a　cafe　I　felt　that　at　last　I　had　got　to　foreign　parts　and　a　new　world。

Tam　took　me　to　supper　with　a　friend　of　his；　a　Scot　by　the　name　of　Aitken；　who　was　landing…agent　for　some　big　mining　house　on　the　Rand。　　He　hailed　from　Fife　and　gave　me　a　hearty　welcome；　for　he　had　heard　my　father　preach　in　his　young　days。　Aitken　was　a　strong；　broad…shouldered　fellow　who　had　been　a　sergeant　in　the　Gordons；　and　during　the　war　he　had　done　secret…service　work　in　Delagoa。　　He　had　hunted；　too；　and　traded　up　and　down　Mozambique；　and　knew　every　dialect　of　the　Kaffirs。　　He　asked　me　where　I　was　bound　for；　and　when　I　told　him　there　was　the　same　look　in　his　eyes　as　I　had　seen　with　the　Durban　manager。

'You're　going　to　a　rum　place；　Mr　Crawfurd；'　he　said。

'So　I'm　told。　　Do　you　know　anything　about　it？　　You're　not　the　first　who　has　looked　queer　when　I've　spoken　the　name。'

'I've　never　been　there；'　he　said；　'though　I've　been　pretty　near　it　from　the　Portuguese　side。　　That's　the　funny　thing　about　Blaauwildebeestefontein。　　Everybody　has　heard　of　it；　and　nobody　knows　it。'

'I　wish　you　would　tell　me　what　you　have　heard。'

'Well；　the　natives　are　queer　up　thereaways。　　There's　some　kind　of　a　holy　place　which　every　Kaffir　from　Algoa　Bay　to　the　Zambesi　and　away　beyond　knows　about。　　When　I've　been　hunting　in　the　bush…veld　I've　often　met　strings　of　Kaffirs　from　hundreds　of　miles　distant；　and　they've　all　been　going　or　coming　from　Blaauwildebeestefontein。　　It's　like　Mecca　to　the　Mohammedans；　a　place　they　go　to　on　pilgrimage。　　I've　heard　of　an　old　man　up　there　who　is　believed　to　be　two　hundred　years　old。　Anyway；　there's　some　sort　of　great　witch　or　wizard　living　in　the　mountains。'

Aitken　smoked　in　silence　for　a　time；　then　he　said；　'I'll　tell　you　another　thing。　　I　believe　there's　a　diamond　mine。　　I've　often　meant　to　go　up　and　look　for　it。'

Tam　and　I　pressed　him　to　explain；　which　he　did　slowly　after　his　fashion。

'Did　you　ever　hear　of　I。D。B。　…　illicit　diamond　broking？'　he　asked　me。　　'Well；　it's　notorious　that　the　Kaffirs　on　the　diamond　fields　get　away　with　a　fair　number　of　stones；　and　they　are　bought　by　Jew　and　Portuguese　traders。　　It's　against　the　law　to　deal　in　them；　and　when　I　was　in　the　intelligence　here　we　used　to　have　a　lot　of　trouble　with　the　vermin。　　But　I　discovered　that　most　of　the　stones　came　from　natives　in　one　part　of　the　country　…　more　or　less　round　Blaauwildebeestefontein　…　and　I　see　no　reason　to　think　that　they　had　all　been　stolen　from　Kimberley　or　the　Premier。　　Indeed　some　of　the　stones　I　got　hold　of　were　quite　different　from　any　I　had　seen　in　South　Africa　before。　　I　shouldn't　wonder　if　the　Kaffirs　in　the　Zoutpansberg　had　struck　some　rich　pipe；　and　had　the　sense　to　keep　quiet　about　it。　　Maybe　some　day　I'll　take　a　run　up　to　see　you　and　look　into　the　matter。'

After　this　the　talk　turned　on　other　topics　till　Tam；　still　nursing　his　grievance；　asked　a　question　on　his　own　account。　'Did　you　ever　come　across　a　great　big　native　parson　called　Laputa？　　He　came　on　board　as　we　were　leaving　Durban；　and　I　had　to　turn　out　of　my　cabin　for　him。'　　Tam　described　him　accurately　but　vindictively；　and　added　that　'he　was　sure　he　was　up　to　no　good。'

Aitken　shook　his　head。　　'No；　I　don't　know　the　man。　　You　say　he　landed　here？　　Well；　I'll　keep　a　look…out　for　him。　　Big　native　parsons　are　not　so　common。'

Then　I　asked　about　Henriques；　of　whom　Tam　knew　nothing。　I　described　his　face；　his　clothes；　and　his　habits。　　Aitken　laughed　uproariously。

'Tut；　my　man；　most　of　the　subjects　of　his　Majesty　the　King　of　Portugal　would　answer　to　that　description。　　If　he's　a　rascal；　as　you　think；　you　may　be　certain　he's　in