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diff --git a/old/2166-8.txt b/old/2166-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5370b8c --- /dev/null +++ b/old/2166-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,9226 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of King Solomon's Mines, by H. Rider Haggard + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net + + +Title: King Solomon's Mines + +Author: H. Rider Haggard + +Posting Date: January 15, 2009 [EBook #2166] +Release Date: October 11, 2005 +Last updated: August 18, 2011 +Last updated: October 10, 2012 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK KING SOLOMON'S MINES *** + + + + +Produced by John Bickers and Dagny. HTML version by Al Haines. + + + + + + + + + +KING SOLOMON'S MINES + + +by + +H. RIDER HAGGARD + + + + DEDICATION + + This faithful but unpretending record + of a remarkable adventure + is hereby respectfully dedicated + by the narrator, + + ALLAN QUATERMAIN, + + to all the big and little boys + who read it. + + + +PREPARER'S NOTE + + This was typed from a 1907 edition published by Cassell and + Company, Limited. + + + +AUTHOR'S NOTE + + The author ventures to take this opportunity to thank his readers + for the kind reception they have accorded to the successive + editions of this tale during the last twelve years. He hopes that + in its present form it will fall into the hands of an even wider + public, and that in years to come it may continue to afford + amusement to those who are still young enough at heart to love a + story of treasure, war, and wild adventure. + + Ditchingham, + 11 March, 1898. + + + +POST SCRIPTUM + + Now, in 1907, on the occasion of the issue of this edition, I can + only add how glad I am that my romance should continue to please + so many readers. Imagination has been verified by fact; the King + Solomon's Mines I dreamed of have been discovered, and are putting + out their gold once more, and, according to the latest reports, + their diamonds also; the Kukuanas or, rather, the Matabele, have + been tamed by the white man's bullets, but still there seem to be + many who find pleasure in these simple pages. That they may + continue so to do, even to the third and fourth generation, or + perhaps longer still, would, I am sure, be the hope of our old and + departed friend, Allan Quatermain. + + H. Rider Haggard. + Ditchingham, 1907. + + + +INTRODUCTION + +Now that this book is printed, and about to be given to the world, a +sense of its shortcomings both in style and contents, weighs very +heavily upon me. As regards the latter, I can only say that it does not +pretend to be a full account of everything we did and saw. There are +many things connected with our journey into Kukuanaland that I should +have liked to dwell upon at length, which, as it is, have been scarcely +alluded to. Amongst these are the curious legends which I collected +about the chain armour that saved us from destruction in the great +battle of Loo, and also about the "Silent Ones" or Colossi at the mouth +of the stalactite cave. Again, if I had given way to my own impulses, I +should have wished to go into the differences, some of which are to my +mind very suggestive, between the Zulu and Kukuana dialects. Also a few +pages might have been given up profitably to the consideration of the +indigenous flora and fauna of Kukuanaland.[1] Then there remains the +most interesting subject--that, as it is, has only been touched on +incidentally--of the magnificent system of military organisation in +force in that country, which, in my opinion, is much superior to that +inaugurated by Chaka in Zululand, inasmuch as it permits of even more +rapid mobilisation, and does not necessitate the employment of the +pernicious system of enforced celibacy. Lastly, I have scarcely spoken +of the domestic and family customs of the Kukuanas, many of which are +exceedingly quaint, or of their proficiency in the art of smelting and +welding metals. This science they carry to considerable perfection, of +which a good example is to be seen in their "tollas," or heavy throwing +knives, the backs of these weapons being made of hammered iron, and the +edges of beautiful steel welded with great skill on to the iron frames. +The fact of the matter is, I thought, with Sir Henry Curtis and Captain +Good, that the best plan would be to tell my story in a plain, +straightforward manner, and to leave these matters to be dealt with +subsequently in whatever way ultimately may appear to be desirable. In +the meanwhile I shall, of course, be delighted to give all information +in my power to anybody interested in such things. + +And now it only remains for me to offer apologies for my blunt way of +writing. I can but say in excuse of it that I am more accustomed to +handle a rifle than a pen, and cannot make any pretence to the grand +literary flights and flourishes which I see in novels--for sometimes I +like to read a novel. I suppose they--the flights and flourishes--are +desirable, and I regret not being able to supply them; but at the same +time I cannot help thinking that simple things are always the most +impressive, and that books are easier to understand when they are +written in plain language, though perhaps I have no right to set up an +opinion on such a matter. "A sharp spear," runs the Kukuana saying, +"needs no polish"; and on the same principle I venture to hope that a +true story, however strange it may be, does not require to be decked +out in fine words. + +Allan Quatermain. + + +[1] I discovered eight varieties of antelope, with which I was +previously totally unacquainted, and many new species of plants, for +the most part of the bulbous tribe.--A.Q. + + + + +CONTENTS + + I I MEET SIR HENRY CURTIS + II THE LEGEND OF SOLOMON'S MINES + III UMBOPA ENTERS OUR SERVICE + IV AN ELEPHANT HUNT + V OUR MARCH INTO THE DESERT + VI WATER! WATER! + VII SOLOMON'S ROAD + VIII WE ENTER KUKUANALAND + IX TWALA THE KING + X THE WITCH-HUNT + XI WE GIVE A SIGN + XII BEFORE THE BATTLE + XIII THE ATTACK + XIV THE LAST STAND OF THE GREYS + XV GOOD FALLS SICK + XVI THE PLACE OF DEATH + XVII SOLOMON'S TREASURE CHAMBER + XVIII WE ABANDON HOPE + XIX IGNOSI'S FAREWELL + XX FOUND + + + + +KING SOLOMON'S MINES + + +CHAPTER I + +I MEET SIR HENRY CURTIS + +It is a curious thing that at my age--fifty-five last birthday--I +should find myself taking up a pen to try to write a history. I wonder +what sort of a history it will be when I have finished it, if ever I +come to the end of the trip! I have done a good many things in my life, +which seems a long one to me, owing to my having begun work so young, +perhaps. At an age when other boys are at school I was earning my +living as a trader in the old Colony. I have been trading, hunting, +fighting, or mining ever since. And yet it is only eight months ago +that I made my pile. It is a big pile now that I have got it--I don't +yet know how big--but I do not think I would go through the last +fifteen or sixteen months again for it; no, not if I knew that I should +come out safe at the end, pile and all. But then I am a timid man, and +dislike violence; moreover, I am almost sick of adventure. I wonder why +I am going to write this book: it is not in my line. I am not a +literary man, though very devoted to the Old Testament and also to the +"Ingoldsby Legends." Let me try to set down my reasons, just to see if +I have any. + +First reason: Because Sir Henry Curtis and Captain John Good asked me. + +Second reason: Because I am laid up here at Durban with the pain in my +left leg. Ever since that confounded lion got hold of me I have been +liable to this trouble, and being rather bad just now, it makes me limp +more than ever. There must be some poison in a lion's teeth, otherwise +how is it that when your wounds are healed they break out again, +generally, mark you, at the same time of year that you got your +mauling? It is a hard thing when one has shot sixty-five lions or more, +as I have in the course of my life, that the sixty-sixth should chew +your leg like a quid of tobacco. It breaks the routine of the thing, +and putting other considerations aside, I am an orderly man and don't +like that. This is by the way. + +Third reason: Because I want my boy Harry, who is over there at the +hospital in London studying to become a doctor, to have something to +amuse him and keep him out of mischief for a week or so. Hospital work +must sometimes pall and grow rather dull, for even of cutting up dead +bodies there may come satiety, and as this history will not be dull, +whatever else it may be, it will put a little life into things for a +day or two while Harry is reading of our adventures. + +Fourth reason and last: Because I am going to tell the strangest story +that I remember. It may seem a queer thing to say, especially +considering that there is no woman in it--except Foulata. Stop, though! +there is Gagaoola, if she was a woman, and not a fiend. But she was a +hundred at least, and therefore not marriageable, so I don't count her. +At any rate, I can safely say that there is not a _petticoat_ in the +whole history. + +Well, I had better come to the yoke. It is a stiff place, and I feel as +though I were bogged up to the axle. But, "_sutjes, sutjes_," as the +Boers say--I am sure I don't know how they spell it--softly does it. A +strong team will come through at last, that is, if they are not too +poor. You can never do anything with poor oxen. Now to make a start. + +I, Allan Quatermain, of Durban, Natal, Gentleman, make oath and +say--That's how I headed my deposition before the magistrate about poor +Khiva's and Ventvögel's sad deaths; but somehow it doesn't seem quite +the right way to begin a book. And, besides, am I a gentleman? What is +a gentleman? I don't quite know, and yet I have had to do with +niggers--no, I will scratch out that word "niggers," for I do not like +it. I've known natives who _are_, and so you will say, Harry, my boy, +before you have done with this tale, and I have known mean whites with +lots of money and fresh out from home, too, who _are not_. + +At any rate, I was born a gentleman, though I have been nothing but a +poor travelling trader and hunter all my life. Whether I have remained +so I known not, you must judge of that. Heaven knows I've tried. I have +killed many men in my time, yet I have never slain wantonly or stained +my hand in innocent blood, but only in self-defence. The Almighty gave +us our lives, and I suppose He meant us to defend them, at least I have +always acted on that, and I hope it will not be brought up against me +when my clock strikes. There, there, it is a cruel and a wicked world, +and for a timid man I have been mixed up in a great deal of fighting. I +cannot tell the rights of it, but at any rate I have never stolen, +though once I cheated a Kafir out of a herd of cattle. But then he had +done me a dirty turn, and it has troubled me ever since into the +bargain. + + +Well, it is eighteen months or so ago since first I met Sir Henry +Curtis and Captain Good. It was in this way. I had been up elephant +hunting beyond Bamangwato, and had met with bad luck. Everything went +wrong that trip, and to top up with I got the fever badly. So soon as I +was well enough I trekked down to the Diamond Fields, sold such ivory +as I had, together with my wagon and oxen, discharged my hunters, and +took the post-cart to the Cape. After spending a week in Cape Town, +finding that they overcharged me at the hotel, and having seen +everything there was to see, including the botanical gardens, which +seem to me likely to confer a great benefit on the country, and the new +Houses of Parliament, which I expect will do nothing of the sort, I +determined to go back to Natal by the _Dunkeld_, then lying at the +docks waiting for the _Edinburgh Castle_ due in from England. I took my +berth and went aboard, and that afternoon the Natal passengers from the +_Edinburgh Castle_ transhipped, and we weighed and put to sea. + +Among these passengers who came on board were two who excited my +curiosity. One, a gentleman of about thirty, was perhaps the +biggest-chested and longest-armed man I ever saw. He had yellow hair, a +thick yellow beard, clear-cut features, and large grey eyes set deep in +his head. I never saw a finer-looking man, and somehow he reminded me +of an ancient Dane. Not that I know much of ancient Danes, though I +knew a modern Dane who did me out of ten pounds; but I remember once +seeing a picture of some of those gentry, who, I take it, were a kind +of white Zulus. They were drinking out of big horns, and their long +hair hung down their backs. As I looked at my friend standing there by +the companion-ladder, I thought that if he only let his grow a little, +put one of those chain shirts on to his great shoulders, and took hold +of a battle-axe and a horn mug, he might have sat as a model for that +picture. And by the way it is a curious thing, and just shows how the +blood will out, I discovered afterwards that Sir Henry Curtis, for that +was the big man's name, is of Danish blood.[1] He also reminded me +strongly of somebody else, but at the time I could not remember who it +was. + +The other man, who stood talking to Sir Henry, was stout and dark, and +of quite a different cut. I suspected at once that he was a naval +officer; I don't know why, but it is difficult to mistake a navy man. I +have gone shooting trips with several of them in the course of my life, +and they have always proved themselves the best and bravest and nicest +fellows I ever met, though sadly given, some of them, to the use of +profane language. I asked a page or two back, what is a gentleman? I'll +answer the question now: A Royal Naval officer is, in a general sort of +way, though of course there may be a black sheep among them here and +there. I fancy it is just the wide seas and the breath of God's winds +that wash their hearts and blow the bitterness out of their minds and +make them what men ought to be. + +Well, to return, I proved right again; I ascertained that the dark man +_was_ a naval officer, a lieutenant of thirty-one, who, after seventeen +years' service, had been turned out of her Majesty's employ with the +barren honour of a commander's rank, because it was impossible that he +should be promoted. This is what people who serve the Queen have to +expect: to be shot out into the cold world to find a living just when +they are beginning really to understand their work, and to reach the +prime of life. I suppose they don't mind it, but for my own part I had +rather earn my bread as a hunter. One's halfpence are as scarce +perhaps, but you do not get so many kicks. + +The officer's name I found out--by referring to the passengers' +lists--was Good--Captain John Good. He was broad, of medium height, +dark, stout, and rather a curious man to look at. He was so very neat +and so very clean-shaved, and he always wore an eye-glass in his right +eye. It seemed to grow there, for it had no string, and he never took +it out except to wipe it. At first I thought he used to sleep in it, +but afterwards I found that this was a mistake. He put it in his +trousers pocket when he went to bed, together with his false teeth, of +which he had two beautiful sets that, my own being none of the best, +have often caused me to break the tenth commandment. But I am +anticipating. + +Soon after we had got under way evening closed in, and brought with it +very dirty weather. A keen breeze sprung up off land, and a kind of +aggravated Scotch mist soon drove everybody from the deck. As for the +_Dunkeld_, she is a flat-bottomed punt, and going up light as she was, +she rolled very heavily. It almost seemed as though she would go right +over, but she never did. It was quite impossible to walk about, so I +stood near the engines where it was warm, and amused myself with +watching the pendulum, which was fixed opposite to me, swinging slowly +backwards and forwards as the vessel rolled, and marking the angle she +touched at each lurch. + +"That pendulum's wrong; it is not properly weighted," suddenly said a +somewhat testy voice at my shoulder. Looking round I saw the naval +officer whom I had noticed when the passengers came aboard. + +"Indeed, now what makes you think so?" I asked. + +"Think so. I don't think at all. Why there"--as she righted herself +after a roll--"if the ship had really rolled to the degree that thing +pointed to, then she would never have rolled again, that's all. But it +is just like these merchant skippers, they are always so confoundedly +careless." + +Just then the dinner-bell rang, and I was not sorry, for it is a +dreadful thing to have to listen to an officer of the Royal Navy when +he gets on to that subject. I only know one worse thing, and that is to +hear a merchant skipper express his candid opinion of officers of the +Royal Navy. + +Captain Good and I went down to dinner together, and there we found Sir +Henry Curtis already seated. He and Captain Good were placed together, +and I sat opposite to them. The captain and I soon fell into talk about +shooting and what not; he asking me many questions, for he is very +inquisitive about all sorts of things, and I answering them as well as +I could. Presently he got on to elephants. + +"Ah, sir," called out somebody who was sitting near me, "you've reached +the right man for that; Hunter Quatermain should be able to tell you +about elephants if anybody can." + +Sir Henry, who had been sitting quite quiet listening to our talk, +started visibly. + +"Excuse me, sir," he said, leaning forward across the table, and +speaking in a low deep voice, a very suitable voice, it seemed to me, +to come out of those great lungs. "Excuse me, sir, but is your name +Allan Quatermain?" + +I said that it was. + +The big man made no further remark, but I heard him mutter "fortunate" +into his beard. + +Presently dinner came to an end, and as we were leaving the saloon Sir +Henry strolled up and asked me if I would come into his cabin to smoke +a pipe. I accepted, and he led the way to the _Dunkeld_ deck cabin, and +a very good cabin it is. It had been two cabins, but when Sir Garnet +Wolseley or one of those big swells went down the coast in the +_Dunkeld_, they knocked away the partition and have never put it up +again. There was a sofa in the cabin, and a little table in front of +it. Sir Henry sent the steward for a bottle of whisky, and the three of +us sat down and lit our pipes. + +"Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry Curtis, when the man had brought the +whisky and lit the lamp, "the year before last about this time, you +were, I believe, at a place called Bamangwato, to the north of the +Transvaal." + +"I was," I answered, rather surprised that this gentleman should be so +well acquainted with my movements, which were not, so far as I was +aware, considered of general interest. + +"You were trading there, were you not?" put in Captain Good, in his +quick way. + +"I was. I took up a wagon-load of goods, made a camp outside the +settlement, and stopped till I had sold them." + +Sir Henry was sitting opposite to me in a Madeira chair, his arms +leaning on the table. He now looked up, fixing his large grey eyes full +upon my face. There was a curious anxiety in them, I thought. + +"Did you happen to meet a man called Neville there?" + +"Oh, yes; he outspanned alongside of me for a fortnight to rest his +oxen before going on to the interior. I had a letter from a lawyer a +few months back, asking me if I knew what had become of him, which I +answered to the best of my ability at the time." + +"Yes," said Sir Henry, "your letter was forwarded to me. You said in it +that the gentleman called Neville left Bamangwato at the beginning of +May in a wagon with a driver, a voorlooper, and a Kafir hunter called +Jim, announcing his intention of trekking if possible as far as Inyati, +the extreme trading post in the Matabele country, where he would sell +his wagon and proceed on foot. You also said that he did sell his +wagon, for six months afterwards you saw the wagon in the possession of +a Portuguese trader, who told you that he had bought it at Inyati from +a white man whose name he had forgotten, and that he believed the white +man with the native servant had started off for the interior on a +shooting trip." + +"Yes." + +Then came a pause. + +"Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry suddenly, "I suppose you know or can +guess nothing more of the reasons of my--of Mr. Neville's journey to +the northward, or as to what point that journey was directed?" + +"I heard something," I answered, and stopped. The subject was one which +I did not care to discuss. + +Sir Henry and Captain Good looked at each other, and Captain Good +nodded. + +"Mr. Quatermain," went on the former, "I am going to tell you a story, +and ask your advice, and perhaps your assistance. The agent who +forwarded me your letter told me that I might rely on it implicitly, as +you were," he said, "well known and universally respected in Natal, and +especially noted for your discretion." + +I bowed and drank some whisky and water to hide my confusion, for I am +a modest man--and Sir Henry went on. + +"Mr. Neville was my brother." + +"Oh," I said, starting, for now I knew of whom Sir Henry had reminded +me when first I saw him. His brother was a much smaller man and had a +dark beard, but now that I thought of it, he possessed eyes of the same +shade of grey and with the same keen look in them: the features too +were not unlike. + +"He was," went on Sir Henry, "my only and younger brother, and till +five years ago I do not suppose that we were ever a month away from +each other. But just about five years ago a misfortune befell us, as +sometimes does happen in families. We quarrelled bitterly, and I +behaved unjustly to my brother in my anger." + +Here Captain Good nodded his head vigorously to himself. The ship gave +a big roll just then, so that the looking-glass, which was fixed +opposite us to starboard, was for a moment nearly over our heads, and +as I was sitting with my hands in my pockets and staring upwards, I +could see him nodding like anything. + +"As I daresay you know," went on Sir Henry, "if a man dies intestate, +and has no property but land, real property it is called in England, it +all descends to his eldest son. It so happened that just at the time +when we quarrelled our father died intestate. He had put off making his +will until it was too late. The result was that my brother, who had not +been brought up to any profession, was left without a penny. Of course +it would have been my duty to provide for him, but at the time the +quarrel between us was so bitter that I did not--to my shame I say it +(and he sighed deeply)--offer to do anything. It was not that I grudged +him justice, but I waited for him to make advances, and he made none. I +am sorry to trouble you with all this, Mr. Quatermain, but I must to +make things clear, eh, Good?" + +"Quite so, quite so," said the captain. "Mr. Quatermain will, I am +sure, keep this history to himself." + +"Of course," said I, for I rather pride myself on my discretion, for +which, as Sir Henry had heard, I have some repute. + +"Well," went on Sir Henry, "my brother had a few hundred pounds to his +account at the time. Without saying anything to me he drew out this +paltry sum, and, having adopted the name of Neville, started off for +South Africa in the wild hope of making a fortune. This I learned +afterwards. Some three years passed, and I heard nothing of my brother, +though I wrote several times. Doubtless the letters never reached him. +But as time went on I grew more and more troubled about him. I found +out, Mr. Quatermain, that blood is thicker than water." + +"That's true," said I, thinking of my boy Harry. + +"I found out, Mr. Quatermain, that I would have given half my fortune +to know that my brother George, the only relation I possess, was safe +and well, and that I should see him again." + +"But you never did, Curtis," jerked out Captain Good, glancing at the +big man's face. + +"Well, Mr. Quatermain, as time went on I became more and more anxious +to find out if my brother was alive or dead, and if alive to get him +home again. I set enquiries on foot, and your letter was one of the +results. So far as it went it was satisfactory, for it showed that till +lately George was alive, but it did not go far enough. So, to cut a +long story short, I made up my mind to come out and look for him +myself, and Captain Good was so kind as to come with me." + +"Yes," said the captain; "nothing else to do, you see. Turned out by my +Lords of the Admiralty to starve on half pay. And now perhaps, sir, you +will tell us what you know or have heard of the gentleman called +Neville." + + +[1] Mr. Quatermain's ideas about ancient Danes seem to be rather +confused; we have always understood that they were dark-haired people. +Probably he was thinking of Saxons.--Editor. + + + +CHAPTER II + +THE LEGEND OF SOLOMON'S MINES + +"What was it that you heard about my brother's journey at Bamangwato?" +asked Sir Henry, as I paused to fill my pipe before replying to Captain +Good. + +"I heard this," I answered, "and I have never mentioned it to a soul +till to-day. I heard that he was starting for Solomon's Mines." + +"Solomon's Mines?" ejaculated both my hearers at once. "Where are they?" + +"I don't know," I said; "I know where they are said to be. Once I saw +the peaks of the mountains that border them, but there were a hundred +and thirty miles of desert between me and them, and I am not aware that +any white man ever got across it save one. But perhaps the best thing I +can do is to tell you the legend of Solomon's Mines as I know it, you +passing your word not to reveal anything I tell you without my +permission. Do you agree to that? I have my reasons for asking." + +Sir Henry nodded, and Captain Good replied, "Certainly, certainly." + +"Well," I began, "as you may guess, generally speaking, elephant +hunters are a rough set of men, who do not trouble themselves with much +beyond the facts of life and the ways of Kafirs. But here and there you +meet a man who takes the trouble to collect traditions from the +natives, and tries to make out a little piece of the history of this +dark land. It was such a man as this who first told me the legend of +Solomon's Mines, now a matter of nearly thirty years ago. That was when +I was on my first elephant hunt in the Matabele country. His name was +Evans, and he was killed the following year, poor fellow, by a wounded +buffalo, and lies buried near the Zambesi Falls. I was telling Evans +one night, I remember, of some wonderful workings I had found whilst +hunting koodoo and eland in what is now the Lydenburg district of the +Transvaal. I see they have come across these workings again lately in +prospecting for gold, but I knew of them years ago. There is a great +wide wagon road cut out of the solid rock, and leading to the mouth of +the working or gallery. Inside the mouth of this gallery are stacks of +gold quartz piled up ready for roasting, which shows that the workers, +whoever they were, must have left in a hurry. Also, about twenty paces +in, the gallery is built across, and a beautiful bit of masonry it is." + +"'Ay,' said Evans, 'but I will spin you a queerer yarn than that'; and +he went on to tell me how he had found in the far interior a ruined +city, which he believed to be the Ophir of the Bible, and, by the way, +other more learned men have said the same long since poor Evans's time. +I was, I remember, listening open-eared to all these wonders, for I was +young at the time, and this story of an ancient civilisation and of the +treasures which those old Jewish or Phoenician adventurers used to +extract from a country long since lapsed into the darkest barbarism +took a great hold upon my imagination, when suddenly he said to me, +'Lad, did you ever hear of the Suliman Mountains up to the north-west +of the Mushakulumbwe country?' I told him I never had. 'Ah, well,' he +said, 'that is where Solomon really had his mines, his diamond mines, I +mean.' + +"'How do you know that?' I asked. + +"'Know it! why, what is "Suliman" but a corruption of Solomon?[1] +Besides, an old Isanusi or witch doctoress up in the Manica country +told me all about it. She said that the people who lived across those +mountains were a "branch" of the Zulus, speaking a dialect of Zulu, but +finer and bigger men even; that there lived among them great wizards, +who had learnt their art from white men when "all the world was dark," +and who had the secret of a wonderful mine of "bright stones."' + +"Well, I laughed at this story at the time, though it interested me, +for the Diamond Fields were not discovered then, but poor Evans went +off and was killed, and for twenty years I never thought any more of +the matter. However, just twenty years afterwards--and that is a long +time, gentlemen; an elephant hunter does not often live for twenty +years at his business--I heard something more definite about Suliman's +Mountains and the country which lies beyond them. I was up beyond the +Manica country, at a place called Sitanda's Kraal, and a miserable +place it was, for a man could get nothing to eat, and there was but +little game about. I had an attack of fever, and was in a bad way +generally, when one day a Portugee arrived with a single companion--a +half-breed. Now I know your low-class Delagoa Portugee well. There is +no greater devil unhung in a general way, battening as he does upon +human agony and flesh in the shape of slaves. But this was quite a +different type of man to the mean fellows whom I had been accustomed to +meet; indeed, in appearance he reminded me more of the polite doms I +have read about, for he was tall and thin, with large dark eyes and +curling grey mustachios. We talked together for a while, for he could +speak broken English, and I understood a little Portugee, and he told +me that his name was José Silvestre, and that he had a place near +Delagoa Bay. When he went on next day with his half-breed companion, he +said 'Good-bye,' taking off his hat quite in the old style. + +"'Good-bye, senor,' he said; 'if ever we meet again I shall be the +richest man in the world, and I will remember you.' I laughed a +little--I was too weak to laugh much--and watched him strike out for +the great desert to the west, wondering if he was mad, or what he +thought he was going to find there. + +"A week passed, and I got the better of my fever. One evening I was +sitting on the ground in front of the little tent I had with me, +chewing the last leg of a miserable fowl I had bought from a native for +a bit of cloth worth twenty fowls, and staring at the hot red sun +sinking down over the desert, when suddenly I saw a figure, apparently +that of a European, for it wore a coat, on the slope of the rising +ground opposite to me, about three hundred yards away. The figure crept +along on its hands and knees, then it got up and staggered forward a +few yards on its legs, only to fall and crawl again. Seeing that it +must be somebody in distress, I sent one of my hunters to help him, and +presently he arrived, and who do you suppose it turned out to be?" + +"José Silvestre, of course," said Captain Good. + +"Yes, José Silvestre, or rather his skeleton and a little skin. His +face was a bright yellow with bilious fever, and his large dark eyes +stood nearly out of his head, for all the flesh had gone. There was +nothing but yellow parchment-like skin, white hair, and the gaunt bones +sticking up beneath. + +"'Water! for the sake of Christ, water!' he moaned and I saw that his +lips were cracked, and his tongue, which protruded between them, was +swollen and blackish. + +"I gave him water with a little milk in it, and he drank it in great +gulps, two quarts or so, without stopping. I would not let him have any +more. Then the fever took him again, and he fell down and began to rave +about Suliman's Mountains, and the diamonds, and the desert. I carried +him into the tent and did what I could for him, which was little +enough; but I saw how it must end. About eleven o'clock he grew +quieter, and I lay down for a little rest and went to sleep. At dawn I +woke again, and in the half light saw Silvestre sitting up, a strange, +gaunt form, and gazing out towards the desert. Presently the first ray +of the sun shot right across the wide plain before us till it reached +the faraway crest of one of the tallest of the Suliman Mountains more +than a hundred miles away. + +"'There it is!' cried the dying man in Portuguese, and pointing with +his long, thin arm, 'but I shall never reach it, never. No one will +ever reach it!' + +"Suddenly, he paused, and seemed to take a resolution. 'Friend,' he +said, turning towards me, 'are you there? My eyes grow dark.' + +"'Yes,' I said; 'yes, lie down now, and rest.' + +"'Ay,' he answered, 'I shall rest soon, I have time to rest--all +eternity. Listen, I am dying! You have been good to me. I will give you +the writing. Perhaps you will get there if you can live to pass the +desert, which has killed my poor servant and me.' + +"Then he groped in his shirt and brought out what I thought was a Boer +tobacco pouch made of the skin of the Swart-vet-pens or sable antelope. +It was fastened with a little strip of hide, what we call a rimpi, and +this he tried to loose, but could not. He handed it to me. 'Untie it,' +he said. I did so, and extracted a bit of torn yellow linen on which +something was written in rusty letters. Inside this rag was a paper. + +"Then he went on feebly, for he was growing weak: 'The paper has all +that is on the linen. It took me years to read. Listen: my ancestor, a +political refugee from Lisbon, and one of the first Portuguese who +landed on these shores, wrote that when he was dying on those mountains +which no white foot ever pressed before or since. His name was José da +Silvestra, and he lived three hundred years ago. His slave, who waited +for him on this side of the mountains, found him dead, and brought the +writing home to Delagoa. It has been in the family ever since, but none +have cared to read it, till at last I did. And I have lost my life over +it, but another may succeed, and become the richest man in the +world--the richest man in the world. Only give it to no one, senor; go +yourself!' + +"Then he began to wander again, and in an hour it was all over. + +"God rest him! he died very quietly, and I buried him deep, with big +boulders on his breast; so I do not think that the jackals can have dug +him up. And then I came away." + +"Ay, but the document?" said Sir Henry, in a tone of deep interest. + +"Yes, the document; what was in it?" added the captain. + +"Well, gentlemen, if you like I will tell you. I have never showed it +to anybody yet except to a drunken old Portuguese trader who translated +it for me, and had forgotten all about it by the next morning. The +original rag is at my home in Durban, together with poor Dom José's +translation, but I have the English rendering in my pocket-book, and a +facsimile of the map, if it can be called a map. Here it is." + +[Illustration: MAP] + + "I, José da Silvestra, who am now dying of hunger in the little + cave where no snow is on the north side of the nipple of the + southernmost of the two mountains I have named Sheba's Breasts, + write this in the year 1590 with a cleft bone upon a remnant of my + raiment, my blood being the ink. If my slave should find it when + he comes, and should bring it to Delagoa, let my friend (name + illegible) bring the matter to the knowledge of the king, that he + may send an army which, if they live through the desert and the + mountains, and can overcome the brave Kukuanes and their devilish + arts, to which end many priests should be brought, will make him + the richest king since Solomon. With my own eyes I have seen the + countless diamonds stored in Solomon's treasure chamber behind the + white Death; but through the treachery of Gagool the witch-finder + I might bring nought away, scarcely my life. Let him who comes + follow the map, and climb the snow of Sheba's left breast till he + reaches the nipple, on the north side of which is the great road + Solomon made, from whence three days' journey to the King's + Palace. Let him kill Gagool. Pray for my soul. Farewell. + +José da Silvestra."[2] + + +When I had finished reading the above, and shown the copy of the map, +drawn by the dying hand of the old Dom with his blood for ink, there +followed a silence of astonishment. + +"Well," said Captain Good, "I have been round the world twice, and put +in at most ports, but may I be hung for a mutineer if ever I heard a +yarn like this out of a story book, or in it either, for the matter of +that." + +"It's a queer tale, Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry. "I suppose you are +not hoaxing us? It is, I know, sometimes thought allowable to take in a +greenhorn." + +"If you think that, Sir Henry," I said, much put out, and pocketing my +paper--for I do not like to be thought one of those silly fellows who +consider it witty to tell lies, and who are for ever boasting to +newcomers of extraordinary hunting adventures which never happened--"if +you think that, why, there is an end to the matter," and I rose to go. + +Sir Henry laid his large hand upon my shoulder. "Sit down, Mr. +Quatermain," he said, "I beg your pardon; I see very well you do not +wish to deceive us, but the story sounded so strange that I could +hardly believe it." + +"You shall see the original map and writing when we reach Durban," I +answered, somewhat mollified, for really when I came to consider the +question it was scarcely wonderful that he should doubt my good faith. + +"But," I went on, "I have not told you about your brother. I knew the +man Jim who was with him. He was a Bechuana by birth, a good hunter, +and for a native a very clever man. That morning on which Mr. Neville +was starting I saw Jim standing by my wagon and cutting up tobacco on +the disselboom. + +"'Jim,' said I, 'where are you off to this trip? It is elephants?' + +"'No, Baas,' he answered, 'we are after something worth much more than +ivory.' + +"'And what might that be?' I said, for I was curious. 'Is it gold?' + +"'No, Baas, something worth more than gold,' and he grinned. + +"I asked no more questions, for I did not like to lower my dignity by +seeming inquisitive, but I was puzzled. Presently Jim finished cutting +his tobacco. + +"'Baas,' said he. + +"I took no notice. + +"'Baas,' said he again. + +"'Eh, boy, what is it?' I asked. + +"'Baas, we are going after diamonds.' + +"'Diamonds! why, then, you are steering in the wrong direction; you +should head for the Fields.' + +"'Baas, have you ever heard of Suliman's Berg?'--that is, Solomon's +Mountains, Sir Henry. + +"'Ay!' + +"'Have you ever heard of the diamonds there?' + +"'I have heard a foolish story, Jim.' + +"'It is no story, Baas. Once I knew a woman who came from there, and +reached Natal with her child, she told me:--she is dead now.' + +"'Your master will feed the assvögels'--that is, vultures--'Jim, if he +tries to reach Suliman's country, and so will you if they can get any +pickings off your worthless old carcass,' said I. + +"He grinned. 'Mayhap, Baas. Man must die; I'd rather like to try a new +country myself; the elephants are getting worked out about here.' + +"'Ah! my boy,' I said, 'you wait till the "pale old man" gets a grip of +your yellow throat, and then we shall hear what sort of a tune you +sing.' + +"Half an hour after that I saw Neville's wagon move off. Presently Jim +came back running. 'Good-bye, Baas,' he said. 'I didn't like to start +without bidding you good-bye, for I daresay you are right, and that we +shall never trek south again.' + +"'Is your master really going to Suliman's Berg, Jim, or are you lying?' + +"'No,' he answered, 'he is going. He told me he was bound to make his +fortune somehow, or try to; so he might as well have a fling for the +diamonds.' + +"'Oh!' I said; 'wait a bit, Jim; will you take a note to your master, +Jim, and promise not to give it to him till you reach Inyati?' which +was some hundred miles off. + +"'Yes, Baas.' + +"So I took a scrap of paper, and wrote on it, 'Let him who comes . . . +climb the snow of Sheba's left breast, till he reaches the nipple, on +the north side of which is Solomon's great road.' + +"'Now, Jim,' I said, 'when you give this to your master, tell him he +had better follow the advice on it implicitly. You are not to give it +to him now, because I don't want him back asking me questions which I +won't answer. Now be off, you idle fellow, the wagon is nearly out of +sight.' + +"Jim took the note and went, and that is all I know about your brother, +Sir Henry; but I am much afraid--" + +"Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry, "I am going to look for my brother; I +am going to trace him to Suliman's Mountains, and over them if +necessary, till I find him, or until I know that he is dead. Will you +come with me?" + +I am, as I think I have said, a cautious man, indeed a timid one, and +this suggestion frightened me. It seemed to me that to undertake such a +journey would be to go to certain death, and putting other +considerations aside, as I had a son to support, I could not afford to +die just then. + +"No, thank you, Sir Henry, I think I had rather not," I answered. "I am +too old for wild-goose chases of that sort, and we should only end up +like my poor friend Silvestre. I have a son dependent on me, so I +cannot afford to risk my life foolishly." + +Both Sir Henry and Captain Good looked very disappointed. + +"Mr. Quatermain," said the former, "I am well off, and I am bent upon +this business. You may put the remuneration for your services at +whatever figure you like in reason, and it shall be paid over to you +before we start. Moreover, I will arrange in the event of anything +untoward happening to us or to you, that your son shall be suitably +provided for. You will see from this offer how necessary I think your +presence. Also if by chance we should reach this place, and find +diamonds, they shall belong to you and Good equally. I do not want +them. But of course that promise is worth nothing at all, though the +same thing would apply to any ivory we might get. You may pretty well +make your own terms with me, Mr. Quatermain; and of course I shall pay +all expenses." + +"Sir Henry," said I, "this is the most liberal proposal I ever had, and +one not to be sneezed at by a poor hunter and trader. But the job is +the biggest I have come across, and I must take time to think it over. +I will give you my answer before we get to Durban." + +"Very good," answered Sir Henry. + +Then I said good-night and turned in, and dreamt about poor long-dead +Silvestre and the diamonds. + + +[1] Suliman is the Arabic form of Solomon.--Editor. + +[2] Eu José da Silvestra que estou morrendo de fome ná pequena cova + onde năo ha neve ao lado norte do bico mais ao sul das duas + montanhas que chamei scio de Sheba; escrevo isto no anno 1590; + escrevo isto com um pedaço d'ôsso n' um farrapo de minha roupa e + com sangue meu por tinta; se o meu escravo dęr com isto quando + venha ao levar para Lourenzo Marquez, que o meu amigo --------- + leve a cousa ao conhecimento d' El Rei, para que possa mandar um + exercito que, se desfiler pelo deserto e pelas montonhas e mesmo + sobrepujar os bravos Kukuanes e suas artes diabolicas, pelo que se + deviam trazer muitos padres Far o Rei mais rico depois de Salomăo + Com meus proprios olhos vé os di amantes sem conto guardados nas + camaras do thesouro de Salomăo a traz da morte branca, mas pela + traiçăo de Gagoal a feiticeira achadora, nada poderia levar, e + apenas a minha vida. Quem vier siga o mappa e trepe pela neve de + Sheba peito ŕ esquerda até chegar ao bica, do lado norte do qual + estŕ a grande estrada do Solomăo por elle feita, donde ha tres + dias de jornada até ao Palacio do Rei. Mate Gagoal. Reze por minha + alma. Adeos. José da Silvestra. + + + +CHAPTER III + +UMBOPA ENTERS OUR SERVICE + +It takes from four to five days, according to the speed of the vessel +and the state of the weather, to run up from the Cape to Durban. +Sometimes, if the landing is bad at East London, where they have not +yet made that wonderful harbour they talk so much of, and sink such a +mint of money in, a ship is delayed for twenty-four hours before the +cargo boats can get out to take off the goods. But on this occasion we +had not to wait at all, for there were no breakers on the Bar to speak +of, and the tugs came out at once with the long strings of ugly +flat-bottomed boats behind them, into which the packages were bundled +with a crash. It did not matter what they might be, over they went +slap-bang; whether they contained china or woollen goods they met with +the same treatment. I saw one case holding four dozen of champagne +smashed all to bits, and there was the champagne fizzing and boiling +about in the bottom of the dirty cargo boat. It was a wicked waste, and +evidently so the Kafirs in the boat thought, for they found a couple of +unbroken bottles, and knocking off the necks drank the contents. But +they had not allowed for the expansion caused by the fizz in the wine, +and, feeling themselves swelling, rolled about in the bottom of the +boat, calling out that the good liquor was "tagati"--that is, +bewitched. I spoke to them from the vessel, and told them it was the +white man's strongest medicine, and that they were as good as dead men. +Those Kafirs went to the shore in a very great fright, and I do not +think that they will touch champagne again. + +Well, all the time that we were steaming up to Natal I was thinking +over Sir Henry Curtis's offer. We did not speak any more on the subject +for a day or two, though I told them many hunting yarns, all true ones. +There is no need to tell lies about hunting, for so many curious things +happen within the knowledge of a man whose business it is to hunt; but +this is by the way. + +At last, one beautiful evening in January, which is our hottest month, +we steamed past the coast of Natal, expecting to make Durban Point by +sunset. It is a lovely coast all along from East London, with its red +sandhills and wide sweeps of vivid green, dotted here and there with +Kafir kraals, and bordered by a ribbon of white surf, which spouts up +in pillars of foam where it hits the rocks. But just before you come to +Durban there is a peculiar richness about the landscape. There are the +sheer kloofs cut in the hills by the rushing rains of centuries, down +which the rivers sparkle; there is the deepest green of the bush, +growing as God planted it, and the other greens of the mealie gardens +and the sugar patches, while now and again a white house, smiling out +at the placid sea, puts a finish and gives an air of homeliness to the +scene. For to my mind, however beautiful a view may be, it requires the +presence of man to make it complete, but perhaps that is because I have +lived so much in the wilderness, and therefore know the value of +civilisation, though to be sure it drives away the game. The Garden of +Eden, no doubt, looked fair before man was, but I always think that it +must have been fairer when Eve adorned it. + +To return, we had miscalculated a little, and the sun was well down +before we dropped anchor off the Point, and heard the gun which told +the good folks of Durban that the English Mail was in. It was too late +to think of getting over the Bar that night, so we went comfortably to +dinner, after seeing the Mails carried off in the life-boat. + +When we came up again the moon was out, and shining so brightly over +sea and shore that she almost paled the quick, large flashes from the +lighthouse. From the shore floated sweet spicy odours that always +remind me of hymns and missionaries, and in the windows of the houses +on the Berea sparkled a hundred lights. From a large brig lying near +also came the music of the sailors as they worked at getting the anchor +up in order to be ready for the wind. Altogether it was a perfect +night, such a night as you sometimes get in Southern Africa, and it +threw a garment of peace over everybody as the moon threw a garment of +silver over everything. Even the great bulldog, belonging to a sporting +passenger, seemed to yield to its gentle influences, and forgetting his +yearning to come to close quarters with the baboon in a cage on the +foc'sle, snored happily at the door of the cabin, dreaming no doubt +that he had finished him, and happy in his dream. + +We three--that is, Sir Henry Curtis, Captain Good, and myself--went and +sat by the wheel, and were quiet for a while. + +"Well, Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry presently, "have you been +thinking about my proposals?" + +"Ay," echoed Captain Good, "what do you think of them, Mr. Quatermain? +I hope that you are going to give us the pleasure of your company so +far as Solomon's Mines, or wherever the gentleman you knew as Neville +may have got to." + +I rose and knocked out my pipe before I answered. I had not made up my +mind, and wanted an additional moment to decide. Before the burning +tobacco had fallen into the sea I had decided; just that little extra +second did the trick. It is often the way when you have been bothering +a long time over a thing. + +"Yes, gentlemen," I said, sitting down again, "I will go, and by your +leave I will tell you why, and on what conditions. First for the terms +which I ask. + +"1. You are to pay all expenses, and any ivory or other valuables we +may get is to be divided between Captain Good and myself. + +"2. That you give me Ł500 for my services on the trip before we start, +I undertaking to serve you faithfully till you choose to abandon the +enterprise, or till we succeed, or disaster overtakes us. + +"3. That before we trek you execute a deed agreeing, in the event of my +death or disablement, to pay my boy Harry, who is studying medicine +over there in London, at Guy's Hospital, a sum of Ł200 a year for five +years, by which time he ought to be able to earn a living for himself +if he is worth his salt. That is all, I think, and I daresay you will +say quite enough too." + +"No," answered Sir Henry, "I accept them gladly. I am bent upon this +project, and would pay more than that for your help, considering the +peculiar and exclusive knowledge which you possess." + +"Pity I did not ask it, then, but I won't go back on my word. And now +that I have got my terms I will tell you my reasons for making up my +mind to go. First of all, gentlemen, I have been observing you both for +the last few days, and if you will not think me impertinent I may say +that I like you, and believe that we shall come up well to the yoke +together. That is something, let me tell you, when one has a long +journey like this before one. + +"And now as to the journey itself, I tell you flatly, Sir Henry and +Captain Good, that I do not think it probable we can come out of it +alive, that is, if we attempt to cross the Suliman Mountains. What was +the fate of the old Dom da Silvestra three hundred years ago? What was +the fate of his descendant twenty years ago? What has been your +brother's fate? I tell you frankly, gentlemen, that as their fates were +so I believe ours will be." + +I paused to watch the effect of my words. Captain Good looked a little +uncomfortable, but Sir Henry's face did not change. "We must take our +chance," he said. + +"You may perhaps wonder," I went on, "why, if I think this, I, who am, +as I told you, a timid man, should undertake such a journey. It is for +two reasons. First I am a fatalist, and believe that my time is +appointed to come quite without reference to my own movements and will, +and that if I am to go to Suliman's Mountains to be killed, I shall go +there and shall be killed. God Almighty, no doubt, knows His mind about +me, so I need not trouble on that point. Secondly, I am a poor man. For +nearly forty years I have hunted and traded, but I have never made more +than a living. Well, gentlemen, I don't know if you are aware that the +average life of an elephant hunter from the time he takes to the trade +is between four and five years. So you see I have lived through about +seven generations of my class, and I should think that my time cannot +be far off, anyway. Now, if anything were to happen to me in the +ordinary course of business, by the time my debts are paid there would +be nothing left to support my son Harry whilst he was getting in the +way of earning a living, whereas now he will be set up for five years. +There is the whole affair in a nutshell." + +"Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry, who had been giving me his most +serious attention, "your motives for undertaking an enterprise which +you believe can only end in disaster reflect a great deal of credit on +you. Whether or not you are right, of course time and the event alone +can show. But whether you are right or wrong, I may as well tell you at +once that I am going through with it to the end, sweet or bitter. If we +are to be knocked on the head, all I have to say is, that I hope we get +a little shooting first, eh, Good?" + +"Yes, yes," put in the captain. "We have all three of us been +accustomed to face danger, and to hold our lives in our hands in +various ways, so it is no good turning back now. And now I vote we go +down to the saloon and take an observation just for luck, you know." +And we did--through the bottom of a tumbler. + +Next day we went ashore, and I put up Sir Henry and Captain Good at the +little shanty I have built on the Berea, and which I call my home. +There are only three rooms and a kitchen in it, and it is constructed +of green brick with a galvanised iron roof, but there is a good garden +with the best loquot trees in it that I know, and some nice young +mangoes, of which I hope great things. The curator of the botanical +gardens gave them to me. It is looked after by an old hunter of mine +named Jack, whose thigh was so badly broken by a buffalo cow in +Sikukunis country that he will never hunt again. But he can potter +about and garden, being a Griqua by birth. You will never persuade a +Zulu to take much interest in gardening. It is a peaceful art, and +peaceful arts are not in his line. + +Sir Henry and Good slept in a tent pitched in my little grove of orange +trees at the end of the garden, for there was no room for them in the +house, and what with the smell of the bloom, and the sight of the green +and golden fruit--in Durban you will see all three on the tree +together--I daresay it is a pleasant place enough, for we have few +mosquitos here on the Berea, unless there happens to come an unusually +heavy rain. + +Well, to get on--for if I do not, Harry, you will be tired of my story +before ever we fetch up at Suliman's Mountains--having once made up my +mind to go I set about making the necessary preparations. First I +secured the deed from Sir Henry, providing for you, my boy, in case of +accidents. There was some difficulty about its legal execution, as Sir +Henry was a stranger here, and the property to be charged is over the +water; but it was ultimately got over with the help of a lawyer, who +charged Ł20 for the job--a price that I thought outrageous. Then I +pocketed my cheque for Ł500. + +Having paid this tribute to my bump of caution, I purchased a wagon and +a span of oxen on Sir Henry's behalf, and beauties they were. It was a +twenty-two-foot wagon with iron axles, very strong, very light, and +built throughout of stink wood; not quite a new one, having been to the +Diamond Fields and back, but, in my opinion, all the better for that, +for I could see that the wood was well seasoned. If anything is going +to give in a wagon, or if there is green wood in it, it will show out +on the first trip. This particular vehicle was what we call a +"half-tented" wagon, that is to say, only covered in over the after +twelve feet, leaving all the front part free for the necessaries we had +to carry with us. In this after part were a hide "cartle," or bed, on +which two people could sleep, also racks for rifles, and many other +little conveniences. I gave Ł125 for it, and think that it was cheap at +the price. + +Then I bought a beautiful team of twenty Zulu oxen, which I had kept my +eye on for a year or two. Sixteen oxen is the usual number for a team, +but I took four extra to allow for casualties. These Zulu cattle are +small and light, not more than half the size of the Africander oxen, +which are generally used for transport purposes; but they will live +where the Africanders would starve, and with a moderate load can make +five miles a day better going, being quicker and not so liable to +become footsore. What is more, this lot were thoroughly "salted," that +is, they had worked all over South Africa, and so had become proof, +comparatively speaking, against red water, which so frequently destroys +whole teams of oxen when they get on to strange "veldt" or grass +country. As for "lung sick," which is a dreadful form of pneumonia, +very prevalent in this country, they had all been inoculated against +it. This is done by cutting a slit in the tail of an ox, and binding in +a piece of the diseased lung of an animal which has died of the +sickness. The result is that the ox sickens, takes the disease in a +mild form, which causes its tail to drop off, as a rule about a foot +from the root, and becomes proof against future attacks. It seems cruel +to rob the animal of his tail, especially in a country where there are +so many flies, but it is better to sacrifice the tail and keep the ox +than to lose both tail and ox, for a tail without an ox is not much +good, except to dust with. Still it does look odd to trek along behind +twenty stumps, where there ought to be tails. It seems as though Nature +made a trifling mistake, and stuck the stern ornaments of a lot of +prize bull-dogs on to the rumps of the oxen. + +Next came the question of provisioning and medicines, one which +required the most careful consideration, for what we had to do was to +avoid lumbering the wagon, and yet to take everything absolutely +necessary. Fortunately, it turned out that Good is a bit of a doctor, +having at some point in his previous career managed to pass through a +course of medical and surgical instruction, which he has more or less +kept up. He is not, of course, qualified, but he knows more about it +than many a man who can write M.D. after his name, as we found out +afterwards, and he had a splendid travelling medicine chest and a set +of instruments. Whilst we were at Durban he cut off a Kafir's big toe +in a way which it was a pleasure to see. But he was quite nonplussed +when the Kafir, who had sat stolidly watching the operation, asked him +to put on another, saying that a "white one" would do at a pinch. + +There remained, when these questions were satisfactorily settled, two +further important points for consideration, namely, that of arms and +that of servants. As to the arms I cannot do better than put down a +list of those which we finally decided on from among the ample store +that Sir Henry had brought with him from England, and those which I +owned. I copy it from my pocket-book, where I made the entry at the +time. + +"Three heavy breech-loading double-eight elephant guns, weighing about +fifteen pounds each, to carry a charge of eleven drachms of black +powder." Two of these were by a well-known London firm, most excellent +makers, but I do not know by whom mine, which is not so highly +finished, was made. I have used it on several trips, and shot a good +many elephants with it, and it has always proved a most superior +weapon, thoroughly to be relied on. + +"Three double-500 Expresses, constructed to stand a charge of six +drachms," sweet weapons, and admirable for medium-sized game, such as +eland or sable antelope, or for men, especially in an open country and +with the semi-hollow bullet. + +"One double No. 12 central-fire Keeper's shot-gun, full choke both +barrels." This gun proved of the greatest service to us afterwards in +shooting game for the pot. + +"Three Winchester repeating rifles (not carbines), spare guns. + +"Three single-action Colt's revolvers, with the heavier, or American +pattern of cartridge." + +This was our total armament, and doubtless the reader will observe that +the weapons of each class were of the same make and calibre, so that +the cartridges were interchangeable, a very important point. I make no +apology for detailing it at length, as every experienced hunter will +know how vital a proper supply of guns and ammunition is to the success +of an expedition. + +Now as to the men who were to go with us. After much consultation we +decided that their number should be limited to five, namely, a driver, +a leader, and three servants. + +The driver and leader I found without much difficulty, two Zulus, named +respectively Goza and Tom; but to get the servants proved a more +difficult matter. It was necessary that they should be thoroughly +trustworthy and brave men, as in a business of this sort our lives +might depend upon their conduct. At last I secured two, one a Hottentot +named Ventvögel, or "windbird," and one a little Zulu named Khiva, who +had the merit of speaking English perfectly. Ventvögel I had known +before; he was one of the most perfect "spoorers," that is, game +trackers, I ever had to do with, and tough as whipcord. He never seemed +to tire. But he had one failing, so common with his race, drink. Put +him within reach of a bottle of gin and you could not trust him. +However, as we were going beyond the region of grog-shops this little +weakness of his did not so much matter. + +Having secured these two men I looked in vain for a third to suit my +purpose, so we determined to start without one, trusting to luck to +find a suitable man on our way up country. But, as it happened, on the +evening before the day we had fixed for our departure the Zulu Khiva +informed me that a Kafir was waiting to see me. Accordingly, when we +had done dinner, for we were at table at the time, I told Khiva to +bring him in. Presently a tall, handsome-looking man, somewhere about +thirty years of age, and very light-coloured for a Zulu, entered, and +lifting his knob-stick by way of salute, squatted himself down in the +corner on his haunches, and sat silent. I did not take any notice of +him for a while, for it is a great mistake to do so. If you rush into +conversation at once, a Zulu is apt to think you a person of little +dignity or consequence. I observed, however, that he was a "Keshla" or +ringed man; that is, he wore on his head the black ring, made of a +species of gum polished with fat and worked up in the hair, which is +usually assumed by Zulus on attaining a certain age or dignity. Also it +struck me that his face was familiar to me. + +"Well," I said at last, "What is your name?" + +"Umbopa," answered the man in a slow, deep voice. + +"I have seen your face before." + +"Yes; the Inkoosi, the chief, my father, saw my face at the place of +the Little Hand"--that is, Isandhlwana--"on the day before the battle." + +Then I remembered. I was one of Lord Chelmsford's guides in that +unlucky Zulu War, and had the good fortune to leave the camp in charge +of some wagons on the day before the battle. While I was waiting for +the cattle to be inspanned I fell into conversation with this man, who +held some small command among the native auxiliaries, and he had +expressed to me his doubts as to the safety of the camp. At the time I +told him to hold his tongue, and leave such matters to wiser heads; but +afterwards I thought of his words. + +"I remember," I said; "what is it you want?" + +"It is this, 'Macumazahn.'" That is my Kafir name, and means the man +who gets up in the middle of the night, or, in vulgar English, he who +keeps his eyes open. "I hear that you go on a great expedition far into +the North with the white chiefs from over the water. Is it a true word?" + +"It is." + +"I hear that you go even to the Lukanga River, a moon's journey beyond +the Manica country. Is this so also, 'Macumazahn?'" + +"Why do you ask whither we go? What is it to you?" I answered +suspiciously, for the objects of our journey had been kept a dead +secret. + +"It is this, O white men, that if indeed you travel so far I would +travel with you." + +There was a certain assumption of dignity in the man's mode of speech, +and especially in his use of the words "O white men," instead of "O +Inkosis," or chiefs, which struck me. + +"You forget yourself a little," I said. "Your words run out unawares. +That is not the way to speak. What is your name, and where is your +kraal? Tell us, that we may know with whom we have to deal." + +"My name is Umbopa. I am of the Zulu people, yet not of them. The house +of my tribe is in the far North; it was left behind when the Zulus came +down here a 'thousand years ago,' long before Chaka reigned in +Zululand. I have no kraal. I have wandered for many years. I came from +the North as a child to Zululand. I was Cetewayo's man in the +Nkomabakosi Regiment, serving there under the great Captain, +Umslopogaasi of the Axe,[1] who taught my hands to fight. Afterwards I +ran away from Zululand and came to Natal because I wanted to see the +white man's ways. Next I fought against Cetewayo in the war. Since then +I have been working in Natal. Now I am tired, and would go North again. +Here is not my place. I want no money, but I am a brave man, and am +worth my place and meat. I have spoken." + +I was rather puzzled by this man and his way of speech. It was evident +to me from his manner that in the main he was telling the truth, but +somehow he seemed different from the ordinary run of Zulus, and I +rather mistrusted his offer to come without pay. Being in a difficulty, +I translated his words to Sir Henry and Good, and asked them their +opinion. + +Sir Henry told me to ask him to stand up. Umbopa did so, at the same +time slipping off the long military great coat which he wore, and +revealing himself naked except for the moocha round his centre and a +necklace of lions' claws. Certainly he was a magnificent-looking man; I +never saw a finer native. Standing about six foot three high he was +broad in proportion, and very shapely. In that light, too, his skin +looked scarcely more than dark, except here and there where deep black +scars marked old assegai wounds. Sir Henry walked up to him and looked +into his proud, handsome face. + +"They make a good pair, don't they?" said Good; "one as big as the +other." + +"I like your looks, Mr. Umbopa, and I will take you as my servant," +said Sir Henry in English. + +Umbopa evidently understood him, for he answered in Zulu, "It is well"; +and then added, with a glance at the white man's great stature and +breadth, "We are men, thou and I." + + +[1] For the history of Umslopogaasi and his Axe, the reader is referred +to the books called "Allan Quatermain" and "Nada the Lily."--Editor. + + + +CHAPTER IV + +AN ELEPHANT HUNT + +Now I do not propose to narrate at full length all the incidents of our +long travel up to Sitanda's Kraal, near the junction of the Lukanga and +Kalukwe Rivers. It was a journey of more than a thousand miles from +Durban, the last three hundred or so of which we had to make on foot, +owing to the frequent presence of the dreadful "tsetse" fly, whose bite +is fatal to all animals except donkeys and men. + +We left Durban at the end of January, and it was in the second week of +May that we camped near Sitanda's Kraal. Our adventures on the way were +many and various, but as they are of the sort which befall every +African hunter--with one exception to be presently detailed--I shall +not set them down here, lest I should render this history too wearisome. + +At Inyati, the outlying trading station in the Matabele country, of +which Lobengula (a great and cruel scoundrel) is king, with many +regrets we parted from our comfortable wagon. Only twelve oxen remained +to us out of the beautiful span of twenty which I had bought at Durban. +One we lost from the bite of a cobra, three had perished from "poverty" +and the want of water, one strayed, and the other three died from +eating the poisonous herb called "tulip." Five more sickened from this +cause, but we managed to cure them with doses of an infusion made by +boiling down the tulip leaves. If administered in time this is a very +effective antidote. + +The wagon and the oxen we left in the immediate charge of Goza and Tom, +our driver and leader, both trustworthy boys, requesting a worthy +Scotch missionary who lived in this distant place to keep an eye on +them. Then, accompanied by Umbopa, Khiva, Ventvögel, and half a dozen +bearers whom we hired on the spot, we started off on foot upon our wild +quest. I remember we were all a little silent on the occasion of this +departure, and I think that each of us was wondering if we should ever +see our wagon again; for my part I never expected to do so. For a while +we tramped on in silence, till Umbopa, who was marching in front, broke +into a Zulu chant about how some brave men, tired of life and the +tameness of things, started off into a vast wilderness to find new +things or die, and how, lo and behold! when they had travelled far into +the wilderness they found that it was not a wilderness at all, but a +beautiful place full of young wives and fat cattle, of game to hunt and +enemies to kill. + +Then we all laughed and took it for a good omen. Umbopa was a cheerful +savage, in a dignified sort of way, when he was not suffering from one +of his fits of brooding, and he had a wonderful knack of keeping up our +spirits. We all grew very fond of him. + +And now for the one adventure to which I am going to treat myself, for +I do dearly love a hunting yarn. + +About a fortnight's march from Inyati we came across a peculiarly +beautiful bit of well-watered woodland country. The kloofs in the hills +were covered with dense bush, "idoro" bush as the natives call it, and +in some places, with the "wacht-een-beche," or "wait-a-little thorn," +and there were great quantities of the lovely "machabell" tree, laden +with refreshing yellow fruit having enormous stones. This tree is the +elephant's favourite food, and there were not wanting signs that the +great brutes had been about, for not only was their spoor frequent, but +in many places the trees were broken down and even uprooted. The +elephant is a destructive feeder. + +One evening, after a long day's march, we came to a spot of great +loveliness. At the foot of a bush-clad hill lay a dry river-bed, in +which, however, were to be found pools of crystal water all trodden +round with the hoof-prints of game. Facing this hill was a park-like +plain, where grew clumps of flat-topped mimosa, varied with occasional +glossy-leaved machabells, and all round stretched the sea of pathless, +silent bush. + +As we emerged into this river-bed path suddenly we started a troop of +tall giraffes, who galloped, or rather sailed off, in their strange +gait, their tails screwed up over their backs, and their hoofs rattling +like castanets. They were about three hundred yards from us, and +therefore practically out of shot, but Good, who was walking ahead, and +who had an express loaded with solid ball in his hand, could not resist +temptation. Lifting his gun, he let drive at the last, a young cow. By +some extraordinary chance the ball struck it full on the back of the +neck, shattering the spinal column, and that giraffe went rolling head +over heels just like a rabbit. I never saw a more curious thing. + +"Curse it!" said Good--for I am sorry to say he had a habit of using +strong language when excited--contracted, no doubt, in the course of +his nautical career; "curse it! I've killed him." + +"_Ou_, Bougwan," ejaculated the Kafirs; "_ou! ou!_" + +They called Good "Bougwan," or Glass Eye, because of his eye-glass. + +"Oh, 'Bougwan!'" re-echoed Sir Henry and I, and from that day Good's +reputation as a marvellous shot was established, at any rate among the +Kafirs. Really he was a bad one, but whenever he missed we overlooked +it for the sake of that giraffe. + +Having set some of the "boys" to cut off the best of the giraffe's +meat, we went to work to build a "scherm" near one of the pools and +about a hundred yards to its right. This is done by cutting a quantity +of thorn bushes and piling them in the shape of a circular hedge. Then +the space enclosed is smoothed, and dry tambouki grass, if obtainable, +is made into a bed in the centre, and a fire or fires lighted. + +By the time the "scherm" was finished the moon peeped up, and our +dinners of giraffe steaks and roasted marrow-bones were ready. How we +enjoyed those marrow-bones, though it was rather a job to crack them! I +know of no greater luxury than giraffe marrow, unless it is elephant's +heart, and we had that on the morrow. We ate our simple meal by the +light of the moon, pausing at times to thank Good for his wonderful +shot; then we began to smoke and yarn, and a curious picture we must +have made squatting there round the fire. I, with my short grizzled +hair sticking up straight, and Sir Henry with his yellow locks, which +were getting rather long, were rather a contrast, especially as I am +thin, and short, and dark, weighing only nine stone and a half, and Sir +Henry is tall, and broad, and fair, and weighs fifteen. But perhaps the +most curious-looking of the three, taking all the circumstances of the +case into consideration, was Captain John Good, R.N. There he sat upon +a leather bag, looking just as though he had come in from a comfortable +day's shooting in a civilised country, absolutely clean, tidy, and well +dressed. He wore a shooting suit of brown tweed, with a hat to match, +and neat gaiters. As usual, he was beautifully shaved, his eye-glass +and his false teeth appeared to be in perfect order, and altogether he +looked the neatest man I ever had to do with in the wilderness. He even +sported a collar, of which he had a supply, made of white gutta-percha. + +"You see, they weigh so little," he said to me innocently, when I +expressed my astonishment at the fact; "and I always like to turn out +like a gentleman." Ah! if he could have foreseen the future and the +raiment prepared for him. + +Well, there we three sat yarning away in the beautiful moonlight, and +watching the Kafirs a few yards off sucking their intoxicating "daccha" +from a pipe of which the mouthpiece was made of the horn of an eland, +till one by one they rolled themselves up in their blankets and went to +sleep by the fire, that is, all except Umbopa, who was a little apart, +his chin resting on his hand, and thinking deeply. I noticed that he +never mixed much with the other Kafirs. + +Presently, from the depths of the bush behind us, came a loud "_woof_, +_woof_!" "That's a lion," said I, and we all started up to listen. +Hardly had we done so, when from the pool, about a hundred yards off, +we heard the strident trumpeting of an elephant. "_Unkungunklovo_! +_Indlovu_!" "Elephant! Elephant!" whispered the Kafirs, and a few +minutes afterwards we saw a succession of vast shadowy forms moving +slowly from the direction of the water towards the bush. + +Up jumped Good, burning for slaughter, and thinking, perhaps, that it +was as easy to kill elephant as he had found it to shoot giraffe, but I +caught him by the arm and pulled him down. + +"It's no good," I whispered, "let them go." + +"It seems that we are in a paradise of game. I vote we stop here a day +or two, and have a go at them," said Sir Henry, presently. + +I was rather surprised, for hitherto Sir Henry had always been for +pushing forward as fast as possible, more especially since we +ascertained at Inyati that about two years ago an Englishman of the +name of Neville _had_ sold his wagon there, and gone on up country. But +I suppose his hunter instincts got the better of him for a while. + +Good jumped at the idea, for he was longing to have a shot at those +elephants; and so, to speak the truth, did I, for it went against my +conscience to let such a herd as that escape without a pull at them. + +"All right, my hearties," said I. "I think we want a little recreation. +And now let's turn in, for we ought to be off by dawn, and then perhaps +we may catch them feeding before they move on." + +The others agreed, and we proceeded to make our preparations. Good took +off his clothes, shook them, put his eye-glass and his false teeth into +his trousers pocket, and folding each article neatly, placed it out of +the dew under a corner of his mackintosh sheet. Sir Henry and I +contented ourselves with rougher arrangements, and soon were curled up +in our blankets, and dropping off into the dreamless sleep that rewards +the traveller. + +Going, going, go--What was that? + +Suddenly, from the direction of the water came sounds of violent +scuffling, and next instant there broke upon our ears a succession of +the most awful roars. There was no mistaking their origin; only a lion +could make such a noise as that. We all jumped up and looked towards +the water, in the direction of which we saw a confused mass, yellow and +black in colour, staggering and struggling towards us. We seized our +rifles, and slipping on our veldtschoons, that is shoes made of +untanned hide, ran out of the scherm. By this time the mass had fallen, +and was rolling over and over on the ground, and when we reached the +spot it struggled no longer, but lay quite still. + +Now we saw what it was. On the grass there lay a sable antelope +bull--the most beautiful of all the African antelopes--quite dead, and +transfixed by its great curved horns was a magnificent black-maned +lion, also dead. Evidently what had happened was this: The sable +antelope had come down to drink at the pool where the lion--no doubt +the same which we had heard--was lying in wait. While the antelope +drank, the lion had sprung upon him, only to be received upon the sharp +curved horns and transfixed. Once before I saw a similar thing happen. +Then the lion, unable to free himself, had torn and bitten at the back +and neck of the bull, which, maddened with fear and pain, had rushed on +until it dropped dead. + +As soon as we had examined the beasts sufficiently we called the +Kafirs, and between us managed to drag their carcases up to the scherm. +After that we went in and lay down, to wake no more till dawn. + +With the first light we were up and making ready for the fray. We took +with us the three eight-bore rifles, a good supply of ammunition, and +our large water-bottles, filled with weak cold tea, which I have always +found the best stuff to shoot on. After swallowing a little breakfast +we started, Umbopa, Khiva, and Ventvögel accompanying us. The other +Kafirs we left with instructions to skin the lion and the sable +antelope, and to cut up the latter. + +We had no difficulty in finding the broad elephant trail, which +Ventvögel, after examination, pronounced to have been made by between +twenty and thirty elephants, most of them full-grown bulls. But the +herd had moved on some way during the night, and it was nine o'clock, +and already very hot, before, by the broken trees, bruised leaves and +bark, and smoking droppings, we knew that we could not be far from them. + +Presently we caught sight of the herd, which numbered, as Ventvögel had +said, between twenty and thirty, standing in a hollow, having finished +their morning meal, and flapping their great ears. It was a splendid +sight, for they were only about two hundred yards from us. Taking a +handful of dry grass, I threw it into the air to see how the wind was; +for if once they winded us I knew they would be off before we could get +a shot. Finding that, if anything, it blew from the elephants to us, we +crept on stealthily, and thanks to the cover managed to get within +forty yards or so of the great brutes. Just in front of us, and +broadside on, stood three splendid bulls, one of them with enormous +tusks. I whispered to the others that I would take the middle one; Sir +Henry covering the elephant to the left, and Good the bull with the big +tusks. + +"Now," I whispered. + +Boom! boom! boom! went the three heavy rifles, and down came Sir +Henry's elephant dead as a hammer, shot right through the heart. Mine +fell on to its knees and I thought that he was going to die, but in +another moment he was up and off, tearing along straight past me. As he +went I gave him the second barrel in the ribs, and this brought him +down in good earnest. Hastily slipping in two fresh cartridges I ran +close up to him, and a ball through the brain put an end to the poor +brute's struggles. Then I turned to see how Good had fared with the big +bull, which I had heard screaming with rage and pain as I gave mine its +quietus. On reaching the captain I found him in a great state of +excitement. It appeared that on receiving the bullet the bull had +turned and come straight for his assailant, who had barely time to get +out of his way, and then charged on blindly past him, in the direction +of our encampment. Meanwhile the herd had crashed off in wild alarm in +the other direction. + +For awhile we debated whether to go after the wounded bull or to follow +the herd, and finally deciding for the latter alternative, departed, +thinking that we had seen the last of those big tusks. I have often +wished since that we had. It was easy work to follow the elephants, for +they had left a trail like a carriage road behind them, crushing down +the thick bush in their furious flight as though it were tambouki grass. + +But to come up with them was another matter, and we had struggled on +under the broiling sun for over two hours before we found them. With +the exception of one bull, they were standing together, and I could +see, from their unquiet way and the manner in which they kept lifting +their trunks to test the air, that they were on the look-out for +mischief. The solitary bull stood fifty yards or so to this side of the +herd, over which he was evidently keeping sentry, and about sixty yards +from us. Thinking that he would see or wind us, and that it would +probably start them off again if we tried to get nearer, especially as +the ground was rather open, we all aimed at this bull, and at my +whispered word, we fired. The three shots took effect, and down he went +dead. Again the herd started, but unfortunately for them about a +hundred yards further on was a nullah, or dried-out water track, with +steep banks, a place very much resembling the one where the Prince +Imperial was killed in Zululand. Into this the elephants plunged, and +when we reached the edge we found them struggling in wild confusion to +get up the other bank, filling the air with their screams, and +trumpeting as they pushed one another aside in their selfish panic, +just like so many human beings. Now was our opportunity, and firing +away as quickly as we could load, we killed five of the poor beasts, +and no doubt should have bagged the whole herd, had they not suddenly +given up their attempts to climb the bank and rushed headlong down the +nullah. We were too tired to follow them, and perhaps also a little +sick of slaughter, eight elephants being a pretty good bag for one day. + +So after we were rested a little, and the Kafirs had cut out the hearts +of two of the dead elephants for supper, we started homewards, very +well pleased with our day's work, having made up our minds to send the +bearers on the morrow to chop away the tusks. + +Shortly after we re-passed the spot where Good had wounded the +patriarchal bull we came across a herd of eland, but did not shoot at +them, as we had plenty of meat. They trotted past us, and then stopped +behind a little patch of bush about a hundred yards away, wheeling +round to look at us. As Good was anxious to get a near view of them, +never having seen an eland close, he handed his rifle to Umbopa, and, +followed by Khiva, strolled up to the patch of bush. We sat down and +waited for him, not sorry of the excuse for a little rest. + +The sun was just going down in its reddest glory, and Sir Henry and I +were admiring the lovely scene, when suddenly we heard an elephant +scream, and saw its huge and rushing form with uplifted trunk and tail +silhouetted against the great fiery globe of the sun. Next second we +saw something else, and that was Good and Khiva tearing back towards us +with the wounded bull--for it was he--charging after them. For a moment +we did not dare to fire--though at that distance it would have been of +little use if we had done so--for fear of hitting one of them, and the +next a dreadful thing happened--Good fell a victim to his passion for +civilised dress. Had he consented to discard his trousers and gaiters +like the rest of us, and to hunt in a flannel shirt and a pair of +veldt-schoons, it would have been all right. But as it was, his +trousers cumbered him in that desperate race, and presently, when he +was about sixty yards from us, his boot, polished by the dry grass, +slipped, and down he went on his face right in front of the elephant. + +We gave a gasp, for we knew that he must die, and ran as hard as we +could towards him. In three seconds it had ended, but not as we +thought. Khiva, the Zulu boy, saw his master fall, and brave lad as he +was, turned and flung his assegai straight into the elephant's face. It +stuck in his trunk. + +With a scream of pain, the brute seized the poor Zulu, hurled him to +the earth, and placing one huge foot on to his body about the middle, +twined its trunk round his upper part and _tore him in two_. + +We rushed up mad with horror, and fired again and again, till presently +the elephant fell upon the fragments of the Zulu. + +As for Good, he rose and wrung his hands over the brave man who had +given his life to save him, and, though I am an old hand, I felt a lump +grow in my throat. Umbopa stood contemplating the huge dead elephant +and the mangled remains of poor Khiva. + +"Ah, well," he said presently, "he is dead, but he died like a man!" + + + +CHAPTER V + +OUR MARCH INTO THE DESERT + +We had killed nine elephants, and it took us two days to cut out the +tusks, and having brought them into camp, to bury them carefully in the +sand under a large tree, which made a conspicuous mark for miles round. +It was a wonderfully fine lot of ivory. I never saw a better, averaging +as it did between forty and fifty pounds a tusk. The tusks of the great +bull that killed poor Khiva scaled one hundred and seventy pounds the +pair, so nearly as we could judge. + +As for Khiva himself, we buried what remained of him in an ant-bear +hole, together with an assegai to protect himself with on his journey +to a better world. On the third day we marched again, hoping that we +might live to return to dig up our buried ivory, and in due course, +after a long and wearisome tramp, and many adventures which I have not +space to detail, we reached Sitanda's Kraal, near the Lukanga River, +the real starting-point of our expedition. Very well do I recollect our +arrival at that place. To the right was a scattered native settlement +with a few stone cattle kraals and some cultivated lands down by the +water, where these savages grew their scanty supply of grain, and +beyond it stretched great tracts of waving "veld" covered with tall +grass, over which herds of the smaller game were wandering. To the left +lay the vast desert. This spot appears to be the outpost of the fertile +country, and it would be difficult to say to what natural causes such +an abrupt change in the character of the soil is due. But so it is. + +Just below our encampment flowed a little stream, on the farther side +of which is a stony slope, the same down which, twenty years before, I +had seen poor Silvestre creeping back after his attempt to reach +Solomon's Mines, and beyond that slope begins the waterless desert, +covered with a species of karoo shrub. + +It was evening when we pitched our camp, and the great ball of the sun +was sinking into the desert, sending glorious rays of many-coloured +light flying all over its vast expanse. Leaving Good to superintend the +arrangement of our little camp, I took Sir Henry with me, and walking +to the top of the slope opposite, we gazed across the desert. The air +was very clear, and far, far away I could distinguish the faint blue +outlines, here and there capped with white, of the Suliman Berg. + +"There," I said, "there is the wall round Solomon's Mines, but God +knows if we shall ever climb it." + +"My brother should be there, and if he is, I shall reach him somehow," +said Sir Henry, in that tone of quiet confidence which marked the man. + +"I hope so," I answered, and turned to go back to the camp, when I saw +that we were not alone. Behind us, also gazing earnestly towards the +far-off mountains, stood the great Kafir Umbopa. + +The Zulu spoke when he saw that I had observed him, addressing Sir +Henry, to whom he had attached himself. + +"Is it to that land that thou wouldst journey, Incubu?" (a native word +meaning, I believe, an elephant, and the name given to Sir Henry by the +Kafirs), he said, pointing towards the mountain with his broad assegai. + +I asked him sharply what he meant by addressing his master in that +familiar way. It is very well for natives to have a name for one among +themselves, but it is not decent that they should call a white man by +their heathenish appellations to his face. The Zulu laughed a quiet +little laugh which angered me. + +"How dost thou know that I am not the equal of the Inkosi whom I +serve?" he said. "He is of a royal house, no doubt; one can see it in +his size and by his mien; so, mayhap, am I. At least, I am as great a +man. Be my mouth, O Macumazahn, and say my words to the Inkoos Incubu, +my master, for I would speak to him and to thee." + +I was angry with the man, for I am not accustomed to be talked to in +that way by Kafirs, but somehow he impressed me, and besides I was +curious to know what he had to say. So I translated, expressing my +opinion at the same time that he was an impudent fellow, and that his +swagger was outrageous. + +"Yes, Umbopa," answered Sir Henry, "I would journey there." + +"The desert is wide and there is no water in it, the mountains are high +and covered with snow, and man cannot say what lies beyond them behind +the place where the sun sets; how shalt thou come thither, Incubu, and +wherefore dost thou go?" + +I translated again. + +"Tell him," answered Sir Henry, "that I go because I believe that a man +of my blood, my brother, has gone there before me, and I journey to +seek him." + +"That is so, Incubu; a Hottentot I met on the road told me that a white +man went out into the desert two years ago towards those mountains with +one servant, a hunter. They never came back." + +"How do you know it was my brother?" asked Sir Henry. + +"Nay, I know not. But the Hottentot, when I asked what the white man +was like, said that he had thine eyes and a black beard. He said, too, +that the name of the hunter with him was Jim; that he was a Bechuana +hunter and wore clothes." + +"There is no doubt about it," said I; "I knew Jim well." + +Sir Henry nodded. "I was sure of it," he said. "If George set his mind +upon a thing he generally did it. It was always so from his boyhood. If +he meant to cross the Suliman Berg he has crossed it, unless some +accident overtook him, and we must look for him on the other side." + +Umbopa understood English, though he rarely spoke it. + +"It is a far journey, Incubu," he put in, and I translated his remark. + +"Yes," answered Sir Henry, "it is far. But there is no journey upon +this earth that a man may not make if he sets his heart to it. There is +nothing, Umbopa, that he cannot do, there are no mountains he may not +climb, there are no deserts he cannot cross, save a mountain and a +desert of which you are spared the knowledge, if love leads him and he +holds his life in his hands counting it as nothing, ready to keep it or +lose it as Heaven above may order." + +I translated. + +"Great words, my father," answered the Zulu--I always called him a +Zulu, though he was not really one--"great swelling words fit to fill +the mouth of a man. Thou art right, my father Incubu. Listen! what is +life? It is a feather, it is the seed of the grass, blown hither and +thither, sometimes multiplying itself and dying in the act, sometimes +carried away into the heavens. But if that seed be good and heavy it +may perchance travel a little way on the road it wills. It is well to +try and journey one's road and to fight with the air. Man must die. At +the worst he can but die a little sooner. I will go with thee across +the desert and over the mountains, unless perchance I fall to the +ground on the way, my father." + +He paused awhile, and then went on with one of those strange bursts of +rhetorical eloquence that Zulus sometimes indulge in, which to my mind, +full though they are of vain repetitions, show that the race is by no +means devoid of poetic instinct and of intellectual power. + +"What is life? Tell me, O white men, who are wise, who know the secrets +of the world, and of the world of stars, and the world that lies above +and around the stars; who flash your words from afar without a voice; +tell me, white men, the secret of our life--whither it goes and whence +it comes! + +"You cannot answer me; you know not. Listen, I will answer. Out of the +dark we came, into the dark we go. Like a storm-driven bird at night we +fly out of the Nowhere; for a moment our wings are seen in the light of +the fire, and, lo! we are gone again into the Nowhere. Life is nothing. +Life is all. It is the Hand with which we hold off Death. It is the +glow-worm that shines in the night-time and is black in the morning; it +is the white breath of the oxen in winter; it is the little shadow that +runs across the grass and loses itself at sunset." + +"You are a strange man," said Sir Henry, when he had ceased. + +Umbopa laughed. "It seems to me that we are much alike, Incubu. Perhaps +_I_ seek a brother over the mountains." + +I looked at him suspiciously. "What dost thou mean?" I asked; "what +dost thou know of those mountains?" + +"A little; a very little. There is a strange land yonder, a land of +witchcraft and beautiful things; a land of brave people, and of trees, +and streams, and snowy peaks, and of a great white road. I have heard +of it. But what is the good of talking? It grows dark. Those who live +to see will see." + +Again I looked at him doubtfully. The man knew too much. + +"You need not fear me, Macumazahn," he said, interpreting my look. "I +dig no holes for you to fall in. I make no plots. If ever we cross +those mountains behind the sun I will tell what I know. But Death sits +upon them. Be wise and turn back. Go and hunt elephants, my masters. I +have spoken." + +And without another word he lifted his spear in salutation, and +returned towards the camp, where shortly afterwards we found him +cleaning a gun like any other Kafir. + +"That is an odd man," said Sir Henry. + +"Yes," answered I, "too odd by half. I don't like his little ways. He +knows something, and will not speak out. But I suppose it is no use +quarrelling with him. We are in for a curious trip, and a mysterious +Zulu won't make much difference one way or another." + +Next day we made our arrangements for starting. Of course it was +impossible to drag our heavy elephant rifles and other kit with us +across the desert, so, dismissing our bearers, we made an arrangement +with an old native who had a kraal close by to take care of them till +we returned. It went to my heart to leave such things as those sweet +tools to the tender mercies of an old thief of a savage whose greedy +eyes I could see gloating over them. But I took some precautions. + +First of all I loaded all the rifles, placing them at full cock, and +informed him that if he touched them they would go off. He tried the +experiment instantly with my eight-bore, and it did go off, and blew a +hole right through one of his oxen, which were just then being driven +up to the kraal, to say nothing of knocking him head over heels with +the recoil. He got up considerably startled, and not at all pleased at +the loss of the ox, which he had the impudence to ask me to pay for, +and nothing would induce him to touch the guns again. + +"Put the live devils out of the way up there in the thatch," he said, +"or they will murder us all." + +Then I told him that, when we came back, if one of those things was +missing I would kill him and his people by witchcraft; and if we died +and he tried to steal the rifles I would come and haunt him and turn +his cattle mad and his milk sour till life was a weariness, and would +make the devils in the guns come out and talk to him in a way he did +not like, and generally gave him a good idea of judgment to come. After +that he promised to look after them as though they were his father's +spirit. He was a very superstitious old Kafir and a great villain. + +Having thus disposed of our superfluous gear we arranged the kit we +five--Sir Henry, Good, myself, Umbopa, and the Hottentot +Ventvögel--were to take with us on our journey. It was small enough, +but do what we would we could not get its weight down under about forty +pounds a man. This is what it consisted of:-- + +The three express rifles and two hundred rounds of ammunition. + +The two Winchester repeating rifles (for Umbopa and Ventvögel), with +two hundred rounds of cartridge. + +Five Cochrane's water-bottles, each holding four pints. + +Five blankets. + +Twenty-five pounds' weight of biltong--i.e. sun-dried game flesh. + +Ten pounds' weight of best mixed beads for gifts. + +A selection of medicine, including an ounce of quinine, and one or two +small surgical instruments. + +Our knives, a few sundries, such as a compass, matches, a pocket +filter, tobacco, a trowel, a bottle of brandy, and the clothes we stood +in. + +This was our total equipment, a small one indeed for such a venture, +but we dared not attempt to carry more. Indeed, that load was a heavy +one per man with which to travel across the burning desert, for in such +places every additional ounce tells. But we could not see our way to +reducing the weight. There was nothing taken but what was absolutely +necessary. + +With great difficulty, and by the promise of a present of a good +hunting-knife each, I succeeded in persuading three wretched natives +from the village to come with us for the first stage, twenty miles, and +to carry a large gourd holding a gallon of water apiece. My object was +to enable us to refill our water-bottles after the first night's march, +for we determined to start in the cool of the evening. I gave out to +these natives that we were going to shoot ostriches, with which the +desert abounded. They jabbered and shrugged their shoulders, saying +that we were mad and should perish of thirst, which I must say seemed +probable; but being desirous of obtaining the knives, which were almost +unknown treasures up there, they consented to come, having probably +reflected that, after all, our subsequent extinction would be no affair +of theirs. + +All next day we rested and slept, and at sunset ate a hearty meal of +fresh beef washed down with tea, the last, as Good remarked sadly, we +were likely to drink for many a long day. Then, having made our final +preparations, we lay down and waited for the moon to rise. At last, +about nine o'clock, up she came in all her glory, flooding the wild +country with light, and throwing a silver sheen on the expanse of +rolling desert before us, which looked as solemn and quiet and as alien +to man as the star-studded firmament above. We rose up, and in a few +minutes were ready, and yet we hesitated a little, as human nature is +prone to hesitate on the threshold of an irrevocable step. We three +white men stood by ourselves. Umbopa, assegai in hand and a rifle +across his shoulders, looked out fixedly across the desert a few paces +ahead of us; while the hired natives, with the gourds of water, and +Ventvögel, were gathered in a little knot behind. + +"Gentlemen," said Sir Henry presently, in his deep voice, "we are going +on about as strange a journey as men can make in this world. It is very +doubtful if we can succeed in it. But we are three men who will stand +together for good or for evil to the last. Now before we start let us +for a moment pray to the Power who shapes the destinies of men, and who +ages since has marked out our paths, that it may please Him to direct +our steps in accordance with His will." + +Taking off his hat, for the space of a minute or so, he covered his +face with his hands, and Good and I did likewise. + +I do not say that I am a first-rate praying man, few hunters are, and +as for Sir Henry, I never heard him speak like that before, and only +once since, though deep down in his heart I believe that he is very +religious. Good too is pious, though apt to swear. Anyhow I do not +remember, excepting on one single occasion, ever putting up a better +prayer in my life than I did during that minute, and somehow I felt the +happier for it. Our future was so completely unknown, and I think that +the unknown and the awful always bring a man nearer to his Maker. + +"And now," said Sir Henry, "_trek_!" + +So we started. + +We had nothing to guide ourselves by except the distant mountains and +old José da Silvestre's chart, which, considering that it was drawn by +a dying and half-distraught man on a fragment of linen three centuries +ago, was not a very satisfactory sort of thing to work with. Still, +our sole hope of success depended upon it, such as it was. If we failed +in finding that pool of bad water which the old Dom marked as being +situated in the middle of the desert, about sixty miles from our +starting-point, and as far from the mountains, in all probability we +must perish miserably of thirst. But to my mind the chances of our +finding it in that great sea of sand and karoo scrub seemed almost +infinitesimal. Even supposing that da Silvestra had marked the pool +correctly, what was there to prevent its having been dried up by the +sun generations ago, or trampled in by game, or filled with the +drifting sand? + +On we tramped silently as shades through the night and in the heavy +sand. The karoo bushes caught our feet and retarded us, and the sand +worked into our veldtschoons and Good's shooting-boots, so that every +few miles we had to stop and empty them; but still the night kept +fairly cool, though the atmosphere was thick and heavy, giving a sort +of creamy feel to the air, and we made fair progress. It was very +silent and lonely there in the desert, oppressively so indeed. Good +felt this, and once began to whistle "The Girl I left behind me," but +the notes sounded lugubrious in that vast place, and he gave it up. + +Shortly afterwards a little incident occurred which, though it startled +us at the time, gave rise to a laugh. Good was leading, as the holder +of the compass, which, being a sailor, of course he understood +thoroughly, and we were toiling along in single file behind him, when +suddenly we heard the sound of an exclamation, and he vanished. Next +second there arose all around us a most extraordinary hubbub, snorts, +groans, and wild sounds of rushing feet. In the faint light, too, we +could descry dim galloping forms half hidden by wreaths of sand. The +natives threw down their loads and prepared to bolt, but remembering +that there was nowhere to run to, they cast themselves upon the ground +and howled out that it was ghosts. As for Sir Henry and myself, we +stood amazed; nor was our amazement lessened when we perceived the form +of Good careering off in the direction of the mountains, apparently +mounted on the back of a horse and halloaing wildly. In another second +he threw up his arms, and we heard him come to the earth with a thud. + +Then I saw what had happened; we had stumbled upon a herd of sleeping +quagga, on to the back of one of which Good actually had fallen, and +the brute naturally enough got up and made off with him. Calling out to +the others that it was all right, I ran towards Good, much afraid lest +he should be hurt, but to my great relief I found him sitting in the +sand, his eye-glass still fixed firmly in his eye, rather shaken and +very much frightened, but not in any way injured. + +After this we travelled on without any further misadventure till about +one o'clock, when we called a halt, and having drunk a little water, +not much, for water was precious, and rested for half an hour, we +started again. + +On, on we went, till at last the east began to blush like the cheek of +a girl. Then there came faint rays of primrose light, that changed +presently to golden bars, through which the dawn glided out across the +desert. The stars grew pale and paler still, till at last they +vanished; the golden moon waxed wan, and her mountain ridges stood out +against her sickly face like the bones on the cheek of a dying man. +Then came spear upon spear of light flashing far away across the +boundless wilderness, piercing and firing the veils of mist, till the +desert was draped in a tremulous golden glow, and it was day. + +Still we did not halt, though by this time we should have been glad +enough to do so, for we knew that when once the sun was fully up it +would be almost impossible for us to travel. At length, about an hour +later, we spied a little pile of boulders rising out of the plain, and +to this we dragged ourselves. As luck would have it, here we found an +overhanging slab of rock carpeted beneath with smooth sand, which +afforded a most grateful shelter from the heat. Underneath this we +crept, and each of us having drunk some water and eaten a bit of +biltong, we lay down and soon were sound asleep. + +It was three o'clock in the afternoon before we woke, to find our +bearers preparing to return. They had seen enough of the desert +already, and no number of knives would have tempted them to come a step +farther. So we took a hearty drink, and having emptied our +water-bottles, filled them up again from the gourds that they had +brought with them, and then watched them depart on their twenty miles' +tramp home. + +At half-past four we also started. It was lonely and desolate work, for +with the exception of a few ostriches there was not a single living +creature to be seen on all the vast expanse of sandy plain. Evidently +it was too dry for game, and with the exception of a deadly-looking +cobra or two we saw no reptiles. One insect, however, we found +abundant, and that was the common or house fly. There they came, "not +as single spies, but in battalions," as I think the Old Testament[1] +says somewhere. He is an extraordinary insect is the house fly. Go +where you will you find him, and so it must have been always. I have +seen him enclosed in amber, which is, I was told, quite half a million +years old, looking exactly like his descendant of to-day, and I have +little doubt but that when the last man lies dying on the earth he will +be buzzing round--if this event happens to occur in summer--watching +for an opportunity to settle on his nose. + +At sunset we halted, waiting for the moon to rise. At last she came up, +beautiful and serene as ever, and, with one halt about two o'clock in +the morning, we trudged on wearily through the night, till at last the +welcome sun put a period to our labours. We drank a little and flung +ourselves down on the sand, thoroughly tired out, and soon were all +asleep. There was no need to set a watch, for we had nothing to fear +from anybody or anything in that vast untenanted plain. Our only +enemies were heat, thirst, and flies, but far rather would I have faced +any danger from man or beast than that awful trinity. This time we were +not so lucky as to find a sheltering rock to guard us from the glare of +the sun, with the result that about seven o'clock we woke up +experiencing the exact sensations one would attribute to a beefsteak on +a gridiron. We were literally being baked through and through. The +burning sun seemed to be sucking our very blood out of us. We sat up +and gasped. + +"Phew," said I, grabbing at the halo of flies which buzzed cheerfully +round my head. The heat did not affect _them_. + +"My word!" said Sir Henry. + +"It is hot!" echoed Good. + +It was hot, indeed, and there was not a bit of shelter to be found. +Look where we would there was no rock or tree, nothing but an unending +glare, rendered dazzling by the heated air that danced over the surface +of the desert as it dances over a red-hot stove. + +"What is to be done?" asked Sir Henry; "we can't stand this for long." + +We looked at each other blankly. + +"I have it," said Good, "we must dig a hole, get in it, and cover +ourselves with the karoo bushes." + +It did not seem a very promising suggestion, but at least it was better +than nothing, so we set to work, and, with the trowel we had brought +with us and the help of our hands, in about an hour we succeeded in +delving out a patch of ground some ten feet long by twelve wide to the +depth of two feet. Then we cut a quantity of low scrub with our +hunting-knives, and creeping into the hole, pulled it over us all, with +the exception of Ventvögel, on whom, being a Hottentot, the heat had no +particular effect. This gave us some slight shelter from the burning +rays of the sun, but the atmosphere in that amateur grave can be better +imagined than described. The Black Hole of Calcutta must have been a +fool to it; indeed, to this moment I do not know how we lived through +the day. There we lay panting, and every now and again moistening our +lips from our scanty supply of water. Had we followed our inclinations +we should have finished all we possessed in the first two hours, but we +were forced to exercise the most rigid care, for if our water failed us +we knew that very soon we must perish miserably. + +But everything has an end, if only you live long enough to see it, and +somehow that miserable day wore on towards evening. About three o'clock +in the afternoon we determined that we could bear it no longer. It +would be better to die walking that to be killed slowly by heat and +thirst in this dreadful hole. So taking each of us a little drink from +our fast diminishing supply of water, now warmed to about the same +temperature as a man's blood, we staggered forward. + +We had then covered some fifty miles of wilderness. If the reader will +refer to the rough copy and translation of old da Silvestra's map, he +will see that the desert is marked as measuring forty leagues across, +and the "pan bad water" is set down as being about in the middle of it. +Now forty leagues is one hundred and twenty miles, consequently we +ought at the most to be within twelve or fifteen miles of the water if +any should really exist. + +Through the afternoon we crept slowly and painfully along, scarcely +doing more than a mile and a half in an hour. At sunset we rested +again, waiting for the moon, and after drinking a little managed to get +some sleep. + +Before we lay down, Umbopa pointed out to us a slight and indistinct +hillock on the flat surface of the plain about eight miles away. At the +distance it looked like an ant-hill, and as I was dropping off to sleep +I fell to wondering what it could be. + +With the moon we marched again, feeling dreadfully exhausted, and +suffering tortures from thirst and prickly heat. Nobody who has not +felt it can know what we went through. We walked no longer, we +staggered, now and again falling from exhaustion, and being obliged to +call a halt every hour or so. We had scarcely energy left in us to +speak. Up to this Good had chatted and joked, for he is a merry fellow; +but now he had not a joke in him. + +At last, about two o'clock, utterly worn out in body and mind, we came +to the foot of the queer hill, or sand koppie, which at first sight +resembled a gigantic ant-heap about a hundred feet high, and covering +at the base nearly two acres of ground. + +Here we halted, and driven to it by our desperate thirst, sucked down +our last drops of water. We had but half a pint a head, and each of us +could have drunk a gallon. + +Then we lay down. Just as I was dropping off to sleep I heard Umbopa +remark to himself in Zulu-- + +"If we cannot find water we shall all be dead before the moon rises +to-morrow." + +I shuddered, hot as it was. The near prospect of such an awful death is +not pleasant, but even the thought of it could not keep me from +sleeping. + + +[1] Readers must beware of accepting Mr. Quatermain's references as +accurate, as, it has been found, some are prone to do. Although his +reading evidently was limited, the impression produced by it upon his +mind was mixed. Thus to him the Old Testament and Shakespeare were +interchangeable authorities.--Editor. + + + +CHAPTER VI + +WATER! WATER! + +Two hours later, that is, about four o'clock, I woke up, for so soon as +the first heavy demand of bodily fatigue had been satisfied, the +torturing thirst from which I was suffering asserted itself. I could +sleep no more. I had been dreaming that I was bathing in a running +stream, with green banks and trees upon them, and I awoke to find +myself in this arid wilderness, and to remember, as Umbopa had said, +that if we did not find water this day we must perish miserably. No +human creature could live long without water in that heat. I sat up and +rubbed my grimy face with my dry and horny hands, as my lips and +eyelids were stuck together, and it was only after some friction and +with an effort that I was able to open them. It was not far from dawn, +but there was none of the bright feel of dawn in the air, which was +thick with a hot murkiness that I cannot describe. The others were +still sleeping. + +Presently it began to grow light enough to read, so I drew out a little +pocket copy of the "Ingoldsby Legends" which I had brought with me, and +read "The Jackdaw of Rheims." When I got to where + + "A nice little boy held a golden ewer, + Embossed, and filled with water as pure + As any that flows between Rheims and Namur," + +literally I smacked my cracking lips, or rather tried to smack them. +The mere thought of that pure water made me mad. If the Cardinal had +been there with his bell, book, and candle, I would have whipped in and +drunk his water up; yes, even if he had filled it already with the suds +of soap "worthy of washing the hands of the Pope," and I knew that the +whole consecrated curse of the Catholic Church should fall upon me for +so doing. I almost think that I must have been a little light-headed +with thirst, weariness and the want of food; for I fell to thinking how +astonished the Cardinal and his nice little boy and the jackdaw would +have looked to see a burnt up, brown-eyed, grizzly-haired little +elephant hunter suddenly bound between them, put his dirty face into +the basin, and swallow every drop of the precious water. The idea +amused me so much that I laughed or rather cackled aloud, which woke +the others, and they began to rub _their_ dirty faces and drag _their_ +gummed-up lips and eyelids apart. + +As soon as we were all well awake we began to discuss the situation, +which was serious enough. Not a drop of water was left. We turned the +bottles upside down, and licked their tops, but it was a failure; they +were dry as a bone. Good, who had charge of the flask of brandy, got it +out and looked at it longingly; but Sir Henry promptly took it away +from him, for to drink raw spirit would only have been to precipitate +the end. + +"If we do not find water we shall die," he said. + +"If we can trust to the old Dom's map there should be some about," I +said; but nobody seemed to derive much satisfaction from this remark. +It was so evident that no great faith could be put in the map. Now it +was gradually growing light, and as we sat staring blankly at each +other, I observed the Hottentot Ventvögel rise and begin to walk about +with his eyes on the ground. Presently he stopped short, and uttering a +guttural exclamation, pointed to the earth. + +"What is it?" we exclaimed; and rising simultaneously we went to where +he was standing staring at the sand. + +"Well," I said, "it is fresh Springbok spoor; what of it?" + +"Springbucks do not go far from water," he answered in Dutch. + +"No," I answered, "I forgot; and thank God for it." + +This little discovery put new life into us; for it is wonderful, when a +man is in a desperate position, how he catches at the slightest hope, +and feels almost happy. On a dark night a single star is better than +nothing. + +Meanwhile Ventvögel was lifting his snub nose, and sniffing the hot air +for all the world like an old Impala ram who scents danger. Presently +he spoke again. + +"I _smell_ water," he said. + +Then we felt quite jubilant, for we knew what a wonderful instinct +these wild-bred men possess. + +Just at that moment the sun came up gloriously, and revealed so grand a +sight to our astonished eyes that for a moment or two we even forgot +our thirst. + +There, not more than forty or fifty miles from us, glittering like +silver in the early rays of the morning sun, soared Sheba's Breasts; +and stretching away for hundreds of miles on either side of them ran +the great Suliman Berg. Now that, sitting here, I attempt to describe +the extraordinary grandeur and beauty of that sight, language seems to +fail me. I am impotent even before its memory. Straight before us, rose +two enormous mountains, the like of which are not, I believe, to be +seen in Africa, if indeed there are any other such in the world, +measuring each of them at least fifteen thousand feet in height, +standing not more than a dozen miles apart, linked together by a +precipitous cliff of rock, and towering in awful white solemnity +straight into the sky. These mountains placed thus, like the pillars of +a gigantic gateway, are shaped after the fashion of a woman's breasts, +and at times the mists and shadows beneath them take the form of a +recumbent woman, veiled mysteriously in sleep. Their bases swell gently +from the plain, looking at that distance perfectly round and smooth; +and upon the top of each is a vast hillock covered with snow, exactly +corresponding to the nipple on the female breast. The stretch of cliff +that connects them appears to be some thousands of feet in height, and +perfectly precipitous, and on each flank of them, so far as the eye can +reach, extent similar lines of cliff, broken only here and there by +flat table-topped mountains, something like the world-famed one at Cape +Town; a formation, by the way, that is very common in Africa. + +To describe the comprehensive grandeur of that view is beyond my +powers. There was something so inexpressibly solemn and overpowering +about those huge volcanoes--for doubtless they are extinct +volcanoes--that it quite awed us. For a while the morning lights played +upon the snow and the brown and swelling masses beneath, and then, as +though to veil the majestic sight from our curious eyes, strange +vapours and clouds gathered and increased around the mountains, till +presently we could only trace their pure and gigantic outlines, showing +ghostlike through the fleecy envelope. Indeed, as we afterwards +discovered, usually they were wrapped in this gauze-like mist, which +doubtless accounted for our not having seen them more clearly before. + +Sheba's Breasts had scarcely vanished into cloud-clad privacy, before +our thirst--literally a burning question--reasserted itself. + +It was all very well for Ventvögel to say that he smelt water, but we +could see no signs of it, look which way we would. So far as the eye +might reach there was nothing but arid sweltering sand and karoo scrub. +We walked round the hillock and gazed about anxiously on the other +side, but it was the same story, not a drop of water could be found; +there was no indication of a pan, a pool, or a spring. + +"You are a fool," I said angrily to Ventvögel; "there is no water." + +But still he lifted his ugly snub nose and sniffed. + +"I smell it, Baas," he answered; "it is somewhere in the air." + +"Yes," I said, "no doubt it is in the clouds, and about two months +hence it will fall and wash our bones." + +Sir Henry stroked his yellow beard thoughtfully. "Perhaps it is on the +top of the hill," he suggested. + +"Rot," said Good; "whoever heard of water being found at the top of a +hill!" + +"Let us go and look," I put in, and hopelessly enough we scrambled up +the sandy sides of the hillock, Umbopa leading. Presently he stopped as +though he was petrified. + +"_Nanzia manzie_!" that is, "Here is water!" he cried with a loud voice. + +We rushed up to him, and there, sure enough, in a deep cut or +indentation on the very top of the sand koppie, was an undoubted pool +of water. How it came to be in such a strange place we did not stop to +inquire, nor did we hesitate at its black and unpleasant appearance. It +was water, or a good imitation of it, and that was enough for us. We +gave a bound and a rush, and in another second we were all down on our +stomachs sucking up the uninviting fluid as though it were nectar fit +for the gods. Heavens, how we did drink! Then when we had done drinking +we tore off our clothes and sat down in the pool, absorbing the +moisture through our parched skins. You, Harry, my boy, who have only +to turn on a couple of taps to summon "hot" and "cold" from an unseen, +vasty cistern, can have little idea of the luxury of that muddy wallow +in brackish tepid water. + +After a while we rose from it, refreshed indeed, and fell to on our +"biltong," of which we had scarcely been able to touch a mouthful for +twenty-four hours, and ate our fill. Then we smoked a pipe, and lay +down by the side of that blessed pool, under the overhanging shadow of +its bank, and slept till noon. + +All that day we rested there by the water, thanking our stars that we +had been lucky enough to find it, bad as it was, and not forgetting to +render a due share of gratitude to the shade of the long-departed da +Silvestra, who had set its position down so accurately on the tail of +his shirt. The wonderful thing to us was that the pan should have +lasted so long, and the only way in which I can account for this is on +the supposition that it is fed by some spring deep down in the sand. + +Having filled both ourselves and our water-bottles as full as possible, +in far better spirits we started off again with the moon. That night we +covered nearly five-and-twenty miles; but, needless to say, found no +more water, though we were lucky enough the following day to get a +little shade behind some ant-heaps. When the sun rose, and, for awhile, +cleared away the mysterious mists, Suliman's Berg with the two majestic +Breasts, now only about twenty miles off, seemed to be towering right +above us, and looked grander than ever. At the approach of evening we +marched again, and, to cut a long story short, by daylight next morning +found ourselves upon the lowest slopes of Sheba's left breast, for +which we had been steadily steering. By this time our water was +exhausted once more, and we were suffering severely from thirst, nor +indeed could we see any chance of relieving it till we reached the snow +line far, far above us. After resting an hour or two, driven to it by +our torturing thirst, we went on, toiling painfully in the burning heat +up the lava slopes, for we found that the huge base of the mountain was +composed entirely of lava beds belched from the bowels of the earth in +some far past age. + +By eleven o'clock we were utterly exhausted, and, generally speaking, +in a very bad state indeed. The lava clinker, over which we must drag +ourselves, though smooth compared with some clinker I have heard of, +such as that on the Island of Ascension, for instance, was yet rough +enough to make our feet very sore, and this, together with our other +miseries, had pretty well finished us. A few hundred yards above us +were some large lumps of lava, and towards these we steered with the +intention of lying down beneath their shade. We reached them, and to +our surprise, so far as we had a capacity for surprise left in us, on a +little plateau or ridge close by we saw that the clinker was covered +with a dense green growth. Evidently soil formed of decomposed lava had +rested there, and in due course had become the receptacle of seeds +deposited by birds. But we did not take much further interest in the +green growth, for one cannot live on grass like Nebuchadnezzar. That +requires a special dispensation of Providence and peculiar digestive +organs. + +So we sat down under the rocks and groaned, and for one I wished +heartily that we had never started on this fool's errand. As we were +sitting there I saw Umbopa get up and hobble towards the patch of +green, and a few minutes afterwards, to my great astonishment, I +perceived that usually very dignified individual dancing and shouting +like a maniac, and waving something green. Off we all scrambled towards +him as fast as our wearied limbs would carry us, hoping that he had +found water. + +"What is it, Umbopa, son of a fool?" I shouted in Zulu. + +"It is food and water, Macumazahn," and again he waved the green thing. + +Then I saw what he had found. It was a melon. We had hit upon a patch +of wild melons, thousands of them, and dead ripe. + +"Melons!" I yelled to Good, who was next me; and in another minute his +false teeth were fixed in one of them. + +I think we ate about six each before we had done, and poor fruit as +they were, I doubt if I ever thought anything nicer. + +But melons are not very nutritious, and when we had satisfied our +thirst with their pulpy substance, and put a stock to cool by the +simple process of cutting them in two and setting them end on in the +hot sun to grow cold by evaporation, we began to feel exceedingly +hungry. We had still some biltong left, but our stomachs turned from +biltong, and besides, we were obliged to be very sparing of it, for we +could not say when we should find more food. Just at this moment a +lucky thing chanced. Looking across the desert I saw a flock of about +ten large birds flying straight towards us. + +"_Skit, Baas, skit!_" "Shoot, master, shoot!" whispered the Hottentot, +throwing himself on his face, an example which we all followed. + +Then I saw that the birds were a flock of _pauw_ or bustards, and that +they would pass within fifty yards of my head. Taking one of the +repeating Winchesters, I waited till they were nearly over us, and then +jumped to my feet. On seeing me the _pauw_ bunched up together, as I +expected that they would, and I fired two shots straight into the thick +of them, and, as luck would have it, brought one down, a fine fellow, +that weighed about twenty pounds. In half an hour we had a fire made of +dry melon stalks, and he was toasting over it, and we made such a feed +as we had not tasted for a week. We ate that _pauw_; nothing was left +of him but his leg-bones and his beak, and we felt not a little the +better afterwards. + +That night we went on again with the moon, carrying as many melons as +we could with us. As we ascended we found the air grew cooler and +cooler, which was a great relief to us, and at dawn, so far as we could +judge, we were not more than about a dozen miles from the snow line. +Here we discovered more melons, and so had no longer any anxiety about +water, for we knew that we should soon get plenty of snow. But the +ascent had now become very precipitous, and we made but slow progress, +not more than a mile an hour. Also that night we ate our last morsel of +biltong. As yet, with the exception of the _pauw_, we had seen no +living thing on the mountain, nor had we come across a single spring or +stream of water, which struck us as very odd, considering the expanse +of snow above us, which must, we thought, melt sometimes. But as we +afterwards discovered, owing to a cause which it is quite beyond my +power to explain, all the streams flowed down upon the north side of +the mountains. + +Now we began to grow very anxious about food. We had escaped death by +thirst, but it seemed probable that it was only to die of hunger. The +events of the next three miserable days are best described by copying +the entries made at the time in my note-book. + +"21st May.--Started 11 a.m., finding the atmosphere quite cold enough +to travel by day, and carrying some water-melons with us. Struggled on +all day, but found no more melons, having evidently passed out of their +district. Saw no game of any sort. Halted for the night at sundown, +having had no food for many hours. Suffered much during the night from +cold. + +"22nd.--Started at sunrise again, feeling very faint and weak. Only +made about five miles all day; found some patches of snow, of which we +ate, but nothing else. Camped at night under the edge of a great +plateau. Cold bitter. Drank a little brandy each, and huddled ourselves +together, each wrapped up in his blanket, to keep ourselves alive. Are +now suffering frightfully from starvation and weariness. Thought that +Ventvögel would have died during the night. + +"23rd.--Struggled forward once more as soon as the sun was well up, and +had thawed our limbs a little. We are now in a dreadful plight, and I +fear that unless we get food this will be our last day's journey. But +little brandy left. Good, Sir Henry, and Umbopa bear up wonderfully, +but Ventvögel is in a very bad way. Like most Hottentots, he cannot +stand cold. Pangs of hunger not so bad, but have a sort of numb feeling +about the stomach. Others say the same. We are now on a level with the +precipitous chain, or wall of lava, linking the two Breasts, and the +view is glorious. Behind us the glowing desert rolls away to the +horizon, and before us lie mile upon mile of smooth hard snow almost +level, but swelling gently upwards, out of the centre of which the +nipple of the mountain, that appears to be some miles in circumference, +rises about four thousand feet into the sky. Not a living thing is to +be seen. God help us; I fear that our time has come." + +And now I will drop the journal, partly because it is not very +interesting reading; also what follows requires telling rather more +fully. + +All that day--the 23rd May--we struggled slowly up the incline of snow, +lying down from time to time to rest. A strange gaunt crew we must have +looked, while, laden as we were, we dragged our weary feet over the +dazzling plain, glaring round us with hungry eyes. Not that there was +much use in glaring, for we could see nothing to eat. We did not +accomplish more than seven miles that day. Just before sunset we found +ourselves exactly under the nipple of Sheba's left Breast, which +towered thousands of feet into the air, a vast smooth hillock of frozen +snow. Weak as we were, we could not but appreciate the wonderful scene, +made even more splendid by the flying rays of light from the setting +sun, which here and there stained the snow blood-red, and crowned the +great dome above us with a diadem of glory. + +"I say," gasped Good, presently, "we ought to be somewhere near that +cave the old gentleman wrote about." + +"Yes," said I, "if there is a cave." + +"Come, Quatermain," groaned Sir Henry, "don't talk like that; I have +every faith in the Dom; remember the water! We shall find the place +soon." + +"If we don't find it before dark we are dead men, that is all about +it," was my consolatory reply. + +For the next ten minutes we trudged in silence, when suddenly Umbopa, +who was marching along beside me, wrapped in his blanket, and with a +leather belt strapped so tightly round his stomach, to "make his hunger +small," as he said, that his waist looked like a girl's, caught me by +the arm. + +"Look!" he said, pointing towards the springing slope of the nipple. + +I followed his glance, and some two hundred yards from us perceived +what appeared to be a hole in the snow. + +"It is the cave," said Umbopa. + +We made the best of our way to the spot, and found sure enough that the +hole was the mouth of a cavern, no doubt the same as that of which da +Silvestra wrote. We were not too soon, for just as we reached shelter +the sun went down with startling rapidity, leaving the world nearly +dark, for in these latitudes there is but little twilight. So we crept +into the cave, which did not appear to be very big, and huddling +ourselves together for warmth, swallowed what remained of our +brandy--barely a mouthful each--and tried to forget our miseries in +sleep. But the cold was too intense to allow us to do so, for I am +convinced that at this great altitude the thermometer cannot have +marked less than fourteen or fifteen degrees below freezing point. What +such a temperature meant to us, enervated as we were by hardship, want +of food, and the great heat of the desert, the reader may imagine +better than I can describe. Suffice it to say that it was something as +near death from exposure as I have ever felt. There we sat hour after +hour through the still and bitter night, feeling the frost wander round +and nip us now in the finger, now in the foot, now in the face. In vain +did we huddle up closer and closer; there was no warmth in our +miserable starved carcases. Sometimes one of us would drop into an +uneasy slumber for a few minutes, but we could not sleep much, and +perhaps this was fortunate, for if we had I doubt if we should have +ever woke again. Indeed, I believe that it was only by force of will +that we kept ourselves alive at all. + +Not very long before dawn I heard the Hottentot Ventvögel, whose teeth +had been chattering all night like castanets, give a deep sigh. Then +his teeth stopped chattering. I did not think anything of it at the +time, concluding that he had gone to sleep. His back was resting +against mine, and it seemed to grow colder and colder, till at last it +felt like ice. + +At length the air began to grow grey with light, then golden arrows +sped across the snow, and at last the glorious sun peeped above the +lava wall and looked in upon our half-frozen forms. Also it looked upon +Ventvögel, sitting there amongst us, _stone dead_. No wonder his back +felt cold, poor fellow. He had died when I heard him sigh, and was now +frozen almost stiff. Shocked beyond measure, we dragged ourselves from +the corpse--how strange is that horror we mortals have of the +companionship of a dead body--and left it sitting there, its arms +clasped about its knees. + +By this time the sunlight was pouring its cold rays, for here they were +cold, straight into the mouth of the cave. Suddenly I heard an +exclamation of fear from someone, and turned my head. + +And this is what I saw: Sitting at the end of the cavern--it was not +more than twenty feet long--was another form, of which the head rested +on its chest and the long arms hung down. I stared at it, and saw that +this too was a _dead man_, and, what was more, a white man. + +The others saw also, and the sight proved too much for our shattered +nerves. One and all we scrambled out of the cave as fast as our +half-frozen limbs would carry us. + + + +CHAPTER VII + +SOLOMON'S ROAD + +Outside the cavern we halted, feeling rather foolish. + +"I am going back," said Sir Henry. + +"Why?" asked Good. + +"Because it has struck me that--what we saw--may be my brother." + +This was a new idea, and we re-entered the place to put it to the +proof. After the bright light outside, our eyes, weak as they were with +staring at the snow, could not pierce the gloom of the cave for a +while. Presently, however, they grew accustomed to the semi-darkness, +and we advanced towards the dead man. + +Sir Henry knelt down and peered into his face. + +"Thank God," he said, with a sigh of relief, "it is _not_ my brother." + +Then I drew near and looked. The body was that of a tall man in middle +life with aquiline features, grizzled hair, and a long black moustache. +The skin was perfectly yellow, and stretched tightly over the bones. +Its clothing, with the exception of what seemed to be the remains of a +woollen pair of hose, had been removed, leaving the skeleton-like frame +naked. Round the neck of the corpse, which was frozen perfectly stiff, +hung a yellow ivory crucifix. + +"Who on earth can it be?" said I. + +"Can't you guess?" asked Good. + +I shook my head. + +"Why, the old Dom, José da Silvestra, of course--who else?" + +"Impossible," I gasped; "he died three hundred years ago." + +"And what is there to prevent him from lasting for three thousand years +in this atmosphere, I should like to know?" asked Good. "If only the +temperature is sufficiently low, flesh and blood will keep fresh as New +Zealand mutton for ever, and Heaven knows it is cold enough here. The +sun never gets in here; no animal comes here to tear or destroy. No +doubt his slave, of whom he speaks on the writing, took off his clothes +and left him. He could not have buried him alone. Look!" he went on, +stooping down to pick up a queerly-shaped bone scraped at the end into +a sharp point, "here is the 'cleft bone' that Silvestra used to draw +the map with." + +We gazed for a moment astonished, forgetting our own miseries in this +extraordinary and, as it seemed to us, semi-miraculous sight. + +"Ay," said Sir Henry, "and this is where he got his ink from," and he +pointed to a small wound on the Dom's left arm. "Did ever man see such +a thing before?" + +There was no longer any doubt about the matter, which for my own part I +confess perfectly appalled me. There he sat, the dead man, whose +directions, written some ten generations ago, had led us to this spot. +Here in my own hand was the rude pen with which he had written them, +and about his neck hung the crucifix that his dying lips had kissed. +Gazing at him, my imagination could reconstruct the last scene of the +drama, the traveller dying of cold and starvation, yet striving to +convey to the world the great secret which he had discovered:--the +awful loneliness of his death, of which the evidence sat before us. It +even seemed to me that I could trace in his strongly-marked features a +likeness to those of my poor friend Silvestre his descendant, who had +died twenty years before in my arms, but perhaps that was fancy. At any +rate, there he sat, a sad memento of the fate that so often overtakes +those who would penetrate into the unknown; and there doubtless he will +still sit, crowned with the dread majesty of death, for centuries yet +unborn, to startle the eyes of wanderers like ourselves, if ever any +such should come again to invade his loneliness. The thing overpowered +us, already almost perished as we were with cold and hunger. + +"Let us go," said Sir Henry in a low voice; "stay, we will give him a +companion," and lifting up the dead body of the Hottentot Ventvögel, he +placed it near to that of the old Dom. Then he stooped, and with a jerk +broke the rotten string of the crucifix which hung round da Silvestra's +neck, for his fingers were too cold to attempt to unfasten it. I +believe that he has it still. I took the bone pen, and it is before me +as I write--sometimes I use it to sign my name. + +Then leaving these two, the proud white man of a past age, and the poor +Hottentot, to keep their eternal vigil in the midst of the eternal +snows, we crept out of the cave into the welcome sunshine and resumed +our path, wondering in our hearts how many hours it would be before we +were even as they are. + +When we had walked about half a mile we came to the edge of the +plateau, for the nipple of the mountain does not rise out of its exact +centre, though from the desert side it had seemed to do so. What lay +below us we could not see, for the landscape was wreathed in billows of +morning fog. Presently, however, the higher layers of mist cleared a +little, and revealed, at the end of a long slope of snow, a patch of +green grass, some five hundred yards beneath us, through which a stream +was running. Nor was this all. By the stream, basking in the bright +sun, stood and lay a group of from ten to fifteen _large antelopes_--at +that distance we could not see of what species. + +The sight filled us with an unreasoning joy. If only we could get it, +there was food in plenty. But the question was how to do so. The beasts +were fully six hundred yards off, a very long shot, and one not to be +depended on when our lives hung on the results. + +Rapidly we discussed the advisability of trying to stalk the game, but +in the end dismissed it reluctantly. To begin with, the wind was not +favourable, and further, we must certainly be perceived, however +careful we were, against the blinding background of snow, which we +should be obliged to traverse. + +"Well, we must have a try from where we are," said Sir Henry. "Which +shall it be, Quatermain, the repeating rifles or the expresses?" + +Here again was a question. The Winchester repeaters--of which we had +two, Umbopa carrying poor Ventvögel's as well as his own--were sighted +up to a thousand yards, whereas the expresses were only sighted to +three hundred and fifty, beyond which distance shooting with them was +more or less guess-work. On the other hand, if they did hit, the +express bullets, being "expanding," were much more likely to bring the +game down. It was a knotty point, but I made up my mind that we must +risk it and use the expresses. + +"Let each of us take the buck opposite to him. Aim well at the point of +the shoulder and high up," said I; "and Umbopa, do you give the word, +so that we may all fire together." + +Then came a pause, each of us aiming his level best, as indeed a man is +likely to do when he knows that life itself depends upon the shot. + +"Fire," said Umbopa in Zulu, and at almost the same instant the three +rifles rang out loudly; three clouds of smoke hung for a moment before +us, and a hundred echoes went flying over the silent snow. Presently +the smoke cleared, and revealed--oh, joy!--a great buck lying on its +back and kicking furiously in its death agony. We gave a yell of +triumph--we were saved--we should not starve. Weak as we were, we +rushed down the intervening slope of snow, and in ten minutes from the +time of shooting, that animal's heart and liver were lying before us. +But now a new difficulty arose, we had no fuel, and therefore could +make no fire to cook them. We gazed at each other in dismay. + +"Starving men should not be fanciful," said Good; "we must eat raw +meat." + +There was no other way out of the dilemma, and our gnawing hunger made +the proposition less distasteful than it would otherwise have been. So +we took the heart and liver and buried them for a few minutes in a +patch of snow to cool them. Then we washed them in the ice-cold water +of the stream, and lastly ate them greedily. It sounds horrible enough, +but honestly, I never tasted anything so good as that raw meat. In a +quarter of an hour we were changed men. Our life and vigour came back +to us, our feeble pulses grew strong again, and the blood went coursing +through our veins. But mindful of the results of over-feeding on +starved stomachs, we were careful not to eat too much, stopping whilst +we were still hungry. + +"Thank Heaven!" said Sir Henry; "that brute has saved our lives. What +is it, Quatermain?" + +I rose and went to look at the antelope, for I was not certain. It was +about the size of a donkey, with large curved horns. I had never seen +one like it before; the species was new to me. It was brown in colour, +with faint red stripes, and grew a thick coat. I afterwards discovered +that the natives of that wonderful country call these bucks "_inco_." +They are very rare, and only found at a great altitude where no other +game will live. This animal was fairly hit high up in the shoulder, +though whose bullet brought it down we could not, of course, discover. +I believe that Good, mindful of his marvellous shot at the giraffe, +secretly set it down to his own prowess, and we did not contradict him. + +We had been so busy satisfying our hunger that hitherto we had not +found time to look about us. But now, having set Umbopa to cut off as +much of the best meat as we were likely to be able to carry, we began +to inspect our surroundings. The mist had cleared away, for it was +eight o'clock, and the sun had sucked it up, so we were able to take in +all the country before us at a glance. I know not how to describe the +glorious panorama which unfolded itself to our gaze. I have never seen +anything like it before, nor shall, I suppose, again. + +Behind and over us towered Sheba's snowy Breasts, and below, some five +thousand feet beneath where we stood, lay league on league of the most +lovely champaign country. Here were dense patches of lofty forest, +there a great river wound its silvery way. To the left stretched a vast +expanse of rich, undulating veld or grass land, whereon we could just +make out countless herds of game or cattle, at that distance we could +not tell which. This expanse appeared to be ringed in by a wall of +distant mountains. To the right the country was more or less +mountainous; that is, solitary hills stood up from its level, with +stretches of cultivated land between, amongst which we could see groups +of dome-shaped huts. The landscape lay before us as a map, wherein +rivers flashed like silver snakes, and Alp-like peaks crowned with +wildly twisted snow wreaths rose in grandeur, whilst over all was the +glad sunlight and the breath of Nature's happy life. + +Two curious things struck us as we gazed. First, that the country +before us must lie at least three thousand feet higher than the desert +we had crossed, and secondly, that all the rivers flowed from south to +north. As we had painful reason to know, there was no water upon the +southern side of the vast range on which we stood, but on the northern +face were many streams, most of which appeared to unite with the great +river we could see winding away farther than our eyes could follow. + +We sat down for a while and gazed in silence at this wonderful view. +Presently Sir Henry spoke. + +"Isn't there something on the map about Solomon's Great Road?" he said. + +I nodded, for I was still gazing out over the far country. + +"Well, look; there it is!" and he pointed a little to our right. + +Good and I looked accordingly, and there, winding away towards the +plain, was what appeared to be a wide turnpike road. We had not seen it +at first because, on reaching the plain, it turned behind some broken +country. We did not say anything, at least, not much; we were beginning +to lose the sense of wonder. Somehow it did not seem particularly +unnatural that we should find a sort of Roman road in this strange +land. We accepted the fact, that was all. + +"Well," said Good, "it must be quite near us if we cut off to the +right. Hadn't we better be making a start?" + +This was sound advice, and so soon as we had washed our faces and hands +in the stream we acted on it. For a mile or more we made our way over +boulders and across patches of snow, till suddenly, on reaching the top +of the little rise, we found the road at our feet. It was a splendid +road cut out of the solid rock, at least fifty feet wide, and +apparently well kept; though the odd thing was that it seemed to begin +there. We walked down and stood on it, but one single hundred paces +behind us, in the direction of Sheba's Breasts, it vanished, the entire +surface of the mountain being strewn with boulders interspersed with +patches of snow. + +"What do you make of this, Quatermain?" asked Sir Henry. + +I shook my head, I could make nothing of the thing. + +"I have it!" said Good; "the road no doubt ran right over the range and +across the desert on the other side, but the sand there has covered it +up, and above us it has been obliterated by some volcanic eruption of +molten lava." + +This seemed a good suggestion; at any rate, we accepted it, and +proceeded down the mountain. It proved a very different business +travelling along down hill on that magnificent pathway with full +stomachs from what it was travelling uphill over the snow quite starved +and almost frozen. Indeed, had it not been for melancholy recollections +of poor Ventvögel's sad fate, and of that grim cave where he kept +company with the old Dom, we should have felt positively cheerful, +notwithstanding the sense of unknown dangers before us. Every mile we +walked the atmosphere grew softer and balmier, and the country before +us shone with a yet more luminous beauty. As for the road itself, I +never saw such an engineering work, though Sir Henry said that the +great road over the St. Gothard in Switzerland is very similar. No +difficulty had been too great for the Old World engineer who laid it +out. At one place we came to a ravine three hundred feet broad and at +least a hundred feet deep. This vast gulf was actually filled in with +huge blocks of dressed stone, having arches pierced through them at the +bottom for a waterway, over which the road went on sublimely. At +another place it was cut in zigzags out of the side of a precipice five +hundred feet deep, and in a third it tunnelled through the base of an +intervening ridge, a space of thirty yards or more. + +Here we noticed that the sides of the tunnel were covered with quaint +sculptures, mostly of mailed figures driving in chariots. One, which +was exceedingly beautiful, represented a whole battle scene with a +convoy of captives being marched off in the distance. + +"Well," said Sir Henry, after inspecting this ancient work of art, "it +is very well to call this Solomon's Road, but my humble opinion is that +the Egyptians had been here before Solomon's people ever set a foot on +it. If this isn't Egyptian or Phoenician handiwork, I must say that it +is very like it." + +By midday we had advanced sufficiently down the mountain to search the +region where wood was to be met with. First we came to scattered bushes +which grew more and more frequent, till at last we found the road +winding through a vast grove of silver trees similar to those which are +to be seen on the slopes of Table Mountain at Cape Town. I had never +before met with them in all my wanderings, except at the Cape, and +their appearance here astonished me greatly. + +"Ah!" said Good, surveying these shining-leaved trees with evident +enthusiasm, "here is lots of wood, let us stop and cook some dinner; I +have about digested that raw heart." + +Nobody objected to this, so leaving the road we made our way to a +stream which was babbling away not far off, and soon had a goodly fire +of dry boughs blazing. Cutting off some substantial hunks from the +flesh of the _inco_ which we had brought with us, we proceeded to toast +them on the end of sharp sticks, as one sees the Kafirs do, and ate +them with relish. After filling ourselves, we lit our pipes and gave +ourselves up to enjoyment that, compared with the hardships we had +recently undergone, seemed almost heavenly. + +The brook, of which the banks were clothed with dense masses of a +gigantic species of maidenhair fern interspersed with feathery tufts of +wild asparagus, sung merrily at our side, the soft air murmured through +the leaves of the silver trees, doves cooed around, and bright-winged +birds flashed like living gems from bough to bough. It was a Paradise. + +The magic of the place combined with an overwhelming sense of dangers +left behind, and of the promised land reached at last, seemed to charm +us into silence. Sir Henry and Umbopa sat conversing in a mixture of +broken English and Kitchen Zulu in a low voice, but earnestly enough, +and I lay, with my eyes half shut, upon that fragrant bed of fern and +watched them. + +Presently I missed Good, and I looked to see what had become of him. +Soon I observed him sitting by the bank of the stream, in which he had +been bathing. He had nothing on but his flannel shirt, and his natural +habits of extreme neatness having reasserted themselves, he was +actively employed in making a most elaborate toilet. He had washed his +gutta-percha collar, had thoroughly shaken out his trousers, coat and +waistcoat, and was now folding them up neatly till he was ready to put +them on, shaking his head sadly as he scanned the numerous rents and +tears in them, which naturally had resulted from our frightful journey. +Then he took his boots, scrubbed them with a handful of fern, and +finally rubbed them over with a piece of fat, which he had carefully +saved from the _inco_ meat, till they looked, comparatively speaking, +respectable. Having inspected them judiciously through his eye-glass, +he put the boots on and began a fresh operation. From a little bag that +he carried he produced a pocket-comb in which was fixed a tiny +looking-glass, and in this he surveyed himself. Apparently he was not +satisfied, for he proceeded to do his hair with great care. Then came a +pause whilst he again contemplated the effect; still it was not +satisfactory. He felt his chin, on which the accumulated scrub of a ten +days' beard was flourishing. + +"Surely," thought I, "he is not going to try to shave." But so it was. +Taking the piece of fat with which he had greased his boots, Good +washed it thoroughly in the stream. Then diving again into the bag he +brought out a little pocket razor with a guard to it, such as are +bought by people who are afraid of cutting themselves, or by those +about to undertake a sea voyage. Then he rubbed his face and chin +vigorously with the fat and began. Evidently it proved a painful +process, for he groaned very much over it, and I was convulsed with +inward laughter as I watched him struggling with that stubbly beard. It +seemed so very odd that a man should take the trouble to shave himself +with a piece of fat in such a place and in our circumstances. At last +he succeeded in getting the hair off the right side of his face and +chin, when suddenly I, who was watching, became conscious of a flash of +light that passed just by his head. + +Good sprang up with a profane exclamation (if it had not been a safety +razor he would certainly have cut his throat), and so did I, without +the exclamation, and this was what I saw. Standing not more than twenty +paces from where I was, and ten from Good, were a group of men. They +were very tall and copper-coloured, and some of them wore great plumes +of black feathers and short cloaks of leopard skins; this was all I +noticed at the moment. In front of them stood a youth of about +seventeen, his hand still raised and his body bent forward in the +attitude of a Grecian statue of a spear-thrower. Evidently the flash of +light had been caused by a weapon which he had hurled. + +As I looked an old soldier-like man stepped forward out of the group, +and catching the youth by the arm said something to him. Then they +advanced upon us. + +Sir Henry, Good, and Umbopa by this time had seized their rifles and +lifted them threateningly. The party of natives still came on. It +struck me that they could not know what rifles were, or they would not +have treated them with such contempt. + +"Put down your guns!" I halloed to the others, seeing that our only +chance of safety lay in conciliation. They obeyed, and walking to the +front I addressed the elderly man who had checked the youth. + +"Greeting," I said in Zulu, not knowing what language to use. To my +surprise I was understood. + +"Greeting," answered the old man, not, indeed, in the same tongue, but +in a dialect so closely allied to it that neither Umbopa nor myself had +any difficulty in understanding him. Indeed, as we afterwards found +out, the language spoken by this people is an old-fashioned form of the +Zulu tongue, bearing about the same relationship to it that the English +of Chaucer does to the English of the nineteenth century. + +"Whence come you?" he went on, "who are you? and why are the faces of +three of you white, and the face of the fourth as the face of our +mother's sons?" and he pointed to Umbopa. I looked at Umbopa as he said +it, and it flashed across me that he was right. The face of Umbopa was +like the faces of the men before me, and so was his great form like +their forms. But I had not time to reflect on this coincidence. + +"We are strangers, and come in peace," I answered, speaking very +slowly, so that he might understand me, "and this man is our servant." + +"You lie," he answered; "no strangers can cross the mountains where all +things perish. But what do your lies matter?--if ye are strangers then +ye must die, for no strangers may live in the land of the Kukuanas. It +is the king's law. Prepare then to die, O strangers!" + +I was slightly staggered at this, more especially as I saw the hands of +some of the men steal down to their sides, where hung on each what +looked to me like a large and heavy knife. + +"What does that beggar say?" asked Good. + +"He says we are going to be killed," I answered grimly. + +"Oh, Lord!" groaned Good; and, as was his way when perplexed, he put +his hand to his false teeth, dragging the top set down and allowing +them to fly back to his jaw with a snap. It was a most fortunate move, +for next second the dignified crowd of Kukuanas uttered a simultaneous +yell of horror, and bolted back some yards. + +"What's up?" said I. + +"It's his teeth," whispered Sir Henry excitedly. "He moved them. Take +them out, Good, take them out!" + +He obeyed, slipping the set into the sleeve of his flannel shirt. + +In another second curiosity had overcome fear, and the men advanced +slowly. Apparently they had now forgotten their amiable intention of +killing us. + +"How is it, O strangers," asked the old man solemnly, "that this fat +man (pointing to Good, who was clad in nothing but boots and a flannel +shirt, and had only half finished his shaving), whose body is clothed, +and whose legs are bare, who grows hair on one side of his sickly face +and not on the other, and who wears one shining and transparent +eye--how is it, I ask, that he has teeth which move of themselves, +coming away from the jaws and returning of their own will?" + +"Open your mouth," I said to Good, who promptly curled up his lips and +grinned at the old gentleman like an angry dog, revealing to his +astonished gaze two thin red lines of gum as utterly innocent of +ivories as a new-born elephant. The audience gasped. + +"Where are his teeth?" they shouted; "with our eyes we saw them." + +Turning his head slowly and with a gesture of ineffable contempt, Good +swept his hand across his mouth. Then he grinned again, and lo, there +were two rows of lovely teeth. + +Now the young man who had flung the knife threw himself down on the +grass and gave vent to a prolonged howl of terror; and as for the old +gentleman, his knees knocked together with fear. + +"I see that ye are spirits," he said falteringly; "did ever man born of +woman have hair on one side of his face and not on the other, or a +round and transparent eye, or teeth which moved and melted away and +grew again? Pardon us, O my lords." + +Here was luck indeed, and, needless to say, I jumped at the chance. + +"It is granted," I said with an imperial smile. "Nay, ye shall know the +truth. We come from another world, though we are men such as ye; we +come," I went on, "from the biggest star that shines at night." + +"Oh! oh!" groaned the chorus of astonished aborigines. + +"Yes," I went on, "we do, indeed"; and again I smiled benignly, as I +uttered that amazing lie. "We come to stay with you a little while, and +to bless you by our sojourn. Ye will see, O friends, that I have +prepared myself for this visit by the learning of your language." + +"It is so, it is so," said the chorus. + +"Only, my lord," put in the old gentleman, "thou hast learnt it very +badly." + +I cast an indignant glance at him, and he quailed. + +"Now friends," I continued, "ye might think that after so long a +journey we should find it in our hearts to avenge such a reception, +mayhap to strike cold in death the imperious hand that--that, in +short--threw a knife at the head of him whose teeth come and go." + +"Spare him, my lords," said the old man in supplication; "he is the +king's son, and I am his uncle. If anything befalls him his blood will +be required at my hands." + +"Yes, that is certainly so," put in the young man with great emphasis. + +"Ye may perhaps doubt our power to avenge," I went on, heedless of this +by-play. "Stay, I will show you. Here, thou dog and slave (addressing +Umbopa in a savage tone), give me the magic tube that speaks"; and I +tipped a wink towards my express rifle. + +Umbopa rose to the occasion, and with something as nearly resembling a +grin as I have ever seen on his dignified face he handed me the gun. + +"It is here, O Lord of Lords," he said with a deep obeisance. + +Now just before I had asked for the rifle I had perceived a little +_klipspringer_ antelope standing on a mass of rock about seventy yards +away, and determined to risk the shot. + +"Ye see that buck," I said, pointing the animal out to the party before +me. "Tell me, is it possible for man born of woman to kill it from here +with a noise?" + +"It is not possible, my lord," answered the old man. + +"Yet shall I kill it," I said quietly. + +The old man smiled. "That my lord cannot do," he answered. + +I raised the rifle and covered the buck. It was a small animal, and one +which a man might well be excused for missing, but I knew that it would +not do to miss. + +I drew a deep breath, and slowly pressed on the trigger. The buck stood +still as a stone. + +"Bang! thud!" The antelope sprang into the air and fell on the rock +dead as a door nail. + +A groan of simultaneous terror burst from the group before us. + +"If you want meat," I remarked coolly, "go fetch that buck." + +The old man made a sign, and one of his followers departed, and +presently returned bearing the _klipspringer_. I noticed with +satisfaction that I had hit it fairly behind the shoulder. They +gathered round the poor creature's body, gazing at the bullet-hole in +consternation. + +"Ye see," I said, "I do not speak empty words." + +There was no answer. + +"If ye yet doubt our power," I went on, "let one of you go stand upon +that rock that I may make him as this buck." + +None of them seemed at all inclined to take the hint, till at last the +king's son spoke. + +"It is well said. Do thou, my uncle, go stand upon the rock. It is but +a buck that the magic has killed. Surely it cannot kill a man." + +The old gentleman did not take the suggestion in good part. Indeed, he +seemed hurt. + +"No! no!" he ejaculated hastily, "my old eyes have seen enough. These +are wizards, indeed. Let us bring them to the king. Yet if any should +wish a further proof, let _him_ stand upon the rock, that the magic +tube may speak with him." + +There was a most general and hasty expression of dissent. + +"Let not good magic be wasted on our poor bodies," said one; "we are +satisfied. All the witchcraft of our people cannot show the like of +this." + +"It is so," remarked the old gentleman, in a tone of intense relief; +"without any doubt it is so. Listen, children of the Stars, children of +the shining Eye and the movable Teeth, who roar out in thunder, and +slay from afar. I am Infadoos, son of Kafa, once king of the Kukuana +people. This youth is Scragga." + +"He nearly scragged me," murmured Good. + +"Scragga, son of Twala, the great king--Twala, husband of a thousand +wives, chief and lord paramount of the Kukuanas, keeper of the great +Road, terror of his enemies, student of the Black Arts, leader of a +hundred thousand warriors, Twala the One-eyed, the Black, the Terrible." + +"So," said I superciliously, "lead us then to Twala. We do not talk +with low people and underlings." + +"It is well, my lords, we will lead you; but the way is long. We are +hunting three days' journey from the place of the king. But let my +lords have patience, and we will lead them." + +"So be it," I said carelessly; "all time is before us, for we do not +die. We are ready, lead on. But Infadoos, and thou Scragga, beware! +Play us no monkey tricks, set for us no foxes' snares, for before your +brains of mud have thought of them we shall know and avenge. The light +of the transparent eye of him with the bare legs and the half-haired +face shall destroy you, and go through your land; his vanishing teeth +shall affix themselves fast in you and eat you up, you and your wives +and children; the magic tubes shall argue with you loudly, and make you +as sieves. Beware!" + +This magnificent address did not fail of its effect; indeed, it might +almost have been spared, so deeply were our friends already impressed +with our powers. + +The old man made a deep obeisance, and murmured the words, "_Koom +Koom_," which I afterwards discovered was their royal salute, +corresponding to the _Bayéte_ of the Zulus, and turning, addressed his +followers. These at once proceeded to lay hold of all our goods and +chattels, in order to bear them for us, excepting only the guns, which +they would on no account touch. They even seized Good's clothes, that, +as the reader may remember, were neatly folded up beside him. + +He saw and made a dive for them, and a loud altercation ensued. + +"Let not my lord of the transparent Eye and the melting Teeth touch +them," said the old man. "Surely his slave shall carry the things." + +"But I want to put 'em on!" roared Good, in nervous English. + +Umbopa translated. + +"Nay, my lord," answered Infadoos, "would my lord cover up his +beautiful white legs (although he is so dark Good has a singularly +white skin) from the eyes of his servants? Have we offended my lord +that he should do such a thing?" + +Here I nearly exploded with laughing; and meanwhile one of the men +started on with the garments. + +"Damn it!" roared Good, "that black villain has got my trousers." + +"Look here, Good," said Sir Henry; "you have appeared in this country +in a certain character, and you must live up to it. It will never do +for you to put on trousers again. Henceforth you must exist in a +flannel shirt, a pair of boots, and an eye-glass." + +"Yes," I said, "and with whiskers on one side of your face and not on +the other. If you change any of these things the people will think that +we are impostors. I am very sorry for you, but, seriously, you must. If +once they begin to suspect us our lives will not be worth a brass +farthing." + +"Do you really think so?" said Good gloomily. + +"I do, indeed. Your 'beautiful white legs' and your eye-glass are now +_the_ features of our party, and as Sir Henry says, you must live up to +them. Be thankful that you have got your boots on, and that the air is +warm." + +Good sighed, and said no more, but it took him a fortnight to become +accustomed to his new and scant attire. + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +WE ENTER KUKUANALAND + +All that afternoon we travelled along the magnificent roadway, which +trended steadily in a north-westerly direction. Infadoos and Scragga +walked with us, but their followers marched about one hundred paces +ahead. + +"Infadoos," I said at length, "who made this road?" + +"It was made, my lord, of old time, none know how or when, not even the +wise woman Gagool, who has lived for generations. We are not old enough +to remember its making. None can fashion such roads now, but the king +suffers no grass to grow upon it." + +"And whose are the writings on the wall of the caves through which we +have passed on the road?" I asked, referring to the Egyptian-like +sculptures that we had seen. + +"My lord, the hands that made the road wrote the wonderful writings. We +know not who wrote them." + +"When did the Kukuana people come into this country?" + +"My lord, the race came down here like the breath of a storm ten +thousand thousand moons ago, from the great lands which lie there +beyond," and he pointed to the north. "They could travel no further +because of the high mountains which ring in the land, so say the old +voices of our fathers that have descended to us the children, and so +says Gagool, the wise woman, the smeller out of witches," and again he +pointed to the snow-clad peaks. "The country, too, was good, so they +settled here and grew strong and powerful, and now our numbers are like +the sea sand, and when Twala the king calls up his regiments their +plumes cover the plain so far as the eye of man can reach." + +"And if the land is walled in with mountains, who is there for the +regiments to fight with?" + +"Nay, my lord, the country is open there towards the north, and now and +again warriors sweep down upon us in clouds from a land we know not, +and we slay them. It is the third part of the life of a man since there +was a war. Many thousands died in it, but we destroyed those who came +to eat us up. So since then there has been no war." + +"Your warriors must grow weary of resting on their spears, Infadoos." + +"My lord, there was one war, just after we destroyed the people that +came down upon us, but it was a civil war; dog ate dog." + +"How was that?" + +"My lord the king, my half-brother, had a brother born at the same +birth, and of the same woman. It is not our custom, my lord, to suffer +twins to live; the weaker must always die. But the mother of the king +hid away the feebler child, which was born the last, for her heart +yearned over it, and that child is Twala the king. I am his younger +brother, born of another wife." + +"Well?" + +"My lord, Kafa, our father, died when we came to manhood, and my +brother Imotu was made king in his place, and for a space reigned and +had a son by his favourite wife. When the babe was three years old, +just after the great war, during which no man could sow or reap, a +famine came upon the land, and the people murmured because of the +famine, and looked round like a starved lion for something to rend. +Then it was that Gagool, the wise and terrible woman, who does not die, +made a proclamation to the people, saying, 'The king Imotu is no king.' +And at the time Imotu was sick with a wound, and lay in his kraal not +able to move. + +"Then Gagool went into a hut and led out Twala, my half-brother, and +twin brother to the king, whom she had hidden among the caves and rocks +since he was born, and stripping the '_moocha_' (waist-cloth) off his +loins, showed the people of the Kukuanas the mark of the sacred snake +coiled round his middle, wherewith the eldest son of the king is marked +at birth, and cried out loud, 'Behold your king whom I have saved for +you even to this day!' + +"Now the people being mad with hunger, and altogether bereft of reason +and the knowledge of truth, cried out--'_The king! The king!_' but I +knew that it was not so, for Imotu my brother was the elder of the +twins, and our lawful king. Then just as the tumult was at its height +Imotu the king, though he was very sick, crawled from his hut holding +his wife by the hand, and followed by his little son Ignosi--that is, +by interpretation, the Lightning. + +"'What is this noise?' he asked. 'Why cry ye _The king! The king!_' + +"Then Twala, his twin brother, born of the same woman, and in the same +hour, ran to him, and taking him by the hair, stabbed him through the +heart with his knife. And the people being fickle, and ever ready to +worship the rising sun, clapped their hands and cried, '_Twala is +king!_ Now we know that Twala is king!'" + +"And what became of Imotu's wife and her son Ignosi? Did Twala kill +them too?" + +"Nay, my lord. When she saw that her lord was dead the queen seized the +child with a cry and ran away. Two days afterward she came to a kraal +very hungry, and none would give her milk or food, now that her lord +the king was dead, for all men hate the unfortunate. But at nightfall a +little child, a girl, crept out and brought her corn to eat, and she +blessed the child, and went on towards the mountains with her boy +before the sun rose again, and there she must have perished, for none +have seen her since, nor the child Ignosi." + +"Then if this child Ignosi had lived he would be the true king of the +Kukuana people?" + +"That is so, my lord; the sacred snake is round his middle. If he lives +he is king; but, alas! he is long dead." + +"See, my lord," and Infadoos pointed to a vast collection of huts +surrounded by a fence, which was in its turn encircled by a great +ditch, that lay on the plain beneath us. "That is the kraal where the +wife of Imotu was last seen with the child Ignosi. It is there that we +shall sleep to-night, if, indeed," he added doubtfully, "my lords sleep +at all upon this earth." + +"When we are among the Kukuanas, my good friend Infadoos, we do as the +Kukuanas do," I said majestically, and turned round quickly to address +Good, who was tramping along sullenly behind, his mind fully occupied +with unsatisfactory attempts to prevent his flannel shirt from flapping +in the evening breeze. To my astonishment I butted into Umbopa, who was +walking along immediately behind me, and very evidently had been +listening with the greatest interest to my conversation with Infadoos. +The expression on his face was most curious, and gave me the idea of a +man who was struggling with partial success to bring something long ago +forgotten back into his mind. + +All this while we had been pressing on at a good rate towards the +undulating plain beneath us. The mountains we had crossed now loomed +high above our heads, and Sheba's Breasts were veiled modestly in +diaphanous wreaths of mist. As we went the country grew more and more +lovely. The vegetation was luxuriant, without being tropical; the sun +was bright and warm, but not burning; and a gracious breeze blew softly +along the odorous slopes of the mountains. Indeed, this new land was +little less than an earthly paradise; in beauty, in natural wealth, and +in climate I have never seen its like. The Transvaal is a fine country, +but it is nothing to Kukuanaland. + +So soon as we started Infadoos had despatched a runner to warn the +people of the kraal, which, by the way, was in his military command, of +our arrival. This man had departed at an extraordinary speed, which +Infadoos informed me he would keep up all the way, as running was an +exercise much practised among his people. + +The result of this message now became apparent. When we arrived within +two miles of the kraal we could see that company after company of men +were issuing from its gates and marching towards us. + +Sir Henry laid his hand upon my arm, and remarked that it looked as +though we were going to meet with a warm reception. Something in his +tone attracted Infadoos' attention. + +"Let not my lords be afraid," he said hastily, "for in my breast there +dwells no guile. This regiment is one under my command, and comes out +by my orders to greet you." + +I nodded easily, though I was not quite easy in my mind. + +About half a mile from the gates of this kraal is a long stretch of +rising ground sloping gently upwards from the road, and here the +companies formed. It was a splendid sight to see them, each company +about three hundred strong, charging swiftly up the rise, with flashing +spears and waving plumes, to take their appointed place. By the time we +reached the slope twelve such companies, or in all three thousand six +hundred men, had passed out and taken up their positions along the road. + +Presently we came to the first company, and were able to gaze in +astonishment on the most magnificent set of warriors that I have ever +seen. They were all men of mature age, mostly veterans of about forty, +and not one of them was under six feet in height, whilst many stood six +feet three or four. They wore upon their heads heavy black plumes of +Sakaboola feathers, like those which adorned our guides. About their +waists and beneath the right knees were bound circlets of white ox +tails, while in their left hands they carried round shields measuring +about twenty inches across. These shields are very curious. The +framework is made of an iron plate beaten out thin, over which is +stretched milk-white ox-hide. + +The weapons that each man bore were simple, but most effective, +consisting of a short and very heavy two-edged spear with a wooden +shaft, the blade being about six inches across at the widest part. +These spears are not used for throwing but like the Zulu "_bangwan_," +or stabbing assegai, are for close quarters only, when the wound +inflicted by them is terrible. In addition to his _bangwan_ every man +carried three large and heavy knives, each knife weighing about two +pounds. One knife was fixed in the ox-tail girdle, and the other two at +the back of the round shield. These knives, which are called "_tollas_" +by the Kukuanas, take the place of the throwing assegai of the Zulus. +The Kukuana warriors can cast them with great accuracy to a distance of +fifty yards, and it is their custom on charging to hurl a volley of +them at the enemy as they come to close quarters. + +Each company remained still as a collection of bronze statues till we +were opposite to it, when at a signal given by its commanding officer, +who, distinguished by a leopard skin cloak, stood some paces in front, +every spear was raised into the air, and from three hundred throats +sprang forth with a sudden roar the royal salute of "_Koom_." Then, so +soon as we had passed, the company formed up behind us and followed us +towards the kraal, till at last the whole regiment of the "Greys"--so +called from their white shields--the crack corps of the Kukuana people, +was marching in our rear with a tread that shook the ground. + +At length, branching off from Solomon's Great Road, we came to the wide +fosse surrounding the kraal, which is at least a mile round, and fenced +with a strong palisade of piles formed of the trunks of trees. At the +gateway this fosse is spanned by a primitive drawbridge, which was let +down by the guard to allow us to pass in. The kraal is exceedingly well +laid out. Through the centre runs a wide pathway intersected at right +angles by other pathways so arranged as to cut the huts into square +blocks, each block being the quarters of a company. The huts are +dome-shaped, and built, like those of the Zulus, of a framework of +wattle, beautifully thatched with grass; but, unlike the Zulu huts, +they have doorways through which men could walk. Also they are much +larger, and surrounded by a verandah about six feet wide, beautifully +paved with powdered lime trodden hard. + +All along each side of this wide pathway that pierces the kraal were +ranged hundreds of women, brought out by curiosity to look at us. These +women, for a native race, are exceedingly handsome. They are tall and +graceful, and their figures are wonderfully fine. The hair, though +short, is rather curly than woolly, the features are frequently +aquiline, and the lips are not unpleasantly thick, as is the case among +most African races. But what struck us most was their exceedingly quiet +and dignified air. They were as well-bred in their way as the +_habituées_ of a fashionable drawing-room, and in this respect they +differ from Zulu women and their cousins the Masai who inhabit the +district beyond Zanzibar. Their curiosity had brought them out to see +us, but they allowed no rude expressions of astonishment or savage +criticism to pass their lips as we trudged wearily in front of them. +Not even when old Infadoos with a surreptitious motion of the hand +pointed out the crowning wonder of poor Good's "beautiful white legs," +did they suffer the feeling of intense admiration which evidently +mastered their minds to find expression. They fixed their dark eyes +upon this new and snowy loveliness, for, as I think I have said, Good's +skin is exceedingly white, and that was all. But it was quite enough +for Good, who is modest by nature. + +When we reached the centre of the kraal, Infadoos halted at the door of +a large hut, which was surrounded at a distance by a circle of smaller +ones. + +"Enter, Sons of the Stars," he said, in a magniloquent voice, "and +deign to rest awhile in our humble habitations. A little food shall be +brought to you, so that ye may have no need to draw your belts tight +from hunger; some honey and some milk, and an ox or two, and a few +sheep; not much, my lords, but still a little food." + +"It is good," said I. "Infadoos; we are weary with travelling through +realms of air; now let us rest." + +Accordingly we entered the hut, which we found amply prepared for our +comfort. Couches of tanned skins were spread for us to lie on, and +water was placed for us to wash in. + +Presently we heard a shouting outside, and stepping to the door, saw a +line of damsels bearing milk and roasted mealies, and honey in a pot. +Behind these were some youths driving a fat young ox. We received the +gifts, and then one of the young men drew the knife from his girdle and +dexterously cut the ox's throat. In ten minutes it was dead, skinned, +and jointed. The best of the meat was then cut off for us, and the +rest, in the name of our party, I presented to the warriors round us, +who took it and distributed the "white lords' gift." + +Umbopa set to work, with the assistance of an extremely prepossessing +young woman, to boil our portion in a large earthenware pot over a fire +which was built outside the hut, and when it was nearly ready we sent a +message to Infadoos, and asked him and Scragga, the king's son, to join +us. + +Presently they came, and sitting down upon little stools, of which +there were several about the hut, for the Kukuanas do not in general +squat upon their haunches like the Zulus, they helped us to get through +our dinner. The old gentleman was most affable and polite, but it +struck me that the young one regarded us with doubt. Together with the +rest of the party, he had been overawed by our white appearance and by +our magic properties; but it seemed to me that, on discovering that we +ate, drank, and slept like other mortals, his awe was beginning to wear +off, and to be replaced by a sullen suspicion--which made me feel +rather uncomfortable. + +In the course of our meal Sir Henry suggested to me that it might be +well to try to discover if our hosts knew anything of his brother's +fate, or if they had ever seen or heard of him; but, on the whole, I +thought that it would be wiser to say nothing of the matter at this +time. It was difficult to explain a relative lost from "the Stars." + +After supper we produced our pipes and lit them; a proceeding which +filled Infadoos and Scragga with astonishment. The Kukuanas were +evidently unacquainted with the divine delights of tobacco-smoke. The +herb is grown among them extensively; but, like the Zulus, they use it +for snuff only, and quite failed to identify it in its new form. + +Presently I asked Infadoos when we were to proceed on our journey, and +was delighted to learn that preparations had been made for us to leave +on the following morning, messengers having already departed to inform +Twala the king of our coming. + +It appeared that Twala was at his principal place, known as Loo, making +ready for the great annual feast which was to be held in the first week +of June. At this gathering all the regiments, with the exception of +certain detachments left behind for garrison purposes, are brought up +and paraded before the king; and the great annual witch-hunt, of which +more by-and-by, is held. + +We were to start at dawn; and Infadoos, who was to accompany us, +expected that we should reach Loo on the night of the second day, +unless we were detained by accident or by swollen rivers. + +When they had given us this information our visitors bade us +good-night; and, having arranged to watch turn and turn about, three of +us flung ourselves down and slept the sweet sleep of the weary, whilst +the fourth sat up on the look-out for possible treachery. + + + +CHAPTER IX + +TWALA THE KING + +It will not be necessary for me to detail at length the incidents of +our journey to Loo. It took two full days' travelling along Solomon's +Great Road, which pursued its even course right into the heart of +Kukuanaland. Suffice it to say that as we went the country seemed to +grow richer and richer, and the kraals, with their wide surrounding +belts of cultivation, more and more numerous. They were all built upon +the same principles as the first camp which we had reached, and were +guarded by ample garrisons of troops. Indeed, in Kukuanaland, as among +the Germans, the Zulus, and the Masai, every able-bodied man is a +soldier, so that the whole force of the nation is available for its +wars, offensive or defensive. As we travelled we were overtaken by +thousands of warriors hurrying up to Loo to be present at the great +annual review and festival, and more splendid troops I never saw. + +At sunset on the second day, we stopped to rest awhile upon the summit +of some heights over which the road ran, and there on a beautiful and +fertile plain before us lay Loo itself. For a native town it is an +enormous place, quite five miles round, I should say, with outlying +kraals projecting from it, that serve on grand occasions as cantonments +for the regiments, and a curious horseshoe-shaped hill, with which we +were destined to become better acquainted, about two miles to the +north. It is beautifully situated, and through the centre of the kraal, +dividing it into two portions, runs a river, which appeared to be +bridged in several places, the same indeed that we had seen from the +slopes of Sheba's Breasts. Sixty or seventy miles away three great +snow-capped mountains, placed at the points of a triangle, started out +of the level plain. The conformation of these mountains is unlike that +of Sheba's Breasts, being sheer and precipitous, instead of smooth and +rounded. + +Infadoos saw us looking at them, and volunteered a remark. + +"The road ends there," he said, pointing to the mountains known among +the Kukuanas as the "Three Witches." + +"Why does it end?" I asked. + +"Who knows?" he answered with a shrug; "the mountains are full of +caves, and there is a great pit between them. It is there that the wise +men of old time used to go to get whatever it was they came for to this +country, and it is there now that our kings are buried in the Place of +Death." + +"What was it they came for?" I asked eagerly. + +"Nay, I know not. My lords who have dropped from the Stars should +know," he answered with a quick look. Evidently he knew more than he +chose to say. + +"Yes," I went on, "you are right, in the Stars we learn many things. I +have heard, for instance, that the wise men of old came to these +mountains to find bright stones, pretty playthings, and yellow iron." + +"My lord is wise," he answered coldly; "I am but a child and cannot +talk with my lord on such matters. My lord must speak with Gagool the +old, at the king's place, who is wise even as my lord," and he went +away. + +So soon as he was gone I turned to the others, and pointed out the +mountains. "There are Solomon's diamond mines," I said. + +Umbopa was standing with them, apparently plunged in one of the fits of +abstraction which were common to him, and caught my words. + +"Yes, Macumazahn," he put in, in Zulu, "the diamonds are surely there, +and you shall have them, since you white men are so fond of toys and +money." + +"How dost thou know that, Umbopa?" I asked sharply, for I did not like +his mysterious ways. + +He laughed. "I dreamed it in the night, white men;" then he too turned +on his heel and went. + +"Now what," said Sir Henry, "is our black friend driving at? He knows +more than he chooses to say, that is clear. By the way, Quatermain, has +he heard anything of--of my brother?" + +"Nothing; he has asked everyone he has become friendly with, but they +all declare that no white man has ever been seen in the country before." + +"Do you suppose that he got here at all?" suggested Good; "we have only +reached the place by a miracle; is it likely he could have reached it +without the map?" + +"I don't know," said Sir Henry gloomily, "but somehow I think that I +shall find him." + +Slowly the sun sank, then suddenly darkness rushed down on the land +like a tangible thing. There was no breathing-space between the day and +night, no soft transformation scene, for in these latitudes twilight +does not exist. The change from day to night is as quick and as +absolute as the change from life to death. The sun sank and the world +was wreathed in shadows. But not for long, for see in the west there is +a glow, then come rays of silver light, and at last the full and +glorious moon lights up the plain and shoots its gleaming arrows far +and wide, filling the earth with a faint refulgence. + +We stood and watched the lovely sight, whilst the stars grew pale +before this chastened majesty, and felt our hearts lifted up in the +presence of a beauty that I cannot describe. Mine has been a rough +life, but there are a few things I am thankful to have lived for, and +one of them is to have seen that moon shine over Kukuanaland. + +Presently our meditations were broken in upon by our polite friend +Infadoos. + +"If my lords are rested we will journey on to Loo, where a hut is made +ready for my lords to-night. The moon is now bright, so that we shall +not fall by the way." + +We assented, and in an hour's time were at the outskirts of the town, +of which the extent, mapped out as it was by thousands of camp fires, +appeared absolutely endless. Indeed, Good, who is always fond of a bad +joke, christened it "Unlimited Loo." Soon we came to a moat with a +drawbridge, where we were met by the rattling of arms and the hoarse +challenge of a sentry. Infadoos gave some password that I could not +catch, which was met with a salute, and we passed on through the +central street of the great grass city. After nearly half an hour's +tramp, past endless lines of huts, Infadoos halted at last by the gate +of a little group of huts which surrounded a small courtyard of +powdered limestone, and informed us that these were to be our "poor" +quarters. + +We entered, and found that a hut had been assigned to each of us. These +huts were superior to any that we had yet seen, and in each was a most +comfortable bed made of tanned skins, spread upon mattresses of +aromatic grass. Food too was ready for us, and so soon as we had washed +ourselves with water, which stood ready in earthenware jars, some young +women of handsome appearance brought us roasted meats, and mealie cobs +daintily served on wooden platters, and presented them to us with deep +obeisances. + +We ate and drank, and then, the beds having been all moved into one hut +by our request, a precaution at which the amiable young ladies smiled, +we flung ourselves down to sleep, thoroughly wearied with our long +journey. + +When we woke it was to find the sun high in the heavens, and the female +attendants, who did not seem to be troubled by any false shame, already +standing inside the hut, having been ordered to attend and help us to +"make ready." + +"Make ready, indeed," growled Good; "when one has only a flannel shirt +and a pair of boots, that does not take long. I wish you would ask them +for my trousers, Quatermain." + +I asked accordingly, but was informed that these sacred relics had +already been taken to the king, who would see us in the forenoon. + +Somewhat to their astonishment and disappointment, having requested the +young ladies to step outside, we proceeded to make the best toilet of +which the circumstances admitted. Good even went the length of again +shaving the right side of his face; the left, on which now appeared a +very fair crop of whiskers, we impressed upon him he must on no account +touch. As for ourselves, we were contented with a good wash and combing +our hair. Sir Henry's yellow locks were now almost upon his shoulders, +and he looked more like an ancient Dane than ever, while my grizzled +scrub was fully an inch long, instead of half an inch, which in a +general way I considered my maximum length. + +By the time that we had eaten our breakfast, and smoked a pipe, a +message was brought to us by no less a personage than Infadoos himself +that Twala the king was ready to see us, if we would be pleased to come. + +We remarked in reply that we should prefer to wait till the sun was a +little higher, we were yet weary with our journey, &c., &c. It is +always well, when dealing with uncivilised people, not to be in too +great a hurry. They are apt to mistake politeness for awe or servility. +So, although we were quite as anxious to see Twala as Twala could be to +see us, we sat down and waited for an hour, employing the interval in +preparing such presents as our slender stock of goods +permitted--namely, the Winchester rifle which had been used by poor +Ventvögel, and some beads. The rifle and ammunition we determined to +present to his royal highness, and the beads were for his wives and +courtiers. We had already given a few to Infadoos and Scragga, and +found that they were delighted with them, never having seen such things +before. At length we declared that we were ready, and guided by +Infadoos, started off to the audience, Umbopa carrying the rifle and +beads. + +After walking a few hundred yards we came to an enclosure, something +like that surrounding the huts which had been allotted to us, only +fifty times as big, for it could not have covered less than six or +seven acres of ground. All round the outside fence stood a row of huts, +which were the habitations of the king's wives. Exactly opposite the +gateway, on the further side of the open space, was a very large hut, +built by itself, in which his majesty resided. All the rest was open +ground; that is to say, it would have been open had it not been filled +by company after company of warriors, who were mustered there to the +number of seven or eight thousand. These men stood still as statues as +we advanced through them, and it would be impossible to give an +adequate idea of the grandeur of the spectacle which they presented, +with their waving plumes, their glancing spears, and iron-backed +ox-hide shields. + +The space in front of the large hut was empty, but before it were +placed several stools. On three of these, at a sign from Infadoos, we +seated ourselves, Umbopa standing behind us. As for Infadoos, he took +up a position by the door of the hut. So we waited for ten minutes or +more in the midst of a dead silence, but conscious that we were the +object of the concentrated gaze of some eight thousand pairs of eyes. +It was a somewhat trying ordeal, but we carried it off as best we +could. At length the door of the hut opened, and a gigantic figure, +with a splendid tiger-skin karross flung over its shoulders, stepped +out, followed by the boy Scragga, and what appeared to us to be a +withered-up monkey, wrapped in a fur cloak. The figure seated itself +upon a stool, Scragga took his stand behind it, and the withered-up +monkey crept on all fours into the shade of the hut and squatted down. + +Still there was silence. + +Then the gigantic figure slipped off the karross and stood up before +us, a truly alarming spectacle. It was that of an enormous man with the +most entirely repulsive countenance we had ever beheld. This man's lips +were as thick as a Negro's, the nose was flat, he had but one gleaming +black eye, for the other was represented by a hollow in the face, and +his whole expression was cruel and sensual to a degree. From the large +head rose a magnificent plume of white ostrich feathers, his body was +clad in a shirt of shining chain armour, whilst round the waist and +right knee were the usual garnishes of white ox-tail. In his right hand +was a huge spear, about the neck a thick torque of gold, and bound on +the forehead shone dully a single and enormous uncut diamond. + +Still there was silence; but not for long. Presently the man, whom we +rightly guessed to be the king, raised the great javelin in his hand. +Instantly eight thousand spears were lifted in answer, and from eight +thousand throats rang out the royal salute of "_Koom_." Three times +this was repeated, and each time the earth shook with the noise, that +can only be compared to the deepest notes of thunder. + +"Be humble, O people," piped out a thin voice which seemed to come from +the monkey in the shade, "it is the king." + +"_It is the king_," boomed out the eight thousand throats in answer. +"_Be humble, O people, it is the king._" + +Then there was silence again--dead silence. Presently, however, it was +broken. A soldier on our left dropped his shield, which fell with a +clatter on to the limestone flooring. + +Twala turned his one cold eye in the direction of the noise. + +"Come hither, thou," he said, in a cold voice. + +A fine young man stepped out of the ranks, and stood before him. + +"It was thy shield that fell, thou awkward dog. Wilt thou make me a +reproach in the eyes of these strangers from the Stars? What hast thou +to say for thyself?" + +We saw the poor fellow turn pale under his dusky skin. + +"It was by chance, O Calf of the Black Cow," he murmured. + +"Then it is a chance for which thou must pay. Thou hast made me +foolish; prepare for death." + +"I am the king's ox," was the low answer. + +"Scragga," roared the king, "let me see how thou canst use thy spear. +Kill me this blundering fool." + +Scragga stepped forward with an ill-favoured grin, and lifted his +spear. The poor victim covered his eyes with his hand and stood still. +As for us, we were petrified with horror. + +"Once, twice," he waved the spear, and then struck, ah! right home--the +spear stood out a foot behind the soldier's back. He flung up his hands +and dropped dead. From the multitude about us rose something like a +murmur, it rolled round and round, and died away. The tragedy was +finished; there lay the corpse, and we had not yet realised that it had +been enacted. Sir Henry sprang up and swore a great oath, then, +overpowered by the sense of silence, sat down again. + +"The thrust was a good one," said the king; "take him away." + +Four men stepped out of the ranks, and lifting the body of the murdered +man, carried it thence. + +"Cover up the blood-stains, cover them up," piped out the thin voice +that proceeded from the monkey-like figure; "the king's word is spoken, +the king's doom is done!" + +Thereupon a girl came forward from behind the hut, bearing a jar filled +with powdered lime, which she scattered over the red mark, blotting it +from sight. + +Sir Henry meanwhile was boiling with rage at what had happened; indeed, +it was with difficulty that we could keep him still. + +"Sit down, for heaven's sake," I whispered; "our lives depend on it." + +He yielded and remained quiet. + +Twala sat silent until the traces of the tragedy had been removed, then +he addressed us. + +"White people," he said, "who come hither, whence I know not, and why I +know not, greeting." + +"Greeting, Twala, King of the Kukuanas," I answered. + +"White people, whence come ye, and what seek ye?" + +"We come from the Stars, ask us not how. We come to see this land." + +"Ye journey from far to see a little thing. And that man with you," +pointing to Umbopa, "does he also come from the Stars?" + +"Even so; there are people of thy colour in the heavens above; but ask +not of matters too high for thee, Twala the king." + +"Ye speak with a loud voice, people of the Stars," Twala answered in a +tone which I scarcely liked. "Remember that the Stars are far off, and +ye are here. How if I make you as him whom they bore away?" + +I laughed out loud, though there was little laughter in my heart. + +"O king," I said, "be careful, walk warily over hot stones, lest thou +shouldst burn thy feet; hold the spear by the handle, lest thou should +cut thy hands. Touch but one hair of our heads, and destruction shall +come upon thee. What, have not these"--pointing to Infadoos and +Scragga, who, young villain that he was, was employed in cleaning the +blood of the soldier off his spear--"told thee what manner of men we +are? Hast thou seen the like of us?" and I pointed to Good, feeling +quite sure that he had never seen anybody before who looked in the +least like _him_ as he then appeared. + +"It is true, I have not," said the king, surveying Good with interest. + +"Have they not told thee how we strike with death from afar?" I went on. + +"They have told me, but I believe them not. Let me see you kill. Kill +me a man among those who stand yonder"--and he pointed to the opposite +side of the kraal--"and I will believe." + +"Nay," I answered; "we shed no blood of men except in just punishment; +but if thou wilt see, bid thy servants drive in an ox through the kraal +gates, and before he has run twenty paces I will strike him dead." + +"Nay," laughed the king, "kill me a man and I will believe." + +"Good, O king, so be it," I answered coolly; "do thou walk across the +open space, and before thy feet reach the gate thou shalt be dead; or +if thou wilt not, send thy son Scragga" (whom at that moment it would +have given me much pleasure to shoot). + +On hearing this suggestion Scragga uttered a sort of howl, and bolted +into the hut. + +Twala frowned majestically; the suggestion did not please him. + +"Let a young ox be driven in," he said. + +Two men at once departed, running swiftly. + +"Now, Sir Henry," said I, "do you shoot. I want to show this ruffian +that I am not the only magician of the party." + +Sir Henry accordingly took his "express," and made ready. + +"I hope I shall make a good shot," he groaned. + +"You must," I answered. "If you miss with the first barrel, let him +have the second. Sight for 150 yards, and wait till the beast turns +broadside on." + +Then came a pause, until presently we caught sight of an ox running +straight for the kraal gate. It came on through the gate, then, +catching sight of the vast concourse of people, stopped stupidly, +turned round, and bellowed. + +"Now's your time," I whispered. + +Up went the rifle. + +Bang! _thud_! and the ox was kicking on his back, shot in the ribs. The +semi-hollow bullet had done its work well, and a sigh of astonishment +went up from the assembled thousands. + +I turned round coolly-- + +"Have I lied, O king?" + +"Nay, white man, it is the truth," was the somewhat awed answer. + +"Listen, Twala," I went on. "Thou hast seen. Now know we come in peace, +not in war. See," and I held up the Winchester repeater; "here is a +hollow staff that shall enable thee to kill even as we kill, only I lay +this charm upon it, thou shalt kill no man with it. If thou liftest it +against a man, it shall kill thee. Stay, I will show thee. Bid a +soldier step forty paces and place the shaft of a spear in the ground +so that the flat blade looks towards us." + +In a few seconds it was done. + +"Now, see, I will break yonder spear." + +Taking a careful sight I fired. The bullet struck the flat of the +spear, and shattered the blade into fragments. + +Again the sigh of astonishment went up. + +"Now, Twala, we give this magic tube to thee, and by-and-by I will show +thee how to use it; but beware how thou turnest the magic of the Stars +against a man of earth," and I handed him the rifle. + +The king took it very gingerly, and laid it down at his feet. As he did +so I observed the wizened monkey-like figure creeping from the shadow +of the hut. It crept on all fours, but when it reached the place where +the king sat it rose upon its feet, and throwing the furry covering +from its face, revealed a most extraordinary and weird countenance. +Apparently it was that of a woman of great age so shrunken that in size +it seemed no larger than the face of a year-old child, although made up +of a number of deep and yellow wrinkles. Set in these wrinkles was a +sunken slit, that represented the mouth, beneath which the chin curved +outwards to a point. There was no nose to speak of; indeed, the visage +might have been taken for that of a sun-dried corpse had it not been +for a pair of large black eyes, still full of fire and intelligence, +which gleamed and played under the snow-white eyebrows, and the +projecting parchment-coloured skull, like jewels in a charnel-house. As +for the head itself, it was perfectly bare, and yellow in hue, while +its wrinkled scalp moved and contracted like the hood of a cobra. + +The figure to which this fearful countenance belonged, a countenance so +fearful indeed that it caused a shiver of fear to pass through us as we +gazed on it, stood still for a moment. Then suddenly it projected a +skinny claw armed with nails nearly an inch long, and laying it on the +shoulder of Twala the king, began to speak in a thin and piercing +voice-- + +"Listen, O king! Listen, O warriors! Listen, O mountains and plains and +rivers, home of the Kukuana race! Listen, O skies and sun, O rain and +storm and mist! Listen, O men and women, O youths and maidens, and O ye +babes unborn! Listen, all things that live and must die! Listen, all +dead things that shall live again--again to die! Listen, the spirit of +life is in me and I prophesy. I prophesy! I prophesy!" + +The words died away in a faint wail, and dread seemed to seize upon the +hearts of all who heard them, including our own. This old woman was +very terrible. + +"_Blood! blood! blood!_ rivers of blood; blood everywhere. I see it, I +smell it, I taste it--it is salt! it runs red upon the ground, it rains +down from the skies. + +"_Footsteps! footsteps! footsteps!_ the tread of the white man coming +from afar. It shakes the earth; the earth trembles before her master. + +"Blood is good, the red blood is bright; there is no smell like the +smell of new-shed blood. The lions shall lap it and roar, the vultures +shall wash their wings in it and shriek with joy. + +"I am old! I am old! I have seen much blood; _ha, ha!_ but I shall see +more ere I die, and be merry. How old am I, think ye? Your fathers knew +me, and _their_ fathers knew me, and _their_ fathers' fathers' fathers. +I have seen the white man and know his desires. I am old, but the +mountains are older than I. Who made the great road, tell me? Who wrote +the pictures on the rocks, tell me? Who reared up the three Silent Ones +yonder, that gaze across the pit, tell me?" and she pointed towards the +three precipitous mountains which we had noticed on the previous night. + +"Ye know not, but I know. It was a white people who were before ye are, +who shall be when ye are not, who shall eat you up and destroy you. +_Yea! yea! yea!_ + +"And what came they for, the White Ones, the Terrible Ones, the skilled +in magic and all learning, the strong, the unswerving? What is that +bright stone upon thy forehead, O king? Whose hands made the iron +garments upon thy breast, O king? Ye know not, but I know. I the Old +One, I the Wise One, I the _Isanusi_, the witch doctress!" + +Then she turned her bald vulture-head towards us. + +"What seek ye, white men of the Stars--ah, yes, of the Stars? Do ye +seek a lost one? Ye shall not find him here. He is not here. Never for +ages upon ages has a white foot pressed this land; never except once, +and I remember that he left it but to die. Ye come for bright stones; I +know it--I know it; ye shall find them when the blood is dry; but shall +ye return whence ye came, or shall ye stop with me? _Ha! ha! ha!_ + +"And thou, thou with the dark skin and the proud bearing," and she +pointed her skinny finger at Umbopa, "who art _thou_, and what seekest +_thou_? Not stones that shine, not yellow metal that gleams, these thou +leavest to 'white men from the Stars.' Methinks I know thee; methinks I +can smell the smell of the blood in thy heart. Strip off the girdle--" + +Here the features of this extraordinary creature became convulsed, and +she fell to the ground foaming in an epileptic fit, and was carried +into the hut. + +The king rose up trembling, and waved his hand. Instantly the regiments +began to file off, and in ten minutes, save for ourselves, the king, +and a few attendants, the great space was left empty. + +"White people," he said, "it passes in my mind to kill you. Gagool has +spoken strange words. What say ye?" + +I laughed. "Be careful, O king, we are not easy to slay. Thou hast seen +the fate of the ox; wouldst thou be as the ox is?" + +The king frowned. "It is not well to threaten a king." + +"We threaten not, we speak what is true. Try to kill us, O king, and +learn." + +The great savage put his hand to his forehead and thought. + +"Go in peace," he said at length. "To-night is the great dance. Ye +shall see it. Fear not that I shall set a snare for you. To-morrow I +will think." + +"It is well, O king," I answered unconcernedly, and then, accompanied +by Infadoos, we rose and went back to our kraal. + + + +CHAPTER X + +THE WITCH-HUNT + +On reaching our hut I motioned to Infadoos to enter with us. + +"Now, Infadoos," I said, "we would speak with thee." + +"Let my lords say on." + +"It seems to us, Infadoos, that Twala the king is a cruel man." + +"It is so, my lords. Alas! the land cries out because of his cruelties. +To-night ye shall see. It is the great witch-hunt, and many will be +smelt out as wizards and slain. No man's life is safe. If the king +covets a man's cattle, or a man's wife, or if he fears a man that he +should excite a rebellion against him, then Gagool, whom ye saw, or +some of the witch-finding women whom she has taught, will smell that +man out as a wizard, and he will be killed. Many must die before the +moon grows pale to-night. It is ever so. Perhaps I too shall be killed. +As yet I have been spared because I am skilled in war, and am beloved +by the soldiers; but I know not how long I have to live. The land +groans at the cruelties of Twala the king; it is wearied of him and his +red ways." + +"Then why is it, Infadoos, that the people do not cast him down?" + +"Nay, my lords, he is the king, and if he were killed Scragga would +reign in his place, and the heart of Scragga is blacker than the heart +of Twala his father. If Scragga were king his yoke upon our neck would +be heavier than the yoke of Twala. If Imotu had never been slain, or if +Ignosi his son had lived, it might have been otherwise; but they are +both dead." + +"How knowest thou that Ignosi is dead?" said a voice behind us. We +looked round astonished to see who spoke. It was Umbopa. + +"What meanest thou, boy?" asked Infadoos; "who told thee to speak?" + +"Listen, Infadoos," was the answer, "and I will tell thee a story. +Years ago the king Imotu was killed in this country and his wife fled +with the boy Ignosi. Is it not so?" + +"It is so." + +"It was said that the woman and her son died upon the mountains. Is it +not so?" + +"It is even so." + +"Well, it came to pass that the mother and the boy Ignosi did not die. +They crossed the mountains and were led by a tribe of wandering desert +men across the sands beyond, till at last they came to water and grass +and trees again." + +"How knowest thou this?" + +"Listen. They travelled on and on, many months' journey, till they +reached a land where a people called the Amazulu, who also are of the +Kukuana stock, live by war, and with them they tarried many years, till +at length the mother died. Then the son Ignosi became a wanderer again, +and journeyed into a land of wonders, where white people live, and for +many more years he learned the wisdom of the white people." + +"It is a pretty story," said Infadoos incredulously. + +"For years he lived there working as a servant and a soldier, but +holding in his heart all that his mother had told him of his own place, +and casting about in his mind to find how he might journey thither to +see his people and his father's house before he died. For long years he +lived and waited, and at last the time came, as it ever comes to him +who can wait for it, and he met some white men who would seek this +unknown land, and joined himself to them. The white men started and +travelled on and on, seeking for one who is lost. They crossed the +burning desert, they crossed the snow-clad mountains, and at last +reached the land of the Kukuanas, and there they found _thee_, O +Infadoos." + +"Surely thou art mad to talk thus," said the astonished old soldier. + +"Thou thinkest so; see, I will show thee, O my uncle. + +"_I am Ignosi, rightful king of the Kukuanas!_" + +Then with a single movement Umbopa slipped off his "moocha" or girdle, +and stood naked before us. + +"Look," he said; "what is this?" and he pointed to the picture of a +great snake tattooed in blue round his middle, its tail disappearing +into its open mouth just above where the thighs are set into the body. + +Infadoos looked, his eyes starting nearly out of his head. Then he fell +upon his knees. + +"_Koom! Koom!_" he ejaculated; "it is my brother's son; it is the king." + +"Did I not tell thee so, my uncle? Rise; I am not yet the king, but +with thy help, and with the help of these brave white men, who are my +friends, I shall be. Yet the old witch Gagool was right, the land shall +run with blood first, and hers shall run with it, if she has any and +can die, for she killed my father with her words, and drove my mother +forth. And now, Infadoos, choose thou. Wilt thou put thy hands between +my hands and be my man? Wilt thou share the dangers that lie before me, +and help me to overthrow this tyrant and murderer, or wilt thou not? +Choose thou." + +The old man put his hand to his head and thought. Then he rose, and +advancing to where Umbopa, or rather Ignosi, stood, he knelt before +him, and took his hand. + +"Ignosi, rightful king of the Kukuanas, I put my hand between thy +hands, and am thy man till death. When thou wast a babe I dandled thee +upon my knees, now shall my old arm strike for thee and freedom." + +"It is well, Infadoos; if I conquer, thou shalt be the greatest man in +the kingdom after its king. If I fail, thou canst only die, and death +is not far off from thee. Rise, my uncle." + +"And ye, white men, will ye help me? What have I to offer you! The +white stones! If I conquer and can find them, ye shall have as many as +ye can carry hence. Will that suffice you?" + +I translated this remark. + +"Tell him," answered Sir Henry, "that he mistakes an Englishman. Wealth +is good, and if it comes in our way we will take it; but a gentleman +does not sell himself for wealth. Still, speaking for myself, I say +this. I have always liked Umbopa, and so far as lies in me I will stand +by him in this business. It will be very pleasant to me to try to +square matters with that cruel devil Twala. What do you say, Good, and +you, Quatermain?" + +"Well," said Good, "to adopt the language of hyperbole, in which all +these people seem to indulge, you can tell him that a row is surely +good, and warms the cockles of the heart, and that so far as I am +concerned I'm his boy. My only stipulation is that he allows me to wear +trousers." + +I translated the substance of these answers. + +"It is well, my friends," said Ignosi, late Umbopa; "and what sayest +thou, Macumazahn, art thou also with me, old hunter, cleverer than a +wounded buffalo?" + +I thought awhile and scratched my head. + +"Umbopa, or Ignosi," I said, "I don't like revolutions. I am a man of +peace and a bit of a coward"--here Umbopa smiled--"but, on the other +hand, I stick up for my friends, Ignosi. You have stuck to us and +played the part of a man, and I will stick by you. But mind you, I am a +trader, and have to make my living, so I accept your offer about those +diamonds in case we should ever be in a position to avail ourselves of +it. Another thing: we came, as you know, to look for Incubu's (Sir +Henry's) lost brother. You must help us to find him." + +"That I will do," answered Ignosi. "Stay, Infadoos, by the sign of the +snake about my middle, tell me the truth. Has any white man to thy +knowledge set his foot within the land?" + +"None, O Ignosi." + +"If any white man had been seen or heard of, wouldst thou have known?" + +"I should certainly have known." + +"Thou hearest, Incubu," said Ignosi to Sir Henry; "he has not been +here." + +"Well, well," said Sir Henry, with a sigh; "there it is; I suppose that +he never got so far. Poor fellow, poor fellow! So it has all been for +nothing. God's will be done." + +"Now for business," I put in, anxious to escape from a painful subject. +"It is very well to be a king by right divine, Ignosi, but how dost +thou propose to become a king indeed?" + +"Nay, I know not. Infadoos, hast thou a plan?" + +"Ignosi, Son of the Lightning," answered his uncle, "to-night is the +great dance and witch-hunt. Many shall be smelt out and perish, and in +the hearts of many others there will be grief and anguish and fury +against the king Twala. When the dance is over, then I will speak to +some of the great chiefs, who in turn, if I can win them over, will +speak to their regiments. I shall speak to the chiefs softly at first, +and bring them to see that thou art indeed the king, and I think that +by to-morrow's light thou shalt have twenty thousand spears at thy +command. And now I must go and think, and hear, and make ready. After +the dance is done, if I am yet alive, and we are all alive, I will meet +thee here, and we can talk. At the best there must be war." + +At this moment our conference was interrupted by the cry that +messengers had come from the king. Advancing to the door of the hut we +ordered that they should be admitted, and presently three men entered, +each bearing a shining shirt of chain armour, and a magnificent +battle-axe. + +"The gifts of my lord the king to the white men from the Stars!" said a +herald who came with them. + +"We thank the king," I answered; "withdraw." + +The men went, and we examined the armour with great interest. It was +the most wonderful chain work that either of us had ever seen. A whole +coat fell together so closely that it formed a mass of links scarcely +too big to be covered with both hands. + +"Do you make these things in this country, Infadoos?" I asked; "they +are very beautiful." + +"Nay, my lord, they came down to us from our forefathers. We know not +who made them, and there are but few left.[1] None but those of royal +blood may be clad in them. They are magic coats through which no spear +can pass, and those who wear them are well-nigh safe in the battle. The +king is well pleased or much afraid, or he would not have sent these +garments of steel. Clothe yourselves in them to-night, my lords." + +The remainder of that day we spent quietly, resting and talking over +the situation, which was sufficiently exciting. At last the sun went +down, the thousand watch fires glowed out, and through the darkness we +heard the tramp of many feet and the clashing of hundreds of spears, as +the regiments passed to their appointed places to be ready for the +great dance. Then the full moon shone out in splendour, and as we stood +watching her rays, Infadoos arrived, clad in his war dress, and +accompanied by a guard of twenty men to escort us to the dance. As he +recommended, we had already donned the shirts of chain armour which the +king had sent us, putting them on under our ordinary clothing, and +finding to our surprise that they were neither very heavy nor +uncomfortable. These steel shirts, which evidently had been made for +men of a very large stature, hung somewhat loosely upon Good and +myself, but Sir Henry's fitted his magnificent frame like a glove. Then +strapping our revolvers round our waists, and taking in our hands the +battle-axes which the king had sent with the armour, we started. + +On arriving at the great kraal, where we had that morning been received +by the king, we found that it was closely packed with some twenty +thousand men arranged round it in regiments. These regiments were in +turn divided into companies, and between each company ran a little path +to allow space for the witch-finders to pass up and down. Anything more +imposing than the sight that was presented by this vast and orderly +concourse of armed men it is impossible to conceive. There they stood +perfectly silent, and the moon poured her light upon the forest of +their raised spears, upon their majestic forms, waving plumes, and the +harmonious shading of their various-coloured shields. Wherever we +looked were line upon line of dim faces surmounted by range upon range +of shimmering spears. + +"Surely," I said to Infadoos, "the whole army is here?" + +"Nay, Macumazahn," he answered, "but a third of it. One third is +present at this dance each year, another third is mustered outside in +case there should be trouble when the killing begins, ten thousand more +garrison the outposts round Loo, and the rest watch at the kraals in +the country. Thou seest it is a great people." + +"They are very silent," said Good; and indeed the intense stillness +among such a vast concourse of living men was almost overpowering. + +"What says Bougwan?" asked Infadoos. + +I translated. + +"Those over whom the shadow of Death is hovering are silent," he +answered grimly. + +"Will many be killed?" + +"Very many." + +"It seems," I said to the others, "that we are going to assist at a +gladiatorial show arranged regardless of expense." + +Sir Henry shivered, and Good said he wished that we could get out of it. + +"Tell me," I asked Infadoos, "are we in danger?" + +"I know not, my lords, I trust not; but do not seem afraid. If ye live +through the night all may go well with you. The soldiers murmur against +the king." + +All this while we had been advancing steadily towards the centre of the +open space, in the midst of which were placed some stools. As we +proceeded we perceived another small party coming from the direction of +the royal hut. + +"It is the king Twala, Scragga his son, and Gagool the old; and see, +with them are those who slay," said Infadoos, pointing to a little +group of about a dozen gigantic and savage-looking men, armed with +spears in one hand and heavy kerries in the other. + +The king seated himself upon the centre stool, Gagool crouched at his +feet, and the others stood behind him. + +"Greeting, white lords," Twala cried, as we came up; "be seated, waste +not precious time--the night is all too short for the deeds that must +be done. Ye come in a good hour, and shall see a glorious show. Look +round, white lords; look round," and he rolled his one wicked eye from +regiment to regiment. "Can the Stars show you such a sight as this? See +how they shake in their wickedness, all those who have evil in their +hearts and fear the judgment of 'Heaven above.'" + +"_Begin! begin!_" piped Gagool, in her thin piercing voice; "the hyćnas +are hungry, they howl for food. _Begin! begin!_" + +Then for a moment there was intense stillness, made horrible by a +presage of what was to come. + +The king lifted his spear, and suddenly twenty thousand feet were +raised, as though they belonged to one man, and brought down with a +stamp upon the earth. This was repeated three times, causing the solid +ground to shake and tremble. Then from a far point of the circle a +solitary voice began a wailing song, of which the refrain ran something +as follows:-- + +"_What is the lot of man born of woman?_" + +Back came the answer rolling out from every throat in that vast +company-- + +"_Death!_" + +Gradually, however, the song was taken up by company after company, +till the whole armed multitude were singing it, and I could no longer +follow the words, except in so far as they appeared to represent +various phases of human passions, fears, and joys. Now it seemed to be +a love song, now a majestic swelling war chant, and last of all a death +dirge ending suddenly in one heart-breaking wail that went echoing and +rolling away in a volume of blood-curdling sound. + +Again silence fell upon the place, and again it was broken by the king +lifting his hand. Instantly we heard a pattering of feet, and from out +of the masses of warriors strange and awful figures appeared running +towards us. As they drew near we saw that these were women, most of +them aged, for their white hair, ornamented with small bladders taken +from fish, streamed out behind them. Their faces were painted in +stripes of white and yellow; down their backs hung snake-skins, and +round their waists rattled circlets of human bones, while each held a +small forked wand in her shrivelled hand. In all there were ten of +them. When they arrived in front of us they halted, and one of them, +pointing with her wand towards the crouching figure of Gagool, cried +out-- + +"Mother, old mother, we are here." + +"_Good! good! good!_" answered that aged Iniquity. "Are your eyes keen, +_Isanusis_ [witch doctresses], ye seers in dark places?" + +"Mother, they are keen." + +"_Good! good! good!_ Are your ears open, _Isanusis_, ye who hear words +that come not from the tongue?" + +"Mother, they are open." + +"_Good! good! good!_ Are your senses awake, _Isanusis_--can ye smell +blood, can ye purge the land of the wicked ones who compass evil +against the king and against their neighbours? Are ye ready to do the +justice of 'Heaven above,' ye whom I have taught, who have eaten of the +bread of my wisdom, and drunk of the water of my magic?" + +"Mother, we can." + +"Then go! Tarry not, ye vultures; see, the slayers"--pointing to the +ominous group of executioners behind--"make sharp their spears; the +white men from afar are hungry to see. _Go!_" + +With a wild yell Gagool's horrid ministers broke away in every +direction, like fragments from a shell, the dry bones round their +waists rattling as they ran, and headed for various points of the dense +human circle. We could not watch them all, so we fixed our eyes upon +the _Isanusi_ nearest to us. When she came to within a few paces of the +warriors she halted and began to dance wildly, turning round and round +with an almost incredible rapidity, and shrieking out sentences such as +"I smell him, the evil-doer!" "He is near, he who poisoned his mother!" +"I hear the thoughts of him who thought evil of the king!" + +Quicker and quicker she danced, till she lashed herself into such a +frenzy of excitement that the foam flew in specks from her gnashing +jaws, till her eyes seemed to start from her head, and her flesh to +quiver visibly. Suddenly she stopped dead and stiffened all over, like +a pointer dog when he scents game, and then with outstretched wand she +began to creep stealthily towards the soldiers before her. It seemed to +us that as she came their stoicism gave way, and that they shrank from +her. As for ourselves, we followed her movements with a horrible +fascination. Presently, still creeping and crouching like a dog, the +_Isanusi_ was before them. Then she halted and pointed, and again crept +on a pace or two. + +Suddenly the end came. With a shriek she sprang in and touched a tall +warrior with her forked wand. Instantly two of his comrades, those +standing immediately next to him, seized the doomed man, each by one +arm, and advanced with him towards the king. + +He did not resist, but we saw that he dragged his limbs as though they +were paralysed, and that his fingers, from which the spear had fallen, +were limp like those of a man newly dead. + +As he came, two of the villainous executioners stepped forward to meet +him. Presently they met, and the executioners turned round, looking +towards the king as though for orders. + +"_Kill!_" said the king. + +"_Kill!_" squeaked Gagool. + +"_Kill!_" re-echoed Scragga, with a hollow chuckle. + +Almost before the words were uttered the horrible dead was done. One +man had driven his spear into the victim's heart, and to make assurance +double sure, the other had dashed out his brains with a great club. + +"_One_," counted Twala the king, just like a black Madame Defarge, as +Good said, and the body was dragged a few paces away and stretched out. + +Hardly was the thing done before another poor wretch was brought up, +like an ox to the slaughter. This time we could see, from the +leopard-skin cloak which he wore, that the man was a person of rank. +Again the awful syllables were spoken, and the victim fell dead. + +"_Two_," counted the king. + +And so the deadly game went on, till about a hundred bodies were +stretched in rows behind us. I have heard of the gladiatorial shows of +the Cćsars, and of the Spanish bull-fights, but I take the liberty of +doubting if either of them could be half so horrible as this Kukuana +witch-hunt. Gladiatorial shows and Spanish bull-fights at any rate +contributed to the public amusement, which certainly was not the case +here. The most confirmed sensation-monger would fight shy of sensation +if he knew that it was well on the cards that he would, in his own +proper person, be the subject of the next "event." + +Once we rose and tried to remonstrate, but were sternly repressed by +Twala. + +"Let the law take its course, white men. These dogs are magicians and +evil-doers; it is well that they should die," was the only answer +vouchsafed to us. + +About half-past ten there was a pause. The witch-finders gathered +themselves together, apparently exhausted with their bloody work, and +we thought that the performance was done with. But it was not so, for +presently, to our surprise, the ancient woman, Gagool, rose from her +crouching position, and supporting herself with a stick, staggered off +into the open space. It was an extraordinary sight to see this +frightful vulture-headed old creature, bent nearly double with extreme +age, gather strength by degrees, until at last she rushed about almost +as actively as her ill-omened pupils. To and fro she ran, chanting to +herself, till suddenly she made a dash at a tall man standing in front +of one of the regiments, and touched him. As she did this a sort of +groan went up from the regiment which evidently he commanded. But two +of its officers seized him all the same, and brought him up for +execution. We learned afterwards that he was a man of great wealth and +importance, being indeed a cousin of the king. + +He was slain, and Twala counted one hundred and three. Then Gagool +again sprang to and fro, gradually drawing nearer and nearer to +ourselves. + +"Hang me if I don't believe she is going to try her games on us," +ejaculated Good in horror. + +"Nonsense!" said Sir Henry. + +As for myself, when I saw that old fiend dancing nearer and nearer, my +heart positively sank into my boots. I glanced behind us at the long +rows of corpses, and shivered. + +Nearer and nearer waltzed Gagool, looking for all the world like an +animated crooked stick or comma, her horrid eyes gleaming and glowing +with a most unholy lustre. + +Nearer she came, and yet nearer, every creature in that vast assemblage +watching her movements with intense anxiety. At last she stood still +and pointed. + +"Which is it to be?" asked Sir Henry to himself. + +In a moment all doubts were at rest, for the old hag had rushed in and +touched Umbopa, alias Ignosi, on the shoulder. + +"I smell him out," she shrieked. "Kill him, kill him, he is full of +evil; kill him, the stranger, before blood flows from him. Slay him, O +king." + +There was a pause, of which I instantly took advantage. + +"O king," I called out, rising from my seat, "this man is the servant +of thy guests, he is their dog; whosoever sheds the blood of our dog +sheds our blood. By the sacred law of hospitality I claim protection +for him." + +"Gagool, mother of the witch-finders, has smelt him out; he must die, +white men," was the sullen answer. + +"Nay, he shall not die," I replied; "he who tries to touch him shall +die indeed." + +"Seize him!" roared Twala to the executioners; who stood round red to +the eyes with the blood of their victims. + +They advanced towards us, and then hesitated. As for Ignosi, he +clutched his spear, and raised it as though determined to sell his life +dearly. + +"Stand back, ye dogs!" I shouted, "if ye would see to-morrow's light. +Touch one hair of his head and your king dies," and I covered Twala +with my revolver. Sir Henry and Good also drew their pistols, Sir Henry +pointing his at the leading executioner, who was advancing to carry out +the sentence, and Good taking a deliberate aim at Gagool. + +Twala winced perceptibly as my barrel came in a line with his broad +chest. + +"Well," I said, "what is it to be, Twala?" + +Then he spoke. + +"Put away your magic tubes," he said; "ye have adjured me in the name +of hospitality, and for that reason, but not from fear of what ye can +do, I spare him. Go in peace." + +"It is well," I answered unconcernedly; "we are weary of slaughter, and +would sleep. Is the dance ended?" + +"It is ended," Twala answered sulkily. "Let these dead dogs," pointing +to the long rows of corpses, "be flung out to the hyćnas and the +vultures," and he lifted his spear. + +Instantly the regiments began to defile through the kraal gateway in +perfect silence, a fatigue party only remaining behind to drag away the +corpses of those who had been sacrificed. + +Then we rose also, and making our salaam to his majesty, which he +hardly deigned to acknowledge, we departed to our huts. + +"Well," said Sir Henry, as we sat down, having first lit a lamp of the +sort used by the Kukuanas, of which the wick is made from the fibre of +a species of palm leaf, and the oil from clarified hippopotamus fat, +"well, I feel uncommonly inclined to be sick." + +"If I had any doubts about helping Umbopa to rebel against that +infernal blackguard," put in Good, "they are gone now. It was as much +as I could do to sit still while that slaughter was going on. I tried +to keep my eyes shut, but they would open just at the wrong time. I +wonder where Infadoos is. Umbopa, my friend, you ought to be grateful +to us; your skin came near to having an air-hole made in it." + +"I am grateful, Bougwan," was Umbopa's answer, when I had translated, +"and I shall not forget. As for Infadoos, he will be here by-and-by. We +must wait." + +So we lit our pipes and waited. + + +[1] In the Soudan swords and coats of mail are still worn by Arabs, +whose ancestors must have stripped them from the bodies of +Crusaders.--Editor. + + + +CHAPTER XI + +WE GIVE A SIGN + +For a long while--two hours, I should think--we sat there in silence, +being too much overwhelmed by the recollection of the horrors we had +seen to talk. At last, just as we were thinking of turning in--for the +night drew nigh to dawn--we heard a sound of steps. Then came the +challenge of a sentry posted at the kraal gate, which apparently was +answered, though not in an audible tone, for the steps still advanced; +and in another second Infadoos had entered the hut, followed by some +half-dozen stately-looking chiefs. + +"My lords," he said, "I have come according to my word. My lords and +Ignosi, rightful king of the Kukuanas, I have brought with me these +men," pointing to the row of chiefs, "who are great men among us, +having each one of them the command of three thousand soldiers, that +live but to do their bidding, under the king's. I have told them of +what I have seen, and what my ears have heard. Now let them also behold +the sacred snake around thee, and hear thy story, Ignosi, that they may +say whether or no they will make cause with thee against Twala the +king." + +By way of answer Ignosi again stripped off his girdle, and exhibited +the snake tattooed about him. Each chief in turn drew near and examined +the sign by the dim light of the lamp, and without saying a word passed +on to the other side. + +Then Ignosi resumed his moocha, and addressing them, repeated the +history he had detailed in the morning. + +"Now ye have heard, chiefs," said Infadoos, when he had done, "what say +ye: will ye stand by this man and help him to his father's throne, or +will ye not? The land cries out against Twala, and the blood of the +people flows like the waters in spring. Ye have seen to-night. Two +other chiefs there were with whom I had it in my mind to speak, and +where are they now? The hyćnas howl over their corpses. Soon shall ye +be as they are if ye strike not. Choose then, my brothers." + +The eldest of the six men, a short, thick-set warrior, with white hair, +stepped forward a pace and answered-- + +"Thy words are true, Infadoos; the land cries out. My own brother is +among those who died to-night; but this is a great matter, and the +thing is hard to believe. How know we that if we lift our spears it may +not be for a thief and a liar? It is a great matter, I say, of which +none can see the end. For of this be sure, blood will flow in rivers +before the deed is done; many will still cleave to the king, for men +worship the sun that still shines bright in the heavens, rather than +that which has not risen. These white men from the Stars, their magic +is great, and Ignosi is under the cover of their wing. If he be indeed +the rightful king, let them give us a sign, and let the people have a +sign, that all may see. So shall men cleave to us, knowing of a truth +that the white man's magic is with them." + +"Ye have the sign of the snake," I answered. + +"My lord, it is not enough. The snake may have been placed there since +the man's childhood. Show us a sign, and it will suffice. But we will +not move without a sign." + +The others gave a decided assent, and I turned in perplexity to Sir +Henry and Good, and explained the situation. + +"I think that I have it," said Good exultingly; "ask them to give us a +moment to think." + +I did so, and the chiefs withdrew. So soon as they had gone Good went +to the little box where he kept his medicines, unlocked it, and took +out a note-book, in the fly-leaves of which was an almanack. "Now look +here, you fellows, isn't to-morrow the 4th of June?" he said. + +We had kept a careful note of the days, so were able to answer that it +was. + +"Very good; then here we have it--'4 June, total eclipse of the moon +commences at 8.15 Greenwich time, visible in Teneriffe--_South Africa_, +&c.' There's a sign for you. Tell them we will darken the moon +to-morrow night." + +The idea was a splendid one; indeed, the only weak spot about it was a +fear lest Good's almanack might be incorrect. If we made a false +prophecy on such a subject, our prestige would be gone for ever, and so +would Ignosi's chance of the throne of the Kukuanas. + +"Suppose that the almanack is wrong," suggested Sir Henry to Good, who +was busily employed in working out something on a blank page of the +book. + +"I see no reason to suppose anything of the sort," was his answer. +"Eclipses always come up to time; at least that is my experience of +them, and it especially states that this one will be visible in South +Africa. I have worked out the reckonings as well as I can, without +knowing our exact position; and I make out that the eclipse should +begin here about ten o'clock tomorrow night, and last till half-past +twelve. For an hour and a half or so there should be almost total +darkness." + +"Well," said Sir Henry, "I suppose we had better risk it." + +I acquiesced, though doubtfully, for eclipses are queer cattle to deal +with--it might be a cloudy night, for instance, or our dates might be +wrong--and sent Umbopa to summon the chiefs back. Presently they came, +and I addressed them thus-- + +"Great men of the Kukuanas, and thou, Infadoos, listen. We love not to +show our powers, for to do so is to interfere with the course of +nature, and to plunge the world into fear and confusion. But since this +matter is a great one, and as we are angered against the king because +of the slaughter we have seen, and because of the act of the _Isanusi_ +Gagool, who would have put our friend Ignosi to death, we have +determined to break a rule, and to give such a sign as all men may see. +Come hither"; and I led them to the door of the hut and pointed to the +red ball of the moon. "What see ye there?" + +"We see the sinking moon," answered the spokesman of the party. + +"It is so. Now tell me, can any mortal man put out that moon before her +hour of setting, and bring the curtain of black night down upon the +land?" + +The chief laughed a little at the question. "No, my lord, that no man +can do. The moon is stronger than man who looks on her, nor can she +vary in her courses." + +"Ye say so. Yet I tell you that to-morrow night, about two hours before +midnight, we will cause the moon to be eaten up for a space of an hour +and half an hour. Yes, deep darkness shall cover the earth, and it +shall be for a sign that Ignosi is indeed king of the Kukuanas. If we +do this thing, will ye be satisfied?" + +"Yea, my lords," answered the old chief with a smile, which was +reflected on the faces of his companions; "_if_ ye do this thing, we +will be satisfied indeed." + +"It shall be done; we three, Incubu, Bougwan, and Macumazahn, have said +it, and it shall be done. Dost thou hear, Infadoos?" + +"I hear, my lord, but it is a wonderful thing that ye promise, to put +out the moon, the mother of the world, when she is at her full." + +"Yet shall we do it, Infadoos." + +"It is well, my lords. To-day, two hours after sunset, Twala will send +for my lords to witness the girls dance, and one hour after the dance +begins the girl whom Twala thinks the fairest shall be killed by +Scragga, the king's son, as a sacrifice to the Silent Ones, who sit and +keep watch by the mountains yonder," and he pointed towards the three +strange-looking peaks where Solomon's road was supposed to end. "Then +let my lords darken the moon, and save the maiden's life, and the +people will believe indeed." + +"Ay," said the old chief, still smiling a little, "the people will +believe indeed." + +"Two miles from Loo," went on Infadoos, "there is a hill curved like a +new moon, a stronghold, where my regiment, and three other regiments +which these chiefs command, are stationed. This morning we will make a +plan whereby two or three other regiments may be moved there also. +Then, if in truth my lords can darken the moon, in the darkness I will +take my lords by the hand and lead them out of Loo to this place, where +they shall be safe, and thence we can make war upon Twala the king." + +"It is good," said I. "Let leave us to sleep awhile and to make ready +our magic." + +Infadoos rose, and, having saluted us, departed with the chiefs. + +"My friends," said Ignosi, so soon as they were gone, "can ye do this +wonderful thing, or were ye speaking empty words to the captains?" + +"We believe that we can do it, Umbopa--Ignosi, I mean." + +"It is strange," he answered, "and had ye not been Englishmen I would +not have believed it; but I have learned that English 'gentlemen' tell +no lies. If we live through the matter, be sure that I will repay you." + +"Ignosi," said Sir Henry, "promise me one thing." + +"I will promise, Incubu, my friend, even before I hear it," answered +the big man with a smile. "What is it?" + +"This: that if ever you come to be king of this people you will do away +with the smelling out of wizards such as we saw last night; and that +the killing of men without trial shall no longer take place in the +land." + +Ignosi thought for a moment after I had translated this request, and +then answered-- + +"The ways of black people are not as the ways of white men, Incubu, nor +do we value life so highly. Yet I will promise. If it be in my power to +hold them back, the witch-finders shall hunt no more, nor shall any man +die the death without trial or judgment." + +"That's a bargain, then," said Sir Henry; "and now let us get a little +rest." + +Thoroughly wearied out, we were soon sound asleep, and slept till +Ignosi woke us about eleven o'clock. Then we rose, washed, and ate a +hearty breakfast. After that we went outside the hut and walked about, +amusing ourselves with examining the structure of the Kukuana huts and +observing the customs of the women. + +"I hope that eclipse will come off," said Sir Henry presently. + +"If it does not it will soon be all up with us," I answered mournfully; +"for so sure as we are living men some of those chiefs will tell the +whole story to the king, and then there will be another sort of +eclipse, and one that we shall certainly not like." + +Returning to the hut we ate some dinner, and passed the rest of the day +in receiving visits of ceremony and curiosity. At length the sun set, +and we enjoyed a couple of hours of such quiet as our melancholy +forebodings would allow to us. Finally, about half-past eight, a +messenger came from Twala to bid us to the great annual "dance of +girls" which was about to be celebrated. + +Hastily we put on the chain shirts that the king had sent us, and +taking our rifles and ammunition with us, so as to have them handy in +case we had to fly, as suggested by Infadoos, we started boldly enough, +though with inward fear and trembling. The great space in front of the +king's kraal bore a very different appearance from that which it had +presented on the previous evening. In place of the grim ranks of +serried warriors were company after company of Kukuana girls, not +over-dressed, so far as clothing went, but each crowned with a wreath +of flowers, and holding a palm leaf in one hand and a white arum lily +in the other. In the centre of the open moonlit space sat Twala the +king, with old Gagool at his feet, attended by Infadoos, the boy +Scragga, and twelve guards. There were also present about a score of +chiefs, amongst whom I recognised most of our friends of the night +before. + +Twala greeted us with much apparent cordiality, though I saw him fix +his one eye viciously on Umbopa. + +"Welcome, white men from the Stars," he said; "this is another sight +from that which your eyes gazed on by the light of last night's moon, +but it is not so good a sight. Girls are pleasant, and were it not for +such as these," and he pointed round him, "we should none of us be here +this day; but men are better. Kisses and the tender words of women are +sweet, but the sound of the clashing of the spears of warriors, and the +smell of men's blood, are sweeter far! Would ye have wives from among +our people, white men? If so, choose the fairest here, and ye shall +have them, as many as ye will," and he paused for an answer. + +As the prospect did not seem to be without attractions for Good, who, +like most sailors, is of a susceptible nature,--being elderly and wise, +foreseeing the endless complications that anything of the sort would +involve, for women bring trouble so surely as the night follows the +day, I put in a hasty answer-- + +"Thanks to thee, O king, but we white men wed only with white women +like ourselves. Your maidens are fair, but they are not for us!" + +The king laughed. "It is well. In our land there is a proverb which +runs, 'Women's eyes are always bright, whatever the colour,' and +another that says, 'Love her who is present, for be sure she who is +absent is false to thee;' but perhaps these things are not so in the +Stars. In a land where men are white all things are possible. So be it, +white men; the girls will not go begging! Welcome again; and welcome, +too, thou black one; if Gagool here had won her way, thou wouldst have +been stiff and cold by now. It is lucky for thee that thou too camest +from the Stars; ha! ha!" + +"I can kill thee before thou killest me, O king," was Ignosi's calm +answer, "and thou shalt be stiff before my limbs cease to bend." + +Twala started. "Thou speakest boldly, boy," he replied angrily; +"presume not too far." + +"He may well be bold in whose lips are truth. The truth is a sharp +spear which flies home and misses not. It is a message from 'the +Stars,' O king." + +Twala scowled, and his one eye gleamed fiercely, but he said nothing +more. + +"Let the dance begin," he cried, and then the flower-crowned girls +sprang forward in companies, singing a sweet song and waving the +delicate palms and white lilies. On they danced, looking faint and +spiritual in the soft, sad light of the risen moon; now whirling round +and round, now meeting in mimic warfare, swaying, eddying here and +there, coming forward, falling back in an ordered confusion delightful +to witness. At last they paused, and a beautiful young woman sprang out +of the ranks and began to pirouette in front of us with a grace and +vigour which would have put most ballet girls to shame. At length she +retired exhausted, and another took her place, then another and +another, but none of them, either in grace, skill, or personal +attractions, came up to the first. + +When the chosen girls had all danced, the king lifted his hand. + +"Which deem ye the fairest, white men?" he asked. + +"The first," said I unthinkingly. Next second I regretted it, for I +remembered that Infadoos had told us that the fairest woman must be +offered up as a sacrifice. + +"Then is my mind as your minds, and my eyes as your eyes. She is the +fairest! and a sorry thing it is for her, for she must die!" + +"_Ay, must die!_" piped out Gagool, casting a glance of her quick eyes +in the direction of the poor girl, who, as yet ignorant of the awful +fate in store for her, was standing some ten yards off in front of a +company of maidens, engaged in nervously picking a flower from her +wreath to pieces, petal by petal. + +"Why, O king?" said I, restraining my indignation with difficulty; "the +girl has danced well, and pleased us; she is fair too; it would be hard +to reward her with death." + +Twala laughed as he answered-- + +"It is our custom, and the figures who sit in stone yonder," and he +pointed towards the three distant peaks, "must have their due. Did I +fail to put the fairest girl to death to-day, misfortune would fall +upon me and my house. Thus runs the prophecy of my people: 'If the king +offer not a sacrifice of a fair girl, on the day of the dance of +maidens, to the Old Ones who sit and watch on the mountains, then shall +he fall, and his house.' Look ye, white men, my brother who reigned +before me offered not the sacrifice, because of the tears of the woman, +and he fell, and his house, and I reign in his stead. It is finished; +she must die!" Then turning to the guards--"Bring her hither; Scragga, +make sharp thy spear." + +Two of the men stepped forward, and as they advanced, the girl, for the +first time realising her impending fate, screamed aloud and turned to +fly. But the strong hands caught her fast, and brought her, struggling +and weeping, before us. + +"What is thy name, girl?" piped Gagool. "What! wilt thou not answer? +Shall the king's son do his work at once?" + +At this hint, Scragga, looking more evil than ever, advanced a step and +lifted his great spear, and at that moment I saw Good's hand creep to +his revolver. The poor girl caught the faint glint of steel through her +tears, and it sobered her anguish. She ceased struggling, and clasping +her hands convulsively, stood shuddering from head to foot. + +"See," cried Scragga in high glee, "she shrinks from the sight of my +little plaything even before she has tasted it," and he tapped the +broad blade of his spear. + +"If ever I get the chance you shall pay for that, you young hound!" I +heard Good mutter beneath his breath. + +"Now that thou art quiet, give us thy name, my dear. Come, speak out, +and fear not," said Gagool in mockery. + +"Oh, mother," answered the girl, in trembling accents, "my name is +Foulata, of the house of Suko. Oh, mother, why must I die? I have done +no wrong!" + +"Be comforted," went on the old woman in her hateful tone of mockery. +"Thou must die, indeed, as a sacrifice to the Old Ones who sit yonder," +and she pointed to the peaks; "but it is better to sleep in the night +than to toil in the daytime; it is better to die than to live, and thou +shalt die by the royal hand of the king's own son." + +The girl Foulata wrung her hands in anguish, and cried out aloud, "Oh, +cruel! and I so young! What have I done that I should never again see +the sun rise out of the night, or the stars come following on his track +in the evening, that I may no more gather the flowers when the dew is +heavy, or listen to the laughing of the waters? Woe is me, that I shall +never see my father's hut again, nor feel my mother's kiss, nor tend +the lamb that is sick! Woe is me, that no lover shall put his arm +around me and look into my eyes, nor shall men children be born of me! +Oh, cruel, cruel!" + +And again she wrung her hands and turned her tear-stained +flower-crowned face to Heaven, looking so lovely in her despair--for +she was indeed a beautiful woman--that assuredly the sight of her would +have melted the hearts of any less cruel than were the three fiends +before us. Prince Arthur's appeal to the ruffians who came to blind him +was not more touching than that of this savage girl. + +But it did not move Gagool or Gagool's master, though I saw signs of +pity among the guards behind, and on the faces of the chiefs; and as +for Good, he gave a fierce snort of indignation, and made a motion as +though to go to her assistance. With all a woman's quickness, the +doomed girl interpreted what was passing in his mind, and by a sudden +movement flung herself before him, and clasped his "beautiful white +legs" with her hands. + +"Oh, white father from the Stars!" she cried, "throw over me the mantle +of thy protection; let me creep into the shadow of thy strength, that I +may be saved. Oh, keep me from these cruel men and from the mercies of +Gagool!" + +"All right, my hearty, I'll look after you," sang out Good in nervous +Saxon. "Come, get up, there's a good girl," and he stooped and caught +her hand. + +Twala turned and motioned to his son, who advanced with his spear +lifted. + +"Now's your time," whispered Sir Henry to me; "what are you waiting +for?" + +"I am waiting for that eclipse," I answered; "I have had my eye on the +moon for the last half-hour, and I never saw it look healthier." + +"Well, you must risk it now, or the girl will be killed. Twala is +losing patience." + +Recognising the force of the argument, and having cast one more +despairing look at the bright face of the moon, for never did the most +ardent astronomer with a theory to prove await a celestial event with +such anxiety, I stepped with all the dignity that I could command +between the prostrate girl and the advancing spear of Scragga. + +"King," I said, "it shall not be; we will not endure this thing; let +the girl go in safety." + +Twala rose from his seat in wrath and astonishment, and from the chiefs +and serried ranks of maidens who had closed in slowly upon us in +anticipation of the tragedy came a murmur of amazement. + +"_Shall not be!_ thou white dog, that yappest at the lion in his cave; +_shall not be!_ art thou mad? Be careful, lest this chicken's fate +overtake thee, and those with thee. How canst thou save her or thyself? +Who art thou that thou settest thyself between me and my will? Back, I +say. Scragga, kill her! Ho, guards! seize these men." + +At his cry armed men ran swiftly from behind the hut, where they had +evidently been placed beforehand. + +Sir Henry, Good, and Umbopa ranged themselves alongside of me, and +lifted their rifles. + +"Stop!" I shouted boldly, though at the moment my heart was in my +boots. "Stop! we, the white men from the Stars, say that it shall not +be. Come but one pace nearer, and we will put out the moon like a +wind-blown lamp, as we who dwell in her House can do, and plunge the +land in darkness. Dare to disobey, and ye shall taste of our magic." + +My threat produced an effect; the men halted, and Scragga stood still +before us, his spear lifted. + +"Hear him! hear him!" piped Gagool; "hear the liar who says that he +will put out the moon like a lamp. Let him do it, and the girl shall be +speared. Yes, let him do it, or die by the girl, he and those with him." + +I glanced up at the moon despairingly, and now to my intense joy and +relief saw that we--or rather the almanack--had made no mistake. On the +edge of the great orb lay a faint rim of shadow, while a smoky hue grew +and gathered upon its bright surface. Never shall I forget that +supreme, that superb moment of relief. + +Then I lifted my hand solemnly towards the sky, an example which Sir +Henry and Good followed, and quoted a line or two from the "Ingoldsby +Legends" at it in the most impressive tones that I could command. Sir +Henry followed suit with a verse out of the Old Testament, and +something about Balbus building a wall, in Latin, whilst Good addressed +the Queen of Night in a volume of the most classical bad language which +he could think of. + +Slowly the penumbra, the shadow of a shadow, crept on over the bright +surface, and as it crept I heard deep gasps of fear rising from the +multitude around. + +"Look, O king!" I cried; "look, Gagool! Look, chiefs and people and +women, and see if the white men from the Stars keep their word, or if +they be but empty liars! + +"The moon grows black before your eyes; soon there will be +darkness--ay, darkness in the hour of the full moon. Ye have asked for +a sign; it is given to you. Grow dark, O Moon! withdraw thy light, thou +pure and holy One; bring the proud heart of usurping murderers to the +dust, and eat up the world with shadows." + +A groan of terror burst from the onlookers. Some stood petrified with +dread, others threw themselves upon their knees and cried aloud. As for +the king, he sat still and turned pale beneath his dusky skin. Only +Gagool kept her courage. + +"It will pass," she cried; "I have often seen the like before; no man +can put out the moon; lose not heart; sit still--the shadow will pass." + +"Wait, and ye shall see," I replied, hopping with excitement. "O Moon! +Moon! Moon! wherefore art thou so cold and fickle?" This appropriate +quotation was from the pages of a popular romance that I chanced to +have read recently, though now I come to think of it, it was ungrateful +of me to abuse the Lady of the Heavens, who was showing herself to be +the truest of friends to us, however she may have behaved to the +impassioned lover in the novel. Then I added: "Keep it up, Good, I +can't remember any more poetry. Curse away, there's a good fellow." + +Good responded nobly to this tax upon his inventive faculties. Never +before had I the faintest conception of the breadth and depth and +height of a naval officer's objurgatory powers. For ten minutes he went +on in several languages without stopping, and he scarcely ever repeated +himself. + +Meanwhile the dark ring crept on, while all that great assembly fixed +their eyes upon the sky and stared and stared in fascinated silence. +Strange and unholy shadows encroached upon the moonlight, an ominous +quiet filled the place. Everything grew still as death. Slowly and in +the midst of this most solemn silence the minutes sped away, and while +they sped the full moon passed deeper and deeper into the shadow of the +earth, as the inky segment of its circle slid in awful majesty across +the lunar craters. The great pale orb seemed to draw near and to grow +in size. She turned a coppery hue, then that portion of her surface +which was unobscured as yet grew grey and ashen, and at length, as +totality approached, her mountains and her plains were to be seen +glowing luridly through a crimson gloom. + +On, yet on, crept the ring of darkness; it was now more than half +across the blood-red orb. The air grew thick, and still more deeply +tinged with dusky crimson. On, yet on, till we could scarcely see the +fierce faces of the group before us. No sound rose now from the +spectators, and at last Good stopped swearing. + +"The moon is dying--the white wizards have killed the moon," yelled the +prince Scragga at last. "We shall all perish in the dark," and animated +by fear or fury, or by both, he lifted his spear and drove it with all +his force at Sir Henry's breast. But he forgot the mail shirts that the +king had given us, and which we wore beneath our clothing. The steel +rebounded harmless, and before he could repeat the blow Curtis had +snatched the spear from his hand and sent it straight through him. + +Scragga dropped dead. + +At the sight, and driven mad with fear of the gathering darkness, and +of the unholy shadow which, as they believed, was swallowing the moon, +the companies of girls broke up in wild confusion, and ran screeching +for the gateways. Nor did the panic stop there. The king himself, +followed by his guards, some of the chiefs, and Gagool, who hobbled +away after them with marvellous alacrity, fled for the huts, so that in +another minute we ourselves, the would-be victim Foulata, Infadoos, and +most of the chiefs who had interviewed us on the previous night, were +left alone upon the scene, together with the dead body of Scragga, +Twala's son. + +"Chiefs," I said, "we have given you the sign. If ye are satisfied, let +us fly swiftly to the place of which ye spoke. The charm cannot now be +stopped. It will work for an hour and the half of an hour. Let us cover +ourselves in the darkness." + +"Come," said Infadoos, turning to go, an example which was followed by +the awed captains, ourselves, and the girl Foulata, whom Good took by +the arm. + +Before we reached the gate of the kraal the moon went out utterly, and +from every quarter of the firmament the stars rushed forth into the +inky sky. + +Holding each other by the hand we stumbled on through the darkness. + + + +CHAPTER XII + +BEFORE THE BATTLE + +Luckily for us, Infadoos and the chiefs knew all the paths of the great +town perfectly, so that we passed by side-ways unmolested, and +notwithstanding the gloom we made fair progress. + +For an hour or more we journeyed on, till at length the eclipse began +to pass, and that edge of the moon which had disappeared the first +became again visible. Suddenly, as we watched, there burst from it a +silver streak of light, accompanied by a wondrous ruddy glow, which +hung upon the blackness of the sky like a celestial lamp, and a wild +and lovely sight it was. In another five minutes the stars began to +fade, and there was sufficient light to see our whereabouts. We then +discovered that we were clear of the town of Loo, and approaching a +large flat-topped hill, measuring some two miles in circumference. This +hill, which is of a formation common in South Africa, is not very high; +indeed, its greatest elevation is scarcely more than 200 feet, but it +is shaped like a horseshoe, and its sides are rather precipitous and +strewn with boulders. On the grass table-land at its summit is ample +camping-ground, which had been utilised as a military cantonment of no +mean strength. Its ordinary garrison was one regiment of three thousand +men, but as we toiled up the steep side of the mountain in the +returning moonlight we perceived that there were several of such +regiments encamped there. + +Reaching the table-land at last, we found crowds of men roused from +their sleep, shivering with fear and huddled up together in the utmost +consternation at the natural phenomenon which they were witnessing. +Passing through these without a word, we gained a hut in the centre of +the ground, where we were astonished to find two men waiting, laden +with our few goods and chattels, which of course we had been obliged to +leave behind in our hasty flight. + +"I sent for them," explained Infadoos; "and also for these," and he +lifted up Good's long-lost trousers. + +With an exclamation of rapturous delight Good sprang at them, and +instantly proceeded to put them on. + +"Surely my lord will not hide his beautiful white legs!" exclaimed +Infadoos regretfully. + +But Good persisted, and once only did the Kukuana people get the chance +of seeing his beautiful legs again. Good is a very modest man. +Henceforward they had to satisfy their ćsthetic longings with his one +whisker, his transparent eye, and his movable teeth. + +Still gazing with fond remembrance at Good's trousers, Infadoos next +informed us that he had commanded the regiments to muster so soon as +the day broke, in order to explain to them fully the origin and +circumstances of the rebellion which was decided on by the chiefs, and +to introduce to them the rightful heir to the throne, Ignosi. + +Accordingly, when the sun was up, the troops--in all some twenty +thousand men, and the flower of the Kukuana army--were mustered on a +large open space, to which we went. The men were drawn up in three +sides of a dense square, and presented a magnificent spectacle. We took +our station on the open side of the square, and were speedily +surrounded by all the principal chiefs and officers. + +These, after silence had been proclaimed, Infadoos proceeded to +address. He narrated to them in vigorous and graceful language--for, +like most Kukuanas of high rank, he was a born orator--the history of +Ignosi's father, and of how he had been basely murdered by Twala the +king, and his wife and child driven out to starve. Then he pointed out +that the people suffered and groaned under Twala's cruel rule, +instancing the proceedings of the previous night, when, under pretence +of their being evil-doers, many of the noblest in the land had been +dragged forth and wickedly done to death. Next he went on to say that +the white lords from the Stars, looking down upon their country, had +perceived its trouble, and determined, at great personal inconvenience, +to alleviate its lot: That they had accordingly taken the real king of +the Kukuanas, Ignosi, who was languishing in exile, by the hand, and +led him over the mountains: That they had seen the wickedness of +Twala's doings, and for a sign to the wavering, and to save the life of +the girl Foulata, actually, by the exercise of their high magic, had +put out the moon and slain the young fiend Scragga; and that they were +prepared to stand by them, and assist them to overthrow Twala, and set +up the rightful king, Ignosi, in his place. + +He finished his discourse amidst a murmur of approbation. Then Ignosi +stepped forward and began to speak. Having reiterated all that Infadoos +his uncle had said, he concluded a powerful speech in these words:-- + +"O chiefs, captains, soldiers, and people, ye have heard my words. Now +must ye make choice between me and him who sits upon my throne, the +uncle who killed his brother, and hunted his brother's child forth to +die in the cold and the night. That I am indeed the king +these"--pointing to the chiefs--"can tell you, for they have seen the +snake about my middle. If I were not the king, would these white men be +on my side with all their magic? Tremble, chiefs, captains, soldiers, +and people! Is not the darkness they have brought upon the land to +confound Twala and cover our flight, darkness even in the hour of the +full moon, yet before your eyes?" + +"It is," answered the soldiers. + +"I am the king; I say to you, I am the king," went on Ignosi, drawing +up his great stature to its full, and lifting his broad-bladed +battle-axe above his head. "If there be any man among you who says that +it is not so, let him stand forth and I will fight him now, and his +blood shall be a red token that I tell you true. Let him stand forth, I +say;" and he shook the great axe till it flashed in the sunlight. + +As nobody seemed inclined to respond to this heroic version of "Dilly, +Dilly, come and be killed," our late henchman proceeded with his +address. + +"I am indeed the king, and should ye stand by my side in the battle, if +I win the day ye shall go with me to victory and honour. I will give +you oxen and wives, and ye shall take place of all the regiments; and +if ye fall, I will fall with you. + +"And behold, I give you this promise, that when I sit upon the seat of +my fathers, bloodshed shall cease in the land. No longer shall ye cry +for justice to find slaughter, no longer shall the witch-finder hunt +you out so that ye may be slain without a cause. No man shall die save +he who offends against the laws. The 'eating up' of your kraals shall +cease; each one of you shall sleep secure in his own hut and fear +naught, and justice shall walk blindfold throughout the land. Have ye +chosen, chiefs, captains, soldiers, and people?" + +"We have chosen, O king," came back the answer. + +"It is well. Turn your heads and see how Twala's messengers go forth +from the great town, east and west, and north and south, to gather a +mighty army to slay me and you, and these my friends and protectors. +To-morrow, or perchance the next day, he will come against us with all +who are faithful to him. Then I shall see the man who is indeed my man, +the man who fears not to die for his cause; and I tell you that he +shall not be forgotten in the time of spoil. I have spoken, O chiefs, +captains, soldiers, and people. Now go to your huts and make you ready +for war." + +There was a pause, till presently one of the chiefs lifted his hand, +and out rolled the royal salute, "_Koom._" It was a sign that the +soldiers accepted Ignosi as their king. Then they marched off in +battalions. + +Half an hour afterwards we held a council of war, at which all the +commanders of regiments were present. It was evident to us that before +very long we should be attacked in overwhelming force. Indeed, from our +point of vantage on the hill we could see troops mustering, and runners +going forth from Loo in every direction, doubtless to summon soldiers +to the king's assistance. We had on our side about twenty thousand men, +composed of seven of the best regiments in the country. Twala, so +Infadoos and the chiefs calculated, had at least thirty to thirty-five +thousand on whom he could rely at present assembled in Loo, and they +thought that by midday on the morrow he would be able to gather another +five thousand or more to his aid. It was, of course, possible that some +of his troops would desert and come over to us, but it was not a +contingency which could be reckoned on. Meanwhile, it was clear that +active preparations were being made by Twala to subdue us. Already +strong bodies of armed men were patrolling round and round the foot of +the hill, and there were other signs also of coming assault. + +Infadoos and the chiefs, however, were of opinion that no attack would +take place that day, which would be devoted to preparation and to the +removal of every available means of the moral effect produced upon the +minds of the soldiery by the supposed magical darkening of the moon. +The onslaught would be on the morrow, they said, and they proved to be +right. + +Meanwhile, we set to work to strengthen the position in all ways +possible. Almost every man was turned out, and in the course of the +day, which seemed far too short, much was done. The paths up the +hill--that was rather a sanatorium than a fortress, being used +generally as the camping place of regiments suffering from recent +service in unhealthy portions of the country--were carefully blocked +with masses of stones, and every other approach was made as impregnable +as time would allow. Piles of boulders were collected at various spots +to be rolled down upon an advancing enemy, stations were appointed to +the different regiments, and all preparation was made which our joint +ingenuity could suggest. + +Just before sundown, as we rested after our toil, we perceived a small +company of men advancing towards us from the direction of Loo, one of +whom bore a palm leaf in his hand for a sign that he came as a herald. + +As he drew near, Ignosi, Infadoos, one or two chiefs and ourselves, +went down to the foot of the mountain to meet him. He was a +gallant-looking fellow, wearing the regulation leopard-skin cloak. + +"Greeting!" he cried, as he came; "the king's greeting to those who +make unholy war against the king; the lion's greeting to the jackals +that snarl around his heels." + +"Speak," I said. + +"These are the king's words. Surrender to the king's mercy ere a worse +thing befall you. Already the shoulder has been torn from the black +bull, and the king drives him bleeding about the camp."[1] + +"What are Twala's terms?" I asked from curiosity. + +"His terms are merciful, worthy of a great king. These are the words of +Twala, the one-eyed, the mighty, the husband of a thousand wives, lord +of the Kukuanas, keeper of the Great Road (Solomon's Road), beloved of +the Strange Ones who sit in silence at the mountains yonder (the Three +Witches), Calf of the Black Cow, Elephant whose tread shakes the earth, +Terror of the evil-doer, Ostrich whose feet devour the desert, huge +One, black One, wise One, king from generation to generation! these are +the words of Twala: 'I will have mercy and be satisfied with a little +blood. One in every ten shall die, the rest shall go free; but the +white man Incubu, who slew Scragga my son, and the black man his +servant, who pretends to my throne, and Infadoos my brother, who brews +rebellion against me, these shall die by torture as an offering to the +Silent Ones.' Such are the merciful words of Twala." + +After consulting with the others a little, I answered him in a loud +voice, so that the soldiers might hear, thus-- + +"Go back, thou dog, to Twala, who sent thee, and say that we, Ignosi, +veritable king of the Kukuanas, Incubu, Bougwan, and Macumazahn, the +wise ones from the Stars, who make dark the moon, Infadoos, of the +royal house, and the chiefs, captains, and people here gathered, make +answer and say, 'That we will not surrender; that before the sun has +gone down twice, Twala's corpse shall stiffen at Twala's gate, and +Ignosi, whose father Twala slew, shall reign in his stead.' Now go, ere +we whip thee away, and beware how thou dost lift a hand against such as +we are." + +The herald laughed loudly. "Ye frighten not men with such swelling +words," he cried out. "Show yourselves as bold to-morrow, O ye who +darken the moon. Be bold, fight, and be merry, before the crows pick +your bones till they are whiter than your faces. Farewell; perhaps we +may meet in the fight; fly not to the Stars, but wait for me, I pray, +white men." With this shaft of sarcasm he retired, and almost +immediately the sun sank. + +That night was a busy one, for weary as we were, so far as was possible +by the moonlight all preparations for the morrow's fight were +continued, and messengers were constantly coming and going from the +place where we sat in council. At last, about an hour after midnight, +everything that could be done was done, and the camp, save for the +occasional challenge of a sentry, sank into silence. Sir Henry and I, +accompanied by Ignosi and one of the chiefs, descended the hill and +made a round of the pickets. As we went, suddenly, from all sorts of +unexpected places, spears gleamed out in the moonlight, only to vanish +again when we uttered the password. It was clear to us that none were +sleeping at their posts. Then we returned, picking our way warily +through thousands of sleeping warriors, many of whom were taking their +last earthly rest. + +The moonlight flickering along their spears, played upon their features +and made them ghastly; the chilly night wind tossed their tall and +hearse-like plumes. There they lay in wild confusion, with arms +outstretched and twisted limbs; their stern, stalwart forms looking +weird and unhuman in the moonlight. + +"How many of these do you suppose will be alive at this time +to-morrow?" asked Sir Henry. + +I shook my head and looked again at the sleeping men, and to my tired +and yet excited imagination it seemed as though Death had already +touched them. My mind's eye singled out those who were sealed to +slaughter, and there rushed in upon my heart a great sense of the +mystery of human life, and an overwhelming sorrow at its futility and +sadness. To-night these thousands slept their healthy sleep, to-morrow +they, and many others with them, ourselves perhaps among them, would be +stiffening in the cold; their wives would be widows, their children +fatherless, and their place know them no more for ever. Only the old +moon would shine on serenely, the night wind would stir the grasses, +and the wide earth would take its rest, even as it did ćons before we +were, and will do ćons after we have been forgotten. + +Yet man dies not whilst the world, at once his mother and his monument, +remains. His name is lost, indeed, but the breath he breathed still +stirs the pine-tops on the mountains, the sound of the words he spoke +yet echoes on through space; the thoughts his brain gave birth to we +have inherited to-day; his passions are our cause of life; the joys and +sorrows that he knew are our familiar friends--the end from which he +fled aghast will surely overtake us also! + +Truly the universe is full of ghosts, not sheeted churchyard spectres, +but the inextinguishable elements of individual life, which having once +been, can never _die_, though they blend and change, and change again +for ever. + + +All sorts of reflections of this nature passed through my mind--for as +I grow older I regret to say that a detestable habit of thinking seems +to be getting a hold of me--while I stood and stared at those grim yet +fantastic lines of warriors, sleeping, as their saying goes, "upon +their spears." + +"Curtis," I said, "I am in a condition of pitiable fear." + +Sir Henry stroked his yellow beard and laughed, as he answered-- + +"I have heard you make that sort of remark before, Quatermain." + +"Well, I mean it now. Do you know, I very much doubt if one of us will +be alive to-morrow night. We shall be attacked in overwhelming force, +and it is quite a chance if we can hold this place." + +"We'll give a good account of some of them, at any rate. Look here, +Quatermain, this business is nasty, and one with which, properly +speaking, we ought not to be mixed up, but we are in for it, so we must +make the best of our job. Speaking personally, I had rather be killed +fighting than any other way, and now that there seems little chance of +our finding my poor brother, it makes the idea easier to me. But +fortune favours the brave, and we may succeed. Anyway, the battle will +be awful, and having a reputation to keep up, we shall need to be in +the thick of the thing." + +He made this last remark in a mournful voice, but there was a gleam in +his eye which belied its melancholy. I have an idea Sir Henry Curtis +actually likes fighting. + +After this we went to sleep for a couple of hours or so. + +Just about dawn we were awakened by Infadoos, who came to say that +great activity was to be observed in Loo, and that parties of the +king's skirmishers were driving in our outposts. + +We rose and dressed ourselves for the fray, each putting on his chain +armour shirt, for which garments at the present juncture we felt +exceedingly thankful. Sir Henry went the whole length about the matter, +and dressed himself like a native warrior. "When you are in +Kukuanaland, do as the Kukuanas do," he remarked, as he drew the +shining steel over his broad breast, which it fitted like a glove. Nor +did he stop there. At his request Infadoos had provided him with a +complete set of native war uniform. Round his throat he fastened the +leopard-skin cloak of a commanding officer, on his brows he bound the +plume of black ostrich feathers worn only by generals of high rank, and +about his middle a magnificent moocha of white ox-tails. A pair of +sandals, a leglet of goat's hair, a heavy battle-axe with a +rhinoceros-horn handle, a round iron shield covered with white ox-hide, +and the regulation number of _tollas_, or throwing-knives, made up his +equipment, to which, however, he added his revolver. The dress was, no +doubt, a savage one, but I am bound to say that I seldom saw a finer +sight than Sir Henry Curtis presented in this guise. It showed off his +magnificent physique to the greatest advantage, and when Ignosi arrived +presently, arrayed in a similar costume, I thought to myself that I had +never before seen two such splendid men. + +As for Good and myself, the armour did not suit us nearly so well. To +begin with, Good insisted upon keeping on his new-found trousers, and a +stout, short gentleman with an eye-glass, and one half of his face +shaved, arrayed in a mail shirt, carefully tucked into a very seedy +pair of corduroys, looks more remarkable than imposing. In my case, the +chain shirt being too big for me, I put it on over all my clothes, +which caused it to bulge in a somewhat ungainly fashion. I discarded my +trousers, however, retaining only my veldtschoons, having determined to +go into battle with bare legs, in order to be the lighter for running, +in case it became necessary to retire quickly. The mail coat, a spear, +a shield, that I did not know how to use, a couple of _tollas_, a +revolver, and a huge plume, which I pinned into the top of my shooting +hat, in order to give a bloodthirsty finish to my appearance, completed +my modest equipment. In addition to all these articles, of course we +had our rifles, but as ammunition was scarce, and as they would be +useless in case of a charge, we arranged that they should be carried +behind us by bearers. + +When at length we had equipped ourselves, we swallowed some food +hastily, and then started out to see how things were going on. At one +point in the table-land of the mountain, there was a little koppie of +brown stone, which served the double purpose of head-quarters and of a +conning tower. Here we found Infadoos surrounded by his own regiment, +the Greys, which was undoubtedly the finest in the Kukuana army, and +the same that we had first seen at the outlying kraal. This regiment, +now three thousand five hundred strong, was being held in reserve, and +the men were lying down on the grass in companies, and watching the +king's forces creep out of Loo in long ant-like columns. There seemed +to be no end to the length of these columns--three in all, and each of +them numbering, as we judged, at least eleven or twelve thousand men. + +As soon as they were clear of the town the regiments formed up. Then +one body marched off to the right, one to the left, and the third came +on slowly towards us. + +"Ah," said Infadoos, "they are going to attack us on three sides at +once." + +This seemed rather serious news, for our position on the top of the +mountain, which measured a mile and a half in circumference, being an +extended one, it was important to us to concentrate our comparatively +small defending force as much as possible. But since it was impossible +for us to dictate in what way we should be assailed, we had to make the +best of it, and accordingly sent orders to the various regiments to +prepare to receive the separate onslaughts. + + +[1] This cruel custom is not confined to the Kukuanas, but is by no +means uncommon amongst African tribes on the occasion of the outbreak +of war or any other important public event.--A.Q. + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +THE ATTACK + +Slowly, and without the slightest appearance of haste or excitement, +the three columns crept on. When within about five hundred yards of us, +the main or centre column halted at the root of a tongue of open plain +which ran up into the hill, to give time to the other divisions to +circumvent our position, which was shaped more or less in the form of a +horse-shoe, with its two points facing towards the town of Loo. The +object of this manoeuvre was that the threefold assault should be +delivered simultaneously. + +"Oh, for a gatling!" groaned Good, as he contemplated the serried +phalanxes beneath us. "I would clear that plain in twenty minutes." + +"We have not got one, so it is no use yearning for it; but suppose you +try a shot, Quatermain," said Sir Henry. "See how near you can go to +that tall fellow who appears to be in command. Two to one you miss him, +and an even sovereign, to be honestly paid if ever we get out of this, +that you don't drop the bullet within five yards." + + +This piqued me, so, loading the express with solid ball, I waited till +my friend walked some ten yards out from his force, in order to get a +better view of our position, accompanied only by an orderly; then, +lying down and resting the express on a rock, I covered him. The rifle, +like all expresses, was only sighted to three hundred and fifty yards, +so to allow for the drop in trajectory I took him half-way down the +neck, which ought, I calculated, to find him in the chest. He stood +quite still and gave me every opportunity, but whether it was the +excitement or the wind, or the fact of the man being a long shot, I +don't know, but this was what happened. Getting dead on, as I thought, +a fine sight, I pressed, and when the puff of smoke had cleared away, +to my disgust, I saw my man standing there unharmed, whilst his +orderly, who was at least three paces to the left, was stretched upon +the ground apparently dead. Turning swiftly, the officer I had aimed at +began to run towards his men in evident alarm. + +"Bravo, Quatermain!" sang out Good; "you've frightened him." + +This made me very angry, for, if possible to avoid it, I hate to miss +in public. When a man is master of only one art he likes to keep up his +reputation in that art. Moved quite out of myself at my failure, I did +a rash thing. Rapidly covering the general as he ran, I let drive with +the second barrel. Instantly the poor man threw up his arms, and fell +forward on to his face. This time I had made no mistake; and--I say it +as a proof of how little we think of others when our own safety, pride, +or reputation is in question--I was brute enough to feel delighted at +the sight. + +The regiments who had seen the feat cheered wildly at this exhibition +of the white man's magic, which they took as an omen of success, while +the force the general had belonged to--which, indeed, as we ascertained +afterwards, he had commanded--fell back in confusion. Sir Henry and +Good now took up their rifles and began to fire, the latter +industriously "browning" the dense mass before him with another +Winchester repeater, and I also had another shot or two, with the +result, so far as we could judge, that we put some six or eight men +_hors de combat_ before they were out of range. + +Just as we stopped firing there came an ominous roar from our far +right, then a similar roar rose on our left. The two other divisions +were engaging us. + +At the sound, the mass of men before us opened out a little, and +advanced towards the hill and up the spit of bare grass land at a slow +trot, singing a deep-throated song as they ran. We kept up a steady +fire from our rifles as they came, Ignosi joining in occasionally, and +accounted for several men, but of course we produced no more effect +upon that mighty rush of armed humanity than he who throws pebbles does +on the breaking wave. + +On they came, with a shout and the clashing of spears; now they were +driving in the pickets we had placed among the rocks at the foot of the +hill. After that the advance was a little slower, for though as yet we +had offered no serious opposition, the attacking forces must climb up +hill, and they came slowly to save their breath. Our first line of +defence was about half-way down the side of the slope, our second fifty +yards further back, while our third occupied the edge of the plateau. + +On they stormed, shouting their war-cry, "_Twala! Twala! Chiele! +Chiele!_" (Twala! Twala! Smite! Smite!) "_Ignosi! Ignosi! Chiele! +Chiele!_" answered our people. They were quite close now, and the +_tollas_, or throwing-knives, began to flash backwards and forwards, +and now with an awful yell the battle closed in. + +To and fro swayed the mass of struggling warriors, men falling fast as +leaves in an autumn wind; but before long the superior weight of the +attacking force began to tell, and our first line of defence was slowly +pressed back till it merged into the second. Here the struggle was very +fierce, but again our people were driven back and up, till at length, +within twenty minutes of the commencement of the fight, our third line +came into action. + +But by this time the assailants were much exhausted, and besides had +lost many men killed and wounded, and to break through that third +impenetrable hedge of spears proved beyond their powers. For a while +the seething lines of savages swung backwards and forwards, in the +fierce ebb and flow of battle, and the issue was doubtful. Sir Henry +watched the desperate struggle with a kindling eye, and then without a +word he rushed off, followed by Good, and flung himself into the +hottest of the fray. As for myself, I stopped where I was. + +The soldiers caught sight of his tall form as he plunged into battle, +and there rose a cry of-- + +"_Nanzia Incubu! Nanzia Unkungunklovo!_" (Here is the Elephant!) +"_Chiele! Chiele!_" + +From that moment the end was no longer in doubt. Inch by inch, fighting +with splendid gallantry, the attacking force was pressed back down the +hillside, till at last it retreated upon its reserves in something like +confusion. At that instant, too, a messenger arrived to say that the +left attack had been repulsed; and I was just beginning to congratulate +myself, believing that the affair was over for the present, when, to +our horror, we perceived our men who had been engaged in the right +defence being driven towards us across the plain, followed by swarms of +the enemy, who had evidently succeeded at this point. + +Ignosi, who was standing by me, took in the situation at a glance, and +issued a rapid order. Instantly the reserve regiment around us, the +Greys, extended itself. + +Again Ignosi gave a word of command, which was taken up and repeated by +the captains, and in another second, to my intense disgust, I found +myself involved in a furious onslaught upon the advancing foe. Getting +as much as I could behind Ignosi's huge frame, I made the best of a bad +job, and toddled along to be killed as though I liked it. In a minute +or two--we were plunging through the flying groups of our men, who at +once began to re-form behind us, and then I am sure I do not know what +happened. All I can remember is a dreadful rolling noise of the meeting +of shields, and the sudden apparition of a huge ruffian, whose eyes +seemed literally to be starting out of his head, making straight at me +with a bloody spear. But--I say it with pride--I rose--or rather +sank--to the occasion. It was one before which most people would have +collapsed once and for all. Seeing that if I stood where I was I must +be killed, as the horrid apparition came I flung myself down in front +of him so cleverly that, being unable to stop himself, he took a header +right over my prostrate form. Before he could rise again, _I_ had risen +and settled the matter from behind with my revolver. + +Shortly after this somebody knocked me down, and I remember no more of +that charge. + +When I came to I found myself back at the koppie, with Good bending +over me holding some water in a gourd. + +"How do you feel, old fellow?" he asked anxiously. + +I got up and shook myself before replying. + +"Pretty well, thank you," I answered. + +"Thank Heaven! When I saw them carry you in, I felt quite sick; I +thought you were done for." + +"Not this time, my boy. I fancy I only got a rap on the head, which +knocked me stupid. How has it ended?" + +"They are repulsed at every point for a while. The loss is dreadfully +heavy; we have quite two thousand killed and wounded, and they must +have lost three. Look, there's a sight!" and he pointed to long lines +of men advancing by fours. + +In the centre of every group of four, and being borne by it, was a kind +of hide tray, of which a Kukuana force always carries a quantity, with +a loop for a handle at each corner. On these trays--and their number +seemed endless--lay wounded men, who as they arrived were hastily +examined by the medicine men, of whom ten were attached to a regiment. +If the wound was not of a fatal character the sufferer was taken away +and attended to as carefully as circumstances would allow. But if, on +the other hand, the injured man's condition proved hopeless, what +followed was very dreadful, though doubtless it may have been the +truest mercy. One of the doctors, under pretence of carrying out an +examination, swiftly opened an artery with a sharp knife, and in a +minute or two the sufferer expired painlessly. There were many cases +that day in which this was done. In fact, it was done in the majority +of cases when the wound was in the body, for the gash made by the entry +of the enormously broad spears used by the Kukuanas generally rendered +recovery impossible. In most instances the poor sufferers were already +unconscious, and in others the fatal "nick" of the artery was inflicted +so swiftly and painlessly that they did not seem to notice it. Still it +was a ghastly sight, and one from which we were glad to escape; indeed, +I never remember anything of the kind that affected me more than seeing +those gallant soldiers thus put out of pain by the red-handed medicine +men, except, indeed, on one occasion when, after an attack, I saw a +force of Swazis burying their hopelessly wounded _alive_. + +Hurrying from this dreadful scene to the further side of the koppie, we +found Sir Henry, who still held a battle-axe in his hand, Ignosi, +Infadoos, and one or two of the chiefs in deep consultation. + +"Thank Heaven, here you are, Quatermain! I can't quite make out what +Ignosi wants to do. It seems that though we have beaten off the attack, +Twala is now receiving large reinforcements, and is showing a +disposition to invest us, with the view of starving us out." + +"That's awkward." + +"Yes; especially as Infadoos says that the water supply has given out." + +"My lord, that is so," said Infadoos; "the spring cannot supply the +wants of so great a multitude, and it is failing rapidly. Before night +we shall all be thirsty. Listen, Macumazahn. Thou art wise, and hast +doubtless seen many wars in the lands from whence thou camest--that is +if indeed they make wars in the Stars. Now tell us, what shall we do? +Twala has brought up many fresh men to take the place of those who have +fallen. Yet Twala has learnt his lesson; the hawk did not think to find +the heron ready; but our beak has pierced his breast; he fears to +strike at us again. We too are wounded, and he will wait for us to die; +he will wind himself round us like a snake round a buck, and fight the +fight of 'sit down.'" + +"I hear thee," I said. + +"So, Macumazahn, thou seest we have no water here, and but a little +food, and we must choose between these three things--to languish like a +starving lion in his den, or to strive to break away towards the north, +or"--and here he rose and pointed towards the dense mass of our +foes--"to launch ourselves straight at Twala's throat. Incubu, the +great warrior--for to-day he fought like a buffalo in a net, and +Twala's soldiers went down before his axe like young corn before the +hail; with these eyes I saw it--Incubu says 'Charge'; but the Elephant +is ever prone to charge. Now what says Macumazahn, the wily old fox, +who has seen much, and loves to bite his enemy from behind? The last +word is in Ignosi the king, for it is a king's right to speak of war; +but let us hear thy voice, O Macumazahn, who watchest by night, and the +voice too of him of the transparent eye." + +"What sayest thou, Ignosi," I asked. + +"Nay, my father," answered our quondam servant, who now, clad as he was +in the full panoply of savage war, looked every inch a warrior king, +"do thou speak, and let me, who am but a child in wisdom beside thee, +hearken to thy words." + +Thus adjured, after taking hasty counsel with Good and Sir Henry, I +delivered my opinion briefly to the effect that, being trapped, our +best chance, especially in view of the failure of our water supply, was +to initiate an attack upon Twala's forces. Then I recommended that the +attack should be delivered at once, "before our wounds grew stiff," and +also before the sight of Twala's overpowering force caused the hearts +of our soldiers "to wax small like fat before a fire." Otherwise, I +pointed out, some of the captains might change their minds, and, making +peace with Twala, desert to him, or even betray us into his hands. + +This expression of opinion seemed, on the whole, to be favourably +received; indeed, among the Kukuanas my utterances met with a respect +which has never been accorded to them before or since. But the real +decision as to our plans lay with Ignosi, who, since he had been +recognised as rightful king, could exercise the almost unbounded rights +of sovereignty, including, of course, the final decision on matters of +generalship, and it was to him that all eyes were now turned. + +At length, after a pause, during which he appeared to be thinking +deeply, he spoke. + +"Incubu, Macumazahn, and Bougwan, brave white men, and my friends; +Infadoos, my uncle, and chiefs; my heart is fixed. I will strike at +Twala this day, and set my fortunes on the blow, ay, and my life--my +life and your lives also. Listen; thus will I strike. Ye see how the +hill curves round like the half-moon, and how the plain runs like a +green tongue towards us within the curve?" + +"We see," I answered. + +"Good; it is now mid-day, and the men eat and rest after the toil of +battle. When the sun has turned and travelled a little way towards the +darkness, let thy regiment, my uncle, advance with one other down to +the green tongue, and it shall be that when Twala sees it he will hurl +his force at it to crush it. But the spot is narrow, and the regiments +can come against thee one at a time only; so may they be destroyed one +by one, and the eyes of all Twala's army shall be fixed upon a struggle +the like of which has not been seen by living man. And with thee, my +uncle, shall go Incubu my friend, that when Twala sees his battle-axe +flashing in the first rank of the Greys his heart may grow faint. And I +will come with the second regiment, that which follows thee, so that if +ye are destroyed, as it might happen, there may yet be a king left to +fight for; and with me shall come Macumazahn the wise." + +"It is well, O king," said Infadoos, apparently contemplating the +certainty of the complete annihilation of his regiment with perfect +calmness. Truly, these Kukuanas are a wonderful people. Death has no +terrors for them when it is incurred in the course of duty. + +"And whilst the eyes of the multitude of Twala's soldiers are thus +fixed upon the fight," went on Ignosi, "behold, one-third of the men +who are left alive to us (i.e. about 6,000) shall creep along the right +horn of the hill and fall upon the left flank of Twala's force, and +one-third shall creep along the left horn and fall upon Twala's right +flank. And when I see that the horns are ready to toss Twala, then will +I, with the men who remain to me, charge home in Twala's face, and if +fortune goes with us the day will be ours, and before Night drives her +black oxen from the mountains to the mountains we shall sit in peace at +Loo. And now let us eat and make ready; and, Infadoos, do thou prepare, +that the plan be carried out without fail; and stay, let my white +father Bougwan go with the right horn, that his shining eye may give +courage to the captains." + +The arrangements for attack thus briefly indicated were set in motion +with a rapidity that spoke well for the perfection of the Kukuana +military system. Within little more than an hour rations had been +served out and devoured, the divisions were formed, the scheme of +onslaught was explained to the leaders, and the whole force, numbering +about 18,000 men, was ready to move, with the exception of a guard left +in charge of the wounded. + +Presently Good came up to Sir Henry and myself. + +"Good-bye, you fellows," he said; "I am off with the right wing +according to orders; and so I have come to shake hands, in case we +should not meet again, you know," he added significantly. + +We shook hands in silence, and not without the exhibition of as much +emotion as Anglo-Saxons are wont to show. + +"It is a queer business," said Sir Henry, his deep voice shaking a +little, "and I confess I never expect to see to-morrow's sun. So far as +I can make out, the Greys, with whom I am to go, are to fight until +they are wiped out in order to enable the wings to slip round unawares +and outflank Twala. Well, so be it; at any rate, it will be a man's +death. Good-bye, old fellow. God bless you! I hope you will pull +through and live to collar the diamonds; but if you do, take my advice +and don't have anything more to do with Pretenders!" + +In another second Good had wrung us both by the hand and gone; and then +Infadoos came up and led off Sir Henry to his place in the forefront of +the Greys, whilst, with many misgivings, I departed with Ignosi to my +station in the second attacking regiment. + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +THE LAST STAND OF THE GREYS + +In a few more minutes the regiments destined to carry out the flanking +movements had tramped off in silence, keeping carefully to the lee of +the rising ground in order to conceal their advance from the keen eyes +of Twala's scouts. + +Half an hour or more was allowed to elapse between the setting out of +the horns or wings of the army before any stir was made by the Greys +and their supporting regiment, known as the Buffaloes, which formed its +chest, and were destined to bear the brunt of the battle. + +Both of these regiments were almost perfectly fresh, and of full +strength, the Greys having been in reserve in the morning, and having +lost but a small number of men in sweeping back that part of the attack +which had proved successful in breaking the line of defence, on the +occasion when I charged with them and was stunned for my pains. As for +the Buffaloes, they had formed the third line of defence on the left, +and since the attacking force at that point had not succeeded in +breaking through the second, they had scarcely come into action at all. + +Infadoos, who was a wary old general, and knew the absolute importance +of keeping up the spirits of his men on the eve of such a desperate +encounter, employed the pause in addressing his own regiment, the +Greys, in poetical language: explaining to them the honour that they +were receiving in being put thus in the forefront of the battle, and in +having the great white warrior from the Stars to fight with them in +their ranks; and promising large rewards of cattle and promotion to all +who survived in the event of Ignosi's arms being successful. + +I looked down the long lines of waving black plumes and stern faces +beneath them, and sighed to think that within one short hour most, if +not all, of those magnificent veteran warriors, not a man of whom was +under forty years of age, would be laid dead or dying in the dust. It +could not be otherwise; they were being condemned, with that wise +recklessness of human life which marks the great general, and often +saves his forces and attains his ends, to certain slaughter, in order +to give their cause and the remainder of the army a chance of success. +They were foredoomed to die, and they knew the truth. It was to be +their task to engage regiment after regiment of Twala's army on the +narrow strip of green beneath us, till they were exterminated or till +the wings found a favourable opportunity for their onslaught. And yet +they never hesitated, nor could I detect a sign of fear upon the face +of a single warrior. There they were--going to certain death, about to +quit the blessed light of day for ever, and yet able to contemplate +their doom without a tremor. Even at that moment I could not help +contrasting their state of mind with my own, which was far from +comfortable, and breathing a sigh of envy and admiration. Never before +had I seen such an absolute devotion to the idea of duty, and such a +complete indifference to its bitter fruits. + +"Behold your king!" ended old Infadoos, pointing to Ignosi; "go fight +and fall for him, as is the duty of brave men, and cursed and shameful +for ever be the name of him who shrinks from death for his king, or who +turns his back to the foe. Behold your king, chiefs, captains, and +soldiers! Now do your homage to the sacred Snake, and then follow on, +that Incubu and I may show you a road to the heart of Twala's host." + +There was a moment's pause, then suddenly a murmur arose from the +serried phalanxes before us, a sound like the distant whisper of the +sea, caused by the gentle tapping of the handles of six thousand spears +against their holders' shields. Slowly it swelled, till its growing +volume deepened and widened into a roar of rolling noise, that echoed +like thunder against the mountains, and filled the air with heavy waves +of sound. Then it decreased, and by faint degrees died away into +nothing, and suddenly out crashed the royal salute. + +Ignosi, I thought to myself, might well be a proud man that day, for no +Roman emperor ever had such a salutation from gladiators "about to die." + +Ignosi acknowledged this magnificent act of homage by lifting his +battle-axe, and then the Greys filed off in a triple-line formation, +each line containing about one thousand fighting men, exclusive of +officers. When the last companies had advanced some five hundred yards, +Ignosi put himself at the head of the Buffaloes, which regiment was +drawn up in a similar three-fold formation, and gave the word to march, +and off we went, I, needless to say, uttering the most heartfelt +prayers that I might emerge from that entertainment with a whole skin. +Many a queer position have I found myself in, but never before in one +quite so unpleasant as the present, or one in which my chance of coming +off safe was smaller. + +By the time that we reached the edge of the plateau the Greys were +already half-way down the slope ending in the tongue of grass land that +ran up into the bend of the mountain, something as the frog of a +horse's foot runs up into the shoe. The excitement in Twala's camp on +the plain beyond was very great, and regiment after regiment was +starting forward at a long swinging trot in order to reach the root of +the tongue of land before the attacking force could emerge into the +plain of Loo. + +This tongue, which was some four hundred yards in depth, even at its +root or widest part was not more than six hundred and fifty paces +across, while at its tip it scarcely measured ninety. The Greys, who, +in passing down the side of the hill and on to the tip of the tongue, +had formed into a column, on reaching the spot where it broadened out +again, reassumed their triple-line formation, and halted dead. + +Then we--that is, the Buffaloes--moved down the tip of the tongue and +took our stand in reserve, about one hundred yards behind the last line +of the Greys, and on slightly higher ground. Meanwhile we had leisure +to observe Twala's entire force, which evidently had been reinforced +since the morning attack, and could not now, notwithstanding their +losses, number less than forty thousand, moving swiftly up towards us. +But as they drew near the root of the tongue they hesitated, having +discovered that only one regiment could advance into the gorge at a +time, and that there, some seventy yards from the mouth of it, +unassailable except in front, on account of the high walls of +boulder-strewn ground on each side, stood the famous regiment of Greys, +the pride and glory of the Kukuana army, ready to hold the way against +their power as the three Romans once held the bridge against thousands. + +They hesitated, and finally stopped their advance; there was no +eagerness to cross spears with these three grim ranks of warriors who +stood so firm and ready. Presently, however, a tall general, wearing +the customary head-dress of nodding ostrich plumes, appeared, attended +by a group of chiefs and orderlies, being, I thought, none other than +Twala himself. He gave an order, and the first regiment, raising a +shout, charged up towards the Greys, who remained perfectly still and +silent till the attacking troops were within forty yards, and a volley +of _tollas_, or throwing-knives, came rattling among their ranks. + +Then suddenly with a bound and a roar, they sprang forward with +uplifted spears, and the regiment met in deadly strife. Next second the +roll of the meeting shields came to our ears like the sound of thunder, +and the plain seemed to be alive with flashes of light reflected from +the shimmering spears. To and fro swung the surging mass of struggling, +stabbing humanity, but not for long. Suddenly the attacking lines began +to grow thinner, and then with a slow, long heave the Greys passed over +them, just as a great wave heaves up its bulk and passes over a sunken +ridge. It was done; that regiment was completely destroyed, but the +Greys had but two lines left now; a third of their number were dead. + +Closing up shoulder to shoulder, once more they halted in silence and +awaited attack; and I was rejoiced to catch sight of Sir Henry's yellow +beard as he moved to and fro arranging the ranks. So he was yet alive! + +Meanwhile we moved on to the ground of the encounter, which was +cumbered by about four thousand prostrate human beings, dead, dying, +and wounded, and literally stained red with blood. Ignosi issued an +order, which was rapidly passed down the ranks, to the effect that none +of the enemy's wounded were to be killed, and so far as we could see +this command was scrupulously carried out. It would have been a +shocking sight, if we had found time to think of such things. + +But now a second regiment, distinguished by white plumes, kilts, and +shields, was moving to the attack of the two thousand remaining Greys, +who stood waiting in the same ominous silence as before, till the foe +was within forty yards or so, when they hurled themselves with +irresistible force upon them. Again there came the awful roll of the +meeting shields, and as we watched the tragedy repeated itself. + +But this time the issue was left longer in doubt; indeed, it seemed for +awhile almost impossible that the Greys should again prevail. The +attacking regiment, which was formed of young men, fought with the +utmost fury, and at first seemed by sheer weight to be driving the +veterans back. The slaughter was truly awful, hundreds falling every +minute; and from among the shouts of the warriors and the groans of the +dying, set to the music of clashing spears, came a continuous hissing +undertone of "_S'gee, s'gee_," the note of triumph of each victor as he +passed his assegai through and through the body of his fallen foe. + +But perfect discipline and steady and unchanging valour can do wonders, +and one veteran soldier is worth two young ones, as soon became +apparent in the present case. For just when we thought that it was all +over with the Greys, and were preparing to take their place so soon as +they made room by being destroyed, I heard Sir Henry's deep voice +ringing out through the din, and caught a glimpse of his circling +battle-axe as he waved it high above his plumes. Then came a change; +the Greys ceased to give; they stood still as a rock, against which the +furious waves of spearmen broke again and again, only to recoil. +Presently they began to move once more--forward this time; as they had +no firearms there was no smoke, so we could see it all. Another minute +and the onslaught grew fainter. + +"Ah, these are _men_, indeed; they will conquer again," called out +Ignosi, who was grinding his teeth with excitement at my side. "See, it +is done!" + +Suddenly, like puffs of smoke from the mouth of a cannon, the attacking +regiment broke away in flying groups, their white head-dresses +streaming behind them in the wind, and left their opponents victors, +indeed, but, alas! no more a regiment. Of the gallant triple line, +which forty minutes before had gone into action three thousand strong, +there remained at most some six hundred blood-spattered men; the rest +were under foot. And yet they cheered and waved their spears in +triumph, and then, instead of falling back upon us as we expected, they +ran forward, for a hundred yards or so, after the flying groups of +foemen, took possession of a rising knoll of ground, and, resuming +their triple formation, formed a threefold ring around its base. And +there, thanks be to Heaven, standing on the top of the mound for a +minute, I saw Sir Henry, apparently unharmed, and with him our old +friend Infadoos. Then Twala's regiments rolled down upon the doomed +band, and once more the battle closed in. + +As those who read this history will probably long ago have gathered, I +am, to be honest, a bit of a coward, and certainly in no way given to +fighting, though somehow it has often been my lot to get into +unpleasant positions, and to be obliged to shed man's blood. But I have +always hated it, and kept my own blood as undiminished in quantity as +possible, sometimes by a judicious use of my heels. At this moment, +however, for the first time in my life, I felt my bosom burn with +martial ardour. Warlike fragments from the "Ingoldsby Legends," +together with numbers of sanguinary verses in the Old Testament, sprang +up in my brain like mushrooms in the dark; my blood, which hitherto had +been half-frozen with horror, went beating through my veins, and there +came upon me a savage desire to kill and spare not. I glanced round at +the serried ranks of warriors behind us, and somehow, all in an +instant, I began to wonder if my face looked like theirs. There they +stood, the hands twitching, the lips apart, the fierce features +instinct with the hungry lust of battle, and in the eyes a look like +the glare of a bloodhound when after long pursuit he sights his quarry. + +Only Ignosi's heart, to judge from his comparative self-possession, +seemed, to all appearances, to beat as calmly as ever beneath his +leopard-skin cloak, though even _he_ still ground his teeth. I could +bear it no longer. + +"Are we to stand here till we put out roots, Umbopa--Ignosi, I +mean--while Twala swallows our brothers yonder?" I asked. + +"Nay, Macumazahn," was the answer; "see, now is the ripe moment: let us +pluck it." + +As he spoke a fresh regiment rushed past the ring upon the little +mound, and wheeling round, attacked it from the hither side. + +Then, lifting his battle-axe, Ignosi gave the signal to advance, and, +screaming the wild Kukuana war-cry, the Buffaloes charged home with a +rush like the rush of the sea. + +What followed immediately on this it is out of my power to tell. All I +can remember is an irregular yet ordered advance, that seemed to shake +the ground; a sudden change of front and forming up on the part of the +regiment against which the charge was directed; then an awful shock, a +dull roar of voices, and a continuous flashing of spears, seen through +a red mist of blood. + +When my mind cleared I found myself standing inside the remnant of the +Greys near the top of the mound, and just behind no less a person than +Sir Henry himself. How I got there I had at the moment no idea, but Sir +Henry afterwards told me that I was borne up by the first furious +charge of the Buffaloes almost to his feet, and then left, as they in +turn were pressed back. Thereon he dashed out of the circle and dragged +me into shelter. + +As for the fight that followed, who can describe it? Again and again +the multitudes surged against our momentarily lessening circle, and +again and again we beat them back. + + "The stubborn spearmen still made good + The dark impenetrable wood, + Each stepping where his comrade stood + The instant that he fell," + +as someone or other beautifully says. + +It was a splendid thing to see those brave battalions come on time +after time over the barriers of their dead, sometimes lifting corpses +before them to receive our spear-thrusts, only to leave their own +corpses to swell the rising piles. It was a gallant sight to see that +old warrior, Infadoos, as cool as though he were on parade, shouting +out orders, taunts, and even jests, to keep up the spirit of his few +remaining men, and then, as each charge rolled on, stepping forward to +wherever the fighting was thickest, to bear his share in its repulse. +And yet more gallant was the vision of Sir Henry, whose ostrich plumes +had been shorn off by a spear thrust, so that his long yellow hair +streamed out in the breeze behind him. There he stood, the great Dane, +for he was nothing else, his hands, his axe, and his armour all red +with blood, and none could live before his stroke. Time after time I +saw it sweeping down, as some great warrior ventured to give him +battle, and as he struck he shouted "_O-hoy! O-hoy!_" like his +Berserkir forefathers, and the blow went crashing through shield and +spear, through head-dress, hair, and skull, till at last none would of +their own will come near the great white "_umtagati_," the wizard, who +killed and failed not. + +But suddenly there rose a cry of "_Twala, y' Twala_," and out of the +press sprang forward none other than the gigantic one-eyed king +himself, also armed with battle-axe and shield, and clad in chain +armour. + +"Where art thou, Incubu, thou white man, who slewest Scragga my +son--see if thou canst slay me!" he shouted, and at the same time +hurled a _tolla_ straight at Sir Henry, who fortunately saw it coming, +and caught it on his shield, which it transfixed, remaining wedged in +the iron plate behind the hide. + +Then, with a cry, Twala sprang forward straight at him, and with his +battle-axe struck him such a blow upon the shield that the mere force +and shock of it brought Sir Henry, strong man as he is, down upon his +knees. + +But at this time the matter went no further, for that instant there +rose from the regiments pressing round us something like a shout of +dismay, and on looking up I saw the cause. + +To the right and to the left the plain was alive with the plumes of +charging warriors. The outflanking squadrons had come to our relief. +The time could not have been better chosen. All Twala's army, as Ignosi +predicted would be the case, had fixed their attention on the bloody +struggle which was raging round the remnant of the Greys and that of +the Buffaloes, who were now carrying on a battle of their own at a +little distance, which two regiments had formed the chest of our army. +It was not until our horns were about to close upon them that they had +dreamed of their approach, for they believed these forces to be hidden +in reserve upon the crest of the moon-shaped hill. And now, before they +could even assume a proper formation for defence, the outflanking +_Impis_ had leapt, like greyhounds, on their flanks. + +In five minutes the fate of the battle was decided. Taken on both +flanks, and dismayed at the awful slaughter inflicted upon them by the +Greys and Buffaloes, Twala's regiments broke into flight, and soon the +whole plain between us and Loo was scattered with groups of running +soldiers making good their retreat. As for the hosts that had so +recently surrounded us and the Buffaloes, they melted away as though by +magic, and presently we were left standing there like a rock from which +the sea has retreated. But what a sight it was! Around us the dead and +dying lay in heaped-up masses, and of the gallant Greys there remained +but ninety-five men upon their feet. More than three thousand four +hundred had fallen in this one regiment, most of them never to rise +again. + +"Men," said Infadoos calmly, as between the intervals of binding a +wound on his arm he surveyed what remained to him of his corps, "ye +have kept up the reputation of your regiment, and this day's fighting +will be well spoken of by your children's children." Then he turned +round and shook Sir Henry Curtis by the hand. "Thou art a great +captain, Incubu," he said simply; "I have lived a long life among +warriors, and have known many a brave one, yet have I never seen a man +like unto thee." + +At this moment the Buffaloes began to march past our position on the +road to Loo, and as they went a message was brought to us from Ignosi +requesting Infadoos, Sir Henry, and myself to join them. Accordingly, +orders having been issued to the remaining ninety men of the Greys to +employ themselves in collecting the wounded, we joined Ignosi, who +informed us that he was pressing on to Loo to complete the victory by +capturing Twala, if that should be possible. Before we had gone far, +suddenly we discovered the figure of Good sitting on an ant-heap about +one hundred paces from us. Close beside him was the body of a Kukuana. + +"He must be wounded," said Sir Henry anxiously. As he made the remark, +an untoward thing happened. The dead body of the Kukuana soldier, or +rather what had appeared to be his dead body, suddenly sprang up, +knocked Good head over heels off the ant-heap, and began to spear him. +We rushed forward in terror, and as we drew near we saw the brawny +warrior making dig after dig at the prostrate Good, who at each prod +jerked all his limbs into the air. Seeing us coming, the Kukuana gave +one final and most vicious dig, and with a shout of "Take that, +wizard!" bolted away. Good did not move, and we concluded that our poor +comrade was done for. Sadly we came towards him, and were astonished to +find him pale and faint indeed, but with a serene smile upon his face, +and his eyeglass still fixed in his eye. + +"Capital armour this," he murmured, on catching sight of our faces +bending over him. "How sold that beggar must have been," and then he +fainted. On examination we discovered that he had been seriously +wounded in the leg by a _tolla_ in the course of the pursuit, but that +the chain armour had prevented his last assailant's spear from doing +anything more than bruise him badly. It was a merciful escape. As +nothing could be done for him at the moment, he was placed on one of +the wicker shields used for the wounded, and carried along with us. + +On arriving before the nearest gate of Loo we found one of our +regiments watching it in obedience to orders received from Ignosi. The +other regiments were in the same way guarding the different exits to +the town. The officer in command of this regiment saluted Ignosi as +king, and informed him that Twala's army had taken refuge in the town, +whither Twala himself had also escaped, but he thought that they were +thoroughly demoralised, and would surrender. Thereupon Ignosi, after +taking counsel with us, sent forward heralds to each gate ordering the +defenders to open, and promising on his royal word life and forgiveness +to every soldier who laid down his arms, but saying that if they did +not do so before nightfall he would certainly burn the town and all +within its gates. This message was not without its effect. Half an hour +later, amid the shouts and cheers of the Buffaloes, the bridge was +dropped across the fosse, and the gates upon the further side were +flung open. + +Taking due precautions against treachery, we marched on into the town. +All along the roadways stood thousands of dejected warriors, their +heads drooping, and their shields and spears at their feet, who, headed +by their officers, saluted Ignosi as king as he passed. On we marched, +straight to Twala's kraal. When we reached the great space, where a day +or two previously we had seen the review and the witch hunt, we found +it deserted. No, not quite deserted, for there, on the further side, in +front of his hut, sat Twala himself, with but one attendant--Gagool. + +It was a melancholy sight to see him seated, his battle-axe and shield +by his side, his chin upon his mailed breast, with but one old crone +for companion, and notwithstanding his crimes and misdeeds, a pang of +compassion shot through me as I looked upon Twala thus "fallen from his +high estate." Not a soldier of all his armies, not a courtier out of +the hundreds who had cringed round him, not even a solitary wife, +remained to share his fate or halve the bitterness of his fall. Poor +savage! he was learning the lesson which Fate teaches to most of us who +live long enough, that the eyes of mankind are blind to the +discredited, and that he who is defenceless and fallen finds few +friends and little mercy. Nor, indeed, in this case did he deserve any. + +Filing through the kraal gate, we marched across the open space to +where the ex-king sat. When within about fifty yards of him the +regiment was halted, and accompanied only by a small guard we advanced +towards him, Gagool reviling us bitterly as we came. As we drew near, +Twala, for the first time, lifted his plumed head, and fixed his one +eye, which seemed to flash with suppressed fury almost as brightly as +the great diamond bound round his forehead, upon his successful +rival--Ignosi. + +"Hail, O king!" he said, with bitter mockery; "thou who hast eaten of +my bread, and now by the aid of the white man's magic hast seduced my +regiments and defeated mine army, hail! What fate hast thou in store +for me, O king?" + +"The fate thou gavest to my father, whose throne thou hast sat on these +many years!" was the stern answer. + +"It is good. I will show thee how to die, that thou mayest remember it +against thine own time. See, the sun sinks in blood," and he pointed +with his battle-axe towards the setting orb; "it is well that my sun +should go down in its company. And now, O king! I am ready to die, but +I crave the boon of the Kukuana royal House[1] to die fighting. Thou +canst not refuse it, or even those cowards who fled to-day will hold thee +shamed." + +"It is granted. Choose--with whom wilt thou fight? Myself I cannot +fight with thee, for the king fights not except in war." + +Twala's sombre eye ran up and down our ranks, and I felt, as for a +moment it rested on myself, that the position had developed a new +horror. What if he chose to begin by fighting _me_? What chance should +I have against a desperate savage six feet five high, and broad in +proportion? I might as well commit suicide at once. Hastily I made up +my mind to decline the combat, even if I were hooted out of Kukuanaland +as a consequence. It is, I think, better to be hooted than to be +quartered with a battle-axe. + +Presently Twala spoke. + +"Incubu, what sayest thou, shall we end what we began to-day, or shall +I call thee coward, white--even to the liver?" + +"Nay," interposed Ignosi hastily; "thou shalt not fight with Incubu." + +"Not if he is afraid," said Twala. + +Unfortunately Sir Henry understood this remark, and the blood flamed up +into his cheeks. + +"I will fight him," he said; "he shall see if I am afraid." + +"For Heaven's sake," I entreated, "don't risk your life against that of +a desperate man. Anybody who saw you to-day will know that you are +brave enough." + +"I will fight him," was the sullen answer. "No living man shall call me +a coward. I am ready now!" and he stepped forward and lifted his axe. + +I wrung my hands over this absurd piece of Quixotism; but if he was +determined on this deed, of course I could not stop him. + +"Fight not, my white brother," said Ignosi, laying his hand +affectionately on Sir Henry's arm; "thou hast fought enough, and if +aught befell thee at his hands it would cut my heart in twain." + +"I will fight, Ignosi," was Sir Henry's answer. + +"It is well, Incubu; thou art a brave man. It will be a good fray. +Behold, Twala, the Elephant is ready for thee." + +The ex-king laughed savagely, and stepping forward faced Curtis. For a +moment they stood thus, and the light of the sinking sun caught their +stalwart frames and clothed them both in fire. They were a well-matched +pair. + +Then they began to circle round each other, their battle-axes raised. + +Suddenly Sir Henry sprang forward and struck a fearful blow at Twala, +who stepped to one side. So heavy was the stroke that the striker half +overbalanced himself, a circumstance of which his antagonist took a +prompt advantage. Circling his massive battle-axe round his head, he +brought it down with tremendous force. My heart jumped into my mouth; I +thought that the affair was already finished. But no; with a quick +upward movement of the left arm Sir Henry interposed his shield between +himself and the axe, with the result that its outer edge was shorn +away, the axe falling on his left shoulder, but not heavily enough to +do any serious damage. In another moment Sir Henry got in a second +blow, which was also received by Twala upon his shield. + +Then followed blow upon blow, that were, in turn, either received upon +the shields or avoided. The excitement grew intense; the regiment which +was watching the encounter forgot its discipline, and, drawing near, +shouted and groaned at every stroke. Just at this time, too, Good, who +had been laid upon the ground by me, recovered from his faint, and, +sitting up, perceived what was going on. In an instant he was up, and +catching hold of my arm, hopped about from place to place on one leg, +dragging me after him, and yelling encouragements to Sir Henry-- + +"Go it, old fellow!" he hallooed. "That was a good one! Give it him +amidships," and so on. + +Presently Sir Henry, having caught a fresh stroke upon his shield, hit +out with all his force. The blow cut through Twala's shield and through +the tough chain armour behind it, gashing him in the shoulder. With a +yell of pain and fury Twala returned the blow with interest, and, such +was his strength, shore right through the rhinoceros' horn handle of +his antagonists battle-axe, strengthened as it was with bands of steel, +wounding Curtis in the face. + +A cry of dismay rose from the Buffaloes as our hero's broad axe-head +fell to the ground; and Twala, again raising his weapon, flew at him +with a shout. I shut my eyes. When I opened them again it was to see +Sir Henry's shield lying on the ground, and Sir Henry himself with his +great arms twined round Twala's middle. To and fro they swung, hugging +each other like bears, straining with all their mighty muscles for dear +life, and dearer honour. With a supreme effort Twala swung the +Englishman clean off his feet, and down they came together, rolling +over and over on the lime paving, Twala striking out at Curtis' head +with the battle-axe, and Sir Henry trying to drive the _tolla_ he had +drawn from his belt through Twala's armour. + +It was a mighty struggle, and an awful thing to see. + +"Get his axe!" yelled Good; and perhaps our champion heard him. + +At any rate, dropping the _tolla_, he snatched at the axe, which was +fastened to Twala's wrist by a strip of buffalo hide, and still rolling +over and over, they fought for it like wild cats, drawing their breath +in heavy gasps. Suddenly the hide string burst, and then, with a great +effort, Sir Henry freed himself, the weapon remaining in his hand. +Another second and he was upon his feet, the red blood streaming from +the wound in his face, and so was Twala. Drawing the heavy _tolla_ from +his belt, he reeled straight at Curtis and struck him in the breast. +The stab came home true and strong, but whoever it was who made that +chain armour, he understood his art, for it withstood the steel. Again +Twala struck out with a savage yell, and again the sharp knife +rebounded, and Sir Henry went staggering back. Once more Twala came on, +and as he came our great Englishman gathered himself together, and +swinging the big axe round his head with both hands, hit at him with +all his force. + +There was a shriek of excitement from a thousand throats, and, behold! +Twala's head seemed to spring from his shoulders: then it fell and came +rolling and bounding along the ground towards Ignosi, stopping just at +his feet. For a second the corpse stood upright; then with a dull crash +it came to the earth, and the gold torque from its neck rolled away +across the pavement. As it did so Sir Henry, overpowered by faintness +and loss of blood, fell heavily across the body of the dead king. + +In a second he was lifted up, and eager hands were pouring water on his +face. Another minute, and the grey eyes opened wide. + +He was not dead. + +Then I, just as the sun sank, stepping to where Twala's head lay in the +dust, unloosed the diamond from the dead brows, and handed it to Ignosi. + +"Take it," I said, "lawful king of the Kukuanas--king by birth and +victory." + +Ignosi bound the diadem upon his brows. Then advancing, he placed his +foot upon the broad chest of his headless foe and broke out into a +chant, or rather a pćan of triumph, so beautiful, and yet so utterly +savage, that I despair of being able to give an adequate version of his +words. Once I heard a scholar with a fine voice read aloud from the +Greek poet Homer, and I remember that the sound of the rolling lines +seemed to make my blood stand still. Ignosi's chant, uttered as it was +in a language as beautiful and sonorous as the old Greek, produced +exactly the same effect on me, although I was exhausted with toil and +many emotions. + +"Now," he began, "now our rebellion is swallowed up in victory, and our +evil-doing is justified by strength. + +"In the morning the oppressors arose and stretched themselves; they +bound on their harness and made them ready to war. + +"They rose up and tossed their spears: the soldiers called to the +captains, 'Come, lead us'--and the captains cried to the king, 'Direct +thou the battle.' + +"They laughed in their pride, twenty thousand men, and yet a twenty +thousand. + +"Their plumes covered the valleys as the plumes of a bird cover her +nest; they shook their shields and shouted, yea, they shook their +shields in the sunlight; they lusted for battle and were glad. + +"They came up against me; their strong ones ran swiftly to slay me; +they cried, 'Ha! ha! he is as one already dead.' + + + +"Then breathed I on them, and my breath was as the breath of a wind, +and lo! they were not. + +"My lightnings pierced them; I licked up their strength with the +lightning of my spears; I shook them to the ground with the thunder of +my shoutings. + +"They broke--they scattered--they were gone as the mists of the morning. + +"They are food for the kites and the foxes, and the place of battle is +fat with their blood. + + +"Where are the mighty ones who rose up in the morning? + +"Where are the proud ones who tossed their spears and cried, 'He is as +a man already dead'? + +"They bow their heads, but not in sleep; they are stretched out, but +not in sleep. + +"They are forgotten; they have gone into the blackness; they dwell in +the dead moons; yea, others shall lead away their wives, and their +children shall remember them no more. + + +"And I--! the king--like an eagle I have found my eyrie. + +"Behold! far have I flown in the night season, yet have I returned to +my young at the daybreak. + +"Shelter ye under the shadow of my wings, O people, and I will comfort +you, and ye shall not be dismayed. + +"Now is the good time, the time of spoil. + +"Mine are the cattle on the mountains, mine are the virgins in the +kraals. + +"The winter is overpast with storms, the summer is come with flowers. + +"Now Evil shall cover up her face, now Mercy and Gladness shall dwell +in the land. + +"Rejoice, rejoice, my people! + +"Let all the stars rejoice in that this tyranny is trodden down, in +that I am the king." + + +Ignosi ceased his song, and out of the gathering gloom came back the +deep reply-- + +"_Thou art the king!_" + + +Thus was my prophecy to the herald fulfilled, and within the +forty-eight hours Twala's headless corpse was stiffening at Twala's +gate. + + +[1] It is a law amongst the Kukuanas that no man of the direct royal +blood can be put to death, unless by his own consent, which is, +however, never refused. He is allowed to choose a succession of +antagonists, to be approved by the king, with whom he fights, till one +of them kills him.--A.Q. + + + +CHAPTER XV + +GOOD FALLS SICK + +After the fight was ended, Sir Henry and Good were carried into Twala's +hut, where I joined them. They were both utterly exhausted by exertion +and loss of blood, and, indeed, my own condition was little better. I +am very wiry, and can stand more fatigue than most men, probably on +account of my light weight and long training; but that night I was +quite done up, and, as is always the case with me when exhausted, that +old wound which the lion gave me began to pain. Also my head was aching +violently from the blow I had received in the morning, when I was +knocked senseless. Altogether, a more miserable trio than we were that +evening it would have been difficult to discover; and our only comfort +lay in the reflection that we were exceedingly fortunate to be there to +feel miserable, instead of being stretched dead upon the plain, as so +many thousands of brave men were that night, who had risen well and +strong in the morning. + +Somehow, with the assistance of the beautiful Foulata, who, since we +had been the means of saving her life, had constituted herself our +handmaiden, and especially Good's, we managed to get off the chain +shirts, which had certainly saved the lives of two of us that day. As I +expected, we found that the flesh underneath was terribly contused, for +though the steel links had kept the weapons from entering, they had not +prevented them from bruising. Both Sir Henry and Good were a mass of +contusions, and I was by no means free. As a remedy Foulata brought us +some pounded green leaves, with an aromatic odour, which, when applied +as a plaster, gave us considerable relief. + +But though the bruises were painful, they did not give us such anxiety +as Sir Henry's and Good's wounds. Good had a hole right through the +fleshy part of his "beautiful white leg," from which he had lost a +great deal of blood; and Sir Henry, with other hurts, had a deep cut +over the jaw, inflicted by Twala's battle-axe. Luckily Good is a very +decent surgeon, and so soon as his small box of medicines was +forthcoming, having thoroughly cleansed the wounds, he managed to +stitch up first Sir Henry's and then his own pretty satisfactorily, +considering the imperfect light given by the primitive Kukuana lamp in +the hut. Afterwards he plentifully smeared the injured places with some +antiseptic ointment, of which there was a pot in the little box, and we +covered them with the remains of a pocket-handkerchief which we +possessed. + +Meanwhile Foulata had prepared us some strong broth, for we were too +weary to eat. This we swallowed, and then threw ourselves down on the +piles of magnificent karrosses, or fur rugs, which were scattered about +the dead king's great hut. By a very strange instance of the irony of +fate, it was on Twala's own couch, and wrapped in Twala's own +particular karross, that Sir Henry, the man who had slain him, slept +that night. + +I say slept; but after that day's work, sleep was indeed difficult. To +begin with, in very truth the air was full + + "Of farewells to the dying + And mournings for the dead." + +From every direction came the sound of the wailing of women whose +husbands, sons, and brothers had perished in the battle. No wonder that +they wailed, for over twelve thousand men, or nearly a fifth of the +Kukuana army, had been destroyed in that awful struggle. It was +heart-rending to lie and listen to their cries for those who never +would return; and it made me understand the full horror of the work +done that day to further man's ambition. Towards midnight, however, the +ceaseless crying of the women grew less frequent, till at length the +silence was only broken at intervals of a few minutes by a long +piercing howl that came from a hut in our immediate rear, which, as I +afterwards discovered, proceeded from Gagool "keening" over the dead +king Twala. + +After that I got a little fitful sleep, only to wake from time to time +with a start, thinking that I was once more an actor in the terrible +events of the last twenty-four hours. Now I seemed to see that warrior +whom my hand had sent to his last account charging at me on the +mountain-top; now I was once more in that glorious ring of Greys, which +made its immortal stand against all Twala's regiments upon the little +mound; and now again I saw Twala's plumed and gory head roll past my +feet with gnashing teeth and glaring eye. + +At last, somehow or other, the night passed away; but when dawn broke I +found that my companions had slept no better than myself. Good, indeed, +was in a high fever, and very soon afterwards began to grow +light-headed, and also, to my alarm, to spit blood, the result, no +doubt, of some internal injury, inflicted during the desperate efforts +made by the Kukuana warrior on the previous day to force his big spear +through the chain armour. Sir Henry, however, seemed pretty fresh, +notwithstanding his wound on the face, which made eating difficult and +laughter an impossibility, though he was so sore and stiff that he +could scarcely stir. + +About eight o'clock we had a visit from Infadoos, who appeared but +little the worse--tough old warrior that he was--for his exertions in +the battle, although he informed us that he had been up all night. He +was delighted to see us, but much grieved at Good's condition, and +shook our hands cordially. I noticed, however, that he addressed Sir +Henry with a kind of reverence, as though he were something more than +man; and, indeed, as we afterwards found out, the great Englishman was +looked on throughout Kukuanaland as a supernatural being. No man, the +soldiers said, could have fought as he fought or, at the end of a day +of such toil and bloodshed, could have slain Twala, who, in addition to +being the king, was supposed to be the strongest warrior in the +country, in single combat, shearing through his bull-neck at a stroke. +Indeed, that stroke became proverbial in Kukuanaland, and any +extraordinary blow or feat of strength was henceforth known as +"Incubu's blow." + +Infadoos told us also that all Twala's regiments had submitted to +Ignosi, and that like submissions were beginning to arrive from chiefs +in the outlying country. Twala's death at the hands of Sir Henry had +put an end to all further chance of disturbance; for Scragga had been +his only legitimate son, so there was no rival claimant to the throne +left alive. + +I remarked that Ignosi had swum to power through blood. The old chief +shrugged his shoulders. "Yes," he answered; "but the Kukuana people can +only be kept cool by letting their blood flow sometimes. Many are +killed, indeed, but the women are left, and others must soon grow up to +take the places of the fallen. After this the land would be quiet for a +while." + +Afterwards, in the course of the morning, we had a short visit from +Ignosi, on whose brows the royal diadem was now bound. As I +contemplated him advancing with kingly dignity, an obsequious guard +following his steps, I could not help recalling to my mind the tall +Zulu who had presented himself to us at Durban some few months back, +asking to be taken into our service, and reflecting on the strange +revolutions of the wheel of fortune. + +"Hail, O king!" I said, rising. + +"Yes, Macumazahn. King at last, by the might of your three right +hands," was the ready answer. + +All was, he said, going well; and he hoped to arrange a great feast in +two weeks' time in order to show himself to the people. + +I asked him what he had settled to do with Gagool. + +"She is the evil genius of the land," he answered, "and I shall kill +her, and all the witch doctors with her! She has lived so long that +none can remember when she was not very old, and she it is who has +always trained the witch-hunters, and made the land wicked in the sight +of the heavens above." + +"Yet she knows much," I replied; "it is easier to destroy knowledge, +Ignosi, than to gather it." + +"That is so," he said thoughtfully. "She, and she only, knows the +secret of the 'Three Witches,' yonder, whither the great road runs, +where the kings are buried, and the Silent Ones sit." + +"Yes, and the diamonds are. Forget not thy promise, Ignosi; thou must +lead us to the mines, even if thou hast to spare Gagool alive to show +the way." + +"I will not forget, Macumazahn, and I will think on what thou sayest." + +After Ignosi's visit I went to see Good, and found him quite delirious. +The fever set up by his wound seemed to have taken a firm hold of his +system, and to be complicated with an internal injury. For four or five +days his condition was most critical; indeed, I believe firmly that had +it not been for Foulata's indefatigable nursing he must have died. + +Women are women, all the world over, whatever their colour. Yet somehow +it seemed curious to watch this dusky beauty bending night and day over +the fevered man's couch, and performing all the merciful errands of a +sick-room swiftly, gently, and with as fine an instinct as that of a +trained hospital nurse. For the first night or two I tried to help her, +and so did Sir Henry as soon as his stiffness allowed him to move, but +Foulata bore our interference with impatience, and finally insisted +upon our leaving him to her, saying that our movements made him +restless, which I think was true. Day and night she watched him and +tended him, giving him his only medicine, a native cooling drink made +of milk, in which was infused juice from the bulb of a species of +tulip, and keeping the flies from settling on him. I can see the whole +picture now as it appeared night after night by the light of our +primitive lamp; Good tossing to and fro, his features emaciated, his +eyes shining large and luminous, and jabbering nonsense by the yard; +and seated on the ground by his side, her back resting against the wall +of the hut, the soft-eyed, shapely Kukuana beauty, her face, weary as +it was with her long vigil, animated by a look of infinite +compassion--or was it something more than compassion? + +For two days we thought that he must die, and crept about with heavy +hearts. + +Only Foulata would not believe it. + +"He will live," she said. + +For three hundred yards or more around Twala's chief hut, where the +sufferer lay, there was silence; for by the king's order all who lived +in the habitations behind it, except Sir Henry and myself, had been +removed, lest any noise should come to the sick man's ears. One night, +it was the fifth of Good's illness, as was my habit, I went across to +see how he was doing before turning in for a few hours. + +I entered the hut carefully. The lamp placed upon the floor showed the +figure of Good tossing no more, but lying quite still. + +So it had come at last! In the bitterness of my heart I gave something +like a sob. + +"Hush--h--h!" came from the patch of dark shadow behind Good's head. + +Then, creeping closer, I saw that he was not dead, but sleeping +soundly, with Foulata's taper fingers clasped tightly in his poor white +hand. The crisis had passed, and he would live. He slept like that for +eighteen hours; and I scarcely like to say it, for fear I should not be +believed, but during the entire period did this devoted girl sit by +him, fearing that if she moved and drew away her hand it would wake +him. What she must have suffered from cramp and weariness, to say +nothing of want of food, nobody will ever know; but it is the fact +that, when at last he woke, she had to be carried away--her limbs were +so stiff that she could not move them. + + +After the turn had once been taken, Good's recovery was rapid and +complete. It was not till he was nearly well that Sir Henry told him of +all he owed to Foulata; and when he came to the story of how she sat by +his side for eighteen hours, fearing lest by moving she should wake +him, the honest sailor's eyes filled with tears. He turned and went +straight to the hut where Foulata was preparing the mid-day meal, for +we were back in our old quarters now, taking me with him to interpret +in case he could not make his meaning clear to her, though I am bound +to say that she understood him marvellously as a rule, considering how +extremely limited was his foreign vocabulary. + +"Tell her," said Good, "that I owe her my life, and that I will never +forget her kindness to my dying day." + +I interpreted, and under her dark skin she actually seemed to blush. + +Turning to him with one of those swift and graceful motions that in her +always reminded me of the flight of a wild bird, Foulata answered +softly, glancing at him with her large brown eyes-- + +"Nay, my lord; my lord forgets! Did he not save _my_ life, and am I not +my lord's handmaiden?" + +It will be observed that the young lady appeared entirely to have +forgotten the share which Sir Henry and myself had taken in her +preservation from Twala's clutches. But that is the way of women! I +remember my dear wife was just the same. Well, I retired from that +little interview sad at heart. I did not like Miss Foulata's soft +glances, for I knew the fatal amorous propensities of sailors in +general, and of Good in particular. + +There are two things in the world, as I have found out, which cannot be +prevented: you cannot keep a Zulu from fighting, or a sailor from +falling in love upon the slightest provocation! + +It was a few days after this last occurrence that Ignosi held his great +"indaba," or council, and was formally recognised as king by the +"indunas," or head men, of Kukuanaland. The spectacle was a most +imposing one, including as it did a grand review of troops. On this day +the remaining fragments of the Greys were formally paraded, and in the +face of the army thanked for their splendid conduct in the battle. To +each man the king made a large present of cattle, promoting them one +and all to the rank of officers in the new corps of Greys which was in +process of formation. An order was also promulgated throughout the +length and breadth of Kukuanaland that, whilst we honoured the country +by our presence, we three were to be greeted with the royal salute, and +to be treated with the same ceremony and respect that was by custom +accorded to the king. Also the power of life and death was publicly +conferred upon us. Ignosi, too, in the presence of his people, +reaffirmed the promises which he had made, to the effect that no man's +blood should be shed without trial, and that witch-hunting should cease +in the land. + +When the ceremony was over we waited upon Ignosi, and informed him that +we were now anxious to investigate the mystery of the mines to which +Solomon's Road ran, asking him if he had discovered anything about them. + +"My friends," he answered, "I have discovered this. It is there that +the three great figures sit, who here are called the 'Silent Ones,' and +to whom Twala would have offered the girl Foulata as a sacrifice. It is +there, too, in a great cave deep in the mountain, that the kings of the +land are buried; there ye shall find Twala's body, sitting with those +who went before him. There, also, is a deep pit, which, at some time, +long-dead men dug out, mayhap for the stones ye speak of, such as I +have heard men in Natal tell of at Kimberley. There, too, in the Place +of Death is a secret chamber, known to none but the king and Gagool. +But Twala, who knew it, is dead, and I know it not, nor know I what is +in it. Yet there is a legend in the land that once, many generations +gone, a white man crossed the mountains, and was led by a woman to the +secret chamber and shown the wealth hidden in it. But before he could +take it she betrayed him, and he was driven by the king of that day +back to the mountains, and since then no man has entered the place." + +"The story is surely true, Ignosi, for on the mountains we found the +white man," I said. + +"Yes, we found him. And now I have promised you that if ye can come to +that chamber, and the stones are there--" + +"The gem upon thy forehead proves that they are there," I put in, +pointing to the great diamond I had taken from Twala's dead brows. + +"Mayhap; if they are there," he said, "ye shall have as many as ye can +take hence--if indeed ye would leave me, my brothers." + +"First we must find the chamber," said I. + +"There is but one who can show it to thee--Gagool." + +"And if she will not?" + +"Then she must die," said Ignosi sternly. "I have saved her alive but +for this. Stay, she shall choose," and calling to a messenger he +ordered Gagool to be brought before him. + +In a few minutes she came, hurried along by two guards, whom she was +cursing as she walked. + +"Leave her," said the king to the guards. + +So soon as their support was withdrawn, the withered old bundle--for +she looked more like a bundle than anything else, out of which her two +bright and wicked eyes gleamed like those of a snake--sank in a heap on +to the floor. + +"What will ye with me, Ignosi?" she piped. "Ye dare not touch me. If ye +touch me I will slay you as ye sit. Beware of my magic." + +"Thy magic could not save Twala, old she-wolf, and it cannot hurt me," +was the answer. "Listen; I will this of thee, that thou reveal to us +the chamber where are the shining stones." + +"Ha! ha!" she piped, "none know its secret but I, and I will never tell +thee. The white devils shall go hence empty-handed." + +"Thou shalt tell me. I will make thee tell me." + +"How, O king? Thou art great, but can thy power wring the truth from a +woman?" + +"It is difficult, yet will I do so." + +"How, O king?" + +"Nay, thus; if thou tellest not thou shalt slowly die." + +"Die!" she shrieked in terror and fury; "ye dare not touch me--man, ye +know not who I am. How old think ye am I? I knew your fathers, and your +fathers' fathers' fathers. When the country was young I was here; when +the country grows old I shall still be here. I cannot die unless I be +killed by chance, for none dare slay me." + +"Yet will I slay thee. See, Gagool, mother of evil, thou art so old +that thou canst no longer love thy life. What can life be to such a hag +as thou, who hast no shape, nor form, nor hair, nor teeth--hast naught, +save wickedness and evil eyes? It will be mercy to make an end of thee, +Gagool." + +"Thou fool," shrieked the old fiend, "thou accursed fool, deemest thou +that life is sweet only to the young? It is not so, and naught thou +knowest of the heart of man to think it. To the young, indeed, death is +sometimes welcome, for the young can feel. They love and suffer, and it +wrings them to see their beloved pass to the land of shadows. But the +old feel not, they love not, and, _ha! ha!_ they laugh to see another +go out into the dark; _ha! ha!_ they laugh to see the evil that is done +under the stars. All they love is life, the warm, warm sun, and the +sweet, sweet air. They are afraid of the cold, afraid of the cold and +the dark, _ha! ha! ha!_" and the old hag writhed in ghastly merriment +on the ground. + +"Cease thine evil talk and answer me," said Ignosi angrily. "Wilt thou +show the place where the stones are, or wilt thou not? If thou wilt not +thou diest, even now," and he seized a spear and held it over her. + +"I will not show it; thou darest not kill me, darest not! He who slays +me will be accursed for ever." + +Slowly Ignosi brought down the spear till it pricked the prostrate heap +of rags. + +With a wild yell Gagool sprang to her feet, then fell again and rolled +upon the floor. + +"Nay, I will show thee. Only let me live, let me sit in the sun and +have a bit of meat to suck, and I will show thee." + +"It is well. I thought that I should find a way to reason with thee. +To-morrow shalt thou go with Infadoos and my white brothers to the +place, and beware how thou failest, for if thou showest it not, then +thou shalt slowly die. I have spoken." + +"I will not fail, Ignosi. I always keep my word--_ha! ha! ha!_ Once +before a woman showed the chamber to a white man, and behold! evil +befell him," and here her wicked eyes glinted. "Her name was Gagool +also. Perchance I was that woman." + +"Thou liest," I said, "that was ten generations gone." + +"Mayhap, mayhap; when one lives long one forgets. Perhaps it was my +mother's mother who told me; surely her name was Gagool also. But mark, +ye will find in the place where the bright things are a bag of hide +full of stones. The man filled that bag, but he never took it away. +Evil befell him, I say, evil befell him! Perhaps it was my mother's +mother who told me. It will be a merry journey--we can see the bodies +of those who died in the battle as we go. Their eyes will be gone by +now, and their ribs will be hollow. _Ha! ha! ha!_" + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +THE PLACE OF DEATH + +It was already dark on the third day after the scene described in the +previous chapter when we camped in some huts at the foot of the "Three +Witches," as the triangle of mountains is called to which Solomon's +Great Road runs. Our party consisted of our three selves and Foulata, +who waited on us--especially on Good--Infadoos, Gagool, who was borne +along in a litter, inside which she could be heard muttering and +cursing all day long, and a party of guards and attendants. The +mountains, or rather the three peaks of the mountain, for the mass was +evidently the result of a solitary upheaval, were, as I have said, in +the form of a triangle, of which the base was towards us, one peak +being on our right, one on our left, and one straight in front of us. +Never shall I forget the sight afforded by those three towering peaks +in the early sunlight of the following morning. High, high above us, up +into the blue air, soared their twisted snow-wreaths. Beneath the +snow-line the peaks were purple with heaths, and so were the wild moors +that ran up the slopes towards them. Straight before us the white +ribbon of Solomon's Great Road stretched away uphill to the foot of the +centre peak, about five miles from us, and there stopped. It was its +terminus. + +I had better leave the feelings of intense excitement with which we set +out on our march that morning to the imagination of those who read this +history. At last we were drawing near to the wonderful mines that had +been the cause of the miserable death of the old Portuguese Dom three +centuries ago, of my poor friend, his ill-starred descendant, and also, +as we feared, of George Curtis, Sir Henry's brother. Were we destined, +after all that we had gone through, to fare any better? Evil befell +them, as that old fiend Gagool said; would it also befall us? Somehow, +as we were marching up that last stretch of beautiful road, I could not +help feeling a little superstitious about the matter, and so I think +did Good and Sir Henry. + +For an hour and a half or more we tramped on up the heather-fringed +way, going so fast in our excitement that the bearers of Gagool's +hammock could scarcely keep pace with us, and its occupant piped out to +us to stop. + +"Walk more slowly, white men," she said, projecting her hideous +shrivelled countenance between the grass curtains, and fixing her +gleaming eyes upon us; "why will ye run to meet the evil that shall +befall you, ye seekers after treasure?" and she laughed that horrible +laugh which always sent a cold shiver down my back, and for a while +quite took the enthusiasm out of us. + +However, on we went, till we saw before us, and between ourselves and +the peak, a vast circular hole with sloping sides, three hundred feet +or more in depth, and quite half a mile round. + +"Can't you guess what this is?" I said to Sir Henry and Good, who were +staring in astonishment at the awful pit before us. + +They shook their heads. + +"Then it is clear that you have never seen the diamond diggings at +Kimberley. You may depend on it that this is Solomon's Diamond Mine. +Look there," I said, pointing to the strata of stiff blue clay which +were yet to be seen among the grass and bushes that clothed the sides +of the pit, "the formation is the same. I'll be bound that if we went +down there we should find 'pipes' of soapy brecciated rock. Look, too," +and I pointed to a series of worn flat slabs of stone that were placed +on a gentle slope below the level of a watercourse which in some past +age had been cut out of the solid rock; "if those are not tables once +used to wash the 'stuff,' I'm a Dutchman." + +At the edge of this vast hole, which was none other than the pit marked +on the old Dom's map, the Great Road branched into two and circumvented +it. In many places, by the way, this surrounding road was built +entirely out of blocks of stone, apparently with the object of +supporting the edges of the pit and preventing falls of reef. Along +this path we pressed, driven by curiosity to see what were the three +towering objects which we could discern from the hither side of the +great gulf. As we drew near we perceived that they were Colossi of some +sort or another, and rightly conjectured that before us sat the three +"Silent Ones" that are held in such awe by the Kukuana people. But it +was not until we were quite close to them that we recognised the full +majesty of these "Silent Ones." + +There, upon huge pedestals of dark rock, sculptured with rude emblems +of the Phallic worship, separated from each other by a distance of +forty paces, and looking down the road which crossed some sixty miles +of plain to Loo, were three colossal seated forms--two male and one +female--each measuring about thirty feet from the crown of its head to +the pedestal. + +The female form, which was nude, was of great though severe beauty, but +unfortunately the features had been injured by centuries of exposure to +the weather. Rising from either side of her head were the points of a +crescent. The two male Colossi, on the contrary, were draped, and +presented a terrifying cast of features, especially the one to our +right, which had the face of a devil. That to our left was serene in +countenance, but the calm upon it seemed dreadful. It was the calm of +that inhuman cruelty, Sir Henry remarked, which the ancients attributed +to beings potent for good, who could yet watch the sufferings of +humanity, if not without rejoicing, at least without sorrow. These +three statues form a most awe-inspiring trinity, as they sit there in +their solitude, and gaze out across the plain for ever. + +Contemplating these "Silent Ones," as the Kukuanas call them, an +intense curiosity again seized us to know whose were the hands which +had shaped them, who it was that had dug the pit and made the road. +Whilst I was gazing and wondering, suddenly it occurred to me--being +familiar with the Old Testament--that Solomon went astray after strange +gods, the names of three of whom I remembered--"Ashtoreth, the goddess +of the Zidonians, Chemosh, the god of the Moabites, and Milcom, the god +of the children of Ammon"--and I suggested to my companions that the +figures before us might represent these false and exploded divinities. + +"Hum," said Sir Henry, who is a scholar, having taken a high degree in +classics at college, "there may be something in that; Ashtoreth of the +Hebrews was the Astarte of the Phoenicians, who were the great traders +of Solomon's time. Astarte, who afterwards became the Aphrodite of the +Greeks, was represented with horns like the half-moon, and there on the +brow of the female figure are distinct horns. Perhaps these Colossi +were designed by some Phoenician official who managed the mines. Who +can say?"[1] + +Before we had finished examining these extraordinary relics of remote +antiquity, Infadoos came up, and having saluted the "Silent Ones" by +lifting his spear, asked us if we intended entering the "Place of +Death" at once, or if we would wait till after we had taken food at +mid-day. If we were ready to go at once, Gagool had announced her +willingness to guide us. As it was not later than eleven +o'clock--driven to it by a burning curiosity--we announced our +intention of proceeding instantly, and I suggested that, in case we +should be detained in the cave, we should take some food with us. +Accordingly Gagool's litter was brought up, and that lady herself +assisted out of it. Meanwhile Foulata, at my request, stored some +"biltong," or dried game-flesh, together with a couple of gourds of +water, in a reed basket with a hinged cover. Straight in front of us, +at a distance of some fifty paces from the backs of the Colossi, rose a +sheer wall of rock, eighty feet or more in height, that gradually +sloped upwards till it formed the base of the lofty snow-wreathed peak, +which soared into the air three thousand feet above us. As soon as she +was clear of her hammock, Gagool cast one evil grin upon us, and then, +leaning on a stick, hobbled off towards the face of this wall. We +followed her till we came to a narrow portal solidly arched that looked +like the opening of a gallery of a mine. + +Here Gagool was waiting for us, still with that evil grin upon her +horrid face. + +"Now, white men from the Stars," she piped; "great warriors, Incubu, +Bougwan, and Macumazahn the wise, are ye ready? Behold, I am here to do +the bidding of my lord the king, and to show you the store of bright +stones. _Ha! ha! ha!_" + +"We are ready," I said. + +"Good, good! Make strong your hearts to bear what ye shall see. Comest +thou too, Infadoos, thou who didst betray thy master?" + +Infadoos frowned as he answered-- + +"Nay, I come not; it is not for me to enter there. But thou, Gagool, +curb thy tongue, and beware how thou dealest with my lords. At thy +hands will I require them, and if a hair of them be hurt, Gagool, be'st +thou fifty times a witch, thou shalt die. Hearest thou?" + +"I hear Infadoos; I know thee, thou didst ever love big words; when +thou wast a babe I remember thou didst threaten thine own mother. That +was but the other day. But, fear not, fear not, I live only to do the +bidding of the king. I have done the bidding of many kings, Infadoos, +till in the end they did mine. _Ha! ha!_ I go to look upon their faces +once more, and Twala's also! Come on, come on, here is the lamp," and +she drew a large gourd full of oil, and fitted with a rush wick, from +under her fur cloak. + +"Art thou coming, Foulata?" asked Good in his villainous Kitchen +Kukuana, in which he had been improving himself under that young lady's +tuition. + +"I fear, my lord," the girl answered timidly. + +"Then give me the basket." + +"Nay, my lord, whither thou goest there I go also." + +"The deuce you will!" thought I to myself; "that may be rather awkward +if we ever get out of this." + +Without further ado Gagool plunged into the passage, which was wide +enough to admit of two walking abreast, and quite dark. We followed the +sound of her voice as she piped to us to come on, in some fear and +trembling, which was not allayed by the flutter of a sudden rush of +wings. + +"Hullo! what's that?" halloed Good; "somebody hit me in the face." + +"Bats," said I; "on you go." + +When, so far as we could judge, we had gone some fifty paces, we +perceived that the passage was growing faintly light. Another minute, +and we were in perhaps the most wonderful place that the eyes of living +man have beheld. + +Let the reader picture to himself the hall of the vastest cathedral he +ever stood in, windowless indeed, but dimly lighted from above, +presumably by shafts connected with the outer air and driven in the +roof, which arched away a hundred feet above our heads, and he will get +some idea of the size of the enormous cave in which we found ourselves, +with the difference that this cathedral designed by nature was loftier +and wider than any built by man. But its stupendous size was the least +of the wonders of the place, for running in rows adown its length were +gigantic pillars of what looked like ice, but were, in reality, huge +stalactites. It is impossible for me to convey any idea of the +overpowering beauty and grandeur of these pillars of white spar, some +of which were not less than twenty feet in diameter at the base, and +sprang up in lofty and yet delicate beauty sheer to the distant roof. +Others again were in process of formation. On the rock floor there was +in these cases what looked, Sir Henry said, exactly like a broken +column in an old Grecian temple, whilst high above, depending from the +roof, the point of a huge icicle could be dimly seen. + +Even as we gazed we could hear the process going on, for presently with +a tiny splash a drop of water would fall from the far-off icicle on to +the column below. On some columns the drops only fell once in two or +three minutes, and in these cases it would be an interesting +calculation to discover how long, at that rate of dripping, it would +take to form a pillar, say eighty feet by ten in diameter. That the +process, in at least one instance, was incalculably slow, the following +example will suffice to show. Cut on one of these pillars we discovered +the crude likeness of a mummy, by the head of which sat what appeared +to be the figure of an Egyptian god, doubtless the handiwork of some +old-world labourer in the mine. This work of art was executed at the +natural height at which an idle fellow, be he Phoenician workman or +British cad, is in the habit of trying to immortalise himself at the +expense of nature's masterpieces, namely, about five feet from the +ground. Yet at the time that we saw it, which _must_ have been nearly +three thousand years after the date of the execution of the carving, +the column was only eight feet high, and was still in process of +formation, which gives a rate of growth of a foot to a thousand years, +or an inch and a fraction to a century. This we knew because, as we +were standing by it, we heard a drop of water fall. + +Sometimes the stalagmites took strange forms, presumably where the +dropping of the water had not always been on the same spot. Thus, one +huge mass, which must have weighed a hundred tons or so, was in the +shape of a pulpit, beautifully fretted over outside with a design that +looked like lace. Others resembled strange beasts, and on the sides of +the cave were fanlike ivory tracings, such as the frost leaves upon a +pane. + +Out of the vast main aisle there opened here and there smaller caves, +exactly, Sir Henry said, as chapels open out of great cathedrals. Some +were large, but one or two--and this is a wonderful instance of how +nature carries out her handiwork by the same unvarying laws, utterly +irrespective of size--were tiny. One little nook, for instance, was no +larger than an unusually big doll's house, and yet it might have been a +model for the whole place, for the water dropped, tiny icicles hung, +and spar columns were forming in just the same way. + +We had not, however, enough time to examine this beautiful cavern so +thoroughly as we should have liked to do, since unfortunately, Gagool +seemed to be indifferent as to stalactites, and only anxious to get her +business over. This annoyed me the more, as I was particularly anxious +to discover, if possible, by what system the light was admitted into +the cave, and whether it was by the hand of man or by that of nature +that this was done; also if the place had been used in any way in +ancient times, as seemed probable. However, we consoled ourselves with +the idea that we would investigate it thoroughly on our way back, and +followed on at the heels of our uncanny guide. + +On she led us, straight to the top of the vast and silent cave, where +we found another doorway, not arched as the first was, but square at +the top, something like the doorways of Egyptian temples. + +"Are ye prepared to enter the Place of Death, white men?" asked Gagool, +evidently with a view to making us feel uncomfortable. + +"Lead on, Macduff," said Good solemnly, trying to look as though he was +not at all alarmed, as indeed we all did except Foulata, who caught +Good by the arm for protection. + +"This is getting rather ghastly," said Sir Henry, peeping into the dark +passageway. "Come on, Quatermain--_seniores priores_. We mustn't keep +the old lady waiting!" and he politely made way for me to lead the van, +for which inwardly I did not bless him. + +_Tap, tap,_ went old Gagool's stick down the passage, as she trotted +along, chuckling hideously; and still overcome by some unaccountable +presentiment of evil, I hung back. + +"Come, get on, old fellow," said Good, "or we shall lose our fair +guide." + +Thus adjured, I started down the passage, and after about twenty paces +found myself in a gloomy apartment some forty feet long, by thirty +broad, and thirty high, which in some past age evidently had been +hollowed, by hand-labour, out of the mountain. This apartment was not +nearly so well lighted as the vast stalactite ante-cave, and at the +first glance all I could discern was a massive stone table running down +its length, with a colossal white figure at its head, and life-sized +white figures all round it. Next I discovered a brown thing, seated on +the table in the centre, and in another moment my eyes grew accustomed +to the light, and I saw what all these things were, and was tailing out +of the place as hard as my legs could carry me. + +I am not a nervous man in a general way, and very little troubled with +superstitions, of which I have lived to see the folly; but I am free to +own that this sight quite upset me, and had it not been that Sir Henry +caught me by the collar and held me, I do honestly believe that in +another five minutes I should have been outside the stalactite cave, +and that a promise of all the diamonds in Kimberley would not have +induced me to enter it again. But he held me tight, so I stopped +because I could not help myself. Next second, however, _his_ eyes +became accustomed to the light, and he let go of me, and began to mop +the perspiration off his forehead. As for Good, he swore feebly, while +Foulata threw her arms round his neck and shrieked. + +Only Gagool chuckled loud and long. + +It _was_ a ghastly sight. There at the end of the long stone table, +holding in his skeleton fingers a great white spear, sat _Death_ +himself, shaped in the form of a colossal human skeleton, fifteen feet +or more in height. High above his head he held the spear, as though in +the act to strike; one bony hand rested on the stone table before him, +in the position a man assumes on rising from his seat, whilst his frame +was bent forward so that the vertebrć of the neck and the grinning, +gleaming skull projected towards us, and fixed its hollow eye-places +upon us, the jaws a little open, as though it were about to speak. + +"Great heavens!" said I faintly, at last, "what can it be?" + +"And what are _those things_?" asked Good, pointing to the white +company round the table. + +"And what on earth is _that thing_?" said Sir Henry, pointing to the +brown creature seated on the table. + +"_Hee! hee! hee!_" laughed Gagool. "To those who enter the Hall of the +Dead, evil comes. _Hee! hee! hee! ha! ha!_" + +"Come, Incubu, brave in battle, come and see him thou slewest;" and the +old creature caught Curtis' coat in her skinny fingers, and led him +away towards the table. We followed. + +Presently she stopped and pointed at the brown object seated on the +table. Sir Henry looked, and started back with an exclamation; and no +wonder, for there, quite naked, the head which Curtis' battle-axe had +shorn from the body resting on its knees, was the gaunt corpse of +Twala, the last king of the Kukuanas. Yes, there, the head perched upon +the knees, it sat in all its ugliness, the vertebrć projecting a full +inch above the level of the shrunken flesh of the neck, for all the +world like a black double of Hamilton Tighe.[2] Over the surface of the +corpse there was gathered a thin glassy film, that made its appearance +yet more appalling, for which we were, at the moment, quite unable to +account, till presently we observed that from the roof of the chamber +the water fell steadily, _drip! drop! drip!_ on to the neck of the +corpse, whence it ran down over the entire surface, and finally escaped +into the rock through a tiny hole in the table. Then I guessed what the +film was--_Twala's body was being transformed into a stalactite._ + +A look at the white forms seated on the stone bench which ran round +that ghastly board confirmed this view. They were human bodies indeed, +or rather they had been human; now they were _stalactites_. This was +the way in which the Kukuana people had from time immemorial preserved +their royal dead. They petrified them. What the exact system might be, +if there was any, beyond the placing of them for a long period of years +under the drip, I never discovered, but there they sat, iced over and +preserved for ever by the siliceous fluid. + +Anything more awe-inspiring than the spectacle of this long line of +departed royalties (there were twenty-seven of them, the last being +Ignosi's father), wrapped, each of them, in a shroud of ice-like spar, +through which the features could be dimly discovered, and seated round +that inhospitable board, with Death himself for a host, it is +impossible to imagine. That the practice of thus preserving their kings +must have been an ancient one is evident from the number, which, +allowing for an average reign of fifteen years, supposing that every +king who reigned was placed here--an improbable thing, as some are sure +to have perished in battle far from home--would fix the date of its +commencement at four and a quarter centuries back. + +But the colossal Death, who sits at the head of the board, is far older +than that, and, unless I am much mistaken, owes his origin to the same +artist who designed the three Colossi. He is hewn out of a single +stalactite, and, looked at as a work of art, is most admirably +conceived and executed. Good, who understands such things, declared +that, so far as he could see, the anatomical design of the skeleton is +perfect down to the smallest bones. + +My own idea is, that this terrific object was a freak of fancy on the +part of some old-world sculptor, and that its presence had suggested to +the Kukuanas the idea of placing their royal dead under its awful +presidency. Or perhaps it was set there to frighten away any marauders +who might have designs upon the treasure chamber beyond. I cannot say. +All I can do is to describe it as it is, and the reader must form his +own conclusion. + +Such, at any rate, was the White Death and such were the White Dead! + + +[1] Compare Milton, "Paradise Lost," Book i.:-- + + "With these in troop + Came Ashtoreth, whom the Phoenicians called + Astarté, Queen of Heaven, with crescent horns; + To whose bright image nightly by the moon + Sidonian virgins paid their vows and songs." + +[2] "Now haste ye, my handmaidens, haste and see + How he sits there and glowers with his head on his knee." + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +SOLOMON'S TREASURE CHAMBER + +While we were engaged in recovering from our fright, and in examining +the grisly wonders of the Place of Death, Gagool had been differently +occupied. Somehow or other--for she was marvellously active when she +chose--she had scrambled on to the great table, and made her way to +where our departed friend Twala was placed, under the drip, to see, +suggested Good, how he was "pickling," or for some dark purpose of her +own. Then, after bending down to kiss his icy lips as though in +affectionate greeting, she hobbled back, stopping now and again to +address the remark, the tenor of which I could not catch, to one or +other of the shrouded forms, just as you or I might welcome an old +acquaintance. Having gone through this mysterious and horrible +ceremony, she squatted herself down on the table immediately under the +White Death, and began, so far as I could make out, to offer up +prayers. The spectacle of this wicked creature pouring out +supplications, evil ones no doubt, to the arch enemy of mankind, was so +uncanny that it caused us to hasten our inspection. + +"Now, Gagool," said I, in a low voice--somehow one did not dare to +speak above a whisper in that place--"lead us to the chamber." + +The old witch promptly scrambled down from the table. + +"My lords are not afraid?" she said, leering up into my face. + +"Lead on." + +"Good, my lords;" and she hobbled round to the back of the great Death. +"Here is the chamber; let my lords light the lamp, and enter," and she +placed the gourd full of oil upon the floor, and leaned herself against +the side of the cave. I took out a match, of which we had still a few +in a box, and lit a rush wick, and then looked for the doorway, but +there was nothing before us except the solid rock. Gagool grinned. "The +way is there, my lords. _Ha! ha! ha!_" + +"Do not jest with us," I said sternly. + +"I jest not, my lords. See!" and she pointed at the rock. + +As she did so, on holding up the lamp we perceived that a mass of stone +was rising slowly from the floor and vanishing into the rock above, +where doubtless there is a cavity prepared to receive it. The mass was +of the width of a good-sized door, about ten feet high and not less +than five feet thick. It must have weighed at least twenty or thirty +tons, and was clearly moved upon some simple balance principle of +counter-weights, probably the same as that by which the opening and +shutting of an ordinary modern window is arranged. How the principle +was set in motion, of course none of us saw; Gagool was careful to +avoid this; but I have little doubt that there was some very simple +lever, which was moved ever so little by pressure at a secret spot, +thereby throwing additional weight on to the hidden counter-balances, +and causing the monolith to be lifted from the ground. + +Very slowly and gently the great stone raised itself, till at last it +had vanished altogether, and a dark hole presented itself to us in the +place which the door had filled. + +Our excitement was so intense, as we saw the way to Solomon's treasure +chamber thrown open at last, that I for one began to tremble and shake. +Would it prove a hoax after all, I wondered, or was old Da Silvestra +right? Were there vast hoards of wealth hidden in that dark place, +hoards which would make us the richest men in the whole world? We +should know in a minute or two. + +"Enter, white men from the Stars," said Gagool, advancing into the +doorway; "but first hear your servant, Gagool the old. The bright +stones that ye will see were dug out of the pit over which the Silent +Ones are set, and stored here, I know not by whom, for that was done +longer ago than even I remember. But once has this place been entered +since the time that those who hid the stones departed in haste, leaving +them behind. The report of the treasure went down indeed among the +people who lived in the country from age to age, but none knew where +the chamber was, nor the secret of the door. But it happened that a +white man reached this country from over the mountains--perchance he +too came 'from the Stars'--and was well received by the king of that +day. He it is who sits yonder," and she pointed to the fifth king at +the table of the Dead. "And it came to pass that he and a woman of the +country who was with him journeyed to this place, and that by chance +the woman learnt the secret of the door--a thousand years might ye +search, but ye should never find that secret. Then the white man +entered with the woman, and found the stones, and filled with stones +the skin of a small goat, which the woman had with her to hold food. +And as he was going from the chamber he took up one more stone, a large +one, and held it in his hand." + +Here she paused. + +"Well," I asked, breathless with interest as we all were, "what +happened to Da Silvestra?" + +The old hag started at the mention of the name. + +"How knowest thou the dead man's name?" she asked sharply; and then, +without waiting for an answer, went on-- + +"None can tell what happened; but it came about that the white man was +frightened, for he flung down the goat-skin, with the stones, and fled +out with only the one stone in his hand, and that the king took, and it +is the stone which thou, Macumazahn, didst take from Twala's brow." + +"Have none entered here since?" I asked, peering again down the dark +passage. + +"None, my lords. Only the secret of the door has been kept, and every +king has opened it, though he has not entered. There is a saying, that +those who enter there will die within a moon, even as the white man +died in the cave upon the mountain, where ye found him, Macumazahn, and +therefore the kings do not enter. _Ha! ha!_ mine are true words." + +Our eyes met as she said it, and I turned sick and cold. How did the +old hag know all these things? + +"Enter, my lords. If I speak truth, the goat-skin with the stones will +lie upon the floor; and if there is truth as to whether it is death to +enter here, that ye will learn afterwards. _Ha! ha! ha!_" and she +hobbled through the doorway, bearing the light with her; but I confess +that once more I hesitated about following. + +"Oh, confound it all!" said Good; "here goes. I am not going to be +frightened by that old devil;" and followed by Foulata, who, however, +evidently did not at all like the business, for she was shivering with +fear, he plunged into the passage after Gagool--an example which we +quickly followed. + +A few yards down the passage, in the narrow way hewn out of the living +rock, Gagool had paused, and was waiting for us. + +"See, my lords," she said, holding the light before her, "those who +stored the treasure here fled in haste, and bethought them to guard +against any who should find the secret of the door, but had not the +time," and she pointed to large square blocks of stone, which, to the +height of two courses (about two feet three), had been placed across +the passage with a view to walling it up. Along the side of the passage +were similar blocks ready for use, and, most curious of all, a heap of +mortar and a couple of trowels, which tools, so far as we had time to +examine them, appeared to be of a similar shape and make to those used +by workmen to this day. + +Here Foulata, who had been in a state of great fear and agitation +throughout, said that she felt faint and could go no farther, but would +wait there. Accordingly we set her down on the unfinished wall, placing +the basket of provisions by her side, and left her to recover. + +Following the passage for about fifteen paces farther, we came suddenly +to an elaborately painted wooden door. It was standing wide open. +Whoever was last there had either not found the time to shut it, or had +forgotten to do so. + +_Across the threshold of this door lay a skin bag, formed of a +goat-skin, that appeared to be full of pebbles._ + +"_Hee! hee!_ white men," sniggered Gagool, as the light from the lamp +fell upon it. "What did I tell you, that the white man who came here +fled in haste, and dropped the woman's bag--behold it! Look within also +and ye will find a water-gourd amongst the stones." + +Good stooped down and lifted it. It was heavy and jingled. + +"By Jove! I believe it's full of diamonds," he said, in an awed +whisper; and, indeed, the idea of a small goat-skin full of diamonds is +enough to awe anybody. + +"Go on," said Sir Henry impatiently. "Here, old lady, give me the +lamp," and taking it from Gagool's hand, he stepped through the doorway +and held it high above his head. + +We pressed in after him, forgetful for the moment of the bag of +diamonds, and found ourselves in King Solomon's treasure chamber. + +At first, all that the somewhat faint light given by the lamp revealed +was a room hewn out of the living rock, and apparently not more than +ten feet square. Next there came into sight, stored one on the other to +the arch of the roof, a splendid collection of elephant-tusks. How many +of them there were we did not know, for of course we could not see to +what depth they went back, but there could not have been less than the +ends of four or five hundred tusks of the first quality visible to our +eyes. There, alone, was enough ivory to make a man wealthy for life. +Perhaps, I thought, it was from this very store that Solomon drew the +raw material for his "great throne of ivory," of which "there was not +the like made in any kingdom." + +On the opposite side of the chamber were about a score of wooden boxes, +something like Martini-Henry ammunition boxes, only rather larger, and +painted red. + +"There are the diamonds," cried I; "bring the light." + +Sir Henry did so, holding it close to the top box, of which the lid, +rendered rotten by time even in that dry place, appeared to have been +smashed in, probably by Da Silvestra himself. Pushing my hand through +the hole in the lid I drew it out full, not of diamonds, but of gold +pieces, of a shape that none of us had seen before, and with what +looked like Hebrew characters stamped upon them. + +"Ah!" I said, replacing the coin, "we shan't go back empty-handed, +anyhow. There must be a couple of thousand pieces in each box, and +there are eighteen boxes. I suppose this was the money to pay the +workmen and merchants." + +"Well," put in Good, "I think that is the lot; I don't see any +diamonds, unless the old Portuguese put them all into his bag." + +"Let my lords look yonder where it is darkest, if they would find the +stones," said Gagool, interpreting our looks. "There my lords will find +a nook, and three stone chests in the nook, two sealed and one open." + +Before translating this to Sir Henry, who carried the light, I could +not resist asking how she knew these things, if no one had entered the +place since the white man, generations ago. + +"Ah, Macumazahn, the watcher by night," was the mocking answer, "ye who +dwell in the stars, do ye not know that some live long, and that some +have eyes which can see through rock? _Ha! ha! ha!_" + +"Look in that corner, Curtis," I said, indicating the spot Gagool had +pointed out. + +"Hullo, you fellows," he cried, "here's a recess. Great heavens! see +here." + +We hurried up to where he was standing in a nook, shaped something like +a small bow window. Against the wall of this recess were placed three +stone chests, each about two feet square. Two were fitted with stone +lids, the lid of the third rested against the side of the chest, which +was open. + +"_See!_" he repeated hoarsely, holding the lamp over the open chest. We +looked, and for a moment could make nothing out, on account of a +silvery sheen which dazzled us. When our eyes grew used to it we saw +that the chest was three-parts full of uncut diamonds, most of them of +considerable size. Stooping, I picked some up. Yes, there was no doubt +of it, there was the unmistakable soapy feel about them. + +I fairly gasped as I dropped them. + +"We are the richest men in the whole world," I said. "Monte Christo was +a fool to us." + +"We shall flood the market with diamonds," said Good. + +"Got to get them there first," suggested Sir Henry. + +We stood still with pale faces and stared at each other, the lantern in +the middle and the glimmering gems below, as though we were +conspirators about to commit a crime, instead of being, as we thought, +the most fortunate men on earth. + +"_Hee! hee! hee!_" cackled old Gagool behind us, as she flitted about +like a vampire bat. "There are the bright stones ye love, white men, as +many as ye will; take them, run them through your fingers, _eat_ of +them, _hee! hee! drink_ of them, _ha! ha!_" + +At that moment there was something so ridiculous to my mind at the idea +of eating and drinking diamonds, that I began to laugh outrageously, an +example which the others followed, without knowing why. There we stood +and shrieked with laughter over the gems that were ours, which had been +found for _us_ thousands of years ago by the patient delvers in the +great hole yonder, and stored for _us_ by Solomon's long-dead overseer, +whose name, perchance, was written in the characters stamped on the +faded wax that yet adhered to the lids of the chest. Solomon never got +them, nor David, or Da Silvestra, nor anybody else. _We_ had got them: +there before us were millions of pounds' worth of diamonds, and +thousands of pounds' worth of gold and ivory only waiting to be taken +away. + +Suddenly the fit passed off, and we stopped laughing. + +"Open the other chests, white men," croaked Gagool, "there are surely +more therein. Take your fill, white lords! _Ha! ha!_ take your fill." + +Thus adjured, we set to work to pull up the stone lids on the other +two, first--not without a feeling of sacrilege--breaking the seals that +fastened them. + +Hoorah! they were full too, full to the brim; at least, the second one +was; no wretched burglarious Da Silvestra had been filling goat-skins +out of that. As for the third chest, it was only about a fourth full, +but the stones were all picked ones; none less than twenty carats, and +some of them as large as pigeon-eggs. A good many of these bigger ones, +however, we could see by holding them up to the light, were a little +yellow, "off coloured," as they call it at Kimberley. + +What we did _not_ see, however, was the look of fearful malevolence +that old Gagool favoured us with as she crept, crept like a snake, out +of the treasure chamber and down the passage towards the door of solid +rock. + + * * * * * + +Hark! Cry upon cry comes ringing up the vaulted path. It is Foulata's +voice! + +"_Oh, Bougwan! help! help! the stone falls!_" + +"Leave go, girl! Then--" + +"_Help! help! she has stabbed me!_" + +By now we are running down the passage, and this is what the light from +the lamp shows us. The door of the rock is closing down slowly; it is +not three feet from the floor. Near it struggle Foulata and Gagool. The +red blood of the former runs to her knee, but still the brave girl +holds the old witch, who fights like a wild cat. Ah! she is free! +Foulata falls, and Gagool throws herself on the ground, to twist like a +snake through the crack of the closing stone. She is under--ah! god! +too late! too late! The stone nips her, and she yells in agony. Down, +down it comes, all the thirty tons of it, slowly pressing her old body +against the rock below. Shriek upon shriek, such as we have never +heard, then a long sickening _crunch_, and the door was shut just as, +rushing down the passage, we hurled ourselves against it. + +It was all done in four seconds. + +Then we turned to Foulata. The poor girl was stabbed in the body, and I +saw that she could not live long. + +"Ah! Bougwan, I die!" gasped the beautiful creature. "She crept +out--Gagool; I did not see her, I was faint--and the door began to +fall; then she came back, and was looking up the path--I saw her come +in through the slowly falling door, and caught her and held her, and +she stabbed me, and _I die_, Bougwan!" + +"Poor girl! poor girl!" Good cried in his distress; and then, as he +could do nothing else, he fell to kissing her. + +"Bougwan," she said, after a pause, "is Macumazahn there? It grows so +dark, I cannot see." + +"Here I am, Foulata." + +"Macumazahn, be my tongue for a moment, I pray thee, for Bougwan cannot +understand me, and before I go into the darkness I would speak to him a +word." + +"Say on, Foulata, I will render it." + +"Say to my lord, Bougwan, that--I love him, and that I am glad to die +because I know that he cannot cumber his life with such as I am, for +the sun may not mate with the darkness, nor the white with the black. + +"Say that, since I saw him, at times I have felt as though there were a +bird in my bosom, which would one day fly hence and sing elsewhere. +Even now, though I cannot lift my hand, and my brain grows cold, I do +not feel as though my heart were dying; it is so full of love that it +could live ten thousand years, and yet be young. Say that if I live +again, mayhap I shall see him in the Stars, and that--I will search +them all, though perchance there I should still be black and he +would--still be white. Say--nay, Macumazahn, say no more, save that I +love--Oh, hold me closer, Bougwan, I cannot feel thine arms--_oh! oh!_" + +"She is dead--she is dead!" muttered Good, rising in grief, the tears +running down his honest face. + +"You need not let that trouble you, old fellow," said Sir Henry. + +"Eh!" exclaimed Good; "what do you mean?" + +"I mean that you will soon be in a position to join her. _Man, don't +you see that we are buried alive?_" + +Until Sir Henry uttered these words I do not think that the full horror +of what had happened had come home to us, preoccupied as we were with +the sight of poor Foulata's end. But now we understood. The ponderous +mass of rock had closed, probably for ever, for the only brain which +knew its secret was crushed to powder beneath its weight. This was a +door that none could hope to force with anything short of dynamite in +large quantities. And we were on the wrong side! + +For a few minutes we stood horrified, there over the corpse of Foulata. +All the manhood seemed to have gone out of us. The first shock of this +idea of the slow and miserable end that awaited us was overpowering. We +saw it all now; that fiend Gagool had planned this snare for us from +the first. + +It would have been just the jest that her evil mind would have rejoiced +in, the idea of the three white men, whom, for some reason of her own, +she had always hated, slowly perishing of thirst and hunger in the +company of the treasure they had coveted. Now I saw the point of that +sneer of hers about eating and drinking the diamonds. Probably somebody +had tried to serve the poor old Dom in the same way, when he abandoned +the skin full of jewels. + +"This will never do," said Sir Henry hoarsely; "the lamp will soon go +out. Let us see if we can't find the spring that works the rock." + +We sprang forward with desperate energy, and, standing in a bloody +ooze, began to feel up and down the door and the sides of the passage. +But no knob or spring could we discover. + +"Depend on it," I said, "it does not work from the inside; if it did +Gagool would not have risked trying to crawl underneath the stone. It +was the knowledge of this that made her try to escape at all hazards, +curse her." + +"At all events," said Sir Henry, with a hard little laugh, "retribution +was swift; hers was almost as awful an end as ours is likely to be. We +can do nothing with the door; let us go back to the treasure room." + +We turned and went, and as we passed it I perceived by the unfinished +wall across the passage the basket of food which poor Foulata had +carried. I took it up, and brought it with me to the accursed treasure +chamber that was to be our grave. Then we returned and reverently bore +in Foulata's corpse, laying it on the floor by the boxes of coin. + +Next we seated ourselves, leaning our backs against the three stone +chests which contained the priceless treasure. + +"Let us divide the food," said Sir Henry, "so as to make it last as +long as possible." Accordingly we did so. It would, we reckoned, make +four infinitesimally small meals for each of us, enough, say, to +support life for a couple of days. Besides the "biltong," or dried +game-flesh, there were two gourds of water, each of which held not more +than a quart. + +"Now," said Sir Henry grimly, "let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we +die." + +We each ate a small portion of the "biltong," and drank a sip of water. +Needless to say, we had but little appetite, though we were sadly in +need of food, and felt better after swallowing it. Then we got up and +made a systematic examination of the walls of our prison-house, in the +faint hope of finding some means of exit, sounding them and the floor +carefully. + +There was none. It was not probable that there would be any to a +treasure chamber. + +The lamp began to burn dim. The fat was nearly exhausted. + +"Quatermain," said Sir Henry, "what is the time--your watch goes?" + +I drew it out, and looked at it. It was six o'clock; we had entered the +cave at eleven. + +"Infadoos will miss us," I suggested. "If we do not return to-night he +will search for us in the morning, Curtis." + +"He may search in vain. He does not know the secret of the door, nor +even where it is. No living person knew it yesterday, except Gagool. +To-day no one knows it. Even if he found the door he could not break it +down. All the Kukuana army could not break through five feet of living +rock. My friends, I see nothing for it but to bow ourselves to the will +of the Almighty. The search for treasure has brought many to a bad end; +we shall go to swell their number." + +The lamp grew dimmer yet. + +Presently it flared up and showed the whole scene in strong relief, the +great mass of white tusks, the boxes of gold, the corpse of the poor +Foulata stretched before them, the goat-skin full of treasure, the dim +glimmer of the diamonds, and the wild, wan faces of us three white men +seated there awaiting death by starvation. + + +Then the flame sank and expired. + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +WE ABANDON HOPE + +I can give no adequate description of the horrors of the night which +followed. Mercifully they were to some extent mitigated by sleep, for +even in such a position as ours wearied nature will sometimes assert +itself. But I, at any rate, found it impossible to sleep much. Putting +aside the terrifying thought of our impending doom--for the bravest man +on earth might well quail from such a fate as awaited us, and I never +made any pretensions to be brave--the _silence_ itself was too great to +allow of it. Reader, you may have lain awake at night and thought the +quiet oppressive, but I say with confidence that you can have no idea +what a vivid, tangible thing is perfect stillness. On the surface of +the earth there is always some sound or motion, and though it may in +itself be imperceptible, yet it deadens the sharp edge of absolute +silence. But here there was none. We were buried in the bowels of a +huge snow-clad peak. Thousands of feet above us the fresh air rushed +over the white snow, but no sound of it reached us. We were separated +by a long tunnel and five feet of rock even from the awful chamber of +the Dead; and the dead make no noise. Did we not know it who lay by +poor Foulata's side? The crashing of all the artillery of earth and +heaven could not have come to our ears in our living tomb. We were cut +off from every echo of the world--we were as men already in the grave. + +Then the irony of the situation forced itself upon me. There around us +lay treasures enough to pay off a moderate national debt, or to build a +fleet of ironclads, and yet we would have bartered them all gladly for +the faintest chance of escape. Soon, doubtless, we should be rejoiced +to exchange them for a bit of food or a cup of water, and, after that, +even for the privilege of a speedy close to our sufferings. Truly +wealth, which men spend their lives in acquiring, is a valueless thing +at the last. + +And so the night wore on. + +"Good," said Sir Henry's voice at last, and it sounded awful in the +intense stillness, "how many matches have you in the box?" + +"Eight, Curtis." + +"Strike one and let us see the time." + +He did so, and in contrast to the dense darkness the flame nearly +blinded us. It was five o'clock by my watch. The beautiful dawn was now +blushing on the snow-wreaths far over our heads, and the breeze would +be stirring the night mists in the hollows. + +"We had better eat something and keep up our strength," I suggested. + +"What is the good of eating?" answered Good; "the sooner we die and get +it over the better." + +"While there is life there is hope," said Sir Henry. + +Accordingly we ate and sipped some water, and another period of time +elapsed. Then Sir Henry suggested that it might be well to get as near +the door as possible and halloa, on the faint chance of somebody +catching a sound outside. Accordingly Good, who, from long practice at +sea, has a fine piercing note, groped his way down the passage and set +to work. I must say that he made a most diabolical noise. I never heard +such yells; but it might have been a mosquito buzzing for all the +effect they produced. + +After a while he gave it up and came back very thirsty, and had to +drink. Then we stopped yelling, as it encroached on the supply of water. + +So we sat down once more against the chests of useless diamonds in that +dreadful inaction which was one of the hardest circumstances of our +fate; and I am bound to say that, for my part, I gave way in despair. +Laying my head against Sir Henry's broad shoulder I burst into tears; +and I think that I heard Good gulping away on the other side, and +swearing hoarsely at himself for doing so. + +Ah, how good and brave that great man was! Had we been two frightened +children, and he our nurse, he could not have treated us more tenderly. +Forgetting his own share of miseries, he did all he could to soothe our +broken nerves, telling stories of men who had been in somewhat similar +circumstances, and miraculously escaped; and when these failed to cheer +us, pointing out how, after all, it was only anticipating an end which +must come to us all, that it would soon be over, and that death from +exhaustion was a merciful one (which is not true). Then, in a diffident +sort of way, as once before I had heard him do, he suggested that we +should throw ourselves on the mercy of a higher Power, which for my +part I did with great vigour. + +His is a beautiful character, very quiet, but very strong. + +And so somehow the day went as the night had gone, if, indeed, one can +use these terms where all was densest night, and when I lit a match to +see the time it was seven o'clock. + +Once more we ate and drank, and as we did so an idea occurred to me. + +"How is it," said I, "that the air in this place keeps fresh? It is +thick and heavy, but it is perfectly fresh." + +"Great heavens!" said Good, starting up, "I never thought of that. It +can't come through the stone door, for it's air-tight, if ever a door +was. It must come from somewhere. If there were no current of air in +the place we should have been stifled or poisoned when we first came +in. Let us have a look." + +It was wonderful what a change this mere spark of hope wrought in us. +In a moment we were all three groping about on our hands and knees, +feeling for the slightest indication of a draught. Presently my ardour +received a check. I put my hand on something cold. It was dead +Foulata's face. + +For an hour or more we went on feeling about, till at last Sir Henry +and I gave it up in despair, having been considerably hurt by +constantly knocking our heads against tusks, chests, and the sides of +the chamber. But Good still persevered, saying, with an approach to +cheerfulness, that it was better than doing nothing. + +"I say, you fellows," he said presently, in a constrained sort of +voice, "come here." + +Needless to say we scrambled towards him quickly enough. + +"Quatermain, put your hand here where mine is. Now, do you feel +anything?" + +"I _think_ I feel air coming up." + +"Now listen." He rose and stamped upon the place, and a flame of hope +shot up in our hearts. _It rang hollow._ + +With trembling hands I lit a match. I had only three left, and we saw +that we were in the angle of the far corner of the chamber, a fact that +accounted for our not having noticed the hollow sound of the place +during our former exhaustive examination. As the match burnt we +scrutinised the spot. There was a join in the solid rock floor, and, +great heavens! there, let in level with the rock, was a stone ring. We +said no word, we were too excited, and our hearts beat too wildly with +hope to allow us to speak. Good had a knife, at the back of which was +one of those hooks that are made to extract stones from horses' hoofs. +He opened it, and scratched round the ring with it. Finally he worked +it under, and levered away gently for fear of breaking the hook. The +ring began to move. Being of stone it had not rusted fast in all the +centuries it had lain there, as would have been the case had it been of +iron. Presently it was upright. Then he thrust his hands into it and +tugged with all his force, but nothing budged. + +"Let me try," I said impatiently, for the situation of the stone, right +in the angle of the corner, was such that it was impossible for two to +pull at once. I took hold and strained away, but no results. + +Then Sir Henry tried and failed. + +Taking the hook again, Good scratched all round the crack where we felt +the air coming up. + +"Now, Curtis," he said, "tackle on, and put your back into it; you are +as strong as two. Stop," and he took off a stout black silk +handkerchief, which, true to his habits of neatness, he still wore, and +ran it through the ring. "Quatermain, get Curtis round the middle and +pull for dear life when I give the word. _Now._" + +Sir Henry put out all his enormous strength, and Good and I did the +same, with such power as nature had given us. + +"Heave! heave! it's giving," gasped Sir Henry; and I heard the muscles +of his great back cracking. Suddenly there was a grating sound, then a +rush of air, and we were all on our backs on the floor with a heavy +flag-stone upon the top of us. Sir Henry's strength had done it, and +never did muscular power stand a man in better stead. + +"Light a match, Quatermain," he said, so soon as we had picked +ourselves up and got our breath; "carefully, now." + +I did so, and there before us, Heaven be praised! was the _first step +of a stone stair._ + +"Now what is to be done?" asked Good. + +"Follow the stair, of course, and trust to Providence." + +"Stop!" said Sir Henry; "Quatermain, get the bit of biltong and the +water that are left; we may want them." + +I went, creeping back to our place by the chests for that purpose, and +as I was coming away an idea struck me. We had not thought much of the +diamonds for the last twenty-four hours or so; indeed, the very idea of +diamonds was nauseous, seeing what they had entailed upon us; but, +reflected I, I may as well pocket some in case we ever should get out +of this ghastly hole. So I just put my fist into the first chest and +filled all the available pockets of my old shooting-coat and trousers, +topping up--this was a happy thought--with a few handfuls of big ones +from the third chest. Also, by an afterthought, I stuffed Foulata's +basket, which, except for one water-gourd and a little biltong, was +empty now, with great quantities of the stones. + +"I say, you fellows," I sang out, "won't you take some diamonds with +you? I've filled my pockets and the basket." + +"Oh, come on, Quatermain! and hang the diamonds!" said Sir Henry. "I +hope that I may never see another." + +As for Good, he made no answer. He was, I think, taking his last +farewell of all that was left of the poor girl who had loved him so +well. And curious as it may seem to you, my reader, sitting at home at +ease and reflecting on the vast, indeed the immeasurable, wealth which +we were thus abandoning, I can assure you that if you had passed some +twenty-eight hours with next to nothing to eat and drink in that place, +you would not have cared to cumber yourself with diamonds whilst +plunging down into the unknown bowels of the earth, in the wild hope of +escape from an agonising death. If from the habits of a lifetime, it +had not become a sort of second nature with me never to leave anything +worth having behind if there was the slightest chance of my being able +to carry it away, I am sure that I should not have bothered to fill my +pockets and that basket. + +"Come on, Quatermain," repeated Sir Henry, who was already standing on +the first step of the stone stair. "Steady, I will go first." + +"Mind where you put your feet, there may be some awful hole +underneath," I answered. + +"Much more likely to be another room," said Sir Henry, while he +descended slowly, counting the steps as he went. + +When he got to "fifteen" he stopped. "Here's the bottom," he said. +"Thank goodness! I think it's a passage. Follow me down." + +Good went next, and I came last, carrying the basket, and on reaching +the bottom lit one of the two remaining matches. By its light we could +just see that we were standing in a narrow tunnel, which ran right and +left at right angles to the staircase we had descended. Before we could +make out any more, the match burnt my fingers and went out. Then arose +the delicate question of which way to go. Of course, it was impossible +to know what the tunnel was, or where it led to, and yet to turn one +way might lead us to safety, and the other to destruction. We were +utterly perplexed, till suddenly it struck Good that when I had lit the +match the draught of the passage blew the flame to the left. + +"Let us go against the draught," he said; "air draws inwards, not +outwards." + +We took this suggestion, and feeling along the wall with our hands, +whilst trying the ground before us at every step, we departed from that +accursed treasure chamber on our terrible quest for life. If ever it +should be entered again by living man, which I do not think probable, +he will find tokens of our visit in the open chests of jewels, the +empty lamp, and the white bones of poor Foulata. + +When we had groped our way for about a quarter of an hour along the +passage, suddenly it took a sharp turn, or else was bisected by +another, which we followed, only in course of time to be led into a +third. And so it went on for some hours. We seemed to be in a stone +labyrinth that led nowhere. What all these passages are, of course I +cannot say, but we thought that they must be the ancient workings of a +mine, of which the various shafts and adits travelled hither and +thither as the ore led them. This is the only way in which we could +account for such a multitude of galleries. + +At length we halted, thoroughly worn out with fatigue and with that +hope deferred which maketh the heart sick, and ate up our poor +remaining piece of biltong and drank our last sup of water, for our +throats were like lime-kilns. It seemed to us that we had escaped Death +in the darkness of the treasure chamber only to meet him in the +darkness of the tunnels. + +As we stood, once more utterly depressed, I thought that I caught a +sound, to which I called the attention of the others. It was very faint +and very far off, but it _was_ a sound, a faint, murmuring sound, for +the others heard it too, and no words can describe the blessedness of +it after all those hours of utter, awful stillness. + +"By heaven! it's running water," said Good. "Come on." + +Off we started again in the direction from which the faint murmur +seemed to come, groping our way as before along the rocky walls. I +remember that I laid down the basket full of diamonds, wishing to be +rid of its weight, but on second thoughts took it up again. One might +as well die rich as poor, I reflected. As we went the sound became more +and more audible, till at last it seemed quite loud in the quiet. On, +yet on; now we could distinctly make out the unmistakable swirl of +rushing water. And yet how could there be running water in the bowels +of the earth? Now we were quite near it, and Good, who was leading, +swore that he could smell it. + +"Go gently, Good," said Sir Henry, "we must be close." _Splash!_ and a +cry from Good. + +He had fallen in. + +"Good! Good! where are you?" we shouted, in terrified distress. To our +intense relief an answer came back in a choky voice. + +"All right; I've got hold of a rock. Strike a light to show me where +you are." + +Hastily I lit the last remaining match. Its faint gleam discovered to +us a dark mass of water running at our feet. How wide it was we could +not see, but there, some way out, was the dark form of our companion +hanging on to a projecting rock. + +"Stand clear to catch me," sung out Good. "I must swim for it." + +Then we heard a splash, and a great struggle. Another minute and he had +grabbed at and caught Sir Henry's outstretched hand, and we had pulled +him up high and dry into the tunnel. + +"My word!" he said, between his gasps, "that was touch and go. If I +hadn't managed to catch that rock, and known how to swim, I should have +been done. It runs like a mill-race, and I could feel no bottom." + +We dared not follow the banks of the subterranean river for fear lest +we should fall into it again in the darkness. So after Good had rested +a while, and we had drunk our fill of the water, which was sweet and +fresh, and washed our faces, that needed it sadly, as well as we could, +we started from the banks of this African Styx, and began to retrace +our steps along the tunnel, Good dripping unpleasantly in front of us. +At length we came to another gallery leading to our right. + +"We may as well take it," said Sir Henry wearily; "all roads are alike +here; we can only go on till we drop." + +Slowly, for a long, long while, we stumbled, utterly exhausted, along +this new tunnel, Sir Henry now leading the way. Again I thought of +abandoning that basket, but did not. + +Suddenly he stopped, and we bumped up against him. + +"Look!" he whispered, "is my brain going, or is that light?" + +We stared with all our eyes, and there, yes, there, far ahead of us, +was a faint, glimmering spot, no larger than a cottage window pane. It +was so faint that I doubt if any eyes, except those which, like ours, +had for days seen nothing but blackness, could have perceived it at all. + +With a gasp of hope we pushed on. In five minutes there was no longer +any doubt; it _was_ a patch of faint light. A minute more and a breath +of real live air was fanning us. On we struggled. All at once the +tunnel narrowed. Sir Henry went on his knees. Smaller yet it grew, till +it was only the size of a large fox's earth--it was _earth_ now, mind +you; the rock had ceased. + +A squeeze, a struggle, and Sir Henry was out, and so was Good, and so +was I, dragging Foulata's basket after me; and there above us were the +blessed stars, and in our nostrils was the sweet air. Then suddenly +something gave, and we were all rolling over and over and over through +grass and bushes and soft, wet soil. + +The basket caught in something and I stopped. Sitting up I halloed +lustily. An answering shout came from below, where Sir Henry's wild +career had been checked by some level ground. I scrambled to him, and +found him unhurt, though breathless. Then we looked for Good. A little +way off we discovered him also, hammed in a forked root. He was a good +deal knocked about, but soon came to himself. + +We sat down together, there on the grass, and the revulsion of feeling +was so great that really I think we cried with joy. We had escaped from +that awful dungeon, which was so near to becoming our grave. Surely +some merciful Power guided our footsteps to the jackal hole, for that +is what it must have been, at the termination of the tunnel. And see, +yonder on the mountains the dawn we had never thought to look upon +again was blushing rosy red. + +Presently the grey light stole down the slopes, and we saw that we were +at the bottom, or rather, nearly at the bottom, of the vast pit in +front of the entrance to the cave. Now we could make out the dim forms +of the three Colossi who sat upon its verge. Doubtless those awful +passages, along which we had wandered the livelong night, had been +originally in some way connected with the great diamond mine. As for +the subterranean river in the bowels of the mountain, Heaven only knows +what it is, or whence it flows, or whither it goes. I, for one, have no +anxiety to trace its course. + +Lighter it grew, and lighter yet. We could see each other now, and such +a spectacle as we presented I have never set eyes on before or since. +Gaunt-cheeked, hollow-eyed wretches, smeared all over with dust and +mud, bruised, bleeding, the long fear of imminent death yet written on +our countenances, we were, indeed, a sight to frighten the daylight. +And yet it is a solemn fact that Good's eye-glass was still fixed in +Good's eye. I doubt whether he had ever taken it out at all. Neither +the darkness, nor the plunge in the subterranean river, nor the roll +down the slope, had been able to separate Good and his eye-glass. + +Presently we rose, fearing that our limbs would stiffen if we stopped +there longer, and commenced with slow and painful steps to struggle up +the sloping sides of the great pit. For an hour or more we toiled +steadfastly up the blue clay, dragging ourselves on by the help of the +roots and grasses with which it was clothed. But now I had no more +thought of leaving the basket; indeed, nothing but death should have +parted us. + +At last it was done, and we stood by the great road, on that side of +the pit which is opposite to the Colossi. + +At the side of the road, a hundred yards off, a fire was burning in +front of some huts, and round the fire were figures. We staggered +towards them, supporting one another, and halting every few paces. +Presently one of the figures rose, saw us and fell on to the ground, +crying out for fear. + +"Infadoos, Infadoos! it is we, thy friends." + +He rose; he ran to us, staring wildly, and still shaking with fear. + +"Oh, my lords, my lords, it is indeed you come back from the +dead!--come back from the dead!" + +And the old warrior flung himself down before us, and clasping Sir +Henry's knees, he wept aloud for joy. + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +IGNOSI'S FAREWELL + +Ten days from that eventful morning found us once more in our old +quarters at Loo; and, strange to say, but little the worse for our +terrible experience, except that my stubbly hair came out of the +treasure cave about three shades greyer than it went in, and that Good +never was quite the same after Foulata's death, which seemed to move +him very greatly. I am bound to say, looking at the thing from the +point of view of an oldish man of the world, that I consider her +removal was a fortunate occurrence, since, otherwise, complications +would have been sure to ensue. The poor creature was no ordinary native +girl, but a person of great, I had almost said stately, beauty, and of +considerable refinement of mind. But no amount of beauty or refinement +could have made an entanglement between Good and herself a desirable +occurrence; for, as she herself put it, "Can the sun mate with the +darkness, or the white with the black?" + +I need hardly state that we never again penetrated into Solomon's +treasure chamber. After we had recovered from our fatigues, a process +which took us forty-eight hours, we descended into the great pit in the +hope of finding the hole by which we had crept out of the mountain, but +with no success. To begin with, rain had fallen, and obliterated our +spoor; and what is more, the sides of the vast pit were full of +ant-bear and other holes. It was impossible to say to which of these we +owed our salvation. Also, on the day before we started back to Loo, we +made a further examination of the wonders of the stalactite cave, and, +drawn by a kind of restless feeling, even penetrated once more into the +Chamber of the Dead. Passing beneath the spear of the White Death we +gazed, with sensations which it would be quite impossible for me to +describe, at the mass of rock that had shut us off from escape, +thinking the while of priceless treasures beyond, of the mysterious old +hag whose flattened fragments lay crushed beneath it, and of the fair +girl of whose tomb it was the portal. I say gazed at the "rock," for, +examine as we could, we could find no traces of the join of the sliding +door; nor, indeed, could we hit upon the secret, now utterly lost, that +worked it, though we tried for an hour or more. It is certainly a +marvellous bit of mechanism, characteristic, in its massive and yet +inscrutable simplicity, of the age which produced it; and I doubt if +the world has such another to show. + +At last we gave it up in disgust; though, if the mass had suddenly +risen before our eyes, I doubt if we should have screwed up courage to +step over Gagool's mangled remains, and once more enter the treasure +chamber, even in the sure and certain hope of unlimited diamonds. And +yet I could have cried at the idea of leaving all that treasure, the +biggest treasure probably that in the world's history has ever been +accumulated in one spot. But there was no help for it. Only dynamite +could force its way through five feet of solid rock. + +So we left it. Perhaps, in some remote unborn century, a more fortunate +explorer may hit upon the "Open Sesame," and flood the world with gems. +But, myself, I doubt it. Somehow, I seem to feel that the tens of +millions of pounds' worth of jewels which lie in the three stone +coffers will never shine round the neck of an earthly beauty. They and +Foulata's bones will keep cold company till the end of all things. + +With a sigh of disappointment we made our way back, and next day +started for Loo. And yet it was really very ungrateful of us to be +disappointed; for, as the reader will remember, by a lucky thought, I +had taken the precaution to fill the wide pockets of my old shooting +coat and trousers with gems before we left our prison-house, also +Foulata's basket, which held twice as many more, notwithstanding that +the water bottle had occupied some of its space. A good many of these +fell out in the course of our roll down the side of the pit, including +several of the big ones, which I had crammed in on the top in my coat +pockets. But, comparatively speaking, an enormous quantity still +remained, including ninety-three large stones ranging from over two +hundred to seventy carats in weight. My old shooting coat and the +basket still held sufficient treasure to make us all, if not +millionaires as the term is understood in America, at least exceedingly +wealthy men, and yet to keep enough stones each to make the three +finest sets of gems in Europe. So we had not done so badly. + +On arriving at Loo we were most cordially received by Ignosi, whom we +found well, and busily engaged in consolidating his power, and +reorganising the regiments which had suffered most in the great +struggle with Twala. + +He listened with intense interest to our wonderful story; but when we +told him of old Gagool's frightful end he grew thoughtful. + +"Come hither," he called, to a very old Induna or councillor, who was +sitting with others in a circle round the king, but out of ear-shot. +The ancient man rose, approached, saluted, and seated himself. + +"Thou art aged," said Ignosi. + +"Ay, my lord the king! Thy father's father and I were born on the same +day." + +"Tell me, when thou wast little, didst thou know Gagaoola the witch +doctress?" + +"Ay, my lord the king!" + +"How was she then--young, like thee?" + +"Not so, my lord the king! She was even as she is now and as she was in +the days of my great grandfather before me; old and dried, very ugly, +and full of wickedness." + +"She is no more; she is dead." + +"So, O king! then is an ancient curse taken from the land." + +"Go!" + +"_Koom!_ I go, Black Puppy, who tore out the old dog's throat. _Koom!_" + +"Ye see, my brothers," said Ignosi, "this was a strange woman, and I +rejoice that she is dead. She would have let you die in the dark place, +and mayhap afterwards she had found a way to slay me, as she found a +way to slay my father, and set up Twala, whom her black heart loved, in +his place. Now go on with the tale; surely there never was its like!" + +After I had narrated all the story of our escape, as we had agreed +between ourselves that I should, I took the opportunity to address +Ignosi as to our departure from Kukuanaland. + +"And now, Ignosi," I said, "the time has come for us to bid thee +farewell, and start to see our own land once more. Behold, Ignosi, thou +camest with us a servant, and now we leave thee a mighty king. If thou +art grateful to us, remember to do even as thou didst promise: to rule +justly, to respect the law, and to put none to death without a cause. +So shalt thou prosper. To-morrow, at break of day, Ignosi, thou wilt +give us an escort who shall lead us across the mountains. Is it not so, +O king?" + +Ignosi covered his face with his hands for a while before answering. + +"My heart is sore," he said at last; "your words split my heart in +twain. What have I done to you, Incubu, Macumazahn, and Bougwan, that +ye should leave me desolate? Ye who stood by me in rebellion and in +battle, will ye leave me in the day of peace and victory? What will +ye--wives? Choose from among the maidens! A place to live in? Behold, +the land is yours as far as ye can see. The white man's houses? Ye +shall teach my people how to build them. Cattle for beef and milk? +Every married man shall bring you an ox or a cow. Wild game to hunt? +Does not the elephant walk through my forests, and the river-horse +sleep in the reeds? Would ye make war? My Impis wait your word. If +there is anything more which I can give, that will I give you." + +"Nay, Ignosi, we want none of these things," I answered; "we would seek +our own place." + +"Now do I learn," said Ignosi bitterly, and with flashing eyes, "that +ye love the bright stones more than me, your friend. Ye have the +stones; now ye would go to Natal and across the moving black water and +sell them, and be rich, as it is the desire of a white man's heart to +be. Cursed for your sake be the white stones, and cursed he who seeks +them. Death shall it be to him who sets foot in the place of Death to +find them. I have spoken. White men, ye can go." + +I laid my hand upon his arm. "Ignosi," I said, "tell us, when thou +didst wander in Zululand, and among the white people of Natal, did not +thine heart turn to the land thy mother told thee of, thy native place, +where thou didst see the light, and play when thou wast little, the +land where thy place was?" + +"It was even so, Macumazahn." + +"In like manner, Ignosi, do our hearts turn to our land and to our own +place." + +Then came a silence. When Ignosi broke it, it was in a different voice. + +"I do perceive that now as ever thy words are wise and full of reason, +Macumazahn; that which flies in the air loves not to run along the +ground; the white man loves not to live on the level of the black or to +house among his kraals. Well, ye must go, and leave my heart sore, +because ye will be as dead to me, since from where ye are no tidings +can come to me. + +"But listen, and let all your brothers know my words. No other white +man shall cross the mountains, even if any man live to come so far. I +will see no traders with their guns and gin. My people shall fight with +the spear, and drink water, like their forefathers before them. I will +have no praying-men to put a fear of death into men's hearts, to stir +them up against the law of the king, and make a path for the white folk +who follow to run on. If a white man comes to my gates I will send him +back; if a hundred come I will push them back; if armies come, I will +make war on them with all my strength, and they shall not prevail +against me. None shall ever seek for the shining stones: no, not an +army, for if they come I will send a regiment and fill up the pit, and +break down the white columns in the caves and choke them with rocks, so +that none can reach even to that door of which ye speak, and whereof +the way to move it is lost. But for you three, Incubu, Macumazahn, and +Bougwan, the path is always open; for, behold, ye are dearer to me than +aught that breathes. + +"And ye would go. Infadoos, my uncle, and my Induna, shall take you by +the hand and guide you with a regiment. There is, as I have learned, +another way across the mountains that he shall show you. Farewell, my +brothers, brave white men. See me no more, for I have no heart to bear +it. Behold! I make a decree, and it shall be published from the +mountains to the mountains; your names, Incubu, Macumazahn, and +Bougwan, shall be "_hlonipa_" even as the names of dead kings, and he +who speaks them shall die.[1] So shall your memory be preserved in the +land for ever. + +"Go now, ere my eyes rain tears like a woman's. At times as ye look +back down the path of life, or when ye are old and gather yourselves +together to crouch before the fire, because for you the sun has no more +heat, ye will think of how we stood shoulder to shoulder, in that great +battle which thy wise words planned, Macumazahn; of how thou wast the +point of the horn that galled Twala's flank, Bougwan; whilst thou stood +in the ring of the Greys, Incubu, and men went down before thine axe +like corn before a sickle; ay, and of how thou didst break that wild +bull Twala's strength, and bring his pride to dust. Fare ye well for +ever, Incubu, Macumazahn, and Bougwan, my lords and my friends." + +Ignosi rose and looked earnestly at us for a few seconds. Then he threw +the corner of his karross over his head, so as to cover his face from +us. + +We went in silence. + + +Next day at dawn we left Loo, escorted by our old friend Infadoos, who +was heart-broken at our departure, and by the regiment of Buffaloes. +Early as was the hour, all the main street of the town was lined with +multitudes of people, who gave us the royal salute as we passed at the +head of the regiment, while the women blessed us for having rid the +land of Twala, throwing flowers before us as we went. It was really +very affecting, and not the sort of thing one is accustomed to meet +with from natives. + +One ludicrous incident occurred, however, which I rather welcomed, as +it gave us something to laugh at. + +Just before we reached the confines of the town, a pretty young girl, +with some lovely lilies in her hand, ran forward and presented them to +Good--somehow they all seemed to like Good; I think his eye-glass and +solitary whisker gave him a fictitious value--and then said that she +had a boon to ask. + +"Speak on," he answered. + +"Let my lord show his servant his beautiful white legs, that his +servant may look upon them, and remember them all her days, and tell of +them to her children; his servant has travelled four days' journey to +see them, for the fame of them has gone throughout the land." + +"I'll be hanged if I do!" exclaimed Good excitedly. + +"Come, come, my dear fellow," said Sir Henry, "you can't refuse to +oblige a lady." + +"I won't," replied Good obstinately; "it is positively indecent." + +However, in the end he consented to draw up his trousers to the knee, +amidst notes of rapturous admiration from all the women present, +especially the gratified young lady, and in this guise he had to walk +till we got clear of the town. + +Good's legs, I fear, will never be so greatly admired again. Of his +melting teeth, and even of his "transparent eye," the Kukuanas wearied +more or less, but of his legs never. + +As we travelled, Infadoos told us that there was another pass over the +mountains to the north of the one followed by Solomon's Great Road, or +rather that there was a place where it was possible to climb down the +wall of cliff which separates Kukuanaland from the desert, and is +broken by the towering shapes of Sheba's Breasts. It appeared, also, +that rather more than two years previously a party of Kukuana hunters +had descended this path into the desert in search of ostriches, whose +plumes are much prized among them for war head-dresses, and that in the +course of their hunt they had been led far from the mountains and were +much troubled by thirst. Seeing trees on the horizon, however, they +walked towards them, and discovered a large and fertile oasis some +miles in extent, and plentifully watered. It was by way of this oasis +that Infadoos suggested we should return, and the idea seemed to us a +good one, for it appeared that we should thus escape the rigours of the +mountain pass. Also some of the hunters were in attendance to guide us +to the oasis, from which, they stated, they could perceive other +fertile spots far away in the desert.[2] + +Travelling easily, on the night of the fourth day's journey we found +ourselves once more on the crest of the mountains that separate +Kukuanaland from the desert, which rolled away in sandy billows at our +feet, and about twenty-five miles to the north of Sheba's Breasts. + +At dawn on the following day, we were led to the edge of a very +precipitous chasm, by which we were to descend the precipice, and gain +the plain two thousand and more feet below. + +Here we bade farewell to that true friend and sturdy old warrior, +Infadoos, who solemnly wished all good upon us, and nearly wept with +grief. "Never, my lords," he said, "shall mine old eyes see the like of +you again. Ah! the way that Incubu cut his men down in the battle! Ah! +for the sight of that stroke with which he swept off my brother Twala's +head! It was beautiful--beautiful! I may never hope to see such +another, except perchance in happy dreams." + +We were very sorry to part from him; indeed, Good was so moved that he +gave him as a souvenir--what do you think?--an _eye-glass_; afterwards +we discovered that it was a spare one. Infadoos was delighted, +foreseeing that the possession of such an article would increase his +prestige enormously, and after several vain attempts he actually +succeeded in screwing it into his own eye. Anything more incongruous +than the old warrior looked with an eye-glass I never saw. Eye-glasses +do not go well with leopard-skin cloaks and black ostrich plumes. + +Then, after seeing that our guides were well laden with water and +provisions, and having received a thundering farewell salute from the +Buffaloes, we wrung Infadoos by the hand, and began our downward climb. +A very arduous business it proved to be, but somehow that evening we +found ourselves at the bottom without accident. + +"Do you know," said Sir Henry that night, as we sat by our fire and +gazed up at the beetling cliffs above us, "I think that there are worse +places than Kukuanaland in the world, and that I have known unhappier +times than the last month or two, though I have never spent such queer +ones. Eh! you fellows?" + +"I almost wish I were back," said Good, with a sigh. + +As for myself, I reflected that all's well that ends well; but in the +course of a long life of shaves, I never had such shaves as those which +I had recently experienced. The thought of that battle makes me feel +cold all over, and as for our experience in the treasure chamber--! + + +Next morning we started on a toilsome trudge across the desert, having +with us a good supply of water carried by our five guides, and camped +that night in the open, marching again at dawn on the morrow. + +By noon of the third day's journey we could see the trees of the oasis +of which the guides spoke, and within an hour of sundown we were +walking once more upon grass and listening to the sound of running +water. + + +[1] This extraordinary and negative way of showing intense respect is +by no means unknown among African people, and the result is that if, as +is usual, the name in question has a significance, the meaning must be +expressed by an idiom or other word. In this way a memory is preserved +for generations, or until the new word utterly supplants the old. + +[2] It often puzzled all of us to understand how it was possible that +Ignosi's mother, bearing the child with her, should have survived the +dangers of her journey across the mountains and the desert, dangers +which so nearly proved fatal to ourselves. It has since occurred to me, +and I give the idea to the reader for what it is worth, that she must +have taken this second route, and wandered out like Hagar into the +wilderness. If she did so, there is no longer anything inexplicable +about the story, since, as Ignosi himself related, she may well have +been picked up by some ostrich hunters before she or the child was +exhausted, was led by them to the oasis, and thence by stages to the +fertile country, and so on by slow degrees southwards to Zululand.--A.Q. + + + +CHAPTER XX + +FOUND + +And now I come to perhaps the strangest adventure that happened to us +in all this strange business, and one which shows how wonderfully +things are brought about. + +I was walking along quietly, some way in front of the other two, down +the banks of the stream which runs from the oasis till it is swallowed +up in the hungry desert sands, when suddenly I stopped and rubbed my +eyes, as well I might. There, not twenty yards in front of me, placed +in a charming situation, under the shade of a species of fig-tree, and +facing to the stream, was a cosy hut, built more or less on the Kafir +principle with grass and withes, but having a full-length door instead +of a bee-hole. + +"What the dickens," said I to myself, "can a hut be doing here?" Even +as I said it the door of the hut opened, and there limped out of it a +_white man_ clothed in skins, and with an enormous black beard. I +thought that I must have got a touch of the sun. It was impossible. No +hunter ever came to such a place as this. Certainly no hunter would +ever settle in it. I stared and stared, and so did the other man, and +just at that juncture Sir Henry and Good walked up. + +"Look here, you fellows," I said, "is that a white man, or am I mad?" + +Sir Henry looked, and Good looked, and then all of a sudden the lame +white man with a black beard uttered a great cry, and began hobbling +towards us. When he was close he fell down in a sort of faint. + +With a spring Sir Henry was by his side. + +"Great Powers!" he cried, "_it is my brother George!_" + +At the sound of this disturbance, another figure, also clad in skins, +emerged from the hut, a gun in his hand, and ran towards us. On seeing +me he too gave a cry. + +"Macumazahn," he halloed, "don't you know me, Baas? I'm Jim the hunter. +I lost the note you gave me to give to the Baas, and we have been here +nearly two years." And the fellow fell at my feet, and rolled over and +over, weeping for joy. + +"You careless scoundrel!" I said; "you ought to be well +_sjambocked_"--that is, hided. + +Meanwhile the man with the black beard had recovered and risen, and he +and Sir Henry were pump-handling away at each other, apparently without +a word to say. But whatever they had quarrelled about in the past--I +suspect it was a lady, though I never asked--it was evidently forgotten +now. + +"My dear old fellow," burst out Sir Henry at last, "I thought you were +dead. I have been over Solomon's Mountains to find you. I had given up +all hope of ever seeing you again, and now I come across you perched in +the desert, like an old _assvögel_."[1] + +"I tried to cross Solomon's Mountains nearly two years ago," was the +answer, spoken in the hesitating voice of a man who has had little +recent opportunity of using his tongue, "but when I reached here a +boulder fell on my leg and crushed it, and I have been able to go +neither forward nor back." + +Then I came up. "How do you do, Mr. Neville?" I said; "do you remember +me?" + +"Why," he said, "isn't it Hunter Quatermain, eh, and Good too? Hold on +a minute, you fellows, I am getting dizzy again. It is all so very +strange, and, when a man has ceased to hope, so very happy!" + +That evening, over the camp fire, George Curtis told us his story, +which, in its way, was almost as eventful as our own, and, put shortly, +amounted to this. A little less than two years before, he had started +from Sitanda's Kraal, to try to reach Suliman's Berg. As for the note I +had sent him by Jim, that worthy lost it, and he had never heard of it +till to-day. But, acting upon information he had received from the +natives, he headed not for Sheba's Breasts, but for the ladder-like +descent of the mountains down which we had just come, which is clearly +a better route than that marked out in old Dom Silvestra's plan. In the +desert he and Jim had suffered great hardships, but finally they +reached this oasis, where a terrible accident befell George Curtis. On +the day of their arrival he was sitting by the stream, and Jim was +extracting the honey from the nest of a stingless bee which is to be +found in the desert, on the top of a bank immediately above him. In so +doing he loosened a great boulder of rock, which fell upon George +Curtis's right leg, crushing it frightfully. From that day he had been +so lame that he found it impossible to go either forward or back, and +had preferred to take the chances of dying in the oasis to the +certainty of perishing in the desert. + +As for food, however, they got on pretty well, for they had a good +supply of ammunition, and the oasis was frequented, especially at +night, by large quantities of game, which came thither for water. These +they shot, or trapped in pitfalls, using the flesh for food, and, after +their clothes wore out, the hides for clothing. + +"And so," George Curtis ended, "we have lived for nearly two years, +like a second Robinson Crusoe and his man Friday, hoping against hope +that some natives might come here to help us away, but none have come. +Only last night we settled that Jim should leave me, and try to reach +Sitanda's Kraal to get assistance. He was to go to-morrow, but I had +little hope of ever seeing him back again. And now _you_, of all people +in the world, _you_, who, as I fancied, had long ago forgotten all +about me, and were living comfortably in old England, turn up in a +promiscuous way and find me where you least expected. It is the most +wonderful thing that I have ever heard of, and the most merciful too." + +Then Sir Henry set to work, and told him the main facts of our +adventures, sitting till late into the night to do it. + +"By Jove!" said George Curtis, when I showed him some of the diamonds: +"well, at least you have got something for your pains, besides my +worthless self." + +Sir Henry laughed. "They belong to Quatermain and Good. It was a part +of the bargain that they should divide any spoils there might be." + +This remark set me thinking, and having spoken to Good, I told Sir +Henry that it was our joint wish that he should take a third portion of +the diamonds, or, if he would not, that his share should be handed to +his brother, who had suffered even more than ourselves on the chance of +getting them. Finally, we prevailed upon him to consent to this +arrangement, but George Curtis did not know of it until some time +afterwards. + + * * * * * + +Here, at this point, I think that I shall end my history. Our journey +across the desert back to Sitanda's Kraal was most arduous, especially +as we had to support George Curtis, whose right leg was very weak +indeed, and continually threw out splinters of bone. But we did +accomplish it somehow, and to give its details would only be to +reproduce much of what happened to us on the former occasion. + +Six months from the date of our re-arrival at Sitanda's, where we found +our guns and other goods quite safe, though the old rascal in charge +was much disgusted at our surviving to claim them, saw us all once more +safe and sound at my little place on the Berea, near Durban, where I am +now writing. Thence I bid farewell to all who have accompanied me +through the strangest trip I ever made in the course of a long and +varied experience. + +P.S.--Just as I had written the last word, a Kafir came up my avenue of +orange trees, carrying a letter in a cleft stick, which he had brought +from the post. It turned out to be from Sir Henry, and as it speaks for +itself I give it in full. + + October 1, 1884. + Brayley Hall, Yorkshire. + + My Dear Quatermain, + + I send you a line a few mails back to say that the three of us, + George, Good, and myself, fetched up all right in England. We got + off the boat at Southampton, and went up to town. You should have + seen what a swell Good turned out the very next day, beautifully + shaved, frock coat fitting like a glove, brand new eye-glass, + etc., etc. I went and walked in the park with him, where I met + some people I know, and at once told them the story of his + "beautiful white legs." + + He is furious, especially as some ill-natured person has printed + it in a Society paper. + + To come to business, Good and I took the diamonds to Streeter's to + be valued, as we arranged, and really I am afraid to tell you what + they put them at, it seems so enormous. They say that of course it + is more or less guess-work, as such stones have never to their + knowledge been put on the market in anything like such quantities. + It appears that (with the exception of one or two of the largest) + they are of the finest water, and equal in every way to the best + Brazilian stones. I asked them if they would buy them, but they + said that it was beyond their power to do so, and recommended us + to sell by degrees, over a period of years indeed, for fear lest + we should flood the market. They offer, however, a hundred and + eighty thousand for a very small portion of them. + + You must come home, Quatermain, and see about these things, + especially if you insist upon making the magnificent present of + the third share, which does _not_ belong to me, to my brother + George. As for Good, he is _no good_. His time is too much + occupied in shaving, and other matters connected with the vain + adorning of the body. But I think he is still down on his luck + about Foulata. He told me that since he had been home he hadn't + seen a woman to touch her, either as regards her figure or the + sweetness of her expression. + + I want you to come home, my dear old comrade, and to buy a house + near here. You have done your day's work, and have lots of money + now, and there is a place for sale quite close which would suit + you admirably. Do come; the sooner the better; you can finish + writing the story of our adventures on board ship. We have refused + to tell the tale till it is written by you, for fear lest we shall + not be believed. If you start on receipt of this you will reach + here by Christmas, and I book you to stay with me for that. Good + is coming, and George; and so, by the way, is your boy Harry + (there's a bribe for you). I have had him down for a week's + shooting, and like him. He is a cool young hand; he shot me in the + leg, cut out the pellets, and then remarked upon the advantages of + having a medical student with every shooting party! + + Good-bye, old boy; I can't say any more, but I know that you will + come, if it is only to oblige + + Your sincere friend, + Henry Curtis. + + P.S.--The tusks of the great bull that killed poor Khiva have now + been put up in the hall here, over the pair of buffalo horns you + gave me, and look magnificent; and the axe with which I chopped + off Twala's head is fixed above my writing-table. I wish that we + could have managed to bring away the coats of chain armour. Don't + lose poor Foulata's basket in which you brought away the diamonds. + + H.C. + +To-day is Tuesday. There is a steamer going on Friday, and I really +think that I must take Curtis at his word, and sail by her for England, +if it is only to see you, Harry, my boy, and to look after the printing +of this history, which is a task that I do not like to trust to anybody +else. + + +ALLAN QUATERMAIN. + + +[1] Vulture. + + + + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's King Solomon's Mines, by H. Rider Haggard + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK KING SOLOMON'S MINES *** + +***** This file should be named 2166-8.txt or 2166-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/1/6/2166/ + +Produced by John Bickers and Dagny. 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Rider Haggard + +Posting Date: January 15, 2009 [EBook #2166] +Release Date: October 11, 2005 +Last updated: August 18, 2011 +Last updated: October 10, 2012 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK KING SOLOMON'S MINES *** + + + + +Produced by John Bickers and Dagny. HTML version by Al Haines. + + + + + + + + + +KING SOLOMON'S MINES + + +by + +H. RIDER HAGGARD + + + + DEDICATION + + This faithful but unpretending record + of a remarkable adventure + is hereby respectfully dedicated + by the narrator, + + ALLAN QUATERMAIN, + + to all the big and little boys + who read it. + + + +PREPARER'S NOTE + + This was typed from a 1907 edition published by Cassell and + Company, Limited. + + + +AUTHOR'S NOTE + + The author ventures to take this opportunity to thank his readers + for the kind reception they have accorded to the successive + editions of this tale during the last twelve years. He hopes that + in its present form it will fall into the hands of an even wider + public, and that in years to come it may continue to afford + amusement to those who are still young enough at heart to love a + story of treasure, war, and wild adventure. + + Ditchingham, + 11 March, 1898. + + + +POST SCRIPTUM + + Now, in 1907, on the occasion of the issue of this edition, I can + only add how glad I am that my romance should continue to please + so many readers. Imagination has been verified by fact; the King + Solomon's Mines I dreamed of have been discovered, and are putting + out their gold once more, and, according to the latest reports, + their diamonds also; the Kukuanas or, rather, the Matabele, have + been tamed by the white man's bullets, but still there seem to be + many who find pleasure in these simple pages. That they may + continue so to do, even to the third and fourth generation, or + perhaps longer still, would, I am sure, be the hope of our old and + departed friend, Allan Quatermain. + + H. Rider Haggard. + Ditchingham, 1907. + + + +INTRODUCTION + +Now that this book is printed, and about to be given to the world, a +sense of its shortcomings both in style and contents, weighs very +heavily upon me. As regards the latter, I can only say that it does not +pretend to be a full account of everything we did and saw. There are +many things connected with our journey into Kukuanaland that I should +have liked to dwell upon at length, which, as it is, have been scarcely +alluded to. Amongst these are the curious legends which I collected +about the chain armour that saved us from destruction in the great +battle of Loo, and also about the "Silent Ones" or Colossi at the mouth +of the stalactite cave. Again, if I had given way to my own impulses, I +should have wished to go into the differences, some of which are to my +mind very suggestive, between the Zulu and Kukuana dialects. Also a few +pages might have been given up profitably to the consideration of the +indigenous flora and fauna of Kukuanaland.[1] Then there remains the +most interesting subject--that, as it is, has only been touched on +incidentally--of the magnificent system of military organisation in +force in that country, which, in my opinion, is much superior to that +inaugurated by Chaka in Zululand, inasmuch as it permits of even more +rapid mobilisation, and does not necessitate the employment of the +pernicious system of enforced celibacy. Lastly, I have scarcely spoken +of the domestic and family customs of the Kukuanas, many of which are +exceedingly quaint, or of their proficiency in the art of smelting and +welding metals. This science they carry to considerable perfection, of +which a good example is to be seen in their "tollas," or heavy throwing +knives, the backs of these weapons being made of hammered iron, and the +edges of beautiful steel welded with great skill on to the iron frames. +The fact of the matter is, I thought, with Sir Henry Curtis and Captain +Good, that the best plan would be to tell my story in a plain, +straightforward manner, and to leave these matters to be dealt with +subsequently in whatever way ultimately may appear to be desirable. In +the meanwhile I shall, of course, be delighted to give all information +in my power to anybody interested in such things. + +And now it only remains for me to offer apologies for my blunt way of +writing. I can but say in excuse of it that I am more accustomed to +handle a rifle than a pen, and cannot make any pretence to the grand +literary flights and flourishes which I see in novels--for sometimes I +like to read a novel. I suppose they--the flights and flourishes--are +desirable, and I regret not being able to supply them; but at the same +time I cannot help thinking that simple things are always the most +impressive, and that books are easier to understand when they are +written in plain language, though perhaps I have no right to set up an +opinion on such a matter. "A sharp spear," runs the Kukuana saying, +"needs no polish"; and on the same principle I venture to hope that a +true story, however strange it may be, does not require to be decked +out in fine words. + +Allan Quatermain. + + +[1] I discovered eight varieties of antelope, with which I was +previously totally unacquainted, and many new species of plants, for +the most part of the bulbous tribe.--A.Q. + + + + +CONTENTS + + I I MEET SIR HENRY CURTIS + II THE LEGEND OF SOLOMON'S MINES + III UMBOPA ENTERS OUR SERVICE + IV AN ELEPHANT HUNT + V OUR MARCH INTO THE DESERT + VI WATER! WATER! + VII SOLOMON'S ROAD + VIII WE ENTER KUKUANALAND + IX TWALA THE KING + X THE WITCH-HUNT + XI WE GIVE A SIGN + XII BEFORE THE BATTLE + XIII THE ATTACK + XIV THE LAST STAND OF THE GREYS + XV GOOD FALLS SICK + XVI THE PLACE OF DEATH + XVII SOLOMON'S TREASURE CHAMBER + XVIII WE ABANDON HOPE + XIX IGNOSI'S FAREWELL + XX FOUND + + + + +KING SOLOMON'S MINES + + +CHAPTER I + +I MEET SIR HENRY CURTIS + +It is a curious thing that at my age--fifty-five last birthday--I +should find myself taking up a pen to try to write a history. I wonder +what sort of a history it will be when I have finished it, if ever I +come to the end of the trip! I have done a good many things in my life, +which seems a long one to me, owing to my having begun work so young, +perhaps. At an age when other boys are at school I was earning my +living as a trader in the old Colony. I have been trading, hunting, +fighting, or mining ever since. And yet it is only eight months ago +that I made my pile. It is a big pile now that I have got it--I don't +yet know how big--but I do not think I would go through the last +fifteen or sixteen months again for it; no, not if I knew that I should +come out safe at the end, pile and all. But then I am a timid man, and +dislike violence; moreover, I am almost sick of adventure. I wonder why +I am going to write this book: it is not in my line. I am not a +literary man, though very devoted to the Old Testament and also to the +"Ingoldsby Legends." Let me try to set down my reasons, just to see if +I have any. + +First reason: Because Sir Henry Curtis and Captain John Good asked me. + +Second reason: Because I am laid up here at Durban with the pain in my +left leg. Ever since that confounded lion got hold of me I have been +liable to this trouble, and being rather bad just now, it makes me limp +more than ever. There must be some poison in a lion's teeth, otherwise +how is it that when your wounds are healed they break out again, +generally, mark you, at the same time of year that you got your +mauling? It is a hard thing when one has shot sixty-five lions or more, +as I have in the course of my life, that the sixty-sixth should chew +your leg like a quid of tobacco. It breaks the routine of the thing, +and putting other considerations aside, I am an orderly man and don't +like that. This is by the way. + +Third reason: Because I want my boy Harry, who is over there at the +hospital in London studying to become a doctor, to have something to +amuse him and keep him out of mischief for a week or so. Hospital work +must sometimes pall and grow rather dull, for even of cutting up dead +bodies there may come satiety, and as this history will not be dull, +whatever else it may be, it will put a little life into things for a +day or two while Harry is reading of our adventures. + +Fourth reason and last: Because I am going to tell the strangest story +that I remember. It may seem a queer thing to say, especially +considering that there is no woman in it--except Foulata. Stop, though! +there is Gagaoola, if she was a woman, and not a fiend. But she was a +hundred at least, and therefore not marriageable, so I don't count her. +At any rate, I can safely say that there is not a _petticoat_ in the +whole history. + +Well, I had better come to the yoke. It is a stiff place, and I feel as +though I were bogged up to the axle. But, "_sutjes, sutjes_," as the +Boers say--I am sure I don't know how they spell it--softly does it. A +strong team will come through at last, that is, if they are not too +poor. You can never do anything with poor oxen. Now to make a start. + +I, Allan Quatermain, of Durban, Natal, Gentleman, make oath and +say--That's how I headed my deposition before the magistrate about poor +Khiva's and Ventvoegel's sad deaths; but somehow it doesn't seem quite +the right way to begin a book. And, besides, am I a gentleman? What is +a gentleman? I don't quite know, and yet I have had to do with +niggers--no, I will scratch out that word "niggers," for I do not like +it. I've known natives who _are_, and so you will say, Harry, my boy, +before you have done with this tale, and I have known mean whites with +lots of money and fresh out from home, too, who _are not_. + +At any rate, I was born a gentleman, though I have been nothing but a +poor travelling trader and hunter all my life. Whether I have remained +so I known not, you must judge of that. Heaven knows I've tried. I have +killed many men in my time, yet I have never slain wantonly or stained +my hand in innocent blood, but only in self-defence. The Almighty gave +us our lives, and I suppose He meant us to defend them, at least I have +always acted on that, and I hope it will not be brought up against me +when my clock strikes. There, there, it is a cruel and a wicked world, +and for a timid man I have been mixed up in a great deal of fighting. I +cannot tell the rights of it, but at any rate I have never stolen, +though once I cheated a Kafir out of a herd of cattle. But then he had +done me a dirty turn, and it has troubled me ever since into the +bargain. + + +Well, it is eighteen months or so ago since first I met Sir Henry +Curtis and Captain Good. It was in this way. I had been up elephant +hunting beyond Bamangwato, and had met with bad luck. Everything went +wrong that trip, and to top up with I got the fever badly. So soon as I +was well enough I trekked down to the Diamond Fields, sold such ivory +as I had, together with my wagon and oxen, discharged my hunters, and +took the post-cart to the Cape. After spending a week in Cape Town, +finding that they overcharged me at the hotel, and having seen +everything there was to see, including the botanical gardens, which +seem to me likely to confer a great benefit on the country, and the new +Houses of Parliament, which I expect will do nothing of the sort, I +determined to go back to Natal by the _Dunkeld_, then lying at the +docks waiting for the _Edinburgh Castle_ due in from England. I took my +berth and went aboard, and that afternoon the Natal passengers from the +_Edinburgh Castle_ transhipped, and we weighed and put to sea. + +Among these passengers who came on board were two who excited my +curiosity. One, a gentleman of about thirty, was perhaps the +biggest-chested and longest-armed man I ever saw. He had yellow hair, a +thick yellow beard, clear-cut features, and large grey eyes set deep in +his head. I never saw a finer-looking man, and somehow he reminded me +of an ancient Dane. Not that I know much of ancient Danes, though I +knew a modern Dane who did me out of ten pounds; but I remember once +seeing a picture of some of those gentry, who, I take it, were a kind +of white Zulus. They were drinking out of big horns, and their long +hair hung down their backs. As I looked at my friend standing there by +the companion-ladder, I thought that if he only let his grow a little, +put one of those chain shirts on to his great shoulders, and took hold +of a battle-axe and a horn mug, he might have sat as a model for that +picture. And by the way it is a curious thing, and just shows how the +blood will out, I discovered afterwards that Sir Henry Curtis, for that +was the big man's name, is of Danish blood.[1] He also reminded me +strongly of somebody else, but at the time I could not remember who it +was. + +The other man, who stood talking to Sir Henry, was stout and dark, and +of quite a different cut. I suspected at once that he was a naval +officer; I don't know why, but it is difficult to mistake a navy man. I +have gone shooting trips with several of them in the course of my life, +and they have always proved themselves the best and bravest and nicest +fellows I ever met, though sadly given, some of them, to the use of +profane language. I asked a page or two back, what is a gentleman? I'll +answer the question now: A Royal Naval officer is, in a general sort of +way, though of course there may be a black sheep among them here and +there. I fancy it is just the wide seas and the breath of God's winds +that wash their hearts and blow the bitterness out of their minds and +make them what men ought to be. + +Well, to return, I proved right again; I ascertained that the dark man +_was_ a naval officer, a lieutenant of thirty-one, who, after seventeen +years' service, had been turned out of her Majesty's employ with the +barren honour of a commander's rank, because it was impossible that he +should be promoted. This is what people who serve the Queen have to +expect: to be shot out into the cold world to find a living just when +they are beginning really to understand their work, and to reach the +prime of life. I suppose they don't mind it, but for my own part I had +rather earn my bread as a hunter. One's halfpence are as scarce +perhaps, but you do not get so many kicks. + +The officer's name I found out--by referring to the passengers' +lists--was Good--Captain John Good. He was broad, of medium height, +dark, stout, and rather a curious man to look at. He was so very neat +and so very clean-shaved, and he always wore an eye-glass in his right +eye. It seemed to grow there, for it had no string, and he never took +it out except to wipe it. At first I thought he used to sleep in it, +but afterwards I found that this was a mistake. He put it in his +trousers pocket when he went to bed, together with his false teeth, of +which he had two beautiful sets that, my own being none of the best, +have often caused me to break the tenth commandment. But I am +anticipating. + +Soon after we had got under way evening closed in, and brought with it +very dirty weather. A keen breeze sprung up off land, and a kind of +aggravated Scotch mist soon drove everybody from the deck. As for the +_Dunkeld_, she is a flat-bottomed punt, and going up light as she was, +she rolled very heavily. It almost seemed as though she would go right +over, but she never did. It was quite impossible to walk about, so I +stood near the engines where it was warm, and amused myself with +watching the pendulum, which was fixed opposite to me, swinging slowly +backwards and forwards as the vessel rolled, and marking the angle she +touched at each lurch. + +"That pendulum's wrong; it is not properly weighted," suddenly said a +somewhat testy voice at my shoulder. Looking round I saw the naval +officer whom I had noticed when the passengers came aboard. + +"Indeed, now what makes you think so?" I asked. + +"Think so. I don't think at all. Why there"--as she righted herself +after a roll--"if the ship had really rolled to the degree that thing +pointed to, then she would never have rolled again, that's all. But it +is just like these merchant skippers, they are always so confoundedly +careless." + +Just then the dinner-bell rang, and I was not sorry, for it is a +dreadful thing to have to listen to an officer of the Royal Navy when +he gets on to that subject. I only know one worse thing, and that is to +hear a merchant skipper express his candid opinion of officers of the +Royal Navy. + +Captain Good and I went down to dinner together, and there we found Sir +Henry Curtis already seated. He and Captain Good were placed together, +and I sat opposite to them. The captain and I soon fell into talk about +shooting and what not; he asking me many questions, for he is very +inquisitive about all sorts of things, and I answering them as well as +I could. Presently he got on to elephants. + +"Ah, sir," called out somebody who was sitting near me, "you've reached +the right man for that; Hunter Quatermain should be able to tell you +about elephants if anybody can." + +Sir Henry, who had been sitting quite quiet listening to our talk, +started visibly. + +"Excuse me, sir," he said, leaning forward across the table, and +speaking in a low deep voice, a very suitable voice, it seemed to me, +to come out of those great lungs. "Excuse me, sir, but is your name +Allan Quatermain?" + +I said that it was. + +The big man made no further remark, but I heard him mutter "fortunate" +into his beard. + +Presently dinner came to an end, and as we were leaving the saloon Sir +Henry strolled up and asked me if I would come into his cabin to smoke +a pipe. I accepted, and he led the way to the _Dunkeld_ deck cabin, and +a very good cabin it is. It had been two cabins, but when Sir Garnet +Wolseley or one of those big swells went down the coast in the +_Dunkeld_, they knocked away the partition and have never put it up +again. There was a sofa in the cabin, and a little table in front of +it. Sir Henry sent the steward for a bottle of whisky, and the three of +us sat down and lit our pipes. + +"Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry Curtis, when the man had brought the +whisky and lit the lamp, "the year before last about this time, you +were, I believe, at a place called Bamangwato, to the north of the +Transvaal." + +"I was," I answered, rather surprised that this gentleman should be so +well acquainted with my movements, which were not, so far as I was +aware, considered of general interest. + +"You were trading there, were you not?" put in Captain Good, in his +quick way. + +"I was. I took up a wagon-load of goods, made a camp outside the +settlement, and stopped till I had sold them." + +Sir Henry was sitting opposite to me in a Madeira chair, his arms +leaning on the table. He now looked up, fixing his large grey eyes full +upon my face. There was a curious anxiety in them, I thought. + +"Did you happen to meet a man called Neville there?" + +"Oh, yes; he outspanned alongside of me for a fortnight to rest his +oxen before going on to the interior. I had a letter from a lawyer a +few months back, asking me if I knew what had become of him, which I +answered to the best of my ability at the time." + +"Yes," said Sir Henry, "your letter was forwarded to me. You said in it +that the gentleman called Neville left Bamangwato at the beginning of +May in a wagon with a driver, a voorlooper, and a Kafir hunter called +Jim, announcing his intention of trekking if possible as far as Inyati, +the extreme trading post in the Matabele country, where he would sell +his wagon and proceed on foot. You also said that he did sell his +wagon, for six months afterwards you saw the wagon in the possession of +a Portuguese trader, who told you that he had bought it at Inyati from +a white man whose name he had forgotten, and that he believed the white +man with the native servant had started off for the interior on a +shooting trip." + +"Yes." + +Then came a pause. + +"Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry suddenly, "I suppose you know or can +guess nothing more of the reasons of my--of Mr. Neville's journey to +the northward, or as to what point that journey was directed?" + +"I heard something," I answered, and stopped. The subject was one which +I did not care to discuss. + +Sir Henry and Captain Good looked at each other, and Captain Good +nodded. + +"Mr. Quatermain," went on the former, "I am going to tell you a story, +and ask your advice, and perhaps your assistance. The agent who +forwarded me your letter told me that I might rely on it implicitly, as +you were," he said, "well known and universally respected in Natal, and +especially noted for your discretion." + +I bowed and drank some whisky and water to hide my confusion, for I am +a modest man--and Sir Henry went on. + +"Mr. Neville was my brother." + +"Oh," I said, starting, for now I knew of whom Sir Henry had reminded +me when first I saw him. His brother was a much smaller man and had a +dark beard, but now that I thought of it, he possessed eyes of the same +shade of grey and with the same keen look in them: the features too +were not unlike. + +"He was," went on Sir Henry, "my only and younger brother, and till +five years ago I do not suppose that we were ever a month away from +each other. But just about five years ago a misfortune befell us, as +sometimes does happen in families. We quarrelled bitterly, and I +behaved unjustly to my brother in my anger." + +Here Captain Good nodded his head vigorously to himself. The ship gave +a big roll just then, so that the looking-glass, which was fixed +opposite us to starboard, was for a moment nearly over our heads, and +as I was sitting with my hands in my pockets and staring upwards, I +could see him nodding like anything. + +"As I daresay you know," went on Sir Henry, "if a man dies intestate, +and has no property but land, real property it is called in England, it +all descends to his eldest son. It so happened that just at the time +when we quarrelled our father died intestate. He had put off making his +will until it was too late. The result was that my brother, who had not +been brought up to any profession, was left without a penny. Of course +it would have been my duty to provide for him, but at the time the +quarrel between us was so bitter that I did not--to my shame I say it +(and he sighed deeply)--offer to do anything. It was not that I grudged +him justice, but I waited for him to make advances, and he made none. I +am sorry to trouble you with all this, Mr. Quatermain, but I must to +make things clear, eh, Good?" + +"Quite so, quite so," said the captain. "Mr. Quatermain will, I am +sure, keep this history to himself." + +"Of course," said I, for I rather pride myself on my discretion, for +which, as Sir Henry had heard, I have some repute. + +"Well," went on Sir Henry, "my brother had a few hundred pounds to his +account at the time. Without saying anything to me he drew out this +paltry sum, and, having adopted the name of Neville, started off for +South Africa in the wild hope of making a fortune. This I learned +afterwards. Some three years passed, and I heard nothing of my brother, +though I wrote several times. Doubtless the letters never reached him. +But as time went on I grew more and more troubled about him. I found +out, Mr. Quatermain, that blood is thicker than water." + +"That's true," said I, thinking of my boy Harry. + +"I found out, Mr. Quatermain, that I would have given half my fortune +to know that my brother George, the only relation I possess, was safe +and well, and that I should see him again." + +"But you never did, Curtis," jerked out Captain Good, glancing at the +big man's face. + +"Well, Mr. Quatermain, as time went on I became more and more anxious +to find out if my brother was alive or dead, and if alive to get him +home again. I set enquiries on foot, and your letter was one of the +results. So far as it went it was satisfactory, for it showed that till +lately George was alive, but it did not go far enough. So, to cut a +long story short, I made up my mind to come out and look for him +myself, and Captain Good was so kind as to come with me." + +"Yes," said the captain; "nothing else to do, you see. Turned out by my +Lords of the Admiralty to starve on half pay. And now perhaps, sir, you +will tell us what you know or have heard of the gentleman called +Neville." + + +[1] Mr. Quatermain's ideas about ancient Danes seem to be rather +confused; we have always understood that they were dark-haired people. +Probably he was thinking of Saxons.--Editor. + + + +CHAPTER II + +THE LEGEND OF SOLOMON'S MINES + +"What was it that you heard about my brother's journey at Bamangwato?" +asked Sir Henry, as I paused to fill my pipe before replying to Captain +Good. + +"I heard this," I answered, "and I have never mentioned it to a soul +till to-day. I heard that he was starting for Solomon's Mines." + +"Solomon's Mines?" ejaculated both my hearers at once. "Where are they?" + +"I don't know," I said; "I know where they are said to be. Once I saw +the peaks of the mountains that border them, but there were a hundred +and thirty miles of desert between me and them, and I am not aware that +any white man ever got across it save one. But perhaps the best thing I +can do is to tell you the legend of Solomon's Mines as I know it, you +passing your word not to reveal anything I tell you without my +permission. Do you agree to that? I have my reasons for asking." + +Sir Henry nodded, and Captain Good replied, "Certainly, certainly." + +"Well," I began, "as you may guess, generally speaking, elephant +hunters are a rough set of men, who do not trouble themselves with much +beyond the facts of life and the ways of Kafirs. But here and there you +meet a man who takes the trouble to collect traditions from the +natives, and tries to make out a little piece of the history of this +dark land. It was such a man as this who first told me the legend of +Solomon's Mines, now a matter of nearly thirty years ago. That was when +I was on my first elephant hunt in the Matabele country. His name was +Evans, and he was killed the following year, poor fellow, by a wounded +buffalo, and lies buried near the Zambesi Falls. I was telling Evans +one night, I remember, of some wonderful workings I had found whilst +hunting koodoo and eland in what is now the Lydenburg district of the +Transvaal. I see they have come across these workings again lately in +prospecting for gold, but I knew of them years ago. There is a great +wide wagon road cut out of the solid rock, and leading to the mouth of +the working or gallery. Inside the mouth of this gallery are stacks of +gold quartz piled up ready for roasting, which shows that the workers, +whoever they were, must have left in a hurry. Also, about twenty paces +in, the gallery is built across, and a beautiful bit of masonry it is." + +"'Ay,' said Evans, 'but I will spin you a queerer yarn than that'; and +he went on to tell me how he had found in the far interior a ruined +city, which he believed to be the Ophir of the Bible, and, by the way, +other more learned men have said the same long since poor Evans's time. +I was, I remember, listening open-eared to all these wonders, for I was +young at the time, and this story of an ancient civilisation and of the +treasures which those old Jewish or Phoenician adventurers used to +extract from a country long since lapsed into the darkest barbarism +took a great hold upon my imagination, when suddenly he said to me, +'Lad, did you ever hear of the Suliman Mountains up to the north-west +of the Mushakulumbwe country?' I told him I never had. 'Ah, well,' he +said, 'that is where Solomon really had his mines, his diamond mines, I +mean.' + +"'How do you know that?' I asked. + +"'Know it! why, what is "Suliman" but a corruption of Solomon?[1] +Besides, an old Isanusi or witch doctoress up in the Manica country +told me all about it. She said that the people who lived across those +mountains were a "branch" of the Zulus, speaking a dialect of Zulu, but +finer and bigger men even; that there lived among them great wizards, +who had learnt their art from white men when "all the world was dark," +and who had the secret of a wonderful mine of "bright stones."' + +"Well, I laughed at this story at the time, though it interested me, +for the Diamond Fields were not discovered then, but poor Evans went +off and was killed, and for twenty years I never thought any more of +the matter. However, just twenty years afterwards--and that is a long +time, gentlemen; an elephant hunter does not often live for twenty +years at his business--I heard something more definite about Suliman's +Mountains and the country which lies beyond them. I was up beyond the +Manica country, at a place called Sitanda's Kraal, and a miserable +place it was, for a man could get nothing to eat, and there was but +little game about. I had an attack of fever, and was in a bad way +generally, when one day a Portugee arrived with a single companion--a +half-breed. Now I know your low-class Delagoa Portugee well. There is +no greater devil unhung in a general way, battening as he does upon +human agony and flesh in the shape of slaves. But this was quite a +different type of man to the mean fellows whom I had been accustomed to +meet; indeed, in appearance he reminded me more of the polite doms I +have read about, for he was tall and thin, with large dark eyes and +curling grey mustachios. We talked together for a while, for he could +speak broken English, and I understood a little Portugee, and he told +me that his name was Jose Silvestre, and that he had a place near +Delagoa Bay. When he went on next day with his half-breed companion, he +said 'Good-bye,' taking off his hat quite in the old style. + +"'Good-bye, senor,' he said; 'if ever we meet again I shall be the +richest man in the world, and I will remember you.' I laughed a +little--I was too weak to laugh much--and watched him strike out for +the great desert to the west, wondering if he was mad, or what he +thought he was going to find there. + +"A week passed, and I got the better of my fever. One evening I was +sitting on the ground in front of the little tent I had with me, +chewing the last leg of a miserable fowl I had bought from a native for +a bit of cloth worth twenty fowls, and staring at the hot red sun +sinking down over the desert, when suddenly I saw a figure, apparently +that of a European, for it wore a coat, on the slope of the rising +ground opposite to me, about three hundred yards away. The figure crept +along on its hands and knees, then it got up and staggered forward a +few yards on its legs, only to fall and crawl again. Seeing that it +must be somebody in distress, I sent one of my hunters to help him, and +presently he arrived, and who do you suppose it turned out to be?" + +"Jose Silvestre, of course," said Captain Good. + +"Yes, Jose Silvestre, or rather his skeleton and a little skin. His +face was a bright yellow with bilious fever, and his large dark eyes +stood nearly out of his head, for all the flesh had gone. There was +nothing but yellow parchment-like skin, white hair, and the gaunt bones +sticking up beneath. + +"'Water! for the sake of Christ, water!' he moaned and I saw that his +lips were cracked, and his tongue, which protruded between them, was +swollen and blackish. + +"I gave him water with a little milk in it, and he drank it in great +gulps, two quarts or so, without stopping. I would not let him have any +more. Then the fever took him again, and he fell down and began to rave +about Suliman's Mountains, and the diamonds, and the desert. I carried +him into the tent and did what I could for him, which was little +enough; but I saw how it must end. About eleven o'clock he grew +quieter, and I lay down for a little rest and went to sleep. At dawn I +woke again, and in the half light saw Silvestre sitting up, a strange, +gaunt form, and gazing out towards the desert. Presently the first ray +of the sun shot right across the wide plain before us till it reached +the faraway crest of one of the tallest of the Suliman Mountains more +than a hundred miles away. + +"'There it is!' cried the dying man in Portuguese, and pointing with +his long, thin arm, 'but I shall never reach it, never. No one will +ever reach it!' + +"Suddenly, he paused, and seemed to take a resolution. 'Friend,' he +said, turning towards me, 'are you there? My eyes grow dark.' + +"'Yes,' I said; 'yes, lie down now, and rest.' + +"'Ay,' he answered, 'I shall rest soon, I have time to rest--all +eternity. Listen, I am dying! You have been good to me. I will give you +the writing. Perhaps you will get there if you can live to pass the +desert, which has killed my poor servant and me.' + +"Then he groped in his shirt and brought out what I thought was a Boer +tobacco pouch made of the skin of the Swart-vet-pens or sable antelope. +It was fastened with a little strip of hide, what we call a rimpi, and +this he tried to loose, but could not. He handed it to me. 'Untie it,' +he said. I did so, and extracted a bit of torn yellow linen on which +something was written in rusty letters. Inside this rag was a paper. + +"Then he went on feebly, for he was growing weak: 'The paper has all +that is on the linen. It took me years to read. Listen: my ancestor, a +political refugee from Lisbon, and one of the first Portuguese who +landed on these shores, wrote that when he was dying on those mountains +which no white foot ever pressed before or since. His name was Jose da +Silvestra, and he lived three hundred years ago. His slave, who waited +for him on this side of the mountains, found him dead, and brought the +writing home to Delagoa. It has been in the family ever since, but none +have cared to read it, till at last I did. And I have lost my life over +it, but another may succeed, and become the richest man in the +world--the richest man in the world. Only give it to no one, senor; go +yourself!' + +"Then he began to wander again, and in an hour it was all over. + +"God rest him! he died very quietly, and I buried him deep, with big +boulders on his breast; so I do not think that the jackals can have dug +him up. And then I came away." + +"Ay, but the document?" said Sir Henry, in a tone of deep interest. + +"Yes, the document; what was in it?" added the captain. + +"Well, gentlemen, if you like I will tell you. I have never showed it +to anybody yet except to a drunken old Portuguese trader who translated +it for me, and had forgotten all about it by the next morning. The +original rag is at my home in Durban, together with poor Dom Jose's +translation, but I have the English rendering in my pocket-book, and a +facsimile of the map, if it can be called a map. Here it is." + +[Illustration: MAP] + + "I, Jose da Silvestra, who am now dying of hunger in the little + cave where no snow is on the north side of the nipple of the + southernmost of the two mountains I have named Sheba's Breasts, + write this in the year 1590 with a cleft bone upon a remnant of my + raiment, my blood being the ink. If my slave should find it when + he comes, and should bring it to Delagoa, let my friend (name + illegible) bring the matter to the knowledge of the king, that he + may send an army which, if they live through the desert and the + mountains, and can overcome the brave Kukuanes and their devilish + arts, to which end many priests should be brought, will make him + the richest king since Solomon. With my own eyes I have seen the + countless diamonds stored in Solomon's treasure chamber behind the + white Death; but through the treachery of Gagool the witch-finder + I might bring nought away, scarcely my life. Let him who comes + follow the map, and climb the snow of Sheba's left breast till he + reaches the nipple, on the north side of which is the great road + Solomon made, from whence three days' journey to the King's + Palace. Let him kill Gagool. Pray for my soul. Farewell. + +Jose da Silvestra."[2] + + +When I had finished reading the above, and shown the copy of the map, +drawn by the dying hand of the old Dom with his blood for ink, there +followed a silence of astonishment. + +"Well," said Captain Good, "I have been round the world twice, and put +in at most ports, but may I be hung for a mutineer if ever I heard a +yarn like this out of a story book, or in it either, for the matter of +that." + +"It's a queer tale, Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry. "I suppose you are +not hoaxing us? It is, I know, sometimes thought allowable to take in a +greenhorn." + +"If you think that, Sir Henry," I said, much put out, and pocketing my +paper--for I do not like to be thought one of those silly fellows who +consider it witty to tell lies, and who are for ever boasting to +newcomers of extraordinary hunting adventures which never happened--"if +you think that, why, there is an end to the matter," and I rose to go. + +Sir Henry laid his large hand upon my shoulder. "Sit down, Mr. +Quatermain," he said, "I beg your pardon; I see very well you do not +wish to deceive us, but the story sounded so strange that I could +hardly believe it." + +"You shall see the original map and writing when we reach Durban," I +answered, somewhat mollified, for really when I came to consider the +question it was scarcely wonderful that he should doubt my good faith. + +"But," I went on, "I have not told you about your brother. I knew the +man Jim who was with him. He was a Bechuana by birth, a good hunter, +and for a native a very clever man. That morning on which Mr. Neville +was starting I saw Jim standing by my wagon and cutting up tobacco on +the disselboom. + +"'Jim,' said I, 'where are you off to this trip? It is elephants?' + +"'No, Baas,' he answered, 'we are after something worth much more than +ivory.' + +"'And what might that be?' I said, for I was curious. 'Is it gold?' + +"'No, Baas, something worth more than gold,' and he grinned. + +"I asked no more questions, for I did not like to lower my dignity by +seeming inquisitive, but I was puzzled. Presently Jim finished cutting +his tobacco. + +"'Baas,' said he. + +"I took no notice. + +"'Baas,' said he again. + +"'Eh, boy, what is it?' I asked. + +"'Baas, we are going after diamonds.' + +"'Diamonds! why, then, you are steering in the wrong direction; you +should head for the Fields.' + +"'Baas, have you ever heard of Suliman's Berg?'--that is, Solomon's +Mountains, Sir Henry. + +"'Ay!' + +"'Have you ever heard of the diamonds there?' + +"'I have heard a foolish story, Jim.' + +"'It is no story, Baas. Once I knew a woman who came from there, and +reached Natal with her child, she told me:--she is dead now.' + +"'Your master will feed the assvoegels'--that is, vultures--'Jim, if he +tries to reach Suliman's country, and so will you if they can get any +pickings off your worthless old carcass,' said I. + +"He grinned. 'Mayhap, Baas. Man must die; I'd rather like to try a new +country myself; the elephants are getting worked out about here.' + +"'Ah! my boy,' I said, 'you wait till the "pale old man" gets a grip of +your yellow throat, and then we shall hear what sort of a tune you +sing.' + +"Half an hour after that I saw Neville's wagon move off. Presently Jim +came back running. 'Good-bye, Baas,' he said. 'I didn't like to start +without bidding you good-bye, for I daresay you are right, and that we +shall never trek south again.' + +"'Is your master really going to Suliman's Berg, Jim, or are you lying?' + +"'No,' he answered, 'he is going. He told me he was bound to make his +fortune somehow, or try to; so he might as well have a fling for the +diamonds.' + +"'Oh!' I said; 'wait a bit, Jim; will you take a note to your master, +Jim, and promise not to give it to him till you reach Inyati?' which +was some hundred miles off. + +"'Yes, Baas.' + +"So I took a scrap of paper, and wrote on it, 'Let him who comes . . . +climb the snow of Sheba's left breast, till he reaches the nipple, on +the north side of which is Solomon's great road.' + +"'Now, Jim,' I said, 'when you give this to your master, tell him he +had better follow the advice on it implicitly. You are not to give it +to him now, because I don't want him back asking me questions which I +won't answer. Now be off, you idle fellow, the wagon is nearly out of +sight.' + +"Jim took the note and went, and that is all I know about your brother, +Sir Henry; but I am much afraid--" + +"Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry, "I am going to look for my brother; I +am going to trace him to Suliman's Mountains, and over them if +necessary, till I find him, or until I know that he is dead. Will you +come with me?" + +I am, as I think I have said, a cautious man, indeed a timid one, and +this suggestion frightened me. It seemed to me that to undertake such a +journey would be to go to certain death, and putting other +considerations aside, as I had a son to support, I could not afford to +die just then. + +"No, thank you, Sir Henry, I think I had rather not," I answered. "I am +too old for wild-goose chases of that sort, and we should only end up +like my poor friend Silvestre. I have a son dependent on me, so I +cannot afford to risk my life foolishly." + +Both Sir Henry and Captain Good looked very disappointed. + +"Mr. Quatermain," said the former, "I am well off, and I am bent upon +this business. You may put the remuneration for your services at +whatever figure you like in reason, and it shall be paid over to you +before we start. Moreover, I will arrange in the event of anything +untoward happening to us or to you, that your son shall be suitably +provided for. You will see from this offer how necessary I think your +presence. Also if by chance we should reach this place, and find +diamonds, they shall belong to you and Good equally. I do not want +them. But of course that promise is worth nothing at all, though the +same thing would apply to any ivory we might get. You may pretty well +make your own terms with me, Mr. Quatermain; and of course I shall pay +all expenses." + +"Sir Henry," said I, "this is the most liberal proposal I ever had, and +one not to be sneezed at by a poor hunter and trader. But the job is +the biggest I have come across, and I must take time to think it over. +I will give you my answer before we get to Durban." + +"Very good," answered Sir Henry. + +Then I said good-night and turned in, and dreamt about poor long-dead +Silvestre and the diamonds. + + +[1] Suliman is the Arabic form of Solomon.--Editor. + +[2] Eu Jose da Silvestra que estou morrendo de fome na pequena cova + onde nao ha neve ao lado norte do bico mais ao sul das duas + montanhas que chamei scio de Sheba; escrevo isto no anno 1590; + escrevo isto com um pedaco d'osso n' um farrapo de minha roupa e + com sangue meu por tinta; se o meu escravo der com isto quando + venha ao levar para Lourenzo Marquez, que o meu amigo --------- + leve a cousa ao conhecimento d' El Rei, para que possa mandar um + exercito que, se desfiler pelo deserto e pelas montonhas e mesmo + sobrepujar os bravos Kukuanes e suas artes diabolicas, pelo que se + deviam trazer muitos padres Far o Rei mais rico depois de Salomao + Com meus proprios olhos ve os di amantes sem conto guardados nas + camaras do thesouro de Salomao a traz da morte branca, mas pela + traicao de Gagoal a feiticeira achadora, nada poderia levar, e + apenas a minha vida. Quem vier siga o mappa e trepe pela neve de + Sheba peito a esquerda ate chegar ao bica, do lado norte do qual + esta a grande estrada do Solomao por elle feita, donde ha tres + dias de jornada ate ao Palacio do Rei. Mate Gagoal. Reze por minha + alma. Adeos. Jose da Silvestra. + + + +CHAPTER III + +UMBOPA ENTERS OUR SERVICE + +It takes from four to five days, according to the speed of the vessel +and the state of the weather, to run up from the Cape to Durban. +Sometimes, if the landing is bad at East London, where they have not +yet made that wonderful harbour they talk so much of, and sink such a +mint of money in, a ship is delayed for twenty-four hours before the +cargo boats can get out to take off the goods. But on this occasion we +had not to wait at all, for there were no breakers on the Bar to speak +of, and the tugs came out at once with the long strings of ugly +flat-bottomed boats behind them, into which the packages were bundled +with a crash. It did not matter what they might be, over they went +slap-bang; whether they contained china or woollen goods they met with +the same treatment. I saw one case holding four dozen of champagne +smashed all to bits, and there was the champagne fizzing and boiling +about in the bottom of the dirty cargo boat. It was a wicked waste, and +evidently so the Kafirs in the boat thought, for they found a couple of +unbroken bottles, and knocking off the necks drank the contents. But +they had not allowed for the expansion caused by the fizz in the wine, +and, feeling themselves swelling, rolled about in the bottom of the +boat, calling out that the good liquor was "tagati"--that is, +bewitched. I spoke to them from the vessel, and told them it was the +white man's strongest medicine, and that they were as good as dead men. +Those Kafirs went to the shore in a very great fright, and I do not +think that they will touch champagne again. + +Well, all the time that we were steaming up to Natal I was thinking +over Sir Henry Curtis's offer. We did not speak any more on the subject +for a day or two, though I told them many hunting yarns, all true ones. +There is no need to tell lies about hunting, for so many curious things +happen within the knowledge of a man whose business it is to hunt; but +this is by the way. + +At last, one beautiful evening in January, which is our hottest month, +we steamed past the coast of Natal, expecting to make Durban Point by +sunset. It is a lovely coast all along from East London, with its red +sandhills and wide sweeps of vivid green, dotted here and there with +Kafir kraals, and bordered by a ribbon of white surf, which spouts up +in pillars of foam where it hits the rocks. But just before you come to +Durban there is a peculiar richness about the landscape. There are the +sheer kloofs cut in the hills by the rushing rains of centuries, down +which the rivers sparkle; there is the deepest green of the bush, +growing as God planted it, and the other greens of the mealie gardens +and the sugar patches, while now and again a white house, smiling out +at the placid sea, puts a finish and gives an air of homeliness to the +scene. For to my mind, however beautiful a view may be, it requires the +presence of man to make it complete, but perhaps that is because I have +lived so much in the wilderness, and therefore know the value of +civilisation, though to be sure it drives away the game. The Garden of +Eden, no doubt, looked fair before man was, but I always think that it +must have been fairer when Eve adorned it. + +To return, we had miscalculated a little, and the sun was well down +before we dropped anchor off the Point, and heard the gun which told +the good folks of Durban that the English Mail was in. It was too late +to think of getting over the Bar that night, so we went comfortably to +dinner, after seeing the Mails carried off in the life-boat. + +When we came up again the moon was out, and shining so brightly over +sea and shore that she almost paled the quick, large flashes from the +lighthouse. From the shore floated sweet spicy odours that always +remind me of hymns and missionaries, and in the windows of the houses +on the Berea sparkled a hundred lights. From a large brig lying near +also came the music of the sailors as they worked at getting the anchor +up in order to be ready for the wind. Altogether it was a perfect +night, such a night as you sometimes get in Southern Africa, and it +threw a garment of peace over everybody as the moon threw a garment of +silver over everything. Even the great bulldog, belonging to a sporting +passenger, seemed to yield to its gentle influences, and forgetting his +yearning to come to close quarters with the baboon in a cage on the +foc'sle, snored happily at the door of the cabin, dreaming no doubt +that he had finished him, and happy in his dream. + +We three--that is, Sir Henry Curtis, Captain Good, and myself--went and +sat by the wheel, and were quiet for a while. + +"Well, Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry presently, "have you been +thinking about my proposals?" + +"Ay," echoed Captain Good, "what do you think of them, Mr. Quatermain? +I hope that you are going to give us the pleasure of your company so +far as Solomon's Mines, or wherever the gentleman you knew as Neville +may have got to." + +I rose and knocked out my pipe before I answered. I had not made up my +mind, and wanted an additional moment to decide. Before the burning +tobacco had fallen into the sea I had decided; just that little extra +second did the trick. It is often the way when you have been bothering +a long time over a thing. + +"Yes, gentlemen," I said, sitting down again, "I will go, and by your +leave I will tell you why, and on what conditions. First for the terms +which I ask. + +"1. You are to pay all expenses, and any ivory or other valuables we +may get is to be divided between Captain Good and myself. + +"2. That you give me L500 for my services on the trip before we start, +I undertaking to serve you faithfully till you choose to abandon the +enterprise, or till we succeed, or disaster overtakes us. + +"3. That before we trek you execute a deed agreeing, in the event of my +death or disablement, to pay my boy Harry, who is studying medicine +over there in London, at Guy's Hospital, a sum of L200 a year for five +years, by which time he ought to be able to earn a living for himself +if he is worth his salt. That is all, I think, and I daresay you will +say quite enough too." + +"No," answered Sir Henry, "I accept them gladly. I am bent upon this +project, and would pay more than that for your help, considering the +peculiar and exclusive knowledge which you possess." + +"Pity I did not ask it, then, but I won't go back on my word. And now +that I have got my terms I will tell you my reasons for making up my +mind to go. First of all, gentlemen, I have been observing you both for +the last few days, and if you will not think me impertinent I may say +that I like you, and believe that we shall come up well to the yoke +together. That is something, let me tell you, when one has a long +journey like this before one. + +"And now as to the journey itself, I tell you flatly, Sir Henry and +Captain Good, that I do not think it probable we can come out of it +alive, that is, if we attempt to cross the Suliman Mountains. What was +the fate of the old Dom da Silvestra three hundred years ago? What was +the fate of his descendant twenty years ago? What has been your +brother's fate? I tell you frankly, gentlemen, that as their fates were +so I believe ours will be." + +I paused to watch the effect of my words. Captain Good looked a little +uncomfortable, but Sir Henry's face did not change. "We must take our +chance," he said. + +"You may perhaps wonder," I went on, "why, if I think this, I, who am, +as I told you, a timid man, should undertake such a journey. It is for +two reasons. First I am a fatalist, and believe that my time is +appointed to come quite without reference to my own movements and will, +and that if I am to go to Suliman's Mountains to be killed, I shall go +there and shall be killed. God Almighty, no doubt, knows His mind about +me, so I need not trouble on that point. Secondly, I am a poor man. For +nearly forty years I have hunted and traded, but I have never made more +than a living. Well, gentlemen, I don't know if you are aware that the +average life of an elephant hunter from the time he takes to the trade +is between four and five years. So you see I have lived through about +seven generations of my class, and I should think that my time cannot +be far off, anyway. Now, if anything were to happen to me in the +ordinary course of business, by the time my debts are paid there would +be nothing left to support my son Harry whilst he was getting in the +way of earning a living, whereas now he will be set up for five years. +There is the whole affair in a nutshell." + +"Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry, who had been giving me his most +serious attention, "your motives for undertaking an enterprise which +you believe can only end in disaster reflect a great deal of credit on +you. Whether or not you are right, of course time and the event alone +can show. But whether you are right or wrong, I may as well tell you at +once that I am going through with it to the end, sweet or bitter. If we +are to be knocked on the head, all I have to say is, that I hope we get +a little shooting first, eh, Good?" + +"Yes, yes," put in the captain. "We have all three of us been +accustomed to face danger, and to hold our lives in our hands in +various ways, so it is no good turning back now. And now I vote we go +down to the saloon and take an observation just for luck, you know." +And we did--through the bottom of a tumbler. + +Next day we went ashore, and I put up Sir Henry and Captain Good at the +little shanty I have built on the Berea, and which I call my home. +There are only three rooms and a kitchen in it, and it is constructed +of green brick with a galvanised iron roof, but there is a good garden +with the best loquot trees in it that I know, and some nice young +mangoes, of which I hope great things. The curator of the botanical +gardens gave them to me. It is looked after by an old hunter of mine +named Jack, whose thigh was so badly broken by a buffalo cow in +Sikukunis country that he will never hunt again. But he can potter +about and garden, being a Griqua by birth. You will never persuade a +Zulu to take much interest in gardening. It is a peaceful art, and +peaceful arts are not in his line. + +Sir Henry and Good slept in a tent pitched in my little grove of orange +trees at the end of the garden, for there was no room for them in the +house, and what with the smell of the bloom, and the sight of the green +and golden fruit--in Durban you will see all three on the tree +together--I daresay it is a pleasant place enough, for we have few +mosquitos here on the Berea, unless there happens to come an unusually +heavy rain. + +Well, to get on--for if I do not, Harry, you will be tired of my story +before ever we fetch up at Suliman's Mountains--having once made up my +mind to go I set about making the necessary preparations. First I +secured the deed from Sir Henry, providing for you, my boy, in case of +accidents. There was some difficulty about its legal execution, as Sir +Henry was a stranger here, and the property to be charged is over the +water; but it was ultimately got over with the help of a lawyer, who +charged L20 for the job--a price that I thought outrageous. Then I +pocketed my cheque for L500. + +Having paid this tribute to my bump of caution, I purchased a wagon and +a span of oxen on Sir Henry's behalf, and beauties they were. It was a +twenty-two-foot wagon with iron axles, very strong, very light, and +built throughout of stink wood; not quite a new one, having been to the +Diamond Fields and back, but, in my opinion, all the better for that, +for I could see that the wood was well seasoned. If anything is going +to give in a wagon, or if there is green wood in it, it will show out +on the first trip. This particular vehicle was what we call a +"half-tented" wagon, that is to say, only covered in over the after +twelve feet, leaving all the front part free for the necessaries we had +to carry with us. In this after part were a hide "cartle," or bed, on +which two people could sleep, also racks for rifles, and many other +little conveniences. I gave L125 for it, and think that it was cheap at +the price. + +Then I bought a beautiful team of twenty Zulu oxen, which I had kept my +eye on for a year or two. Sixteen oxen is the usual number for a team, +but I took four extra to allow for casualties. These Zulu cattle are +small and light, not more than half the size of the Africander oxen, +which are generally used for transport purposes; but they will live +where the Africanders would starve, and with a moderate load can make +five miles a day better going, being quicker and not so liable to +become footsore. What is more, this lot were thoroughly "salted," that +is, they had worked all over South Africa, and so had become proof, +comparatively speaking, against red water, which so frequently destroys +whole teams of oxen when they get on to strange "veldt" or grass +country. As for "lung sick," which is a dreadful form of pneumonia, +very prevalent in this country, they had all been inoculated against +it. This is done by cutting a slit in the tail of an ox, and binding in +a piece of the diseased lung of an animal which has died of the +sickness. The result is that the ox sickens, takes the disease in a +mild form, which causes its tail to drop off, as a rule about a foot +from the root, and becomes proof against future attacks. It seems cruel +to rob the animal of his tail, especially in a country where there are +so many flies, but it is better to sacrifice the tail and keep the ox +than to lose both tail and ox, for a tail without an ox is not much +good, except to dust with. Still it does look odd to trek along behind +twenty stumps, where there ought to be tails. It seems as though Nature +made a trifling mistake, and stuck the stern ornaments of a lot of +prize bull-dogs on to the rumps of the oxen. + +Next came the question of provisioning and medicines, one which +required the most careful consideration, for what we had to do was to +avoid lumbering the wagon, and yet to take everything absolutely +necessary. Fortunately, it turned out that Good is a bit of a doctor, +having at some point in his previous career managed to pass through a +course of medical and surgical instruction, which he has more or less +kept up. He is not, of course, qualified, but he knows more about it +than many a man who can write M.D. after his name, as we found out +afterwards, and he had a splendid travelling medicine chest and a set +of instruments. Whilst we were at Durban he cut off a Kafir's big toe +in a way which it was a pleasure to see. But he was quite nonplussed +when the Kafir, who had sat stolidly watching the operation, asked him +to put on another, saying that a "white one" would do at a pinch. + +There remained, when these questions were satisfactorily settled, two +further important points for consideration, namely, that of arms and +that of servants. As to the arms I cannot do better than put down a +list of those which we finally decided on from among the ample store +that Sir Henry had brought with him from England, and those which I +owned. I copy it from my pocket-book, where I made the entry at the +time. + +"Three heavy breech-loading double-eight elephant guns, weighing about +fifteen pounds each, to carry a charge of eleven drachms of black +powder." Two of these were by a well-known London firm, most excellent +makers, but I do not know by whom mine, which is not so highly +finished, was made. I have used it on several trips, and shot a good +many elephants with it, and it has always proved a most superior +weapon, thoroughly to be relied on. + +"Three double-500 Expresses, constructed to stand a charge of six +drachms," sweet weapons, and admirable for medium-sized game, such as +eland or sable antelope, or for men, especially in an open country and +with the semi-hollow bullet. + +"One double No. 12 central-fire Keeper's shot-gun, full choke both +barrels." This gun proved of the greatest service to us afterwards in +shooting game for the pot. + +"Three Winchester repeating rifles (not carbines), spare guns. + +"Three single-action Colt's revolvers, with the heavier, or American +pattern of cartridge." + +This was our total armament, and doubtless the reader will observe that +the weapons of each class were of the same make and calibre, so that +the cartridges were interchangeable, a very important point. I make no +apology for detailing it at length, as every experienced hunter will +know how vital a proper supply of guns and ammunition is to the success +of an expedition. + +Now as to the men who were to go with us. After much consultation we +decided that their number should be limited to five, namely, a driver, +a leader, and three servants. + +The driver and leader I found without much difficulty, two Zulus, named +respectively Goza and Tom; but to get the servants proved a more +difficult matter. It was necessary that they should be thoroughly +trustworthy and brave men, as in a business of this sort our lives +might depend upon their conduct. At last I secured two, one a Hottentot +named Ventvoegel, or "windbird," and one a little Zulu named Khiva, who +had the merit of speaking English perfectly. Ventvoegel I had known +before; he was one of the most perfect "spoorers," that is, game +trackers, I ever had to do with, and tough as whipcord. He never seemed +to tire. But he had one failing, so common with his race, drink. Put +him within reach of a bottle of gin and you could not trust him. +However, as we were going beyond the region of grog-shops this little +weakness of his did not so much matter. + +Having secured these two men I looked in vain for a third to suit my +purpose, so we determined to start without one, trusting to luck to +find a suitable man on our way up country. But, as it happened, on the +evening before the day we had fixed for our departure the Zulu Khiva +informed me that a Kafir was waiting to see me. Accordingly, when we +had done dinner, for we were at table at the time, I told Khiva to +bring him in. Presently a tall, handsome-looking man, somewhere about +thirty years of age, and very light-coloured for a Zulu, entered, and +lifting his knob-stick by way of salute, squatted himself down in the +corner on his haunches, and sat silent. I did not take any notice of +him for a while, for it is a great mistake to do so. If you rush into +conversation at once, a Zulu is apt to think you a person of little +dignity or consequence. I observed, however, that he was a "Keshla" or +ringed man; that is, he wore on his head the black ring, made of a +species of gum polished with fat and worked up in the hair, which is +usually assumed by Zulus on attaining a certain age or dignity. Also it +struck me that his face was familiar to me. + +"Well," I said at last, "What is your name?" + +"Umbopa," answered the man in a slow, deep voice. + +"I have seen your face before." + +"Yes; the Inkoosi, the chief, my father, saw my face at the place of +the Little Hand"--that is, Isandhlwana--"on the day before the battle." + +Then I remembered. I was one of Lord Chelmsford's guides in that +unlucky Zulu War, and had the good fortune to leave the camp in charge +of some wagons on the day before the battle. While I was waiting for +the cattle to be inspanned I fell into conversation with this man, who +held some small command among the native auxiliaries, and he had +expressed to me his doubts as to the safety of the camp. At the time I +told him to hold his tongue, and leave such matters to wiser heads; but +afterwards I thought of his words. + +"I remember," I said; "what is it you want?" + +"It is this, 'Macumazahn.'" That is my Kafir name, and means the man +who gets up in the middle of the night, or, in vulgar English, he who +keeps his eyes open. "I hear that you go on a great expedition far into +the North with the white chiefs from over the water. Is it a true word?" + +"It is." + +"I hear that you go even to the Lukanga River, a moon's journey beyond +the Manica country. Is this so also, 'Macumazahn?'" + +"Why do you ask whither we go? What is it to you?" I answered +suspiciously, for the objects of our journey had been kept a dead +secret. + +"It is this, O white men, that if indeed you travel so far I would +travel with you." + +There was a certain assumption of dignity in the man's mode of speech, +and especially in his use of the words "O white men," instead of "O +Inkosis," or chiefs, which struck me. + +"You forget yourself a little," I said. "Your words run out unawares. +That is not the way to speak. What is your name, and where is your +kraal? Tell us, that we may know with whom we have to deal." + +"My name is Umbopa. I am of the Zulu people, yet not of them. The house +of my tribe is in the far North; it was left behind when the Zulus came +down here a 'thousand years ago,' long before Chaka reigned in +Zululand. I have no kraal. I have wandered for many years. I came from +the North as a child to Zululand. I was Cetewayo's man in the +Nkomabakosi Regiment, serving there under the great Captain, +Umslopogaasi of the Axe,[1] who taught my hands to fight. Afterwards I +ran away from Zululand and came to Natal because I wanted to see the +white man's ways. Next I fought against Cetewayo in the war. Since then +I have been working in Natal. Now I am tired, and would go North again. +Here is not my place. I want no money, but I am a brave man, and am +worth my place and meat. I have spoken." + +I was rather puzzled by this man and his way of speech. It was evident +to me from his manner that in the main he was telling the truth, but +somehow he seemed different from the ordinary run of Zulus, and I +rather mistrusted his offer to come without pay. Being in a difficulty, +I translated his words to Sir Henry and Good, and asked them their +opinion. + +Sir Henry told me to ask him to stand up. Umbopa did so, at the same +time slipping off the long military great coat which he wore, and +revealing himself naked except for the moocha round his centre and a +necklace of lions' claws. Certainly he was a magnificent-looking man; I +never saw a finer native. Standing about six foot three high he was +broad in proportion, and very shapely. In that light, too, his skin +looked scarcely more than dark, except here and there where deep black +scars marked old assegai wounds. Sir Henry walked up to him and looked +into his proud, handsome face. + +"They make a good pair, don't they?" said Good; "one as big as the +other." + +"I like your looks, Mr. Umbopa, and I will take you as my servant," +said Sir Henry in English. + +Umbopa evidently understood him, for he answered in Zulu, "It is well"; +and then added, with a glance at the white man's great stature and +breadth, "We are men, thou and I." + + +[1] For the history of Umslopogaasi and his Axe, the reader is referred +to the books called "Allan Quatermain" and "Nada the Lily."--Editor. + + + +CHAPTER IV + +AN ELEPHANT HUNT + +Now I do not propose to narrate at full length all the incidents of our +long travel up to Sitanda's Kraal, near the junction of the Lukanga and +Kalukwe Rivers. It was a journey of more than a thousand miles from +Durban, the last three hundred or so of which we had to make on foot, +owing to the frequent presence of the dreadful "tsetse" fly, whose bite +is fatal to all animals except donkeys and men. + +We left Durban at the end of January, and it was in the second week of +May that we camped near Sitanda's Kraal. Our adventures on the way were +many and various, but as they are of the sort which befall every +African hunter--with one exception to be presently detailed--I shall +not set them down here, lest I should render this history too wearisome. + +At Inyati, the outlying trading station in the Matabele country, of +which Lobengula (a great and cruel scoundrel) is king, with many +regrets we parted from our comfortable wagon. Only twelve oxen remained +to us out of the beautiful span of twenty which I had bought at Durban. +One we lost from the bite of a cobra, three had perished from "poverty" +and the want of water, one strayed, and the other three died from +eating the poisonous herb called "tulip." Five more sickened from this +cause, but we managed to cure them with doses of an infusion made by +boiling down the tulip leaves. If administered in time this is a very +effective antidote. + +The wagon and the oxen we left in the immediate charge of Goza and Tom, +our driver and leader, both trustworthy boys, requesting a worthy +Scotch missionary who lived in this distant place to keep an eye on +them. Then, accompanied by Umbopa, Khiva, Ventvoegel, and half a dozen +bearers whom we hired on the spot, we started off on foot upon our wild +quest. I remember we were all a little silent on the occasion of this +departure, and I think that each of us was wondering if we should ever +see our wagon again; for my part I never expected to do so. For a while +we tramped on in silence, till Umbopa, who was marching in front, broke +into a Zulu chant about how some brave men, tired of life and the +tameness of things, started off into a vast wilderness to find new +things or die, and how, lo and behold! when they had travelled far into +the wilderness they found that it was not a wilderness at all, but a +beautiful place full of young wives and fat cattle, of game to hunt and +enemies to kill. + +Then we all laughed and took it for a good omen. Umbopa was a cheerful +savage, in a dignified sort of way, when he was not suffering from one +of his fits of brooding, and he had a wonderful knack of keeping up our +spirits. We all grew very fond of him. + +And now for the one adventure to which I am going to treat myself, for +I do dearly love a hunting yarn. + +About a fortnight's march from Inyati we came across a peculiarly +beautiful bit of well-watered woodland country. The kloofs in the hills +were covered with dense bush, "idoro" bush as the natives call it, and +in some places, with the "wacht-een-beche," or "wait-a-little thorn," +and there were great quantities of the lovely "machabell" tree, laden +with refreshing yellow fruit having enormous stones. This tree is the +elephant's favourite food, and there were not wanting signs that the +great brutes had been about, for not only was their spoor frequent, but +in many places the trees were broken down and even uprooted. The +elephant is a destructive feeder. + +One evening, after a long day's march, we came to a spot of great +loveliness. At the foot of a bush-clad hill lay a dry river-bed, in +which, however, were to be found pools of crystal water all trodden +round with the hoof-prints of game. Facing this hill was a park-like +plain, where grew clumps of flat-topped mimosa, varied with occasional +glossy-leaved machabells, and all round stretched the sea of pathless, +silent bush. + +As we emerged into this river-bed path suddenly we started a troop of +tall giraffes, who galloped, or rather sailed off, in their strange +gait, their tails screwed up over their backs, and their hoofs rattling +like castanets. They were about three hundred yards from us, and +therefore practically out of shot, but Good, who was walking ahead, and +who had an express loaded with solid ball in his hand, could not resist +temptation. Lifting his gun, he let drive at the last, a young cow. By +some extraordinary chance the ball struck it full on the back of the +neck, shattering the spinal column, and that giraffe went rolling head +over heels just like a rabbit. I never saw a more curious thing. + +"Curse it!" said Good--for I am sorry to say he had a habit of using +strong language when excited--contracted, no doubt, in the course of +his nautical career; "curse it! I've killed him." + +"_Ou_, Bougwan," ejaculated the Kafirs; "_ou! ou!_" + +They called Good "Bougwan," or Glass Eye, because of his eye-glass. + +"Oh, 'Bougwan!'" re-echoed Sir Henry and I, and from that day Good's +reputation as a marvellous shot was established, at any rate among the +Kafirs. Really he was a bad one, but whenever he missed we overlooked +it for the sake of that giraffe. + +Having set some of the "boys" to cut off the best of the giraffe's +meat, we went to work to build a "scherm" near one of the pools and +about a hundred yards to its right. This is done by cutting a quantity +of thorn bushes and piling them in the shape of a circular hedge. Then +the space enclosed is smoothed, and dry tambouki grass, if obtainable, +is made into a bed in the centre, and a fire or fires lighted. + +By the time the "scherm" was finished the moon peeped up, and our +dinners of giraffe steaks and roasted marrow-bones were ready. How we +enjoyed those marrow-bones, though it was rather a job to crack them! I +know of no greater luxury than giraffe marrow, unless it is elephant's +heart, and we had that on the morrow. We ate our simple meal by the +light of the moon, pausing at times to thank Good for his wonderful +shot; then we began to smoke and yarn, and a curious picture we must +have made squatting there round the fire. I, with my short grizzled +hair sticking up straight, and Sir Henry with his yellow locks, which +were getting rather long, were rather a contrast, especially as I am +thin, and short, and dark, weighing only nine stone and a half, and Sir +Henry is tall, and broad, and fair, and weighs fifteen. But perhaps the +most curious-looking of the three, taking all the circumstances of the +case into consideration, was Captain John Good, R.N. There he sat upon +a leather bag, looking just as though he had come in from a comfortable +day's shooting in a civilised country, absolutely clean, tidy, and well +dressed. He wore a shooting suit of brown tweed, with a hat to match, +and neat gaiters. As usual, he was beautifully shaved, his eye-glass +and his false teeth appeared to be in perfect order, and altogether he +looked the neatest man I ever had to do with in the wilderness. He even +sported a collar, of which he had a supply, made of white gutta-percha. + +"You see, they weigh so little," he said to me innocently, when I +expressed my astonishment at the fact; "and I always like to turn out +like a gentleman." Ah! if he could have foreseen the future and the +raiment prepared for him. + +Well, there we three sat yarning away in the beautiful moonlight, and +watching the Kafirs a few yards off sucking their intoxicating "daccha" +from a pipe of which the mouthpiece was made of the horn of an eland, +till one by one they rolled themselves up in their blankets and went to +sleep by the fire, that is, all except Umbopa, who was a little apart, +his chin resting on his hand, and thinking deeply. I noticed that he +never mixed much with the other Kafirs. + +Presently, from the depths of the bush behind us, came a loud "_woof_, +_woof_!" "That's a lion," said I, and we all started up to listen. +Hardly had we done so, when from the pool, about a hundred yards off, +we heard the strident trumpeting of an elephant. "_Unkungunklovo_! +_Indlovu_!" "Elephant! Elephant!" whispered the Kafirs, and a few +minutes afterwards we saw a succession of vast shadowy forms moving +slowly from the direction of the water towards the bush. + +Up jumped Good, burning for slaughter, and thinking, perhaps, that it +was as easy to kill elephant as he had found it to shoot giraffe, but I +caught him by the arm and pulled him down. + +"It's no good," I whispered, "let them go." + +"It seems that we are in a paradise of game. I vote we stop here a day +or two, and have a go at them," said Sir Henry, presently. + +I was rather surprised, for hitherto Sir Henry had always been for +pushing forward as fast as possible, more especially since we +ascertained at Inyati that about two years ago an Englishman of the +name of Neville _had_ sold his wagon there, and gone on up country. But +I suppose his hunter instincts got the better of him for a while. + +Good jumped at the idea, for he was longing to have a shot at those +elephants; and so, to speak the truth, did I, for it went against my +conscience to let such a herd as that escape without a pull at them. + +"All right, my hearties," said I. "I think we want a little recreation. +And now let's turn in, for we ought to be off by dawn, and then perhaps +we may catch them feeding before they move on." + +The others agreed, and we proceeded to make our preparations. Good took +off his clothes, shook them, put his eye-glass and his false teeth into +his trousers pocket, and folding each article neatly, placed it out of +the dew under a corner of his mackintosh sheet. Sir Henry and I +contented ourselves with rougher arrangements, and soon were curled up +in our blankets, and dropping off into the dreamless sleep that rewards +the traveller. + +Going, going, go--What was that? + +Suddenly, from the direction of the water came sounds of violent +scuffling, and next instant there broke upon our ears a succession of +the most awful roars. There was no mistaking their origin; only a lion +could make such a noise as that. We all jumped up and looked towards +the water, in the direction of which we saw a confused mass, yellow and +black in colour, staggering and struggling towards us. We seized our +rifles, and slipping on our veldtschoons, that is shoes made of +untanned hide, ran out of the scherm. By this time the mass had fallen, +and was rolling over and over on the ground, and when we reached the +spot it struggled no longer, but lay quite still. + +Now we saw what it was. On the grass there lay a sable antelope +bull--the most beautiful of all the African antelopes--quite dead, and +transfixed by its great curved horns was a magnificent black-maned +lion, also dead. Evidently what had happened was this: The sable +antelope had come down to drink at the pool where the lion--no doubt +the same which we had heard--was lying in wait. While the antelope +drank, the lion had sprung upon him, only to be received upon the sharp +curved horns and transfixed. Once before I saw a similar thing happen. +Then the lion, unable to free himself, had torn and bitten at the back +and neck of the bull, which, maddened with fear and pain, had rushed on +until it dropped dead. + +As soon as we had examined the beasts sufficiently we called the +Kafirs, and between us managed to drag their carcases up to the scherm. +After that we went in and lay down, to wake no more till dawn. + +With the first light we were up and making ready for the fray. We took +with us the three eight-bore rifles, a good supply of ammunition, and +our large water-bottles, filled with weak cold tea, which I have always +found the best stuff to shoot on. After swallowing a little breakfast +we started, Umbopa, Khiva, and Ventvoegel accompanying us. The other +Kafirs we left with instructions to skin the lion and the sable +antelope, and to cut up the latter. + +We had no difficulty in finding the broad elephant trail, which +Ventvoegel, after examination, pronounced to have been made by between +twenty and thirty elephants, most of them full-grown bulls. But the +herd had moved on some way during the night, and it was nine o'clock, +and already very hot, before, by the broken trees, bruised leaves and +bark, and smoking droppings, we knew that we could not be far from them. + +Presently we caught sight of the herd, which numbered, as Ventvoegel had +said, between twenty and thirty, standing in a hollow, having finished +their morning meal, and flapping their great ears. It was a splendid +sight, for they were only about two hundred yards from us. Taking a +handful of dry grass, I threw it into the air to see how the wind was; +for if once they winded us I knew they would be off before we could get +a shot. Finding that, if anything, it blew from the elephants to us, we +crept on stealthily, and thanks to the cover managed to get within +forty yards or so of the great brutes. Just in front of us, and +broadside on, stood three splendid bulls, one of them with enormous +tusks. I whispered to the others that I would take the middle one; Sir +Henry covering the elephant to the left, and Good the bull with the big +tusks. + +"Now," I whispered. + +Boom! boom! boom! went the three heavy rifles, and down came Sir +Henry's elephant dead as a hammer, shot right through the heart. Mine +fell on to its knees and I thought that he was going to die, but in +another moment he was up and off, tearing along straight past me. As he +went I gave him the second barrel in the ribs, and this brought him +down in good earnest. Hastily slipping in two fresh cartridges I ran +close up to him, and a ball through the brain put an end to the poor +brute's struggles. Then I turned to see how Good had fared with the big +bull, which I had heard screaming with rage and pain as I gave mine its +quietus. On reaching the captain I found him in a great state of +excitement. It appeared that on receiving the bullet the bull had +turned and come straight for his assailant, who had barely time to get +out of his way, and then charged on blindly past him, in the direction +of our encampment. Meanwhile the herd had crashed off in wild alarm in +the other direction. + +For awhile we debated whether to go after the wounded bull or to follow +the herd, and finally deciding for the latter alternative, departed, +thinking that we had seen the last of those big tusks. I have often +wished since that we had. It was easy work to follow the elephants, for +they had left a trail like a carriage road behind them, crushing down +the thick bush in their furious flight as though it were tambouki grass. + +But to come up with them was another matter, and we had struggled on +under the broiling sun for over two hours before we found them. With +the exception of one bull, they were standing together, and I could +see, from their unquiet way and the manner in which they kept lifting +their trunks to test the air, that they were on the look-out for +mischief. The solitary bull stood fifty yards or so to this side of the +herd, over which he was evidently keeping sentry, and about sixty yards +from us. Thinking that he would see or wind us, and that it would +probably start them off again if we tried to get nearer, especially as +the ground was rather open, we all aimed at this bull, and at my +whispered word, we fired. The three shots took effect, and down he went +dead. Again the herd started, but unfortunately for them about a +hundred yards further on was a nullah, or dried-out water track, with +steep banks, a place very much resembling the one where the Prince +Imperial was killed in Zululand. Into this the elephants plunged, and +when we reached the edge we found them struggling in wild confusion to +get up the other bank, filling the air with their screams, and +trumpeting as they pushed one another aside in their selfish panic, +just like so many human beings. Now was our opportunity, and firing +away as quickly as we could load, we killed five of the poor beasts, +and no doubt should have bagged the whole herd, had they not suddenly +given up their attempts to climb the bank and rushed headlong down the +nullah. We were too tired to follow them, and perhaps also a little +sick of slaughter, eight elephants being a pretty good bag for one day. + +So after we were rested a little, and the Kafirs had cut out the hearts +of two of the dead elephants for supper, we started homewards, very +well pleased with our day's work, having made up our minds to send the +bearers on the morrow to chop away the tusks. + +Shortly after we re-passed the spot where Good had wounded the +patriarchal bull we came across a herd of eland, but did not shoot at +them, as we had plenty of meat. They trotted past us, and then stopped +behind a little patch of bush about a hundred yards away, wheeling +round to look at us. As Good was anxious to get a near view of them, +never having seen an eland close, he handed his rifle to Umbopa, and, +followed by Khiva, strolled up to the patch of bush. We sat down and +waited for him, not sorry of the excuse for a little rest. + +The sun was just going down in its reddest glory, and Sir Henry and I +were admiring the lovely scene, when suddenly we heard an elephant +scream, and saw its huge and rushing form with uplifted trunk and tail +silhouetted against the great fiery globe of the sun. Next second we +saw something else, and that was Good and Khiva tearing back towards us +with the wounded bull--for it was he--charging after them. For a moment +we did not dare to fire--though at that distance it would have been of +little use if we had done so--for fear of hitting one of them, and the +next a dreadful thing happened--Good fell a victim to his passion for +civilised dress. Had he consented to discard his trousers and gaiters +like the rest of us, and to hunt in a flannel shirt and a pair of +veldt-schoons, it would have been all right. But as it was, his +trousers cumbered him in that desperate race, and presently, when he +was about sixty yards from us, his boot, polished by the dry grass, +slipped, and down he went on his face right in front of the elephant. + +We gave a gasp, for we knew that he must die, and ran as hard as we +could towards him. In three seconds it had ended, but not as we +thought. Khiva, the Zulu boy, saw his master fall, and brave lad as he +was, turned and flung his assegai straight into the elephant's face. It +stuck in his trunk. + +With a scream of pain, the brute seized the poor Zulu, hurled him to +the earth, and placing one huge foot on to his body about the middle, +twined its trunk round his upper part and _tore him in two_. + +We rushed up mad with horror, and fired again and again, till presently +the elephant fell upon the fragments of the Zulu. + +As for Good, he rose and wrung his hands over the brave man who had +given his life to save him, and, though I am an old hand, I felt a lump +grow in my throat. Umbopa stood contemplating the huge dead elephant +and the mangled remains of poor Khiva. + +"Ah, well," he said presently, "he is dead, but he died like a man!" + + + +CHAPTER V + +OUR MARCH INTO THE DESERT + +We had killed nine elephants, and it took us two days to cut out the +tusks, and having brought them into camp, to bury them carefully in the +sand under a large tree, which made a conspicuous mark for miles round. +It was a wonderfully fine lot of ivory. I never saw a better, averaging +as it did between forty and fifty pounds a tusk. The tusks of the great +bull that killed poor Khiva scaled one hundred and seventy pounds the +pair, so nearly as we could judge. + +As for Khiva himself, we buried what remained of him in an ant-bear +hole, together with an assegai to protect himself with on his journey +to a better world. On the third day we marched again, hoping that we +might live to return to dig up our buried ivory, and in due course, +after a long and wearisome tramp, and many adventures which I have not +space to detail, we reached Sitanda's Kraal, near the Lukanga River, +the real starting-point of our expedition. Very well do I recollect our +arrival at that place. To the right was a scattered native settlement +with a few stone cattle kraals and some cultivated lands down by the +water, where these savages grew their scanty supply of grain, and +beyond it stretched great tracts of waving "veld" covered with tall +grass, over which herds of the smaller game were wandering. To the left +lay the vast desert. This spot appears to be the outpost of the fertile +country, and it would be difficult to say to what natural causes such +an abrupt change in the character of the soil is due. But so it is. + +Just below our encampment flowed a little stream, on the farther side +of which is a stony slope, the same down which, twenty years before, I +had seen poor Silvestre creeping back after his attempt to reach +Solomon's Mines, and beyond that slope begins the waterless desert, +covered with a species of karoo shrub. + +It was evening when we pitched our camp, and the great ball of the sun +was sinking into the desert, sending glorious rays of many-coloured +light flying all over its vast expanse. Leaving Good to superintend the +arrangement of our little camp, I took Sir Henry with me, and walking +to the top of the slope opposite, we gazed across the desert. The air +was very clear, and far, far away I could distinguish the faint blue +outlines, here and there capped with white, of the Suliman Berg. + +"There," I said, "there is the wall round Solomon's Mines, but God +knows if we shall ever climb it." + +"My brother should be there, and if he is, I shall reach him somehow," +said Sir Henry, in that tone of quiet confidence which marked the man. + +"I hope so," I answered, and turned to go back to the camp, when I saw +that we were not alone. Behind us, also gazing earnestly towards the +far-off mountains, stood the great Kafir Umbopa. + +The Zulu spoke when he saw that I had observed him, addressing Sir +Henry, to whom he had attached himself. + +"Is it to that land that thou wouldst journey, Incubu?" (a native word +meaning, I believe, an elephant, and the name given to Sir Henry by the +Kafirs), he said, pointing towards the mountain with his broad assegai. + +I asked him sharply what he meant by addressing his master in that +familiar way. It is very well for natives to have a name for one among +themselves, but it is not decent that they should call a white man by +their heathenish appellations to his face. The Zulu laughed a quiet +little laugh which angered me. + +"How dost thou know that I am not the equal of the Inkosi whom I +serve?" he said. "He is of a royal house, no doubt; one can see it in +his size and by his mien; so, mayhap, am I. At least, I am as great a +man. Be my mouth, O Macumazahn, and say my words to the Inkoos Incubu, +my master, for I would speak to him and to thee." + +I was angry with the man, for I am not accustomed to be talked to in +that way by Kafirs, but somehow he impressed me, and besides I was +curious to know what he had to say. So I translated, expressing my +opinion at the same time that he was an impudent fellow, and that his +swagger was outrageous. + +"Yes, Umbopa," answered Sir Henry, "I would journey there." + +"The desert is wide and there is no water in it, the mountains are high +and covered with snow, and man cannot say what lies beyond them behind +the place where the sun sets; how shalt thou come thither, Incubu, and +wherefore dost thou go?" + +I translated again. + +"Tell him," answered Sir Henry, "that I go because I believe that a man +of my blood, my brother, has gone there before me, and I journey to +seek him." + +"That is so, Incubu; a Hottentot I met on the road told me that a white +man went out into the desert two years ago towards those mountains with +one servant, a hunter. They never came back." + +"How do you know it was my brother?" asked Sir Henry. + +"Nay, I know not. But the Hottentot, when I asked what the white man +was like, said that he had thine eyes and a black beard. He said, too, +that the name of the hunter with him was Jim; that he was a Bechuana +hunter and wore clothes." + +"There is no doubt about it," said I; "I knew Jim well." + +Sir Henry nodded. "I was sure of it," he said. "If George set his mind +upon a thing he generally did it. It was always so from his boyhood. If +he meant to cross the Suliman Berg he has crossed it, unless some +accident overtook him, and we must look for him on the other side." + +Umbopa understood English, though he rarely spoke it. + +"It is a far journey, Incubu," he put in, and I translated his remark. + +"Yes," answered Sir Henry, "it is far. But there is no journey upon +this earth that a man may not make if he sets his heart to it. There is +nothing, Umbopa, that he cannot do, there are no mountains he may not +climb, there are no deserts he cannot cross, save a mountain and a +desert of which you are spared the knowledge, if love leads him and he +holds his life in his hands counting it as nothing, ready to keep it or +lose it as Heaven above may order." + +I translated. + +"Great words, my father," answered the Zulu--I always called him a +Zulu, though he was not really one--"great swelling words fit to fill +the mouth of a man. Thou art right, my father Incubu. Listen! what is +life? It is a feather, it is the seed of the grass, blown hither and +thither, sometimes multiplying itself and dying in the act, sometimes +carried away into the heavens. But if that seed be good and heavy it +may perchance travel a little way on the road it wills. It is well to +try and journey one's road and to fight with the air. Man must die. At +the worst he can but die a little sooner. I will go with thee across +the desert and over the mountains, unless perchance I fall to the +ground on the way, my father." + +He paused awhile, and then went on with one of those strange bursts of +rhetorical eloquence that Zulus sometimes indulge in, which to my mind, +full though they are of vain repetitions, show that the race is by no +means devoid of poetic instinct and of intellectual power. + +"What is life? Tell me, O white men, who are wise, who know the secrets +of the world, and of the world of stars, and the world that lies above +and around the stars; who flash your words from afar without a voice; +tell me, white men, the secret of our life--whither it goes and whence +it comes! + +"You cannot answer me; you know not. Listen, I will answer. Out of the +dark we came, into the dark we go. Like a storm-driven bird at night we +fly out of the Nowhere; for a moment our wings are seen in the light of +the fire, and, lo! we are gone again into the Nowhere. Life is nothing. +Life is all. It is the Hand with which we hold off Death. It is the +glow-worm that shines in the night-time and is black in the morning; it +is the white breath of the oxen in winter; it is the little shadow that +runs across the grass and loses itself at sunset." + +"You are a strange man," said Sir Henry, when he had ceased. + +Umbopa laughed. "It seems to me that we are much alike, Incubu. Perhaps +_I_ seek a brother over the mountains." + +I looked at him suspiciously. "What dost thou mean?" I asked; "what +dost thou know of those mountains?" + +"A little; a very little. There is a strange land yonder, a land of +witchcraft and beautiful things; a land of brave people, and of trees, +and streams, and snowy peaks, and of a great white road. I have heard +of it. But what is the good of talking? It grows dark. Those who live +to see will see." + +Again I looked at him doubtfully. The man knew too much. + +"You need not fear me, Macumazahn," he said, interpreting my look. "I +dig no holes for you to fall in. I make no plots. If ever we cross +those mountains behind the sun I will tell what I know. But Death sits +upon them. Be wise and turn back. Go and hunt elephants, my masters. I +have spoken." + +And without another word he lifted his spear in salutation, and +returned towards the camp, where shortly afterwards we found him +cleaning a gun like any other Kafir. + +"That is an odd man," said Sir Henry. + +"Yes," answered I, "too odd by half. I don't like his little ways. He +knows something, and will not speak out. But I suppose it is no use +quarrelling with him. We are in for a curious trip, and a mysterious +Zulu won't make much difference one way or another." + +Next day we made our arrangements for starting. Of course it was +impossible to drag our heavy elephant rifles and other kit with us +across the desert, so, dismissing our bearers, we made an arrangement +with an old native who had a kraal close by to take care of them till +we returned. It went to my heart to leave such things as those sweet +tools to the tender mercies of an old thief of a savage whose greedy +eyes I could see gloating over them. But I took some precautions. + +First of all I loaded all the rifles, placing them at full cock, and +informed him that if he touched them they would go off. He tried the +experiment instantly with my eight-bore, and it did go off, and blew a +hole right through one of his oxen, which were just then being driven +up to the kraal, to say nothing of knocking him head over heels with +the recoil. He got up considerably startled, and not at all pleased at +the loss of the ox, which he had the impudence to ask me to pay for, +and nothing would induce him to touch the guns again. + +"Put the live devils out of the way up there in the thatch," he said, +"or they will murder us all." + +Then I told him that, when we came back, if one of those things was +missing I would kill him and his people by witchcraft; and if we died +and he tried to steal the rifles I would come and haunt him and turn +his cattle mad and his milk sour till life was a weariness, and would +make the devils in the guns come out and talk to him in a way he did +not like, and generally gave him a good idea of judgment to come. After +that he promised to look after them as though they were his father's +spirit. He was a very superstitious old Kafir and a great villain. + +Having thus disposed of our superfluous gear we arranged the kit we +five--Sir Henry, Good, myself, Umbopa, and the Hottentot +Ventvoegel--were to take with us on our journey. It was small enough, +but do what we would we could not get its weight down under about forty +pounds a man. This is what it consisted of:-- + +The three express rifles and two hundred rounds of ammunition. + +The two Winchester repeating rifles (for Umbopa and Ventvoegel), with +two hundred rounds of cartridge. + +Five Cochrane's water-bottles, each holding four pints. + +Five blankets. + +Twenty-five pounds' weight of biltong--i.e. sun-dried game flesh. + +Ten pounds' weight of best mixed beads for gifts. + +A selection of medicine, including an ounce of quinine, and one or two +small surgical instruments. + +Our knives, a few sundries, such as a compass, matches, a pocket +filter, tobacco, a trowel, a bottle of brandy, and the clothes we stood +in. + +This was our total equipment, a small one indeed for such a venture, +but we dared not attempt to carry more. Indeed, that load was a heavy +one per man with which to travel across the burning desert, for in such +places every additional ounce tells. But we could not see our way to +reducing the weight. There was nothing taken but what was absolutely +necessary. + +With great difficulty, and by the promise of a present of a good +hunting-knife each, I succeeded in persuading three wretched natives +from the village to come with us for the first stage, twenty miles, and +to carry a large gourd holding a gallon of water apiece. My object was +to enable us to refill our water-bottles after the first night's march, +for we determined to start in the cool of the evening. I gave out to +these natives that we were going to shoot ostriches, with which the +desert abounded. They jabbered and shrugged their shoulders, saying +that we were mad and should perish of thirst, which I must say seemed +probable; but being desirous of obtaining the knives, which were almost +unknown treasures up there, they consented to come, having probably +reflected that, after all, our subsequent extinction would be no affair +of theirs. + +All next day we rested and slept, and at sunset ate a hearty meal of +fresh beef washed down with tea, the last, as Good remarked sadly, we +were likely to drink for many a long day. Then, having made our final +preparations, we lay down and waited for the moon to rise. At last, +about nine o'clock, up she came in all her glory, flooding the wild +country with light, and throwing a silver sheen on the expanse of +rolling desert before us, which looked as solemn and quiet and as alien +to man as the star-studded firmament above. We rose up, and in a few +minutes were ready, and yet we hesitated a little, as human nature is +prone to hesitate on the threshold of an irrevocable step. We three +white men stood by ourselves. Umbopa, assegai in hand and a rifle +across his shoulders, looked out fixedly across the desert a few paces +ahead of us; while the hired natives, with the gourds of water, and +Ventvoegel, were gathered in a little knot behind. + +"Gentlemen," said Sir Henry presently, in his deep voice, "we are going +on about as strange a journey as men can make in this world. It is very +doubtful if we can succeed in it. But we are three men who will stand +together for good or for evil to the last. Now before we start let us +for a moment pray to the Power who shapes the destinies of men, and who +ages since has marked out our paths, that it may please Him to direct +our steps in accordance with His will." + +Taking off his hat, for the space of a minute or so, he covered his +face with his hands, and Good and I did likewise. + +I do not say that I am a first-rate praying man, few hunters are, and +as for Sir Henry, I never heard him speak like that before, and only +once since, though deep down in his heart I believe that he is very +religious. Good too is pious, though apt to swear. Anyhow I do not +remember, excepting on one single occasion, ever putting up a better +prayer in my life than I did during that minute, and somehow I felt the +happier for it. Our future was so completely unknown, and I think that +the unknown and the awful always bring a man nearer to his Maker. + +"And now," said Sir Henry, "_trek_!" + +So we started. + +We had nothing to guide ourselves by except the distant mountains and +old Jose da Silvestre's chart, which, considering that it was drawn by +a dying and half-distraught man on a fragment of linen three centuries +ago, was not a very satisfactory sort of thing to work with. Still, +our sole hope of success depended upon it, such as it was. If we failed +in finding that pool of bad water which the old Dom marked as being +situated in the middle of the desert, about sixty miles from our +starting-point, and as far from the mountains, in all probability we +must perish miserably of thirst. But to my mind the chances of our +finding it in that great sea of sand and karoo scrub seemed almost +infinitesimal. Even supposing that da Silvestra had marked the pool +correctly, what was there to prevent its having been dried up by the +sun generations ago, or trampled in by game, or filled with the +drifting sand? + +On we tramped silently as shades through the night and in the heavy +sand. The karoo bushes caught our feet and retarded us, and the sand +worked into our veldtschoons and Good's shooting-boots, so that every +few miles we had to stop and empty them; but still the night kept +fairly cool, though the atmosphere was thick and heavy, giving a sort +of creamy feel to the air, and we made fair progress. It was very +silent and lonely there in the desert, oppressively so indeed. Good +felt this, and once began to whistle "The Girl I left behind me," but +the notes sounded lugubrious in that vast place, and he gave it up. + +Shortly afterwards a little incident occurred which, though it startled +us at the time, gave rise to a laugh. Good was leading, as the holder +of the compass, which, being a sailor, of course he understood +thoroughly, and we were toiling along in single file behind him, when +suddenly we heard the sound of an exclamation, and he vanished. Next +second there arose all around us a most extraordinary hubbub, snorts, +groans, and wild sounds of rushing feet. In the faint light, too, we +could descry dim galloping forms half hidden by wreaths of sand. The +natives threw down their loads and prepared to bolt, but remembering +that there was nowhere to run to, they cast themselves upon the ground +and howled out that it was ghosts. As for Sir Henry and myself, we +stood amazed; nor was our amazement lessened when we perceived the form +of Good careering off in the direction of the mountains, apparently +mounted on the back of a horse and halloaing wildly. In another second +he threw up his arms, and we heard him come to the earth with a thud. + +Then I saw what had happened; we had stumbled upon a herd of sleeping +quagga, on to the back of one of which Good actually had fallen, and +the brute naturally enough got up and made off with him. Calling out to +the others that it was all right, I ran towards Good, much afraid lest +he should be hurt, but to my great relief I found him sitting in the +sand, his eye-glass still fixed firmly in his eye, rather shaken and +very much frightened, but not in any way injured. + +After this we travelled on without any further misadventure till about +one o'clock, when we called a halt, and having drunk a little water, +not much, for water was precious, and rested for half an hour, we +started again. + +On, on we went, till at last the east began to blush like the cheek of +a girl. Then there came faint rays of primrose light, that changed +presently to golden bars, through which the dawn glided out across the +desert. The stars grew pale and paler still, till at last they +vanished; the golden moon waxed wan, and her mountain ridges stood out +against her sickly face like the bones on the cheek of a dying man. +Then came spear upon spear of light flashing far away across the +boundless wilderness, piercing and firing the veils of mist, till the +desert was draped in a tremulous golden glow, and it was day. + +Still we did not halt, though by this time we should have been glad +enough to do so, for we knew that when once the sun was fully up it +would be almost impossible for us to travel. At length, about an hour +later, we spied a little pile of boulders rising out of the plain, and +to this we dragged ourselves. As luck would have it, here we found an +overhanging slab of rock carpeted beneath with smooth sand, which +afforded a most grateful shelter from the heat. Underneath this we +crept, and each of us having drunk some water and eaten a bit of +biltong, we lay down and soon were sound asleep. + +It was three o'clock in the afternoon before we woke, to find our +bearers preparing to return. They had seen enough of the desert +already, and no number of knives would have tempted them to come a step +farther. So we took a hearty drink, and having emptied our +water-bottles, filled them up again from the gourds that they had +brought with them, and then watched them depart on their twenty miles' +tramp home. + +At half-past four we also started. It was lonely and desolate work, for +with the exception of a few ostriches there was not a single living +creature to be seen on all the vast expanse of sandy plain. Evidently +it was too dry for game, and with the exception of a deadly-looking +cobra or two we saw no reptiles. One insect, however, we found +abundant, and that was the common or house fly. There they came, "not +as single spies, but in battalions," as I think the Old Testament[1] +says somewhere. He is an extraordinary insect is the house fly. Go +where you will you find him, and so it must have been always. I have +seen him enclosed in amber, which is, I was told, quite half a million +years old, looking exactly like his descendant of to-day, and I have +little doubt but that when the last man lies dying on the earth he will +be buzzing round--if this event happens to occur in summer--watching +for an opportunity to settle on his nose. + +At sunset we halted, waiting for the moon to rise. At last she came up, +beautiful and serene as ever, and, with one halt about two o'clock in +the morning, we trudged on wearily through the night, till at last the +welcome sun put a period to our labours. We drank a little and flung +ourselves down on the sand, thoroughly tired out, and soon were all +asleep. There was no need to set a watch, for we had nothing to fear +from anybody or anything in that vast untenanted plain. Our only +enemies were heat, thirst, and flies, but far rather would I have faced +any danger from man or beast than that awful trinity. This time we were +not so lucky as to find a sheltering rock to guard us from the glare of +the sun, with the result that about seven o'clock we woke up +experiencing the exact sensations one would attribute to a beefsteak on +a gridiron. We were literally being baked through and through. The +burning sun seemed to be sucking our very blood out of us. We sat up +and gasped. + +"Phew," said I, grabbing at the halo of flies which buzzed cheerfully +round my head. The heat did not affect _them_. + +"My word!" said Sir Henry. + +"It is hot!" echoed Good. + +It was hot, indeed, and there was not a bit of shelter to be found. +Look where we would there was no rock or tree, nothing but an unending +glare, rendered dazzling by the heated air that danced over the surface +of the desert as it dances over a red-hot stove. + +"What is to be done?" asked Sir Henry; "we can't stand this for long." + +We looked at each other blankly. + +"I have it," said Good, "we must dig a hole, get in it, and cover +ourselves with the karoo bushes." + +It did not seem a very promising suggestion, but at least it was better +than nothing, so we set to work, and, with the trowel we had brought +with us and the help of our hands, in about an hour we succeeded in +delving out a patch of ground some ten feet long by twelve wide to the +depth of two feet. Then we cut a quantity of low scrub with our +hunting-knives, and creeping into the hole, pulled it over us all, with +the exception of Ventvoegel, on whom, being a Hottentot, the heat had no +particular effect. This gave us some slight shelter from the burning +rays of the sun, but the atmosphere in that amateur grave can be better +imagined than described. The Black Hole of Calcutta must have been a +fool to it; indeed, to this moment I do not know how we lived through +the day. There we lay panting, and every now and again moistening our +lips from our scanty supply of water. Had we followed our inclinations +we should have finished all we possessed in the first two hours, but we +were forced to exercise the most rigid care, for if our water failed us +we knew that very soon we must perish miserably. + +But everything has an end, if only you live long enough to see it, and +somehow that miserable day wore on towards evening. About three o'clock +in the afternoon we determined that we could bear it no longer. It +would be better to die walking that to be killed slowly by heat and +thirst in this dreadful hole. So taking each of us a little drink from +our fast diminishing supply of water, now warmed to about the same +temperature as a man's blood, we staggered forward. + +We had then covered some fifty miles of wilderness. If the reader will +refer to the rough copy and translation of old da Silvestra's map, he +will see that the desert is marked as measuring forty leagues across, +and the "pan bad water" is set down as being about in the middle of it. +Now forty leagues is one hundred and twenty miles, consequently we +ought at the most to be within twelve or fifteen miles of the water if +any should really exist. + +Through the afternoon we crept slowly and painfully along, scarcely +doing more than a mile and a half in an hour. At sunset we rested +again, waiting for the moon, and after drinking a little managed to get +some sleep. + +Before we lay down, Umbopa pointed out to us a slight and indistinct +hillock on the flat surface of the plain about eight miles away. At the +distance it looked like an ant-hill, and as I was dropping off to sleep +I fell to wondering what it could be. + +With the moon we marched again, feeling dreadfully exhausted, and +suffering tortures from thirst and prickly heat. Nobody who has not +felt it can know what we went through. We walked no longer, we +staggered, now and again falling from exhaustion, and being obliged to +call a halt every hour or so. We had scarcely energy left in us to +speak. Up to this Good had chatted and joked, for he is a merry fellow; +but now he had not a joke in him. + +At last, about two o'clock, utterly worn out in body and mind, we came +to the foot of the queer hill, or sand koppie, which at first sight +resembled a gigantic ant-heap about a hundred feet high, and covering +at the base nearly two acres of ground. + +Here we halted, and driven to it by our desperate thirst, sucked down +our last drops of water. We had but half a pint a head, and each of us +could have drunk a gallon. + +Then we lay down. Just as I was dropping off to sleep I heard Umbopa +remark to himself in Zulu-- + +"If we cannot find water we shall all be dead before the moon rises +to-morrow." + +I shuddered, hot as it was. The near prospect of such an awful death is +not pleasant, but even the thought of it could not keep me from +sleeping. + + +[1] Readers must beware of accepting Mr. Quatermain's references as +accurate, as, it has been found, some are prone to do. Although his +reading evidently was limited, the impression produced by it upon his +mind was mixed. Thus to him the Old Testament and Shakespeare were +interchangeable authorities.--Editor. + + + +CHAPTER VI + +WATER! WATER! + +Two hours later, that is, about four o'clock, I woke up, for so soon as +the first heavy demand of bodily fatigue had been satisfied, the +torturing thirst from which I was suffering asserted itself. I could +sleep no more. I had been dreaming that I was bathing in a running +stream, with green banks and trees upon them, and I awoke to find +myself in this arid wilderness, and to remember, as Umbopa had said, +that if we did not find water this day we must perish miserably. No +human creature could live long without water in that heat. I sat up and +rubbed my grimy face with my dry and horny hands, as my lips and +eyelids were stuck together, and it was only after some friction and +with an effort that I was able to open them. It was not far from dawn, +but there was none of the bright feel of dawn in the air, which was +thick with a hot murkiness that I cannot describe. The others were +still sleeping. + +Presently it began to grow light enough to read, so I drew out a little +pocket copy of the "Ingoldsby Legends" which I had brought with me, and +read "The Jackdaw of Rheims." When I got to where + + "A nice little boy held a golden ewer, + Embossed, and filled with water as pure + As any that flows between Rheims and Namur," + +literally I smacked my cracking lips, or rather tried to smack them. +The mere thought of that pure water made me mad. If the Cardinal had +been there with his bell, book, and candle, I would have whipped in and +drunk his water up; yes, even if he had filled it already with the suds +of soap "worthy of washing the hands of the Pope," and I knew that the +whole consecrated curse of the Catholic Church should fall upon me for +so doing. I almost think that I must have been a little light-headed +with thirst, weariness and the want of food; for I fell to thinking how +astonished the Cardinal and his nice little boy and the jackdaw would +have looked to see a burnt up, brown-eyed, grizzly-haired little +elephant hunter suddenly bound between them, put his dirty face into +the basin, and swallow every drop of the precious water. The idea +amused me so much that I laughed or rather cackled aloud, which woke +the others, and they began to rub _their_ dirty faces and drag _their_ +gummed-up lips and eyelids apart. + +As soon as we were all well awake we began to discuss the situation, +which was serious enough. Not a drop of water was left. We turned the +bottles upside down, and licked their tops, but it was a failure; they +were dry as a bone. Good, who had charge of the flask of brandy, got it +out and looked at it longingly; but Sir Henry promptly took it away +from him, for to drink raw spirit would only have been to precipitate +the end. + +"If we do not find water we shall die," he said. + +"If we can trust to the old Dom's map there should be some about," I +said; but nobody seemed to derive much satisfaction from this remark. +It was so evident that no great faith could be put in the map. Now it +was gradually growing light, and as we sat staring blankly at each +other, I observed the Hottentot Ventvoegel rise and begin to walk about +with his eyes on the ground. Presently he stopped short, and uttering a +guttural exclamation, pointed to the earth. + +"What is it?" we exclaimed; and rising simultaneously we went to where +he was standing staring at the sand. + +"Well," I said, "it is fresh Springbok spoor; what of it?" + +"Springbucks do not go far from water," he answered in Dutch. + +"No," I answered, "I forgot; and thank God for it." + +This little discovery put new life into us; for it is wonderful, when a +man is in a desperate position, how he catches at the slightest hope, +and feels almost happy. On a dark night a single star is better than +nothing. + +Meanwhile Ventvoegel was lifting his snub nose, and sniffing the hot air +for all the world like an old Impala ram who scents danger. Presently +he spoke again. + +"I _smell_ water," he said. + +Then we felt quite jubilant, for we knew what a wonderful instinct +these wild-bred men possess. + +Just at that moment the sun came up gloriously, and revealed so grand a +sight to our astonished eyes that for a moment or two we even forgot +our thirst. + +There, not more than forty or fifty miles from us, glittering like +silver in the early rays of the morning sun, soared Sheba's Breasts; +and stretching away for hundreds of miles on either side of them ran +the great Suliman Berg. Now that, sitting here, I attempt to describe +the extraordinary grandeur and beauty of that sight, language seems to +fail me. I am impotent even before its memory. Straight before us, rose +two enormous mountains, the like of which are not, I believe, to be +seen in Africa, if indeed there are any other such in the world, +measuring each of them at least fifteen thousand feet in height, +standing not more than a dozen miles apart, linked together by a +precipitous cliff of rock, and towering in awful white solemnity +straight into the sky. These mountains placed thus, like the pillars of +a gigantic gateway, are shaped after the fashion of a woman's breasts, +and at times the mists and shadows beneath them take the form of a +recumbent woman, veiled mysteriously in sleep. Their bases swell gently +from the plain, looking at that distance perfectly round and smooth; +and upon the top of each is a vast hillock covered with snow, exactly +corresponding to the nipple on the female breast. The stretch of cliff +that connects them appears to be some thousands of feet in height, and +perfectly precipitous, and on each flank of them, so far as the eye can +reach, extent similar lines of cliff, broken only here and there by +flat table-topped mountains, something like the world-famed one at Cape +Town; a formation, by the way, that is very common in Africa. + +To describe the comprehensive grandeur of that view is beyond my +powers. There was something so inexpressibly solemn and overpowering +about those huge volcanoes--for doubtless they are extinct +volcanoes--that it quite awed us. For a while the morning lights played +upon the snow and the brown and swelling masses beneath, and then, as +though to veil the majestic sight from our curious eyes, strange +vapours and clouds gathered and increased around the mountains, till +presently we could only trace their pure and gigantic outlines, showing +ghostlike through the fleecy envelope. Indeed, as we afterwards +discovered, usually they were wrapped in this gauze-like mist, which +doubtless accounted for our not having seen them more clearly before. + +Sheba's Breasts had scarcely vanished into cloud-clad privacy, before +our thirst--literally a burning question--reasserted itself. + +It was all very well for Ventvoegel to say that he smelt water, but we +could see no signs of it, look which way we would. So far as the eye +might reach there was nothing but arid sweltering sand and karoo scrub. +We walked round the hillock and gazed about anxiously on the other +side, but it was the same story, not a drop of water could be found; +there was no indication of a pan, a pool, or a spring. + +"You are a fool," I said angrily to Ventvoegel; "there is no water." + +But still he lifted his ugly snub nose and sniffed. + +"I smell it, Baas," he answered; "it is somewhere in the air." + +"Yes," I said, "no doubt it is in the clouds, and about two months +hence it will fall and wash our bones." + +Sir Henry stroked his yellow beard thoughtfully. "Perhaps it is on the +top of the hill," he suggested. + +"Rot," said Good; "whoever heard of water being found at the top of a +hill!" + +"Let us go and look," I put in, and hopelessly enough we scrambled up +the sandy sides of the hillock, Umbopa leading. Presently he stopped as +though he was petrified. + +"_Nanzia manzie_!" that is, "Here is water!" he cried with a loud voice. + +We rushed up to him, and there, sure enough, in a deep cut or +indentation on the very top of the sand koppie, was an undoubted pool +of water. How it came to be in such a strange place we did not stop to +inquire, nor did we hesitate at its black and unpleasant appearance. It +was water, or a good imitation of it, and that was enough for us. We +gave a bound and a rush, and in another second we were all down on our +stomachs sucking up the uninviting fluid as though it were nectar fit +for the gods. Heavens, how we did drink! Then when we had done drinking +we tore off our clothes and sat down in the pool, absorbing the +moisture through our parched skins. You, Harry, my boy, who have only +to turn on a couple of taps to summon "hot" and "cold" from an unseen, +vasty cistern, can have little idea of the luxury of that muddy wallow +in brackish tepid water. + +After a while we rose from it, refreshed indeed, and fell to on our +"biltong," of which we had scarcely been able to touch a mouthful for +twenty-four hours, and ate our fill. Then we smoked a pipe, and lay +down by the side of that blessed pool, under the overhanging shadow of +its bank, and slept till noon. + +All that day we rested there by the water, thanking our stars that we +had been lucky enough to find it, bad as it was, and not forgetting to +render a due share of gratitude to the shade of the long-departed da +Silvestra, who had set its position down so accurately on the tail of +his shirt. The wonderful thing to us was that the pan should have +lasted so long, and the only way in which I can account for this is on +the supposition that it is fed by some spring deep down in the sand. + +Having filled both ourselves and our water-bottles as full as possible, +in far better spirits we started off again with the moon. That night we +covered nearly five-and-twenty miles; but, needless to say, found no +more water, though we were lucky enough the following day to get a +little shade behind some ant-heaps. When the sun rose, and, for awhile, +cleared away the mysterious mists, Suliman's Berg with the two majestic +Breasts, now only about twenty miles off, seemed to be towering right +above us, and looked grander than ever. At the approach of evening we +marched again, and, to cut a long story short, by daylight next morning +found ourselves upon the lowest slopes of Sheba's left breast, for +which we had been steadily steering. By this time our water was +exhausted once more, and we were suffering severely from thirst, nor +indeed could we see any chance of relieving it till we reached the snow +line far, far above us. After resting an hour or two, driven to it by +our torturing thirst, we went on, toiling painfully in the burning heat +up the lava slopes, for we found that the huge base of the mountain was +composed entirely of lava beds belched from the bowels of the earth in +some far past age. + +By eleven o'clock we were utterly exhausted, and, generally speaking, +in a very bad state indeed. The lava clinker, over which we must drag +ourselves, though smooth compared with some clinker I have heard of, +such as that on the Island of Ascension, for instance, was yet rough +enough to make our feet very sore, and this, together with our other +miseries, had pretty well finished us. A few hundred yards above us +were some large lumps of lava, and towards these we steered with the +intention of lying down beneath their shade. We reached them, and to +our surprise, so far as we had a capacity for surprise left in us, on a +little plateau or ridge close by we saw that the clinker was covered +with a dense green growth. Evidently soil formed of decomposed lava had +rested there, and in due course had become the receptacle of seeds +deposited by birds. But we did not take much further interest in the +green growth, for one cannot live on grass like Nebuchadnezzar. That +requires a special dispensation of Providence and peculiar digestive +organs. + +So we sat down under the rocks and groaned, and for one I wished +heartily that we had never started on this fool's errand. As we were +sitting there I saw Umbopa get up and hobble towards the patch of +green, and a few minutes afterwards, to my great astonishment, I +perceived that usually very dignified individual dancing and shouting +like a maniac, and waving something green. Off we all scrambled towards +him as fast as our wearied limbs would carry us, hoping that he had +found water. + +"What is it, Umbopa, son of a fool?" I shouted in Zulu. + +"It is food and water, Macumazahn," and again he waved the green thing. + +Then I saw what he had found. It was a melon. We had hit upon a patch +of wild melons, thousands of them, and dead ripe. + +"Melons!" I yelled to Good, who was next me; and in another minute his +false teeth were fixed in one of them. + +I think we ate about six each before we had done, and poor fruit as +they were, I doubt if I ever thought anything nicer. + +But melons are not very nutritious, and when we had satisfied our +thirst with their pulpy substance, and put a stock to cool by the +simple process of cutting them in two and setting them end on in the +hot sun to grow cold by evaporation, we began to feel exceedingly +hungry. We had still some biltong left, but our stomachs turned from +biltong, and besides, we were obliged to be very sparing of it, for we +could not say when we should find more food. Just at this moment a +lucky thing chanced. Looking across the desert I saw a flock of about +ten large birds flying straight towards us. + +"_Skit, Baas, skit!_" "Shoot, master, shoot!" whispered the Hottentot, +throwing himself on his face, an example which we all followed. + +Then I saw that the birds were a flock of _pauw_ or bustards, and that +they would pass within fifty yards of my head. Taking one of the +repeating Winchesters, I waited till they were nearly over us, and then +jumped to my feet. On seeing me the _pauw_ bunched up together, as I +expected that they would, and I fired two shots straight into the thick +of them, and, as luck would have it, brought one down, a fine fellow, +that weighed about twenty pounds. In half an hour we had a fire made of +dry melon stalks, and he was toasting over it, and we made such a feed +as we had not tasted for a week. We ate that _pauw_; nothing was left +of him but his leg-bones and his beak, and we felt not a little the +better afterwards. + +That night we went on again with the moon, carrying as many melons as +we could with us. As we ascended we found the air grew cooler and +cooler, which was a great relief to us, and at dawn, so far as we could +judge, we were not more than about a dozen miles from the snow line. +Here we discovered more melons, and so had no longer any anxiety about +water, for we knew that we should soon get plenty of snow. But the +ascent had now become very precipitous, and we made but slow progress, +not more than a mile an hour. Also that night we ate our last morsel of +biltong. As yet, with the exception of the _pauw_, we had seen no +living thing on the mountain, nor had we come across a single spring or +stream of water, which struck us as very odd, considering the expanse +of snow above us, which must, we thought, melt sometimes. But as we +afterwards discovered, owing to a cause which it is quite beyond my +power to explain, all the streams flowed down upon the north side of +the mountains. + +Now we began to grow very anxious about food. We had escaped death by +thirst, but it seemed probable that it was only to die of hunger. The +events of the next three miserable days are best described by copying +the entries made at the time in my note-book. + +"21st May.--Started 11 a.m., finding the atmosphere quite cold enough +to travel by day, and carrying some water-melons with us. Struggled on +all day, but found no more melons, having evidently passed out of their +district. Saw no game of any sort. Halted for the night at sundown, +having had no food for many hours. Suffered much during the night from +cold. + +"22nd.--Started at sunrise again, feeling very faint and weak. Only +made about five miles all day; found some patches of snow, of which we +ate, but nothing else. Camped at night under the edge of a great +plateau. Cold bitter. Drank a little brandy each, and huddled ourselves +together, each wrapped up in his blanket, to keep ourselves alive. Are +now suffering frightfully from starvation and weariness. Thought that +Ventvoegel would have died during the night. + +"23rd.--Struggled forward once more as soon as the sun was well up, and +had thawed our limbs a little. We are now in a dreadful plight, and I +fear that unless we get food this will be our last day's journey. But +little brandy left. Good, Sir Henry, and Umbopa bear up wonderfully, +but Ventvoegel is in a very bad way. Like most Hottentots, he cannot +stand cold. Pangs of hunger not so bad, but have a sort of numb feeling +about the stomach. Others say the same. We are now on a level with the +precipitous chain, or wall of lava, linking the two Breasts, and the +view is glorious. Behind us the glowing desert rolls away to the +horizon, and before us lie mile upon mile of smooth hard snow almost +level, but swelling gently upwards, out of the centre of which the +nipple of the mountain, that appears to be some miles in circumference, +rises about four thousand feet into the sky. Not a living thing is to +be seen. God help us; I fear that our time has come." + +And now I will drop the journal, partly because it is not very +interesting reading; also what follows requires telling rather more +fully. + +All that day--the 23rd May--we struggled slowly up the incline of snow, +lying down from time to time to rest. A strange gaunt crew we must have +looked, while, laden as we were, we dragged our weary feet over the +dazzling plain, glaring round us with hungry eyes. Not that there was +much use in glaring, for we could see nothing to eat. We did not +accomplish more than seven miles that day. Just before sunset we found +ourselves exactly under the nipple of Sheba's left Breast, which +towered thousands of feet into the air, a vast smooth hillock of frozen +snow. Weak as we were, we could not but appreciate the wonderful scene, +made even more splendid by the flying rays of light from the setting +sun, which here and there stained the snow blood-red, and crowned the +great dome above us with a diadem of glory. + +"I say," gasped Good, presently, "we ought to be somewhere near that +cave the old gentleman wrote about." + +"Yes," said I, "if there is a cave." + +"Come, Quatermain," groaned Sir Henry, "don't talk like that; I have +every faith in the Dom; remember the water! We shall find the place +soon." + +"If we don't find it before dark we are dead men, that is all about +it," was my consolatory reply. + +For the next ten minutes we trudged in silence, when suddenly Umbopa, +who was marching along beside me, wrapped in his blanket, and with a +leather belt strapped so tightly round his stomach, to "make his hunger +small," as he said, that his waist looked like a girl's, caught me by +the arm. + +"Look!" he said, pointing towards the springing slope of the nipple. + +I followed his glance, and some two hundred yards from us perceived +what appeared to be a hole in the snow. + +"It is the cave," said Umbopa. + +We made the best of our way to the spot, and found sure enough that the +hole was the mouth of a cavern, no doubt the same as that of which da +Silvestra wrote. We were not too soon, for just as we reached shelter +the sun went down with startling rapidity, leaving the world nearly +dark, for in these latitudes there is but little twilight. So we crept +into the cave, which did not appear to be very big, and huddling +ourselves together for warmth, swallowed what remained of our +brandy--barely a mouthful each--and tried to forget our miseries in +sleep. But the cold was too intense to allow us to do so, for I am +convinced that at this great altitude the thermometer cannot have +marked less than fourteen or fifteen degrees below freezing point. What +such a temperature meant to us, enervated as we were by hardship, want +of food, and the great heat of the desert, the reader may imagine +better than I can describe. Suffice it to say that it was something as +near death from exposure as I have ever felt. There we sat hour after +hour through the still and bitter night, feeling the frost wander round +and nip us now in the finger, now in the foot, now in the face. In vain +did we huddle up closer and closer; there was no warmth in our +miserable starved carcases. Sometimes one of us would drop into an +uneasy slumber for a few minutes, but we could not sleep much, and +perhaps this was fortunate, for if we had I doubt if we should have +ever woke again. Indeed, I believe that it was only by force of will +that we kept ourselves alive at all. + +Not very long before dawn I heard the Hottentot Ventvoegel, whose teeth +had been chattering all night like castanets, give a deep sigh. Then +his teeth stopped chattering. I did not think anything of it at the +time, concluding that he had gone to sleep. His back was resting +against mine, and it seemed to grow colder and colder, till at last it +felt like ice. + +At length the air began to grow grey with light, then golden arrows +sped across the snow, and at last the glorious sun peeped above the +lava wall and looked in upon our half-frozen forms. Also it looked upon +Ventvoegel, sitting there amongst us, _stone dead_. No wonder his back +felt cold, poor fellow. He had died when I heard him sigh, and was now +frozen almost stiff. Shocked beyond measure, we dragged ourselves from +the corpse--how strange is that horror we mortals have of the +companionship of a dead body--and left it sitting there, its arms +clasped about its knees. + +By this time the sunlight was pouring its cold rays, for here they were +cold, straight into the mouth of the cave. Suddenly I heard an +exclamation of fear from someone, and turned my head. + +And this is what I saw: Sitting at the end of the cavern--it was not +more than twenty feet long--was another form, of which the head rested +on its chest and the long arms hung down. I stared at it, and saw that +this too was a _dead man_, and, what was more, a white man. + +The others saw also, and the sight proved too much for our shattered +nerves. One and all we scrambled out of the cave as fast as our +half-frozen limbs would carry us. + + + +CHAPTER VII + +SOLOMON'S ROAD + +Outside the cavern we halted, feeling rather foolish. + +"I am going back," said Sir Henry. + +"Why?" asked Good. + +"Because it has struck me that--what we saw--may be my brother." + +This was a new idea, and we re-entered the place to put it to the +proof. After the bright light outside, our eyes, weak as they were with +staring at the snow, could not pierce the gloom of the cave for a +while. Presently, however, they grew accustomed to the semi-darkness, +and we advanced towards the dead man. + +Sir Henry knelt down and peered into his face. + +"Thank God," he said, with a sigh of relief, "it is _not_ my brother." + +Then I drew near and looked. The body was that of a tall man in middle +life with aquiline features, grizzled hair, and a long black moustache. +The skin was perfectly yellow, and stretched tightly over the bones. +Its clothing, with the exception of what seemed to be the remains of a +woollen pair of hose, had been removed, leaving the skeleton-like frame +naked. Round the neck of the corpse, which was frozen perfectly stiff, +hung a yellow ivory crucifix. + +"Who on earth can it be?" said I. + +"Can't you guess?" asked Good. + +I shook my head. + +"Why, the old Dom, Jose da Silvestra, of course--who else?" + +"Impossible," I gasped; "he died three hundred years ago." + +"And what is there to prevent him from lasting for three thousand years +in this atmosphere, I should like to know?" asked Good. "If only the +temperature is sufficiently low, flesh and blood will keep fresh as New +Zealand mutton for ever, and Heaven knows it is cold enough here. The +sun never gets in here; no animal comes here to tear or destroy. No +doubt his slave, of whom he speaks on the writing, took off his clothes +and left him. He could not have buried him alone. Look!" he went on, +stooping down to pick up a queerly-shaped bone scraped at the end into +a sharp point, "here is the 'cleft bone' that Silvestra used to draw +the map with." + +We gazed for a moment astonished, forgetting our own miseries in this +extraordinary and, as it seemed to us, semi-miraculous sight. + +"Ay," said Sir Henry, "and this is where he got his ink from," and he +pointed to a small wound on the Dom's left arm. "Did ever man see such +a thing before?" + +There was no longer any doubt about the matter, which for my own part I +confess perfectly appalled me. There he sat, the dead man, whose +directions, written some ten generations ago, had led us to this spot. +Here in my own hand was the rude pen with which he had written them, +and about his neck hung the crucifix that his dying lips had kissed. +Gazing at him, my imagination could reconstruct the last scene of the +drama, the traveller dying of cold and starvation, yet striving to +convey to the world the great secret which he had discovered:--the +awful loneliness of his death, of which the evidence sat before us. It +even seemed to me that I could trace in his strongly-marked features a +likeness to those of my poor friend Silvestre his descendant, who had +died twenty years before in my arms, but perhaps that was fancy. At any +rate, there he sat, a sad memento of the fate that so often overtakes +those who would penetrate into the unknown; and there doubtless he will +still sit, crowned with the dread majesty of death, for centuries yet +unborn, to startle the eyes of wanderers like ourselves, if ever any +such should come again to invade his loneliness. The thing overpowered +us, already almost perished as we were with cold and hunger. + +"Let us go," said Sir Henry in a low voice; "stay, we will give him a +companion," and lifting up the dead body of the Hottentot Ventvoegel, he +placed it near to that of the old Dom. Then he stooped, and with a jerk +broke the rotten string of the crucifix which hung round da Silvestra's +neck, for his fingers were too cold to attempt to unfasten it. I +believe that he has it still. I took the bone pen, and it is before me +as I write--sometimes I use it to sign my name. + +Then leaving these two, the proud white man of a past age, and the poor +Hottentot, to keep their eternal vigil in the midst of the eternal +snows, we crept out of the cave into the welcome sunshine and resumed +our path, wondering in our hearts how many hours it would be before we +were even as they are. + +When we had walked about half a mile we came to the edge of the +plateau, for the nipple of the mountain does not rise out of its exact +centre, though from the desert side it had seemed to do so. What lay +below us we could not see, for the landscape was wreathed in billows of +morning fog. Presently, however, the higher layers of mist cleared a +little, and revealed, at the end of a long slope of snow, a patch of +green grass, some five hundred yards beneath us, through which a stream +was running. Nor was this all. By the stream, basking in the bright +sun, stood and lay a group of from ten to fifteen _large antelopes_--at +that distance we could not see of what species. + +The sight filled us with an unreasoning joy. If only we could get it, +there was food in plenty. But the question was how to do so. The beasts +were fully six hundred yards off, a very long shot, and one not to be +depended on when our lives hung on the results. + +Rapidly we discussed the advisability of trying to stalk the game, but +in the end dismissed it reluctantly. To begin with, the wind was not +favourable, and further, we must certainly be perceived, however +careful we were, against the blinding background of snow, which we +should be obliged to traverse. + +"Well, we must have a try from where we are," said Sir Henry. "Which +shall it be, Quatermain, the repeating rifles or the expresses?" + +Here again was a question. The Winchester repeaters--of which we had +two, Umbopa carrying poor Ventvoegel's as well as his own--were sighted +up to a thousand yards, whereas the expresses were only sighted to +three hundred and fifty, beyond which distance shooting with them was +more or less guess-work. On the other hand, if they did hit, the +express bullets, being "expanding," were much more likely to bring the +game down. It was a knotty point, but I made up my mind that we must +risk it and use the expresses. + +"Let each of us take the buck opposite to him. Aim well at the point of +the shoulder and high up," said I; "and Umbopa, do you give the word, +so that we may all fire together." + +Then came a pause, each of us aiming his level best, as indeed a man is +likely to do when he knows that life itself depends upon the shot. + +"Fire," said Umbopa in Zulu, and at almost the same instant the three +rifles rang out loudly; three clouds of smoke hung for a moment before +us, and a hundred echoes went flying over the silent snow. Presently +the smoke cleared, and revealed--oh, joy!--a great buck lying on its +back and kicking furiously in its death agony. We gave a yell of +triumph--we were saved--we should not starve. Weak as we were, we +rushed down the intervening slope of snow, and in ten minutes from the +time of shooting, that animal's heart and liver were lying before us. +But now a new difficulty arose, we had no fuel, and therefore could +make no fire to cook them. We gazed at each other in dismay. + +"Starving men should not be fanciful," said Good; "we must eat raw +meat." + +There was no other way out of the dilemma, and our gnawing hunger made +the proposition less distasteful than it would otherwise have been. So +we took the heart and liver and buried them for a few minutes in a +patch of snow to cool them. Then we washed them in the ice-cold water +of the stream, and lastly ate them greedily. It sounds horrible enough, +but honestly, I never tasted anything so good as that raw meat. In a +quarter of an hour we were changed men. Our life and vigour came back +to us, our feeble pulses grew strong again, and the blood went coursing +through our veins. But mindful of the results of over-feeding on +starved stomachs, we were careful not to eat too much, stopping whilst +we were still hungry. + +"Thank Heaven!" said Sir Henry; "that brute has saved our lives. What +is it, Quatermain?" + +I rose and went to look at the antelope, for I was not certain. It was +about the size of a donkey, with large curved horns. I had never seen +one like it before; the species was new to me. It was brown in colour, +with faint red stripes, and grew a thick coat. I afterwards discovered +that the natives of that wonderful country call these bucks "_inco_." +They are very rare, and only found at a great altitude where no other +game will live. This animal was fairly hit high up in the shoulder, +though whose bullet brought it down we could not, of course, discover. +I believe that Good, mindful of his marvellous shot at the giraffe, +secretly set it down to his own prowess, and we did not contradict him. + +We had been so busy satisfying our hunger that hitherto we had not +found time to look about us. But now, having set Umbopa to cut off as +much of the best meat as we were likely to be able to carry, we began +to inspect our surroundings. The mist had cleared away, for it was +eight o'clock, and the sun had sucked it up, so we were able to take in +all the country before us at a glance. I know not how to describe the +glorious panorama which unfolded itself to our gaze. I have never seen +anything like it before, nor shall, I suppose, again. + +Behind and over us towered Sheba's snowy Breasts, and below, some five +thousand feet beneath where we stood, lay league on league of the most +lovely champaign country. Here were dense patches of lofty forest, +there a great river wound its silvery way. To the left stretched a vast +expanse of rich, undulating veld or grass land, whereon we could just +make out countless herds of game or cattle, at that distance we could +not tell which. This expanse appeared to be ringed in by a wall of +distant mountains. To the right the country was more or less +mountainous; that is, solitary hills stood up from its level, with +stretches of cultivated land between, amongst which we could see groups +of dome-shaped huts. The landscape lay before us as a map, wherein +rivers flashed like silver snakes, and Alp-like peaks crowned with +wildly twisted snow wreaths rose in grandeur, whilst over all was the +glad sunlight and the breath of Nature's happy life. + +Two curious things struck us as we gazed. First, that the country +before us must lie at least three thousand feet higher than the desert +we had crossed, and secondly, that all the rivers flowed from south to +north. As we had painful reason to know, there was no water upon the +southern side of the vast range on which we stood, but on the northern +face were many streams, most of which appeared to unite with the great +river we could see winding away farther than our eyes could follow. + +We sat down for a while and gazed in silence at this wonderful view. +Presently Sir Henry spoke. + +"Isn't there something on the map about Solomon's Great Road?" he said. + +I nodded, for I was still gazing out over the far country. + +"Well, look; there it is!" and he pointed a little to our right. + +Good and I looked accordingly, and there, winding away towards the +plain, was what appeared to be a wide turnpike road. We had not seen it +at first because, on reaching the plain, it turned behind some broken +country. We did not say anything, at least, not much; we were beginning +to lose the sense of wonder. Somehow it did not seem particularly +unnatural that we should find a sort of Roman road in this strange +land. We accepted the fact, that was all. + +"Well," said Good, "it must be quite near us if we cut off to the +right. Hadn't we better be making a start?" + +This was sound advice, and so soon as we had washed our faces and hands +in the stream we acted on it. For a mile or more we made our way over +boulders and across patches of snow, till suddenly, on reaching the top +of the little rise, we found the road at our feet. It was a splendid +road cut out of the solid rock, at least fifty feet wide, and +apparently well kept; though the odd thing was that it seemed to begin +there. We walked down and stood on it, but one single hundred paces +behind us, in the direction of Sheba's Breasts, it vanished, the entire +surface of the mountain being strewn with boulders interspersed with +patches of snow. + +"What do you make of this, Quatermain?" asked Sir Henry. + +I shook my head, I could make nothing of the thing. + +"I have it!" said Good; "the road no doubt ran right over the range and +across the desert on the other side, but the sand there has covered it +up, and above us it has been obliterated by some volcanic eruption of +molten lava." + +This seemed a good suggestion; at any rate, we accepted it, and +proceeded down the mountain. It proved a very different business +travelling along down hill on that magnificent pathway with full +stomachs from what it was travelling uphill over the snow quite starved +and almost frozen. Indeed, had it not been for melancholy recollections +of poor Ventvoegel's sad fate, and of that grim cave where he kept +company with the old Dom, we should have felt positively cheerful, +notwithstanding the sense of unknown dangers before us. Every mile we +walked the atmosphere grew softer and balmier, and the country before +us shone with a yet more luminous beauty. As for the road itself, I +never saw such an engineering work, though Sir Henry said that the +great road over the St. Gothard in Switzerland is very similar. No +difficulty had been too great for the Old World engineer who laid it +out. At one place we came to a ravine three hundred feet broad and at +least a hundred feet deep. This vast gulf was actually filled in with +huge blocks of dressed stone, having arches pierced through them at the +bottom for a waterway, over which the road went on sublimely. At +another place it was cut in zigzags out of the side of a precipice five +hundred feet deep, and in a third it tunnelled through the base of an +intervening ridge, a space of thirty yards or more. + +Here we noticed that the sides of the tunnel were covered with quaint +sculptures, mostly of mailed figures driving in chariots. One, which +was exceedingly beautiful, represented a whole battle scene with a +convoy of captives being marched off in the distance. + +"Well," said Sir Henry, after inspecting this ancient work of art, "it +is very well to call this Solomon's Road, but my humble opinion is that +the Egyptians had been here before Solomon's people ever set a foot on +it. If this isn't Egyptian or Phoenician handiwork, I must say that it +is very like it." + +By midday we had advanced sufficiently down the mountain to search the +region where wood was to be met with. First we came to scattered bushes +which grew more and more frequent, till at last we found the road +winding through a vast grove of silver trees similar to those which are +to be seen on the slopes of Table Mountain at Cape Town. I had never +before met with them in all my wanderings, except at the Cape, and +their appearance here astonished me greatly. + +"Ah!" said Good, surveying these shining-leaved trees with evident +enthusiasm, "here is lots of wood, let us stop and cook some dinner; I +have about digested that raw heart." + +Nobody objected to this, so leaving the road we made our way to a +stream which was babbling away not far off, and soon had a goodly fire +of dry boughs blazing. Cutting off some substantial hunks from the +flesh of the _inco_ which we had brought with us, we proceeded to toast +them on the end of sharp sticks, as one sees the Kafirs do, and ate +them with relish. After filling ourselves, we lit our pipes and gave +ourselves up to enjoyment that, compared with the hardships we had +recently undergone, seemed almost heavenly. + +The brook, of which the banks were clothed with dense masses of a +gigantic species of maidenhair fern interspersed with feathery tufts of +wild asparagus, sung merrily at our side, the soft air murmured through +the leaves of the silver trees, doves cooed around, and bright-winged +birds flashed like living gems from bough to bough. It was a Paradise. + +The magic of the place combined with an overwhelming sense of dangers +left behind, and of the promised land reached at last, seemed to charm +us into silence. Sir Henry and Umbopa sat conversing in a mixture of +broken English and Kitchen Zulu in a low voice, but earnestly enough, +and I lay, with my eyes half shut, upon that fragrant bed of fern and +watched them. + +Presently I missed Good, and I looked to see what had become of him. +Soon I observed him sitting by the bank of the stream, in which he had +been bathing. He had nothing on but his flannel shirt, and his natural +habits of extreme neatness having reasserted themselves, he was +actively employed in making a most elaborate toilet. He had washed his +gutta-percha collar, had thoroughly shaken out his trousers, coat and +waistcoat, and was now folding them up neatly till he was ready to put +them on, shaking his head sadly as he scanned the numerous rents and +tears in them, which naturally had resulted from our frightful journey. +Then he took his boots, scrubbed them with a handful of fern, and +finally rubbed them over with a piece of fat, which he had carefully +saved from the _inco_ meat, till they looked, comparatively speaking, +respectable. Having inspected them judiciously through his eye-glass, +he put the boots on and began a fresh operation. From a little bag that +he carried he produced a pocket-comb in which was fixed a tiny +looking-glass, and in this he surveyed himself. Apparently he was not +satisfied, for he proceeded to do his hair with great care. Then came a +pause whilst he again contemplated the effect; still it was not +satisfactory. He felt his chin, on which the accumulated scrub of a ten +days' beard was flourishing. + +"Surely," thought I, "he is not going to try to shave." But so it was. +Taking the piece of fat with which he had greased his boots, Good +washed it thoroughly in the stream. Then diving again into the bag he +brought out a little pocket razor with a guard to it, such as are +bought by people who are afraid of cutting themselves, or by those +about to undertake a sea voyage. Then he rubbed his face and chin +vigorously with the fat and began. Evidently it proved a painful +process, for he groaned very much over it, and I was convulsed with +inward laughter as I watched him struggling with that stubbly beard. It +seemed so very odd that a man should take the trouble to shave himself +with a piece of fat in such a place and in our circumstances. At last +he succeeded in getting the hair off the right side of his face and +chin, when suddenly I, who was watching, became conscious of a flash of +light that passed just by his head. + +Good sprang up with a profane exclamation (if it had not been a safety +razor he would certainly have cut his throat), and so did I, without +the exclamation, and this was what I saw. Standing not more than twenty +paces from where I was, and ten from Good, were a group of men. They +were very tall and copper-coloured, and some of them wore great plumes +of black feathers and short cloaks of leopard skins; this was all I +noticed at the moment. In front of them stood a youth of about +seventeen, his hand still raised and his body bent forward in the +attitude of a Grecian statue of a spear-thrower. Evidently the flash of +light had been caused by a weapon which he had hurled. + +As I looked an old soldier-like man stepped forward out of the group, +and catching the youth by the arm said something to him. Then they +advanced upon us. + +Sir Henry, Good, and Umbopa by this time had seized their rifles and +lifted them threateningly. The party of natives still came on. It +struck me that they could not know what rifles were, or they would not +have treated them with such contempt. + +"Put down your guns!" I halloed to the others, seeing that our only +chance of safety lay in conciliation. They obeyed, and walking to the +front I addressed the elderly man who had checked the youth. + +"Greeting," I said in Zulu, not knowing what language to use. To my +surprise I was understood. + +"Greeting," answered the old man, not, indeed, in the same tongue, but +in a dialect so closely allied to it that neither Umbopa nor myself had +any difficulty in understanding him. Indeed, as we afterwards found +out, the language spoken by this people is an old-fashioned form of the +Zulu tongue, bearing about the same relationship to it that the English +of Chaucer does to the English of the nineteenth century. + +"Whence come you?" he went on, "who are you? and why are the faces of +three of you white, and the face of the fourth as the face of our +mother's sons?" and he pointed to Umbopa. I looked at Umbopa as he said +it, and it flashed across me that he was right. The face of Umbopa was +like the faces of the men before me, and so was his great form like +their forms. But I had not time to reflect on this coincidence. + +"We are strangers, and come in peace," I answered, speaking very +slowly, so that he might understand me, "and this man is our servant." + +"You lie," he answered; "no strangers can cross the mountains where all +things perish. But what do your lies matter?--if ye are strangers then +ye must die, for no strangers may live in the land of the Kukuanas. It +is the king's law. Prepare then to die, O strangers!" + +I was slightly staggered at this, more especially as I saw the hands of +some of the men steal down to their sides, where hung on each what +looked to me like a large and heavy knife. + +"What does that beggar say?" asked Good. + +"He says we are going to be killed," I answered grimly. + +"Oh, Lord!" groaned Good; and, as was his way when perplexed, he put +his hand to his false teeth, dragging the top set down and allowing +them to fly back to his jaw with a snap. It was a most fortunate move, +for next second the dignified crowd of Kukuanas uttered a simultaneous +yell of horror, and bolted back some yards. + +"What's up?" said I. + +"It's his teeth," whispered Sir Henry excitedly. "He moved them. Take +them out, Good, take them out!" + +He obeyed, slipping the set into the sleeve of his flannel shirt. + +In another second curiosity had overcome fear, and the men advanced +slowly. Apparently they had now forgotten their amiable intention of +killing us. + +"How is it, O strangers," asked the old man solemnly, "that this fat +man (pointing to Good, who was clad in nothing but boots and a flannel +shirt, and had only half finished his shaving), whose body is clothed, +and whose legs are bare, who grows hair on one side of his sickly face +and not on the other, and who wears one shining and transparent +eye--how is it, I ask, that he has teeth which move of themselves, +coming away from the jaws and returning of their own will?" + +"Open your mouth," I said to Good, who promptly curled up his lips and +grinned at the old gentleman like an angry dog, revealing to his +astonished gaze two thin red lines of gum as utterly innocent of +ivories as a new-born elephant. The audience gasped. + +"Where are his teeth?" they shouted; "with our eyes we saw them." + +Turning his head slowly and with a gesture of ineffable contempt, Good +swept his hand across his mouth. Then he grinned again, and lo, there +were two rows of lovely teeth. + +Now the young man who had flung the knife threw himself down on the +grass and gave vent to a prolonged howl of terror; and as for the old +gentleman, his knees knocked together with fear. + +"I see that ye are spirits," he said falteringly; "did ever man born of +woman have hair on one side of his face and not on the other, or a +round and transparent eye, or teeth which moved and melted away and +grew again? Pardon us, O my lords." + +Here was luck indeed, and, needless to say, I jumped at the chance. + +"It is granted," I said with an imperial smile. "Nay, ye shall know the +truth. We come from another world, though we are men such as ye; we +come," I went on, "from the biggest star that shines at night." + +"Oh! oh!" groaned the chorus of astonished aborigines. + +"Yes," I went on, "we do, indeed"; and again I smiled benignly, as I +uttered that amazing lie. "We come to stay with you a little while, and +to bless you by our sojourn. Ye will see, O friends, that I have +prepared myself for this visit by the learning of your language." + +"It is so, it is so," said the chorus. + +"Only, my lord," put in the old gentleman, "thou hast learnt it very +badly." + +I cast an indignant glance at him, and he quailed. + +"Now friends," I continued, "ye might think that after so long a +journey we should find it in our hearts to avenge such a reception, +mayhap to strike cold in death the imperious hand that--that, in +short--threw a knife at the head of him whose teeth come and go." + +"Spare him, my lords," said the old man in supplication; "he is the +king's son, and I am his uncle. If anything befalls him his blood will +be required at my hands." + +"Yes, that is certainly so," put in the young man with great emphasis. + +"Ye may perhaps doubt our power to avenge," I went on, heedless of this +by-play. "Stay, I will show you. Here, thou dog and slave (addressing +Umbopa in a savage tone), give me the magic tube that speaks"; and I +tipped a wink towards my express rifle. + +Umbopa rose to the occasion, and with something as nearly resembling a +grin as I have ever seen on his dignified face he handed me the gun. + +"It is here, O Lord of Lords," he said with a deep obeisance. + +Now just before I had asked for the rifle I had perceived a little +_klipspringer_ antelope standing on a mass of rock about seventy yards +away, and determined to risk the shot. + +"Ye see that buck," I said, pointing the animal out to the party before +me. "Tell me, is it possible for man born of woman to kill it from here +with a noise?" + +"It is not possible, my lord," answered the old man. + +"Yet shall I kill it," I said quietly. + +The old man smiled. "That my lord cannot do," he answered. + +I raised the rifle and covered the buck. It was a small animal, and one +which a man might well be excused for missing, but I knew that it would +not do to miss. + +I drew a deep breath, and slowly pressed on the trigger. The buck stood +still as a stone. + +"Bang! thud!" The antelope sprang into the air and fell on the rock +dead as a door nail. + +A groan of simultaneous terror burst from the group before us. + +"If you want meat," I remarked coolly, "go fetch that buck." + +The old man made a sign, and one of his followers departed, and +presently returned bearing the _klipspringer_. I noticed with +satisfaction that I had hit it fairly behind the shoulder. They +gathered round the poor creature's body, gazing at the bullet-hole in +consternation. + +"Ye see," I said, "I do not speak empty words." + +There was no answer. + +"If ye yet doubt our power," I went on, "let one of you go stand upon +that rock that I may make him as this buck." + +None of them seemed at all inclined to take the hint, till at last the +king's son spoke. + +"It is well said. Do thou, my uncle, go stand upon the rock. It is but +a buck that the magic has killed. Surely it cannot kill a man." + +The old gentleman did not take the suggestion in good part. Indeed, he +seemed hurt. + +"No! no!" he ejaculated hastily, "my old eyes have seen enough. These +are wizards, indeed. Let us bring them to the king. Yet if any should +wish a further proof, let _him_ stand upon the rock, that the magic +tube may speak with him." + +There was a most general and hasty expression of dissent. + +"Let not good magic be wasted on our poor bodies," said one; "we are +satisfied. All the witchcraft of our people cannot show the like of +this." + +"It is so," remarked the old gentleman, in a tone of intense relief; +"without any doubt it is so. Listen, children of the Stars, children of +the shining Eye and the movable Teeth, who roar out in thunder, and +slay from afar. I am Infadoos, son of Kafa, once king of the Kukuana +people. This youth is Scragga." + +"He nearly scragged me," murmured Good. + +"Scragga, son of Twala, the great king--Twala, husband of a thousand +wives, chief and lord paramount of the Kukuanas, keeper of the great +Road, terror of his enemies, student of the Black Arts, leader of a +hundred thousand warriors, Twala the One-eyed, the Black, the Terrible." + +"So," said I superciliously, "lead us then to Twala. We do not talk +with low people and underlings." + +"It is well, my lords, we will lead you; but the way is long. We are +hunting three days' journey from the place of the king. But let my +lords have patience, and we will lead them." + +"So be it," I said carelessly; "all time is before us, for we do not +die. We are ready, lead on. But Infadoos, and thou Scragga, beware! +Play us no monkey tricks, set for us no foxes' snares, for before your +brains of mud have thought of them we shall know and avenge. The light +of the transparent eye of him with the bare legs and the half-haired +face shall destroy you, and go through your land; his vanishing teeth +shall affix themselves fast in you and eat you up, you and your wives +and children; the magic tubes shall argue with you loudly, and make you +as sieves. Beware!" + +This magnificent address did not fail of its effect; indeed, it might +almost have been spared, so deeply were our friends already impressed +with our powers. + +The old man made a deep obeisance, and murmured the words, "_Koom +Koom_," which I afterwards discovered was their royal salute, +corresponding to the _Bayete_ of the Zulus, and turning, addressed his +followers. These at once proceeded to lay hold of all our goods and +chattels, in order to bear them for us, excepting only the guns, which +they would on no account touch. They even seized Good's clothes, that, +as the reader may remember, were neatly folded up beside him. + +He saw and made a dive for them, and a loud altercation ensued. + +"Let not my lord of the transparent Eye and the melting Teeth touch +them," said the old man. "Surely his slave shall carry the things." + +"But I want to put 'em on!" roared Good, in nervous English. + +Umbopa translated. + +"Nay, my lord," answered Infadoos, "would my lord cover up his +beautiful white legs (although he is so dark Good has a singularly +white skin) from the eyes of his servants? Have we offended my lord +that he should do such a thing?" + +Here I nearly exploded with laughing; and meanwhile one of the men +started on with the garments. + +"Damn it!" roared Good, "that black villain has got my trousers." + +"Look here, Good," said Sir Henry; "you have appeared in this country +in a certain character, and you must live up to it. It will never do +for you to put on trousers again. Henceforth you must exist in a +flannel shirt, a pair of boots, and an eye-glass." + +"Yes," I said, "and with whiskers on one side of your face and not on +the other. If you change any of these things the people will think that +we are impostors. I am very sorry for you, but, seriously, you must. If +once they begin to suspect us our lives will not be worth a brass +farthing." + +"Do you really think so?" said Good gloomily. + +"I do, indeed. Your 'beautiful white legs' and your eye-glass are now +_the_ features of our party, and as Sir Henry says, you must live up to +them. Be thankful that you have got your boots on, and that the air is +warm." + +Good sighed, and said no more, but it took him a fortnight to become +accustomed to his new and scant attire. + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +WE ENTER KUKUANALAND + +All that afternoon we travelled along the magnificent roadway, which +trended steadily in a north-westerly direction. Infadoos and Scragga +walked with us, but their followers marched about one hundred paces +ahead. + +"Infadoos," I said at length, "who made this road?" + +"It was made, my lord, of old time, none know how or when, not even the +wise woman Gagool, who has lived for generations. We are not old enough +to remember its making. None can fashion such roads now, but the king +suffers no grass to grow upon it." + +"And whose are the writings on the wall of the caves through which we +have passed on the road?" I asked, referring to the Egyptian-like +sculptures that we had seen. + +"My lord, the hands that made the road wrote the wonderful writings. We +know not who wrote them." + +"When did the Kukuana people come into this country?" + +"My lord, the race came down here like the breath of a storm ten +thousand thousand moons ago, from the great lands which lie there +beyond," and he pointed to the north. "They could travel no further +because of the high mountains which ring in the land, so say the old +voices of our fathers that have descended to us the children, and so +says Gagool, the wise woman, the smeller out of witches," and again he +pointed to the snow-clad peaks. "The country, too, was good, so they +settled here and grew strong and powerful, and now our numbers are like +the sea sand, and when Twala the king calls up his regiments their +plumes cover the plain so far as the eye of man can reach." + +"And if the land is walled in with mountains, who is there for the +regiments to fight with?" + +"Nay, my lord, the country is open there towards the north, and now and +again warriors sweep down upon us in clouds from a land we know not, +and we slay them. It is the third part of the life of a man since there +was a war. Many thousands died in it, but we destroyed those who came +to eat us up. So since then there has been no war." + +"Your warriors must grow weary of resting on their spears, Infadoos." + +"My lord, there was one war, just after we destroyed the people that +came down upon us, but it was a civil war; dog ate dog." + +"How was that?" + +"My lord the king, my half-brother, had a brother born at the same +birth, and of the same woman. It is not our custom, my lord, to suffer +twins to live; the weaker must always die. But the mother of the king +hid away the feebler child, which was born the last, for her heart +yearned over it, and that child is Twala the king. I am his younger +brother, born of another wife." + +"Well?" + +"My lord, Kafa, our father, died when we came to manhood, and my +brother Imotu was made king in his place, and for a space reigned and +had a son by his favourite wife. When the babe was three years old, +just after the great war, during which no man could sow or reap, a +famine came upon the land, and the people murmured because of the +famine, and looked round like a starved lion for something to rend. +Then it was that Gagool, the wise and terrible woman, who does not die, +made a proclamation to the people, saying, 'The king Imotu is no king.' +And at the time Imotu was sick with a wound, and lay in his kraal not +able to move. + +"Then Gagool went into a hut and led out Twala, my half-brother, and +twin brother to the king, whom she had hidden among the caves and rocks +since he was born, and stripping the '_moocha_' (waist-cloth) off his +loins, showed the people of the Kukuanas the mark of the sacred snake +coiled round his middle, wherewith the eldest son of the king is marked +at birth, and cried out loud, 'Behold your king whom I have saved for +you even to this day!' + +"Now the people being mad with hunger, and altogether bereft of reason +and the knowledge of truth, cried out--'_The king! The king!_' but I +knew that it was not so, for Imotu my brother was the elder of the +twins, and our lawful king. Then just as the tumult was at its height +Imotu the king, though he was very sick, crawled from his hut holding +his wife by the hand, and followed by his little son Ignosi--that is, +by interpretation, the Lightning. + +"'What is this noise?' he asked. 'Why cry ye _The king! The king!_' + +"Then Twala, his twin brother, born of the same woman, and in the same +hour, ran to him, and taking him by the hair, stabbed him through the +heart with his knife. And the people being fickle, and ever ready to +worship the rising sun, clapped their hands and cried, '_Twala is +king!_ Now we know that Twala is king!'" + +"And what became of Imotu's wife and her son Ignosi? Did Twala kill +them too?" + +"Nay, my lord. When she saw that her lord was dead the queen seized the +child with a cry and ran away. Two days afterward she came to a kraal +very hungry, and none would give her milk or food, now that her lord +the king was dead, for all men hate the unfortunate. But at nightfall a +little child, a girl, crept out and brought her corn to eat, and she +blessed the child, and went on towards the mountains with her boy +before the sun rose again, and there she must have perished, for none +have seen her since, nor the child Ignosi." + +"Then if this child Ignosi had lived he would be the true king of the +Kukuana people?" + +"That is so, my lord; the sacred snake is round his middle. If he lives +he is king; but, alas! he is long dead." + +"See, my lord," and Infadoos pointed to a vast collection of huts +surrounded by a fence, which was in its turn encircled by a great +ditch, that lay on the plain beneath us. "That is the kraal where the +wife of Imotu was last seen with the child Ignosi. It is there that we +shall sleep to-night, if, indeed," he added doubtfully, "my lords sleep +at all upon this earth." + +"When we are among the Kukuanas, my good friend Infadoos, we do as the +Kukuanas do," I said majestically, and turned round quickly to address +Good, who was tramping along sullenly behind, his mind fully occupied +with unsatisfactory attempts to prevent his flannel shirt from flapping +in the evening breeze. To my astonishment I butted into Umbopa, who was +walking along immediately behind me, and very evidently had been +listening with the greatest interest to my conversation with Infadoos. +The expression on his face was most curious, and gave me the idea of a +man who was struggling with partial success to bring something long ago +forgotten back into his mind. + +All this while we had been pressing on at a good rate towards the +undulating plain beneath us. The mountains we had crossed now loomed +high above our heads, and Sheba's Breasts were veiled modestly in +diaphanous wreaths of mist. As we went the country grew more and more +lovely. The vegetation was luxuriant, without being tropical; the sun +was bright and warm, but not burning; and a gracious breeze blew softly +along the odorous slopes of the mountains. Indeed, this new land was +little less than an earthly paradise; in beauty, in natural wealth, and +in climate I have never seen its like. The Transvaal is a fine country, +but it is nothing to Kukuanaland. + +So soon as we started Infadoos had despatched a runner to warn the +people of the kraal, which, by the way, was in his military command, of +our arrival. This man had departed at an extraordinary speed, which +Infadoos informed me he would keep up all the way, as running was an +exercise much practised among his people. + +The result of this message now became apparent. When we arrived within +two miles of the kraal we could see that company after company of men +were issuing from its gates and marching towards us. + +Sir Henry laid his hand upon my arm, and remarked that it looked as +though we were going to meet with a warm reception. Something in his +tone attracted Infadoos' attention. + +"Let not my lords be afraid," he said hastily, "for in my breast there +dwells no guile. This regiment is one under my command, and comes out +by my orders to greet you." + +I nodded easily, though I was not quite easy in my mind. + +About half a mile from the gates of this kraal is a long stretch of +rising ground sloping gently upwards from the road, and here the +companies formed. It was a splendid sight to see them, each company +about three hundred strong, charging swiftly up the rise, with flashing +spears and waving plumes, to take their appointed place. By the time we +reached the slope twelve such companies, or in all three thousand six +hundred men, had passed out and taken up their positions along the road. + +Presently we came to the first company, and were able to gaze in +astonishment on the most magnificent set of warriors that I have ever +seen. They were all men of mature age, mostly veterans of about forty, +and not one of them was under six feet in height, whilst many stood six +feet three or four. They wore upon their heads heavy black plumes of +Sakaboola feathers, like those which adorned our guides. About their +waists and beneath the right knees were bound circlets of white ox +tails, while in their left hands they carried round shields measuring +about twenty inches across. These shields are very curious. The +framework is made of an iron plate beaten out thin, over which is +stretched milk-white ox-hide. + +The weapons that each man bore were simple, but most effective, +consisting of a short and very heavy two-edged spear with a wooden +shaft, the blade being about six inches across at the widest part. +These spears are not used for throwing but like the Zulu "_bangwan_," +or stabbing assegai, are for close quarters only, when the wound +inflicted by them is terrible. In addition to his _bangwan_ every man +carried three large and heavy knives, each knife weighing about two +pounds. One knife was fixed in the ox-tail girdle, and the other two at +the back of the round shield. These knives, which are called "_tollas_" +by the Kukuanas, take the place of the throwing assegai of the Zulus. +The Kukuana warriors can cast them with great accuracy to a distance of +fifty yards, and it is their custom on charging to hurl a volley of +them at the enemy as they come to close quarters. + +Each company remained still as a collection of bronze statues till we +were opposite to it, when at a signal given by its commanding officer, +who, distinguished by a leopard skin cloak, stood some paces in front, +every spear was raised into the air, and from three hundred throats +sprang forth with a sudden roar the royal salute of "_Koom_." Then, so +soon as we had passed, the company formed up behind us and followed us +towards the kraal, till at last the whole regiment of the "Greys"--so +called from their white shields--the crack corps of the Kukuana people, +was marching in our rear with a tread that shook the ground. + +At length, branching off from Solomon's Great Road, we came to the wide +fosse surrounding the kraal, which is at least a mile round, and fenced +with a strong palisade of piles formed of the trunks of trees. At the +gateway this fosse is spanned by a primitive drawbridge, which was let +down by the guard to allow us to pass in. The kraal is exceedingly well +laid out. Through the centre runs a wide pathway intersected at right +angles by other pathways so arranged as to cut the huts into square +blocks, each block being the quarters of a company. The huts are +dome-shaped, and built, like those of the Zulus, of a framework of +wattle, beautifully thatched with grass; but, unlike the Zulu huts, +they have doorways through which men could walk. Also they are much +larger, and surrounded by a verandah about six feet wide, beautifully +paved with powdered lime trodden hard. + +All along each side of this wide pathway that pierces the kraal were +ranged hundreds of women, brought out by curiosity to look at us. These +women, for a native race, are exceedingly handsome. They are tall and +graceful, and their figures are wonderfully fine. The hair, though +short, is rather curly than woolly, the features are frequently +aquiline, and the lips are not unpleasantly thick, as is the case among +most African races. But what struck us most was their exceedingly quiet +and dignified air. They were as well-bred in their way as the +_habituees_ of a fashionable drawing-room, and in this respect they +differ from Zulu women and their cousins the Masai who inhabit the +district beyond Zanzibar. Their curiosity had brought them out to see +us, but they allowed no rude expressions of astonishment or savage +criticism to pass their lips as we trudged wearily in front of them. +Not even when old Infadoos with a surreptitious motion of the hand +pointed out the crowning wonder of poor Good's "beautiful white legs," +did they suffer the feeling of intense admiration which evidently +mastered their minds to find expression. They fixed their dark eyes +upon this new and snowy loveliness, for, as I think I have said, Good's +skin is exceedingly white, and that was all. But it was quite enough +for Good, who is modest by nature. + +When we reached the centre of the kraal, Infadoos halted at the door of +a large hut, which was surrounded at a distance by a circle of smaller +ones. + +"Enter, Sons of the Stars," he said, in a magniloquent voice, "and +deign to rest awhile in our humble habitations. A little food shall be +brought to you, so that ye may have no need to draw your belts tight +from hunger; some honey and some milk, and an ox or two, and a few +sheep; not much, my lords, but still a little food." + +"It is good," said I. "Infadoos; we are weary with travelling through +realms of air; now let us rest." + +Accordingly we entered the hut, which we found amply prepared for our +comfort. Couches of tanned skins were spread for us to lie on, and +water was placed for us to wash in. + +Presently we heard a shouting outside, and stepping to the door, saw a +line of damsels bearing milk and roasted mealies, and honey in a pot. +Behind these were some youths driving a fat young ox. We received the +gifts, and then one of the young men drew the knife from his girdle and +dexterously cut the ox's throat. In ten minutes it was dead, skinned, +and jointed. The best of the meat was then cut off for us, and the +rest, in the name of our party, I presented to the warriors round us, +who took it and distributed the "white lords' gift." + +Umbopa set to work, with the assistance of an extremely prepossessing +young woman, to boil our portion in a large earthenware pot over a fire +which was built outside the hut, and when it was nearly ready we sent a +message to Infadoos, and asked him and Scragga, the king's son, to join +us. + +Presently they came, and sitting down upon little stools, of which +there were several about the hut, for the Kukuanas do not in general +squat upon their haunches like the Zulus, they helped us to get through +our dinner. The old gentleman was most affable and polite, but it +struck me that the young one regarded us with doubt. Together with the +rest of the party, he had been overawed by our white appearance and by +our magic properties; but it seemed to me that, on discovering that we +ate, drank, and slept like other mortals, his awe was beginning to wear +off, and to be replaced by a sullen suspicion--which made me feel +rather uncomfortable. + +In the course of our meal Sir Henry suggested to me that it might be +well to try to discover if our hosts knew anything of his brother's +fate, or if they had ever seen or heard of him; but, on the whole, I +thought that it would be wiser to say nothing of the matter at this +time. It was difficult to explain a relative lost from "the Stars." + +After supper we produced our pipes and lit them; a proceeding which +filled Infadoos and Scragga with astonishment. The Kukuanas were +evidently unacquainted with the divine delights of tobacco-smoke. The +herb is grown among them extensively; but, like the Zulus, they use it +for snuff only, and quite failed to identify it in its new form. + +Presently I asked Infadoos when we were to proceed on our journey, and +was delighted to learn that preparations had been made for us to leave +on the following morning, messengers having already departed to inform +Twala the king of our coming. + +It appeared that Twala was at his principal place, known as Loo, making +ready for the great annual feast which was to be held in the first week +of June. At this gathering all the regiments, with the exception of +certain detachments left behind for garrison purposes, are brought up +and paraded before the king; and the great annual witch-hunt, of which +more by-and-by, is held. + +We were to start at dawn; and Infadoos, who was to accompany us, +expected that we should reach Loo on the night of the second day, +unless we were detained by accident or by swollen rivers. + +When they had given us this information our visitors bade us +good-night; and, having arranged to watch turn and turn about, three of +us flung ourselves down and slept the sweet sleep of the weary, whilst +the fourth sat up on the look-out for possible treachery. + + + +CHAPTER IX + +TWALA THE KING + +It will not be necessary for me to detail at length the incidents of +our journey to Loo. It took two full days' travelling along Solomon's +Great Road, which pursued its even course right into the heart of +Kukuanaland. Suffice it to say that as we went the country seemed to +grow richer and richer, and the kraals, with their wide surrounding +belts of cultivation, more and more numerous. They were all built upon +the same principles as the first camp which we had reached, and were +guarded by ample garrisons of troops. Indeed, in Kukuanaland, as among +the Germans, the Zulus, and the Masai, every able-bodied man is a +soldier, so that the whole force of the nation is available for its +wars, offensive or defensive. As we travelled we were overtaken by +thousands of warriors hurrying up to Loo to be present at the great +annual review and festival, and more splendid troops I never saw. + +At sunset on the second day, we stopped to rest awhile upon the summit +of some heights over which the road ran, and there on a beautiful and +fertile plain before us lay Loo itself. For a native town it is an +enormous place, quite five miles round, I should say, with outlying +kraals projecting from it, that serve on grand occasions as cantonments +for the regiments, and a curious horseshoe-shaped hill, with which we +were destined to become better acquainted, about two miles to the +north. It is beautifully situated, and through the centre of the kraal, +dividing it into two portions, runs a river, which appeared to be +bridged in several places, the same indeed that we had seen from the +slopes of Sheba's Breasts. Sixty or seventy miles away three great +snow-capped mountains, placed at the points of a triangle, started out +of the level plain. The conformation of these mountains is unlike that +of Sheba's Breasts, being sheer and precipitous, instead of smooth and +rounded. + +Infadoos saw us looking at them, and volunteered a remark. + +"The road ends there," he said, pointing to the mountains known among +the Kukuanas as the "Three Witches." + +"Why does it end?" I asked. + +"Who knows?" he answered with a shrug; "the mountains are full of +caves, and there is a great pit between them. It is there that the wise +men of old time used to go to get whatever it was they came for to this +country, and it is there now that our kings are buried in the Place of +Death." + +"What was it they came for?" I asked eagerly. + +"Nay, I know not. My lords who have dropped from the Stars should +know," he answered with a quick look. Evidently he knew more than he +chose to say. + +"Yes," I went on, "you are right, in the Stars we learn many things. I +have heard, for instance, that the wise men of old came to these +mountains to find bright stones, pretty playthings, and yellow iron." + +"My lord is wise," he answered coldly; "I am but a child and cannot +talk with my lord on such matters. My lord must speak with Gagool the +old, at the king's place, who is wise even as my lord," and he went +away. + +So soon as he was gone I turned to the others, and pointed out the +mountains. "There are Solomon's diamond mines," I said. + +Umbopa was standing with them, apparently plunged in one of the fits of +abstraction which were common to him, and caught my words. + +"Yes, Macumazahn," he put in, in Zulu, "the diamonds are surely there, +and you shall have them, since you white men are so fond of toys and +money." + +"How dost thou know that, Umbopa?" I asked sharply, for I did not like +his mysterious ways. + +He laughed. "I dreamed it in the night, white men;" then he too turned +on his heel and went. + +"Now what," said Sir Henry, "is our black friend driving at? He knows +more than he chooses to say, that is clear. By the way, Quatermain, has +he heard anything of--of my brother?" + +"Nothing; he has asked everyone he has become friendly with, but they +all declare that no white man has ever been seen in the country before." + +"Do you suppose that he got here at all?" suggested Good; "we have only +reached the place by a miracle; is it likely he could have reached it +without the map?" + +"I don't know," said Sir Henry gloomily, "but somehow I think that I +shall find him." + +Slowly the sun sank, then suddenly darkness rushed down on the land +like a tangible thing. There was no breathing-space between the day and +night, no soft transformation scene, for in these latitudes twilight +does not exist. The change from day to night is as quick and as +absolute as the change from life to death. The sun sank and the world +was wreathed in shadows. But not for long, for see in the west there is +a glow, then come rays of silver light, and at last the full and +glorious moon lights up the plain and shoots its gleaming arrows far +and wide, filling the earth with a faint refulgence. + +We stood and watched the lovely sight, whilst the stars grew pale +before this chastened majesty, and felt our hearts lifted up in the +presence of a beauty that I cannot describe. Mine has been a rough +life, but there are a few things I am thankful to have lived for, and +one of them is to have seen that moon shine over Kukuanaland. + +Presently our meditations were broken in upon by our polite friend +Infadoos. + +"If my lords are rested we will journey on to Loo, where a hut is made +ready for my lords to-night. The moon is now bright, so that we shall +not fall by the way." + +We assented, and in an hour's time were at the outskirts of the town, +of which the extent, mapped out as it was by thousands of camp fires, +appeared absolutely endless. Indeed, Good, who is always fond of a bad +joke, christened it "Unlimited Loo." Soon we came to a moat with a +drawbridge, where we were met by the rattling of arms and the hoarse +challenge of a sentry. Infadoos gave some password that I could not +catch, which was met with a salute, and we passed on through the +central street of the great grass city. After nearly half an hour's +tramp, past endless lines of huts, Infadoos halted at last by the gate +of a little group of huts which surrounded a small courtyard of +powdered limestone, and informed us that these were to be our "poor" +quarters. + +We entered, and found that a hut had been assigned to each of us. These +huts were superior to any that we had yet seen, and in each was a most +comfortable bed made of tanned skins, spread upon mattresses of +aromatic grass. Food too was ready for us, and so soon as we had washed +ourselves with water, which stood ready in earthenware jars, some young +women of handsome appearance brought us roasted meats, and mealie cobs +daintily served on wooden platters, and presented them to us with deep +obeisances. + +We ate and drank, and then, the beds having been all moved into one hut +by our request, a precaution at which the amiable young ladies smiled, +we flung ourselves down to sleep, thoroughly wearied with our long +journey. + +When we woke it was to find the sun high in the heavens, and the female +attendants, who did not seem to be troubled by any false shame, already +standing inside the hut, having been ordered to attend and help us to +"make ready." + +"Make ready, indeed," growled Good; "when one has only a flannel shirt +and a pair of boots, that does not take long. I wish you would ask them +for my trousers, Quatermain." + +I asked accordingly, but was informed that these sacred relics had +already been taken to the king, who would see us in the forenoon. + +Somewhat to their astonishment and disappointment, having requested the +young ladies to step outside, we proceeded to make the best toilet of +which the circumstances admitted. Good even went the length of again +shaving the right side of his face; the left, on which now appeared a +very fair crop of whiskers, we impressed upon him he must on no account +touch. As for ourselves, we were contented with a good wash and combing +our hair. Sir Henry's yellow locks were now almost upon his shoulders, +and he looked more like an ancient Dane than ever, while my grizzled +scrub was fully an inch long, instead of half an inch, which in a +general way I considered my maximum length. + +By the time that we had eaten our breakfast, and smoked a pipe, a +message was brought to us by no less a personage than Infadoos himself +that Twala the king was ready to see us, if we would be pleased to come. + +We remarked in reply that we should prefer to wait till the sun was a +little higher, we were yet weary with our journey, &c., &c. It is +always well, when dealing with uncivilised people, not to be in too +great a hurry. They are apt to mistake politeness for awe or servility. +So, although we were quite as anxious to see Twala as Twala could be to +see us, we sat down and waited for an hour, employing the interval in +preparing such presents as our slender stock of goods +permitted--namely, the Winchester rifle which had been used by poor +Ventvoegel, and some beads. The rifle and ammunition we determined to +present to his royal highness, and the beads were for his wives and +courtiers. We had already given a few to Infadoos and Scragga, and +found that they were delighted with them, never having seen such things +before. At length we declared that we were ready, and guided by +Infadoos, started off to the audience, Umbopa carrying the rifle and +beads. + +After walking a few hundred yards we came to an enclosure, something +like that surrounding the huts which had been allotted to us, only +fifty times as big, for it could not have covered less than six or +seven acres of ground. All round the outside fence stood a row of huts, +which were the habitations of the king's wives. Exactly opposite the +gateway, on the further side of the open space, was a very large hut, +built by itself, in which his majesty resided. All the rest was open +ground; that is to say, it would have been open had it not been filled +by company after company of warriors, who were mustered there to the +number of seven or eight thousand. These men stood still as statues as +we advanced through them, and it would be impossible to give an +adequate idea of the grandeur of the spectacle which they presented, +with their waving plumes, their glancing spears, and iron-backed +ox-hide shields. + +The space in front of the large hut was empty, but before it were +placed several stools. On three of these, at a sign from Infadoos, we +seated ourselves, Umbopa standing behind us. As for Infadoos, he took +up a position by the door of the hut. So we waited for ten minutes or +more in the midst of a dead silence, but conscious that we were the +object of the concentrated gaze of some eight thousand pairs of eyes. +It was a somewhat trying ordeal, but we carried it off as best we +could. At length the door of the hut opened, and a gigantic figure, +with a splendid tiger-skin karross flung over its shoulders, stepped +out, followed by the boy Scragga, and what appeared to us to be a +withered-up monkey, wrapped in a fur cloak. The figure seated itself +upon a stool, Scragga took his stand behind it, and the withered-up +monkey crept on all fours into the shade of the hut and squatted down. + +Still there was silence. + +Then the gigantic figure slipped off the karross and stood up before +us, a truly alarming spectacle. It was that of an enormous man with the +most entirely repulsive countenance we had ever beheld. This man's lips +were as thick as a Negro's, the nose was flat, he had but one gleaming +black eye, for the other was represented by a hollow in the face, and +his whole expression was cruel and sensual to a degree. From the large +head rose a magnificent plume of white ostrich feathers, his body was +clad in a shirt of shining chain armour, whilst round the waist and +right knee were the usual garnishes of white ox-tail. In his right hand +was a huge spear, about the neck a thick torque of gold, and bound on +the forehead shone dully a single and enormous uncut diamond. + +Still there was silence; but not for long. Presently the man, whom we +rightly guessed to be the king, raised the great javelin in his hand. +Instantly eight thousand spears were lifted in answer, and from eight +thousand throats rang out the royal salute of "_Koom_." Three times +this was repeated, and each time the earth shook with the noise, that +can only be compared to the deepest notes of thunder. + +"Be humble, O people," piped out a thin voice which seemed to come from +the monkey in the shade, "it is the king." + +"_It is the king_," boomed out the eight thousand throats in answer. +"_Be humble, O people, it is the king._" + +Then there was silence again--dead silence. Presently, however, it was +broken. A soldier on our left dropped his shield, which fell with a +clatter on to the limestone flooring. + +Twala turned his one cold eye in the direction of the noise. + +"Come hither, thou," he said, in a cold voice. + +A fine young man stepped out of the ranks, and stood before him. + +"It was thy shield that fell, thou awkward dog. Wilt thou make me a +reproach in the eyes of these strangers from the Stars? What hast thou +to say for thyself?" + +We saw the poor fellow turn pale under his dusky skin. + +"It was by chance, O Calf of the Black Cow," he murmured. + +"Then it is a chance for which thou must pay. Thou hast made me +foolish; prepare for death." + +"I am the king's ox," was the low answer. + +"Scragga," roared the king, "let me see how thou canst use thy spear. +Kill me this blundering fool." + +Scragga stepped forward with an ill-favoured grin, and lifted his +spear. The poor victim covered his eyes with his hand and stood still. +As for us, we were petrified with horror. + +"Once, twice," he waved the spear, and then struck, ah! right home--the +spear stood out a foot behind the soldier's back. He flung up his hands +and dropped dead. From the multitude about us rose something like a +murmur, it rolled round and round, and died away. The tragedy was +finished; there lay the corpse, and we had not yet realised that it had +been enacted. Sir Henry sprang up and swore a great oath, then, +overpowered by the sense of silence, sat down again. + +"The thrust was a good one," said the king; "take him away." + +Four men stepped out of the ranks, and lifting the body of the murdered +man, carried it thence. + +"Cover up the blood-stains, cover them up," piped out the thin voice +that proceeded from the monkey-like figure; "the king's word is spoken, +the king's doom is done!" + +Thereupon a girl came forward from behind the hut, bearing a jar filled +with powdered lime, which she scattered over the red mark, blotting it +from sight. + +Sir Henry meanwhile was boiling with rage at what had happened; indeed, +it was with difficulty that we could keep him still. + +"Sit down, for heaven's sake," I whispered; "our lives depend on it." + +He yielded and remained quiet. + +Twala sat silent until the traces of the tragedy had been removed, then +he addressed us. + +"White people," he said, "who come hither, whence I know not, and why I +know not, greeting." + +"Greeting, Twala, King of the Kukuanas," I answered. + +"White people, whence come ye, and what seek ye?" + +"We come from the Stars, ask us not how. We come to see this land." + +"Ye journey from far to see a little thing. And that man with you," +pointing to Umbopa, "does he also come from the Stars?" + +"Even so; there are people of thy colour in the heavens above; but ask +not of matters too high for thee, Twala the king." + +"Ye speak with a loud voice, people of the Stars," Twala answered in a +tone which I scarcely liked. "Remember that the Stars are far off, and +ye are here. How if I make you as him whom they bore away?" + +I laughed out loud, though there was little laughter in my heart. + +"O king," I said, "be careful, walk warily over hot stones, lest thou +shouldst burn thy feet; hold the spear by the handle, lest thou should +cut thy hands. Touch but one hair of our heads, and destruction shall +come upon thee. What, have not these"--pointing to Infadoos and +Scragga, who, young villain that he was, was employed in cleaning the +blood of the soldier off his spear--"told thee what manner of men we +are? Hast thou seen the like of us?" and I pointed to Good, feeling +quite sure that he had never seen anybody before who looked in the +least like _him_ as he then appeared. + +"It is true, I have not," said the king, surveying Good with interest. + +"Have they not told thee how we strike with death from afar?" I went on. + +"They have told me, but I believe them not. Let me see you kill. Kill +me a man among those who stand yonder"--and he pointed to the opposite +side of the kraal--"and I will believe." + +"Nay," I answered; "we shed no blood of men except in just punishment; +but if thou wilt see, bid thy servants drive in an ox through the kraal +gates, and before he has run twenty paces I will strike him dead." + +"Nay," laughed the king, "kill me a man and I will believe." + +"Good, O king, so be it," I answered coolly; "do thou walk across the +open space, and before thy feet reach the gate thou shalt be dead; or +if thou wilt not, send thy son Scragga" (whom at that moment it would +have given me much pleasure to shoot). + +On hearing this suggestion Scragga uttered a sort of howl, and bolted +into the hut. + +Twala frowned majestically; the suggestion did not please him. + +"Let a young ox be driven in," he said. + +Two men at once departed, running swiftly. + +"Now, Sir Henry," said I, "do you shoot. I want to show this ruffian +that I am not the only magician of the party." + +Sir Henry accordingly took his "express," and made ready. + +"I hope I shall make a good shot," he groaned. + +"You must," I answered. "If you miss with the first barrel, let him +have the second. Sight for 150 yards, and wait till the beast turns +broadside on." + +Then came a pause, until presently we caught sight of an ox running +straight for the kraal gate. It came on through the gate, then, +catching sight of the vast concourse of people, stopped stupidly, +turned round, and bellowed. + +"Now's your time," I whispered. + +Up went the rifle. + +Bang! _thud_! and the ox was kicking on his back, shot in the ribs. The +semi-hollow bullet had done its work well, and a sigh of astonishment +went up from the assembled thousands. + +I turned round coolly-- + +"Have I lied, O king?" + +"Nay, white man, it is the truth," was the somewhat awed answer. + +"Listen, Twala," I went on. "Thou hast seen. Now know we come in peace, +not in war. See," and I held up the Winchester repeater; "here is a +hollow staff that shall enable thee to kill even as we kill, only I lay +this charm upon it, thou shalt kill no man with it. If thou liftest it +against a man, it shall kill thee. Stay, I will show thee. Bid a +soldier step forty paces and place the shaft of a spear in the ground +so that the flat blade looks towards us." + +In a few seconds it was done. + +"Now, see, I will break yonder spear." + +Taking a careful sight I fired. The bullet struck the flat of the +spear, and shattered the blade into fragments. + +Again the sigh of astonishment went up. + +"Now, Twala, we give this magic tube to thee, and by-and-by I will show +thee how to use it; but beware how thou turnest the magic of the Stars +against a man of earth," and I handed him the rifle. + +The king took it very gingerly, and laid it down at his feet. As he did +so I observed the wizened monkey-like figure creeping from the shadow +of the hut. It crept on all fours, but when it reached the place where +the king sat it rose upon its feet, and throwing the furry covering +from its face, revealed a most extraordinary and weird countenance. +Apparently it was that of a woman of great age so shrunken that in size +it seemed no larger than the face of a year-old child, although made up +of a number of deep and yellow wrinkles. Set in these wrinkles was a +sunken slit, that represented the mouth, beneath which the chin curved +outwards to a point. There was no nose to speak of; indeed, the visage +might have been taken for that of a sun-dried corpse had it not been +for a pair of large black eyes, still full of fire and intelligence, +which gleamed and played under the snow-white eyebrows, and the +projecting parchment-coloured skull, like jewels in a charnel-house. As +for the head itself, it was perfectly bare, and yellow in hue, while +its wrinkled scalp moved and contracted like the hood of a cobra. + +The figure to which this fearful countenance belonged, a countenance so +fearful indeed that it caused a shiver of fear to pass through us as we +gazed on it, stood still for a moment. Then suddenly it projected a +skinny claw armed with nails nearly an inch long, and laying it on the +shoulder of Twala the king, began to speak in a thin and piercing +voice-- + +"Listen, O king! Listen, O warriors! Listen, O mountains and plains and +rivers, home of the Kukuana race! Listen, O skies and sun, O rain and +storm and mist! Listen, O men and women, O youths and maidens, and O ye +babes unborn! Listen, all things that live and must die! Listen, all +dead things that shall live again--again to die! Listen, the spirit of +life is in me and I prophesy. I prophesy! I prophesy!" + +The words died away in a faint wail, and dread seemed to seize upon the +hearts of all who heard them, including our own. This old woman was +very terrible. + +"_Blood! blood! blood!_ rivers of blood; blood everywhere. I see it, I +smell it, I taste it--it is salt! it runs red upon the ground, it rains +down from the skies. + +"_Footsteps! footsteps! footsteps!_ the tread of the white man coming +from afar. It shakes the earth; the earth trembles before her master. + +"Blood is good, the red blood is bright; there is no smell like the +smell of new-shed blood. The lions shall lap it and roar, the vultures +shall wash their wings in it and shriek with joy. + +"I am old! I am old! I have seen much blood; _ha, ha!_ but I shall see +more ere I die, and be merry. How old am I, think ye? Your fathers knew +me, and _their_ fathers knew me, and _their_ fathers' fathers' fathers. +I have seen the white man and know his desires. I am old, but the +mountains are older than I. Who made the great road, tell me? Who wrote +the pictures on the rocks, tell me? Who reared up the three Silent Ones +yonder, that gaze across the pit, tell me?" and she pointed towards the +three precipitous mountains which we had noticed on the previous night. + +"Ye know not, but I know. It was a white people who were before ye are, +who shall be when ye are not, who shall eat you up and destroy you. +_Yea! yea! yea!_ + +"And what came they for, the White Ones, the Terrible Ones, the skilled +in magic and all learning, the strong, the unswerving? What is that +bright stone upon thy forehead, O king? Whose hands made the iron +garments upon thy breast, O king? Ye know not, but I know. I the Old +One, I the Wise One, I the _Isanusi_, the witch doctress!" + +Then she turned her bald vulture-head towards us. + +"What seek ye, white men of the Stars--ah, yes, of the Stars? Do ye +seek a lost one? Ye shall not find him here. He is not here. Never for +ages upon ages has a white foot pressed this land; never except once, +and I remember that he left it but to die. Ye come for bright stones; I +know it--I know it; ye shall find them when the blood is dry; but shall +ye return whence ye came, or shall ye stop with me? _Ha! ha! ha!_ + +"And thou, thou with the dark skin and the proud bearing," and she +pointed her skinny finger at Umbopa, "who art _thou_, and what seekest +_thou_? Not stones that shine, not yellow metal that gleams, these thou +leavest to 'white men from the Stars.' Methinks I know thee; methinks I +can smell the smell of the blood in thy heart. Strip off the girdle--" + +Here the features of this extraordinary creature became convulsed, and +she fell to the ground foaming in an epileptic fit, and was carried +into the hut. + +The king rose up trembling, and waved his hand. Instantly the regiments +began to file off, and in ten minutes, save for ourselves, the king, +and a few attendants, the great space was left empty. + +"White people," he said, "it passes in my mind to kill you. Gagool has +spoken strange words. What say ye?" + +I laughed. "Be careful, O king, we are not easy to slay. Thou hast seen +the fate of the ox; wouldst thou be as the ox is?" + +The king frowned. "It is not well to threaten a king." + +"We threaten not, we speak what is true. Try to kill us, O king, and +learn." + +The great savage put his hand to his forehead and thought. + +"Go in peace," he said at length. "To-night is the great dance. Ye +shall see it. Fear not that I shall set a snare for you. To-morrow I +will think." + +"It is well, O king," I answered unconcernedly, and then, accompanied +by Infadoos, we rose and went back to our kraal. + + + +CHAPTER X + +THE WITCH-HUNT + +On reaching our hut I motioned to Infadoos to enter with us. + +"Now, Infadoos," I said, "we would speak with thee." + +"Let my lords say on." + +"It seems to us, Infadoos, that Twala the king is a cruel man." + +"It is so, my lords. Alas! the land cries out because of his cruelties. +To-night ye shall see. It is the great witch-hunt, and many will be +smelt out as wizards and slain. No man's life is safe. If the king +covets a man's cattle, or a man's wife, or if he fears a man that he +should excite a rebellion against him, then Gagool, whom ye saw, or +some of the witch-finding women whom she has taught, will smell that +man out as a wizard, and he will be killed. Many must die before the +moon grows pale to-night. It is ever so. Perhaps I too shall be killed. +As yet I have been spared because I am skilled in war, and am beloved +by the soldiers; but I know not how long I have to live. The land +groans at the cruelties of Twala the king; it is wearied of him and his +red ways." + +"Then why is it, Infadoos, that the people do not cast him down?" + +"Nay, my lords, he is the king, and if he were killed Scragga would +reign in his place, and the heart of Scragga is blacker than the heart +of Twala his father. If Scragga were king his yoke upon our neck would +be heavier than the yoke of Twala. If Imotu had never been slain, or if +Ignosi his son had lived, it might have been otherwise; but they are +both dead." + +"How knowest thou that Ignosi is dead?" said a voice behind us. We +looked round astonished to see who spoke. It was Umbopa. + +"What meanest thou, boy?" asked Infadoos; "who told thee to speak?" + +"Listen, Infadoos," was the answer, "and I will tell thee a story. +Years ago the king Imotu was killed in this country and his wife fled +with the boy Ignosi. Is it not so?" + +"It is so." + +"It was said that the woman and her son died upon the mountains. Is it +not so?" + +"It is even so." + +"Well, it came to pass that the mother and the boy Ignosi did not die. +They crossed the mountains and were led by a tribe of wandering desert +men across the sands beyond, till at last they came to water and grass +and trees again." + +"How knowest thou this?" + +"Listen. They travelled on and on, many months' journey, till they +reached a land where a people called the Amazulu, who also are of the +Kukuana stock, live by war, and with them they tarried many years, till +at length the mother died. Then the son Ignosi became a wanderer again, +and journeyed into a land of wonders, where white people live, and for +many more years he learned the wisdom of the white people." + +"It is a pretty story," said Infadoos incredulously. + +"For years he lived there working as a servant and a soldier, but +holding in his heart all that his mother had told him of his own place, +and casting about in his mind to find how he might journey thither to +see his people and his father's house before he died. For long years he +lived and waited, and at last the time came, as it ever comes to him +who can wait for it, and he met some white men who would seek this +unknown land, and joined himself to them. The white men started and +travelled on and on, seeking for one who is lost. They crossed the +burning desert, they crossed the snow-clad mountains, and at last +reached the land of the Kukuanas, and there they found _thee_, O +Infadoos." + +"Surely thou art mad to talk thus," said the astonished old soldier. + +"Thou thinkest so; see, I will show thee, O my uncle. + +"_I am Ignosi, rightful king of the Kukuanas!_" + +Then with a single movement Umbopa slipped off his "moocha" or girdle, +and stood naked before us. + +"Look," he said; "what is this?" and he pointed to the picture of a +great snake tattooed in blue round his middle, its tail disappearing +into its open mouth just above where the thighs are set into the body. + +Infadoos looked, his eyes starting nearly out of his head. Then he fell +upon his knees. + +"_Koom! Koom!_" he ejaculated; "it is my brother's son; it is the king." + +"Did I not tell thee so, my uncle? Rise; I am not yet the king, but +with thy help, and with the help of these brave white men, who are my +friends, I shall be. Yet the old witch Gagool was right, the land shall +run with blood first, and hers shall run with it, if she has any and +can die, for she killed my father with her words, and drove my mother +forth. And now, Infadoos, choose thou. Wilt thou put thy hands between +my hands and be my man? Wilt thou share the dangers that lie before me, +and help me to overthrow this tyrant and murderer, or wilt thou not? +Choose thou." + +The old man put his hand to his head and thought. Then he rose, and +advancing to where Umbopa, or rather Ignosi, stood, he knelt before +him, and took his hand. + +"Ignosi, rightful king of the Kukuanas, I put my hand between thy +hands, and am thy man till death. When thou wast a babe I dandled thee +upon my knees, now shall my old arm strike for thee and freedom." + +"It is well, Infadoos; if I conquer, thou shalt be the greatest man in +the kingdom after its king. If I fail, thou canst only die, and death +is not far off from thee. Rise, my uncle." + +"And ye, white men, will ye help me? What have I to offer you! The +white stones! If I conquer and can find them, ye shall have as many as +ye can carry hence. Will that suffice you?" + +I translated this remark. + +"Tell him," answered Sir Henry, "that he mistakes an Englishman. Wealth +is good, and if it comes in our way we will take it; but a gentleman +does not sell himself for wealth. Still, speaking for myself, I say +this. I have always liked Umbopa, and so far as lies in me I will stand +by him in this business. It will be very pleasant to me to try to +square matters with that cruel devil Twala. What do you say, Good, and +you, Quatermain?" + +"Well," said Good, "to adopt the language of hyperbole, in which all +these people seem to indulge, you can tell him that a row is surely +good, and warms the cockles of the heart, and that so far as I am +concerned I'm his boy. My only stipulation is that he allows me to wear +trousers." + +I translated the substance of these answers. + +"It is well, my friends," said Ignosi, late Umbopa; "and what sayest +thou, Macumazahn, art thou also with me, old hunter, cleverer than a +wounded buffalo?" + +I thought awhile and scratched my head. + +"Umbopa, or Ignosi," I said, "I don't like revolutions. I am a man of +peace and a bit of a coward"--here Umbopa smiled--"but, on the other +hand, I stick up for my friends, Ignosi. You have stuck to us and +played the part of a man, and I will stick by you. But mind you, I am a +trader, and have to make my living, so I accept your offer about those +diamonds in case we should ever be in a position to avail ourselves of +it. Another thing: we came, as you know, to look for Incubu's (Sir +Henry's) lost brother. You must help us to find him." + +"That I will do," answered Ignosi. "Stay, Infadoos, by the sign of the +snake about my middle, tell me the truth. Has any white man to thy +knowledge set his foot within the land?" + +"None, O Ignosi." + +"If any white man had been seen or heard of, wouldst thou have known?" + +"I should certainly have known." + +"Thou hearest, Incubu," said Ignosi to Sir Henry; "he has not been +here." + +"Well, well," said Sir Henry, with a sigh; "there it is; I suppose that +he never got so far. Poor fellow, poor fellow! So it has all been for +nothing. God's will be done." + +"Now for business," I put in, anxious to escape from a painful subject. +"It is very well to be a king by right divine, Ignosi, but how dost +thou propose to become a king indeed?" + +"Nay, I know not. Infadoos, hast thou a plan?" + +"Ignosi, Son of the Lightning," answered his uncle, "to-night is the +great dance and witch-hunt. Many shall be smelt out and perish, and in +the hearts of many others there will be grief and anguish and fury +against the king Twala. When the dance is over, then I will speak to +some of the great chiefs, who in turn, if I can win them over, will +speak to their regiments. I shall speak to the chiefs softly at first, +and bring them to see that thou art indeed the king, and I think that +by to-morrow's light thou shalt have twenty thousand spears at thy +command. And now I must go and think, and hear, and make ready. After +the dance is done, if I am yet alive, and we are all alive, I will meet +thee here, and we can talk. At the best there must be war." + +At this moment our conference was interrupted by the cry that +messengers had come from the king. Advancing to the door of the hut we +ordered that they should be admitted, and presently three men entered, +each bearing a shining shirt of chain armour, and a magnificent +battle-axe. + +"The gifts of my lord the king to the white men from the Stars!" said a +herald who came with them. + +"We thank the king," I answered; "withdraw." + +The men went, and we examined the armour with great interest. It was +the most wonderful chain work that either of us had ever seen. A whole +coat fell together so closely that it formed a mass of links scarcely +too big to be covered with both hands. + +"Do you make these things in this country, Infadoos?" I asked; "they +are very beautiful." + +"Nay, my lord, they came down to us from our forefathers. We know not +who made them, and there are but few left.[1] None but those of royal +blood may be clad in them. They are magic coats through which no spear +can pass, and those who wear them are well-nigh safe in the battle. The +king is well pleased or much afraid, or he would not have sent these +garments of steel. Clothe yourselves in them to-night, my lords." + +The remainder of that day we spent quietly, resting and talking over +the situation, which was sufficiently exciting. At last the sun went +down, the thousand watch fires glowed out, and through the darkness we +heard the tramp of many feet and the clashing of hundreds of spears, as +the regiments passed to their appointed places to be ready for the +great dance. Then the full moon shone out in splendour, and as we stood +watching her rays, Infadoos arrived, clad in his war dress, and +accompanied by a guard of twenty men to escort us to the dance. As he +recommended, we had already donned the shirts of chain armour which the +king had sent us, putting them on under our ordinary clothing, and +finding to our surprise that they were neither very heavy nor +uncomfortable. These steel shirts, which evidently had been made for +men of a very large stature, hung somewhat loosely upon Good and +myself, but Sir Henry's fitted his magnificent frame like a glove. Then +strapping our revolvers round our waists, and taking in our hands the +battle-axes which the king had sent with the armour, we started. + +On arriving at the great kraal, where we had that morning been received +by the king, we found that it was closely packed with some twenty +thousand men arranged round it in regiments. These regiments were in +turn divided into companies, and between each company ran a little path +to allow space for the witch-finders to pass up and down. Anything more +imposing than the sight that was presented by this vast and orderly +concourse of armed men it is impossible to conceive. There they stood +perfectly silent, and the moon poured her light upon the forest of +their raised spears, upon their majestic forms, waving plumes, and the +harmonious shading of their various-coloured shields. Wherever we +looked were line upon line of dim faces surmounted by range upon range +of shimmering spears. + +"Surely," I said to Infadoos, "the whole army is here?" + +"Nay, Macumazahn," he answered, "but a third of it. One third is +present at this dance each year, another third is mustered outside in +case there should be trouble when the killing begins, ten thousand more +garrison the outposts round Loo, and the rest watch at the kraals in +the country. Thou seest it is a great people." + +"They are very silent," said Good; and indeed the intense stillness +among such a vast concourse of living men was almost overpowering. + +"What says Bougwan?" asked Infadoos. + +I translated. + +"Those over whom the shadow of Death is hovering are silent," he +answered grimly. + +"Will many be killed?" + +"Very many." + +"It seems," I said to the others, "that we are going to assist at a +gladiatorial show arranged regardless of expense." + +Sir Henry shivered, and Good said he wished that we could get out of it. + +"Tell me," I asked Infadoos, "are we in danger?" + +"I know not, my lords, I trust not; but do not seem afraid. If ye live +through the night all may go well with you. The soldiers murmur against +the king." + +All this while we had been advancing steadily towards the centre of the +open space, in the midst of which were placed some stools. As we +proceeded we perceived another small party coming from the direction of +the royal hut. + +"It is the king Twala, Scragga his son, and Gagool the old; and see, +with them are those who slay," said Infadoos, pointing to a little +group of about a dozen gigantic and savage-looking men, armed with +spears in one hand and heavy kerries in the other. + +The king seated himself upon the centre stool, Gagool crouched at his +feet, and the others stood behind him. + +"Greeting, white lords," Twala cried, as we came up; "be seated, waste +not precious time--the night is all too short for the deeds that must +be done. Ye come in a good hour, and shall see a glorious show. Look +round, white lords; look round," and he rolled his one wicked eye from +regiment to regiment. "Can the Stars show you such a sight as this? See +how they shake in their wickedness, all those who have evil in their +hearts and fear the judgment of 'Heaven above.'" + +"_Begin! begin!_" piped Gagool, in her thin piercing voice; "the hyaenas +are hungry, they howl for food. _Begin! begin!_" + +Then for a moment there was intense stillness, made horrible by a +presage of what was to come. + +The king lifted his spear, and suddenly twenty thousand feet were +raised, as though they belonged to one man, and brought down with a +stamp upon the earth. This was repeated three times, causing the solid +ground to shake and tremble. Then from a far point of the circle a +solitary voice began a wailing song, of which the refrain ran something +as follows:-- + +"_What is the lot of man born of woman?_" + +Back came the answer rolling out from every throat in that vast +company-- + +"_Death!_" + +Gradually, however, the song was taken up by company after company, +till the whole armed multitude were singing it, and I could no longer +follow the words, except in so far as they appeared to represent +various phases of human passions, fears, and joys. Now it seemed to be +a love song, now a majestic swelling war chant, and last of all a death +dirge ending suddenly in one heart-breaking wail that went echoing and +rolling away in a volume of blood-curdling sound. + +Again silence fell upon the place, and again it was broken by the king +lifting his hand. Instantly we heard a pattering of feet, and from out +of the masses of warriors strange and awful figures appeared running +towards us. As they drew near we saw that these were women, most of +them aged, for their white hair, ornamented with small bladders taken +from fish, streamed out behind them. Their faces were painted in +stripes of white and yellow; down their backs hung snake-skins, and +round their waists rattled circlets of human bones, while each held a +small forked wand in her shrivelled hand. In all there were ten of +them. When they arrived in front of us they halted, and one of them, +pointing with her wand towards the crouching figure of Gagool, cried +out-- + +"Mother, old mother, we are here." + +"_Good! good! good!_" answered that aged Iniquity. "Are your eyes keen, +_Isanusis_ [witch doctresses], ye seers in dark places?" + +"Mother, they are keen." + +"_Good! good! good!_ Are your ears open, _Isanusis_, ye who hear words +that come not from the tongue?" + +"Mother, they are open." + +"_Good! good! good!_ Are your senses awake, _Isanusis_--can ye smell +blood, can ye purge the land of the wicked ones who compass evil +against the king and against their neighbours? Are ye ready to do the +justice of 'Heaven above,' ye whom I have taught, who have eaten of the +bread of my wisdom, and drunk of the water of my magic?" + +"Mother, we can." + +"Then go! Tarry not, ye vultures; see, the slayers"--pointing to the +ominous group of executioners behind--"make sharp their spears; the +white men from afar are hungry to see. _Go!_" + +With a wild yell Gagool's horrid ministers broke away in every +direction, like fragments from a shell, the dry bones round their +waists rattling as they ran, and headed for various points of the dense +human circle. We could not watch them all, so we fixed our eyes upon +the _Isanusi_ nearest to us. When she came to within a few paces of the +warriors she halted and began to dance wildly, turning round and round +with an almost incredible rapidity, and shrieking out sentences such as +"I smell him, the evil-doer!" "He is near, he who poisoned his mother!" +"I hear the thoughts of him who thought evil of the king!" + +Quicker and quicker she danced, till she lashed herself into such a +frenzy of excitement that the foam flew in specks from her gnashing +jaws, till her eyes seemed to start from her head, and her flesh to +quiver visibly. Suddenly she stopped dead and stiffened all over, like +a pointer dog when he scents game, and then with outstretched wand she +began to creep stealthily towards the soldiers before her. It seemed to +us that as she came their stoicism gave way, and that they shrank from +her. As for ourselves, we followed her movements with a horrible +fascination. Presently, still creeping and crouching like a dog, the +_Isanusi_ was before them. Then she halted and pointed, and again crept +on a pace or two. + +Suddenly the end came. With a shriek she sprang in and touched a tall +warrior with her forked wand. Instantly two of his comrades, those +standing immediately next to him, seized the doomed man, each by one +arm, and advanced with him towards the king. + +He did not resist, but we saw that he dragged his limbs as though they +were paralysed, and that his fingers, from which the spear had fallen, +were limp like those of a man newly dead. + +As he came, two of the villainous executioners stepped forward to meet +him. Presently they met, and the executioners turned round, looking +towards the king as though for orders. + +"_Kill!_" said the king. + +"_Kill!_" squeaked Gagool. + +"_Kill!_" re-echoed Scragga, with a hollow chuckle. + +Almost before the words were uttered the horrible dead was done. One +man had driven his spear into the victim's heart, and to make assurance +double sure, the other had dashed out his brains with a great club. + +"_One_," counted Twala the king, just like a black Madame Defarge, as +Good said, and the body was dragged a few paces away and stretched out. + +Hardly was the thing done before another poor wretch was brought up, +like an ox to the slaughter. This time we could see, from the +leopard-skin cloak which he wore, that the man was a person of rank. +Again the awful syllables were spoken, and the victim fell dead. + +"_Two_," counted the king. + +And so the deadly game went on, till about a hundred bodies were +stretched in rows behind us. I have heard of the gladiatorial shows of +the Caesars, and of the Spanish bull-fights, but I take the liberty of +doubting if either of them could be half so horrible as this Kukuana +witch-hunt. Gladiatorial shows and Spanish bull-fights at any rate +contributed to the public amusement, which certainly was not the case +here. The most confirmed sensation-monger would fight shy of sensation +if he knew that it was well on the cards that he would, in his own +proper person, be the subject of the next "event." + +Once we rose and tried to remonstrate, but were sternly repressed by +Twala. + +"Let the law take its course, white men. These dogs are magicians and +evil-doers; it is well that they should die," was the only answer +vouchsafed to us. + +About half-past ten there was a pause. The witch-finders gathered +themselves together, apparently exhausted with their bloody work, and +we thought that the performance was done with. But it was not so, for +presently, to our surprise, the ancient woman, Gagool, rose from her +crouching position, and supporting herself with a stick, staggered off +into the open space. It was an extraordinary sight to see this +frightful vulture-headed old creature, bent nearly double with extreme +age, gather strength by degrees, until at last she rushed about almost +as actively as her ill-omened pupils. To and fro she ran, chanting to +herself, till suddenly she made a dash at a tall man standing in front +of one of the regiments, and touched him. As she did this a sort of +groan went up from the regiment which evidently he commanded. But two +of its officers seized him all the same, and brought him up for +execution. We learned afterwards that he was a man of great wealth and +importance, being indeed a cousin of the king. + +He was slain, and Twala counted one hundred and three. Then Gagool +again sprang to and fro, gradually drawing nearer and nearer to +ourselves. + +"Hang me if I don't believe she is going to try her games on us," +ejaculated Good in horror. + +"Nonsense!" said Sir Henry. + +As for myself, when I saw that old fiend dancing nearer and nearer, my +heart positively sank into my boots. I glanced behind us at the long +rows of corpses, and shivered. + +Nearer and nearer waltzed Gagool, looking for all the world like an +animated crooked stick or comma, her horrid eyes gleaming and glowing +with a most unholy lustre. + +Nearer she came, and yet nearer, every creature in that vast assemblage +watching her movements with intense anxiety. At last she stood still +and pointed. + +"Which is it to be?" asked Sir Henry to himself. + +In a moment all doubts were at rest, for the old hag had rushed in and +touched Umbopa, alias Ignosi, on the shoulder. + +"I smell him out," she shrieked. "Kill him, kill him, he is full of +evil; kill him, the stranger, before blood flows from him. Slay him, O +king." + +There was a pause, of which I instantly took advantage. + +"O king," I called out, rising from my seat, "this man is the servant +of thy guests, he is their dog; whosoever sheds the blood of our dog +sheds our blood. By the sacred law of hospitality I claim protection +for him." + +"Gagool, mother of the witch-finders, has smelt him out; he must die, +white men," was the sullen answer. + +"Nay, he shall not die," I replied; "he who tries to touch him shall +die indeed." + +"Seize him!" roared Twala to the executioners; who stood round red to +the eyes with the blood of their victims. + +They advanced towards us, and then hesitated. As for Ignosi, he +clutched his spear, and raised it as though determined to sell his life +dearly. + +"Stand back, ye dogs!" I shouted, "if ye would see to-morrow's light. +Touch one hair of his head and your king dies," and I covered Twala +with my revolver. Sir Henry and Good also drew their pistols, Sir Henry +pointing his at the leading executioner, who was advancing to carry out +the sentence, and Good taking a deliberate aim at Gagool. + +Twala winced perceptibly as my barrel came in a line with his broad +chest. + +"Well," I said, "what is it to be, Twala?" + +Then he spoke. + +"Put away your magic tubes," he said; "ye have adjured me in the name +of hospitality, and for that reason, but not from fear of what ye can +do, I spare him. Go in peace." + +"It is well," I answered unconcernedly; "we are weary of slaughter, and +would sleep. Is the dance ended?" + +"It is ended," Twala answered sulkily. "Let these dead dogs," pointing +to the long rows of corpses, "be flung out to the hyaenas and the +vultures," and he lifted his spear. + +Instantly the regiments began to defile through the kraal gateway in +perfect silence, a fatigue party only remaining behind to drag away the +corpses of those who had been sacrificed. + +Then we rose also, and making our salaam to his majesty, which he +hardly deigned to acknowledge, we departed to our huts. + +"Well," said Sir Henry, as we sat down, having first lit a lamp of the +sort used by the Kukuanas, of which the wick is made from the fibre of +a species of palm leaf, and the oil from clarified hippopotamus fat, +"well, I feel uncommonly inclined to be sick." + +"If I had any doubts about helping Umbopa to rebel against that +infernal blackguard," put in Good, "they are gone now. It was as much +as I could do to sit still while that slaughter was going on. I tried +to keep my eyes shut, but they would open just at the wrong time. I +wonder where Infadoos is. Umbopa, my friend, you ought to be grateful +to us; your skin came near to having an air-hole made in it." + +"I am grateful, Bougwan," was Umbopa's answer, when I had translated, +"and I shall not forget. As for Infadoos, he will be here by-and-by. We +must wait." + +So we lit our pipes and waited. + + +[1] In the Soudan swords and coats of mail are still worn by Arabs, +whose ancestors must have stripped them from the bodies of +Crusaders.--Editor. + + + +CHAPTER XI + +WE GIVE A SIGN + +For a long while--two hours, I should think--we sat there in silence, +being too much overwhelmed by the recollection of the horrors we had +seen to talk. At last, just as we were thinking of turning in--for the +night drew nigh to dawn--we heard a sound of steps. Then came the +challenge of a sentry posted at the kraal gate, which apparently was +answered, though not in an audible tone, for the steps still advanced; +and in another second Infadoos had entered the hut, followed by some +half-dozen stately-looking chiefs. + +"My lords," he said, "I have come according to my word. My lords and +Ignosi, rightful king of the Kukuanas, I have brought with me these +men," pointing to the row of chiefs, "who are great men among us, +having each one of them the command of three thousand soldiers, that +live but to do their bidding, under the king's. I have told them of +what I have seen, and what my ears have heard. Now let them also behold +the sacred snake around thee, and hear thy story, Ignosi, that they may +say whether or no they will make cause with thee against Twala the +king." + +By way of answer Ignosi again stripped off his girdle, and exhibited +the snake tattooed about him. Each chief in turn drew near and examined +the sign by the dim light of the lamp, and without saying a word passed +on to the other side. + +Then Ignosi resumed his moocha, and addressing them, repeated the +history he had detailed in the morning. + +"Now ye have heard, chiefs," said Infadoos, when he had done, "what say +ye: will ye stand by this man and help him to his father's throne, or +will ye not? The land cries out against Twala, and the blood of the +people flows like the waters in spring. Ye have seen to-night. Two +other chiefs there were with whom I had it in my mind to speak, and +where are they now? The hyaenas howl over their corpses. Soon shall ye +be as they are if ye strike not. Choose then, my brothers." + +The eldest of the six men, a short, thick-set warrior, with white hair, +stepped forward a pace and answered-- + +"Thy words are true, Infadoos; the land cries out. My own brother is +among those who died to-night; but this is a great matter, and the +thing is hard to believe. How know we that if we lift our spears it may +not be for a thief and a liar? It is a great matter, I say, of which +none can see the end. For of this be sure, blood will flow in rivers +before the deed is done; many will still cleave to the king, for men +worship the sun that still shines bright in the heavens, rather than +that which has not risen. These white men from the Stars, their magic +is great, and Ignosi is under the cover of their wing. If he be indeed +the rightful king, let them give us a sign, and let the people have a +sign, that all may see. So shall men cleave to us, knowing of a truth +that the white man's magic is with them." + +"Ye have the sign of the snake," I answered. + +"My lord, it is not enough. The snake may have been placed there since +the man's childhood. Show us a sign, and it will suffice. But we will +not move without a sign." + +The others gave a decided assent, and I turned in perplexity to Sir +Henry and Good, and explained the situation. + +"I think that I have it," said Good exultingly; "ask them to give us a +moment to think." + +I did so, and the chiefs withdrew. So soon as they had gone Good went +to the little box where he kept his medicines, unlocked it, and took +out a note-book, in the fly-leaves of which was an almanack. "Now look +here, you fellows, isn't to-morrow the 4th of June?" he said. + +We had kept a careful note of the days, so were able to answer that it +was. + +"Very good; then here we have it--'4 June, total eclipse of the moon +commences at 8.15 Greenwich time, visible in Teneriffe--_South Africa_, +&c.' There's a sign for you. Tell them we will darken the moon +to-morrow night." + +The idea was a splendid one; indeed, the only weak spot about it was a +fear lest Good's almanack might be incorrect. If we made a false +prophecy on such a subject, our prestige would be gone for ever, and so +would Ignosi's chance of the throne of the Kukuanas. + +"Suppose that the almanack is wrong," suggested Sir Henry to Good, who +was busily employed in working out something on a blank page of the +book. + +"I see no reason to suppose anything of the sort," was his answer. +"Eclipses always come up to time; at least that is my experience of +them, and it especially states that this one will be visible in South +Africa. I have worked out the reckonings as well as I can, without +knowing our exact position; and I make out that the eclipse should +begin here about ten o'clock tomorrow night, and last till half-past +twelve. For an hour and a half or so there should be almost total +darkness." + +"Well," said Sir Henry, "I suppose we had better risk it." + +I acquiesced, though doubtfully, for eclipses are queer cattle to deal +with--it might be a cloudy night, for instance, or our dates might be +wrong--and sent Umbopa to summon the chiefs back. Presently they came, +and I addressed them thus-- + +"Great men of the Kukuanas, and thou, Infadoos, listen. We love not to +show our powers, for to do so is to interfere with the course of +nature, and to plunge the world into fear and confusion. But since this +matter is a great one, and as we are angered against the king because +of the slaughter we have seen, and because of the act of the _Isanusi_ +Gagool, who would have put our friend Ignosi to death, we have +determined to break a rule, and to give such a sign as all men may see. +Come hither"; and I led them to the door of the hut and pointed to the +red ball of the moon. "What see ye there?" + +"We see the sinking moon," answered the spokesman of the party. + +"It is so. Now tell me, can any mortal man put out that moon before her +hour of setting, and bring the curtain of black night down upon the +land?" + +The chief laughed a little at the question. "No, my lord, that no man +can do. The moon is stronger than man who looks on her, nor can she +vary in her courses." + +"Ye say so. Yet I tell you that to-morrow night, about two hours before +midnight, we will cause the moon to be eaten up for a space of an hour +and half an hour. Yes, deep darkness shall cover the earth, and it +shall be for a sign that Ignosi is indeed king of the Kukuanas. If we +do this thing, will ye be satisfied?" + +"Yea, my lords," answered the old chief with a smile, which was +reflected on the faces of his companions; "_if_ ye do this thing, we +will be satisfied indeed." + +"It shall be done; we three, Incubu, Bougwan, and Macumazahn, have said +it, and it shall be done. Dost thou hear, Infadoos?" + +"I hear, my lord, but it is a wonderful thing that ye promise, to put +out the moon, the mother of the world, when she is at her full." + +"Yet shall we do it, Infadoos." + +"It is well, my lords. To-day, two hours after sunset, Twala will send +for my lords to witness the girls dance, and one hour after the dance +begins the girl whom Twala thinks the fairest shall be killed by +Scragga, the king's son, as a sacrifice to the Silent Ones, who sit and +keep watch by the mountains yonder," and he pointed towards the three +strange-looking peaks where Solomon's road was supposed to end. "Then +let my lords darken the moon, and save the maiden's life, and the +people will believe indeed." + +"Ay," said the old chief, still smiling a little, "the people will +believe indeed." + +"Two miles from Loo," went on Infadoos, "there is a hill curved like a +new moon, a stronghold, where my regiment, and three other regiments +which these chiefs command, are stationed. This morning we will make a +plan whereby two or three other regiments may be moved there also. +Then, if in truth my lords can darken the moon, in the darkness I will +take my lords by the hand and lead them out of Loo to this place, where +they shall be safe, and thence we can make war upon Twala the king." + +"It is good," said I. "Let leave us to sleep awhile and to make ready +our magic." + +Infadoos rose, and, having saluted us, departed with the chiefs. + +"My friends," said Ignosi, so soon as they were gone, "can ye do this +wonderful thing, or were ye speaking empty words to the captains?" + +"We believe that we can do it, Umbopa--Ignosi, I mean." + +"It is strange," he answered, "and had ye not been Englishmen I would +not have believed it; but I have learned that English 'gentlemen' tell +no lies. If we live through the matter, be sure that I will repay you." + +"Ignosi," said Sir Henry, "promise me one thing." + +"I will promise, Incubu, my friend, even before I hear it," answered +the big man with a smile. "What is it?" + +"This: that if ever you come to be king of this people you will do away +with the smelling out of wizards such as we saw last night; and that +the killing of men without trial shall no longer take place in the +land." + +Ignosi thought for a moment after I had translated this request, and +then answered-- + +"The ways of black people are not as the ways of white men, Incubu, nor +do we value life so highly. Yet I will promise. If it be in my power to +hold them back, the witch-finders shall hunt no more, nor shall any man +die the death without trial or judgment." + +"That's a bargain, then," said Sir Henry; "and now let us get a little +rest." + +Thoroughly wearied out, we were soon sound asleep, and slept till +Ignosi woke us about eleven o'clock. Then we rose, washed, and ate a +hearty breakfast. After that we went outside the hut and walked about, +amusing ourselves with examining the structure of the Kukuana huts and +observing the customs of the women. + +"I hope that eclipse will come off," said Sir Henry presently. + +"If it does not it will soon be all up with us," I answered mournfully; +"for so sure as we are living men some of those chiefs will tell the +whole story to the king, and then there will be another sort of +eclipse, and one that we shall certainly not like." + +Returning to the hut we ate some dinner, and passed the rest of the day +in receiving visits of ceremony and curiosity. At length the sun set, +and we enjoyed a couple of hours of such quiet as our melancholy +forebodings would allow to us. Finally, about half-past eight, a +messenger came from Twala to bid us to the great annual "dance of +girls" which was about to be celebrated. + +Hastily we put on the chain shirts that the king had sent us, and +taking our rifles and ammunition with us, so as to have them handy in +case we had to fly, as suggested by Infadoos, we started boldly enough, +though with inward fear and trembling. The great space in front of the +king's kraal bore a very different appearance from that which it had +presented on the previous evening. In place of the grim ranks of +serried warriors were company after company of Kukuana girls, not +over-dressed, so far as clothing went, but each crowned with a wreath +of flowers, and holding a palm leaf in one hand and a white arum lily +in the other. In the centre of the open moonlit space sat Twala the +king, with old Gagool at his feet, attended by Infadoos, the boy +Scragga, and twelve guards. There were also present about a score of +chiefs, amongst whom I recognised most of our friends of the night +before. + +Twala greeted us with much apparent cordiality, though I saw him fix +his one eye viciously on Umbopa. + +"Welcome, white men from the Stars," he said; "this is another sight +from that which your eyes gazed on by the light of last night's moon, +but it is not so good a sight. Girls are pleasant, and were it not for +such as these," and he pointed round him, "we should none of us be here +this day; but men are better. Kisses and the tender words of women are +sweet, but the sound of the clashing of the spears of warriors, and the +smell of men's blood, are sweeter far! Would ye have wives from among +our people, white men? If so, choose the fairest here, and ye shall +have them, as many as ye will," and he paused for an answer. + +As the prospect did not seem to be without attractions for Good, who, +like most sailors, is of a susceptible nature,--being elderly and wise, +foreseeing the endless complications that anything of the sort would +involve, for women bring trouble so surely as the night follows the +day, I put in a hasty answer-- + +"Thanks to thee, O king, but we white men wed only with white women +like ourselves. Your maidens are fair, but they are not for us!" + +The king laughed. "It is well. In our land there is a proverb which +runs, 'Women's eyes are always bright, whatever the colour,' and +another that says, 'Love her who is present, for be sure she who is +absent is false to thee;' but perhaps these things are not so in the +Stars. In a land where men are white all things are possible. So be it, +white men; the girls will not go begging! Welcome again; and welcome, +too, thou black one; if Gagool here had won her way, thou wouldst have +been stiff and cold by now. It is lucky for thee that thou too camest +from the Stars; ha! ha!" + +"I can kill thee before thou killest me, O king," was Ignosi's calm +answer, "and thou shalt be stiff before my limbs cease to bend." + +Twala started. "Thou speakest boldly, boy," he replied angrily; +"presume not too far." + +"He may well be bold in whose lips are truth. The truth is a sharp +spear which flies home and misses not. It is a message from 'the +Stars,' O king." + +Twala scowled, and his one eye gleamed fiercely, but he said nothing +more. + +"Let the dance begin," he cried, and then the flower-crowned girls +sprang forward in companies, singing a sweet song and waving the +delicate palms and white lilies. On they danced, looking faint and +spiritual in the soft, sad light of the risen moon; now whirling round +and round, now meeting in mimic warfare, swaying, eddying here and +there, coming forward, falling back in an ordered confusion delightful +to witness. At last they paused, and a beautiful young woman sprang out +of the ranks and began to pirouette in front of us with a grace and +vigour which would have put most ballet girls to shame. At length she +retired exhausted, and another took her place, then another and +another, but none of them, either in grace, skill, or personal +attractions, came up to the first. + +When the chosen girls had all danced, the king lifted his hand. + +"Which deem ye the fairest, white men?" he asked. + +"The first," said I unthinkingly. Next second I regretted it, for I +remembered that Infadoos had told us that the fairest woman must be +offered up as a sacrifice. + +"Then is my mind as your minds, and my eyes as your eyes. She is the +fairest! and a sorry thing it is for her, for she must die!" + +"_Ay, must die!_" piped out Gagool, casting a glance of her quick eyes +in the direction of the poor girl, who, as yet ignorant of the awful +fate in store for her, was standing some ten yards off in front of a +company of maidens, engaged in nervously picking a flower from her +wreath to pieces, petal by petal. + +"Why, O king?" said I, restraining my indignation with difficulty; "the +girl has danced well, and pleased us; she is fair too; it would be hard +to reward her with death." + +Twala laughed as he answered-- + +"It is our custom, and the figures who sit in stone yonder," and he +pointed towards the three distant peaks, "must have their due. Did I +fail to put the fairest girl to death to-day, misfortune would fall +upon me and my house. Thus runs the prophecy of my people: 'If the king +offer not a sacrifice of a fair girl, on the day of the dance of +maidens, to the Old Ones who sit and watch on the mountains, then shall +he fall, and his house.' Look ye, white men, my brother who reigned +before me offered not the sacrifice, because of the tears of the woman, +and he fell, and his house, and I reign in his stead. It is finished; +she must die!" Then turning to the guards--"Bring her hither; Scragga, +make sharp thy spear." + +Two of the men stepped forward, and as they advanced, the girl, for the +first time realising her impending fate, screamed aloud and turned to +fly. But the strong hands caught her fast, and brought her, struggling +and weeping, before us. + +"What is thy name, girl?" piped Gagool. "What! wilt thou not answer? +Shall the king's son do his work at once?" + +At this hint, Scragga, looking more evil than ever, advanced a step and +lifted his great spear, and at that moment I saw Good's hand creep to +his revolver. The poor girl caught the faint glint of steel through her +tears, and it sobered her anguish. She ceased struggling, and clasping +her hands convulsively, stood shuddering from head to foot. + +"See," cried Scragga in high glee, "she shrinks from the sight of my +little plaything even before she has tasted it," and he tapped the +broad blade of his spear. + +"If ever I get the chance you shall pay for that, you young hound!" I +heard Good mutter beneath his breath. + +"Now that thou art quiet, give us thy name, my dear. Come, speak out, +and fear not," said Gagool in mockery. + +"Oh, mother," answered the girl, in trembling accents, "my name is +Foulata, of the house of Suko. Oh, mother, why must I die? I have done +no wrong!" + +"Be comforted," went on the old woman in her hateful tone of mockery. +"Thou must die, indeed, as a sacrifice to the Old Ones who sit yonder," +and she pointed to the peaks; "but it is better to sleep in the night +than to toil in the daytime; it is better to die than to live, and thou +shalt die by the royal hand of the king's own son." + +The girl Foulata wrung her hands in anguish, and cried out aloud, "Oh, +cruel! and I so young! What have I done that I should never again see +the sun rise out of the night, or the stars come following on his track +in the evening, that I may no more gather the flowers when the dew is +heavy, or listen to the laughing of the waters? Woe is me, that I shall +never see my father's hut again, nor feel my mother's kiss, nor tend +the lamb that is sick! Woe is me, that no lover shall put his arm +around me and look into my eyes, nor shall men children be born of me! +Oh, cruel, cruel!" + +And again she wrung her hands and turned her tear-stained +flower-crowned face to Heaven, looking so lovely in her despair--for +she was indeed a beautiful woman--that assuredly the sight of her would +have melted the hearts of any less cruel than were the three fiends +before us. Prince Arthur's appeal to the ruffians who came to blind him +was not more touching than that of this savage girl. + +But it did not move Gagool or Gagool's master, though I saw signs of +pity among the guards behind, and on the faces of the chiefs; and as +for Good, he gave a fierce snort of indignation, and made a motion as +though to go to her assistance. With all a woman's quickness, the +doomed girl interpreted what was passing in his mind, and by a sudden +movement flung herself before him, and clasped his "beautiful white +legs" with her hands. + +"Oh, white father from the Stars!" she cried, "throw over me the mantle +of thy protection; let me creep into the shadow of thy strength, that I +may be saved. Oh, keep me from these cruel men and from the mercies of +Gagool!" + +"All right, my hearty, I'll look after you," sang out Good in nervous +Saxon. "Come, get up, there's a good girl," and he stooped and caught +her hand. + +Twala turned and motioned to his son, who advanced with his spear +lifted. + +"Now's your time," whispered Sir Henry to me; "what are you waiting +for?" + +"I am waiting for that eclipse," I answered; "I have had my eye on the +moon for the last half-hour, and I never saw it look healthier." + +"Well, you must risk it now, or the girl will be killed. Twala is +losing patience." + +Recognising the force of the argument, and having cast one more +despairing look at the bright face of the moon, for never did the most +ardent astronomer with a theory to prove await a celestial event with +such anxiety, I stepped with all the dignity that I could command +between the prostrate girl and the advancing spear of Scragga. + +"King," I said, "it shall not be; we will not endure this thing; let +the girl go in safety." + +Twala rose from his seat in wrath and astonishment, and from the chiefs +and serried ranks of maidens who had closed in slowly upon us in +anticipation of the tragedy came a murmur of amazement. + +"_Shall not be!_ thou white dog, that yappest at the lion in his cave; +_shall not be!_ art thou mad? Be careful, lest this chicken's fate +overtake thee, and those with thee. How canst thou save her or thyself? +Who art thou that thou settest thyself between me and my will? Back, I +say. Scragga, kill her! Ho, guards! seize these men." + +At his cry armed men ran swiftly from behind the hut, where they had +evidently been placed beforehand. + +Sir Henry, Good, and Umbopa ranged themselves alongside of me, and +lifted their rifles. + +"Stop!" I shouted boldly, though at the moment my heart was in my +boots. "Stop! we, the white men from the Stars, say that it shall not +be. Come but one pace nearer, and we will put out the moon like a +wind-blown lamp, as we who dwell in her House can do, and plunge the +land in darkness. Dare to disobey, and ye shall taste of our magic." + +My threat produced an effect; the men halted, and Scragga stood still +before us, his spear lifted. + +"Hear him! hear him!" piped Gagool; "hear the liar who says that he +will put out the moon like a lamp. Let him do it, and the girl shall be +speared. Yes, let him do it, or die by the girl, he and those with him." + +I glanced up at the moon despairingly, and now to my intense joy and +relief saw that we--or rather the almanack--had made no mistake. On the +edge of the great orb lay a faint rim of shadow, while a smoky hue grew +and gathered upon its bright surface. Never shall I forget that +supreme, that superb moment of relief. + +Then I lifted my hand solemnly towards the sky, an example which Sir +Henry and Good followed, and quoted a line or two from the "Ingoldsby +Legends" at it in the most impressive tones that I could command. Sir +Henry followed suit with a verse out of the Old Testament, and +something about Balbus building a wall, in Latin, whilst Good addressed +the Queen of Night in a volume of the most classical bad language which +he could think of. + +Slowly the penumbra, the shadow of a shadow, crept on over the bright +surface, and as it crept I heard deep gasps of fear rising from the +multitude around. + +"Look, O king!" I cried; "look, Gagool! Look, chiefs and people and +women, and see if the white men from the Stars keep their word, or if +they be but empty liars! + +"The moon grows black before your eyes; soon there will be +darkness--ay, darkness in the hour of the full moon. Ye have asked for +a sign; it is given to you. Grow dark, O Moon! withdraw thy light, thou +pure and holy One; bring the proud heart of usurping murderers to the +dust, and eat up the world with shadows." + +A groan of terror burst from the onlookers. Some stood petrified with +dread, others threw themselves upon their knees and cried aloud. As for +the king, he sat still and turned pale beneath his dusky skin. Only +Gagool kept her courage. + +"It will pass," she cried; "I have often seen the like before; no man +can put out the moon; lose not heart; sit still--the shadow will pass." + +"Wait, and ye shall see," I replied, hopping with excitement. "O Moon! +Moon! Moon! wherefore art thou so cold and fickle?" This appropriate +quotation was from the pages of a popular romance that I chanced to +have read recently, though now I come to think of it, it was ungrateful +of me to abuse the Lady of the Heavens, who was showing herself to be +the truest of friends to us, however she may have behaved to the +impassioned lover in the novel. Then I added: "Keep it up, Good, I +can't remember any more poetry. Curse away, there's a good fellow." + +Good responded nobly to this tax upon his inventive faculties. Never +before had I the faintest conception of the breadth and depth and +height of a naval officer's objurgatory powers. For ten minutes he went +on in several languages without stopping, and he scarcely ever repeated +himself. + +Meanwhile the dark ring crept on, while all that great assembly fixed +their eyes upon the sky and stared and stared in fascinated silence. +Strange and unholy shadows encroached upon the moonlight, an ominous +quiet filled the place. Everything grew still as death. Slowly and in +the midst of this most solemn silence the minutes sped away, and while +they sped the full moon passed deeper and deeper into the shadow of the +earth, as the inky segment of its circle slid in awful majesty across +the lunar craters. The great pale orb seemed to draw near and to grow +in size. She turned a coppery hue, then that portion of her surface +which was unobscured as yet grew grey and ashen, and at length, as +totality approached, her mountains and her plains were to be seen +glowing luridly through a crimson gloom. + +On, yet on, crept the ring of darkness; it was now more than half +across the blood-red orb. The air grew thick, and still more deeply +tinged with dusky crimson. On, yet on, till we could scarcely see the +fierce faces of the group before us. No sound rose now from the +spectators, and at last Good stopped swearing. + +"The moon is dying--the white wizards have killed the moon," yelled the +prince Scragga at last. "We shall all perish in the dark," and animated +by fear or fury, or by both, he lifted his spear and drove it with all +his force at Sir Henry's breast. But he forgot the mail shirts that the +king had given us, and which we wore beneath our clothing. The steel +rebounded harmless, and before he could repeat the blow Curtis had +snatched the spear from his hand and sent it straight through him. + +Scragga dropped dead. + +At the sight, and driven mad with fear of the gathering darkness, and +of the unholy shadow which, as they believed, was swallowing the moon, +the companies of girls broke up in wild confusion, and ran screeching +for the gateways. Nor did the panic stop there. The king himself, +followed by his guards, some of the chiefs, and Gagool, who hobbled +away after them with marvellous alacrity, fled for the huts, so that in +another minute we ourselves, the would-be victim Foulata, Infadoos, and +most of the chiefs who had interviewed us on the previous night, were +left alone upon the scene, together with the dead body of Scragga, +Twala's son. + +"Chiefs," I said, "we have given you the sign. If ye are satisfied, let +us fly swiftly to the place of which ye spoke. The charm cannot now be +stopped. It will work for an hour and the half of an hour. Let us cover +ourselves in the darkness." + +"Come," said Infadoos, turning to go, an example which was followed by +the awed captains, ourselves, and the girl Foulata, whom Good took by +the arm. + +Before we reached the gate of the kraal the moon went out utterly, and +from every quarter of the firmament the stars rushed forth into the +inky sky. + +Holding each other by the hand we stumbled on through the darkness. + + + +CHAPTER XII + +BEFORE THE BATTLE + +Luckily for us, Infadoos and the chiefs knew all the paths of the great +town perfectly, so that we passed by side-ways unmolested, and +notwithstanding the gloom we made fair progress. + +For an hour or more we journeyed on, till at length the eclipse began +to pass, and that edge of the moon which had disappeared the first +became again visible. Suddenly, as we watched, there burst from it a +silver streak of light, accompanied by a wondrous ruddy glow, which +hung upon the blackness of the sky like a celestial lamp, and a wild +and lovely sight it was. In another five minutes the stars began to +fade, and there was sufficient light to see our whereabouts. We then +discovered that we were clear of the town of Loo, and approaching a +large flat-topped hill, measuring some two miles in circumference. This +hill, which is of a formation common in South Africa, is not very high; +indeed, its greatest elevation is scarcely more than 200 feet, but it +is shaped like a horseshoe, and its sides are rather precipitous and +strewn with boulders. On the grass table-land at its summit is ample +camping-ground, which had been utilised as a military cantonment of no +mean strength. Its ordinary garrison was one regiment of three thousand +men, but as we toiled up the steep side of the mountain in the +returning moonlight we perceived that there were several of such +regiments encamped there. + +Reaching the table-land at last, we found crowds of men roused from +their sleep, shivering with fear and huddled up together in the utmost +consternation at the natural phenomenon which they were witnessing. +Passing through these without a word, we gained a hut in the centre of +the ground, where we were astonished to find two men waiting, laden +with our few goods and chattels, which of course we had been obliged to +leave behind in our hasty flight. + +"I sent for them," explained Infadoos; "and also for these," and he +lifted up Good's long-lost trousers. + +With an exclamation of rapturous delight Good sprang at them, and +instantly proceeded to put them on. + +"Surely my lord will not hide his beautiful white legs!" exclaimed +Infadoos regretfully. + +But Good persisted, and once only did the Kukuana people get the chance +of seeing his beautiful legs again. Good is a very modest man. +Henceforward they had to satisfy their aesthetic longings with his one +whisker, his transparent eye, and his movable teeth. + +Still gazing with fond remembrance at Good's trousers, Infadoos next +informed us that he had commanded the regiments to muster so soon as +the day broke, in order to explain to them fully the origin and +circumstances of the rebellion which was decided on by the chiefs, and +to introduce to them the rightful heir to the throne, Ignosi. + +Accordingly, when the sun was up, the troops--in all some twenty +thousand men, and the flower of the Kukuana army--were mustered on a +large open space, to which we went. The men were drawn up in three +sides of a dense square, and presented a magnificent spectacle. We took +our station on the open side of the square, and were speedily +surrounded by all the principal chiefs and officers. + +These, after silence had been proclaimed, Infadoos proceeded to +address. He narrated to them in vigorous and graceful language--for, +like most Kukuanas of high rank, he was a born orator--the history of +Ignosi's father, and of how he had been basely murdered by Twala the +king, and his wife and child driven out to starve. Then he pointed out +that the people suffered and groaned under Twala's cruel rule, +instancing the proceedings of the previous night, when, under pretence +of their being evil-doers, many of the noblest in the land had been +dragged forth and wickedly done to death. Next he went on to say that +the white lords from the Stars, looking down upon their country, had +perceived its trouble, and determined, at great personal inconvenience, +to alleviate its lot: That they had accordingly taken the real king of +the Kukuanas, Ignosi, who was languishing in exile, by the hand, and +led him over the mountains: That they had seen the wickedness of +Twala's doings, and for a sign to the wavering, and to save the life of +the girl Foulata, actually, by the exercise of their high magic, had +put out the moon and slain the young fiend Scragga; and that they were +prepared to stand by them, and assist them to overthrow Twala, and set +up the rightful king, Ignosi, in his place. + +He finished his discourse amidst a murmur of approbation. Then Ignosi +stepped forward and began to speak. Having reiterated all that Infadoos +his uncle had said, he concluded a powerful speech in these words:-- + +"O chiefs, captains, soldiers, and people, ye have heard my words. Now +must ye make choice between me and him who sits upon my throne, the +uncle who killed his brother, and hunted his brother's child forth to +die in the cold and the night. That I am indeed the king +these"--pointing to the chiefs--"can tell you, for they have seen the +snake about my middle. If I were not the king, would these white men be +on my side with all their magic? Tremble, chiefs, captains, soldiers, +and people! Is not the darkness they have brought upon the land to +confound Twala and cover our flight, darkness even in the hour of the +full moon, yet before your eyes?" + +"It is," answered the soldiers. + +"I am the king; I say to you, I am the king," went on Ignosi, drawing +up his great stature to its full, and lifting his broad-bladed +battle-axe above his head. "If there be any man among you who says that +it is not so, let him stand forth and I will fight him now, and his +blood shall be a red token that I tell you true. Let him stand forth, I +say;" and he shook the great axe till it flashed in the sunlight. + +As nobody seemed inclined to respond to this heroic version of "Dilly, +Dilly, come and be killed," our late henchman proceeded with his +address. + +"I am indeed the king, and should ye stand by my side in the battle, if +I win the day ye shall go with me to victory and honour. I will give +you oxen and wives, and ye shall take place of all the regiments; and +if ye fall, I will fall with you. + +"And behold, I give you this promise, that when I sit upon the seat of +my fathers, bloodshed shall cease in the land. No longer shall ye cry +for justice to find slaughter, no longer shall the witch-finder hunt +you out so that ye may be slain without a cause. No man shall die save +he who offends against the laws. The 'eating up' of your kraals shall +cease; each one of you shall sleep secure in his own hut and fear +naught, and justice shall walk blindfold throughout the land. Have ye +chosen, chiefs, captains, soldiers, and people?" + +"We have chosen, O king," came back the answer. + +"It is well. Turn your heads and see how Twala's messengers go forth +from the great town, east and west, and north and south, to gather a +mighty army to slay me and you, and these my friends and protectors. +To-morrow, or perchance the next day, he will come against us with all +who are faithful to him. Then I shall see the man who is indeed my man, +the man who fears not to die for his cause; and I tell you that he +shall not be forgotten in the time of spoil. I have spoken, O chiefs, +captains, soldiers, and people. Now go to your huts and make you ready +for war." + +There was a pause, till presently one of the chiefs lifted his hand, +and out rolled the royal salute, "_Koom._" It was a sign that the +soldiers accepted Ignosi as their king. Then they marched off in +battalions. + +Half an hour afterwards we held a council of war, at which all the +commanders of regiments were present. It was evident to us that before +very long we should be attacked in overwhelming force. Indeed, from our +point of vantage on the hill we could see troops mustering, and runners +going forth from Loo in every direction, doubtless to summon soldiers +to the king's assistance. We had on our side about twenty thousand men, +composed of seven of the best regiments in the country. Twala, so +Infadoos and the chiefs calculated, had at least thirty to thirty-five +thousand on whom he could rely at present assembled in Loo, and they +thought that by midday on the morrow he would be able to gather another +five thousand or more to his aid. It was, of course, possible that some +of his troops would desert and come over to us, but it was not a +contingency which could be reckoned on. Meanwhile, it was clear that +active preparations were being made by Twala to subdue us. Already +strong bodies of armed men were patrolling round and round the foot of +the hill, and there were other signs also of coming assault. + +Infadoos and the chiefs, however, were of opinion that no attack would +take place that day, which would be devoted to preparation and to the +removal of every available means of the moral effect produced upon the +minds of the soldiery by the supposed magical darkening of the moon. +The onslaught would be on the morrow, they said, and they proved to be +right. + +Meanwhile, we set to work to strengthen the position in all ways +possible. Almost every man was turned out, and in the course of the +day, which seemed far too short, much was done. The paths up the +hill--that was rather a sanatorium than a fortress, being used +generally as the camping place of regiments suffering from recent +service in unhealthy portions of the country--were carefully blocked +with masses of stones, and every other approach was made as impregnable +as time would allow. Piles of boulders were collected at various spots +to be rolled down upon an advancing enemy, stations were appointed to +the different regiments, and all preparation was made which our joint +ingenuity could suggest. + +Just before sundown, as we rested after our toil, we perceived a small +company of men advancing towards us from the direction of Loo, one of +whom bore a palm leaf in his hand for a sign that he came as a herald. + +As he drew near, Ignosi, Infadoos, one or two chiefs and ourselves, +went down to the foot of the mountain to meet him. He was a +gallant-looking fellow, wearing the regulation leopard-skin cloak. + +"Greeting!" he cried, as he came; "the king's greeting to those who +make unholy war against the king; the lion's greeting to the jackals +that snarl around his heels." + +"Speak," I said. + +"These are the king's words. Surrender to the king's mercy ere a worse +thing befall you. Already the shoulder has been torn from the black +bull, and the king drives him bleeding about the camp."[1] + +"What are Twala's terms?" I asked from curiosity. + +"His terms are merciful, worthy of a great king. These are the words of +Twala, the one-eyed, the mighty, the husband of a thousand wives, lord +of the Kukuanas, keeper of the Great Road (Solomon's Road), beloved of +the Strange Ones who sit in silence at the mountains yonder (the Three +Witches), Calf of the Black Cow, Elephant whose tread shakes the earth, +Terror of the evil-doer, Ostrich whose feet devour the desert, huge +One, black One, wise One, king from generation to generation! these are +the words of Twala: 'I will have mercy and be satisfied with a little +blood. One in every ten shall die, the rest shall go free; but the +white man Incubu, who slew Scragga my son, and the black man his +servant, who pretends to my throne, and Infadoos my brother, who brews +rebellion against me, these shall die by torture as an offering to the +Silent Ones.' Such are the merciful words of Twala." + +After consulting with the others a little, I answered him in a loud +voice, so that the soldiers might hear, thus-- + +"Go back, thou dog, to Twala, who sent thee, and say that we, Ignosi, +veritable king of the Kukuanas, Incubu, Bougwan, and Macumazahn, the +wise ones from the Stars, who make dark the moon, Infadoos, of the +royal house, and the chiefs, captains, and people here gathered, make +answer and say, 'That we will not surrender; that before the sun has +gone down twice, Twala's corpse shall stiffen at Twala's gate, and +Ignosi, whose father Twala slew, shall reign in his stead.' Now go, ere +we whip thee away, and beware how thou dost lift a hand against such as +we are." + +The herald laughed loudly. "Ye frighten not men with such swelling +words," he cried out. "Show yourselves as bold to-morrow, O ye who +darken the moon. Be bold, fight, and be merry, before the crows pick +your bones till they are whiter than your faces. Farewell; perhaps we +may meet in the fight; fly not to the Stars, but wait for me, I pray, +white men." With this shaft of sarcasm he retired, and almost +immediately the sun sank. + +That night was a busy one, for weary as we were, so far as was possible +by the moonlight all preparations for the morrow's fight were +continued, and messengers were constantly coming and going from the +place where we sat in council. At last, about an hour after midnight, +everything that could be done was done, and the camp, save for the +occasional challenge of a sentry, sank into silence. Sir Henry and I, +accompanied by Ignosi and one of the chiefs, descended the hill and +made a round of the pickets. As we went, suddenly, from all sorts of +unexpected places, spears gleamed out in the moonlight, only to vanish +again when we uttered the password. It was clear to us that none were +sleeping at their posts. Then we returned, picking our way warily +through thousands of sleeping warriors, many of whom were taking their +last earthly rest. + +The moonlight flickering along their spears, played upon their features +and made them ghastly; the chilly night wind tossed their tall and +hearse-like plumes. There they lay in wild confusion, with arms +outstretched and twisted limbs; their stern, stalwart forms looking +weird and unhuman in the moonlight. + +"How many of these do you suppose will be alive at this time +to-morrow?" asked Sir Henry. + +I shook my head and looked again at the sleeping men, and to my tired +and yet excited imagination it seemed as though Death had already +touched them. My mind's eye singled out those who were sealed to +slaughter, and there rushed in upon my heart a great sense of the +mystery of human life, and an overwhelming sorrow at its futility and +sadness. To-night these thousands slept their healthy sleep, to-morrow +they, and many others with them, ourselves perhaps among them, would be +stiffening in the cold; their wives would be widows, their children +fatherless, and their place know them no more for ever. Only the old +moon would shine on serenely, the night wind would stir the grasses, +and the wide earth would take its rest, even as it did aeons before we +were, and will do aeons after we have been forgotten. + +Yet man dies not whilst the world, at once his mother and his monument, +remains. His name is lost, indeed, but the breath he breathed still +stirs the pine-tops on the mountains, the sound of the words he spoke +yet echoes on through space; the thoughts his brain gave birth to we +have inherited to-day; his passions are our cause of life; the joys and +sorrows that he knew are our familiar friends--the end from which he +fled aghast will surely overtake us also! + +Truly the universe is full of ghosts, not sheeted churchyard spectres, +but the inextinguishable elements of individual life, which having once +been, can never _die_, though they blend and change, and change again +for ever. + + +All sorts of reflections of this nature passed through my mind--for as +I grow older I regret to say that a detestable habit of thinking seems +to be getting a hold of me--while I stood and stared at those grim yet +fantastic lines of warriors, sleeping, as their saying goes, "upon +their spears." + +"Curtis," I said, "I am in a condition of pitiable fear." + +Sir Henry stroked his yellow beard and laughed, as he answered-- + +"I have heard you make that sort of remark before, Quatermain." + +"Well, I mean it now. Do you know, I very much doubt if one of us will +be alive to-morrow night. We shall be attacked in overwhelming force, +and it is quite a chance if we can hold this place." + +"We'll give a good account of some of them, at any rate. Look here, +Quatermain, this business is nasty, and one with which, properly +speaking, we ought not to be mixed up, but we are in for it, so we must +make the best of our job. Speaking personally, I had rather be killed +fighting than any other way, and now that there seems little chance of +our finding my poor brother, it makes the idea easier to me. But +fortune favours the brave, and we may succeed. Anyway, the battle will +be awful, and having a reputation to keep up, we shall need to be in +the thick of the thing." + +He made this last remark in a mournful voice, but there was a gleam in +his eye which belied its melancholy. I have an idea Sir Henry Curtis +actually likes fighting. + +After this we went to sleep for a couple of hours or so. + +Just about dawn we were awakened by Infadoos, who came to say that +great activity was to be observed in Loo, and that parties of the +king's skirmishers were driving in our outposts. + +We rose and dressed ourselves for the fray, each putting on his chain +armour shirt, for which garments at the present juncture we felt +exceedingly thankful. Sir Henry went the whole length about the matter, +and dressed himself like a native warrior. "When you are in +Kukuanaland, do as the Kukuanas do," he remarked, as he drew the +shining steel over his broad breast, which it fitted like a glove. Nor +did he stop there. At his request Infadoos had provided him with a +complete set of native war uniform. Round his throat he fastened the +leopard-skin cloak of a commanding officer, on his brows he bound the +plume of black ostrich feathers worn only by generals of high rank, and +about his middle a magnificent moocha of white ox-tails. A pair of +sandals, a leglet of goat's hair, a heavy battle-axe with a +rhinoceros-horn handle, a round iron shield covered with white ox-hide, +and the regulation number of _tollas_, or throwing-knives, made up his +equipment, to which, however, he added his revolver. The dress was, no +doubt, a savage one, but I am bound to say that I seldom saw a finer +sight than Sir Henry Curtis presented in this guise. It showed off his +magnificent physique to the greatest advantage, and when Ignosi arrived +presently, arrayed in a similar costume, I thought to myself that I had +never before seen two such splendid men. + +As for Good and myself, the armour did not suit us nearly so well. To +begin with, Good insisted upon keeping on his new-found trousers, and a +stout, short gentleman with an eye-glass, and one half of his face +shaved, arrayed in a mail shirt, carefully tucked into a very seedy +pair of corduroys, looks more remarkable than imposing. In my case, the +chain shirt being too big for me, I put it on over all my clothes, +which caused it to bulge in a somewhat ungainly fashion. I discarded my +trousers, however, retaining only my veldtschoons, having determined to +go into battle with bare legs, in order to be the lighter for running, +in case it became necessary to retire quickly. The mail coat, a spear, +a shield, that I did not know how to use, a couple of _tollas_, a +revolver, and a huge plume, which I pinned into the top of my shooting +hat, in order to give a bloodthirsty finish to my appearance, completed +my modest equipment. In addition to all these articles, of course we +had our rifles, but as ammunition was scarce, and as they would be +useless in case of a charge, we arranged that they should be carried +behind us by bearers. + +When at length we had equipped ourselves, we swallowed some food +hastily, and then started out to see how things were going on. At one +point in the table-land of the mountain, there was a little koppie of +brown stone, which served the double purpose of head-quarters and of a +conning tower. Here we found Infadoos surrounded by his own regiment, +the Greys, which was undoubtedly the finest in the Kukuana army, and +the same that we had first seen at the outlying kraal. This regiment, +now three thousand five hundred strong, was being held in reserve, and +the men were lying down on the grass in companies, and watching the +king's forces creep out of Loo in long ant-like columns. There seemed +to be no end to the length of these columns--three in all, and each of +them numbering, as we judged, at least eleven or twelve thousand men. + +As soon as they were clear of the town the regiments formed up. Then +one body marched off to the right, one to the left, and the third came +on slowly towards us. + +"Ah," said Infadoos, "they are going to attack us on three sides at +once." + +This seemed rather serious news, for our position on the top of the +mountain, which measured a mile and a half in circumference, being an +extended one, it was important to us to concentrate our comparatively +small defending force as much as possible. But since it was impossible +for us to dictate in what way we should be assailed, we had to make the +best of it, and accordingly sent orders to the various regiments to +prepare to receive the separate onslaughts. + + +[1] This cruel custom is not confined to the Kukuanas, but is by no +means uncommon amongst African tribes on the occasion of the outbreak +of war or any other important public event.--A.Q. + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +THE ATTACK + +Slowly, and without the slightest appearance of haste or excitement, +the three columns crept on. When within about five hundred yards of us, +the main or centre column halted at the root of a tongue of open plain +which ran up into the hill, to give time to the other divisions to +circumvent our position, which was shaped more or less in the form of a +horse-shoe, with its two points facing towards the town of Loo. The +object of this manoeuvre was that the threefold assault should be +delivered simultaneously. + +"Oh, for a gatling!" groaned Good, as he contemplated the serried +phalanxes beneath us. "I would clear that plain in twenty minutes." + +"We have not got one, so it is no use yearning for it; but suppose you +try a shot, Quatermain," said Sir Henry. "See how near you can go to +that tall fellow who appears to be in command. Two to one you miss him, +and an even sovereign, to be honestly paid if ever we get out of this, +that you don't drop the bullet within five yards." + + +This piqued me, so, loading the express with solid ball, I waited till +my friend walked some ten yards out from his force, in order to get a +better view of our position, accompanied only by an orderly; then, +lying down and resting the express on a rock, I covered him. The rifle, +like all expresses, was only sighted to three hundred and fifty yards, +so to allow for the drop in trajectory I took him half-way down the +neck, which ought, I calculated, to find him in the chest. He stood +quite still and gave me every opportunity, but whether it was the +excitement or the wind, or the fact of the man being a long shot, I +don't know, but this was what happened. Getting dead on, as I thought, +a fine sight, I pressed, and when the puff of smoke had cleared away, +to my disgust, I saw my man standing there unharmed, whilst his +orderly, who was at least three paces to the left, was stretched upon +the ground apparently dead. Turning swiftly, the officer I had aimed at +began to run towards his men in evident alarm. + +"Bravo, Quatermain!" sang out Good; "you've frightened him." + +This made me very angry, for, if possible to avoid it, I hate to miss +in public. When a man is master of only one art he likes to keep up his +reputation in that art. Moved quite out of myself at my failure, I did +a rash thing. Rapidly covering the general as he ran, I let drive with +the second barrel. Instantly the poor man threw up his arms, and fell +forward on to his face. This time I had made no mistake; and--I say it +as a proof of how little we think of others when our own safety, pride, +or reputation is in question--I was brute enough to feel delighted at +the sight. + +The regiments who had seen the feat cheered wildly at this exhibition +of the white man's magic, which they took as an omen of success, while +the force the general had belonged to--which, indeed, as we ascertained +afterwards, he had commanded--fell back in confusion. Sir Henry and +Good now took up their rifles and began to fire, the latter +industriously "browning" the dense mass before him with another +Winchester repeater, and I also had another shot or two, with the +result, so far as we could judge, that we put some six or eight men +_hors de combat_ before they were out of range. + +Just as we stopped firing there came an ominous roar from our far +right, then a similar roar rose on our left. The two other divisions +were engaging us. + +At the sound, the mass of men before us opened out a little, and +advanced towards the hill and up the spit of bare grass land at a slow +trot, singing a deep-throated song as they ran. We kept up a steady +fire from our rifles as they came, Ignosi joining in occasionally, and +accounted for several men, but of course we produced no more effect +upon that mighty rush of armed humanity than he who throws pebbles does +on the breaking wave. + +On they came, with a shout and the clashing of spears; now they were +driving in the pickets we had placed among the rocks at the foot of the +hill. After that the advance was a little slower, for though as yet we +had offered no serious opposition, the attacking forces must climb up +hill, and they came slowly to save their breath. Our first line of +defence was about half-way down the side of the slope, our second fifty +yards further back, while our third occupied the edge of the plateau. + +On they stormed, shouting their war-cry, "_Twala! Twala! Chiele! +Chiele!_" (Twala! Twala! Smite! Smite!) "_Ignosi! Ignosi! Chiele! +Chiele!_" answered our people. They were quite close now, and the +_tollas_, or throwing-knives, began to flash backwards and forwards, +and now with an awful yell the battle closed in. + +To and fro swayed the mass of struggling warriors, men falling fast as +leaves in an autumn wind; but before long the superior weight of the +attacking force began to tell, and our first line of defence was slowly +pressed back till it merged into the second. Here the struggle was very +fierce, but again our people were driven back and up, till at length, +within twenty minutes of the commencement of the fight, our third line +came into action. + +But by this time the assailants were much exhausted, and besides had +lost many men killed and wounded, and to break through that third +impenetrable hedge of spears proved beyond their powers. For a while +the seething lines of savages swung backwards and forwards, in the +fierce ebb and flow of battle, and the issue was doubtful. Sir Henry +watched the desperate struggle with a kindling eye, and then without a +word he rushed off, followed by Good, and flung himself into the +hottest of the fray. As for myself, I stopped where I was. + +The soldiers caught sight of his tall form as he plunged into battle, +and there rose a cry of-- + +"_Nanzia Incubu! Nanzia Unkungunklovo!_" (Here is the Elephant!) +"_Chiele! Chiele!_" + +From that moment the end was no longer in doubt. Inch by inch, fighting +with splendid gallantry, the attacking force was pressed back down the +hillside, till at last it retreated upon its reserves in something like +confusion. At that instant, too, a messenger arrived to say that the +left attack had been repulsed; and I was just beginning to congratulate +myself, believing that the affair was over for the present, when, to +our horror, we perceived our men who had been engaged in the right +defence being driven towards us across the plain, followed by swarms of +the enemy, who had evidently succeeded at this point. + +Ignosi, who was standing by me, took in the situation at a glance, and +issued a rapid order. Instantly the reserve regiment around us, the +Greys, extended itself. + +Again Ignosi gave a word of command, which was taken up and repeated by +the captains, and in another second, to my intense disgust, I found +myself involved in a furious onslaught upon the advancing foe. Getting +as much as I could behind Ignosi's huge frame, I made the best of a bad +job, and toddled along to be killed as though I liked it. In a minute +or two--we were plunging through the flying groups of our men, who at +once began to re-form behind us, and then I am sure I do not know what +happened. All I can remember is a dreadful rolling noise of the meeting +of shields, and the sudden apparition of a huge ruffian, whose eyes +seemed literally to be starting out of his head, making straight at me +with a bloody spear. But--I say it with pride--I rose--or rather +sank--to the occasion. It was one before which most people would have +collapsed once and for all. Seeing that if I stood where I was I must +be killed, as the horrid apparition came I flung myself down in front +of him so cleverly that, being unable to stop himself, he took a header +right over my prostrate form. Before he could rise again, _I_ had risen +and settled the matter from behind with my revolver. + +Shortly after this somebody knocked me down, and I remember no more of +that charge. + +When I came to I found myself back at the koppie, with Good bending +over me holding some water in a gourd. + +"How do you feel, old fellow?" he asked anxiously. + +I got up and shook myself before replying. + +"Pretty well, thank you," I answered. + +"Thank Heaven! When I saw them carry you in, I felt quite sick; I +thought you were done for." + +"Not this time, my boy. I fancy I only got a rap on the head, which +knocked me stupid. How has it ended?" + +"They are repulsed at every point for a while. The loss is dreadfully +heavy; we have quite two thousand killed and wounded, and they must +have lost three. Look, there's a sight!" and he pointed to long lines +of men advancing by fours. + +In the centre of every group of four, and being borne by it, was a kind +of hide tray, of which a Kukuana force always carries a quantity, with +a loop for a handle at each corner. On these trays--and their number +seemed endless--lay wounded men, who as they arrived were hastily +examined by the medicine men, of whom ten were attached to a regiment. +If the wound was not of a fatal character the sufferer was taken away +and attended to as carefully as circumstances would allow. But if, on +the other hand, the injured man's condition proved hopeless, what +followed was very dreadful, though doubtless it may have been the +truest mercy. One of the doctors, under pretence of carrying out an +examination, swiftly opened an artery with a sharp knife, and in a +minute or two the sufferer expired painlessly. There were many cases +that day in which this was done. In fact, it was done in the majority +of cases when the wound was in the body, for the gash made by the entry +of the enormously broad spears used by the Kukuanas generally rendered +recovery impossible. In most instances the poor sufferers were already +unconscious, and in others the fatal "nick" of the artery was inflicted +so swiftly and painlessly that they did not seem to notice it. Still it +was a ghastly sight, and one from which we were glad to escape; indeed, +I never remember anything of the kind that affected me more than seeing +those gallant soldiers thus put out of pain by the red-handed medicine +men, except, indeed, on one occasion when, after an attack, I saw a +force of Swazis burying their hopelessly wounded _alive_. + +Hurrying from this dreadful scene to the further side of the koppie, we +found Sir Henry, who still held a battle-axe in his hand, Ignosi, +Infadoos, and one or two of the chiefs in deep consultation. + +"Thank Heaven, here you are, Quatermain! I can't quite make out what +Ignosi wants to do. It seems that though we have beaten off the attack, +Twala is now receiving large reinforcements, and is showing a +disposition to invest us, with the view of starving us out." + +"That's awkward." + +"Yes; especially as Infadoos says that the water supply has given out." + +"My lord, that is so," said Infadoos; "the spring cannot supply the +wants of so great a multitude, and it is failing rapidly. Before night +we shall all be thirsty. Listen, Macumazahn. Thou art wise, and hast +doubtless seen many wars in the lands from whence thou camest--that is +if indeed they make wars in the Stars. Now tell us, what shall we do? +Twala has brought up many fresh men to take the place of those who have +fallen. Yet Twala has learnt his lesson; the hawk did not think to find +the heron ready; but our beak has pierced his breast; he fears to +strike at us again. We too are wounded, and he will wait for us to die; +he will wind himself round us like a snake round a buck, and fight the +fight of 'sit down.'" + +"I hear thee," I said. + +"So, Macumazahn, thou seest we have no water here, and but a little +food, and we must choose between these three things--to languish like a +starving lion in his den, or to strive to break away towards the north, +or"--and here he rose and pointed towards the dense mass of our +foes--"to launch ourselves straight at Twala's throat. Incubu, the +great warrior--for to-day he fought like a buffalo in a net, and +Twala's soldiers went down before his axe like young corn before the +hail; with these eyes I saw it--Incubu says 'Charge'; but the Elephant +is ever prone to charge. Now what says Macumazahn, the wily old fox, +who has seen much, and loves to bite his enemy from behind? The last +word is in Ignosi the king, for it is a king's right to speak of war; +but let us hear thy voice, O Macumazahn, who watchest by night, and the +voice too of him of the transparent eye." + +"What sayest thou, Ignosi," I asked. + +"Nay, my father," answered our quondam servant, who now, clad as he was +in the full panoply of savage war, looked every inch a warrior king, +"do thou speak, and let me, who am but a child in wisdom beside thee, +hearken to thy words." + +Thus adjured, after taking hasty counsel with Good and Sir Henry, I +delivered my opinion briefly to the effect that, being trapped, our +best chance, especially in view of the failure of our water supply, was +to initiate an attack upon Twala's forces. Then I recommended that the +attack should be delivered at once, "before our wounds grew stiff," and +also before the sight of Twala's overpowering force caused the hearts +of our soldiers "to wax small like fat before a fire." Otherwise, I +pointed out, some of the captains might change their minds, and, making +peace with Twala, desert to him, or even betray us into his hands. + +This expression of opinion seemed, on the whole, to be favourably +received; indeed, among the Kukuanas my utterances met with a respect +which has never been accorded to them before or since. But the real +decision as to our plans lay with Ignosi, who, since he had been +recognised as rightful king, could exercise the almost unbounded rights +of sovereignty, including, of course, the final decision on matters of +generalship, and it was to him that all eyes were now turned. + +At length, after a pause, during which he appeared to be thinking +deeply, he spoke. + +"Incubu, Macumazahn, and Bougwan, brave white men, and my friends; +Infadoos, my uncle, and chiefs; my heart is fixed. I will strike at +Twala this day, and set my fortunes on the blow, ay, and my life--my +life and your lives also. Listen; thus will I strike. Ye see how the +hill curves round like the half-moon, and how the plain runs like a +green tongue towards us within the curve?" + +"We see," I answered. + +"Good; it is now mid-day, and the men eat and rest after the toil of +battle. When the sun has turned and travelled a little way towards the +darkness, let thy regiment, my uncle, advance with one other down to +the green tongue, and it shall be that when Twala sees it he will hurl +his force at it to crush it. But the spot is narrow, and the regiments +can come against thee one at a time only; so may they be destroyed one +by one, and the eyes of all Twala's army shall be fixed upon a struggle +the like of which has not been seen by living man. And with thee, my +uncle, shall go Incubu my friend, that when Twala sees his battle-axe +flashing in the first rank of the Greys his heart may grow faint. And I +will come with the second regiment, that which follows thee, so that if +ye are destroyed, as it might happen, there may yet be a king left to +fight for; and with me shall come Macumazahn the wise." + +"It is well, O king," said Infadoos, apparently contemplating the +certainty of the complete annihilation of his regiment with perfect +calmness. Truly, these Kukuanas are a wonderful people. Death has no +terrors for them when it is incurred in the course of duty. + +"And whilst the eyes of the multitude of Twala's soldiers are thus +fixed upon the fight," went on Ignosi, "behold, one-third of the men +who are left alive to us (i.e. about 6,000) shall creep along the right +horn of the hill and fall upon the left flank of Twala's force, and +one-third shall creep along the left horn and fall upon Twala's right +flank. And when I see that the horns are ready to toss Twala, then will +I, with the men who remain to me, charge home in Twala's face, and if +fortune goes with us the day will be ours, and before Night drives her +black oxen from the mountains to the mountains we shall sit in peace at +Loo. And now let us eat and make ready; and, Infadoos, do thou prepare, +that the plan be carried out without fail; and stay, let my white +father Bougwan go with the right horn, that his shining eye may give +courage to the captains." + +The arrangements for attack thus briefly indicated were set in motion +with a rapidity that spoke well for the perfection of the Kukuana +military system. Within little more than an hour rations had been +served out and devoured, the divisions were formed, the scheme of +onslaught was explained to the leaders, and the whole force, numbering +about 18,000 men, was ready to move, with the exception of a guard left +in charge of the wounded. + +Presently Good came up to Sir Henry and myself. + +"Good-bye, you fellows," he said; "I am off with the right wing +according to orders; and so I have come to shake hands, in case we +should not meet again, you know," he added significantly. + +We shook hands in silence, and not without the exhibition of as much +emotion as Anglo-Saxons are wont to show. + +"It is a queer business," said Sir Henry, his deep voice shaking a +little, "and I confess I never expect to see to-morrow's sun. So far as +I can make out, the Greys, with whom I am to go, are to fight until +they are wiped out in order to enable the wings to slip round unawares +and outflank Twala. Well, so be it; at any rate, it will be a man's +death. Good-bye, old fellow. God bless you! I hope you will pull +through and live to collar the diamonds; but if you do, take my advice +and don't have anything more to do with Pretenders!" + +In another second Good had wrung us both by the hand and gone; and then +Infadoos came up and led off Sir Henry to his place in the forefront of +the Greys, whilst, with many misgivings, I departed with Ignosi to my +station in the second attacking regiment. + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +THE LAST STAND OF THE GREYS + +In a few more minutes the regiments destined to carry out the flanking +movements had tramped off in silence, keeping carefully to the lee of +the rising ground in order to conceal their advance from the keen eyes +of Twala's scouts. + +Half an hour or more was allowed to elapse between the setting out of +the horns or wings of the army before any stir was made by the Greys +and their supporting regiment, known as the Buffaloes, which formed its +chest, and were destined to bear the brunt of the battle. + +Both of these regiments were almost perfectly fresh, and of full +strength, the Greys having been in reserve in the morning, and having +lost but a small number of men in sweeping back that part of the attack +which had proved successful in breaking the line of defence, on the +occasion when I charged with them and was stunned for my pains. As for +the Buffaloes, they had formed the third line of defence on the left, +and since the attacking force at that point had not succeeded in +breaking through the second, they had scarcely come into action at all. + +Infadoos, who was a wary old general, and knew the absolute importance +of keeping up the spirits of his men on the eve of such a desperate +encounter, employed the pause in addressing his own regiment, the +Greys, in poetical language: explaining to them the honour that they +were receiving in being put thus in the forefront of the battle, and in +having the great white warrior from the Stars to fight with them in +their ranks; and promising large rewards of cattle and promotion to all +who survived in the event of Ignosi's arms being successful. + +I looked down the long lines of waving black plumes and stern faces +beneath them, and sighed to think that within one short hour most, if +not all, of those magnificent veteran warriors, not a man of whom was +under forty years of age, would be laid dead or dying in the dust. It +could not be otherwise; they were being condemned, with that wise +recklessness of human life which marks the great general, and often +saves his forces and attains his ends, to certain slaughter, in order +to give their cause and the remainder of the army a chance of success. +They were foredoomed to die, and they knew the truth. It was to be +their task to engage regiment after regiment of Twala's army on the +narrow strip of green beneath us, till they were exterminated or till +the wings found a favourable opportunity for their onslaught. And yet +they never hesitated, nor could I detect a sign of fear upon the face +of a single warrior. There they were--going to certain death, about to +quit the blessed light of day for ever, and yet able to contemplate +their doom without a tremor. Even at that moment I could not help +contrasting their state of mind with my own, which was far from +comfortable, and breathing a sigh of envy and admiration. Never before +had I seen such an absolute devotion to the idea of duty, and such a +complete indifference to its bitter fruits. + +"Behold your king!" ended old Infadoos, pointing to Ignosi; "go fight +and fall for him, as is the duty of brave men, and cursed and shameful +for ever be the name of him who shrinks from death for his king, or who +turns his back to the foe. Behold your king, chiefs, captains, and +soldiers! Now do your homage to the sacred Snake, and then follow on, +that Incubu and I may show you a road to the heart of Twala's host." + +There was a moment's pause, then suddenly a murmur arose from the +serried phalanxes before us, a sound like the distant whisper of the +sea, caused by the gentle tapping of the handles of six thousand spears +against their holders' shields. Slowly it swelled, till its growing +volume deepened and widened into a roar of rolling noise, that echoed +like thunder against the mountains, and filled the air with heavy waves +of sound. Then it decreased, and by faint degrees died away into +nothing, and suddenly out crashed the royal salute. + +Ignosi, I thought to myself, might well be a proud man that day, for no +Roman emperor ever had such a salutation from gladiators "about to die." + +Ignosi acknowledged this magnificent act of homage by lifting his +battle-axe, and then the Greys filed off in a triple-line formation, +each line containing about one thousand fighting men, exclusive of +officers. When the last companies had advanced some five hundred yards, +Ignosi put himself at the head of the Buffaloes, which regiment was +drawn up in a similar three-fold formation, and gave the word to march, +and off we went, I, needless to say, uttering the most heartfelt +prayers that I might emerge from that entertainment with a whole skin. +Many a queer position have I found myself in, but never before in one +quite so unpleasant as the present, or one in which my chance of coming +off safe was smaller. + +By the time that we reached the edge of the plateau the Greys were +already half-way down the slope ending in the tongue of grass land that +ran up into the bend of the mountain, something as the frog of a +horse's foot runs up into the shoe. The excitement in Twala's camp on +the plain beyond was very great, and regiment after regiment was +starting forward at a long swinging trot in order to reach the root of +the tongue of land before the attacking force could emerge into the +plain of Loo. + +This tongue, which was some four hundred yards in depth, even at its +root or widest part was not more than six hundred and fifty paces +across, while at its tip it scarcely measured ninety. The Greys, who, +in passing down the side of the hill and on to the tip of the tongue, +had formed into a column, on reaching the spot where it broadened out +again, reassumed their triple-line formation, and halted dead. + +Then we--that is, the Buffaloes--moved down the tip of the tongue and +took our stand in reserve, about one hundred yards behind the last line +of the Greys, and on slightly higher ground. Meanwhile we had leisure +to observe Twala's entire force, which evidently had been reinforced +since the morning attack, and could not now, notwithstanding their +losses, number less than forty thousand, moving swiftly up towards us. +But as they drew near the root of the tongue they hesitated, having +discovered that only one regiment could advance into the gorge at a +time, and that there, some seventy yards from the mouth of it, +unassailable except in front, on account of the high walls of +boulder-strewn ground on each side, stood the famous regiment of Greys, +the pride and glory of the Kukuana army, ready to hold the way against +their power as the three Romans once held the bridge against thousands. + +They hesitated, and finally stopped their advance; there was no +eagerness to cross spears with these three grim ranks of warriors who +stood so firm and ready. Presently, however, a tall general, wearing +the customary head-dress of nodding ostrich plumes, appeared, attended +by a group of chiefs and orderlies, being, I thought, none other than +Twala himself. He gave an order, and the first regiment, raising a +shout, charged up towards the Greys, who remained perfectly still and +silent till the attacking troops were within forty yards, and a volley +of _tollas_, or throwing-knives, came rattling among their ranks. + +Then suddenly with a bound and a roar, they sprang forward with +uplifted spears, and the regiment met in deadly strife. Next second the +roll of the meeting shields came to our ears like the sound of thunder, +and the plain seemed to be alive with flashes of light reflected from +the shimmering spears. To and fro swung the surging mass of struggling, +stabbing humanity, but not for long. Suddenly the attacking lines began +to grow thinner, and then with a slow, long heave the Greys passed over +them, just as a great wave heaves up its bulk and passes over a sunken +ridge. It was done; that regiment was completely destroyed, but the +Greys had but two lines left now; a third of their number were dead. + +Closing up shoulder to shoulder, once more they halted in silence and +awaited attack; and I was rejoiced to catch sight of Sir Henry's yellow +beard as he moved to and fro arranging the ranks. So he was yet alive! + +Meanwhile we moved on to the ground of the encounter, which was +cumbered by about four thousand prostrate human beings, dead, dying, +and wounded, and literally stained red with blood. Ignosi issued an +order, which was rapidly passed down the ranks, to the effect that none +of the enemy's wounded were to be killed, and so far as we could see +this command was scrupulously carried out. It would have been a +shocking sight, if we had found time to think of such things. + +But now a second regiment, distinguished by white plumes, kilts, and +shields, was moving to the attack of the two thousand remaining Greys, +who stood waiting in the same ominous silence as before, till the foe +was within forty yards or so, when they hurled themselves with +irresistible force upon them. Again there came the awful roll of the +meeting shields, and as we watched the tragedy repeated itself. + +But this time the issue was left longer in doubt; indeed, it seemed for +awhile almost impossible that the Greys should again prevail. The +attacking regiment, which was formed of young men, fought with the +utmost fury, and at first seemed by sheer weight to be driving the +veterans back. The slaughter was truly awful, hundreds falling every +minute; and from among the shouts of the warriors and the groans of the +dying, set to the music of clashing spears, came a continuous hissing +undertone of "_S'gee, s'gee_," the note of triumph of each victor as he +passed his assegai through and through the body of his fallen foe. + +But perfect discipline and steady and unchanging valour can do wonders, +and one veteran soldier is worth two young ones, as soon became +apparent in the present case. For just when we thought that it was all +over with the Greys, and were preparing to take their place so soon as +they made room by being destroyed, I heard Sir Henry's deep voice +ringing out through the din, and caught a glimpse of his circling +battle-axe as he waved it high above his plumes. Then came a change; +the Greys ceased to give; they stood still as a rock, against which the +furious waves of spearmen broke again and again, only to recoil. +Presently they began to move once more--forward this time; as they had +no firearms there was no smoke, so we could see it all. Another minute +and the onslaught grew fainter. + +"Ah, these are _men_, indeed; they will conquer again," called out +Ignosi, who was grinding his teeth with excitement at my side. "See, it +is done!" + +Suddenly, like puffs of smoke from the mouth of a cannon, the attacking +regiment broke away in flying groups, their white head-dresses +streaming behind them in the wind, and left their opponents victors, +indeed, but, alas! no more a regiment. Of the gallant triple line, +which forty minutes before had gone into action three thousand strong, +there remained at most some six hundred blood-spattered men; the rest +were under foot. And yet they cheered and waved their spears in +triumph, and then, instead of falling back upon us as we expected, they +ran forward, for a hundred yards or so, after the flying groups of +foemen, took possession of a rising knoll of ground, and, resuming +their triple formation, formed a threefold ring around its base. And +there, thanks be to Heaven, standing on the top of the mound for a +minute, I saw Sir Henry, apparently unharmed, and with him our old +friend Infadoos. Then Twala's regiments rolled down upon the doomed +band, and once more the battle closed in. + +As those who read this history will probably long ago have gathered, I +am, to be honest, a bit of a coward, and certainly in no way given to +fighting, though somehow it has often been my lot to get into +unpleasant positions, and to be obliged to shed man's blood. But I have +always hated it, and kept my own blood as undiminished in quantity as +possible, sometimes by a judicious use of my heels. At this moment, +however, for the first time in my life, I felt my bosom burn with +martial ardour. Warlike fragments from the "Ingoldsby Legends," +together with numbers of sanguinary verses in the Old Testament, sprang +up in my brain like mushrooms in the dark; my blood, which hitherto had +been half-frozen with horror, went beating through my veins, and there +came upon me a savage desire to kill and spare not. I glanced round at +the serried ranks of warriors behind us, and somehow, all in an +instant, I began to wonder if my face looked like theirs. There they +stood, the hands twitching, the lips apart, the fierce features +instinct with the hungry lust of battle, and in the eyes a look like +the glare of a bloodhound when after long pursuit he sights his quarry. + +Only Ignosi's heart, to judge from his comparative self-possession, +seemed, to all appearances, to beat as calmly as ever beneath his +leopard-skin cloak, though even _he_ still ground his teeth. I could +bear it no longer. + +"Are we to stand here till we put out roots, Umbopa--Ignosi, I +mean--while Twala swallows our brothers yonder?" I asked. + +"Nay, Macumazahn," was the answer; "see, now is the ripe moment: let us +pluck it." + +As he spoke a fresh regiment rushed past the ring upon the little +mound, and wheeling round, attacked it from the hither side. + +Then, lifting his battle-axe, Ignosi gave the signal to advance, and, +screaming the wild Kukuana war-cry, the Buffaloes charged home with a +rush like the rush of the sea. + +What followed immediately on this it is out of my power to tell. All I +can remember is an irregular yet ordered advance, that seemed to shake +the ground; a sudden change of front and forming up on the part of the +regiment against which the charge was directed; then an awful shock, a +dull roar of voices, and a continuous flashing of spears, seen through +a red mist of blood. + +When my mind cleared I found myself standing inside the remnant of the +Greys near the top of the mound, and just behind no less a person than +Sir Henry himself. How I got there I had at the moment no idea, but Sir +Henry afterwards told me that I was borne up by the first furious +charge of the Buffaloes almost to his feet, and then left, as they in +turn were pressed back. Thereon he dashed out of the circle and dragged +me into shelter. + +As for the fight that followed, who can describe it? Again and again +the multitudes surged against our momentarily lessening circle, and +again and again we beat them back. + + "The stubborn spearmen still made good + The dark impenetrable wood, + Each stepping where his comrade stood + The instant that he fell," + +as someone or other beautifully says. + +It was a splendid thing to see those brave battalions come on time +after time over the barriers of their dead, sometimes lifting corpses +before them to receive our spear-thrusts, only to leave their own +corpses to swell the rising piles. It was a gallant sight to see that +old warrior, Infadoos, as cool as though he were on parade, shouting +out orders, taunts, and even jests, to keep up the spirit of his few +remaining men, and then, as each charge rolled on, stepping forward to +wherever the fighting was thickest, to bear his share in its repulse. +And yet more gallant was the vision of Sir Henry, whose ostrich plumes +had been shorn off by a spear thrust, so that his long yellow hair +streamed out in the breeze behind him. There he stood, the great Dane, +for he was nothing else, his hands, his axe, and his armour all red +with blood, and none could live before his stroke. Time after time I +saw it sweeping down, as some great warrior ventured to give him +battle, and as he struck he shouted "_O-hoy! O-hoy!_" like his +Berserkir forefathers, and the blow went crashing through shield and +spear, through head-dress, hair, and skull, till at last none would of +their own will come near the great white "_umtagati_," the wizard, who +killed and failed not. + +But suddenly there rose a cry of "_Twala, y' Twala_," and out of the +press sprang forward none other than the gigantic one-eyed king +himself, also armed with battle-axe and shield, and clad in chain +armour. + +"Where art thou, Incubu, thou white man, who slewest Scragga my +son--see if thou canst slay me!" he shouted, and at the same time +hurled a _tolla_ straight at Sir Henry, who fortunately saw it coming, +and caught it on his shield, which it transfixed, remaining wedged in +the iron plate behind the hide. + +Then, with a cry, Twala sprang forward straight at him, and with his +battle-axe struck him such a blow upon the shield that the mere force +and shock of it brought Sir Henry, strong man as he is, down upon his +knees. + +But at this time the matter went no further, for that instant there +rose from the regiments pressing round us something like a shout of +dismay, and on looking up I saw the cause. + +To the right and to the left the plain was alive with the plumes of +charging warriors. The outflanking squadrons had come to our relief. +The time could not have been better chosen. All Twala's army, as Ignosi +predicted would be the case, had fixed their attention on the bloody +struggle which was raging round the remnant of the Greys and that of +the Buffaloes, who were now carrying on a battle of their own at a +little distance, which two regiments had formed the chest of our army. +It was not until our horns were about to close upon them that they had +dreamed of their approach, for they believed these forces to be hidden +in reserve upon the crest of the moon-shaped hill. And now, before they +could even assume a proper formation for defence, the outflanking +_Impis_ had leapt, like greyhounds, on their flanks. + +In five minutes the fate of the battle was decided. Taken on both +flanks, and dismayed at the awful slaughter inflicted upon them by the +Greys and Buffaloes, Twala's regiments broke into flight, and soon the +whole plain between us and Loo was scattered with groups of running +soldiers making good their retreat. As for the hosts that had so +recently surrounded us and the Buffaloes, they melted away as though by +magic, and presently we were left standing there like a rock from which +the sea has retreated. But what a sight it was! Around us the dead and +dying lay in heaped-up masses, and of the gallant Greys there remained +but ninety-five men upon their feet. More than three thousand four +hundred had fallen in this one regiment, most of them never to rise +again. + +"Men," said Infadoos calmly, as between the intervals of binding a +wound on his arm he surveyed what remained to him of his corps, "ye +have kept up the reputation of your regiment, and this day's fighting +will be well spoken of by your children's children." Then he turned +round and shook Sir Henry Curtis by the hand. "Thou art a great +captain, Incubu," he said simply; "I have lived a long life among +warriors, and have known many a brave one, yet have I never seen a man +like unto thee." + +At this moment the Buffaloes began to march past our position on the +road to Loo, and as they went a message was brought to us from Ignosi +requesting Infadoos, Sir Henry, and myself to join them. Accordingly, +orders having been issued to the remaining ninety men of the Greys to +employ themselves in collecting the wounded, we joined Ignosi, who +informed us that he was pressing on to Loo to complete the victory by +capturing Twala, if that should be possible. Before we had gone far, +suddenly we discovered the figure of Good sitting on an ant-heap about +one hundred paces from us. Close beside him was the body of a Kukuana. + +"He must be wounded," said Sir Henry anxiously. As he made the remark, +an untoward thing happened. The dead body of the Kukuana soldier, or +rather what had appeared to be his dead body, suddenly sprang up, +knocked Good head over heels off the ant-heap, and began to spear him. +We rushed forward in terror, and as we drew near we saw the brawny +warrior making dig after dig at the prostrate Good, who at each prod +jerked all his limbs into the air. Seeing us coming, the Kukuana gave +one final and most vicious dig, and with a shout of "Take that, +wizard!" bolted away. Good did not move, and we concluded that our poor +comrade was done for. Sadly we came towards him, and were astonished to +find him pale and faint indeed, but with a serene smile upon his face, +and his eyeglass still fixed in his eye. + +"Capital armour this," he murmured, on catching sight of our faces +bending over him. "How sold that beggar must have been," and then he +fainted. On examination we discovered that he had been seriously +wounded in the leg by a _tolla_ in the course of the pursuit, but that +the chain armour had prevented his last assailant's spear from doing +anything more than bruise him badly. It was a merciful escape. As +nothing could be done for him at the moment, he was placed on one of +the wicker shields used for the wounded, and carried along with us. + +On arriving before the nearest gate of Loo we found one of our +regiments watching it in obedience to orders received from Ignosi. The +other regiments were in the same way guarding the different exits to +the town. The officer in command of this regiment saluted Ignosi as +king, and informed him that Twala's army had taken refuge in the town, +whither Twala himself had also escaped, but he thought that they were +thoroughly demoralised, and would surrender. Thereupon Ignosi, after +taking counsel with us, sent forward heralds to each gate ordering the +defenders to open, and promising on his royal word life and forgiveness +to every soldier who laid down his arms, but saying that if they did +not do so before nightfall he would certainly burn the town and all +within its gates. This message was not without its effect. Half an hour +later, amid the shouts and cheers of the Buffaloes, the bridge was +dropped across the fosse, and the gates upon the further side were +flung open. + +Taking due precautions against treachery, we marched on into the town. +All along the roadways stood thousands of dejected warriors, their +heads drooping, and their shields and spears at their feet, who, headed +by their officers, saluted Ignosi as king as he passed. On we marched, +straight to Twala's kraal. When we reached the great space, where a day +or two previously we had seen the review and the witch hunt, we found +it deserted. No, not quite deserted, for there, on the further side, in +front of his hut, sat Twala himself, with but one attendant--Gagool. + +It was a melancholy sight to see him seated, his battle-axe and shield +by his side, his chin upon his mailed breast, with but one old crone +for companion, and notwithstanding his crimes and misdeeds, a pang of +compassion shot through me as I looked upon Twala thus "fallen from his +high estate." Not a soldier of all his armies, not a courtier out of +the hundreds who had cringed round him, not even a solitary wife, +remained to share his fate or halve the bitterness of his fall. Poor +savage! he was learning the lesson which Fate teaches to most of us who +live long enough, that the eyes of mankind are blind to the +discredited, and that he who is defenceless and fallen finds few +friends and little mercy. Nor, indeed, in this case did he deserve any. + +Filing through the kraal gate, we marched across the open space to +where the ex-king sat. When within about fifty yards of him the +regiment was halted, and accompanied only by a small guard we advanced +towards him, Gagool reviling us bitterly as we came. As we drew near, +Twala, for the first time, lifted his plumed head, and fixed his one +eye, which seemed to flash with suppressed fury almost as brightly as +the great diamond bound round his forehead, upon his successful +rival--Ignosi. + +"Hail, O king!" he said, with bitter mockery; "thou who hast eaten of +my bread, and now by the aid of the white man's magic hast seduced my +regiments and defeated mine army, hail! What fate hast thou in store +for me, O king?" + +"The fate thou gavest to my father, whose throne thou hast sat on these +many years!" was the stern answer. + +"It is good. I will show thee how to die, that thou mayest remember it +against thine own time. See, the sun sinks in blood," and he pointed +with his battle-axe towards the setting orb; "it is well that my sun +should go down in its company. And now, O king! I am ready to die, but +I crave the boon of the Kukuana royal House[1] to die fighting. Thou +canst not refuse it, or even those cowards who fled to-day will hold thee +shamed." + +"It is granted. Choose--with whom wilt thou fight? Myself I cannot +fight with thee, for the king fights not except in war." + +Twala's sombre eye ran up and down our ranks, and I felt, as for a +moment it rested on myself, that the position had developed a new +horror. What if he chose to begin by fighting _me_? What chance should +I have against a desperate savage six feet five high, and broad in +proportion? I might as well commit suicide at once. Hastily I made up +my mind to decline the combat, even if I were hooted out of Kukuanaland +as a consequence. It is, I think, better to be hooted than to be +quartered with a battle-axe. + +Presently Twala spoke. + +"Incubu, what sayest thou, shall we end what we began to-day, or shall +I call thee coward, white--even to the liver?" + +"Nay," interposed Ignosi hastily; "thou shalt not fight with Incubu." + +"Not if he is afraid," said Twala. + +Unfortunately Sir Henry understood this remark, and the blood flamed up +into his cheeks. + +"I will fight him," he said; "he shall see if I am afraid." + +"For Heaven's sake," I entreated, "don't risk your life against that of +a desperate man. Anybody who saw you to-day will know that you are +brave enough." + +"I will fight him," was the sullen answer. "No living man shall call me +a coward. I am ready now!" and he stepped forward and lifted his axe. + +I wrung my hands over this absurd piece of Quixotism; but if he was +determined on this deed, of course I could not stop him. + +"Fight not, my white brother," said Ignosi, laying his hand +affectionately on Sir Henry's arm; "thou hast fought enough, and if +aught befell thee at his hands it would cut my heart in twain." + +"I will fight, Ignosi," was Sir Henry's answer. + +"It is well, Incubu; thou art a brave man. It will be a good fray. +Behold, Twala, the Elephant is ready for thee." + +The ex-king laughed savagely, and stepping forward faced Curtis. For a +moment they stood thus, and the light of the sinking sun caught their +stalwart frames and clothed them both in fire. They were a well-matched +pair. + +Then they began to circle round each other, their battle-axes raised. + +Suddenly Sir Henry sprang forward and struck a fearful blow at Twala, +who stepped to one side. So heavy was the stroke that the striker half +overbalanced himself, a circumstance of which his antagonist took a +prompt advantage. Circling his massive battle-axe round his head, he +brought it down with tremendous force. My heart jumped into my mouth; I +thought that the affair was already finished. But no; with a quick +upward movement of the left arm Sir Henry interposed his shield between +himself and the axe, with the result that its outer edge was shorn +away, the axe falling on his left shoulder, but not heavily enough to +do any serious damage. In another moment Sir Henry got in a second +blow, which was also received by Twala upon his shield. + +Then followed blow upon blow, that were, in turn, either received upon +the shields or avoided. The excitement grew intense; the regiment which +was watching the encounter forgot its discipline, and, drawing near, +shouted and groaned at every stroke. Just at this time, too, Good, who +had been laid upon the ground by me, recovered from his faint, and, +sitting up, perceived what was going on. In an instant he was up, and +catching hold of my arm, hopped about from place to place on one leg, +dragging me after him, and yelling encouragements to Sir Henry-- + +"Go it, old fellow!" he hallooed. "That was a good one! Give it him +amidships," and so on. + +Presently Sir Henry, having caught a fresh stroke upon his shield, hit +out with all his force. The blow cut through Twala's shield and through +the tough chain armour behind it, gashing him in the shoulder. With a +yell of pain and fury Twala returned the blow with interest, and, such +was his strength, shore right through the rhinoceros' horn handle of +his antagonists battle-axe, strengthened as it was with bands of steel, +wounding Curtis in the face. + +A cry of dismay rose from the Buffaloes as our hero's broad axe-head +fell to the ground; and Twala, again raising his weapon, flew at him +with a shout. I shut my eyes. When I opened them again it was to see +Sir Henry's shield lying on the ground, and Sir Henry himself with his +great arms twined round Twala's middle. To and fro they swung, hugging +each other like bears, straining with all their mighty muscles for dear +life, and dearer honour. With a supreme effort Twala swung the +Englishman clean off his feet, and down they came together, rolling +over and over on the lime paving, Twala striking out at Curtis' head +with the battle-axe, and Sir Henry trying to drive the _tolla_ he had +drawn from his belt through Twala's armour. + +It was a mighty struggle, and an awful thing to see. + +"Get his axe!" yelled Good; and perhaps our champion heard him. + +At any rate, dropping the _tolla_, he snatched at the axe, which was +fastened to Twala's wrist by a strip of buffalo hide, and still rolling +over and over, they fought for it like wild cats, drawing their breath +in heavy gasps. Suddenly the hide string burst, and then, with a great +effort, Sir Henry freed himself, the weapon remaining in his hand. +Another second and he was upon his feet, the red blood streaming from +the wound in his face, and so was Twala. Drawing the heavy _tolla_ from +his belt, he reeled straight at Curtis and struck him in the breast. +The stab came home true and strong, but whoever it was who made that +chain armour, he understood his art, for it withstood the steel. Again +Twala struck out with a savage yell, and again the sharp knife +rebounded, and Sir Henry went staggering back. Once more Twala came on, +and as he came our great Englishman gathered himself together, and +swinging the big axe round his head with both hands, hit at him with +all his force. + +There was a shriek of excitement from a thousand throats, and, behold! +Twala's head seemed to spring from his shoulders: then it fell and came +rolling and bounding along the ground towards Ignosi, stopping just at +his feet. For a second the corpse stood upright; then with a dull crash +it came to the earth, and the gold torque from its neck rolled away +across the pavement. As it did so Sir Henry, overpowered by faintness +and loss of blood, fell heavily across the body of the dead king. + +In a second he was lifted up, and eager hands were pouring water on his +face. Another minute, and the grey eyes opened wide. + +He was not dead. + +Then I, just as the sun sank, stepping to where Twala's head lay in the +dust, unloosed the diamond from the dead brows, and handed it to Ignosi. + +"Take it," I said, "lawful king of the Kukuanas--king by birth and +victory." + +Ignosi bound the diadem upon his brows. Then advancing, he placed his +foot upon the broad chest of his headless foe and broke out into a +chant, or rather a paean of triumph, so beautiful, and yet so utterly +savage, that I despair of being able to give an adequate version of his +words. Once I heard a scholar with a fine voice read aloud from the +Greek poet Homer, and I remember that the sound of the rolling lines +seemed to make my blood stand still. Ignosi's chant, uttered as it was +in a language as beautiful and sonorous as the old Greek, produced +exactly the same effect on me, although I was exhausted with toil and +many emotions. + +"Now," he began, "now our rebellion is swallowed up in victory, and our +evil-doing is justified by strength. + +"In the morning the oppressors arose and stretched themselves; they +bound on their harness and made them ready to war. + +"They rose up and tossed their spears: the soldiers called to the +captains, 'Come, lead us'--and the captains cried to the king, 'Direct +thou the battle.' + +"They laughed in their pride, twenty thousand men, and yet a twenty +thousand. + +"Their plumes covered the valleys as the plumes of a bird cover her +nest; they shook their shields and shouted, yea, they shook their +shields in the sunlight; they lusted for battle and were glad. + +"They came up against me; their strong ones ran swiftly to slay me; +they cried, 'Ha! ha! he is as one already dead.' + + + +"Then breathed I on them, and my breath was as the breath of a wind, +and lo! they were not. + +"My lightnings pierced them; I licked up their strength with the +lightning of my spears; I shook them to the ground with the thunder of +my shoutings. + +"They broke--they scattered--they were gone as the mists of the morning. + +"They are food for the kites and the foxes, and the place of battle is +fat with their blood. + + +"Where are the mighty ones who rose up in the morning? + +"Where are the proud ones who tossed their spears and cried, 'He is as +a man already dead'? + +"They bow their heads, but not in sleep; they are stretched out, but +not in sleep. + +"They are forgotten; they have gone into the blackness; they dwell in +the dead moons; yea, others shall lead away their wives, and their +children shall remember them no more. + + +"And I--! the king--like an eagle I have found my eyrie. + +"Behold! far have I flown in the night season, yet have I returned to +my young at the daybreak. + +"Shelter ye under the shadow of my wings, O people, and I will comfort +you, and ye shall not be dismayed. + +"Now is the good time, the time of spoil. + +"Mine are the cattle on the mountains, mine are the virgins in the +kraals. + +"The winter is overpast with storms, the summer is come with flowers. + +"Now Evil shall cover up her face, now Mercy and Gladness shall dwell +in the land. + +"Rejoice, rejoice, my people! + +"Let all the stars rejoice in that this tyranny is trodden down, in +that I am the king." + + +Ignosi ceased his song, and out of the gathering gloom came back the +deep reply-- + +"_Thou art the king!_" + + +Thus was my prophecy to the herald fulfilled, and within the +forty-eight hours Twala's headless corpse was stiffening at Twala's +gate. + + +[1] It is a law amongst the Kukuanas that no man of the direct royal +blood can be put to death, unless by his own consent, which is, +however, never refused. He is allowed to choose a succession of +antagonists, to be approved by the king, with whom he fights, till one +of them kills him.--A.Q. + + + +CHAPTER XV + +GOOD FALLS SICK + +After the fight was ended, Sir Henry and Good were carried into Twala's +hut, where I joined them. They were both utterly exhausted by exertion +and loss of blood, and, indeed, my own condition was little better. I +am very wiry, and can stand more fatigue than most men, probably on +account of my light weight and long training; but that night I was +quite done up, and, as is always the case with me when exhausted, that +old wound which the lion gave me began to pain. Also my head was aching +violently from the blow I had received in the morning, when I was +knocked senseless. Altogether, a more miserable trio than we were that +evening it would have been difficult to discover; and our only comfort +lay in the reflection that we were exceedingly fortunate to be there to +feel miserable, instead of being stretched dead upon the plain, as so +many thousands of brave men were that night, who had risen well and +strong in the morning. + +Somehow, with the assistance of the beautiful Foulata, who, since we +had been the means of saving her life, had constituted herself our +handmaiden, and especially Good's, we managed to get off the chain +shirts, which had certainly saved the lives of two of us that day. As I +expected, we found that the flesh underneath was terribly contused, for +though the steel links had kept the weapons from entering, they had not +prevented them from bruising. Both Sir Henry and Good were a mass of +contusions, and I was by no means free. As a remedy Foulata brought us +some pounded green leaves, with an aromatic odour, which, when applied +as a plaster, gave us considerable relief. + +But though the bruises were painful, they did not give us such anxiety +as Sir Henry's and Good's wounds. Good had a hole right through the +fleshy part of his "beautiful white leg," from which he had lost a +great deal of blood; and Sir Henry, with other hurts, had a deep cut +over the jaw, inflicted by Twala's battle-axe. Luckily Good is a very +decent surgeon, and so soon as his small box of medicines was +forthcoming, having thoroughly cleansed the wounds, he managed to +stitch up first Sir Henry's and then his own pretty satisfactorily, +considering the imperfect light given by the primitive Kukuana lamp in +the hut. Afterwards he plentifully smeared the injured places with some +antiseptic ointment, of which there was a pot in the little box, and we +covered them with the remains of a pocket-handkerchief which we +possessed. + +Meanwhile Foulata had prepared us some strong broth, for we were too +weary to eat. This we swallowed, and then threw ourselves down on the +piles of magnificent karrosses, or fur rugs, which were scattered about +the dead king's great hut. By a very strange instance of the irony of +fate, it was on Twala's own couch, and wrapped in Twala's own +particular karross, that Sir Henry, the man who had slain him, slept +that night. + +I say slept; but after that day's work, sleep was indeed difficult. To +begin with, in very truth the air was full + + "Of farewells to the dying + And mournings for the dead." + +From every direction came the sound of the wailing of women whose +husbands, sons, and brothers had perished in the battle. No wonder that +they wailed, for over twelve thousand men, or nearly a fifth of the +Kukuana army, had been destroyed in that awful struggle. It was +heart-rending to lie and listen to their cries for those who never +would return; and it made me understand the full horror of the work +done that day to further man's ambition. Towards midnight, however, the +ceaseless crying of the women grew less frequent, till at length the +silence was only broken at intervals of a few minutes by a long +piercing howl that came from a hut in our immediate rear, which, as I +afterwards discovered, proceeded from Gagool "keening" over the dead +king Twala. + +After that I got a little fitful sleep, only to wake from time to time +with a start, thinking that I was once more an actor in the terrible +events of the last twenty-four hours. Now I seemed to see that warrior +whom my hand had sent to his last account charging at me on the +mountain-top; now I was once more in that glorious ring of Greys, which +made its immortal stand against all Twala's regiments upon the little +mound; and now again I saw Twala's plumed and gory head roll past my +feet with gnashing teeth and glaring eye. + +At last, somehow or other, the night passed away; but when dawn broke I +found that my companions had slept no better than myself. Good, indeed, +was in a high fever, and very soon afterwards began to grow +light-headed, and also, to my alarm, to spit blood, the result, no +doubt, of some internal injury, inflicted during the desperate efforts +made by the Kukuana warrior on the previous day to force his big spear +through the chain armour. Sir Henry, however, seemed pretty fresh, +notwithstanding his wound on the face, which made eating difficult and +laughter an impossibility, though he was so sore and stiff that he +could scarcely stir. + +About eight o'clock we had a visit from Infadoos, who appeared but +little the worse--tough old warrior that he was--for his exertions in +the battle, although he informed us that he had been up all night. He +was delighted to see us, but much grieved at Good's condition, and +shook our hands cordially. I noticed, however, that he addressed Sir +Henry with a kind of reverence, as though he were something more than +man; and, indeed, as we afterwards found out, the great Englishman was +looked on throughout Kukuanaland as a supernatural being. No man, the +soldiers said, could have fought as he fought or, at the end of a day +of such toil and bloodshed, could have slain Twala, who, in addition to +being the king, was supposed to be the strongest warrior in the +country, in single combat, shearing through his bull-neck at a stroke. +Indeed, that stroke became proverbial in Kukuanaland, and any +extraordinary blow or feat of strength was henceforth known as +"Incubu's blow." + +Infadoos told us also that all Twala's regiments had submitted to +Ignosi, and that like submissions were beginning to arrive from chiefs +in the outlying country. Twala's death at the hands of Sir Henry had +put an end to all further chance of disturbance; for Scragga had been +his only legitimate son, so there was no rival claimant to the throne +left alive. + +I remarked that Ignosi had swum to power through blood. The old chief +shrugged his shoulders. "Yes," he answered; "but the Kukuana people can +only be kept cool by letting their blood flow sometimes. Many are +killed, indeed, but the women are left, and others must soon grow up to +take the places of the fallen. After this the land would be quiet for a +while." + +Afterwards, in the course of the morning, we had a short visit from +Ignosi, on whose brows the royal diadem was now bound. As I +contemplated him advancing with kingly dignity, an obsequious guard +following his steps, I could not help recalling to my mind the tall +Zulu who had presented himself to us at Durban some few months back, +asking to be taken into our service, and reflecting on the strange +revolutions of the wheel of fortune. + +"Hail, O king!" I said, rising. + +"Yes, Macumazahn. King at last, by the might of your three right +hands," was the ready answer. + +All was, he said, going well; and he hoped to arrange a great feast in +two weeks' time in order to show himself to the people. + +I asked him what he had settled to do with Gagool. + +"She is the evil genius of the land," he answered, "and I shall kill +her, and all the witch doctors with her! She has lived so long that +none can remember when she was not very old, and she it is who has +always trained the witch-hunters, and made the land wicked in the sight +of the heavens above." + +"Yet she knows much," I replied; "it is easier to destroy knowledge, +Ignosi, than to gather it." + +"That is so," he said thoughtfully. "She, and she only, knows the +secret of the 'Three Witches,' yonder, whither the great road runs, +where the kings are buried, and the Silent Ones sit." + +"Yes, and the diamonds are. Forget not thy promise, Ignosi; thou must +lead us to the mines, even if thou hast to spare Gagool alive to show +the way." + +"I will not forget, Macumazahn, and I will think on what thou sayest." + +After Ignosi's visit I went to see Good, and found him quite delirious. +The fever set up by his wound seemed to have taken a firm hold of his +system, and to be complicated with an internal injury. For four or five +days his condition was most critical; indeed, I believe firmly that had +it not been for Foulata's indefatigable nursing he must have died. + +Women are women, all the world over, whatever their colour. Yet somehow +it seemed curious to watch this dusky beauty bending night and day over +the fevered man's couch, and performing all the merciful errands of a +sick-room swiftly, gently, and with as fine an instinct as that of a +trained hospital nurse. For the first night or two I tried to help her, +and so did Sir Henry as soon as his stiffness allowed him to move, but +Foulata bore our interference with impatience, and finally insisted +upon our leaving him to her, saying that our movements made him +restless, which I think was true. Day and night she watched him and +tended him, giving him his only medicine, a native cooling drink made +of milk, in which was infused juice from the bulb of a species of +tulip, and keeping the flies from settling on him. I can see the whole +picture now as it appeared night after night by the light of our +primitive lamp; Good tossing to and fro, his features emaciated, his +eyes shining large and luminous, and jabbering nonsense by the yard; +and seated on the ground by his side, her back resting against the wall +of the hut, the soft-eyed, shapely Kukuana beauty, her face, weary as +it was with her long vigil, animated by a look of infinite +compassion--or was it something more than compassion? + +For two days we thought that he must die, and crept about with heavy +hearts. + +Only Foulata would not believe it. + +"He will live," she said. + +For three hundred yards or more around Twala's chief hut, where the +sufferer lay, there was silence; for by the king's order all who lived +in the habitations behind it, except Sir Henry and myself, had been +removed, lest any noise should come to the sick man's ears. One night, +it was the fifth of Good's illness, as was my habit, I went across to +see how he was doing before turning in for a few hours. + +I entered the hut carefully. The lamp placed upon the floor showed the +figure of Good tossing no more, but lying quite still. + +So it had come at last! In the bitterness of my heart I gave something +like a sob. + +"Hush--h--h!" came from the patch of dark shadow behind Good's head. + +Then, creeping closer, I saw that he was not dead, but sleeping +soundly, with Foulata's taper fingers clasped tightly in his poor white +hand. The crisis had passed, and he would live. He slept like that for +eighteen hours; and I scarcely like to say it, for fear I should not be +believed, but during the entire period did this devoted girl sit by +him, fearing that if she moved and drew away her hand it would wake +him. What she must have suffered from cramp and weariness, to say +nothing of want of food, nobody will ever know; but it is the fact +that, when at last he woke, she had to be carried away--her limbs were +so stiff that she could not move them. + + +After the turn had once been taken, Good's recovery was rapid and +complete. It was not till he was nearly well that Sir Henry told him of +all he owed to Foulata; and when he came to the story of how she sat by +his side for eighteen hours, fearing lest by moving she should wake +him, the honest sailor's eyes filled with tears. He turned and went +straight to the hut where Foulata was preparing the mid-day meal, for +we were back in our old quarters now, taking me with him to interpret +in case he could not make his meaning clear to her, though I am bound +to say that she understood him marvellously as a rule, considering how +extremely limited was his foreign vocabulary. + +"Tell her," said Good, "that I owe her my life, and that I will never +forget her kindness to my dying day." + +I interpreted, and under her dark skin she actually seemed to blush. + +Turning to him with one of those swift and graceful motions that in her +always reminded me of the flight of a wild bird, Foulata answered +softly, glancing at him with her large brown eyes-- + +"Nay, my lord; my lord forgets! Did he not save _my_ life, and am I not +my lord's handmaiden?" + +It will be observed that the young lady appeared entirely to have +forgotten the share which Sir Henry and myself had taken in her +preservation from Twala's clutches. But that is the way of women! I +remember my dear wife was just the same. Well, I retired from that +little interview sad at heart. I did not like Miss Foulata's soft +glances, for I knew the fatal amorous propensities of sailors in +general, and of Good in particular. + +There are two things in the world, as I have found out, which cannot be +prevented: you cannot keep a Zulu from fighting, or a sailor from +falling in love upon the slightest provocation! + +It was a few days after this last occurrence that Ignosi held his great +"indaba," or council, and was formally recognised as king by the +"indunas," or head men, of Kukuanaland. The spectacle was a most +imposing one, including as it did a grand review of troops. On this day +the remaining fragments of the Greys were formally paraded, and in the +face of the army thanked for their splendid conduct in the battle. To +each man the king made a large present of cattle, promoting them one +and all to the rank of officers in the new corps of Greys which was in +process of formation. An order was also promulgated throughout the +length and breadth of Kukuanaland that, whilst we honoured the country +by our presence, we three were to be greeted with the royal salute, and +to be treated with the same ceremony and respect that was by custom +accorded to the king. Also the power of life and death was publicly +conferred upon us. Ignosi, too, in the presence of his people, +reaffirmed the promises which he had made, to the effect that no man's +blood should be shed without trial, and that witch-hunting should cease +in the land. + +When the ceremony was over we waited upon Ignosi, and informed him that +we were now anxious to investigate the mystery of the mines to which +Solomon's Road ran, asking him if he had discovered anything about them. + +"My friends," he answered, "I have discovered this. It is there that +the three great figures sit, who here are called the 'Silent Ones,' and +to whom Twala would have offered the girl Foulata as a sacrifice. It is +there, too, in a great cave deep in the mountain, that the kings of the +land are buried; there ye shall find Twala's body, sitting with those +who went before him. There, also, is a deep pit, which, at some time, +long-dead men dug out, mayhap for the stones ye speak of, such as I +have heard men in Natal tell of at Kimberley. There, too, in the Place +of Death is a secret chamber, known to none but the king and Gagool. +But Twala, who knew it, is dead, and I know it not, nor know I what is +in it. Yet there is a legend in the land that once, many generations +gone, a white man crossed the mountains, and was led by a woman to the +secret chamber and shown the wealth hidden in it. But before he could +take it she betrayed him, and he was driven by the king of that day +back to the mountains, and since then no man has entered the place." + +"The story is surely true, Ignosi, for on the mountains we found the +white man," I said. + +"Yes, we found him. And now I have promised you that if ye can come to +that chamber, and the stones are there--" + +"The gem upon thy forehead proves that they are there," I put in, +pointing to the great diamond I had taken from Twala's dead brows. + +"Mayhap; if they are there," he said, "ye shall have as many as ye can +take hence--if indeed ye would leave me, my brothers." + +"First we must find the chamber," said I. + +"There is but one who can show it to thee--Gagool." + +"And if she will not?" + +"Then she must die," said Ignosi sternly. "I have saved her alive but +for this. Stay, she shall choose," and calling to a messenger he +ordered Gagool to be brought before him. + +In a few minutes she came, hurried along by two guards, whom she was +cursing as she walked. + +"Leave her," said the king to the guards. + +So soon as their support was withdrawn, the withered old bundle--for +she looked more like a bundle than anything else, out of which her two +bright and wicked eyes gleamed like those of a snake--sank in a heap on +to the floor. + +"What will ye with me, Ignosi?" she piped. "Ye dare not touch me. If ye +touch me I will slay you as ye sit. Beware of my magic." + +"Thy magic could not save Twala, old she-wolf, and it cannot hurt me," +was the answer. "Listen; I will this of thee, that thou reveal to us +the chamber where are the shining stones." + +"Ha! ha!" she piped, "none know its secret but I, and I will never tell +thee. The white devils shall go hence empty-handed." + +"Thou shalt tell me. I will make thee tell me." + +"How, O king? Thou art great, but can thy power wring the truth from a +woman?" + +"It is difficult, yet will I do so." + +"How, O king?" + +"Nay, thus; if thou tellest not thou shalt slowly die." + +"Die!" she shrieked in terror and fury; "ye dare not touch me--man, ye +know not who I am. How old think ye am I? I knew your fathers, and your +fathers' fathers' fathers. When the country was young I was here; when +the country grows old I shall still be here. I cannot die unless I be +killed by chance, for none dare slay me." + +"Yet will I slay thee. See, Gagool, mother of evil, thou art so old +that thou canst no longer love thy life. What can life be to such a hag +as thou, who hast no shape, nor form, nor hair, nor teeth--hast naught, +save wickedness and evil eyes? It will be mercy to make an end of thee, +Gagool." + +"Thou fool," shrieked the old fiend, "thou accursed fool, deemest thou +that life is sweet only to the young? It is not so, and naught thou +knowest of the heart of man to think it. To the young, indeed, death is +sometimes welcome, for the young can feel. They love and suffer, and it +wrings them to see their beloved pass to the land of shadows. But the +old feel not, they love not, and, _ha! ha!_ they laugh to see another +go out into the dark; _ha! ha!_ they laugh to see the evil that is done +under the stars. All they love is life, the warm, warm sun, and the +sweet, sweet air. They are afraid of the cold, afraid of the cold and +the dark, _ha! ha! ha!_" and the old hag writhed in ghastly merriment +on the ground. + +"Cease thine evil talk and answer me," said Ignosi angrily. "Wilt thou +show the place where the stones are, or wilt thou not? If thou wilt not +thou diest, even now," and he seized a spear and held it over her. + +"I will not show it; thou darest not kill me, darest not! He who slays +me will be accursed for ever." + +Slowly Ignosi brought down the spear till it pricked the prostrate heap +of rags. + +With a wild yell Gagool sprang to her feet, then fell again and rolled +upon the floor. + +"Nay, I will show thee. Only let me live, let me sit in the sun and +have a bit of meat to suck, and I will show thee." + +"It is well. I thought that I should find a way to reason with thee. +To-morrow shalt thou go with Infadoos and my white brothers to the +place, and beware how thou failest, for if thou showest it not, then +thou shalt slowly die. I have spoken." + +"I will not fail, Ignosi. I always keep my word--_ha! ha! ha!_ Once +before a woman showed the chamber to a white man, and behold! evil +befell him," and here her wicked eyes glinted. "Her name was Gagool +also. Perchance I was that woman." + +"Thou liest," I said, "that was ten generations gone." + +"Mayhap, mayhap; when one lives long one forgets. Perhaps it was my +mother's mother who told me; surely her name was Gagool also. But mark, +ye will find in the place where the bright things are a bag of hide +full of stones. The man filled that bag, but he never took it away. +Evil befell him, I say, evil befell him! Perhaps it was my mother's +mother who told me. It will be a merry journey--we can see the bodies +of those who died in the battle as we go. Their eyes will be gone by +now, and their ribs will be hollow. _Ha! ha! ha!_" + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +THE PLACE OF DEATH + +It was already dark on the third day after the scene described in the +previous chapter when we camped in some huts at the foot of the "Three +Witches," as the triangle of mountains is called to which Solomon's +Great Road runs. Our party consisted of our three selves and Foulata, +who waited on us--especially on Good--Infadoos, Gagool, who was borne +along in a litter, inside which she could be heard muttering and +cursing all day long, and a party of guards and attendants. The +mountains, or rather the three peaks of the mountain, for the mass was +evidently the result of a solitary upheaval, were, as I have said, in +the form of a triangle, of which the base was towards us, one peak +being on our right, one on our left, and one straight in front of us. +Never shall I forget the sight afforded by those three towering peaks +in the early sunlight of the following morning. High, high above us, up +into the blue air, soared their twisted snow-wreaths. Beneath the +snow-line the peaks were purple with heaths, and so were the wild moors +that ran up the slopes towards them. Straight before us the white +ribbon of Solomon's Great Road stretched away uphill to the foot of the +centre peak, about five miles from us, and there stopped. It was its +terminus. + +I had better leave the feelings of intense excitement with which we set +out on our march that morning to the imagination of those who read this +history. At last we were drawing near to the wonderful mines that had +been the cause of the miserable death of the old Portuguese Dom three +centuries ago, of my poor friend, his ill-starred descendant, and also, +as we feared, of George Curtis, Sir Henry's brother. Were we destined, +after all that we had gone through, to fare any better? Evil befell +them, as that old fiend Gagool said; would it also befall us? Somehow, +as we were marching up that last stretch of beautiful road, I could not +help feeling a little superstitious about the matter, and so I think +did Good and Sir Henry. + +For an hour and a half or more we tramped on up the heather-fringed +way, going so fast in our excitement that the bearers of Gagool's +hammock could scarcely keep pace with us, and its occupant piped out to +us to stop. + +"Walk more slowly, white men," she said, projecting her hideous +shrivelled countenance between the grass curtains, and fixing her +gleaming eyes upon us; "why will ye run to meet the evil that shall +befall you, ye seekers after treasure?" and she laughed that horrible +laugh which always sent a cold shiver down my back, and for a while +quite took the enthusiasm out of us. + +However, on we went, till we saw before us, and between ourselves and +the peak, a vast circular hole with sloping sides, three hundred feet +or more in depth, and quite half a mile round. + +"Can't you guess what this is?" I said to Sir Henry and Good, who were +staring in astonishment at the awful pit before us. + +They shook their heads. + +"Then it is clear that you have never seen the diamond diggings at +Kimberley. You may depend on it that this is Solomon's Diamond Mine. +Look there," I said, pointing to the strata of stiff blue clay which +were yet to be seen among the grass and bushes that clothed the sides +of the pit, "the formation is the same. I'll be bound that if we went +down there we should find 'pipes' of soapy brecciated rock. Look, too," +and I pointed to a series of worn flat slabs of stone that were placed +on a gentle slope below the level of a watercourse which in some past +age had been cut out of the solid rock; "if those are not tables once +used to wash the 'stuff,' I'm a Dutchman." + +At the edge of this vast hole, which was none other than the pit marked +on the old Dom's map, the Great Road branched into two and circumvented +it. In many places, by the way, this surrounding road was built +entirely out of blocks of stone, apparently with the object of +supporting the edges of the pit and preventing falls of reef. Along +this path we pressed, driven by curiosity to see what were the three +towering objects which we could discern from the hither side of the +great gulf. As we drew near we perceived that they were Colossi of some +sort or another, and rightly conjectured that before us sat the three +"Silent Ones" that are held in such awe by the Kukuana people. But it +was not until we were quite close to them that we recognised the full +majesty of these "Silent Ones." + +There, upon huge pedestals of dark rock, sculptured with rude emblems +of the Phallic worship, separated from each other by a distance of +forty paces, and looking down the road which crossed some sixty miles +of plain to Loo, were three colossal seated forms--two male and one +female--each measuring about thirty feet from the crown of its head to +the pedestal. + +The female form, which was nude, was of great though severe beauty, but +unfortunately the features had been injured by centuries of exposure to +the weather. Rising from either side of her head were the points of a +crescent. The two male Colossi, on the contrary, were draped, and +presented a terrifying cast of features, especially the one to our +right, which had the face of a devil. That to our left was serene in +countenance, but the calm upon it seemed dreadful. It was the calm of +that inhuman cruelty, Sir Henry remarked, which the ancients attributed +to beings potent for good, who could yet watch the sufferings of +humanity, if not without rejoicing, at least without sorrow. These +three statues form a most awe-inspiring trinity, as they sit there in +their solitude, and gaze out across the plain for ever. + +Contemplating these "Silent Ones," as the Kukuanas call them, an +intense curiosity again seized us to know whose were the hands which +had shaped them, who it was that had dug the pit and made the road. +Whilst I was gazing and wondering, suddenly it occurred to me--being +familiar with the Old Testament--that Solomon went astray after strange +gods, the names of three of whom I remembered--"Ashtoreth, the goddess +of the Zidonians, Chemosh, the god of the Moabites, and Milcom, the god +of the children of Ammon"--and I suggested to my companions that the +figures before us might represent these false and exploded divinities. + +"Hum," said Sir Henry, who is a scholar, having taken a high degree in +classics at college, "there may be something in that; Ashtoreth of the +Hebrews was the Astarte of the Phoenicians, who were the great traders +of Solomon's time. Astarte, who afterwards became the Aphrodite of the +Greeks, was represented with horns like the half-moon, and there on the +brow of the female figure are distinct horns. Perhaps these Colossi +were designed by some Phoenician official who managed the mines. Who +can say?"[1] + +Before we had finished examining these extraordinary relics of remote +antiquity, Infadoos came up, and having saluted the "Silent Ones" by +lifting his spear, asked us if we intended entering the "Place of +Death" at once, or if we would wait till after we had taken food at +mid-day. If we were ready to go at once, Gagool had announced her +willingness to guide us. As it was not later than eleven +o'clock--driven to it by a burning curiosity--we announced our +intention of proceeding instantly, and I suggested that, in case we +should be detained in the cave, we should take some food with us. +Accordingly Gagool's litter was brought up, and that lady herself +assisted out of it. Meanwhile Foulata, at my request, stored some +"biltong," or dried game-flesh, together with a couple of gourds of +water, in a reed basket with a hinged cover. Straight in front of us, +at a distance of some fifty paces from the backs of the Colossi, rose a +sheer wall of rock, eighty feet or more in height, that gradually +sloped upwards till it formed the base of the lofty snow-wreathed peak, +which soared into the air three thousand feet above us. As soon as she +was clear of her hammock, Gagool cast one evil grin upon us, and then, +leaning on a stick, hobbled off towards the face of this wall. We +followed her till we came to a narrow portal solidly arched that looked +like the opening of a gallery of a mine. + +Here Gagool was waiting for us, still with that evil grin upon her +horrid face. + +"Now, white men from the Stars," she piped; "great warriors, Incubu, +Bougwan, and Macumazahn the wise, are ye ready? Behold, I am here to do +the bidding of my lord the king, and to show you the store of bright +stones. _Ha! ha! ha!_" + +"We are ready," I said. + +"Good, good! Make strong your hearts to bear what ye shall see. Comest +thou too, Infadoos, thou who didst betray thy master?" + +Infadoos frowned as he answered-- + +"Nay, I come not; it is not for me to enter there. But thou, Gagool, +curb thy tongue, and beware how thou dealest with my lords. At thy +hands will I require them, and if a hair of them be hurt, Gagool, be'st +thou fifty times a witch, thou shalt die. Hearest thou?" + +"I hear Infadoos; I know thee, thou didst ever love big words; when +thou wast a babe I remember thou didst threaten thine own mother. That +was but the other day. But, fear not, fear not, I live only to do the +bidding of the king. I have done the bidding of many kings, Infadoos, +till in the end they did mine. _Ha! ha!_ I go to look upon their faces +once more, and Twala's also! Come on, come on, here is the lamp," and +she drew a large gourd full of oil, and fitted with a rush wick, from +under her fur cloak. + +"Art thou coming, Foulata?" asked Good in his villainous Kitchen +Kukuana, in which he had been improving himself under that young lady's +tuition. + +"I fear, my lord," the girl answered timidly. + +"Then give me the basket." + +"Nay, my lord, whither thou goest there I go also." + +"The deuce you will!" thought I to myself; "that may be rather awkward +if we ever get out of this." + +Without further ado Gagool plunged into the passage, which was wide +enough to admit of two walking abreast, and quite dark. We followed the +sound of her voice as she piped to us to come on, in some fear and +trembling, which was not allayed by the flutter of a sudden rush of +wings. + +"Hullo! what's that?" halloed Good; "somebody hit me in the face." + +"Bats," said I; "on you go." + +When, so far as we could judge, we had gone some fifty paces, we +perceived that the passage was growing faintly light. Another minute, +and we were in perhaps the most wonderful place that the eyes of living +man have beheld. + +Let the reader picture to himself the hall of the vastest cathedral he +ever stood in, windowless indeed, but dimly lighted from above, +presumably by shafts connected with the outer air and driven in the +roof, which arched away a hundred feet above our heads, and he will get +some idea of the size of the enormous cave in which we found ourselves, +with the difference that this cathedral designed by nature was loftier +and wider than any built by man. But its stupendous size was the least +of the wonders of the place, for running in rows adown its length were +gigantic pillars of what looked like ice, but were, in reality, huge +stalactites. It is impossible for me to convey any idea of the +overpowering beauty and grandeur of these pillars of white spar, some +of which were not less than twenty feet in diameter at the base, and +sprang up in lofty and yet delicate beauty sheer to the distant roof. +Others again were in process of formation. On the rock floor there was +in these cases what looked, Sir Henry said, exactly like a broken +column in an old Grecian temple, whilst high above, depending from the +roof, the point of a huge icicle could be dimly seen. + +Even as we gazed we could hear the process going on, for presently with +a tiny splash a drop of water would fall from the far-off icicle on to +the column below. On some columns the drops only fell once in two or +three minutes, and in these cases it would be an interesting +calculation to discover how long, at that rate of dripping, it would +take to form a pillar, say eighty feet by ten in diameter. That the +process, in at least one instance, was incalculably slow, the following +example will suffice to show. Cut on one of these pillars we discovered +the crude likeness of a mummy, by the head of which sat what appeared +to be the figure of an Egyptian god, doubtless the handiwork of some +old-world labourer in the mine. This work of art was executed at the +natural height at which an idle fellow, be he Phoenician workman or +British cad, is in the habit of trying to immortalise himself at the +expense of nature's masterpieces, namely, about five feet from the +ground. Yet at the time that we saw it, which _must_ have been nearly +three thousand years after the date of the execution of the carving, +the column was only eight feet high, and was still in process of +formation, which gives a rate of growth of a foot to a thousand years, +or an inch and a fraction to a century. This we knew because, as we +were standing by it, we heard a drop of water fall. + +Sometimes the stalagmites took strange forms, presumably where the +dropping of the water had not always been on the same spot. Thus, one +huge mass, which must have weighed a hundred tons or so, was in the +shape of a pulpit, beautifully fretted over outside with a design that +looked like lace. Others resembled strange beasts, and on the sides of +the cave were fanlike ivory tracings, such as the frost leaves upon a +pane. + +Out of the vast main aisle there opened here and there smaller caves, +exactly, Sir Henry said, as chapels open out of great cathedrals. Some +were large, but one or two--and this is a wonderful instance of how +nature carries out her handiwork by the same unvarying laws, utterly +irrespective of size--were tiny. One little nook, for instance, was no +larger than an unusually big doll's house, and yet it might have been a +model for the whole place, for the water dropped, tiny icicles hung, +and spar columns were forming in just the same way. + +We had not, however, enough time to examine this beautiful cavern so +thoroughly as we should have liked to do, since unfortunately, Gagool +seemed to be indifferent as to stalactites, and only anxious to get her +business over. This annoyed me the more, as I was particularly anxious +to discover, if possible, by what system the light was admitted into +the cave, and whether it was by the hand of man or by that of nature +that this was done; also if the place had been used in any way in +ancient times, as seemed probable. However, we consoled ourselves with +the idea that we would investigate it thoroughly on our way back, and +followed on at the heels of our uncanny guide. + +On she led us, straight to the top of the vast and silent cave, where +we found another doorway, not arched as the first was, but square at +the top, something like the doorways of Egyptian temples. + +"Are ye prepared to enter the Place of Death, white men?" asked Gagool, +evidently with a view to making us feel uncomfortable. + +"Lead on, Macduff," said Good solemnly, trying to look as though he was +not at all alarmed, as indeed we all did except Foulata, who caught +Good by the arm for protection. + +"This is getting rather ghastly," said Sir Henry, peeping into the dark +passageway. "Come on, Quatermain--_seniores priores_. We mustn't keep +the old lady waiting!" and he politely made way for me to lead the van, +for which inwardly I did not bless him. + +_Tap, tap,_ went old Gagool's stick down the passage, as she trotted +along, chuckling hideously; and still overcome by some unaccountable +presentiment of evil, I hung back. + +"Come, get on, old fellow," said Good, "or we shall lose our fair +guide." + +Thus adjured, I started down the passage, and after about twenty paces +found myself in a gloomy apartment some forty feet long, by thirty +broad, and thirty high, which in some past age evidently had been +hollowed, by hand-labour, out of the mountain. This apartment was not +nearly so well lighted as the vast stalactite ante-cave, and at the +first glance all I could discern was a massive stone table running down +its length, with a colossal white figure at its head, and life-sized +white figures all round it. Next I discovered a brown thing, seated on +the table in the centre, and in another moment my eyes grew accustomed +to the light, and I saw what all these things were, and was tailing out +of the place as hard as my legs could carry me. + +I am not a nervous man in a general way, and very little troubled with +superstitions, of which I have lived to see the folly; but I am free to +own that this sight quite upset me, and had it not been that Sir Henry +caught me by the collar and held me, I do honestly believe that in +another five minutes I should have been outside the stalactite cave, +and that a promise of all the diamonds in Kimberley would not have +induced me to enter it again. But he held me tight, so I stopped +because I could not help myself. Next second, however, _his_ eyes +became accustomed to the light, and he let go of me, and began to mop +the perspiration off his forehead. As for Good, he swore feebly, while +Foulata threw her arms round his neck and shrieked. + +Only Gagool chuckled loud and long. + +It _was_ a ghastly sight. There at the end of the long stone table, +holding in his skeleton fingers a great white spear, sat _Death_ +himself, shaped in the form of a colossal human skeleton, fifteen feet +or more in height. High above his head he held the spear, as though in +the act to strike; one bony hand rested on the stone table before him, +in the position a man assumes on rising from his seat, whilst his frame +was bent forward so that the vertebrae of the neck and the grinning, +gleaming skull projected towards us, and fixed its hollow eye-places +upon us, the jaws a little open, as though it were about to speak. + +"Great heavens!" said I faintly, at last, "what can it be?" + +"And what are _those things_?" asked Good, pointing to the white +company round the table. + +"And what on earth is _that thing_?" said Sir Henry, pointing to the +brown creature seated on the table. + +"_Hee! hee! hee!_" laughed Gagool. "To those who enter the Hall of the +Dead, evil comes. _Hee! hee! hee! ha! ha!_" + +"Come, Incubu, brave in battle, come and see him thou slewest;" and the +old creature caught Curtis' coat in her skinny fingers, and led him +away towards the table. We followed. + +Presently she stopped and pointed at the brown object seated on the +table. Sir Henry looked, and started back with an exclamation; and no +wonder, for there, quite naked, the head which Curtis' battle-axe had +shorn from the body resting on its knees, was the gaunt corpse of +Twala, the last king of the Kukuanas. Yes, there, the head perched upon +the knees, it sat in all its ugliness, the vertebrae projecting a full +inch above the level of the shrunken flesh of the neck, for all the +world like a black double of Hamilton Tighe.[2] Over the surface of the +corpse there was gathered a thin glassy film, that made its appearance +yet more appalling, for which we were, at the moment, quite unable to +account, till presently we observed that from the roof of the chamber +the water fell steadily, _drip! drop! drip!_ on to the neck of the +corpse, whence it ran down over the entire surface, and finally escaped +into the rock through a tiny hole in the table. Then I guessed what the +film was--_Twala's body was being transformed into a stalactite._ + +A look at the white forms seated on the stone bench which ran round +that ghastly board confirmed this view. They were human bodies indeed, +or rather they had been human; now they were _stalactites_. This was +the way in which the Kukuana people had from time immemorial preserved +their royal dead. They petrified them. What the exact system might be, +if there was any, beyond the placing of them for a long period of years +under the drip, I never discovered, but there they sat, iced over and +preserved for ever by the siliceous fluid. + +Anything more awe-inspiring than the spectacle of this long line of +departed royalties (there were twenty-seven of them, the last being +Ignosi's father), wrapped, each of them, in a shroud of ice-like spar, +through which the features could be dimly discovered, and seated round +that inhospitable board, with Death himself for a host, it is +impossible to imagine. That the practice of thus preserving their kings +must have been an ancient one is evident from the number, which, +allowing for an average reign of fifteen years, supposing that every +king who reigned was placed here--an improbable thing, as some are sure +to have perished in battle far from home--would fix the date of its +commencement at four and a quarter centuries back. + +But the colossal Death, who sits at the head of the board, is far older +than that, and, unless I am much mistaken, owes his origin to the same +artist who designed the three Colossi. He is hewn out of a single +stalactite, and, looked at as a work of art, is most admirably +conceived and executed. Good, who understands such things, declared +that, so far as he could see, the anatomical design of the skeleton is +perfect down to the smallest bones. + +My own idea is, that this terrific object was a freak of fancy on the +part of some old-world sculptor, and that its presence had suggested to +the Kukuanas the idea of placing their royal dead under its awful +presidency. Or perhaps it was set there to frighten away any marauders +who might have designs upon the treasure chamber beyond. I cannot say. +All I can do is to describe it as it is, and the reader must form his +own conclusion. + +Such, at any rate, was the White Death and such were the White Dead! + + +[1] Compare Milton, "Paradise Lost," Book i.:-- + + "With these in troop + Came Ashtoreth, whom the Phoenicians called + Astarte, Queen of Heaven, with crescent horns; + To whose bright image nightly by the moon + Sidonian virgins paid their vows and songs." + +[2] "Now haste ye, my handmaidens, haste and see + How he sits there and glowers with his head on his knee." + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +SOLOMON'S TREASURE CHAMBER + +While we were engaged in recovering from our fright, and in examining +the grisly wonders of the Place of Death, Gagool had been differently +occupied. Somehow or other--for she was marvellously active when she +chose--she had scrambled on to the great table, and made her way to +where our departed friend Twala was placed, under the drip, to see, +suggested Good, how he was "pickling," or for some dark purpose of her +own. Then, after bending down to kiss his icy lips as though in +affectionate greeting, she hobbled back, stopping now and again to +address the remark, the tenor of which I could not catch, to one or +other of the shrouded forms, just as you or I might welcome an old +acquaintance. Having gone through this mysterious and horrible +ceremony, she squatted herself down on the table immediately under the +White Death, and began, so far as I could make out, to offer up +prayers. The spectacle of this wicked creature pouring out +supplications, evil ones no doubt, to the arch enemy of mankind, was so +uncanny that it caused us to hasten our inspection. + +"Now, Gagool," said I, in a low voice--somehow one did not dare to +speak above a whisper in that place--"lead us to the chamber." + +The old witch promptly scrambled down from the table. + +"My lords are not afraid?" she said, leering up into my face. + +"Lead on." + +"Good, my lords;" and she hobbled round to the back of the great Death. +"Here is the chamber; let my lords light the lamp, and enter," and she +placed the gourd full of oil upon the floor, and leaned herself against +the side of the cave. I took out a match, of which we had still a few +in a box, and lit a rush wick, and then looked for the doorway, but +there was nothing before us except the solid rock. Gagool grinned. "The +way is there, my lords. _Ha! ha! ha!_" + +"Do not jest with us," I said sternly. + +"I jest not, my lords. See!" and she pointed at the rock. + +As she did so, on holding up the lamp we perceived that a mass of stone +was rising slowly from the floor and vanishing into the rock above, +where doubtless there is a cavity prepared to receive it. The mass was +of the width of a good-sized door, about ten feet high and not less +than five feet thick. It must have weighed at least twenty or thirty +tons, and was clearly moved upon some simple balance principle of +counter-weights, probably the same as that by which the opening and +shutting of an ordinary modern window is arranged. How the principle +was set in motion, of course none of us saw; Gagool was careful to +avoid this; but I have little doubt that there was some very simple +lever, which was moved ever so little by pressure at a secret spot, +thereby throwing additional weight on to the hidden counter-balances, +and causing the monolith to be lifted from the ground. + +Very slowly and gently the great stone raised itself, till at last it +had vanished altogether, and a dark hole presented itself to us in the +place which the door had filled. + +Our excitement was so intense, as we saw the way to Solomon's treasure +chamber thrown open at last, that I for one began to tremble and shake. +Would it prove a hoax after all, I wondered, or was old Da Silvestra +right? Were there vast hoards of wealth hidden in that dark place, +hoards which would make us the richest men in the whole world? We +should know in a minute or two. + +"Enter, white men from the Stars," said Gagool, advancing into the +doorway; "but first hear your servant, Gagool the old. The bright +stones that ye will see were dug out of the pit over which the Silent +Ones are set, and stored here, I know not by whom, for that was done +longer ago than even I remember. But once has this place been entered +since the time that those who hid the stones departed in haste, leaving +them behind. The report of the treasure went down indeed among the +people who lived in the country from age to age, but none knew where +the chamber was, nor the secret of the door. But it happened that a +white man reached this country from over the mountains--perchance he +too came 'from the Stars'--and was well received by the king of that +day. He it is who sits yonder," and she pointed to the fifth king at +the table of the Dead. "And it came to pass that he and a woman of the +country who was with him journeyed to this place, and that by chance +the woman learnt the secret of the door--a thousand years might ye +search, but ye should never find that secret. Then the white man +entered with the woman, and found the stones, and filled with stones +the skin of a small goat, which the woman had with her to hold food. +And as he was going from the chamber he took up one more stone, a large +one, and held it in his hand." + +Here she paused. + +"Well," I asked, breathless with interest as we all were, "what +happened to Da Silvestra?" + +The old hag started at the mention of the name. + +"How knowest thou the dead man's name?" she asked sharply; and then, +without waiting for an answer, went on-- + +"None can tell what happened; but it came about that the white man was +frightened, for he flung down the goat-skin, with the stones, and fled +out with only the one stone in his hand, and that the king took, and it +is the stone which thou, Macumazahn, didst take from Twala's brow." + +"Have none entered here since?" I asked, peering again down the dark +passage. + +"None, my lords. Only the secret of the door has been kept, and every +king has opened it, though he has not entered. There is a saying, that +those who enter there will die within a moon, even as the white man +died in the cave upon the mountain, where ye found him, Macumazahn, and +therefore the kings do not enter. _Ha! ha!_ mine are true words." + +Our eyes met as she said it, and I turned sick and cold. How did the +old hag know all these things? + +"Enter, my lords. If I speak truth, the goat-skin with the stones will +lie upon the floor; and if there is truth as to whether it is death to +enter here, that ye will learn afterwards. _Ha! ha! ha!_" and she +hobbled through the doorway, bearing the light with her; but I confess +that once more I hesitated about following. + +"Oh, confound it all!" said Good; "here goes. I am not going to be +frightened by that old devil;" and followed by Foulata, who, however, +evidently did not at all like the business, for she was shivering with +fear, he plunged into the passage after Gagool--an example which we +quickly followed. + +A few yards down the passage, in the narrow way hewn out of the living +rock, Gagool had paused, and was waiting for us. + +"See, my lords," she said, holding the light before her, "those who +stored the treasure here fled in haste, and bethought them to guard +against any who should find the secret of the door, but had not the +time," and she pointed to large square blocks of stone, which, to the +height of two courses (about two feet three), had been placed across +the passage with a view to walling it up. Along the side of the passage +were similar blocks ready for use, and, most curious of all, a heap of +mortar and a couple of trowels, which tools, so far as we had time to +examine them, appeared to be of a similar shape and make to those used +by workmen to this day. + +Here Foulata, who had been in a state of great fear and agitation +throughout, said that she felt faint and could go no farther, but would +wait there. Accordingly we set her down on the unfinished wall, placing +the basket of provisions by her side, and left her to recover. + +Following the passage for about fifteen paces farther, we came suddenly +to an elaborately painted wooden door. It was standing wide open. +Whoever was last there had either not found the time to shut it, or had +forgotten to do so. + +_Across the threshold of this door lay a skin bag, formed of a +goat-skin, that appeared to be full of pebbles._ + +"_Hee! hee!_ white men," sniggered Gagool, as the light from the lamp +fell upon it. "What did I tell you, that the white man who came here +fled in haste, and dropped the woman's bag--behold it! Look within also +and ye will find a water-gourd amongst the stones." + +Good stooped down and lifted it. It was heavy and jingled. + +"By Jove! I believe it's full of diamonds," he said, in an awed +whisper; and, indeed, the idea of a small goat-skin full of diamonds is +enough to awe anybody. + +"Go on," said Sir Henry impatiently. "Here, old lady, give me the +lamp," and taking it from Gagool's hand, he stepped through the doorway +and held it high above his head. + +We pressed in after him, forgetful for the moment of the bag of +diamonds, and found ourselves in King Solomon's treasure chamber. + +At first, all that the somewhat faint light given by the lamp revealed +was a room hewn out of the living rock, and apparently not more than +ten feet square. Next there came into sight, stored one on the other to +the arch of the roof, a splendid collection of elephant-tusks. How many +of them there were we did not know, for of course we could not see to +what depth they went back, but there could not have been less than the +ends of four or five hundred tusks of the first quality visible to our +eyes. There, alone, was enough ivory to make a man wealthy for life. +Perhaps, I thought, it was from this very store that Solomon drew the +raw material for his "great throne of ivory," of which "there was not +the like made in any kingdom." + +On the opposite side of the chamber were about a score of wooden boxes, +something like Martini-Henry ammunition boxes, only rather larger, and +painted red. + +"There are the diamonds," cried I; "bring the light." + +Sir Henry did so, holding it close to the top box, of which the lid, +rendered rotten by time even in that dry place, appeared to have been +smashed in, probably by Da Silvestra himself. Pushing my hand through +the hole in the lid I drew it out full, not of diamonds, but of gold +pieces, of a shape that none of us had seen before, and with what +looked like Hebrew characters stamped upon them. + +"Ah!" I said, replacing the coin, "we shan't go back empty-handed, +anyhow. There must be a couple of thousand pieces in each box, and +there are eighteen boxes. I suppose this was the money to pay the +workmen and merchants." + +"Well," put in Good, "I think that is the lot; I don't see any +diamonds, unless the old Portuguese put them all into his bag." + +"Let my lords look yonder where it is darkest, if they would find the +stones," said Gagool, interpreting our looks. "There my lords will find +a nook, and three stone chests in the nook, two sealed and one open." + +Before translating this to Sir Henry, who carried the light, I could +not resist asking how she knew these things, if no one had entered the +place since the white man, generations ago. + +"Ah, Macumazahn, the watcher by night," was the mocking answer, "ye who +dwell in the stars, do ye not know that some live long, and that some +have eyes which can see through rock? _Ha! ha! ha!_" + +"Look in that corner, Curtis," I said, indicating the spot Gagool had +pointed out. + +"Hullo, you fellows," he cried, "here's a recess. Great heavens! see +here." + +We hurried up to where he was standing in a nook, shaped something like +a small bow window. Against the wall of this recess were placed three +stone chests, each about two feet square. Two were fitted with stone +lids, the lid of the third rested against the side of the chest, which +was open. + +"_See!_" he repeated hoarsely, holding the lamp over the open chest. We +looked, and for a moment could make nothing out, on account of a +silvery sheen which dazzled us. When our eyes grew used to it we saw +that the chest was three-parts full of uncut diamonds, most of them of +considerable size. Stooping, I picked some up. Yes, there was no doubt +of it, there was the unmistakable soapy feel about them. + +I fairly gasped as I dropped them. + +"We are the richest men in the whole world," I said. "Monte Christo was +a fool to us." + +"We shall flood the market with diamonds," said Good. + +"Got to get them there first," suggested Sir Henry. + +We stood still with pale faces and stared at each other, the lantern in +the middle and the glimmering gems below, as though we were +conspirators about to commit a crime, instead of being, as we thought, +the most fortunate men on earth. + +"_Hee! hee! hee!_" cackled old Gagool behind us, as she flitted about +like a vampire bat. "There are the bright stones ye love, white men, as +many as ye will; take them, run them through your fingers, _eat_ of +them, _hee! hee! drink_ of them, _ha! ha!_" + +At that moment there was something so ridiculous to my mind at the idea +of eating and drinking diamonds, that I began to laugh outrageously, an +example which the others followed, without knowing why. There we stood +and shrieked with laughter over the gems that were ours, which had been +found for _us_ thousands of years ago by the patient delvers in the +great hole yonder, and stored for _us_ by Solomon's long-dead overseer, +whose name, perchance, was written in the characters stamped on the +faded wax that yet adhered to the lids of the chest. Solomon never got +them, nor David, or Da Silvestra, nor anybody else. _We_ had got them: +there before us were millions of pounds' worth of diamonds, and +thousands of pounds' worth of gold and ivory only waiting to be taken +away. + +Suddenly the fit passed off, and we stopped laughing. + +"Open the other chests, white men," croaked Gagool, "there are surely +more therein. Take your fill, white lords! _Ha! ha!_ take your fill." + +Thus adjured, we set to work to pull up the stone lids on the other +two, first--not without a feeling of sacrilege--breaking the seals that +fastened them. + +Hoorah! they were full too, full to the brim; at least, the second one +was; no wretched burglarious Da Silvestra had been filling goat-skins +out of that. As for the third chest, it was only about a fourth full, +but the stones were all picked ones; none less than twenty carats, and +some of them as large as pigeon-eggs. A good many of these bigger ones, +however, we could see by holding them up to the light, were a little +yellow, "off coloured," as they call it at Kimberley. + +What we did _not_ see, however, was the look of fearful malevolence +that old Gagool favoured us with as she crept, crept like a snake, out +of the treasure chamber and down the passage towards the door of solid +rock. + + * * * * * + +Hark! Cry upon cry comes ringing up the vaulted path. It is Foulata's +voice! + +"_Oh, Bougwan! help! help! the stone falls!_" + +"Leave go, girl! Then--" + +"_Help! help! she has stabbed me!_" + +By now we are running down the passage, and this is what the light from +the lamp shows us. The door of the rock is closing down slowly; it is +not three feet from the floor. Near it struggle Foulata and Gagool. The +red blood of the former runs to her knee, but still the brave girl +holds the old witch, who fights like a wild cat. Ah! she is free! +Foulata falls, and Gagool throws herself on the ground, to twist like a +snake through the crack of the closing stone. She is under--ah! god! +too late! too late! The stone nips her, and she yells in agony. Down, +down it comes, all the thirty tons of it, slowly pressing her old body +against the rock below. Shriek upon shriek, such as we have never +heard, then a long sickening _crunch_, and the door was shut just as, +rushing down the passage, we hurled ourselves against it. + +It was all done in four seconds. + +Then we turned to Foulata. The poor girl was stabbed in the body, and I +saw that she could not live long. + +"Ah! Bougwan, I die!" gasped the beautiful creature. "She crept +out--Gagool; I did not see her, I was faint--and the door began to +fall; then she came back, and was looking up the path--I saw her come +in through the slowly falling door, and caught her and held her, and +she stabbed me, and _I die_, Bougwan!" + +"Poor girl! poor girl!" Good cried in his distress; and then, as he +could do nothing else, he fell to kissing her. + +"Bougwan," she said, after a pause, "is Macumazahn there? It grows so +dark, I cannot see." + +"Here I am, Foulata." + +"Macumazahn, be my tongue for a moment, I pray thee, for Bougwan cannot +understand me, and before I go into the darkness I would speak to him a +word." + +"Say on, Foulata, I will render it." + +"Say to my lord, Bougwan, that--I love him, and that I am glad to die +because I know that he cannot cumber his life with such as I am, for +the sun may not mate with the darkness, nor the white with the black. + +"Say that, since I saw him, at times I have felt as though there were a +bird in my bosom, which would one day fly hence and sing elsewhere. +Even now, though I cannot lift my hand, and my brain grows cold, I do +not feel as though my heart were dying; it is so full of love that it +could live ten thousand years, and yet be young. Say that if I live +again, mayhap I shall see him in the Stars, and that--I will search +them all, though perchance there I should still be black and he +would--still be white. Say--nay, Macumazahn, say no more, save that I +love--Oh, hold me closer, Bougwan, I cannot feel thine arms--_oh! oh!_" + +"She is dead--she is dead!" muttered Good, rising in grief, the tears +running down his honest face. + +"You need not let that trouble you, old fellow," said Sir Henry. + +"Eh!" exclaimed Good; "what do you mean?" + +"I mean that you will soon be in a position to join her. _Man, don't +you see that we are buried alive?_" + +Until Sir Henry uttered these words I do not think that the full horror +of what had happened had come home to us, preoccupied as we were with +the sight of poor Foulata's end. But now we understood. The ponderous +mass of rock had closed, probably for ever, for the only brain which +knew its secret was crushed to powder beneath its weight. This was a +door that none could hope to force with anything short of dynamite in +large quantities. And we were on the wrong side! + +For a few minutes we stood horrified, there over the corpse of Foulata. +All the manhood seemed to have gone out of us. The first shock of this +idea of the slow and miserable end that awaited us was overpowering. We +saw it all now; that fiend Gagool had planned this snare for us from +the first. + +It would have been just the jest that her evil mind would have rejoiced +in, the idea of the three white men, whom, for some reason of her own, +she had always hated, slowly perishing of thirst and hunger in the +company of the treasure they had coveted. Now I saw the point of that +sneer of hers about eating and drinking the diamonds. Probably somebody +had tried to serve the poor old Dom in the same way, when he abandoned +the skin full of jewels. + +"This will never do," said Sir Henry hoarsely; "the lamp will soon go +out. Let us see if we can't find the spring that works the rock." + +We sprang forward with desperate energy, and, standing in a bloody +ooze, began to feel up and down the door and the sides of the passage. +But no knob or spring could we discover. + +"Depend on it," I said, "it does not work from the inside; if it did +Gagool would not have risked trying to crawl underneath the stone. It +was the knowledge of this that made her try to escape at all hazards, +curse her." + +"At all events," said Sir Henry, with a hard little laugh, "retribution +was swift; hers was almost as awful an end as ours is likely to be. We +can do nothing with the door; let us go back to the treasure room." + +We turned and went, and as we passed it I perceived by the unfinished +wall across the passage the basket of food which poor Foulata had +carried. I took it up, and brought it with me to the accursed treasure +chamber that was to be our grave. Then we returned and reverently bore +in Foulata's corpse, laying it on the floor by the boxes of coin. + +Next we seated ourselves, leaning our backs against the three stone +chests which contained the priceless treasure. + +"Let us divide the food," said Sir Henry, "so as to make it last as +long as possible." Accordingly we did so. It would, we reckoned, make +four infinitesimally small meals for each of us, enough, say, to +support life for a couple of days. Besides the "biltong," or dried +game-flesh, there were two gourds of water, each of which held not more +than a quart. + +"Now," said Sir Henry grimly, "let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we +die." + +We each ate a small portion of the "biltong," and drank a sip of water. +Needless to say, we had but little appetite, though we were sadly in +need of food, and felt better after swallowing it. Then we got up and +made a systematic examination of the walls of our prison-house, in the +faint hope of finding some means of exit, sounding them and the floor +carefully. + +There was none. It was not probable that there would be any to a +treasure chamber. + +The lamp began to burn dim. The fat was nearly exhausted. + +"Quatermain," said Sir Henry, "what is the time--your watch goes?" + +I drew it out, and looked at it. It was six o'clock; we had entered the +cave at eleven. + +"Infadoos will miss us," I suggested. "If we do not return to-night he +will search for us in the morning, Curtis." + +"He may search in vain. He does not know the secret of the door, nor +even where it is. No living person knew it yesterday, except Gagool. +To-day no one knows it. Even if he found the door he could not break it +down. All the Kukuana army could not break through five feet of living +rock. My friends, I see nothing for it but to bow ourselves to the will +of the Almighty. The search for treasure has brought many to a bad end; +we shall go to swell their number." + +The lamp grew dimmer yet. + +Presently it flared up and showed the whole scene in strong relief, the +great mass of white tusks, the boxes of gold, the corpse of the poor +Foulata stretched before them, the goat-skin full of treasure, the dim +glimmer of the diamonds, and the wild, wan faces of us three white men +seated there awaiting death by starvation. + + +Then the flame sank and expired. + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +WE ABANDON HOPE + +I can give no adequate description of the horrors of the night which +followed. Mercifully they were to some extent mitigated by sleep, for +even in such a position as ours wearied nature will sometimes assert +itself. But I, at any rate, found it impossible to sleep much. Putting +aside the terrifying thought of our impending doom--for the bravest man +on earth might well quail from such a fate as awaited us, and I never +made any pretensions to be brave--the _silence_ itself was too great to +allow of it. Reader, you may have lain awake at night and thought the +quiet oppressive, but I say with confidence that you can have no idea +what a vivid, tangible thing is perfect stillness. On the surface of +the earth there is always some sound or motion, and though it may in +itself be imperceptible, yet it deadens the sharp edge of absolute +silence. But here there was none. We were buried in the bowels of a +huge snow-clad peak. Thousands of feet above us the fresh air rushed +over the white snow, but no sound of it reached us. We were separated +by a long tunnel and five feet of rock even from the awful chamber of +the Dead; and the dead make no noise. Did we not know it who lay by +poor Foulata's side? The crashing of all the artillery of earth and +heaven could not have come to our ears in our living tomb. We were cut +off from every echo of the world--we were as men already in the grave. + +Then the irony of the situation forced itself upon me. There around us +lay treasures enough to pay off a moderate national debt, or to build a +fleet of ironclads, and yet we would have bartered them all gladly for +the faintest chance of escape. Soon, doubtless, we should be rejoiced +to exchange them for a bit of food or a cup of water, and, after that, +even for the privilege of a speedy close to our sufferings. Truly +wealth, which men spend their lives in acquiring, is a valueless thing +at the last. + +And so the night wore on. + +"Good," said Sir Henry's voice at last, and it sounded awful in the +intense stillness, "how many matches have you in the box?" + +"Eight, Curtis." + +"Strike one and let us see the time." + +He did so, and in contrast to the dense darkness the flame nearly +blinded us. It was five o'clock by my watch. The beautiful dawn was now +blushing on the snow-wreaths far over our heads, and the breeze would +be stirring the night mists in the hollows. + +"We had better eat something and keep up our strength," I suggested. + +"What is the good of eating?" answered Good; "the sooner we die and get +it over the better." + +"While there is life there is hope," said Sir Henry. + +Accordingly we ate and sipped some water, and another period of time +elapsed. Then Sir Henry suggested that it might be well to get as near +the door as possible and halloa, on the faint chance of somebody +catching a sound outside. Accordingly Good, who, from long practice at +sea, has a fine piercing note, groped his way down the passage and set +to work. I must say that he made a most diabolical noise. I never heard +such yells; but it might have been a mosquito buzzing for all the +effect they produced. + +After a while he gave it up and came back very thirsty, and had to +drink. Then we stopped yelling, as it encroached on the supply of water. + +So we sat down once more against the chests of useless diamonds in that +dreadful inaction which was one of the hardest circumstances of our +fate; and I am bound to say that, for my part, I gave way in despair. +Laying my head against Sir Henry's broad shoulder I burst into tears; +and I think that I heard Good gulping away on the other side, and +swearing hoarsely at himself for doing so. + +Ah, how good and brave that great man was! Had we been two frightened +children, and he our nurse, he could not have treated us more tenderly. +Forgetting his own share of miseries, he did all he could to soothe our +broken nerves, telling stories of men who had been in somewhat similar +circumstances, and miraculously escaped; and when these failed to cheer +us, pointing out how, after all, it was only anticipating an end which +must come to us all, that it would soon be over, and that death from +exhaustion was a merciful one (which is not true). Then, in a diffident +sort of way, as once before I had heard him do, he suggested that we +should throw ourselves on the mercy of a higher Power, which for my +part I did with great vigour. + +His is a beautiful character, very quiet, but very strong. + +And so somehow the day went as the night had gone, if, indeed, one can +use these terms where all was densest night, and when I lit a match to +see the time it was seven o'clock. + +Once more we ate and drank, and as we did so an idea occurred to me. + +"How is it," said I, "that the air in this place keeps fresh? It is +thick and heavy, but it is perfectly fresh." + +"Great heavens!" said Good, starting up, "I never thought of that. It +can't come through the stone door, for it's air-tight, if ever a door +was. It must come from somewhere. If there were no current of air in +the place we should have been stifled or poisoned when we first came +in. Let us have a look." + +It was wonderful what a change this mere spark of hope wrought in us. +In a moment we were all three groping about on our hands and knees, +feeling for the slightest indication of a draught. Presently my ardour +received a check. I put my hand on something cold. It was dead +Foulata's face. + +For an hour or more we went on feeling about, till at last Sir Henry +and I gave it up in despair, having been considerably hurt by +constantly knocking our heads against tusks, chests, and the sides of +the chamber. But Good still persevered, saying, with an approach to +cheerfulness, that it was better than doing nothing. + +"I say, you fellows," he said presently, in a constrained sort of +voice, "come here." + +Needless to say we scrambled towards him quickly enough. + +"Quatermain, put your hand here where mine is. Now, do you feel +anything?" + +"I _think_ I feel air coming up." + +"Now listen." He rose and stamped upon the place, and a flame of hope +shot up in our hearts. _It rang hollow._ + +With trembling hands I lit a match. I had only three left, and we saw +that we were in the angle of the far corner of the chamber, a fact that +accounted for our not having noticed the hollow sound of the place +during our former exhaustive examination. As the match burnt we +scrutinised the spot. There was a join in the solid rock floor, and, +great heavens! there, let in level with the rock, was a stone ring. We +said no word, we were too excited, and our hearts beat too wildly with +hope to allow us to speak. Good had a knife, at the back of which was +one of those hooks that are made to extract stones from horses' hoofs. +He opened it, and scratched round the ring with it. Finally he worked +it under, and levered away gently for fear of breaking the hook. The +ring began to move. Being of stone it had not rusted fast in all the +centuries it had lain there, as would have been the case had it been of +iron. Presently it was upright. Then he thrust his hands into it and +tugged with all his force, but nothing budged. + +"Let me try," I said impatiently, for the situation of the stone, right +in the angle of the corner, was such that it was impossible for two to +pull at once. I took hold and strained away, but no results. + +Then Sir Henry tried and failed. + +Taking the hook again, Good scratched all round the crack where we felt +the air coming up. + +"Now, Curtis," he said, "tackle on, and put your back into it; you are +as strong as two. Stop," and he took off a stout black silk +handkerchief, which, true to his habits of neatness, he still wore, and +ran it through the ring. "Quatermain, get Curtis round the middle and +pull for dear life when I give the word. _Now._" + +Sir Henry put out all his enormous strength, and Good and I did the +same, with such power as nature had given us. + +"Heave! heave! it's giving," gasped Sir Henry; and I heard the muscles +of his great back cracking. Suddenly there was a grating sound, then a +rush of air, and we were all on our backs on the floor with a heavy +flag-stone upon the top of us. Sir Henry's strength had done it, and +never did muscular power stand a man in better stead. + +"Light a match, Quatermain," he said, so soon as we had picked +ourselves up and got our breath; "carefully, now." + +I did so, and there before us, Heaven be praised! was the _first step +of a stone stair._ + +"Now what is to be done?" asked Good. + +"Follow the stair, of course, and trust to Providence." + +"Stop!" said Sir Henry; "Quatermain, get the bit of biltong and the +water that are left; we may want them." + +I went, creeping back to our place by the chests for that purpose, and +as I was coming away an idea struck me. We had not thought much of the +diamonds for the last twenty-four hours or so; indeed, the very idea of +diamonds was nauseous, seeing what they had entailed upon us; but, +reflected I, I may as well pocket some in case we ever should get out +of this ghastly hole. So I just put my fist into the first chest and +filled all the available pockets of my old shooting-coat and trousers, +topping up--this was a happy thought--with a few handfuls of big ones +from the third chest. Also, by an afterthought, I stuffed Foulata's +basket, which, except for one water-gourd and a little biltong, was +empty now, with great quantities of the stones. + +"I say, you fellows," I sang out, "won't you take some diamonds with +you? I've filled my pockets and the basket." + +"Oh, come on, Quatermain! and hang the diamonds!" said Sir Henry. "I +hope that I may never see another." + +As for Good, he made no answer. He was, I think, taking his last +farewell of all that was left of the poor girl who had loved him so +well. And curious as it may seem to you, my reader, sitting at home at +ease and reflecting on the vast, indeed the immeasurable, wealth which +we were thus abandoning, I can assure you that if you had passed some +twenty-eight hours with next to nothing to eat and drink in that place, +you would not have cared to cumber yourself with diamonds whilst +plunging down into the unknown bowels of the earth, in the wild hope of +escape from an agonising death. If from the habits of a lifetime, it +had not become a sort of second nature with me never to leave anything +worth having behind if there was the slightest chance of my being able +to carry it away, I am sure that I should not have bothered to fill my +pockets and that basket. + +"Come on, Quatermain," repeated Sir Henry, who was already standing on +the first step of the stone stair. "Steady, I will go first." + +"Mind where you put your feet, there may be some awful hole +underneath," I answered. + +"Much more likely to be another room," said Sir Henry, while he +descended slowly, counting the steps as he went. + +When he got to "fifteen" he stopped. "Here's the bottom," he said. +"Thank goodness! I think it's a passage. Follow me down." + +Good went next, and I came last, carrying the basket, and on reaching +the bottom lit one of the two remaining matches. By its light we could +just see that we were standing in a narrow tunnel, which ran right and +left at right angles to the staircase we had descended. Before we could +make out any more, the match burnt my fingers and went out. Then arose +the delicate question of which way to go. Of course, it was impossible +to know what the tunnel was, or where it led to, and yet to turn one +way might lead us to safety, and the other to destruction. We were +utterly perplexed, till suddenly it struck Good that when I had lit the +match the draught of the passage blew the flame to the left. + +"Let us go against the draught," he said; "air draws inwards, not +outwards." + +We took this suggestion, and feeling along the wall with our hands, +whilst trying the ground before us at every step, we departed from that +accursed treasure chamber on our terrible quest for life. If ever it +should be entered again by living man, which I do not think probable, +he will find tokens of our visit in the open chests of jewels, the +empty lamp, and the white bones of poor Foulata. + +When we had groped our way for about a quarter of an hour along the +passage, suddenly it took a sharp turn, or else was bisected by +another, which we followed, only in course of time to be led into a +third. And so it went on for some hours. We seemed to be in a stone +labyrinth that led nowhere. What all these passages are, of course I +cannot say, but we thought that they must be the ancient workings of a +mine, of which the various shafts and adits travelled hither and +thither as the ore led them. This is the only way in which we could +account for such a multitude of galleries. + +At length we halted, thoroughly worn out with fatigue and with that +hope deferred which maketh the heart sick, and ate up our poor +remaining piece of biltong and drank our last sup of water, for our +throats were like lime-kilns. It seemed to us that we had escaped Death +in the darkness of the treasure chamber only to meet him in the +darkness of the tunnels. + +As we stood, once more utterly depressed, I thought that I caught a +sound, to which I called the attention of the others. It was very faint +and very far off, but it _was_ a sound, a faint, murmuring sound, for +the others heard it too, and no words can describe the blessedness of +it after all those hours of utter, awful stillness. + +"By heaven! it's running water," said Good. "Come on." + +Off we started again in the direction from which the faint murmur +seemed to come, groping our way as before along the rocky walls. I +remember that I laid down the basket full of diamonds, wishing to be +rid of its weight, but on second thoughts took it up again. One might +as well die rich as poor, I reflected. As we went the sound became more +and more audible, till at last it seemed quite loud in the quiet. On, +yet on; now we could distinctly make out the unmistakable swirl of +rushing water. And yet how could there be running water in the bowels +of the earth? Now we were quite near it, and Good, who was leading, +swore that he could smell it. + +"Go gently, Good," said Sir Henry, "we must be close." _Splash!_ and a +cry from Good. + +He had fallen in. + +"Good! Good! where are you?" we shouted, in terrified distress. To our +intense relief an answer came back in a choky voice. + +"All right; I've got hold of a rock. Strike a light to show me where +you are." + +Hastily I lit the last remaining match. Its faint gleam discovered to +us a dark mass of water running at our feet. How wide it was we could +not see, but there, some way out, was the dark form of our companion +hanging on to a projecting rock. + +"Stand clear to catch me," sung out Good. "I must swim for it." + +Then we heard a splash, and a great struggle. Another minute and he had +grabbed at and caught Sir Henry's outstretched hand, and we had pulled +him up high and dry into the tunnel. + +"My word!" he said, between his gasps, "that was touch and go. If I +hadn't managed to catch that rock, and known how to swim, I should have +been done. It runs like a mill-race, and I could feel no bottom." + +We dared not follow the banks of the subterranean river for fear lest +we should fall into it again in the darkness. So after Good had rested +a while, and we had drunk our fill of the water, which was sweet and +fresh, and washed our faces, that needed it sadly, as well as we could, +we started from the banks of this African Styx, and began to retrace +our steps along the tunnel, Good dripping unpleasantly in front of us. +At length we came to another gallery leading to our right. + +"We may as well take it," said Sir Henry wearily; "all roads are alike +here; we can only go on till we drop." + +Slowly, for a long, long while, we stumbled, utterly exhausted, along +this new tunnel, Sir Henry now leading the way. Again I thought of +abandoning that basket, but did not. + +Suddenly he stopped, and we bumped up against him. + +"Look!" he whispered, "is my brain going, or is that light?" + +We stared with all our eyes, and there, yes, there, far ahead of us, +was a faint, glimmering spot, no larger than a cottage window pane. It +was so faint that I doubt if any eyes, except those which, like ours, +had for days seen nothing but blackness, could have perceived it at all. + +With a gasp of hope we pushed on. In five minutes there was no longer +any doubt; it _was_ a patch of faint light. A minute more and a breath +of real live air was fanning us. On we struggled. All at once the +tunnel narrowed. Sir Henry went on his knees. Smaller yet it grew, till +it was only the size of a large fox's earth--it was _earth_ now, mind +you; the rock had ceased. + +A squeeze, a struggle, and Sir Henry was out, and so was Good, and so +was I, dragging Foulata's basket after me; and there above us were the +blessed stars, and in our nostrils was the sweet air. Then suddenly +something gave, and we were all rolling over and over and over through +grass and bushes and soft, wet soil. + +The basket caught in something and I stopped. Sitting up I halloed +lustily. An answering shout came from below, where Sir Henry's wild +career had been checked by some level ground. I scrambled to him, and +found him unhurt, though breathless. Then we looked for Good. A little +way off we discovered him also, hammed in a forked root. He was a good +deal knocked about, but soon came to himself. + +We sat down together, there on the grass, and the revulsion of feeling +was so great that really I think we cried with joy. We had escaped from +that awful dungeon, which was so near to becoming our grave. Surely +some merciful Power guided our footsteps to the jackal hole, for that +is what it must have been, at the termination of the tunnel. And see, +yonder on the mountains the dawn we had never thought to look upon +again was blushing rosy red. + +Presently the grey light stole down the slopes, and we saw that we were +at the bottom, or rather, nearly at the bottom, of the vast pit in +front of the entrance to the cave. Now we could make out the dim forms +of the three Colossi who sat upon its verge. Doubtless those awful +passages, along which we had wandered the livelong night, had been +originally in some way connected with the great diamond mine. As for +the subterranean river in the bowels of the mountain, Heaven only knows +what it is, or whence it flows, or whither it goes. I, for one, have no +anxiety to trace its course. + +Lighter it grew, and lighter yet. We could see each other now, and such +a spectacle as we presented I have never set eyes on before or since. +Gaunt-cheeked, hollow-eyed wretches, smeared all over with dust and +mud, bruised, bleeding, the long fear of imminent death yet written on +our countenances, we were, indeed, a sight to frighten the daylight. +And yet it is a solemn fact that Good's eye-glass was still fixed in +Good's eye. I doubt whether he had ever taken it out at all. Neither +the darkness, nor the plunge in the subterranean river, nor the roll +down the slope, had been able to separate Good and his eye-glass. + +Presently we rose, fearing that our limbs would stiffen if we stopped +there longer, and commenced with slow and painful steps to struggle up +the sloping sides of the great pit. For an hour or more we toiled +steadfastly up the blue clay, dragging ourselves on by the help of the +roots and grasses with which it was clothed. But now I had no more +thought of leaving the basket; indeed, nothing but death should have +parted us. + +At last it was done, and we stood by the great road, on that side of +the pit which is opposite to the Colossi. + +At the side of the road, a hundred yards off, a fire was burning in +front of some huts, and round the fire were figures. We staggered +towards them, supporting one another, and halting every few paces. +Presently one of the figures rose, saw us and fell on to the ground, +crying out for fear. + +"Infadoos, Infadoos! it is we, thy friends." + +He rose; he ran to us, staring wildly, and still shaking with fear. + +"Oh, my lords, my lords, it is indeed you come back from the +dead!--come back from the dead!" + +And the old warrior flung himself down before us, and clasping Sir +Henry's knees, he wept aloud for joy. + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +IGNOSI'S FAREWELL + +Ten days from that eventful morning found us once more in our old +quarters at Loo; and, strange to say, but little the worse for our +terrible experience, except that my stubbly hair came out of the +treasure cave about three shades greyer than it went in, and that Good +never was quite the same after Foulata's death, which seemed to move +him very greatly. I am bound to say, looking at the thing from the +point of view of an oldish man of the world, that I consider her +removal was a fortunate occurrence, since, otherwise, complications +would have been sure to ensue. The poor creature was no ordinary native +girl, but a person of great, I had almost said stately, beauty, and of +considerable refinement of mind. But no amount of beauty or refinement +could have made an entanglement between Good and herself a desirable +occurrence; for, as she herself put it, "Can the sun mate with the +darkness, or the white with the black?" + +I need hardly state that we never again penetrated into Solomon's +treasure chamber. After we had recovered from our fatigues, a process +which took us forty-eight hours, we descended into the great pit in the +hope of finding the hole by which we had crept out of the mountain, but +with no success. To begin with, rain had fallen, and obliterated our +spoor; and what is more, the sides of the vast pit were full of +ant-bear and other holes. It was impossible to say to which of these we +owed our salvation. Also, on the day before we started back to Loo, we +made a further examination of the wonders of the stalactite cave, and, +drawn by a kind of restless feeling, even penetrated once more into the +Chamber of the Dead. Passing beneath the spear of the White Death we +gazed, with sensations which it would be quite impossible for me to +describe, at the mass of rock that had shut us off from escape, +thinking the while of priceless treasures beyond, of the mysterious old +hag whose flattened fragments lay crushed beneath it, and of the fair +girl of whose tomb it was the portal. I say gazed at the "rock," for, +examine as we could, we could find no traces of the join of the sliding +door; nor, indeed, could we hit upon the secret, now utterly lost, that +worked it, though we tried for an hour or more. It is certainly a +marvellous bit of mechanism, characteristic, in its massive and yet +inscrutable simplicity, of the age which produced it; and I doubt if +the world has such another to show. + +At last we gave it up in disgust; though, if the mass had suddenly +risen before our eyes, I doubt if we should have screwed up courage to +step over Gagool's mangled remains, and once more enter the treasure +chamber, even in the sure and certain hope of unlimited diamonds. And +yet I could have cried at the idea of leaving all that treasure, the +biggest treasure probably that in the world's history has ever been +accumulated in one spot. But there was no help for it. Only dynamite +could force its way through five feet of solid rock. + +So we left it. Perhaps, in some remote unborn century, a more fortunate +explorer may hit upon the "Open Sesame," and flood the world with gems. +But, myself, I doubt it. Somehow, I seem to feel that the tens of +millions of pounds' worth of jewels which lie in the three stone +coffers will never shine round the neck of an earthly beauty. They and +Foulata's bones will keep cold company till the end of all things. + +With a sigh of disappointment we made our way back, and next day +started for Loo. And yet it was really very ungrateful of us to be +disappointed; for, as the reader will remember, by a lucky thought, I +had taken the precaution to fill the wide pockets of my old shooting +coat and trousers with gems before we left our prison-house, also +Foulata's basket, which held twice as many more, notwithstanding that +the water bottle had occupied some of its space. A good many of these +fell out in the course of our roll down the side of the pit, including +several of the big ones, which I had crammed in on the top in my coat +pockets. But, comparatively speaking, an enormous quantity still +remained, including ninety-three large stones ranging from over two +hundred to seventy carats in weight. My old shooting coat and the +basket still held sufficient treasure to make us all, if not +millionaires as the term is understood in America, at least exceedingly +wealthy men, and yet to keep enough stones each to make the three +finest sets of gems in Europe. So we had not done so badly. + +On arriving at Loo we were most cordially received by Ignosi, whom we +found well, and busily engaged in consolidating his power, and +reorganising the regiments which had suffered most in the great +struggle with Twala. + +He listened with intense interest to our wonderful story; but when we +told him of old Gagool's frightful end he grew thoughtful. + +"Come hither," he called, to a very old Induna or councillor, who was +sitting with others in a circle round the king, but out of ear-shot. +The ancient man rose, approached, saluted, and seated himself. + +"Thou art aged," said Ignosi. + +"Ay, my lord the king! Thy father's father and I were born on the same +day." + +"Tell me, when thou wast little, didst thou know Gagaoola the witch +doctress?" + +"Ay, my lord the king!" + +"How was she then--young, like thee?" + +"Not so, my lord the king! She was even as she is now and as she was in +the days of my great grandfather before me; old and dried, very ugly, +and full of wickedness." + +"She is no more; she is dead." + +"So, O king! then is an ancient curse taken from the land." + +"Go!" + +"_Koom!_ I go, Black Puppy, who tore out the old dog's throat. _Koom!_" + +"Ye see, my brothers," said Ignosi, "this was a strange woman, and I +rejoice that she is dead. She would have let you die in the dark place, +and mayhap afterwards she had found a way to slay me, as she found a +way to slay my father, and set up Twala, whom her black heart loved, in +his place. Now go on with the tale; surely there never was its like!" + +After I had narrated all the story of our escape, as we had agreed +between ourselves that I should, I took the opportunity to address +Ignosi as to our departure from Kukuanaland. + +"And now, Ignosi," I said, "the time has come for us to bid thee +farewell, and start to see our own land once more. Behold, Ignosi, thou +camest with us a servant, and now we leave thee a mighty king. If thou +art grateful to us, remember to do even as thou didst promise: to rule +justly, to respect the law, and to put none to death without a cause. +So shalt thou prosper. To-morrow, at break of day, Ignosi, thou wilt +give us an escort who shall lead us across the mountains. Is it not so, +O king?" + +Ignosi covered his face with his hands for a while before answering. + +"My heart is sore," he said at last; "your words split my heart in +twain. What have I done to you, Incubu, Macumazahn, and Bougwan, that +ye should leave me desolate? Ye who stood by me in rebellion and in +battle, will ye leave me in the day of peace and victory? What will +ye--wives? Choose from among the maidens! A place to live in? Behold, +the land is yours as far as ye can see. The white man's houses? Ye +shall teach my people how to build them. Cattle for beef and milk? +Every married man shall bring you an ox or a cow. Wild game to hunt? +Does not the elephant walk through my forests, and the river-horse +sleep in the reeds? Would ye make war? My Impis wait your word. If +there is anything more which I can give, that will I give you." + +"Nay, Ignosi, we want none of these things," I answered; "we would seek +our own place." + +"Now do I learn," said Ignosi bitterly, and with flashing eyes, "that +ye love the bright stones more than me, your friend. Ye have the +stones; now ye would go to Natal and across the moving black water and +sell them, and be rich, as it is the desire of a white man's heart to +be. Cursed for your sake be the white stones, and cursed he who seeks +them. Death shall it be to him who sets foot in the place of Death to +find them. I have spoken. White men, ye can go." + +I laid my hand upon his arm. "Ignosi," I said, "tell us, when thou +didst wander in Zululand, and among the white people of Natal, did not +thine heart turn to the land thy mother told thee of, thy native place, +where thou didst see the light, and play when thou wast little, the +land where thy place was?" + +"It was even so, Macumazahn." + +"In like manner, Ignosi, do our hearts turn to our land and to our own +place." + +Then came a silence. When Ignosi broke it, it was in a different voice. + +"I do perceive that now as ever thy words are wise and full of reason, +Macumazahn; that which flies in the air loves not to run along the +ground; the white man loves not to live on the level of the black or to +house among his kraals. Well, ye must go, and leave my heart sore, +because ye will be as dead to me, since from where ye are no tidings +can come to me. + +"But listen, and let all your brothers know my words. No other white +man shall cross the mountains, even if any man live to come so far. I +will see no traders with their guns and gin. My people shall fight with +the spear, and drink water, like their forefathers before them. I will +have no praying-men to put a fear of death into men's hearts, to stir +them up against the law of the king, and make a path for the white folk +who follow to run on. If a white man comes to my gates I will send him +back; if a hundred come I will push them back; if armies come, I will +make war on them with all my strength, and they shall not prevail +against me. None shall ever seek for the shining stones: no, not an +army, for if they come I will send a regiment and fill up the pit, and +break down the white columns in the caves and choke them with rocks, so +that none can reach even to that door of which ye speak, and whereof +the way to move it is lost. But for you three, Incubu, Macumazahn, and +Bougwan, the path is always open; for, behold, ye are dearer to me than +aught that breathes. + +"And ye would go. Infadoos, my uncle, and my Induna, shall take you by +the hand and guide you with a regiment. There is, as I have learned, +another way across the mountains that he shall show you. Farewell, my +brothers, brave white men. See me no more, for I have no heart to bear +it. Behold! I make a decree, and it shall be published from the +mountains to the mountains; your names, Incubu, Macumazahn, and +Bougwan, shall be "_hlonipa_" even as the names of dead kings, and he +who speaks them shall die.[1] So shall your memory be preserved in the +land for ever. + +"Go now, ere my eyes rain tears like a woman's. At times as ye look +back down the path of life, or when ye are old and gather yourselves +together to crouch before the fire, because for you the sun has no more +heat, ye will think of how we stood shoulder to shoulder, in that great +battle which thy wise words planned, Macumazahn; of how thou wast the +point of the horn that galled Twala's flank, Bougwan; whilst thou stood +in the ring of the Greys, Incubu, and men went down before thine axe +like corn before a sickle; ay, and of how thou didst break that wild +bull Twala's strength, and bring his pride to dust. Fare ye well for +ever, Incubu, Macumazahn, and Bougwan, my lords and my friends." + +Ignosi rose and looked earnestly at us for a few seconds. Then he threw +the corner of his karross over his head, so as to cover his face from +us. + +We went in silence. + + +Next day at dawn we left Loo, escorted by our old friend Infadoos, who +was heart-broken at our departure, and by the regiment of Buffaloes. +Early as was the hour, all the main street of the town was lined with +multitudes of people, who gave us the royal salute as we passed at the +head of the regiment, while the women blessed us for having rid the +land of Twala, throwing flowers before us as we went. It was really +very affecting, and not the sort of thing one is accustomed to meet +with from natives. + +One ludicrous incident occurred, however, which I rather welcomed, as +it gave us something to laugh at. + +Just before we reached the confines of the town, a pretty young girl, +with some lovely lilies in her hand, ran forward and presented them to +Good--somehow they all seemed to like Good; I think his eye-glass and +solitary whisker gave him a fictitious value--and then said that she +had a boon to ask. + +"Speak on," he answered. + +"Let my lord show his servant his beautiful white legs, that his +servant may look upon them, and remember them all her days, and tell of +them to her children; his servant has travelled four days' journey to +see them, for the fame of them has gone throughout the land." + +"I'll be hanged if I do!" exclaimed Good excitedly. + +"Come, come, my dear fellow," said Sir Henry, "you can't refuse to +oblige a lady." + +"I won't," replied Good obstinately; "it is positively indecent." + +However, in the end he consented to draw up his trousers to the knee, +amidst notes of rapturous admiration from all the women present, +especially the gratified young lady, and in this guise he had to walk +till we got clear of the town. + +Good's legs, I fear, will never be so greatly admired again. Of his +melting teeth, and even of his "transparent eye," the Kukuanas wearied +more or less, but of his legs never. + +As we travelled, Infadoos told us that there was another pass over the +mountains to the north of the one followed by Solomon's Great Road, or +rather that there was a place where it was possible to climb down the +wall of cliff which separates Kukuanaland from the desert, and is +broken by the towering shapes of Sheba's Breasts. It appeared, also, +that rather more than two years previously a party of Kukuana hunters +had descended this path into the desert in search of ostriches, whose +plumes are much prized among them for war head-dresses, and that in the +course of their hunt they had been led far from the mountains and were +much troubled by thirst. Seeing trees on the horizon, however, they +walked towards them, and discovered a large and fertile oasis some +miles in extent, and plentifully watered. It was by way of this oasis +that Infadoos suggested we should return, and the idea seemed to us a +good one, for it appeared that we should thus escape the rigours of the +mountain pass. Also some of the hunters were in attendance to guide us +to the oasis, from which, they stated, they could perceive other +fertile spots far away in the desert.[2] + +Travelling easily, on the night of the fourth day's journey we found +ourselves once more on the crest of the mountains that separate +Kukuanaland from the desert, which rolled away in sandy billows at our +feet, and about twenty-five miles to the north of Sheba's Breasts. + +At dawn on the following day, we were led to the edge of a very +precipitous chasm, by which we were to descend the precipice, and gain +the plain two thousand and more feet below. + +Here we bade farewell to that true friend and sturdy old warrior, +Infadoos, who solemnly wished all good upon us, and nearly wept with +grief. "Never, my lords," he said, "shall mine old eyes see the like of +you again. Ah! the way that Incubu cut his men down in the battle! Ah! +for the sight of that stroke with which he swept off my brother Twala's +head! It was beautiful--beautiful! I may never hope to see such +another, except perchance in happy dreams." + +We were very sorry to part from him; indeed, Good was so moved that he +gave him as a souvenir--what do you think?--an _eye-glass_; afterwards +we discovered that it was a spare one. Infadoos was delighted, +foreseeing that the possession of such an article would increase his +prestige enormously, and after several vain attempts he actually +succeeded in screwing it into his own eye. Anything more incongruous +than the old warrior looked with an eye-glass I never saw. Eye-glasses +do not go well with leopard-skin cloaks and black ostrich plumes. + +Then, after seeing that our guides were well laden with water and +provisions, and having received a thundering farewell salute from the +Buffaloes, we wrung Infadoos by the hand, and began our downward climb. +A very arduous business it proved to be, but somehow that evening we +found ourselves at the bottom without accident. + +"Do you know," said Sir Henry that night, as we sat by our fire and +gazed up at the beetling cliffs above us, "I think that there are worse +places than Kukuanaland in the world, and that I have known unhappier +times than the last month or two, though I have never spent such queer +ones. Eh! you fellows?" + +"I almost wish I were back," said Good, with a sigh. + +As for myself, I reflected that all's well that ends well; but in the +course of a long life of shaves, I never had such shaves as those which +I had recently experienced. The thought of that battle makes me feel +cold all over, and as for our experience in the treasure chamber--! + + +Next morning we started on a toilsome trudge across the desert, having +with us a good supply of water carried by our five guides, and camped +that night in the open, marching again at dawn on the morrow. + +By noon of the third day's journey we could see the trees of the oasis +of which the guides spoke, and within an hour of sundown we were +walking once more upon grass and listening to the sound of running +water. + + +[1] This extraordinary and negative way of showing intense respect is +by no means unknown among African people, and the result is that if, as +is usual, the name in question has a significance, the meaning must be +expressed by an idiom or other word. In this way a memory is preserved +for generations, or until the new word utterly supplants the old. + +[2] It often puzzled all of us to understand how it was possible that +Ignosi's mother, bearing the child with her, should have survived the +dangers of her journey across the mountains and the desert, dangers +which so nearly proved fatal to ourselves. It has since occurred to me, +and I give the idea to the reader for what it is worth, that she must +have taken this second route, and wandered out like Hagar into the +wilderness. If she did so, there is no longer anything inexplicable +about the story, since, as Ignosi himself related, she may well have +been picked up by some ostrich hunters before she or the child was +exhausted, was led by them to the oasis, and thence by stages to the +fertile country, and so on by slow degrees southwards to Zululand.--A.Q. + + + +CHAPTER XX + +FOUND + +And now I come to perhaps the strangest adventure that happened to us +in all this strange business, and one which shows how wonderfully +things are brought about. + +I was walking along quietly, some way in front of the other two, down +the banks of the stream which runs from the oasis till it is swallowed +up in the hungry desert sands, when suddenly I stopped and rubbed my +eyes, as well I might. There, not twenty yards in front of me, placed +in a charming situation, under the shade of a species of fig-tree, and +facing to the stream, was a cosy hut, built more or less on the Kafir +principle with grass and withes, but having a full-length door instead +of a bee-hole. + +"What the dickens," said I to myself, "can a hut be doing here?" Even +as I said it the door of the hut opened, and there limped out of it a +_white man_ clothed in skins, and with an enormous black beard. I +thought that I must have got a touch of the sun. It was impossible. No +hunter ever came to such a place as this. Certainly no hunter would +ever settle in it. I stared and stared, and so did the other man, and +just at that juncture Sir Henry and Good walked up. + +"Look here, you fellows," I said, "is that a white man, or am I mad?" + +Sir Henry looked, and Good looked, and then all of a sudden the lame +white man with a black beard uttered a great cry, and began hobbling +towards us. When he was close he fell down in a sort of faint. + +With a spring Sir Henry was by his side. + +"Great Powers!" he cried, "_it is my brother George!_" + +At the sound of this disturbance, another figure, also clad in skins, +emerged from the hut, a gun in his hand, and ran towards us. On seeing +me he too gave a cry. + +"Macumazahn," he halloed, "don't you know me, Baas? I'm Jim the hunter. +I lost the note you gave me to give to the Baas, and we have been here +nearly two years." And the fellow fell at my feet, and rolled over and +over, weeping for joy. + +"You careless scoundrel!" I said; "you ought to be well +_sjambocked_"--that is, hided. + +Meanwhile the man with the black beard had recovered and risen, and he +and Sir Henry were pump-handling away at each other, apparently without +a word to say. But whatever they had quarrelled about in the past--I +suspect it was a lady, though I never asked--it was evidently forgotten +now. + +"My dear old fellow," burst out Sir Henry at last, "I thought you were +dead. I have been over Solomon's Mountains to find you. I had given up +all hope of ever seeing you again, and now I come across you perched in +the desert, like an old _assvoegel_."[1] + +"I tried to cross Solomon's Mountains nearly two years ago," was the +answer, spoken in the hesitating voice of a man who has had little +recent opportunity of using his tongue, "but when I reached here a +boulder fell on my leg and crushed it, and I have been able to go +neither forward nor back." + +Then I came up. "How do you do, Mr. Neville?" I said; "do you remember +me?" + +"Why," he said, "isn't it Hunter Quatermain, eh, and Good too? Hold on +a minute, you fellows, I am getting dizzy again. It is all so very +strange, and, when a man has ceased to hope, so very happy!" + +That evening, over the camp fire, George Curtis told us his story, +which, in its way, was almost as eventful as our own, and, put shortly, +amounted to this. A little less than two years before, he had started +from Sitanda's Kraal, to try to reach Suliman's Berg. As for the note I +had sent him by Jim, that worthy lost it, and he had never heard of it +till to-day. But, acting upon information he had received from the +natives, he headed not for Sheba's Breasts, but for the ladder-like +descent of the mountains down which we had just come, which is clearly +a better route than that marked out in old Dom Silvestra's plan. In the +desert he and Jim had suffered great hardships, but finally they +reached this oasis, where a terrible accident befell George Curtis. On +the day of their arrival he was sitting by the stream, and Jim was +extracting the honey from the nest of a stingless bee which is to be +found in the desert, on the top of a bank immediately above him. In so +doing he loosened a great boulder of rock, which fell upon George +Curtis's right leg, crushing it frightfully. From that day he had been +so lame that he found it impossible to go either forward or back, and +had preferred to take the chances of dying in the oasis to the +certainty of perishing in the desert. + +As for food, however, they got on pretty well, for they had a good +supply of ammunition, and the oasis was frequented, especially at +night, by large quantities of game, which came thither for water. These +they shot, or trapped in pitfalls, using the flesh for food, and, after +their clothes wore out, the hides for clothing. + +"And so," George Curtis ended, "we have lived for nearly two years, +like a second Robinson Crusoe and his man Friday, hoping against hope +that some natives might come here to help us away, but none have come. +Only last night we settled that Jim should leave me, and try to reach +Sitanda's Kraal to get assistance. He was to go to-morrow, but I had +little hope of ever seeing him back again. And now _you_, of all people +in the world, _you_, who, as I fancied, had long ago forgotten all +about me, and were living comfortably in old England, turn up in a +promiscuous way and find me where you least expected. It is the most +wonderful thing that I have ever heard of, and the most merciful too." + +Then Sir Henry set to work, and told him the main facts of our +adventures, sitting till late into the night to do it. + +"By Jove!" said George Curtis, when I showed him some of the diamonds: +"well, at least you have got something for your pains, besides my +worthless self." + +Sir Henry laughed. "They belong to Quatermain and Good. It was a part +of the bargain that they should divide any spoils there might be." + +This remark set me thinking, and having spoken to Good, I told Sir +Henry that it was our joint wish that he should take a third portion of +the diamonds, or, if he would not, that his share should be handed to +his brother, who had suffered even more than ourselves on the chance of +getting them. Finally, we prevailed upon him to consent to this +arrangement, but George Curtis did not know of it until some time +afterwards. + + * * * * * + +Here, at this point, I think that I shall end my history. Our journey +across the desert back to Sitanda's Kraal was most arduous, especially +as we had to support George Curtis, whose right leg was very weak +indeed, and continually threw out splinters of bone. But we did +accomplish it somehow, and to give its details would only be to +reproduce much of what happened to us on the former occasion. + +Six months from the date of our re-arrival at Sitanda's, where we found +our guns and other goods quite safe, though the old rascal in charge +was much disgusted at our surviving to claim them, saw us all once more +safe and sound at my little place on the Berea, near Durban, where I am +now writing. Thence I bid farewell to all who have accompanied me +through the strangest trip I ever made in the course of a long and +varied experience. + +P.S.--Just as I had written the last word, a Kafir came up my avenue of +orange trees, carrying a letter in a cleft stick, which he had brought +from the post. It turned out to be from Sir Henry, and as it speaks for +itself I give it in full. + + October 1, 1884. + Brayley Hall, Yorkshire. + + My Dear Quatermain, + + I send you a line a few mails back to say that the three of us, + George, Good, and myself, fetched up all right in England. We got + off the boat at Southampton, and went up to town. You should have + seen what a swell Good turned out the very next day, beautifully + shaved, frock coat fitting like a glove, brand new eye-glass, + etc., etc. I went and walked in the park with him, where I met + some people I know, and at once told them the story of his + "beautiful white legs." + + He is furious, especially as some ill-natured person has printed + it in a Society paper. + + To come to business, Good and I took the diamonds to Streeter's to + be valued, as we arranged, and really I am afraid to tell you what + they put them at, it seems so enormous. They say that of course it + is more or less guess-work, as such stones have never to their + knowledge been put on the market in anything like such quantities. + It appears that (with the exception of one or two of the largest) + they are of the finest water, and equal in every way to the best + Brazilian stones. I asked them if they would buy them, but they + said that it was beyond their power to do so, and recommended us + to sell by degrees, over a period of years indeed, for fear lest + we should flood the market. They offer, however, a hundred and + eighty thousand for a very small portion of them. + + You must come home, Quatermain, and see about these things, + especially if you insist upon making the magnificent present of + the third share, which does _not_ belong to me, to my brother + George. As for Good, he is _no good_. His time is too much + occupied in shaving, and other matters connected with the vain + adorning of the body. But I think he is still down on his luck + about Foulata. He told me that since he had been home he hadn't + seen a woman to touch her, either as regards her figure or the + sweetness of her expression. + + I want you to come home, my dear old comrade, and to buy a house + near here. You have done your day's work, and have lots of money + now, and there is a place for sale quite close which would suit + you admirably. Do come; the sooner the better; you can finish + writing the story of our adventures on board ship. We have refused + to tell the tale till it is written by you, for fear lest we shall + not be believed. If you start on receipt of this you will reach + here by Christmas, and I book you to stay with me for that. Good + is coming, and George; and so, by the way, is your boy Harry + (there's a bribe for you). I have had him down for a week's + shooting, and like him. He is a cool young hand; he shot me in the + leg, cut out the pellets, and then remarked upon the advantages of + having a medical student with every shooting party! + + Good-bye, old boy; I can't say any more, but I know that you will + come, if it is only to oblige + + Your sincere friend, + Henry Curtis. + + P.S.--The tusks of the great bull that killed poor Khiva have now + been put up in the hall here, over the pair of buffalo horns you + gave me, and look magnificent; and the axe with which I chopped + off Twala's head is fixed above my writing-table. I wish that we + could have managed to bring away the coats of chain armour. Don't + lose poor Foulata's basket in which you brought away the diamonds. + + H.C. + +To-day is Tuesday. There is a steamer going on Friday, and I really +think that I must take Curtis at his word, and sail by her for England, +if it is only to see you, Harry, my boy, and to look after the printing +of this history, which is a task that I do not like to trust to anybody +else. + + +ALLAN QUATERMAIN. + + +[1] Vulture. + + + + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's King Solomon's Mines, by H. Rider Haggard + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK KING SOLOMON'S MINES *** + +***** This file should be named 2166.txt or 2166.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/1/6/2166/ + +Produced by John Bickers and Dagny. 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RIDER HAGGARD + + + +DEDICATION + +This faithful but unpretending record +of a remarkable adventure +is hereby respectfully dedicated +by the narrator, + +ALLAN QUATERMAIN, + +to all the big and little boys +who read it. + + + +PREPARER'S NOTE + + This was typed from a 1907 edition published by Cassell and + Company, Limited. + + + +AUTHOR'S NOTE + + The author ventures to take this opportunity to thank his readers + for the kind reception they have accorded to the successive + editions of this tale during the last twelve years. He hopes that + in its present form it will fall into the hands of an even wider + public, and that in years to come it may continue to afford + amusement to those who are still young enough at heart to love a + story of treasure, war, and wild adventure. + + Ditchingham, + 11 March, 1898. + + + +POST SCRIPTUM + + Now, in 1907, on the occasion of the issue of this edition, I can + only add how glad I am that my romance should continue to please + so many readers. Imagination has been verified by fact; the King + Solomon's Mines I dreamed of have been discovered, and are putting + out their gold once more, and, according to the latest reports, + their diamonds also; the Kukuanas or, rather, the Matabele, have + been tamed by the white man's bullets, but still there seem to be + many who find pleasure in these simple pages. That they may + continue so to do, even to the third and fourth generation, or + perhaps longer still, would, I am sure, be the hope of our old and + departed friend, Allan Quatermain. + +H. Rider Haggard. +Ditchingham, 1907. + + +INTRODUCTION + +Now that this book is printed, and about to be given to the world, a +sense of its shortcomings both in style and contents, weighs very +heavily upon me. As regards the latter, I can only say that it does +not pretend to be a full account of everything we did and saw. There +are many things connected with our journey into Kukuanaland that I +should have liked to dwell upon at length, which, as it is, have been +scarcely alluded to. Amongst these are the curious legends which I +collected about the chain armour that saved us from destruction in the +great battle of Loo, and also about the "Silent Ones" or Colossi at +the mouth of the stalactite cave. Again, if I had given way to my own +impulses, I should have wished to go into the differences, some of +which are to my mind very suggestive, between the Zulu and Kukuana +dialects. Also a few pages might have been given up profitably to the +consideration of the indigenous flora and fauna of Kukuanaland.[*] +Then there remains the most interesting subject--that, as it is, has +only been touched on incidentally--of the magnificent system of +military organisation in force in that country, which, in my opinion, +is much superior to that inaugurated by Chaka in Zululand, inasmuch as +it permits of even more rapid mobilisation, and does not necessitate +the employment of the pernicious system of enforced celibacy. Lastly, +I have scarcely spoken of the domestic and family customs of the +Kukuanas, many of which are exceedingly quaint, or of their +proficiency in the art of smelting and welding metals. This science +they carry to considerable perfection, of which a good example is to +be seen in their "tollas," or heavy throwing knives, the backs of +these weapons being made of hammered iron, and the edges of beautiful +steel welded with great skill on to the iron frames. The fact of the +matter is, I thought, with Sir Henry Curtis and Captain Good, that the +best plan would be to tell my story in a plain, straightforward +manner, and to leave these matters to be dealt with subsequently in +whatever way ultimately may appear to be desirable. In the meanwhile I +shall, of course, be delighted to give all information in my power to +anybody interested in such things. + +[*] I discovered eight varieties of antelope, with which I was + previously totally unacquainted, and many new species of plants, + for the most part of the bulbous tribe.--A.Q. + +And now it only remains for me to offer apologies for my blunt way of +writing. I can but say in excuse of it that I am more accustomed to +handle a rifle than a pen, and cannot make any pretence to the grand +literary flights and flourishes which I see in novels--for sometimes I +like to read a novel. I suppose they--the flights and flourishes--are +desirable, and I regret not being able to supply them; but at the same +time I cannot help thinking that simple things are always the most +impressive, and that books are easier to understand when they are +written in plain language, though perhaps I have no right to set up an +opinion on such a matter. "A sharp spear," runs the Kukuana saying, +"needs no polish"; and on the same principle I venture to hope that a +true story, however strange it may be, does not require to be decked +out in fine words. + +Allan Quatermain. + + + + + +KING SOLOMON'S MINES + + + +CHAPTER I + +I MEET SIR HENRY CURTIS + +It is a curious thing that at my age--fifty-five last birthday--I +should find myself taking up a pen to try to write a history. I wonder +what sort of a history it will be when I have finished it, if ever I +come to the end of the trip! I have done a good many things in my +life, which seems a long one to me, owing to my having begun work so +young, perhaps. At an age when other boys are at school I was earning +my living as a trader in the old Colony. I have been trading, hunting, +fighting, or mining ever since. And yet it is only eight months ago +that I made my pile. It is a big pile now that I have got it--I don't +yet know how big--but I do not think I would go through the last +fifteen or sixteen months again for it; no, not if I knew that I +should come out safe at the end, pile and all. But then I am a timid +man, and dislike violence; moreover, I am almost sick of adventure. I +wonder why I am going to write this book: it is not in my line. I am +not a literary man, though very devoted to the Old Testament and also +to the "Ingoldsby Legends." Let me try to set down my reasons, just to +see if I have any. + +First reason: Because Sir Henry Curtis and Captain John Good asked me. + +Second reason: Because I am laid up here at Durban with the pain in my +left leg. Ever since that confounded lion got hold of me I have been +liable to this trouble, and being rather bad just now, it makes me +limp more than ever. There must be some poison in a lion's teeth, +otherwise how is it that when your wounds are healed they break out +again, generally, mark you, at the same time of year that you got your +mauling? It is a hard thing when one has shot sixty-five lions or +more, as I have in the course of my life, that the sixty-sixth should +chew your leg like a quid of tobacco. It breaks the routine of the +thing, and putting other considerations aside, I am an orderly man and +don't like that. This is by the way. + +Third reason: Because I want my boy Harry, who is over there at the +hospital in London studying to become a doctor, to have something to +amuse him and keep him out of mischief for a week or so. Hospital work +must sometimes pall and grow rather dull, for even of cutting up dead +bodies there may come satiety, and as this history will not be dull, +whatever else it may be, it will put a little life into things for a +day or two while Harry is reading of our adventures. + +Fourth reason and last: Because I am going to tell the strangest story +that I remember. It may seem a queer thing to say, especially +considering that there is no woman in it--except Foulata. Stop, +though! there is Gagaoola, if she was a woman, and not a fiend. But +she was a hundred at least, and therefore not marriageable, so I don't +count her. At any rate, I can safely say that there is not a +/petticoat/ in the whole history. + +Well, I had better come to the yoke. It is a stiff place, and I feel +as though I were bogged up to the axle. But, "/sutjes, sutjes/," as +the Boers say--I am sure I don't know how they spell it--softly does +it. A strong team will come through at last, that is, if they are not +too poor. You can never do anything with poor oxen. Now to make a +start. + +I, Allan Quatermain, of Durban, Natal, Gentleman, make oath and say-- +That's how I headed my deposition before the magistrate about poor +Khiva's and Ventvoegel's sad deaths; but somehow it doesn't seem quite +the right way to begin a book. And, besides, am I a gentleman? What is +a gentleman? I don't quite know, and yet I have had to do with niggers +--no, I will scratch out that word "niggers," for I do not like it. +I've known natives who /are/, and so you will say, Harry, my boy, +before you have done with this tale, and I have known mean whites with +lots of money and fresh out from home, too, who /are not/. + +At any rate, I was born a gentleman, though I have been nothing but a +poor travelling trader and hunter all my life. Whether I have remained +so I known not, you must judge of that. Heaven knows I've tried. I +have killed many men in my time, yet I have never slain wantonly or +stained my hand in innocent blood, but only in self-defence. The +Almighty gave us our lives, and I suppose He meant us to defend them, +at least I have always acted on that, and I hope it will not be +brought up against me when my clock strikes. There, there, it is a +cruel and a wicked world, and for a timid man I have been mixed up in +a great deal of fighting. I cannot tell the rights of it, but at any +rate I have never stolen, though once I cheated a Kafir out of a herd +of cattle. But then he had done me a dirty turn, and it has troubled +me ever since into the bargain. + + + +Well, it is eighteen months or so ago since first I met Sir Henry +Curtis and Captain Good. It was in this way. I had been up elephant +hunting beyond Bamangwato, and had met with bad luck. Everything went +wrong that trip, and to top up with I got the fever badly. So soon as +I was well enough I trekked down to the Diamond Fields, sold such +ivory as I had, together with my wagon and oxen, discharged my +hunters, and took the post-cart to the Cape. After spending a week in +Cape Town, finding that they overcharged me at the hotel, and having +seen everything there was to see, including the botanical gardens, +which seem to me likely to confer a great benefit on the country, and +the new Houses of Parliament, which I expect will do nothing of the +sort, I determined to go back to Natal by the /Dunkeld/, then lying at +the docks waiting for the /Edinburgh Castle/ due in from England. I +took my berth and went aboard, and that afternoon the Natal passengers +from the /Edinburgh Castle/ transhipped, and we weighed and put to +sea. + +Among these passengers who came on board were two who excited my +curiosity. One, a gentleman of about thirty, was perhaps the biggest- +chested and longest-armed man I ever saw. He had yellow hair, a thick +yellow beard, clear-cut features, and large grey eyes set deep in his +head. I never saw a finer-looking man, and somehow he reminded me of +an ancient Dane. Not that I know much of ancient Danes, though I knew +a modern Dane who did me out of ten pounds; but I remember once seeing +a picture of some of those gentry, who, I take it, were a kind of +white Zulus. They were drinking out of big horns, and their long hair +hung down their backs. As I looked at my friend standing there by the +companion-ladder, I thought that if he only let his grow a little, put +one of those chain shirts on to his great shoulders, and took hold of +a battle-axe and a horn mug, he might have sat as a model for that +picture. And by the way it is a curious thing, and just shows how the +blood will out, I discovered afterwards that Sir Henry Curtis, for +that was the big man's name, is of Danish blood.[*] He also reminded +me strongly of somebody else, but at the time I could not remember who +it was. + +[*] Mr. Quatermain's ideas about ancient Danes seem to be rather + confused; we have always understood that they were dark-haired + people. Probably he was thinking of Saxons.--Editor. + +The other man, who stood talking to Sir Henry, was stout and dark, and +of quite a different cut. I suspected at once that he was a naval +officer; I don't know why, but it is difficult to mistake a navy man. +I have gone shooting trips with several of them in the course of my +life, and they have always proved themselves the best and bravest and +nicest fellows I ever met, though sadly given, some of them, to the +use of profane language. I asked a page or two back, what is a +gentleman? I'll answer the question now: A Royal Naval officer is, in +a general sort of way, though of course there may be a black sheep +among them here and there. I fancy it is just the wide seas and the +breath of God's winds that wash their hearts and blow the bitterness +out of their minds and make them what men ought to be. + +Well, to return, I proved right again; I ascertained that the dark man +/was/ a naval officer, a lieutenant of thirty-one, who, after +seventeen years' service, had been turned out of her Majesty's employ +with the barren honour of a commander's rank, because it was +impossible that he should be promoted. This is what people who serve +the Queen have to expect: to be shot out into the cold world to find a +living just when they are beginning really to understand their work, +and to reach the prime of life. I suppose they don't mind it, but for +my own part I had rather earn my bread as a hunter. One's halfpence +are as scarce perhaps, but you do not get so many kicks. + +The officer's name I found out--by referring to the passengers' lists +--was Good--Captain John Good. He was broad, of medium height, dark, +stout, and rather a curious man to look at. He was so very neat and so +very clean-shaved, and he always wore an eye-glass in his right eye. +It seemed to grow there, for it had no string, and he never took it +out except to wipe it. At first I thought he used to sleep in it, but +afterwards I found that this was a mistake. He put it in his trousers +pocket when he went to bed, together with his false teeth, of which he +had two beautiful sets that, my own being none of the best, have often +caused me to break the tenth commandment. But I am anticipating. + +Soon after we had got under way evening closed in, and brought with it +very dirty weather. A keen breeze sprung up off land, and a kind of +aggravated Scotch mist soon drove everybody from the deck. As for the +/Dunkeld/, she is a flat-bottomed punt, and going up light as she was, +she rolled very heavily. It almost seemed as though she would go right +over, but she never did. It was quite impossible to walk about, so I +stood near the engines where it was warm, and amused myself with +watching the pendulum, which was fixed opposite to me, swinging slowly +backwards and forwards as the vessel rolled, and marking the angle she +touched at each lurch. + +"That pendulum's wrong; it is not properly weighted," suddenly said a +somewhat testy voice at my shoulder. Looking round I saw the naval +officer whom I had noticed when the passengers came aboard. + +"Indeed, now what makes you think so?" I asked. + +"Think so. I don't think at all. Why there"--as she righted herself +after a roll--"if the ship had really rolled to the degree that thing +pointed to, then she would never have rolled again, that's all. But it +is just like these merchant skippers, they are always so confoundedly +careless." + +Just then the dinner-bell rang, and I was not sorry, for it is a +dreadful thing to have to listen to an officer of the Royal Navy when +he gets on to that subject. I only know one worse thing, and that is +to hear a merchant skipper express his candid opinion of officers of +the Royal Navy. + +Captain Good and I went down to dinner together, and there we found +Sir Henry Curtis already seated. He and Captain Good were placed +together, and I sat opposite to them. The captain and I soon fell into +talk about shooting and what not; he asking me many questions, for he +is very inquisitive about all sorts of things, and I answering them as +well as I could. Presently he got on to elephants. + +"Ah, sir," called out somebody who was sitting near me, "you've +reached the right man for that; Hunter Quatermain should be able to +tell you about elephants if anybody can." + +Sir Henry, who had been sitting quite quiet listening to our talk, +started visibly. + +"Excuse me, sir," he said, leaning forward across the table, and +speaking in a low deep voice, a very suitable voice, it seemed to me, +to come out of those great lungs. "Excuse me, sir, but is your name +Allan Quatermain?" + +I said that it was. + +The big man made no further remark, but I heard him mutter "fortunate" +into his beard. + +Presently dinner came to an end, and as we were leaving the saloon Sir +Henry strolled up and asked me if I would come into his cabin to smoke +a pipe. I accepted, and he led the way to the /Dunkeld/ deck cabin, +and a very good cabin it is. It had been two cabins, but when Sir +Garnet Wolseley or one of those big swells went down the coast in the +/Dunkeld/, they knocked away the partition and have never put it up +again. There was a sofa in the cabin, and a little table in front of +it. Sir Henry sent the steward for a bottle of whisky, and the three +of us sat down and lit our pipes. + +"Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry Curtis, when the man had brought the +whisky and lit the lamp, "the year before last about this time, you +were, I believe, at a place called Bamangwato, to the north of the +Transvaal." + +"I was," I answered, rather surprised that this gentleman should be so +well acquainted with my movements, which were not, so far as I was +aware, considered of general interest. + +"You were trading there, were you not?" put in Captain Good, in his +quick way. + +"I was. I took up a wagon-load of goods, made a camp outside the +settlement, and stopped till I had sold them." + +Sir Henry was sitting opposite to me in a Madeira chair, his arms +leaning on the table. He now looked up, fixing his large grey eyes +full upon my face. There was a curious anxiety in them, I thought. + +"Did you happen to meet a man called Neville there?" + +"Oh, yes; he outspanned alongside of me for a fortnight to rest his +oxen before going on to the interior. I had a letter from a lawyer a +few months back, asking me if I knew what had become of him, which I +answered to the best of my ability at the time." + +"Yes," said Sir Henry, "your letter was forwarded to me. You said in +it that the gentleman called Neville left Bamangwato at the beginning +of May in a wagon with a driver, a voorlooper, and a Kafir hunter +called Jim, announcing his intention of trekking if possible as far as +Inyati, the extreme trading post in the Matabele country, where he +would sell his wagon and proceed on foot. You also said that he did +sell his wagon, for six months afterwards you saw the wagon in the +possession of a Portuguese trader, who told you that he had bought it +at Inyati from a white man whose name he had forgotten, and that he +believed the white man with the native servant had started off for the +interior on a shooting trip." + +"Yes." + +Then came a pause. + +"Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry suddenly, "I suppose you know or can +guess nothing more of the reasons of my--of Mr. Neville's journey to +the northward, or as to what point that journey was directed?" + +"I heard something," I answered, and stopped. The subject was one +which I did not care to discuss. + +Sir Henry and Captain Good looked at each other, and Captain Good +nodded. + +"Mr. Quatermain," went on the former, "I am going to tell you a story, +and ask your advice, and perhaps your assistance. The agent who +forwarded me your letter told me that I might rely on it implicitly, +as you were," he said, "well known and universally respected in Natal, +and especially noted for your discretion." + +I bowed and drank some whisky and water to hide my confusion, for I am +a modest man--and Sir Henry went on. + +"Mr. Neville was my brother." + +"Oh," I said, starting, for now I knew of whom Sir Henry had reminded +me when first I saw him. His brother was a much smaller man and had a +dark beard, but now that I thought of it, he possessed eyes of the +same shade of grey and with the same keen look in them: the features +too were not unlike. + +"He was," went on Sir Henry, "my only and younger brother, and till +five years ago I do not suppose that we were ever a month away from +each other. But just about five years ago a misfortune befell us, as +sometimes does happen in families. We quarrelled bitterly, and I +behaved unjustly to my brother in my anger." + +Here Captain Good nodded his head vigorously to himself. The ship gave +a big roll just then, so that the looking-glass, which was fixed +opposite us to starboard, was for a moment nearly over our heads, and +as I was sitting with my hands in my pockets and staring upwards, I +could see him nodding like anything. + +"As I daresay you know," went on Sir Henry, "if a man dies intestate, +and has no property but land, real property it is called in England, +it all descends to his eldest son. It so happened that just at the +time when we quarrelled our father died intestate. He had put off +making his will until it was too late. The result was that my brother, +who had not been brought up to any profession, was left without a +penny. Of course it would have been my duty to provide for him, but at +the time the quarrel between us was so bitter that I did not--to my +shame I say it (and he sighed deeply)--offer to do anything. It was +not that I grudged him justice, but I waited for him to make advances, +and he made none. I am sorry to trouble you with all this, Mr. +Quatermain, but I must to make things clear, eh, Good?" + +"Quite so, quite so," said the captain. "Mr. Quatermain will, I am +sure, keep this history to himself." + +"Of course," said I, for I rather pride myself on my discretion, for +which, as Sir Henry had heard, I have some repute. + +"Well," went on Sir Henry, "my brother had a few hundred pounds to his +account at the time. Without saying anything to me he drew out this +paltry sum, and, having adopted the name of Neville, started off for +South Africa in the wild hope of making a fortune. This I learned +afterwards. Some three years passed, and I heard nothing of my +brother, though I wrote several times. Doubtless the letters never +reached him. But as time went on I grew more and more troubled about +him. I found out, Mr. Quatermain, that blood is thicker than water." + +"That's true," said I, thinking of my boy Harry. + +"I found out, Mr. Quatermain, that I would have given half my fortune +to know that my brother George, the only relation I possess, was safe +and well, and that I should see him again." + +"But you never did, Curtis," jerked out Captain Good, glancing at the +big man's face. + +"Well, Mr. Quatermain, as time went on I became more and more anxious +to find out if my brother was alive or dead, and if alive to get him +home again. I set enquiries on foot, and your letter was one of the +results. So far as it went it was satisfactory, for it showed that +till lately George was alive, but it did not go far enough. So, to cut +a long story short, I made up my mind to come out and look for him +myself, and Captain Good was so kind as to come with me." + +"Yes," said the captain; "nothing else to do, you see. Turned out by +my Lords of the Admiralty to starve on half pay. And now perhaps, sir, +you will tell us what you know or have heard of the gentleman called +Neville." + + + +CHAPTER II + +THE LEGEND OF SOLOMON'S MINES + +"What was it that you heard about my brother's journey at Bamangwato?" +asked Sir Henry, as I paused to fill my pipe before replying to +Captain Good. + +"I heard this," I answered, "and I have never mentioned it to a soul +till to-day. I heard that he was starting for Solomon's Mines." + +"Solomon's Mines?" ejaculated both my hearers at once. "Where are +they?" + +"I don't know," I said; "I know where they are said to be. Once I saw +the peaks of the mountains that border them, but there were a hundred +and thirty miles of desert between me and them, and I am not aware +that any white man ever got across it save one. But perhaps the best +thing I can do is to tell you the legend of Solomon's Mines as I know +it, you passing your word not to reveal anything I tell you without my +permission. Do you agree to that? I have my reasons for asking." + +Sir Henry nodded, and Captain Good replied, "Certainly, certainly." + +"Well," I began, "as you may guess, generally speaking, elephant +hunters are a rough set of men, who do not trouble themselves with +much beyond the facts of life and the ways of Kafirs. But here and +there you meet a man who takes the trouble to collect traditions from +the natives, and tries to make out a little piece of the history of +this dark land. It was such a man as this who first told me the legend +of Solomon's Mines, now a matter of nearly thirty years ago. That was +when I was on my first elephant hunt in the Matalebe country. His name +was Evans, and he was killed the following year, poor fellow, by a +wounded buffalo, and lies buried near the Zambesi Falls. I was telling +Evans one night, I remember, of some wonderful workings I had found +whilst hunting koodoo and eland in what is now the Lydenburg district +of the Transvaal. I see they have come across these workings again +lately in prospecting for gold, but I knew of them years ago. There is +a great wide wagon road cut out of the solid rock, and leading to the +mouth of the working or gallery. Inside the mouth of this gallery are +stacks of gold quartz piled up ready for roasting, which shows that +the workers, whoever they were, must have left in a hurry. Also, about +twenty paces in, the gallery is built across, and a beautiful bit of +masonry it is." + +"'Ay,' said Evans, 'but I will spin you a queerer yarn than that'; and +he went on to tell me how he had found in the far interior a ruined +city, which he believed to be the Ophir of the Bible, and, by the way, +other more learned men have said the same long since poor Evans's +time. I was, I remember, listening open-eared to all these wonders, +for I was young at the time, and this story of an ancient civilisation +and of the treasures which those old Jewish or Phoenician adventurers +used to extract from a country long since lapsed into the darkest +barbarism took a great hold upon my imagination, when suddenly he said +to me, 'Lad, did you ever hear of the Suliman Mountains up to the +north-west of the Mushakulumbwe country?' I told him I never had. 'Ah, +well,' he said, 'that is where Solomon really had his mines, his +diamond mines, I mean.' + +"'How do you know that?' I asked. + +"'Know it! why, what is "Suliman" but a corruption of Solomon?[*] +Besides, an old Isanusi or witch doctoress up in the Manica country +told me all about it. She said that the people who lived across those +mountains were a "branch" of the Zulus, speaking a dialect of Zulu, +but finer and bigger men even; that there lived among them great +wizards, who had learnt their art from white men when "all the world +was dark," and who had the secret of a wonderful mine of "bright +stones."' + +[*] Suliman is the Arabic form of Solomon.--Editor. + +"Well, I laughed at this story at the time, though it interested me, +for the Diamond Fields were not discovered then, but poor Evans went +off and was killed, and for twenty years I never thought any more of +the matter. However, just twenty years afterwards--and that is a long +time, gentlemen; an elephant hunter does not often live for twenty +years at his business--I heard something more definite about Suliman's +Mountains and the country which lies beyond them. I was up beyond the +Manica country, at a place called Sitanda's Kraal, and a miserable +place it was, for a man could get nothing to eat, and there was but +little game about. I had an attack of fever, and was in a bad way +generally, when one day a Portugee arrived with a single companion--a +half-breed. Now I know your low-class Delagoa Portugee well. There is +no greater devil unhung in a general way, battening as he does upon +human agony and flesh in the shape of slaves. But this was quite a +different type of man to the mean fellows whom I had been accustomed +to meet; indeed, in appearance he reminded me more of the polite doms +I have read about, for he was tall and thin, with large dark eyes and +curling grey mustachios. We talked together for a while, for he could +speak broken English, and I understood a little Portugee, and he told +me that his name was Jose Silvestre, and that he had a place near +Delagoa Bay. When he went on next day with his half-breed companion, +he said 'Good-bye,' taking off his hat quite in the old style. + +"'Good-bye, senoer,' he said; 'if ever we meet again I shall be the +richest man in the world, and I will remember you.' I laughed a little +--I was too weak to laugh much--and watched him strike out for the +great desert to the west, wondering if he was mad, or what he thought +he was going to find there. + +"A week passed, and I got the better of my fever. One evening I was +sitting on the ground in front of the little tent I had with me, +chewing the last leg of a miserable fowl I had bought from a native +for a bit of cloth worth twenty fowls, and staring at the hot red sun +sinking down over the desert, when suddenly I saw a figure, apparently +that of a European, for it wore a coat, on the slope of the rising +ground opposite to me, about three hundred yards away. The figure +crept along on its hands and knees, then it got up and staggered +forward a few yards on its legs, only to fall and crawl again. Seeing +that it must be somebody in distress, I sent one of my hunters to help +him, and presently he arrived, and who do you suppose it turned out to +be?" + +"Jose Silvestre, of course," said Captain Good. + +"Yes, Jose Silvestre, or rather his skeleton and a little skin. His +face was a bright yellow with bilious fever, and his large dark eyes +stood nearly out of his head, for all the flesh had gone. There was +nothing but yellow parchment-like skin, white hair, and the gaunt +bones sticking up beneath. + +"'Water! for the sake of Christ, water!' he moaned and I saw that his +lips were cracked, and his tongue, which protruded between them, was +swollen and blackish. + +"I gave him water with a little milk in it, and he drank it in great +gulps, two quarts or so, without stopping. I would not let him have +any more. Then the fever took him again, and he fell down and began to +rave about Suliman's Mountains, and the diamonds, and the desert. I +carried him into the tent and did what I could for him, which was +little enough; but I saw how it must end. About eleven o'clock he grew +quieter, and I lay down for a little rest and went to sleep. At dawn I +woke again, and in the half light saw Silvestre sitting up, a strange, +gaunt form, and gazing out towards the desert. Presently the first ray +of the sun shot right across the wide plain before us till it reached +the faraway crest of one of the tallest of the Suliman Mountains more +than a hundred miles away. + +"'There it is!' cried the dying man in Portuguese, and pointing with +his long, thin arm, 'but I shall never reach it, never. No one will +ever reach it!' + +"Suddenly, he paused, and seemed to take a resolution. 'Friend,' he +said, turning towards me, 'are you there? My eyes grow dark.' + +"'Yes,' I said; 'yes, lie down now, and rest.' + +"'Ay,' he answered, 'I shall rest soon, I have time to rest--all +eternity. Listen, I am dying! You have been good to me. I will give +you the writing. Perhaps you will get there if you can live to pass +the desert, which has killed my poor servant and me.' + +"Then he groped in his shirt and brought out what I thought was a Boer +tobacco pouch made of the skin of the Swart-vet-pens or sable +antelope. It was fastened with a little strip of hide, what we call a +rimpi, and this he tried to loose, but could not. He handed it to me. +'Untie it,' he said. I did so, and extracted a bit of torn yellow +linen on which something was written in rusty letters. Inside this rag +was a paper. + +"Then he went on feebly, for he was growing weak: 'The paper has all +that is on the linen. It took me years to read. Listen: my ancestor, a +political refugee from Lisbon, and one of the first Portuguese who +landed on these shores, wrote that when he was dying on those +mountains which no white foot ever pressed before or since. His name +was Jose da Silvestra, and he lived three hundred years ago. His +slave, who waited for him on this side of the mountains, found him +dead, and brought the writing home to Delagoa. It has been in the +family ever since, but none have cared to read it, till at last I did. +And I have lost my life over it, but another may succeed, and become +the richest man in the world--the richest man in the world. Only give +it to no one, senoer; go yourself!' + +"Then he began to wander again, and in an hour it was all over. + +"God rest him! he died very quietly, and I buried him deep, with big +boulders on his breast; so I do not think that the jackals can have +dug him up. And then I came away." + +"Ay, but the document?" said Sir Henry, in a tone of deep interest. + +"Yes, the document; what was in it?" added the captain. + +"Well, gentlemen, if you like I will tell you. I have never showed it +to anybody yet except to a drunken old Portuguese trader who +translated it for me, and had forgotten all about it by the next +morning. The original rag is at my home in Durban, together with poor +Dom Jose's translation, but I have the English rendering in my pocket- +book, and a facsimile of the map, if it can be called a map. Here it +is." + +[MAP OMITTED] + + "I, Jose da Silvestra, who am now dying of hunger in the little + cave here no snow is on the north side of the nipple of the + southernmost of the two mountains I have named Sheba's Breasts, + write this in the year 1590 with a cleft bone upon a remnant of my + raiment, my blood being the ink. If my slave should find it when + he comes, and should bring it to Delagoa, let my friend (name + illegible) bring the matter to the knowledge of the king, that he + may send an army which, if they live through the desert and the + mountains, and can overcome the brave Kukuanes and their devilish + arts, to which end many priests should be brought, will make him + the richest king since Solomon. With my own eyes I have seen the + countless diamonds stored in Solomon's treasure chamber behind the + white Death; but through the treachery of Gagool the witch-finder + I might bring nought away, scarcely my life. Let him who comes + follow the map, and climb the snow of Sheba's left breast till he + reaches the nipple, on the north side of which is the great road + Solomon made, from whence three days' journey to the King's + Palace. Let him kill Gagool. Pray for my soul. Farewell. + +Jose da Silvestra."[*] + +[*] Eu Jose da Silvestra que estou morrendo de fome na pequena cova + onde nao ha neve ao lado norte do bico mais ao sul das duas + montanhas que chamei scio de Sheba; escrevo isto no anno 1590; + escrevo isto com um pedaco d'osso n' um farrapo de minha roupa e + com sangue meu por tinta; se o meu escravo der com isto quando + venha ao levar para Lourenzo Marquez, que o meu amigo --------- + leve a cousa ao conhecimento d' El Rei, para que possa mandar um + exercito que, se desfiler pelo deserto e pelas montonhas e mesmo + sobrepujar os bravos Kukuanes e suas artes diabolicas, pelo que se + deviam trazer muitos padres Far o Rei mais rico depois de Salomao + Com meus proprios olhos ve os di amantes sem conto guardados nas + camaras do thesouro de Salomao a traz da morte branca, mas pela + traicao de Gagoal a feiticeira achadora, nada poderia levar, e + apenas a minha vida. Quem vier siga o mappa e trepe pela neve de + Sheba peito a esquerda ate chegar ao bica, do lado norte do qual + esta a grande estrada do Solomao por elle feita, donde ha tres + dias de jornada ate ao Palacio do Rei. Mate Gagoal. Reze por minha + alma. Adeos. Jose da Silvestra. + +When I had finished reading the above, and shown the copy of the map, +drawn by the dying hand of the old Dom with his blood for ink, there +followed a silence of astonishment. + +"Well," said Captain Good, "I have been round the world twice, and put +in at most ports, but may I be hung for a mutineer if ever I heard a +yarn like this out of a story book, or in it either, for the matter of +that." + +"It's a queer tale, Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry. "I suppose you +are not hoaxing us? It is, I know, sometimes thought allowable to take +in a greenhorn." + +"If you think that, Sir Henry," I said, much put out, and pocketing my +paper--for I do not like to be thought one of those silly fellows who +consider it witty to tell lies, and who are for ever boasting to +newcomers of extraordinary hunting adventures which never happened-- +"if you think that, why, there is an end to the matter," and I rose to +go. + +Sir Henry laid his large hand upon my shoulder. "Sit down, Mr. +Quatermain," he said, "I beg your pardon; I see very well you do not +wish to deceive us, but the story sounded so strange that I could +hardly believe it." + +"You shall see the original map and writing when we reach Durban," I +answered, somewhat mollified, for really when I came to consider the +question it was scarcely wonderful that he should doubt my good faith. + +"But," I went on, "I have not told you about your brother. I knew the +man Jim who was with him. He was a Bechuana by birth, a good hunter, +and for a native a very clever man. That morning on which Mr. Neville +was starting I saw Jim standing by my wagon and cutting up tobacco on +the disselboom. + +"'Jim,' said I, 'where are you off to this trip? It is elephants?' + +"'No, Baas,' he answered, 'we are after something worth much more than +ivory.' + +"'And what might that be?' I said, for I was curious. 'Is it gold?' + +"'No, Baas, something worth more than gold,' and he grinned. + +"I asked no more questions, for I did not like to lower my dignity by +seeming inquisitive, but I was puzzled. Presently Jim finished cutting +his tobacco. + +"'Baas,' said he. + +"I took no notice. + +"'Baas,' said he again. + +"'Eh, boy, what is it?' I asked. + +"'Baas, we are going after diamonds.' + +"'Diamonds! why, then, you are steering in the wrong direction; you +should head for the Fields.' + +"'Baas, have you ever heard of Suliman's Berg?'--that is, Solomon's +Mountains, Sir Henry. + +"'Ay!' + +"'Have you ever heard of the diamonds there?' + +"'I have heard a foolish story, Jim.' + +"'It is no story, Baas. Once I knew a woman who came from there, and +reached Natal with her child, she told me:--she is dead now.' + +"'Your master will feed the assvoegels'--that is, vultures--'Jim, if he +tries to reach Suliman's country, and so will you if they can get any +pickings off your worthless old carcass,' said I. + +"He grinned. 'Mayhap, Baas. Man must die; I'd rather like to try a new +country myself; the elephants are getting worked out about here.' + +"'Ah! my boy,' I said, 'you wait till the "pale old man" gets a grip +of your yellow throat, and then we shall hear what sort of a tune you +sing.' + +"Half an hour after that I saw Neville's wagon move off. Presently Jim +came back running. 'Good-bye, Baas,' he said. 'I didn't like to start +without bidding you good-bye, for I daresay you are right, and that we +shall never trek south again.' + +"'Is your master really going to Suliman's Berg, Jim, or are you +lying?' + +"'No,' he answered, 'he is going. He told me he was bound to make his +fortune somehow, or try to; so he might as well have a fling for the +diamonds.' + +"'Oh!' I said; 'wait a bit, Jim; will you take a note to your master, +Jim, and promise not to give it to him till you reach Inyati?' which +was some hundred miles off. + +"'Yes, Baas.' + +"So I took a scrap of paper, and wrote on it, 'Let him who comes . . . +climb the snow of Sheba's left breast, till he reaches the nipple, on +the north side of which is Solomon's great road.' + +"'Now, Jim,' I said, 'when you give this to your master, tell him he +had better follow the advice on it implicitly. You are not to give it +to him now, because I don't want him back asking me questions which I +won't answer. Now be off, you idle fellow, the wagon is nearly out of +sight.' + +"Jim took the note and went, and that is all I know about your +brother, Sir Henry; but I am much afraid--" + +"Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry, "I am going to look for my brother; +I am going to trace him to Suliman's Mountains, and over them if +necessary, till I find him, or until I know that he is dead. Will you +come with me?" + +I am, as I think I have said, a cautious man, indeed a timid one, and +this suggestion frightened me. It seemed to me that to undertake such +a journey would be to go to certain death, and putting other +considerations aside, as I had a son to support, I could not afford to +die just then. + +"No, thank you, Sir Henry, I think I had rather not," I answered. "I +am too old for wild-goose chases of that sort, and we should only end +up like my poor friend Silvestre. I have a son dependent on me, so I +cannot afford to risk my life foolishly." + +Both Sir Henry and Captain Good looked very disappointed. + +"Mr. Quatermain," said the former, "I am well off, and I am bent upon +this business. You may put the remuneration for your services at +whatever figure you like in reason, and it shall be paid over to you +before we start. Moreover, I will arrange in the event of anything +untoward happening to us or to you, that your son shall be suitably +provided for. You will see from this offer how necessary I think your +presence. Also if by chance we should reach this place, and find +diamonds, they shall belong to you and Good equally. I do not want +them. But of course that promise is worth nothing at all, though the +same thing would apply to any ivory we might get. You may pretty well +make your own terms with me, Mr. Quatermain; and of course I shall pay +all expenses." + +"Sir Henry," said I, "this is the most liberal proposal I ever had, +and one not to be sneezed at by a poor hunter and trader. But the job +is the biggest I have come across, and I must take time to think it +over. I will give you my answer before we get to Durban." + +"Very good," answered Sir Henry. + +Then I said good-night and turned in, and dreamt about poor long-dead +Silvestre and the diamonds. + + + +CHAPTER III + +UMBOPA ENTERS OUR SERVICE + +It takes from four to five days, according to the speed of the vessel +and the state of the weather, to run up from the Cape to Durban. +Sometimes, if the landing is bad at East London, where they have not +yet made that wonderful harbour they talk so much of, and sink such a +mint of money in, a ship is delayed for twenty-four hours before the +cargo boats can get out to take off the goods. But on this occasion we +had not to wait at all, for there were no breakers on the Bar to speak +of, and the tugs came out at once with the long strings of ugly flat- +bottomed boats behind them, into which the packages were bundled with +a crash. It did not matter what they might be, over they went slap- +bang; whether they contained china or woollen goods they met with the +same treatment. I saw one case holding four dozen of champagne smashed +all to bits, and there was the champagne fizzing and boiling about in +the bottom of the dirty cargo boat. It was a wicked waste, and +evidently so the Kafirs in the boat thought, for they found a couple +of unbroken bottles, and knocking off the necks drank the contents. +But they had not allowed for the expansion caused by the fizz in the +wine, and, feeling themselves swelling, rolled about in the bottom of +the boat, calling out that the good liquor was "tagati"--that is, +bewitched. I spoke to them from the vessel, and told them it was the +white man's strongest medicine, and that they were as good as dead +men. Those Kafirs went to the shore in a very great fright, and I do +not think that they will touch champagne again. + +Well, all the time that we were steaming up to Natal I was thinking +over Sir Henry Curtis's offer. We did not speak any more on the +subject for a day or two, though I told them many hunting yarns, all +true ones. There is no need to tell lies about hunting, for so many +curious things happen within the knowledge of a man whose business it +is to hunt; but this is by the way. + +At last, one beautiful evening in January, which is our hottest month, +we steamed past the coast of Natal, expecting to make Durban Point by +sunset. It is a lovely coast all along from East London, with its red +sandhills and wide sweeps of vivid green, dotted here and there with +Kafir kraals, and bordered by a ribbon of white surf, which spouts up +in pillars of foam where it hits the rocks. But just before you come +to Durban there is a peculiar richness about the landscape. There are +the sheer kloofs cut in the hills by the rushing rains of centuries, +down which the rivers sparkle; there is the deepest green of the bush, +growing as God planted it, and the other greens of the mealie gardens +and the sugar patches, while now and again a white house, smiling out +at the placid sea, puts a finish and gives an air of homeliness to the +scene. For to my mind, however beautiful a view may be, it requires +the presence of man to make it complete, but perhaps that is because I +have lived so much in the wilderness, and therefore know the value of +civilisation, though to be sure it drives away the game. The Garden of +Eden, no doubt, looked fair before man was, but I always think that it +must have been fairer when Eve adorned it. + +To return, we had miscalculated a little, and the sun was well down +before we dropped anchor off the Point, and heard the gun which told +the good folks of Durban that the English Mail was in. It was too late +to think of getting over the Bar that night, so we went comfortably to +dinner, after seeing the Mails carried off in the life-boat. + +When we came up again the moon was out, and shining so brightly over +sea and shore that she almost paled the quick, large flashes from the +lighthouse. From the shore floated sweet spicy odours that always +remind me of hymns and missionaries, and in the windows of the houses +on the Berea sparkled a hundred lights. From a large brig lying near +also came the music of the sailors as they worked at getting the +anchor up in order to be ready for the wind. Altogether it was a +perfect night, such a night as you sometimes get in Southern Africa, +and it threw a garment of peace over everybody as the moon threw a +garment of silver over everything. Even the great bulldog, belonging +to a sporting passenger, seemed to yield to its gentle influences, and +forgetting his yearning to come to close quarters with the baboon in a +cage on the foc'sle, snored happily at the door of the cabin, dreaming +no doubt that he had finished him, and happy in his dream. + +We three--that is, Sir Henry Curtis, Captain Good, and myself--went +and sat by the wheel, and were quiet for a while. + +"Well, Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry presently, "have you been +thinking about my proposals?" + +"Ay," echoed Captain Good, "what do you think of them, Mr. Quatermain? +I hope that you are going to give us the pleasure of your company so +far as Solomon's Mines, or wherever the gentleman you knew as Neville +may have got to." + +I rose and knocked out my pipe before I answered. I had not made up my +mind, and wanted an additional moment to decide. Before the burning +tobacco had fallen into the sea I had decided; just that little extra +second did the trick. It is often the way when you have been bothering +a long time over a thing. + +"Yes, gentlemen," I said, sitting down again, "I will go, and by your +leave I will tell you why, and on what conditions. First for the terms +which I ask. + +"1. You are to pay all expenses, and any ivory or other valuables we +may get is to be divided between Captain Good and myself. + +"2. That you give me L500 for my services on the trip before we start, +I undertaking to serve you faithfully till you choose to abandon the +enterprise, or till we succeed, or disaster overtakes us. + +"3. That before we trek you execute a deed agreeing, in the event of +my death or disablement, to pay my boy Harry, who is studying medicine +over there in London, at Guy's Hospital, a sum of L200 a year for five +years, by which time he ought to be able to earn a living for himself +if he is worth his salt. That is all, I think, and I daresay you will +say quite enough too." + +"No," answered Sir Henry, "I accept them gladly. I am bent upon this +project, and would pay more than that for your help, considering the +peculiar and exclusive knowledge which you possess." + +"Pity I did not ask it, then, but I won't go back on my word. And now +that I have got my terms I will tell you my reasons for making up my +mind to go. First of all, gentlemen, I have been observing you both +for the last few days, and if you will not think me impertinent I may +say that I like you, and believe that we shall come up well to the +yoke together. That is something, let me tell you, when one has a long +journey like this before one. + +"And now as to the journey itself, I tell you flatly, Sir Henry and +Captain Good, that I do not think it probable we can come out of it +alive, that is, if we attempt to cross the Suliman Mountains. What was +the fate of the old Dom da Silvestra three hundred years ago? What was +the fate of his descendant twenty years ago? What has been your +brother's fate? I tell you frankly, gentlemen, that as their fates +were so I believe ours will be." + +I paused to watch the effect of my words. Captain Good looked a little +uncomfortable, but Sir Henry's face did not change. "We must take our +chance," he said. + +"You may perhaps wonder," I went on, "why, if I think this, I, who am, +as I told you, a timid man, should undertake such a journey. It is for +two reasons. First I am a fatalist, and believe that my time is +appointed to come quite without reference to my own movements and +will, and that if I am to go to Suliman's Mountains to be killed, I +shall go there and shall be killed. God Almighty, no doubt, knows His +mind about me, so I need not trouble on that point. Secondly, I am a +poor man. For nearly forty years I have hunted and traded, but I have +never made more than a living. Well, gentlemen, I don't know if you +are aware that the average life of an elephant hunter from the time he +takes to the trade is between four and five years. So you see I have +lived through about seven generations of my class, and I should think +that my time cannot be far off, anyway. Now, if anything were to +happen to me in the ordinary course of business, by the time my debts +are paid there would be nothing left to support my son Harry whilst he +was getting in the way of earning a living, whereas now he will be set +up for five years. There is the whole affair in a nutshell." + +"Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry, who had been giving me his most +serious attention, "your motives for undertaking an enterprise which +you believe can only end in disaster reflect a great deal of credit on +you. Whether or not you are right, of course time and the event alone +can show. But whether you are right or wrong, I may as well tell you +at once that I am going through with it to the end, sweet or bitter. +If we are to be knocked on the head, all I have to say is, that I hope +we get a little shooting first, eh, Good?" + +"Yes, yes," put in the captain. "We have all three of us been +accustomed to face danger, and to hold our lives in our hands in +various ways, so it is no good turning back now. And now I vote we go +down to the saloon and take an observation just for luck, you know." +And we did--through the bottom of a tumbler. + +Next day we went ashore, and I put up Sir Henry and Captain Good at +the little shanty I have built on the Berea, and which I call my home. +There are only three rooms and a kitchen in it, and it is constructed +of green brick with a galvanised iron roof, but there is a good garden +with the best loquot trees in it that I know, and some nice young +mangoes, of which I hope great things. The curator of the botanical +gardens gave them to me. It is looked after by an old hunter of mine +named Jack, whose thigh was so badly broken by a buffalo cow in +Sikukunis country that he will never hunt again. But he can potter +about and garden, being a Griqua by birth. You will never persuade a +Zulu to take much interest in gardening. It is a peaceful art, and +peaceful arts are not in his line. + +Sir Henry and Good slept in a tent pitched in my little grove of +orange trees at the end of the garden, for there was no room for them +in the house, and what with the smell of the bloom, and the sight of +the green and golden fruit--in Durban you will see all three on the +tree together--I daresay it is a pleasant place enough, for we have +few mosquitos here on the Berea, unless there happens to come an +unusually heavy rain. + +Well, to get on--for if I do not, Harry, you will be tired of my story +before ever we fetch up at Suliman's Mountains--having once made up my +mind to go I set about making the necessary preparations. First I +secured the deed from Sir Henry, providing for you, my boy, in case of +accidents. There was some difficulty about its legal execution, as Sir +Henry was a stranger here, and the property to be charged is over the +water; but it was ultimately got over with the help of a lawyer, who +charged L20 for the job--a price that I thought outrageous. Then I +pocketed my cheque for L500. + +Having paid this tribute to my bump of caution, I purchased a wagon +and a span of oxen on Sir Henry's behalf, and beauties they were. It +was a twenty-two-foot wagon with iron axles, very strong, very light, +and built throughout of stink wood; not quite a new one, having been +to the Diamond Fields and back, but, in my opinion, all the better for +that, for I could see that the wood was well seasoned. If anything is +going to give in a wagon, or if there is green wood in it, it will +show out on the first trip. This particular vehicle was what we call a +"half-tented" wagon, that is to say, only covered in over the after +twelve feet, leaving all the front part free for the necessaries we +had to carry with us. In this after part were a hide "cartle," or bed, +on which two people could sleep, also racks for rifles, and many other +little conveniences. I gave L125 for it, and think that it was cheap +at the price. + +Then I bought a beautiful team of twenty Zulu oxen, which I had kept +my eye on for a year or two. Sixteen oxen is the usual number for a +team, but I took four extra to allow for casualties. These Zulu cattle +are small and light, not more than half the size of the Africander +oxen, which are generally used for transport purposes; but they will +live where the Africanders would starve, and with a moderate load can +make five miles a day better going, being quicker and not so liable to +become footsore. What is more, this lot were thoroughly "salted," that +is, they had worked all over South Africa, and so had become proof, +comparatively speaking, against red water, which so frequently +destroys whole teams of oxen when they get on to strange "veldt" or +grass country. As for "lung sick," which is a dreadful form of +pneumonia, very prevalent in this country, they had all been +inoculated against it. This is done by cutting a slit in the tail of +an ox, and binding in a piece of the diseased lung of an animal which +has died of the sickness. The result is that the ox sickens, takes the +disease in a mild form, which causes its tail to drop off, as a rule +about a foot from the root, and becomes proof against future attacks. +It seems cruel to rob the animal of his tail, especially in a country +where there are so many flies, but it is better to sacrifice the tail +and keep the ox than to lose both tail and ox, for a tail without an +ox is not much good, except to dust with. Still it does look odd to +trek along behind twenty stumps, where there ought to be tails. It +seems as though Nature made a trifling mistake, and stuck the stern +ornaments of a lot of prize bull-dogs on to the rumps of the oxen. + +Next came the question of provisioning and medicines, one which +required the most careful consideration, for what we had to do was to +avoid lumbering the wagon, and yet to take everything absolutely +necessary. Fortunately, it turned out that Good is a bit of a doctor, +having at some point in his previous career managed to pass through a +course of medical and surgical instruction, which he has more or less +kept up. He is not, of course, qualified, but he knows more about it +than many a man who can write M.D. after his name, as we found out +afterwards, and he had a splendid travelling medicine chest and a set +of instruments. Whilst we were at Durban he cut off a Kafir's big toe +in a way which it was a pleasure to see. But he was quite nonplussed +when the Kafir, who had sat stolidly watching the operation, asked him +to put on another, saying that a "white one" would do at a pinch. + +There remained, when these questions were satisfactorily settled, two +further important points for consideration, namely, that of arms and +that of servants. As to the arms I cannot do better than put down a +list of those which we finally decided on from among the ample store +that Sir Henry had brought with him from England, and those which I +owned. I copy it from my pocket-book, where I made the entry at the +time. + +"Three heavy breech-loading double-eight elephant guns, weighing about +fifteen pounds each, to carry a charge of eleven drachms of black +powder." Two of these were by a well-known London firm, most excellent +makers, but I do not know by whom mine, which is not so highly +finished, was made. I have used it on several trips, and shot a good +many elephants with it, and it has always proved a most superior +weapon, thoroughly to be relied on. + +"Three double-500 Expresses, constructed to stand a charge of six +drachms," sweet weapons, and admirable for medium-sized game, such as +eland or sable antelope, or for men, especially in an open country and +with the semi-hollow bullet. + +"One double No. 12 central-fire Keeper's shot-gun, full choke both +barrels." This gun proved of the greatest service to us afterwards in +shooting game for the pot. + +"Three Winchester repeating rifles (not carbines), spare guns. + +"Three single-action Colt's revolvers, with the heavier, or American +pattern of cartridge." + +This was our total armament, and doubtless the reader will observe +that the weapons of each class were of the same make and calibre, so +that the cartridges were interchangeable, a very important point. I +make no apology for detailing it at length, as every experienced +hunter will know how vital a proper supply of guns and ammunition is +to the success of an expedition. + +Now as to the men who were to go with us. After much consultation we +decided that their number should be limited to five, namely, a driver, +a leader, and three servants. + +The driver and leader I found without much difficulty, two Zulus, +named respectively Goza and Tom; but to get the servants proved a more +difficult matter. It was necessary that they should be thoroughly +trustworthy and brave men, as in a business of this sort our lives +might depend upon their conduct. At last I secured two, one a +Hottentot named Ventvoegel, or "windbird," and one a little Zulu named +Khiva, who had the merit of speaking English perfectly. Ventvoegel I +had known before; he was one of the most perfect "spoorers," that is, +game trackers, I ever had to do with, and tough as whipcord. He never +seemed to tire. But he had one failing, so common with his race, +drink. Put him within reach of a bottle of gin and you could not trust +him. However, as we were going beyond the region of grog-shops this +little weakness of his did not so much matter. + +Having secured these two men I looked in vain for a third to suit my +purpose, so we determined to start without one, trusting to luck to +find a suitable man on our way up country. But, as it happened, on the +evening before the day we had fixed for our departure the Zulu Khiva +informed me that a Kafir was waiting to see me. Accordingly, when we +had done dinner, for we were at table at the time, I told Khiva to +bring him in. Presently a tall, handsome-looking man, somewhere about +thirty years of age, and very light-coloured for a Zulu, entered, and +lifting his knob-stick by way of salute, squatted himself down in the +corner on his haunches, and sat silent. I did not take any notice of +him for a while, for it is a great mistake to do so. If you rush into +conversation at once, a Zulu is apt to think you a person of little +dignity or consequence. I observed, however, that he was a "Keshla" or +ringed man; that is, he wore on his head the black ring, made of a +species of gum polished with fat and worked up in the hair, which is +usually assumed by Zulus on attaining a certain age or dignity. Also +it struck me that his face was familiar to me. + +"Well," I said at last, "What is your name?" + +"Umbopa," answered the man in a slow, deep voice. + +"I have seen your face before." + +"Yes; the Inkoosi, the chief, my father, saw my face at the place of +the Little Hand"--that is, Isandhlwana--"on the day before the +battle." + +Then I remembered. I was one of Lord Chelmsford's guides in that +unlucky Zulu War, and had the good fortune to leave the camp in charge +of some wagons on the day before the battle. While I was waiting for +the cattle to be inspanned I fell into conversation with this man, who +held some small command among the native auxiliaries, and he had +expressed to me his doubts as to the safety of the camp. At the time I +told him to hold his tongue, and leave such matters to wiser heads; +but afterwards I thought of his words. + +"I remember," I said; "what is it you want?" + +"It is this, 'Macumazahn.'" That is my Kafir name, and means the man +who gets up in the middle of the night, or, in vulgar English, he who +keeps his eyes open. "I hear that you go on a great expedition far +into the North with the white chiefs from over the water. Is it a true +word?" + +"It is." + +"I hear that you go even to the Lukanga River, a moon's journey beyond +the Manica country. Is this so also, 'Macumazahn?'" + +"Why do you ask whither we go? What is it to you?" I answered +suspiciously, for the objects of our journey had been kept a dead +secret. + +"It is this, O white men, that if indeed you travel so far I would +travel with you." + +There was a certain assumption of dignity in the man's mode of speech, +and especially in his use of the words "O white men," instead of "O +Inkosis," or chiefs, which struck me. + +"You forget yourself a little," I said. "Your words run out unawares. +That is not the way to speak. What is your name, and where is your +kraal? Tell us, that we may know with whom we have to deal." + +"My name is Umbopa. I am of the Zulu people, yet not of them. The +house of my tribe is in the far North; it was left behind when the +Zulus came down here a 'thousand years ago,' long before Chaka reigned +in Zululand. I have no kraal. I have wandered for many years. I came +from the North as a child to Zululand. I was Cetewayo's man in the +Nkomabakosi Regiment, serving there under the great Captain, +Umslopogaasi of the Axe,[*] who taught my hands to fight. Afterwards I +ran away from Zululand and came to Natal because I wanted to see the +white man's ways. Next I fought against Cetewayo in the war. Since +then I have been working in Natal. Now I am tired, and would go North +again. Here is not my place. I want no money, but I am a brave man, +and am worth my place and meat. I have spoken." + +[*] For the history of Umslopogaasi and his Axe, the reader is + referred to the books called "Allan Quatermain" and "Nada the + Lily."--Editor. + +I was rather puzzled by this man and his way of speech. It was evident +to me from his manner that in the main he was telling the truth, but +somehow he seemed different from the ordinary run of Zulus, and I +rather mistrusted his offer to come without pay. Being in a +difficulty, I translated his words to Sir Henry and Good, and asked +them their opinion. + +Sir Henry told me to ask him to stand up. Umbopa did so, at the same +time slipping off the long military great coat which he wore, and +revealing himself naked except for the moocha round his centre and a +necklace of lions' claws. Certainly he was a magnificent-looking man; +I never saw a finer native. Standing about six foot three high he was +broad in proportion, and very shapely. In that light, too, his skin +looked scarcely more than dark, except here and there where deep black +scars marked old assegai wounds. Sir Henry walked up to him and looked +into his proud, handsome face. + +"They make a good pair, don't they?" said Good; "one as big as the +other." + +"I like your looks, Mr. Umbopa, and I will take you as my servant," +said Sir Henry in English. + +Umbopa evidently understood him, for he answered in Zulu, "It is +well"; and then added, with a glance at the white man's great stature +and breadth, "We are men, thou and I." + + + +CHAPTER IV + +AN ELEPHANT HUNT + +Now I do not propose to narrate at full length all the incidents of +our long travel up to Sitanda's Kraal, near the junction of the +Lukanga and Kalukwe Rivers. It was a journey of more than a thousand +miles from Durban, the last three hundred or so of which we had to +make on foot, owing to the frequent presence of the dreadful "tsetse" +fly, whose bite is fatal to all animals except donkeys and men. + +We left Durban at the end of January, and it was in the second week of +May that we camped near Sitanda's Kraal. Our adventures on the way +were many and various, but as they are of the sort which befall every +African hunter--with one exception to be presently detailed--I shall +not set them down here, lest I should render this history too +wearisome. + +At Inyati, the outlying trading station in the Matabele country, of +which Lobengula (a great and cruel scoundrel) is king, with many +regrets we parted from our comfortable wagon. Only twelve oxen +remained to us out of the beautiful span of twenty which I had bought +at Durban. One we lost from the bite of a cobra, three had perished +from "poverty" and the want of water, one strayed, and the other three +died from eating the poisonous herb called "tulip." Five more sickened +from this cause, but we managed to cure them with doses of an infusion +made by boiling down the tulip leaves. If administered in time this is +a very effective antidote. + +The wagon and the oxen we left in the immediate charge of Goza and +Tom, our driver and leader, both trustworthy boys, requesting a worthy +Scotch missionary who lived in this distant place to keep an eye on +them. Then, accompanied by Umbopa, Khiva, Ventvoegel, and half a dozen +bearers whom we hired on the spot, we started off on foot upon our +wild quest. I remember we were all a little silent on the occasion of +this departure, and I think that each of us was wondering if we should +ever see our wagon again; for my part I never expected to do so. For a +while we tramped on in silence, till Umbopa, who was marching in +front, broke into a Zulu chant about how some brave men, tired of life +and the tameness of things, started off into a vast wilderness to find +new things or die, and how, lo and behold! when they had travelled far +into the wilderness they found that it was not a wilderness at all, +but a beautiful place full of young wives and fat cattle, of game to +hunt and enemies to kill. + +Then we all laughed and took it for a good omen. Umbopa was a cheerful +savage, in a dignified sort of way, when he was not suffering from one +of his fits of brooding, and he had a wonderful knack of keeping up +our spirits. We all grew very fond of him. + +And now for the one adventure to which I am going to treat myself, for +I do dearly love a hunting yarn. + +About a fortnight's march from Inyati we came across a peculiarly +beautiful bit of well-watered woodland country. The kloofs in the +hills were covered with dense bush, "idoro" bush as the natives call +it, and in some places, with the "wacht-een-beche," or "wait-a-little +thorn," and there were great quantities of the lovely "machabell" +tree, laden with refreshing yellow fruit having enormous stones. This +tree is the elephant's favourite food, and there were not wanting +signs that the great brutes had been about, for not only was their +spoor frequent, but in many places the trees were broken down and even +uprooted. The elephant is a destructive feeder. + +One evening, after a long day's march, we came to a spot of great +loveliness. At the foot of a bush-clad hill lay a dry river-bed, in +which, however, were to be found pools of crystal water all trodden +round with the hoof-prints of game. Facing this hill was a park-like +plain, where grew clumps of flat-topped mimosa, varied with occasional +glossy-leaved machabells, and all round stretched the sea of pathless, +silent bush. + +As we emerged into this river-bed path suddenly we started a troop of +tall giraffes, who galloped, or rather sailed off, in their strange +gait, their tails screwed up over their backs, and their hoofs +rattling like castanets. They were about three hundred yards from us, +and therefore practically out of shot, but Good, who was walking +ahead, and who had an express loaded with solid ball in his hand, +could not resist temptation. Lifting his gun, he let drive at the +last, a young cow. By some extraordinary chance the ball struck it +full on the back of the neck, shattering the spinal column, and that +giraffe went rolling head over heels just like a rabbit. I never saw a +more curious thing. + +"Curse it!" said Good--for I am sorry to say he had a habit of using +strong language when excited--contracted, no doubt, in the course of +his nautical career; "curse it! I've killed him." + +"/Ou/, Bougwan," ejaculated the Kafirs; "/ou! ou!/" + +They called Good "Bougwan," or Glass Eye, because of his eye-glass. + +"Oh, 'Bougwan!'" re-echoed Sir Henry and I, and from that day Good's +reputation as a marvellous shot was established, at any rate among the +Kafirs. Really he was a bad one, but whenever he missed we overlooked +it for the sake of that giraffe. + +Having set some of the "boys" to cut off the best of the giraffe's +meat, we went to work to build a "scherm" near one of the pools and +about a hundred yards to its right. This is done by cutting a quantity +of thorn bushes and piling them in the shape of a circular hedge. Then +the space enclosed is smoothed, and dry tambouki grass, if obtainable, +is made into a bed in the centre, and a fire or fires lighted. + +By the time the "scherm" was finished the moon peeped up, and our +dinners of giraffe steaks and roasted marrow-bones were ready. How we +enjoyed those marrow-bones, though it was rather a job to crack them! +I know of no greater luxury than giraffe marrow, unless it is +elephant's heart, and we had that on the morrow. We ate our simple +meal by the light of the moon, pausing at times to thank Good for his +wonderful shot; then we began to smoke and yarn, and a curious picture +we must have made squatting there round the fire. I, with my short +grizzled hair sticking up straight, and Sir Henry with his yellow +locks, which were getting rather long, were rather a contrast, +especially as I am thin, and short, and dark, weighing only nine stone +and a half, and Sir Henry is tall, and broad, and fair, and weighs +fifteen. But perhaps the most curious-looking of the three, taking all +the circumstances of the case into consideration, was Captain John +Good, R.N. There he sat upon a leather bag, looking just as though he +had come in from a comfortable day's shooting in a civilised country, +absolutely clean, tidy, and well dressed. He wore a shooting suit of +brown tweed, with a hat to match, and neat gaiters. As usual, he was +beautifully shaved, his eye-glass and his false teeth appeared to be +in perfect order, and altogether he looked the neatest man I ever had +to do with in the wilderness. He even sported a collar, of which he +had a supply, made of white gutta-percha. + +"You see, they weigh so little," he said to me innocently, when I +expressed my astonishment at the fact; "and I always like to turn out +like a gentleman." Ah! if he could have foreseen the future and the +raiment prepared for him. + +Well, there we three sat yarning away in the beautiful moonlight, and +watching the Kafirs a few yards off sucking their intoxicating +"daccha" from a pipe of which the mouthpiece was made of the horn of +an eland, till one by one they rolled themselves up in their blankets +and went to sleep by the fire, that is, all except Umbopa, who was a +little apart, his chin resting on his hand, and thinking deeply. I +noticed that he never mixed much with the other Kafirs. + +Presently, from the depths of the bush behind us, came a loud "/woof/, +/woof/!" "That's a lion," said I, and we all started up to listen. +Hardly had we done so, when from the pool, about a hundred yards off, +we heard the strident trumpeting of an elephant. "/Unkungunklovo/! +/Indlovu/!" "Elephant! Elephant!" whispered the Kafirs, and a few +minutes afterwards we saw a succession of vast shadowy forms moving +slowly from the direction of the water towards the bush. + +Up jumped Good, burning for slaughter, and thinking, perhaps, that it +was as easy to kill elephant as he had found it to shoot giraffe, but +I caught him by the arm and pulled him down. + +"It's no good," I whispered, "let them go." + +"It seems that we are in a paradise of game. I vote we stop here a day +or two, and have a go at them," said Sir Henry, presently. + +I was rather surprised, for hitherto Sir Henry had always been for +pushing forward as fast as possible, more especially since we +ascertained at Inyati that about two years ago an Englishman of the +name of Neville /had/ sold his wagon there, and gone on up country. +But I suppose his hunter instincts got the better of him for a while. + +Good jumped at the idea, for he was longing to have a shot at those +elephants; and so, to speak the truth, did I, for it went against my +conscience to let such a herd as that escape without a pull at them. + +"All right, my hearties," said I. "I think we want a little +recreation. And now let's turn in, for we ought to be off by dawn, and +then perhaps we may catch them feeding before they move on." + +The others agreed, and we proceeded to make our preparations. Good +took off his clothes, shook them, put his eye-glass and his false +teeth into his trousers pocket, and folding each article neatly, +placed it out of the dew under a corner of his mackintosh sheet. Sir +Henry and I contented ourselves with rougher arrangements, and soon +were curled up in our blankets, and dropping off into the dreamless +sleep that rewards the traveller. + +Going, going, go--What was that? + +Suddenly, from the direction of the water came sounds of violent +scuffling, and next instant there broke upon our ears a succession of +the most awful roars. There was no mistaking their origin; only a lion +could make such a noise as that. We all jumped up and looked towards +the water, in the direction of which we saw a confused mass, yellow +and black in colour, staggering and struggling towards us. We seized +our rifles, and slipping on our veldtschoons, that is shoes made of +untanned hide, ran out of the scherm. By this time the mass had +fallen, and was rolling over and over on the ground, and when we +reached the spot it struggled no longer, but lay quite still. + +Now we saw what it was. On the grass there lay a sable antelope bull-- +the most beautiful of all the African antelopes--quite dead, and +transfixed by its great curved horns was a magnificent black-maned +lion, also dead. Evidently what had happened was this: The sable +antelope had come down to drink at the pool where the lion--no doubt +the same which we had heard--was lying in wait. While the antelope +drank, the lion had sprung upon him, only to be received upon the +sharp curved horns and transfixed. Once before I saw a similar thing +happen. Then the lion, unable to free himself, had torn and bitten at +the back and neck of the bull, which, maddened with fear and pain, had +rushed on until it dropped dead. + +As soon as we had examined the beasts sufficiently we called the +Kafirs, and between us managed to drag their carcases up to the +scherm. After that we went in and lay down, to wake no more till dawn. + +With the first light we were up and making ready for the fray. We took +with us the three eight-bore rifles, a good supply of ammunition, and +our large water-bottles, filled with weak cold tea, which I have +always found the best stuff to shoot on. After swallowing a little +breakfast we started, Umbopa, Khiva, and Ventvoegel accompanying us. +The other Kafirs we left with instructions to skin the lion and the +sable antelope, and to cut up the latter. + +We had no difficulty in finding the broad elephant trail, which +Ventvoegel, after examination, pronounced to have been made by between +twenty and thirty elephants, most of them full-grown bulls. But the +herd had moved on some way during the night, and it was nine o'clock, +and already very hot, before, by the broken trees, bruised leaves and +bark, and smoking droppings, we knew that we could not be far from +them. + +Presently we caught sight of the herd, which numbered, as Ventvoegel +had said, between twenty and thirty, standing in a hollow, having +finished their morning meal, and flapping their great ears. It was a +splendid sight, for they were only about two hundred yards from us. +Taking a handful of dry grass, I threw it into the air to see how the +wind was; for if once they winded us I knew they would be off before +we could get a shot. Finding that, if anything, it blew from the +elephants to us, we crept on stealthily, and thanks to the cover +managed to get within forty yards or so of the great brutes. Just in +front of us, and broadside on, stood three splendid bulls, one of them +with enormous tusks. I whispered to the others that I would take the +middle one; Sir Henry covering the elephant to the left, and Good the +bull with the big tusks. + +"Now," I whispered. + +Boom! boom! boom! went the three heavy rifles, and down came Sir +Henry's elephant dead as a hammer, shot right through the heart. Mine +fell on to its knees and I thought that he was going to die, but in +another moment he was up and off, tearing along straight past me. As +he went I gave him the second barrel in the ribs, and this brought him +down in good earnest. Hastily slipping in two fresh cartridges I ran +close up to him, and a ball through the brain put an end to the poor +brute's struggles. Then I turned to see how Good had fared with the +big bull, which I had heard screaming with rage and pain as I gave +mine its quietus. On reaching the captain I found him in a great state +of excitement. It appeared that on receiving the bullet the bull had +turned and come straight for his assailant, who had barely time to get +out of his way, and then charged on blindly past him, in the direction +of our encampment. Meanwhile the herd had crashed off in wild alarm in +the other direction. + +For awhile we debated whether to go after the wounded bull or to +follow the herd, and finally deciding for the latter alternative, +departed, thinking that we had seen the last of those big tusks. I +have often wished since that we had. It was easy work to follow the +elephants, for they had left a trail like a carriage road behind them, +crushing down the thick bush in their furious flight as though it were +tambouki grass. + +But to come up with them was another matter, and we had struggled on +under the broiling sun for over two hours before we found them. With +the exception of one bull, they were standing together, and I could +see, from their unquiet way and the manner in which they kept lifting +their trunks to test the air, that they were on the look-out for +mischief. The solitary bull stood fifty yards or so to this side of +the herd, over which he was evidently keeping sentry, and about sixty +yards from us. Thinking that he would see or wind us, and that it +would probably start them off again if we tried to get nearer, +especially as the ground was rather open, we all aimed at this bull, +and at my whispered word, we fired. The three shots took effect, and +down he went dead. Again the herd started, but unfortunately for them +about a hundred yards further on was a nullah, or dried-out water +track, with steep banks, a place very much resembling the one where +the Prince Imperial was killed in Zululand. Into this the elephants +plunged, and when we reached the edge we found them struggling in wild +confusion to get up the other bank, filling the air with their +screams, and trumpeting as they pushed one another aside in their +selfish panic, just like so many human beings. Now was our +opportunity, and firing away as quickly as we could load, we killed +five of the poor beasts, and no doubt should have bagged the whole +herd, had they not suddenly given up their attempts to climb the bank +and rushed headlong down the nullah. We were too tired to follow them, +and perhaps also a little sick of slaughter, eight elephants being a +pretty good bag for one day. + +So after we were rested a little, and the Kafirs had cut out the +hearts of two of the dead elephants for supper, we started homewards, +very well pleased with our day's work, having made up our minds to +send the bearers on the morrow to chop away the tusks. + +Shortly after we re-passed the spot where Good had wounded the +patriarchal bull we came across a herd of eland, but did not shoot at +them, as we had plenty of meat. They trotted past us, and then stopped +behind a little patch of bush about a hundred yards away, wheeling +round to look at us. As Good was anxious to get a near view of them, +never having seen an eland close, he handed his rifle to Umbopa, and, +followed by Khiva, strolled up to the patch of bush. We sat down and +waited for him, not sorry of the excuse for a little rest. + +The sun was just going down in its reddest glory, and Sir Henry and I +were admiring the lovely scene, when suddenly we heard an elephant +scream, and saw its huge and rushing form with uplifted trunk and tail +silhouetted against the great fiery globe of the sun. Next second we +saw something else, and that was Good and Khiva tearing back towards +us with the wounded bull--for it was he--charging after them. For a +moment we did not dare to fire--though at that distance it would have +been of little use if we had done so--for fear of hitting one of them, +and the next a dreadful thing happened--Good fell a victim to his +passion for civilised dress. Had he consented to discard his trousers +and gaiters like the rest of us, and to hunt in a flannel shirt and a +pair of veldt-schoons, it would have been all right. But as it was, +his trousers cumbered him in that desperate race, and presently, when +he was about sixty yards from us, his boot, polished by the dry grass, +slipped, and down he went on his face right in front of the elephant. + +We gave a gasp, for we knew that he must die, and ran as hard as we +could towards him. In three seconds it had ended, but not as we +thought. Khiva, the Zulu boy, saw his master fall, and brave lad as he +was, turned and flung his assegai straight into the elephant's face. +It stuck in his trunk. + +With a scream of pain, the brute seized the poor Zulu, hurled him to +the earth, and placing one huge foot on to his body about the middle, +twined its trunk round his upper part and /tore him in two/. + +We rushed up mad with horror, and fired again and again, till +presently the elephant fell upon the fragments of the Zulu. + +As for Good, he rose and wrung his hands over the brave man who had +given his life to save him, and, though I am an old hand, I felt a +lump grow in my throat. Umbopa stood contemplating the huge dead +elephant and the mangled remains of poor Khiva. + +"Ah, well," he said presently, "he is dead, but he died like a man!" + + + +CHAPTER V + +OUR MARCH INTO THE DESERT + +We had killed nine elephants, and it took us two days to cut out the +tusks, and having brought them into camp, to bury them carefully in +the sand under a large tree, which made a conspicuous mark for miles +round. It was a wonderfully fine lot of ivory. I never saw a better, +averaging as it did between forty and fifty pounds a tusk. The tusks +of the great bull that killed poor Khiva scaled one hundred and +seventy pounds the pair, so nearly as we could judge. + +As for Khiva himself, we buried what remained of him in an ant-bear +hole, together with an assegai to protect himself with on his journey +to a better world. On the third day we marched again, hoping that we +might live to return to dig up our buried ivory, and in due course, +after a long and wearisome tramp, and many adventures which I have not +space to detail, we reached Sitanda's Kraal, near the Lukanga River, +the real starting-point of our expedition. Very well do I recollect +our arrival at that place. To the right was a scattered native +settlement with a few stone cattle kraals and some cultivated lands +down by the water, where these savages grew their scanty supply of +grain, and beyond it stretched great tracts of waving "veld" covered +with tall grass, over which herds of the smaller game were wandering. +To the left lay the vast desert. This spot appears to be the outpost +of the fertile country, and it would be difficult to say to what +natural causes such an abrupt change in the character of the soil is +due. But so it is. + +Just below our encampment flowed a little stream, on the farther side +of which is a stony slope, the same down which, twenty years before, I +had seen poor Silvestre creeping back after his attempt to reach +Solomon's Mines, and beyond that slope begins the waterless desert, +covered with a species of karoo shrub. + +It was evening when we pitched our camp, and the great ball of the sun +was sinking into the desert, sending glorious rays of many-coloured +light flying all over its vast expanse. Leaving Good to superintend +the arrangement of our little camp, I took Sir Henry with me, and +walking to the top of the slope opposite, we gazed across the desert. +The air was very clear, and far, far away I could distinguish the +faint blue outlines, here and there capped with white, of the Suliman +Berg. + +"There," I said, "there is the wall round Solomon's Mines, but God +knows if we shall ever climb it." + +"My brother should be there, and if he is, I shall reach him somehow," +said Sir Henry, in that tone of quiet confidence which marked the man. + +"I hope so," I answered, and turned to go back to the camp, when I saw +that we were not alone. Behind us, also gazing earnestly towards the +far-off mountains, stood the great Kafir Umbopa. + +The Zulu spoke when he saw that I had observed him, addressing Sir +Henry, to whom he had attached himself. + +"Is it to that land that thou wouldst journey, Incubu?" (a native word +meaning, I believe, an elephant, and the name given to Sir Henry by +the Kafirs), he said, pointing towards the mountain with his broad +assegai. + +I asked him sharply what he meant by addressing his master in that +familiar way. It is very well for natives to have a name for one among +themselves, but it is not decent that they should call a white man by +their heathenish appellations to his face. The Zulu laughed a quiet +little laugh which angered me. + +"How dost thou know that I am not the equal of the Inkosi whom I +serve?" he said. "He is of a royal house, no doubt; one can see it in +his size and by his mien; so, mayhap, am I. At least, I am as great a +man. Be my mouth, O Macumazahn, and say my words to the Inkoos Incubu, +my master, for I would speak to him and to thee." + +I was angry with the man, for I am not accustomed to be talked to in +that way by Kafirs, but somehow he impressed me, and besides I was +curious to know what he had to say. So I translated, expressing my +opinion at the same time that he was an impudent fellow, and that his +swagger was outrageous. + +"Yes, Umbopa," answered Sir Henry, "I would journey there." + +"The desert is wide and there is no water in it, the mountains are +high and covered with snow, and man cannot say what lies beyond them +behind the place where the sun sets; how shalt thou come thither, +Incubu, and wherefore dost thou go?" + +I translated again. + +"Tell him," answered Sir Henry, "that I go because I believe that a +man of my blood, my brother, has gone there before me, and I journey +to seek him." + +"That is so, Incubu; a Hottentot I met on the road told me that a +white man went out into the desert two years ago towards those +mountains with one servant, a hunter. They never came back." + +"How do you know it was my brother?" asked Sir Henry. + +"Nay, I know not. But the Hottentot, when I asked what the white man +was like, said that he had thine eyes and a black beard. He said, too, +that the name of the hunter with him was Jim; that he was a Bechuana +hunter and wore clothes." + +"There is no doubt about it," said I; "I knew Jim well." + +Sir Henry nodded. "I was sure of it," he said. "If George set his mind +upon a thing he generally did it. It was always so from his boyhood. +If he meant to cross the Suliman Berg he has crossed it, unless some +accident overtook him, and we must look for him on the other side." + +Umbopa understood English, though he rarely spoke it. + +"It is a far journey, Incubu," he put in, and I translated his remark. + +"Yes," answered Sir Henry, "it is far. But there is no journey upon +this earth that a man may not make if he sets his heart to it. There +is nothing, Umbopa, that he cannot do, there are no mountains he may +not climb, there are no deserts he cannot cross, save a mountain and a +desert of which you are spared the knowledge, if love leads him and he +holds his life in his hands counting it as nothing, ready to keep it +or lose it as Heaven above may order." + +I translated. + +"Great words, my father," answered the Zulu--I always called him a +Zulu, though he was not really one--"great swelling words fit to fill +the mouth of a man. Thou art right, my father Incubu. Listen! what is +life? It is a feather, it is the seed of the grass, blown hither and +thither, sometimes multiplying itself and dying in the act, sometimes +carried away into the heavens. But if that seed be good and heavy it +may perchance travel a little way on the road it wills. It is well to +try and journey one's road and to fight with the air. Man must die. At +the worst he can but die a little sooner. I will go with thee across +the desert and over the mountains, unless perchance I fall to the +ground on the way, my father." + +He paused awhile, and then went on with one of those strange bursts of +rhetorical eloquence that Zulus sometimes indulge in, which to my +mind, full though they are of vain repetitions, show that the race is +by no means devoid of poetic instinct and of intellectual power. + +"What is life? Tell me, O white men, who are wise, who know the +secrets of the world, and of the world of stars, and the world that +lies above and around the stars; who flash your words from afar +without a voice; tell me, white men, the secret of our life--whither +it goes and whence it comes! + +"You cannot answer me; you know not. Listen, I will answer. Out of the +dark we came, into the dark we go. Like a storm-driven bird at night +we fly out of the Nowhere; for a moment our wings are seen in the +light of the fire, and, lo! we are gone again into the Nowhere. Life +is nothing. Life is all. It is the Hand with which we hold off Death. +It is the glow-worm that shines in the night-time and is black in the +morning; it is the white breath of the oxen in winter; it is the +little shadow that runs across the grass and loses itself at sunset." + +"You are a strange man," said Sir Henry, when he had ceased. + +Umbopa laughed. "It seems to me that we are much alike, Incubu. +Perhaps /I/ seek a brother over the mountains." + +I looked at him suspiciously. "What dost thou mean?" I asked; "what +dost thou know of those mountains?" + +"A little; a very little. There is a strange land yonder, a land of +witchcraft and beautiful things; a land of brave people, and of trees, +and streams, and snowy peaks, and of a great white road. I have heard +of it. But what is the good of talking? It grows dark. Those who live +to see will see." + +Again I looked at him doubtfully. The man knew too much. + +"You need not fear me, Macumazahn," he said, interpreting my look. "I +dig no holes for you to fall in. I make no plots. If ever we cross +those mountains behind the sun I will tell what I know. But Death sits +upon them. Be wise and turn back. Go and hunt elephants, my masters. I +have spoken." + +And without another word he lifted his spear in salutation, and +returned towards the camp, where shortly afterwards we found him +cleaning a gun like any other Kafir. + +"That is an odd man," said Sir Henry. + +"Yes," answered I, "too odd by half. I don't like his little ways. He +knows something, and will not speak out. But I suppose it is no use +quarrelling with him. We are in for a curious trip, and a mysterious +Zulu won't make much difference one way or another." + +Next day we made our arrangements for starting. Of course it was +impossible to drag our heavy elephant rifles and other kit with us +across the desert, so, dismissing our bearers, we made an arrangement +with an old native who had a kraal close by to take care of them till +we returned. It went to my heart to leave such things as those sweet +tools to the tender mercies of an old thief of a savage whose greedy +eyes I could see gloating over them. But I took some precautions. + +First of all I loaded all the rifles, placing them at full cock, and +informed him that if he touched them they would go off. He tried the +experiment instantly with my eight-bore, and it did go off, and blew a +hole right through one of his oxen, which were just then being driven +up to the kraal, to say nothing of knocking him head over heels with +the recoil. He got up considerably startled, and not at all pleased at +the loss of the ox, which he had the impudence to ask me to pay for, +and nothing would induce him to touch the guns again. + +"Put the live devils out of the way up there in the thatch," he said, +"or they will murder us all." + +Then I told him that, when we came back, if one of those things was +missing I would kill him and his people by witchcraft; and if we died +and he tried to steal the rifles I would come and haunt him and turn +his cattle mad and his milk sour till life was a weariness, and would +make the devils in the guns come out and talk to him in a way he did +not like, and generally gave him a good idea of judgment to come. +After that he promised to look after them as though they were his +father's spirit. He was a very superstitious old Kafir and a great +villain. + +Having thus disposed of our superfluous gear we arranged the kit we +five--Sir Henry, Good, myself, Umbopa, and the Hottentot Ventvoegel-- +were to take with us on our journey. It was small enough, but do what +we would we could not get its weight down under about forty pounds a +man. This is what it consisted of:-- + +The three express rifles and two hundred rounds of ammunition. + +The two Winchester repeating rifles (for Umbopa and Ventvoegel), with +two hundred rounds of cartridge. + +Five Cochrane's water-bottles, each holding four pints. + +Five blankets. + +Twenty-five pounds' weight of biltong--i.e. sun-dried game flesh. + +Ten pounds' weight of best mixed beads for gifts. + +A selection of medicine, including an ounce of quinine, and one or two +small surgical instruments. + +Our knives, a few sundries, such as a compass, matches, a pocket +filter, tobacco, a trowel, a bottle of brandy, and the clothes we +stood in. + +This was our total equipment, a small one indeed for such a venture, +but we dared not attempt to carry more. Indeed, that load was a heavy +one per man with which to travel across the burning desert, for in +such places every additional ounce tells. But we could not see our way +to reducing the weight. There was nothing taken but what was +absolutely necessary. + +With great difficulty, and by the promise of a present of a good +hunting-knife each, I succeeded in persuading three wretched natives +from the village to come with us for the first stage, twenty miles, +and to carry a large gourd holding a gallon of water apiece. My object +was to enable us to refill our water-bottles after the first night's +march, for we determined to start in the cool of the evening. I gave +out to these natives that we were going to shoot ostriches, with which +the desert abounded. They jabbered and shrugged their shoulders, +saying that we were mad and should perish of thirst, which I must say +seemed probable; but being desirous of obtaining the knives, which +were almost unknown treasures up there, they consented to come, having +probably reflected that, after all, our subsequent extinction would be +no affair of theirs. + +All next day we rested and slept, and at sunset ate a hearty meal of +fresh beef washed down with tea, the last, as Good remarked sadly, we +were likely to drink for many a long day. Then, having made our final +preparations, we lay down and waited for the moon to rise. At last, +about nine o'clock, up she came in all her glory, flooding the wild +country with light, and throwing a silver sheen on the expanse of +rolling desert before us, which looked as solemn and quiet and as +alien to man as the star-studded firmament above. We rose up, and in a +few minutes were ready, and yet we hesitated a little, as human nature +is prone to hesitate on the threshold of an irrevocable step. We three +white men stood by ourselves. Umbopa, assegai in hand and a rifle +across his shoulders, looked out fixedly across the desert a few paces +ahead of us; while the hired natives, with the gourds of water, and +Ventvoegel, were gathered in a little knot behind. + +"Gentlemen," said Sir Henry presently, in his deep voice, "we are +going on about as strange a journey as men can make in this world. It +is very doubtful if we can succeed in it. But we are three men who +will stand together for good or for evil to the last. Now before we +start let us for a moment pray to the Power who shapes the destinies +of men, and who ages since has marked out our paths, that it may +please Him to direct our steps in accordance with His will." + +Taking off his hat, for the space of a minute or so, he covered his +face with his hands, and Good and I did likewise. + +I do not say that I am a first-rate praying man, few hunters are, and +as for Sir Henry, I never heard him speak like that before, and only +once since, though deep down in his heart I believe that he is very +religious. Good too is pious, though apt to swear. Anyhow I do not +remember, excepting on one single occasion, ever putting up a better +prayer in my life than I did during that minute, and somehow I felt +the happier for it. Our future was so completely unknown, and I think +that the unknown and the awful always bring a man nearer to his Maker. + +"And now," said Sir Henry, "/trek/!" + +So we started. + +We had nothing to guide ourselves by except the distant mountains and +old Jose da Silvestre's chart, which, considering that it was drawn by +a dying and half-distraught man on a fragment of linen three centuries +ago, was not a very satisfactory sort of thing with work with. Still, +our sole hope of success depended upon it, such as it was. If we +failed in finding that pool of bad water which the old Dom marked as +being situated in the middle of the desert, about sixty miles from our +starting-point, and as far from the mountains, in all probability we +must perish miserably of thirst. But to my mind the chances of our +finding it in that great sea of sand and karoo scrub seemed almost +infinitesimal. Even supposing that da Silvestra had marked the pool +correctly, what was there to prevent its having been dried up by the +sun generations ago, or trampled in by game, or filled with the +drifting sand? + +On we tramped silently as shades through the night and in the heavy +sand. The karoo bushes caught our feet and retarded us, and the sand +worked into our veldtschoons and Good's shooting-boots, so that every +few miles we had to stop and empty them; but still the night kept +fairly cool, though the atmosphere was thick and heavy, giving a sort +of creamy feel to the air, and we made fair progress. It was very +silent and lonely there in the desert, oppressively so indeed. Good +felt this, and once began to whistle "The Girl I left behind me," but +the notes sounded lugubrious in that vast place, and he gave it up. + +Shortly afterwards a little incident occurred which, though it +startled us at the time, gave rise to a laugh. Good was leading, as +the holder of the compass, which, being a sailor, of course he +understood thoroughly, and we were toiling along in single file behind +him, when suddenly we heard the sound of an exclamation, and he +vanished. Next second there arose all around us a most extraordinary +hubbub, snorts, groans, and wild sounds of rushing feet. In the faint +light, too, we could descry dim galloping forms half hidden by wreaths +of sand. The natives threw down their loads and prepared to bolt, but +remembering that there was nowhere to run to, they cast themselves +upon the ground and howled out that it was ghosts. As for Sir Henry +and myself, we stood amazed; nor was our amazement lessened when we +perceived the form of Good careering off in the direction of the +mountains, apparently mounted on the back of a horse and halloaing +wildly. In another second he threw up his arms, and we heard him come +to the earth with a thud. + +Then I saw what had happened; we had stumbled upon a herd of sleeping +quagga, on to the back of one of which Good actually had fallen, and +the brute naturally enough got up and made off with him. Calling out +to the others that it was all right, I ran towards Good, much afraid +lest he should be hurt, but to my great relief I found him sitting in +the sand, his eye-glass still fixed firmly in his eye, rather shaken +and very much frightened, but not in any way injured. + +After this we travelled on without any further misadventure till about +one o'clock, when we called a halt, and having drunk a little water, +not much, for water was precious, and rested for half an hour, we +started again. + +On, on we went, till at last the east began to blush like the cheek of +a girl. Then there came faint rays of primrose light, that changed +presently to golden bars, through which the dawn glided out across the +desert. The stars grew pale and paler still, till at last they +vanished; the golden moon waxed wan, and her mountain ridges stood out +against her sickly face like the bones on the cheek of a dying man. +Then came spear upon spear of light flashing far away across the +boundless wilderness, piercing and firing the veils of mist, till the +desert was draped in a tremulous golden glow, and it was day. + +Still we did not halt, though by this time we should have been glad +enough to do so, for we knew that when once the sun was fully up it +would be almost impossible for us to travel. At length, about an hour +later, we spied a little pile of boulders rising out of the plain, and +to this we dragged ourselves. As luck would have it, here we found an +overhanging slab of rock carpeted beneath with smooth sand, which +afforded a most grateful shelter from the heat. Underneath this we +crept, and each of us having drunk some water and eaten a bit of +biltong, we lay down and soon were sound asleep. + +It was three o'clock in the afternoon before we woke, to find our +bearers preparing to return. They had seen enough of the desert +already, and no number of knives would have tempted them to come a +step farther. So we took a hearty drink, and having emptied our water- +bottles, filled them up again from the gourds that they had brought +with them, and then watched them depart on their twenty miles' tramp +home. + +At half-past four we also started. It was lonely and desolate work, +for with the exception of a few ostriches there was not a single +living creature to be seen on all the vast expanse of sandy plain. +Evidently it was too dry for game, and with the exception of a deadly- +looking cobra or two we saw no reptiles. One insect, however, we found +abundant, and that was the common or house fly. There they came, "not +as single spies, but in battalions," as I think the Old Testament[*] +says somewhere. He is an extraordinary insect is the house fly. Go +where you will you find him, and so it must have been always. I have +seen him enclosed in amber, which is, I was told, quite half a million +years old, looking exactly like his descendant of to-day, and I have +little doubt but that when the last man lies dying on the earth he +will be buzzing round--if this event happens to occur in summer-- +watching for an opportunity to settle on his nose. + +[*] Readers must beware of accepting Mr. Quatermain's references as + accurate, as, it has been found, some are prone to do. Although + his reading evidently was limited, the impression produced by it + upon his mind was mixed. Thus to him the Old Testament and + Shakespeare were interchangeable authorities.--Editor. + +At sunset we halted, waiting for the moon to rise. At last she came +up, beautiful and serene as ever, and, with one halt about two o'clock +in the morning, we trudged on wearily through the night, till at last +the welcome sun put a period to our labours. We drank a little and +flung ourselves down on the sand, thoroughly tired out, and soon were +all asleep. There was no need to set a watch, for we had nothing to +fear from anybody or anything in that vast untenanted plain. Our only +enemies were heat, thirst, and flies, but far rather would I have +faced any danger from man or beast than that awful trinity. This time +we were not so lucky as to find a sheltering rock to guard us from the +glare of the sun, with the result that about seven o'clock we woke up +experiencing the exact sensations one would attribute to a beefsteak +on a gridiron. We were literally being baked through and through. The +burning sun seemed to be sucking our very blood out of us. We sat up +and gasped. + +"Phew," said I, grabbing at the halo of flies which buzzed cheerfully +round my head. The heat did not affect /them/. + +"My word!" said Sir Henry. + +"It is hot!" echoed Good. + +It was hot, indeed, and there was not a bit of shelter to be found. +Look where we would there was no rock or tree, nothing but an unending +glare, rendered dazzling by the heated air that danced over the +surface of the desert as it dances over a red-hot stove. + +"What is to be done?" asked Sir Henry; "we can't stand this for long." + +We looked at each other blankly. + +"I have it," said Good, "we must dig a hole, get in it, and cover +ourselves with the karoo bushes." + +It did not seem a very promising suggestion, but at least it was +better than nothing, so we set to work, and, with the trowel we had +brought with us and the help of our hands, in about an hour we +succeeded in delving out a patch of ground some ten feet long by +twelve wide to the depth of two feet. Then we cut a quantity of low +scrub with our hunting-knives, and creeping into the hole, pulled it +over us all, with the exception of Ventvoegel, on whom, being a +Hottentot, the heat had no particular effect. This gave us some slight +shelter from the burning rays of the sun, but the atmosphere in that +amateur grave can be better imagined than described. The Black Hole of +Calcutta must have been a fool to it; indeed, to this moment I do not +know how we lived through the day. There we lay panting, and every now +and again moistening our lips from our scanty supply of water. Had we +followed our inclinations we should have finished all we possessed in +the first two hours, but we were forced to exercise the most rigid +care, for if our water failed us we knew that very soon we must perish +miserably. + +But everything has an end, if only you live long enough to see it, and +somehow that miserable day wore on towards evening. About three +o'clock in the afternoon we determined that we could bear it no +longer. It would be better to die walking that to be killed slowly by +heat and thirst in this dreadful hole. So taking each of us a little +drink from our fast diminishing supply of water, now warmed to about +the same temperature as a man's blood, we staggered forward. + +We had then covered some fifty miles of wilderness. If the reader will +refer to the rough copy and translation of old da Silvestra's map, he +will see that the desert is marked as measuring forty leagues across, +and the "pan bad water" is set down as being about in the middle of +it. Now forty leagues is one hundred and twenty miles, consequently we +ought at the most to be within twelve or fifteen miles of the water if +any should really exist. + +Through the afternoon we crept slowly and painfully along, scarcely +doing more than a mile and a half in an hour. At sunset we rested +again, waiting for the moon, and after drinking a little managed to +get some sleep. + +Before we lay down, Umbopa pointed out to us a slight and indistinct +hillock on the flat surface of the plain about eight miles away. At +the distance it looked like an ant-hill, and as I was dropping off to +sleep I fell to wondering what it could be. + +With the moon we marched again, feeling dreadfully exhausted, and +suffering tortures from thirst and prickly heat. Nobody who has not +felt it can know what we went through. We walked no longer, we +staggered, now and again falling from exhaustion, and being obliged to +call a halt every hour or so. We had scarcely energy left in us to +speak. Up to this Good had chatted and joked, for he is a merry +fellow; but now he had not a joke in him. + +At last, about two o'clock, utterly worn out in body and mind, we came +to the foot of the queer hill, or sand koppie, which at first sight +resembled a gigantic ant-heap about a hundred feet high, and covering +at the base nearly two acres of ground. + +Here we halted, and driven to it by our desperate thirst, sucked down +our last drops of water. We had but half a pint a head, and each of us +could have drunk a gallon. + +Then we lay down. Just as I was dropping off to sleep I heard Umbopa +remark to himself in Zulu-- + +"If we cannot find water we shall all be dead before the moon rises +to-morrow." + +I shuddered, hot as it was. The near prospect of such an awful death +is not pleasant, but even the thought of it could not keep me from +sleeping. + + + +CHAPTER VI + +WATER! WATER! + +Two hours later, that is, about four o'clock, I woke up, for so soon +as the first heavy demand of bodily fatigue had been satisfied, the +torturing thirst from which I was suffering asserted itself. I could +sleep no more. I had been dreaming that I was bathing in a running +stream, with green banks and trees upon them, and I awoke to find +myself in this arid wilderness, and to remember, as Umbopa had said, +that if we did not find water this day we must perish miserably. No +human creature could live long without water in that heat. I sat up +and rubbed my grimy face with my dry and horny hands, as my lips and +eyelids were stuck together, and it was only after some friction and +with an effort that I was able to open them. It was not far from dawn, +but there was none of the bright feel of dawn in the air, which was +thick with a hot murkiness that I cannot describe. The others were +still sleeping. + +Presently it began to grow light enough to read, so I drew out a +little pocket copy of the "Ingoldsby Legends" which I had brought with +me, and read "The Jackdaw of Rheims." When I got to where + + "A nice little boy held a golden ewer, + Embossed, and filled with water as pure + As any that flows between Rheims and Namur," + +literally I smacked my cracking lips, or rather tried to smack them. +The mere thought of that pure water made me mad. If the Cardinal had +been there with his bell, book, and candle, I would have whipped in +and drunk his water up; yes, even if he had filled it already with the +suds of soap "worthy of washing the hands of the Pope," and I knew +that the whole consecrated curse of the Catholic Church should fall +upon me for so doing. I almost think that I must have been a little +light-headed with thirst, weariness and the want of food; for I fell +to thinking how astonished the Cardinal and his nice little boy and +the jackdaw would have looked to see a burnt up, brown-eyed, grizzly- +haired little elephant hunter suddenly bound between them, put his +dirty face into the basin, and swallow every drop of the precious +water. The idea amused me so much that I laughed or rather cackled +aloud, which woke the others, and they began to rub /their/ dirty +faces and drag /their/ gummed-up lips and eyelids apart. + +As soon as we were all well awake we began to discuss the situation, +which was serious enough. Not a drop of water was left. We turned the +bottles upside down, and licked their tops, but it was a failure; they +were dry as a bone. Good, who had charge of the flask of brandy, got +it out and looked at it longingly; but Sir Henry promptly took it away +from him, for to drink raw spirit would only have been to precipitate +the end. + +"If we do not find water we shall die," he said. + +"If we can trust to the old Dom's map there should be some about," I +said; but nobody seemed to derive much satisfaction from this remark. +It was so evident that no great faith could be put in the map. Now it +was gradually growing light, and as we sat staring blankly at each +other, I observed the Hottentot Ventvoegel rise and begin to walk about +with his eyes on the ground. Presently he stopped short, and uttering +a guttural exclamation, pointed to the earth. + +"What is it?" we exclaimed; and rising simultaneously we went to where +he was standing staring at the sand. + +"Well," I said, "it is fresh Springbok spoor; what of it?" + +"Springbucks do not go far from water," he answered in Dutch. + +"No," I answered, "I forgot; and thank God for it." + +This little discovery put new life into us; for it is wonderful, when +a man is in a desperate position, how he catches at the slightest +hope, and feels almost happy. On a dark night a single star is better +than nothing. + +Meanwhile Ventvoegel was lifting his snub nose, and sniffing the hot +air for all the world like an old Impala ram who scents danger. +Presently he spoke again. + +"I /smell/ water," he said. + +Then we felt quite jubilant, for we knew what a wonderful instinct +these wild-bred men possess. + +Just at that moment the sun came up gloriously, and revealed so grand +a sight to our astonished eyes that for a moment or two we even forgot +our thirst. + +There, not more than forty or fifty miles from us, glittering like +silver in the early rays of the morning sun, soared Sheba's Breasts; +and stretching away for hundreds of miles on either side of them ran +the great Suliman Berg. Now that, sitting here, I attempt to describe +the extraordinary grandeur and beauty of that sight, language seems to +fail me. I am impotent even before its memory. Straight before us, +rose two enormous mountains, the like of which are not, I believe, to +be seen in Africa, if indeed there are any other such in the world, +measuring each of them at least fifteen thousand feet in height, +standing not more than a dozen miles apart, linked together by a +precipitous cliff of rock, and towering in awful white solemnity +straight into the sky. These mountains placed thus, like the pillars +of a gigantic gateway, are shaped after the fashion of a woman's +breasts, and at times the mists and shadows beneath them take the form +of a recumbent woman, veiled mysteriously in sleep. Their bases swell +gently from the plain, looking at that distance perfectly round and +smooth; and upon the top of each is a vast hillock covered with snow, +exactly corresponding to the nipple on the female breast. The stretch +of cliff that connects them appears to be some thousands of feet in +height, and perfectly precipitous, and on each flank of them, so far +as the eye can reach, extent similar lines of cliff, broken only here +and there by flat table-topped mountains, something like the world- +famed one at Cape Town; a formation, by the way, that is very common +in Africa. + +To describe the comprehensive grandeur of that view is beyond my +powers. There was something so inexpressibly solemn and overpowering +about those huge volcanoes--for doubtless they are extinct volcanoes-- +that it quite awed us. For a while the morning lights played upon the +snow and the brown and swelling masses beneath, and then, as though to +veil the majestic sight from our curious eyes, strange vapours and +clouds gathered and increased around the mountains, till presently we +could only trace their pure and gigantic outlines, showing ghostlike +through the fleecy envelope. Indeed, as we afterwards discovered, +usually they were wrapped in this gauze-like mist, which doubtless +accounted for our not having seen them more clearly before. + +Sheba's Breasts had scarcely vanished into cloud-clad privacy, before +our thirst--literally a burning question--reasserted itself. + +It was all very well for Ventvoegel to say that he smelt water, but we +could see no signs of it, look which way we would. So far as the eye +might reach there was nothing but arid sweltering sand and karoo +scrub. We walked round the hillock and gazed about anxiously on the +other side, but it was the same story, not a drop of water could be +found; there was no indication of a pan, a pool, or a spring. + +"You are a fool," I said angrily to Ventvoegel; "there is no water." + +But still he lifted his ugly snub nose sniffed. + +"I smell it, Baas," he answered; "it is somewhere in the air." + +"Yes," I said, "no doubt it is in the clouds, and about two months +hence it will fall and wash our bones." + +Sir Henry stroked his yellow beard thoughtfully. "Perhaps it is on the +top of the hill," he suggested. + +"Rot," said Good; "whoever heard of water being found at the top of a +hill!" + +"Let us go and look," I put in, and hopelessly enough we scrambled up +the sandy sides of the hillock, Umbopa leading. Presently he stopped +as though he was petrified. + +"/Nanzia manzie/!" that is, "Here is water!" he cried with a loud +voice. + +We rushed up to him, and there, sure enough, in a deep cut or +indentation on the very top of the sand koppie, was an undoubted pool +of water. How it came to be in such a strange place we did not stop to +inquire, nor did we hesitate at its black and unpleasant appearance. +It was water, or a good imitation of it, and that was enough for us. +We gave a bound and a rush, and in another second we were all down on +our stomachs sucking up the uninviting fluid as though it were nectar +fit for the gods. Heavens, how we did drink! Then when we had done +drinking we tore off our clothes and sat down in the pool, absorbing +the moisture through our parched skins. You, Harry, my boy, who have +only to turn on a couple of taps to summon "hot" and "cold" from an +unseen, vasty cistern, can have little idea of the luxury of that +muddy wallow in brackish tepid water. + +After a while we rose from it, refreshed indeed, and fell to on our +"biltong," of which we had scarcely been able to touch a mouthful for +twenty-four hours, and ate our fill. Then we smoked a pipe, and lay +down by the side of that blessed pool, under the overhanging shadow of +its bank, and slept till noon. + +All that day we rested there by the water, thanking our stars that we +had been lucky enough to find it, bad as it was, and not forgetting to +render a due share of gratitude to the shade of the long-departed da +Silvestra, who had set its position down so accurately on the tail of +his shirt. The wonderful thing to us was that the pan should have +lasted so long, and the only way in which I can account for this is on +the supposition that it is fed by some spring deep down in the sand. + +Having filled both ourselves and our water-bottles as full as +possible, in far better spirits we started off again with the moon. +That night we covered nearly five-and-twenty miles; but, needless to +say, found no more water, though we were lucky enough the following +day to get a little shade behind some ant-heaps. When the sun rose, +and, for awhile, cleared away the mysterious mists, Suliman's Berg +with the two majestic Breasts, now only about twenty miles off, seemed +to be towering right above us, and looked grander than ever. At the +approach of evening we marched again, and, to cut a long story short, +by daylight next morning found ourselves upon the lowest slopes of +Sheba's left breast, for which we had been steadily steering. By this +time our water was exhausted once more, and we were suffering severely +from thirst, nor indeed could we see any chance of relieving it till +we reached the snow line far, far above us. After resting an hour or +two, driven to it by our torturing thirst, we went on, toiling +painfully in the burning heat up the lava slopes, for we found that +the huge base of the mountain was composed entirely of lava beds +belched from the bowels of the earth in some far past age. + +By eleven o'clock we were utterly exhausted, and, generally speaking, +in a very bad state indeed. The lava clinker, over which we must drag +ourselves, though smooth compared with some clinker I have heard of, +such as that on the Island of Ascension, for instance, was yet rough +enough to make our feet very sore, and this, together with our other +miseries, had pretty well finished us. A few hundred yards above us +were some large lumps of lava, and towards these we steered with the +intention of lying down beneath their shade. We reached them, and to +our surprise, so far as we had a capacity for surprise left in us, on +a little plateau or ridge close by we saw that the clinker was covered +with a dense green growth. Evidently soil formed of decomposed lava +had rested there, and in due course had become the receptacle of seeds +deposited by birds. But we did not take much further interest in the +green growth, for one cannot live on grass like Nebuchadnezzar. That +requires a special dispensation of Providence and peculiar digestive +organs. + +So we sat down under the rocks and groaned, and for one I wished +heartily that we had never started on this fool's errand. As we were +sitting there I saw Umbopa get up and hobble towards the patch of +green, and a few minutes afterwards, to my great astonishment, I +perceived that usually very dignified individual dancing and shouting +like a maniac, and waving something green. Off we all scrambled +towards him as fast as our wearied limbs would carry us, hoping that +he had found water. + +"What is it, Umbopa, son of a fool?" I shouted in Zulu. + +"It is food and water, Macumazahn," and again he waved the green +thing. + +Then I saw what he had found. It was a melon. We had hit upon a patch +of wild melons, thousands of them, and dead ripe. + +"Melons!" I yelled to Good, who was next me; and in another minute his +false teeth were fixed in one of them. + +I think we ate about six each before we had done, and poor fruit as +they were, I doubt if I ever thought anything nicer. + +But melons are not very nutritious, and when we had satisfied our +thirst with their pulpy substance, and put a stock to cool by the +simple process of cutting them in two and setting them end on in the +hot sun to grow cold by evaporation, we began to feel exceedingly +hungry. We had still some biltong left, but our stomachs turned from +biltong, and besides, we were obliged to be very sparing of it, for we +could not say when we should find more food. Just at this moment a +lucky thing chanced. Looking across the desert I saw a flock of about +ten large birds flying straight towards us. + +"/Skit, Baas, skit!/" "Shoot, master, shoot!" whispered the Hottentot, +throwing himself on his face, an example which we all followed. + +Then I saw that the birds were a flock of /pauw/ or bustards, and that +they would pass within fifty yards of my head. Taking one of the +repeating Winchesters, I waited till they were nearly over us, and +then jumped to my feet. On seeing me the /pauw/ bunched up together, +as I expected that they would, and I fired two shots straight into the +thick of them, and, as luck would have it, brought one down, a fine +fellow, that weighed about twenty pounds. In half an hour we had a +fire made of dry melon stalks, and he was toasting over it, and we +made such a feed as we had not tasted for a week. We ate that /pauw/; +nothing was left of him but his leg-bones and his beak, and we felt +not a little the better afterwards. + +That night we went on again with the moon, carrying as many melons as +we could with us. As we ascended we found the air grew cooler and +cooler, which was a great relief to us, and at dawn, so far as we +could judge, we were not more than about a dozen miles from the snow +line. Here we discovered more melons, and so had no longer any anxiety +about water, for we knew that we should soon get plenty of snow. But +the ascent had now become very precipitous, and we made but slow +progress, not more than a mile an hour. Also that night we ate our +last morsel of biltong. As yet, with the exception of the /pauw/, we +had seen no living thing on the mountain, nor had we come across a +single spring or stream of water, which struck us as very odd, +considering the expanse of snow above us, which must, we thought, melt +sometimes. But as we afterwards discovered, owing to a cause which it +is quite beyond my power to explain, all the streams flowed down upon +the north side of the mountains. + +Now we began to grow very anxious about food. We had escaped death by +thirst, but it seemed probable that it was only to die of hunger. The +events of the next three miserable days are best described by copying +the entries made at the time in my note-book. + +"21st May.--Started 11 a.m., finding the atmosphere quite cold enough +to travel by day, and carrying some water-melons with us. Struggled on +all day, but found no more melons, having evidently passed out of +their district. Saw no game of any sort. Halted for the night at +sundown, having had no food for many hours. Suffered much during the +night from cold. + +"22nd.--Started at sunrise again, feeling very faint and weak. Only +made about five miles all day; found some patches of snow, of which we +ate, but nothing else. Camped at night under the edge of a great +plateau. Cold bitter. Drank a little brandy each, and huddled +ourselves together, each wrapped up in his blanket, to keep ourselves +alive. Are now suffering frightfully from starvation and weariness. +Thought that Ventvoegel would have died during the night. + +"23rd.--Struggled forward once more as soon as the sun was well up, +and had thawed our limbs a little. We are now in a dreadful plight, +and I fear that unless we get food this will be our last day's +journey. But little brandy left. Good, Sir Henry, and Umbopa bear up +wonderfully, but Ventvoegel is in a very bad way. Like most Hottentots, +he cannot stand cold. Pangs of hunger not so bad, but have a sort of +numb feeling about the stomach. Others say the same. We are now on a +level with the precipitous chain, or wall of lava, linking the two +Breasts, and the view is glorious. Behind us the glowing desert rolls +away to the horizon, and before us lie mile upon mile of smooth hard +snow almost level, but swelling gently upwards, out of the centre of +which the nipple of the mountain, that appears to be some miles in +circumference, rises about four thousand feet into the sky. Not a +living thing is to be seen. God help us; I fear that our time has +come." + +And now I will drop the journal, partly because it is not very +interesting reading; also what follows requires telling rather more +fully. + +All that day--the 23rd May--we struggled slowly up the incline of +snow, lying down from time to time to rest. A strange gaunt crew we +must have looked, while, laden as we were, we dragged our weary feet +over the dazzling plain, glaring round us with hungry eyes. Not that +there was much use in glaring, for we could see nothing to eat. We did +not accomplish more than seven miles that day. Just before sunset we +found ourselves exactly under the nipple of Sheba's left Breast, which +towered thousands of feet into the air, a vast smooth hillock of +frozen snow. Weak as we were, we could not but appreciate the +wonderful scene, made even more splendid by the flying rays of light +from the setting sun, which here and there stained the snow blood-red, +and crowned the great dome above us with a diadem of glory. + +"I say," gasped Good, presently, "we ought to be somewhere near that +cave the old gentleman wrote about." + +"Yes," said I, "if there is a cave." + +"Come, Quatermain," groaned Sir Henry, "don't talk like that; I have +every faith in the Dom; remember the water! We shall find the place +soon." + +"If we don't find it before dark we are dead men, that is all about +it," was my consolatory reply. + +For the next ten minutes we trudged in silence, when suddenly Umbopa, +who was marching along beside me, wrapped in his blanket, and with a +leather belt strapped so tightly round his stomach, to "make his +hunger small," as he said, that his waist looked like a girl's, caught +me by the arm. + +"Look!" he said, pointing towards the springing slope of the nipple. + +I followed his glance, and some two hundred yards from us perceived +what appeared to be a hole in the snow. + +"It is the cave," said Umbopa. + +We made the best of our way to the spot, and found sure enough that +the hole was the mouth of a cavern, no doubt the same as that of which +da Silvestra wrote. We were not too soon, for just as we reached +shelter the sun went down with startling rapidity, leaving the world +nearly dark, for in these latitudes there is but little twilight. So +we crept into the cave, which did not appear to be very big, and +huddling ourselves together for warmth, swallowed what remained of our +brandy--barely a mouthful each--and tried to forget our miseries in +sleep. But the cold was too intense to allow us to do so, for I am +convinced that at this great altitude the thermometer cannot have +marked less than fourteen or fifteen degrees below freezing point. +What such a temperature meant to us, enervated as we were by hardship, +want of food, and the great heat of the desert, the reader may imagine +better than I can describe. Suffice it to say that it was something as +near death from exposure as I have ever felt. There we sat hour after +hour through the still and bitter night, feeling the frost wander +round and nip us now in the finger, now in the foot, now in the face. +In vain did we huddle up closer and closer; there was no warmth in our +miserable starved carcases. Sometimes one of us would drop into an +uneasy slumber for a few minutes, but we could not sleep much, and +perhaps this was fortunate, for if we had I doubt if we should have +ever woke again. Indeed, I believe that it was only by force of will +that we kept ourselves alive at all. + +Not very long before dawn I heard the Hottentot Ventvoegel, whose teeth +had been chattering all night like castanets, give a deep sigh. Then +his teeth stopped chattering. I did not think anything of it at the +time, concluding that he had gone to sleep. His back was resting +against mine, and it seemed to grow colder and colder, till at last it +felt like ice. + +At length the air began to grow grey with light, then golden arrows +sped across the snow, and at last the glorious sun peeped above the +lava wall and looked in upon our half-frozen forms. Also it looked +upon Ventvoegel, sitting there amongst us, /stone dead/. No wonder his +back felt cold, poor fellow. He had died when I heard him sigh, and +was now frozen almost stiff. Shocked beyond measure, we dragged +ourselves from the corpse--how strange is that horror we mortals have +of the companionship of a dead body--and left it sitting there, its +arms clasped about its knees. + +By this time the sunlight was pouring its cold rays, for here they +were cold, straight into the mouth of the cave. Suddenly I heard an +exclamation of fear from someone, and turned my head. + +And this is what I saw: Sitting at the end of the cavern--it was not +more than twenty feet long--was another form, of which the head rested +on its chest and the long arms hung down. I stared at it, and saw that +this too was a /dead man/, and, what was more, a white man. + +The others saw also, and the sight proved too much for our shattered +nerves. One and all we scrambled out of the cave as fast as our half- +frozen limbs would carry us. + + + +CHAPTER VII + +SOLOMON'S ROAD + +Outside the cavern we halted, feeling rather foolish. + +"I am going back," said Sir Henry. + +"Why?" asked Good. + +"Because it has struck me that--what we saw--may be my brother." + +This was a new idea, and we re-entered the place to put it to the +proof. After the bright light outside, our eyes, weak as they were +with staring at the snow, could not pierce the gloom of the cave for a +while. Presently, however, they grew accustomed to the semi-darkness, +and we advanced towards the dead man. + +Sir Henry knelt down and peered into his face. + +"Thank God," he said, with a sigh of relief, "it is /not/ my brother." + +Then I drew near and looked. The body was that of a tall man in middle +life with aquiline features, grizzled hair, and a long black +moustache. The skin was perfectly yellow, and stretched tightly over +the bones. Its clothing, with the exception of what seemed to be the +remains of a woollen pair of hose, had been removed, leaving the +skeleton-like frame naked. Round the neck of the corpse, which was +frozen perfectly stiff, hung a yellow ivory crucifix. + +"Who on earth can it be?" said I. + +"Can't you guess?" asked Good. + +I shook my head. + +"Why, the old Dom, Jose da Silvestra, of course--who else?" + +"Impossible," I gasped; "he died three hundred years ago." + +"And what is there to prevent him from lasting for three thousand +years in this atmosphere, I should like to know?" asked Good. "If only +the temperature is sufficiently low, flesh and blood will keep fresh +as New Zealand mutton for ever, and Heaven knows it is cold enough +here. The sun never gets in here; no animal comes here to tear or +destroy. No doubt his slave, of whom he speaks on the writing, took +off his clothes and left him. He could not have buried him alone. +Look!" he went on, stooping down to pick up a queerly-shaped bone +scraped at the end into a sharp point, "here is the 'cleft bone' that +Silvestra used to draw the map with." + +We gazed for a moment astonished, forgetting our own miseries in this +extraordinary and, as it seemed to us, semi-miraculous sight. + +"Ay," said Sir Henry, "and this is where he got his ink from," and he +pointed to a small wound on the Dom's left arm. "Did ever man see such +a thing before?" + +There was no longer any doubt about the matter, which for my own part +I confess perfectly appalled me. There he sat, the dead man, whose +directions, written some ten generations ago, had led us to this spot. +Here in my own hand was the rude pen with which he had written them, +and about his neck hung the crucifix that his dying lips had kissed. +Gazing at him, my imagination could reconstruct the last scene of the +drama, the traveller dying of cold and starvation, yet striving to +convey to the world the great secret which he had discovered:--the +awful loneliness of his death, of which the evidence sat before us. It +even seemed to me that I could trace in his strongly-marked features a +likeness to those of my poor friend Silvestre his descendant, who had +died twenty years before in my arms, but perhaps that was fancy. At +any rate, there he sat, a sad memento of the fate that so often +overtakes those who would penetrate into the unknown; and there +doubtless he will still sit, crowned with the dread majesty of death, +for centuries yet unborn, to startle the eyes of wanderers like +ourselves, if ever any such should come again to invade his +loneliness. The thing overpowered us, already almost perished as we +were with cold and hunger. + +"Let us go," said Sir Henry in a low voice; "stay, we will give him a +companion," and lifting up the dead body of the Hottentot Ventvoegel, +he placed it near to that of the old Dom. Then he stooped, and with a +jerk broke the rotten string of the crucifix which hung round da +Silvestra's neck, for his fingers were too cold to attempt to unfasten +it. I believe that he has it still. I took the bone pen, and it is +before me as I write--sometimes I use it to sign my name. + +Then leaving these two, the proud white man of a past age, and the +poor Hottentot, to keep their eternal vigil in the midst of the +eternal snows, we crept out of the cave into the welcome sunshine and +resumed our path, wondering in our hearts how many hours it would be +before we were even as they are. + +When we had walked about half a mile we came to the edge of the +plateau, for the nipple of the mountain does not rise out of its exact +centre, though from the desert side it had seemed to do so. What lay +below us we could not see, for the landscape was wreathed in billows +of morning fog. Presently, however, the higher layers of mist cleared +a little, and revealed, at the end of a long slope of snow, a patch of +green grass, some five hundred yards beneath us, through which a +stream was running. Nor was this all. By the stream, basking in the +bright sun, stood and lay a group of from ten to fifteen /large +antelopes/--at that distance we could not see of what species. + +The sight filled us with an unreasoning joy. If only we could get it, +there was food in plenty. But the question was how to do so. The +beasts were fully six hundred yards off, a very long shot, and one not +to be depended on when our lives hung on the results. + +Rapidly we discussed the advisability of trying to stalk the game, but +in the end dismissed it reluctantly. To begin with, the wind was not +favourable, and further, we must certainly be perceived, however +careful we were, against the blinding background of snow, which we +should be obliged to traverse. + +"Well, we must have a try from where we are," said Sir Henry. "Which +shall it be, Quatermain, the repeating rifles or the expresses?" + +Here again was a question. The Winchester repeaters--of which we had +two, Umbopa carrying poor Ventvoegel's as well as his own--were sighted +up to a thousand yards, whereas the expresses were only sighted to +three hundred and fifty, beyond which distance shooting with them was +more or less guess-work. On the other hand, if they did hit, the +express bullets, being "expanding," were much more likely to bring the +game down. It was a knotty point, but I made up my mind that we must +risk it and use the expresses. + +"Let each of us take the buck opposite to him. Aim well at the point +of the shoulder and high up," said I; "and Umbopa, do you give the +word, so that we may all fire together." + +Then came a pause, each of us aiming his level best, as indeed a man +is likely to do when he knows that life itself depends upon the shot. + +"Fire," said Umbopa in Zulu, and at almost the same instant the three +rifles rang out loudly; three clouds of smoke hung for a moment before +us, and a hundred echoes went flying over the silent snow. Presently +the smoke cleared, and revealed--oh, joy!--a great buck lying on its +back and kicking furiously in its death agony. We gave a yell of +triumph--we were saved--we should not starve. Weak as we were, we +rushed down the intervening slope of snow, and in ten minutes from the +time of shooting, that animal's heart and liver were lying before us. +But now a new difficulty arose, we had no fuel, and therefore could +make no fire to cook them. We gazed at each other in dismay. + +"Starving men should not be fanciful," said Good; "we must eat raw +meat." + +There was no other way out of the dilemma, and our gnawing hunger made +the proposition less distasteful than it would otherwise have been. So +we took the heart and liver and buried them for a few minutes in a +patch of snow to cool them. Then we washed them in the ice-cold water +of the stream, and lastly ate them greedily. It sounds horrible +enough, but honestly, I never tasted anything so good as that raw +meat. In a quarter of an hour we were changed men. Our life and vigour +came back to us, our feeble pulses grew strong again, and the blood +went coursing through our veins. But mindful of the results of over- +feeding on starved stomachs, we were careful not to eat too much, +stopping whilst we were still hungry. + +"Thank Heaven!" said Sir Henry; "that brute has saved our lives. What +is it, Quatermain?" + +I rose and went to look at the antelope, for I was not certain. It was +about the size of a donkey, with large curved horns. I had never seen +one like it before; the species was new to me. It was brown in colour, +with faint red stripes, and grew a thick coat. I afterwards discovered +that the natives of that wonderful country call these bucks "/inco/." +They are very rare, and only found at a great altitude where no other +game will live. This animal was fairly hit high up in the shoulder, +though whose bullet brought it down we could not, of course, discover. +I believe that Good, mindful of his marvellous shot at the giraffe, +secretly set it down to his own prowess, and we did not contradict +him. + +We had been so busy satisfying our hunger that hitherto we had not +found time to look about us. But now, having set Umbopa to cut off as +much of the best meat as we were likely to be able to carry, we began +to inspect our surroundings. The mist had cleared away, for it was +eight o'clock, and the sun had sucked it up, so we were able to take +in all the country before us at a glance. I know not how to describe +the glorious panorama which unfolded itself to our gaze. I have never +seen anything like it before, nor shall, I suppose, again. + +Behind and over us towered Sheba's snowy Breasts, and below, some five +thousand feet beneath where we stood, lay league on league of the most +lovely champaign country. Here were dense patches of lofty forest, +there a great river wound its silvery way. To the left stretched a +vast expanse of rich, undulating veld or grass land, whereon we could +just make out countless herds of game or cattle, at that distance we +could not tell which. This expanse appeared to be ringed in by a wall +of distant mountains. To the right the country was more or less +mountainous; that is, solitary hills stood up from its level, with +stretches of cultivated land between, amongst which we could see +groups of dome-shaped huts. The landscape lay before us as a map, +wherein rivers flashed like silver snakes, and Alp-like peaks crowned +with wildly twisted snow wreaths rose in grandeur, whilst over all was +the glad sunlight and the breath of Nature's happy life. + +Two curious things struck us as we gazed. First, that the country +before us must lie at least three thousand feet higher than the desert +we had crossed, and secondly, that all the rivers flowed from south to +north. As we had painful reason to know, there was no water upon the +southern side of the vast range on which we stood, but on the northern +face were many streams, most of which appeared to unite with the great +river we could see winding away farther than our eyes could follow. + +We sat down for a while and gazed in silence at this wonderful view. +Presently Sir Henry spoke. + +"Isn't there something on the map about Solomon's Great Road?" he +said. + +I nodded, for I was still gazing out over the far country. + +"Well, look; there it is!" and he pointed a little to our right. + +Good and I looked accordingly, and there, winding away towards the +plain, was what appeared to be a wide turnpike road. We had not seen +it at first because, on reaching the plain, it turned behind some +broken country. We did not say anything, at least, not much; we were +beginning to lose the sense of wonder. Somehow it did not seem +particularly unnatural that we should find a sort of Roman road in +this strange land. We accepted the fact, that was all. + +"Well," said Good, "it must be quite near us if we cut off to the +right. Hadn't we better be making a start?" + +This was sound advice, and so soon as we had washed our faces and +hands in the stream we acted on it. For a mile or more we made our way +over boulders and across patches of snow, till suddenly, on reaching +the top of the little rise, we found the road at our feet. It was a +splendid road cut out of the solid rock, at least fifty feet wide, and +apparently well kept; though the odd thing was that it seemed to begin +there. We walked down and stood on it, but one single hundred paces +behind us, in the direction of Sheba's Breasts, it vanished, the +entire surface of the mountain being strewn with boulders interspersed +with patches of snow. + +"What do you make of this, Quatermain?" asked Sir Henry. + +I shook my head, I could make nothing of the thing. + +"I have it!" said Good; "the road no doubt ran right over the range +and across the desert on the other side, but the sand there has +covered it up, and above us it has been obliterated by some volcanic +eruption of molten lava." + +This seemed a good suggestion; at any rate, we accepted it, and +proceeded down the mountain. It proved a very different business +travelling along down hill on that magnificent pathway with full +stomachs from what it was travelling uphill over the snow quite +starved and almost frozen. Indeed, had it not been for melancholy +recollections of poor Ventvoegel's sad fate, and of that grim cave +where he kept company with the old Dom, we should have felt positively +cheerful, notwithstanding the sense of unknown dangers before us. +Every mile we walked the atmosphere grew softer and balmier, and the +country before us shone with a yet more luminous beauty. As for the +road itself, I never saw such an engineering work, though Sir Henry +said that the great road over the St. Gothard in Switzerland is very +similar. No difficulty had been too great for the Old World engineer +who laid it out. At one place we came to a ravine three hundred feet +broad and at least a hundred feet deep. This vast gulf was actually +filled in with huge blocks of dressed stone, having arches pierced +through them at the bottom for a waterway, over which the road went on +sublimely. At another place it was cut in zigzags out of the side of a +precipice five hundred feet deep, and in a third it tunnelled through +the base of an intervening ridge, a space of thirty yards or more. + +Here we noticed that the sides of the tunnel were covered with quaint +sculptures, mostly of mailed figures driving in chariots. One, which +was exceedingly beautiful, represented a whole battle scene with a +convoy of captives being marched off in the distance. + +"Well," said Sir Henry, after inspecting this ancient work of art, "it +is very well to call this Solomon's Road, but my humble opinion is +that the Egyptians had been here before Solomon's people ever set a +foot on it. If this isn't Egyptian or Phoenician handiwork, I must say +that it is very like it." + +By midday we had advanced sufficiently down the mountain to search the +region where wood was to be met with. First we came to scattered +bushes which grew more and more frequent, till at last we found the +road winding through a vast grove of silver trees similar to those +which are to be seen on the slopes of Table Mountain at Cape Town. I +had never before met with them in all my wanderings, except at the +Cape, and their appearance here astonished me greatly. + +"Ah!" said Good, surveying these shining-leaved trees with evident +enthusiasm, "here is lots of wood, let us stop and cook some dinner; I +have about digested that raw heart." + +Nobody objected to this, so leaving the road we made our way to a +stream which was babbling away not far off, and soon had a goodly fire +of dry boughs blazing. Cutting off some substantial hunks from the +flesh of the /inco/ which we had brought with us, we proceeded to +toast them on the end of sharp sticks, as one sees the Kafirs do, and +ate them with relish. After filling ourselves, we lit our pipes and +gave ourselves up to enjoyment that, compared with the hardships we +had recently undergone, seemed almost heavenly. + +The brook, of which the banks were clothed with dense masses of a +gigantic species of maidenhair fern interspersed with feathery tufts +of wild asparagus, sung merrily at our side, the soft air murmured +through the leaves of the silver trees, doves cooed around, and +bright-winged birds flashed like living gems from bough to bough. It +was a Paradise. + +The magic of the place combined with an overwhelming sense of dangers +left behind, and of the promised land reached at last, seemed to charm +us into silence. Sir Henry and Umbopa sat conversing in a mixture of +broken English and Kitchen Zulu in a low voice, but earnestly enough, +and I lay, with my eyes half shut, upon that fragrant bed of fern and +watched them. + +Presently I missed Good, and I looked to see what had become of him. +Soon I observed him sitting by the bank of the stream, in which he had +been bathing. He had nothing on but his flannel shirt, and his natural +habits of extreme neatness having reasserted themselves, he was +actively employed in making a most elaborate toilet. He had washed his +gutta-percha collar, had thoroughly shaken out his trousers, coat and +waistcoat, and was now folding them up neatly till he was ready to put +them on, shaking his head sadly as he scanned the numerous rents and +tears in them, which naturally had resulted from our frightful +journey. Then he took his boots, scrubbed them with a handful of fern, +and finally rubbed them over with a piece of fat, which he had +carefully saved from the /inco/ meat, till they looked, comparatively +speaking, respectable. Having inspected them judiciously through his +eye-glass, he put the boots on and began a fresh operation. From a +little bag that he carried he produced a pocket-comb in which was +fixed a tiny looking-glass, and in this he surveyed himself. +Apparently he was not satisfied, for he proceeded to do his hair with +great care. Then came a pause whilst he again contemplated the effect; +still it was not satisfactory. He felt his chin, on which the +accumulated scrub of a ten days' beard was flourishing. + +"Surely," thought I, "he is not going to try to shave." But so it was. +Taking the piece of fat with which he had greased his boots, Good +washed it thoroughly in the stream. Then diving again into the bag he +brought out a little pocket razor with a guard to it, such as are +bought by people who are afraid of cutting themselves, or by those +about to undertake a sea voyage. Then he rubbed his face and chin +vigorously with the fat and began. Evidently it proved a painful +process, for he groaned very much over it, and I was convulsed with +inward laughter as I watched him struggling with that stubbly beard. +It seemed so very odd that a man should take the trouble to shave +himself with a piece of fat in such a place and in our circumstances. +At last he succeeded in getting the hair off the right side of his +face and chin, when suddenly I, who was watching, became conscious of +a flash of light that passed just by his head. + +Good sprang up with a profane exclamation (if it had not been a safety +razor he would certainly have cut his throat), and so did I, without +the exclamation, and this was what I saw. Standing not more than +twenty paces from where I was, and ten from Good, were a group of men. +They were very tall and copper-coloured, and some of them wore great +plumes of black feathers and short cloaks of leopard skins; this was +all I noticed at the moment. In front of them stood a youth of about +seventeen, his hand still raised and his body bent forward in the +attitude of a Grecian statue of a spear-thrower. Evidently the flash +of light had been caused by a weapon which he had hurled. + +As I looked an old soldier-like man stepped forward out of the group, +and catching the youth by the arm said something to him. Then they +advanced upon us. + +Sir Henry, Good, and Umbopa by this time had seized their rifles and +lifted them threateningly. The party of natives still came on. It +struck me that they could not know what rifles were, or they would not +have treated them with such contempt. + +"Put down your guns!" I halloed to the others, seeing that our only +chance of safety lay in conciliation. They obeyed, and walking to the +front I addressed the elderly man who had checked the youth. + +"Greeting," I said in Zulu, not knowing what language to use. To my +surprise I was understood. + +"Greeting," answered the old man, not, indeed, in the same tongue, but +in a dialect so closely allied to it that neither Umbopa nor myself +had any difficulty in understanding him. Indeed, as we afterwards +found out, the language spoken by this people is an old-fashioned form +of the Zulu tongue, bearing about the same relationship to it that the +English of Chaucer does to the English of the nineteenth century. + +"Whence come you?" he went on, "who are you? and why are the faces of +three of you white, and the face of the fourth as the face of our +mother's sons?" and he pointed to Umbopa. I looked at Umbopa as he +said it, and it flashed across me that he was right. The face of +Umbopa was like the faces of the men before me, and so was his great +form like their forms. But I had not time to reflect on this +coincidence. + +"We are strangers, and come in peace," I answered, speaking very +slowly, so that he might understand me, "and this man is our servant." + +"You lie," he answered; "no strangers can cross the mountains where +all things perish. But what do your lies matter?--if ye are strangers +then ye must die, for no strangers may live in the land of the +Kukuanas. It is the king's law. Prepare then to die, O strangers!" + +I was slightly staggered at this, more especially as I saw the hands +of some of the men steal down to their sides, where hung on each what +looked to me like a large and heavy knife. + +"What does that beggar say?" asked Good. + +"He says we are going to be killed," I answered grimly. + +"Oh, Lord!" groaned Good; and, as was his way when perplexed, he put +his hand to his false teeth, dragging the top set down and allowing +them to fly back to his jaw with a snap. It was a most fortunate move, +for next second the dignified crowd of Kukuanas uttered a simultaneous +yell of horror, and bolted back some yards. + +"What's up?" said I. + +"It's his teeth," whispered Sir Henry excitedly. "He moved them. Take +them out, Good, take them out!" + +He obeyed, slipping the set into the sleeve of his flannel shirt. + +In another second curiosity had overcome fear, and the men advanced +slowly. Apparently they had now forgotten their amiable intention of +killing us. + +"How is it, O strangers," asked the old man solemnly, "that this fat +man (pointing to Good, who was clad in nothing but boots and a flannel +shirt, and had only half finished his shaving), whose body is clothed, +and whose legs are bare, who grows hair on one side of his sickly face +and not on the other, and who wears one shining and transparent eye-- +how is it, I ask, that he has teeth which move of themselves, coming +away from the jaws and returning of their own will?" + +"Open your mouth," I said to Good, who promptly curled up his lips and +grinned at the old gentleman like an angry dog, revealing to his +astonished gaze two thin red lines of gum as utterly innocent of +ivories as a new-born elephant. The audience gasped. + +"Where are his teeth?" they shouted; "with our eyes we saw them." + +Turning his head slowly and with a gesture of ineffable contempt, Good +swept his hand across his mouth. Then he grinned again, and lo, there +were two rows of lovely teeth. + +Now the young man who had flung the knife threw himself down on the +grass and gave vent to a prolonged howl of terror; and as for the old +gentleman, his knees knocked together with fear. + +"I see that ye are spirits," he said falteringly; "did ever man born +of woman have hair on one side of his face and not on the other, or a +round and transparent eye, or teeth which moved and melted away and +grew again? Pardon us, O my lords." + +Here was luck indeed, and, needless to say, I jumped at the chance. + +"It is granted," I said with an imperial smile. "Nay, ye shall know +the truth. We come from another world, though we are men such as ye; +we come," I went on, "from the biggest star that shines at night." + +"Oh! oh!" groaned the chorus of astonished aborigines. + +"Yes," I went on, "we do, indeed"; and again I smiled benignly, as I +uttered that amazing lie. "We come to stay with you a little while, +and to bless you by our sojourn. Ye will see, O friends, that I have +prepared myself for this visit by the learning of your language." + +"It is so, it is so," said the chorus. + +"Only, my lord," put in the old gentleman, "thou hast learnt it very +badly." + +I cast an indignant glance at him, and he quailed. + +"Now friends," I continued, "ye might think that after so long a +journey we should find it in our hearts to avenge such a reception, +mayhap to strike cold in death the imperious hand that--that, in short +--threw a knife at the head of him whose teeth come and go." + +"Spare him, my lords," said the old man in supplication; "he is the +king's son, and I am his uncle. If anything befalls him his blood will +be required at my hands." + +"Yes, that is certainly so," put in the young man with great emphasis. + +"Ye may perhaps doubt our power to avenge," I went on, heedless of +this by-play. "Stay, I will show you. Here, thou dog and slave +(addressing Umbopa in a savage tone), give me the magic tube that +speaks"; and I tipped a wink towards my express rifle. + +Umbopa rose to the occasion, and with something as nearly resembling a +grin as I have ever seen on his dignified face he handed me the gun. + +"It is here, O Lord of Lords," he said with a deep obeisance. + +Now just before I had asked for the rifle I had perceived a little +/klipspringer/ antelope standing on a mass of rock about seventy yards +away, and determined to risk the shot. + +"Ye see that buck," I said, pointing the animal out to the party +before me. "Tell me, is it possible for man born of woman to kill it +from here with a noise?" + +"It is not possible, my lord," answered the old man. + +"Yet shall I kill it," I said quietly. + +The old man smiled. "That my lord cannot do," he answered. + +I raised the rifle and covered the buck. It was a small animal, and +one which a man might well be excused for missing, but I knew that it +would not do to miss. + +I drew a deep breath, and slowly pressed on the trigger. The buck +stood still as a stone. + +"Bang! thud!" The antelope sprang into the air and fell on the rock +dead as a door nail. + +A groan of simultaneous terror burst from the group before us. + +"If you want meat," I remarked coolly, "go fetch that buck." + +The old man made a sign, and one of his followers departed, and +presently returned bearing the /klipspringer/. I noticed with +satisfaction that I had hit it fairly behind the shoulder. They +gathered round the poor creature's body, gazing at the bullet-hole in +consternation. + +"Ye see," I said, "I do not speak empty words." + +There was no answer. + +"If ye yet doubt our power," I went on, "let one of you go stand upon +that rock that I may make him as this buck." + +None of them seemed at all inclined to take the hint, till at last the +king's son spoke. + +"It is well said. Do thou, my uncle, go stand upon the rock. It is but +a buck that the magic has killed. Surely it cannot kill a man." + +The old gentleman did not take the suggestion in good part. Indeed, he +seemed hurt. + +"No! no!" he ejaculated hastily, "my old eyes have seen enough. These +are wizards, indeed. Let us bring them to the king. Yet if any should +wish a further proof, let /him/ stand upon the rock, that the magic +tube may speak with him." + +There was a most general and hasty expression of dissent. + +"Let not good magic be wasted on our poor bodies," said one; "we are +satisfied. All the witchcraft of our people cannot show the like of +this." + +"It is so," remarked the old gentleman, in a tone of intense relief; +"without any doubt it is so. Listen, children of the Stars, children +of the shining Eye and the movable Teeth, who roar out in thunder, and +slay from afar. I am Infadoos, son of Kafa, once king of the Kukuana +people. This youth is Scragga." + +"He nearly scragged me," murmured Good. + +"Scragga, son of Twala, the great king--Twala, husband of a thousand +wives, chief and lord paramount of the Kukuanas, keeper of the great +Road, terror of his enemies, student of the Black Arts, leader of a +hundred thousand warriors, Twala the One-eyed, the Black, the +Terrible." + +"So," said I superciliously, "lead us then to Twala. We do not talk +with low people and underlings." + +"It is well, my lords, we will lead you; but the way is long. We are +hunting three days' journey from the place of the king. But let my +lords have patience, and we will lead them." + +"So be it," I said carelessly; "all time is before us, for we do not +die. We are ready, lead on. But Infadoos, and thou Scragga, beware! +Play us no monkey tricks, set for us no foxes' snares, for before your +brains of mud have thought of them we shall know and avenge. The light +of the transparent eye of him with the bare legs and the half-haired +face shall destroy you, and go through your land; his vanishing teeth +shall affix themselves fast in you and eat you up, you and your wives +and children; the magic tubes shall argue with you loudly, and make +you as sieves. Beware!" + +This magnificent address did not fail of its effect; indeed, it might +almost have been spared, so deeply were our friends already impressed +with our powers. + +The old man made a deep obeisance, and murmured the words, "/Koom +Koom/," which I afterwards discovered was their royal salute, +corresponding to the /Bayete/ of the Zulus, and turning, addressed his +followers. These at once proceeded to lay hold of all our goods and +chattels, in order to bear them for us, excepting only the guns, which +they would on no account touch. They even seized Good's clothes, that, +as the reader may remember, were neatly folded up beside him. + +He saw and made a dive for them, and a loud altercation ensued. + +"Let not my lord of the transparent Eye and the melting Teeth touch +them," said the old man. "Surely his slave shall carry the things." + +"But I want to put 'em on!" roared Good, in nervous English. + +Umbopa translated. + +"Nay, my lord," answered Infadoos, "would my lord cover up his +beautiful white legs (although he is so dark Good has a singularly +white skin) from the eyes of his servants? Have we offended my lord +that he should do such a thing?" + +Here I nearly exploded with laughing; and meanwhile one of the men +started on with the garments. + +"Damn it!" roared Good, "that black villain has got my trousers." + +"Look here, Good," said Sir Henry; "you have appeared in this country +in a certain character, and you must live up to it. It will never do +for you to put on trousers again. Henceforth you must exist in a +flannel shirt, a pair of boots, and an eye-glass." + +"Yes," I said, "and with whiskers on one side of your face and not on +the other. If you change any of these things the people will think +that we are impostors. I am very sorry for you, but, seriously, you +must. If once they begin to suspect us our lives will not be worth a +brass farthing." + +"Do you really think so?" said Good gloomily. + +"I do, indeed. Your 'beautiful white legs' and your eye-glass are now +/the/ features of our party, and as Sir Henry says, you must live up +to them. Be thankful that you have got your boots on, and that the air +is warm." + +Good sighed, and said no more, but it took him a fortnight to become +accustomed to his new and scant attire. + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +WE ENTER KUKUANALAND + +All that afternoon we travelled along the magnificent roadway, which +trended steadily in a north-westerly direction. Infadoos and Scragga +walked with us, but their followers marched about one hundred paces +ahead. + +"Infadoos," I said at length, "who made this road?" + +"It was made, my lord, of old time, none know how or when, not even +the wise woman Gagool, who has lived for generations. We are not old +enough to remember its making. None can fashion such roads now, but +the king suffers no grass to grow upon it." + +"And whose are the writings on the wall of the caves through which we +have passed on the road?" I asked, referring to the Egyptian-like +sculptures that we had seen. + +"My lord, the hands that made the road wrote the wonderful writings. +We know not who wrote them." + +"When did the Kukuana people come into this country?" + +"My lord, the race came down here like the breath of a storm ten +thousand thousand moons ago, from the great lands which lie there +beyond," and he pointed to the north. "They could travel no further +because of the high mountains which ring in the land, so say the old +voices of our fathers that have descended to us the children, and so +says Gagool, the wise woman, the smeller out of witches," and again he +pointed to the snow-clad peaks. "The country, too, was good, so they +settled here and grew strong and powerful, and now our numbers are +like the sea sand, and when Twala the king calls up his regiments +their plumes cover the plain so far as the eye of man can reach." + +"And if the land is walled in with mountains, who is there for the +regiments to fight with?" + +"Nay, my lord, the country is open there towards the north, and now +and again warriors sweep down upon us in clouds from a land we know +not, and we slay them. It is the third part of the life of a man since +there was a war. Many thousands died in it, but we destroyed those who +came to eat us up. So since then there has been no war." + +"Your warriors must grow weary of resting on their spears, Infadoos." + +"My lord, there was one war, just after we destroyed the people that +came down upon us, but it was a civil war; dog ate dog." + +"How was that?" + +"My lord the king, my half-brother, had a brother born at the same +birth, and of the same woman. It is not our custom, my lord, to suffer +twins to live; the weaker must always die. But the mother of the king +hid away the feebler child, which was born the last, for her heart +yearned over it, and that child is Twala the king. I am his younger +brother, born of another wife." + +"Well?" + +"My lord, Kafa, our father, died when we came to manhood, and my +brother Imotu was made king in his place, and for a space reigned and +had a son by his favourite wife. When the babe was three years old, +just after the great war, during which no man could sow or reap, a +famine came upon the land, and the people murmured because of the +famine, and looked round like a starved lion for something to rend. +Then it was that Gagool, the wise and terrible woman, who does not +die, made a proclamation to the people, saying, 'The king Imotu is no +king.' And at the time Imotu was sick with a wound, and lay in his +kraal not able to move. + +"Then Gagool went into a hut and led out Twala, my half-brother, and +twin brother to the king, whom she had hidden among the caves and +rocks since he was born, and stripping the '/moocha/' (waist-cloth) +off his loins, showed the people of the Kukuanas the mark of the +sacred snake coiled round his middle, wherewith the eldest son of the +king is marked at birth, and cried out loud, 'Behold your king whom I +have saved for you even to this day!' + +"Now the people being mad with hunger, and altogether bereft of reason +and the knowledge of truth, cried out--'/The king! The king!/' but I +knew that it was not so, for Imotu my brother was the elder of the +twins, and our lawful king. Then just as the tumult was at its height +Imotu the king, though he was very sick, crawled from his hut holding +his wife by the hand, and followed by his little son Ignosi--that is, +by interpretation, the Lightning. + +"'What is this noise?' he asked. 'Why cry ye /The king! The king!/' + +"Then Twala, his twin brother, born of the same woman, and in the same +hour, ran to him, and taking him by the hair, stabbed him through the +heart with his knife. And the people being fickle, and ever ready to +worship the rising sun, clapped their hands and cried, '/Twala is +king!/ Now we know that Twala is king!'" + +"And what became of Imotu's wife and her son Ignosi? Did Twala kill +them too?" + +"Nay, my lord. When she saw that her lord was dead the queen seized +the child with a cry and ran away. Two days afterward she came to a +kraal very hungry, and none would give her milk or food, now that her +lord the king was dead, for all men hate the unfortunate. But at +nightfall a little child, a girl, crept out and brought her corn to +eat, and she blessed the child, and went on towards the mountains with +her boy before the sun rose again, and there she must have perished, +for none have seen her since, nor the child Ignosi." + +"Then if this child Ignosi had lived he would be the true king of the +Kukuana people?" + +"That is so, my lord; the sacred snake is round his middle. If he +lives he is king; but, alas! he is long dead." + +"See, my lord," and Infadoos pointed to a vast collection of huts +surrounded by a fence, which was in its turn encircled by a great +ditch, that lay on the plain beneath us. "That is the kraal where the +wife of Imotu was last seen with the child Ignosi. It is there that we +shall sleep to-night, if, indeed," he added doubtfully, "my lords +sleep at all upon this earth." + +"When we are among the Kukuanas, my good friend Infadoos, we do as the +Kukuanas do," I said majestically, and turned round quickly to address +Good, who was tramping along sullenly behind, his mind fully occupied +with unsatisfactory attempts to prevent his flannel shirt from +flapping in the evening breeze. To my astonishment I butted into +Umbopa, who was walking along immediately behind me, and very +evidently had been listening with the greatest interest to my +conversation with Infadoos. The expression on his face was most +curious, and gave me the idea of a man who was struggling with partial +success to bring something long ago forgotten back into his mind. + +All this while we had been pressing on at a good rate towards the +undulating plain beneath us. The mountains we had crossed now loomed +high above our heads, and Sheba's Breasts were veiled modestly in +diaphanous wreaths of mist. As we went the country grew more and more +lovely. The vegetation was luxuriant, without being tropical; the sun +was bright and warm, but not burning; and a gracious breeze blew +softly along the odorous slopes of the mountains. Indeed, this new +land was little less than an earthly paradise; in beauty, in natural +wealth, and in climate I have never seen its like. The Transvaal is a +fine country, but it is nothing to Kukuanaland. + +So soon as we started Infadoos had despatched a runner to warn the +people of the kraal, which, by the way, was in his military command, +of our arrival. This man had departed at an extraordinary speed, which +Infadoos informed me he would keep up all the way, as running was an +exercise much practised among his people. + +The result of this message now became apparent. When we arrived within +two miles of the kraal we could see that company after company of men +were issuing from its gates and marching towards us. + +Sir Henry laid his hand upon my arm, and remarked that it looked as +though we were going to meet with a warm reception. Something in his +tone attracted Infadoos' attention. + +"Let not my lords be afraid," he said hastily, "for in my breast there +dwells no guile. This regiment is one under my command, and comes out +by my orders to greet you." + +I nodded easily, though I was not quite easy in my mind. + +About half a mile from the gates of this kraal is a long stretch of +rising ground sloping gently upwards from the road, and here the +companies formed. It was a splendid sight to see them, each company +about three hundred strong, charging swiftly up the rise, with +flashing spears and waving plumes, to take their appointed place. By +the time we reached the slope twelve such companies, or in all three +thousand six hundred men, had passed out and taken up their positions +along the road. + +Presently we came to the first company, and were able to gaze in +astonishment on the most magnificent set of warriors that I have ever +seen. They were all men of mature age, mostly veterans of about forty, +and not one of them was under six feet in height, whilst many stood +six feet three or four. They wore upon their heads heavy black plumes +of Sakaboola feathers, like those which adorned our guides. About +their waists and beneath the right knees were bound circlets of white +ox tails, while in their left hands they carried round shields +measuring about twenty inches across. These shields are very curious. +The framework is made of an iron plate beaten out thin, over which is +stretched milk-white ox-hide. + +The weapons that each man bore were simple, but most effective, +consisting of a short and very heavy two-edged spear with a wooden +shaft, the blade being about six inches across at the widest part. +These spears are not used for throwing but like the Zulu "/bangwan/," +or stabbing assegai, are for close quarters only, when the wound +inflicted by them is terrible. In addition to his /bangwan/ every man +carried three large and heavy knives, each knife weighing about two +pounds. One knife was fixed in the ox-tail girdle, and the other two +at the back of the round shield. These knives, which are called +"/tollas/" by the Kukuanas, take the place of the throwing assegai of +the Zulus. The Kukuana warriors can cast them with great accuracy to a +distance of fifty yards, and it is their custom on charging to hurl a +volley of them at the enemy as they come to close quarters. + +Each company remained still as a collection of bronze statues till we +were opposite to it, when at a signal given by its commanding officer, +who, distinguished by a leopard skin cloak, stood some paces in front, +every spear was raised into the air, and from three hundred throats +sprang forth with a sudden roar the royal salute of "/Koom/." Then, so +soon as we had passed, the company formed up behind us and followed us +towards the kraal, till at last the whole regiment of the "Greys"--so +called from their white shields--the crack corps of the Kukuana +people, was marching in our rear with a tread that shook the ground. + +At length, branching off from Solomon's Great Road, we came to the +wide fosse surrounding the kraal, which is at least a mile round, and +fenced with a strong palisade of piles formed of the trunks of trees. +At the gateway this fosse is spanned by a primitive drawbridge, which +was let down by the guard to allow us to pass in. The kraal is +exceedingly well laid out. Through the centre runs a wide pathway +intersected at right angles by other pathways so arranged as to cut +the huts into square blocks, each block being the quarters of a +company. The huts are dome-shaped, and built, like those of the Zulus, +of a framework of wattle, beautifully thatched with grass; but, unlike +the Zulu huts, they have doorways through which men could walk. Also +they are much larger, and surrounded by a verandah about six feet +wide, beautifully paved with powdered lime trodden hard. + +All along each side of this wide pathway that pierces the kraal were +ranged hundreds of women, brought out by curiosity to look at us. +These women, for a native race, are exceedingly handsome. They are +tall and graceful, and their figures are wonderfully fine. The hair, +though short, is rather curly than woolly, the features are frequently +aquiline, and the lips are not unpleasantly thick, as is the case +among most African races. But what struck us most was their +exceedingly quiet and dignified air. They were as well-bred in their +way as the /habituees/ of a fashionable drawing-room, and in this +respect they differ from Zulu women and their cousins the Masai who +inhabit the district beyond Zanzibar. Their curiosity had brought them +out to see us, but they allowed no rude expressions of astonishment or +savage criticism to pass their lips as we trudged wearily in front of +them. Not even when old Infadoos with a surreptitious motion of the +hand pointed out the crowning wonder of poor Good's "beautiful white +legs," did they suffer the feeling of intense admiration which +evidently mastered their minds to find expression. They fixed their +dark eyes upon this new and snowy loveliness, for, as I think I have +said, Good's skin is exceedingly white, and that was all. But it was +quite enough for Good, who is modest by nature. + +When we reached the centre of the kraal, Infadoos halted at the door +of a large hut, which was surrounded at a distance by a circle of +smaller ones. + +"Enter, Sons of the Stars," he said, in a magniloquent voice, "and +deign to rest awhile in our humble habitations. A little food shall be +brought to you, so that ye may have no need to draw your belts tight +from hunger; some honey and some milk, and an ox or two, and a few +sheep; not much, my lords, but still a little food." + +"It is good," said I. "Infadoos; we are weary with travelling through +realms of air; now let us rest." + +Accordingly we entered the hut, which we found amply prepared for our +comfort. Couches of tanned skins were spread for us to lie on, and +water was placed for us to wash in. + +Presently we heard a shouting outside, and stepping to the door, saw a +line of damsels bearing milk and roasted mealies, and honey in a pot. +Behind these were some youths driving a fat young ox. We received the +gifts, and then one of the young men drew the knife from his girdle +and dexterously cut the ox's throat. In ten minutes it was dead, +skinned, and jointed. The best of the meat was then cut off for us, +and the rest, in the name of our party, I presented to the warriors +round us, who took it and distributed the "white lords' gift." + +Umbopa set to work, with the assistance of an extremely prepossessing +young woman, to boil our portion in a large earthenware pot over a +fire which was built outside the hut, and when it was nearly ready we +sent a message to Infadoos, and asked him and Scragga, the king's son, +to join us. + +Presently they came, and sitting down upon little stools, of which +there were several about the hut, for the Kukuanas do not in general +squat upon their haunches like the Zulus, they helped us to get +through our dinner. The old gentleman was most affable and polite, but +it struck me that the young one regarded us with doubt. Together with +the rest of the party, he had been overawed by our white appearance +and by our magic properties; but it seemed to me that, on discovering +that we ate, drank, and slept like other mortals, his awe was +beginning to wear off, and to be replaced by a sullen suspicion--which +made me feel rather uncomfortable. + +In the course of our meal Sir Henry suggested to me that it might be +well to try to discover if our hosts knew anything of his brother's +fate, or if they had ever seen or heard of him; but, on the whole, I +thought that it would be wiser to say nothing of the matter at this +time. It was difficult to explain a relative lost from "the Stars." + +After supper we produced our pipes and lit them; a proceeding which +filled Infadoos and Scragga with astonishment. The Kukuanas were +evidently unacquainted with the divine delights of tobacco-smoke. The +herb is grown among them extensively; but, like the Zulus, they use it +for snuff only, and quite failed to identify it in its new form. + +Presently I asked Infadoos when we were to proceed on our journey, and +was delighted to learn that preparations had been made for us to leave +on the following morning, messengers having already departed to inform +Twala the king of our coming. + +It appeared that Twala was at his principal place, known as Loo, +making ready for the great annual feast which was to be held in the +first week of June. At this gathering all the regiments, with the +exception of certain detachments left behind for garrison purposes, +are brought up and paraded before the king; and the great annual +witch-hunt, of which more by-and-by, is held. + +We were to start at dawn; and Infadoos, who was to accompany us, +expected that we should reach Loo on the night of the second day, +unless we were detained by accident or by swollen rivers. + +When they had given us this information our visitors bade us good- +night; and, having arranged to watch turn and turn about, three of us +flung ourselves down and slept the sweet sleep of the weary, whilst +the fourth sat up on the look-out for possible treachery. + + + +CHAPTER IX + +TWALA THE KING + +It will not be necessary for me to detail at length the incidents of +our journey to Loo. It took two full days' travelling along Solomon's +Great Road, which pursued its even course right into the heart of +Kukuanaland. Suffice it to say that as we went the country seemed to +grow richer and richer, and the kraals, with their wide surrounding +belts of cultivation, more and more numerous. They were all built upon +the same principles as the first camp which we had reached, and were +guarded by ample garrisons of troops. Indeed, in Kukuanaland, as among +the Germans, the Zulus, and the Masai, every able-bodied man is a +soldier, so that the whole force of the nation is available for its +wars, offensive or defensive. As we travelled we were overtaken by +thousands of warriors hurrying up to Loo to be present at the great +annual review and festival, and more splendid troops I never saw. + +At sunset on the second day, we stopped to rest awhile upon the summit +of some heights over which the road ran, and there on a beautiful and +fertile plain before us lay Loo itself. For a native town it is an +enormous place, quite five miles round, I should say, with outlying +kraals projecting from it, that serve on grand occasions as +cantonments for the regiments, and a curious horseshoe-shaped hill, +with which we were destined to become better acquainted, about two +miles to the north. It is beautifully situated, and through the centre +of the kraal, dividing it into two portions, runs a river, which +appeared to be bridged in several places, the same indeed that we had +seen from the slopes of Sheba's Breasts. Sixty or seventy miles away +three great snow-capped mountains, placed at the points of a triangle, +started out of the level plain. The conformation of these mountains is +unlike that of Sheba's Breasts, being sheer and precipitous, instead +of smooth and rounded. + +Infadoos saw us looking at them, and volunteered a remark. + +"The road ends there," he said, pointing to the mountains known among +the Kukuanas as the "Three Witches." + +"Why does it end?" I asked. + +"Who knows?" he answered with a shrug; "the mountains are full of +caves, and there is a great pit between them. It is there that the +wise men of old time used to go to get whatever it was they came for +to this country, and it is there now that our kings are buried in the +Place of Death." + +"What was it they came for?" I asked eagerly. + +"Nay, I know not. My lords who have dropped from the Stars should +know," he answered with a quick look. Evidently he knew more than he +chose to say. + +"Yes," I went on, "you are right, in the Stars we learn many things. I +have heard, for instance, that the wise men of old came to these +mountains to find bright stones, pretty playthings, and yellow iron." + +"My lord is wise," he answered coldly; "I am but a child and cannot +talk with my lord on such matters. My lord must speak with Gagool the +old, at the king's place, who is wise even as my lord," and he went +away. + +So soon as he was gone I turned to the others, and pointed out the +mountains. "There are Solomon's diamond mines," I said. + +Umbopa was standing with them, apparently plunged in one of the fits +of abstraction which were common to him, and caught my words. + +"Yes, Macumazahn," he put in, in Zulu, "the diamonds are surely there, +and you shall have them, since you white men are so fond of toys and +money." + +"How dost thou know that, Umbopa?" I asked sharply, for I did not like +his mysterious ways. + +He laughed. "I dreamed it in the night, white men;" then he too turned +on his heel and went. + +"Now what," said Sir Henry, "is our black friend driving at? He knows +more than he chooses to say, that is clear. By the way, Quatermain, +has he heard anything of--of my brother?" + +"Nothing; he has asked everyone he has become friendly with, but they +all declare that no white man has ever been seen in the country +before." + +"Do you suppose that he got here at all?" suggested Good; "we have +only reached the place by a miracle; is it likely he could have +reached it without the map?" + +"I don't know," said Sir Henry gloomily, "but somehow I think that I +shall find him." + +Slowly the sun sank, then suddenly darkness rushed down on the land +like a tangible thing. There was no breathing-space between the day +and night, no soft transformation scene, for in these latitudes +twilight does not exist. The change from day to night is as quick and +as absolute as the change from life to death. The sun sank and the +world was wreathed in shadows. But not for long, for see in the west +there is a glow, then come rays of silver light, and at last the full +and glorious moon lights up the plain and shoots its gleaming arrows +far and wide, filling the earth with a faint refulgence. + +We stood and watched the lovely sight, whilst the stars grew pale +before this chastened majesty, and felt our hearts lifted up in the +presence of a beauty that I cannot describe. Mine has been a rough +life, but there are a few things I am thankful to have lived for, and +one of them is to have seen that moon shine over Kukuanaland. + +Presently our meditations were broken in upon by our polite friend +Infadoos. + +"If my lords are rested we will journey on to Loo, where a hut is made +ready for my lords to-night. The moon is now bright, so that we shall +not fall by the way." + +We assented, and in an hour's time were at the outskirts of the town, +of which the extent, mapped out as it was by thousands of camp fires, +appeared absolutely endless. Indeed, Good, who is always fond of a bad +joke, christened it "Unlimited Loo." Soon we came to a moat with a +drawbridge, where we were met by the rattling of arms and the hoarse +challenge of a sentry. Infadoos gave some password that I could not +catch, which was met with a salute, and we passed on through the +central street of the great grass city. After nearly half an hour's +tramp, past endless lines of huts, Infadoos halted at last by the gate +of a little group of huts which surrounded a small courtyard of +powdered limestone, and informed us that these were to be our "poor" +quarters. + +We entered, and found that a hut had been assigned to each of us. +These huts were superior to any that we had yet seen, and in each was +a most comfortable bed made of tanned skins, spread upon mattresses of +aromatic grass. Food too was ready for us, and so soon as we had +washed ourselves with water, which stood ready in earthenware jars, +some young women of handsome appearance brought us roasted meats, and +mealie cobs daintily served on wooden platters, and presented them to +us with deep obeisances. + +We ate and drank, and then, the beds having been all moved into one +hut by our request, a precaution at which the amiable young ladies +smiled, we flung ourselves down to sleep, thoroughly wearied with our +long journey. + +When we woke it was to find the sun high in the heavens, and the +female attendants, who did not seem to be troubled by any false shame, +already standing inside the hut, having been ordered to attend and +help us to "make ready." + +"Make ready, indeed," growled Good; "when one has only a flannel shirt +and a pair of boots, that does not take long. I wish you would ask +them for my trousers, Quatermain." + +I asked accordingly, but was informed that these sacred relics had +already been taken to the king, who would see us in the forenoon. + +Somewhat to their astonishment and disappointment, having requested +the young ladies to step outside, we proceeded to make the best toilet +of which the circumstances admitted. Good even went the length of +again shaving the right side of his face; the left, on which now +appeared a very fair crop of whiskers, we impressed upon him he must +on no account touch. As for ourselves, we were contented with a good +wash and combing our hair. Sir Henry's yellow locks were now almost +upon his shoulders, and he looked more like an ancient Dane than ever, +while my grizzled scrub was fully an inch long, instead of half an +inch, which in a general way I considered my maximum length. + +By the time that we had eaten our breakfast, and smoked a pipe, a +message was brought to us by no less a personage than Infadoos himself +that Twala the king was ready to see us, if we would be pleased to +come. + +We remarked in reply that we should prefer to wait till the sun was a +little higher, we were yet weary with our journey, &c., &c. It is +always well, when dealing with uncivilised people, not to be in too +great a hurry. They are apt to mistake politeness for awe or +servility. So, although we were quite as anxious to see Twala as Twala +could be to see us, we sat down and waited for an hour, employing the +interval in preparing such presents as our slender stock of goods +permitted--namely, the Winchester rifle which had been used by poor +Ventvoegel, and some beads. The rifle and ammunition we determined to +present to his royal highness, and the beads were for his wives and +courtiers. We had already given a few to Infadoos and Scragga, and +found that they were delighted with them, never having seen such +things before. At length we declared that we were ready, and guided by +Infadoos, started off to the audience, Umbopa carrying the rifle and +beads. + +After walking a few hundred yards we came to an enclosure, something +like that surrounding the huts which had been allotted to us, only +fifty times as big, for it could not have covered less than six or +seven acres of ground. All round the outside fence stood a row of +huts, which were the habitations of the king's wives. Exactly opposite +the gateway, on the further side of the open space, was a very large +hut, built by itself, in which his majesty resided. All the rest was +open ground; that is to say, it would have been open had it not been +filled by company after company of warriors, who were mustered there +to the number of seven or eight thousand. These men stood still as +statues as we advanced through them, and it would be impossible to +give an adequate idea of the grandeur of the spectacle which they +presented, with their waving plumes, their glancing spears, and iron- +backed ox-hide shields. + +The space in front of the large hut was empty, but before it were +placed several stools. On three of these, at a sign from Infadoos, we +seated ourselves, Umbopa standing behind us. As for Infadoos, he took +up a position by the door of the hut. So we waited for ten minutes or +more in the midst of a dead silence, but conscious that we were the +object of the concentrated gaze of some eight thousand pairs of eyes. +It was a somewhat trying ordeal, but we carried it off as best we +could. At length the door of the hut opened, and a gigantic figure, +with a splendid tiger-skin karross flung over its shoulders, stepped +out, followed by the boy Scragga, and what appeared to us to be a +withered-up monkey, wrapped in a fur cloak. The figure seated itself +upon a stool, Scragga took his stand behind it, and the withered-up +monkey crept on all fours into the shade of the hut and squatted down. + +Still there was silence. + +Then the gigantic figure slipped off the karross and stood up before +us, a truly alarming spectacle. It was that of an enormous man with +the most entirely repulsive countenance we had ever beheld. This man's +lips were as thick as a Negro's, the nose was flat, he had but one +gleaming black eye, for the other was represented by a hollow in the +face, and his whole expression was cruel and sensual to a degree. From +the large head rose a magnificent plume of white ostrich feathers, his +body was clad in a shirt of shining chain armour, whilst round the +waist and right knee were the usual garnishes of white ox-tail. In his +right hand was a huge spear, about the neck a thick torque of gold, +and bound on the forehead shone dully a single and enormous uncut +diamond. + +Still there was silence; but not for long. Presently the man, whom we +rightly guessed to be the king, raised the great javelin in his hand. +Instantly eight thousand spears were lifted in answer, and from eight +thousand throats rang out the royal salute of "/Koom/." Three times +this was repeated, and each time the earth shook with the noise, that +can only be compared to the deepest notes of thunder. + +"Be humble, O people," piped out a thin voice which seemed to come +from the monkey in the shade, "it is the king." + +"/It is the king/," boomed out the eight thousand throats in answer. +"/Be humble, O people, it is the king./" + +Then there was silence again--dead silence. Presently, however, it was +broken. A soldier on our left dropped his shield, which fell with a +clatter on to the limestone flooring. + +Twala turned his one cold eye in the direction of the noise. + +"Come hither, thou," he said, in a cold voice. + +A fine young man stepped out of the ranks, and stood before him. + +"It was thy shield that fell, thou awkward dog. Wilt thou make me a +reproach in the eyes of these strangers from the Stars? What hast thou +to say for thyself?" + +We saw the poor fellow turn pale under his dusky skin. + +"It was by chance, O Calf of the Black Cow," he murmured. + +"Then it is a chance for which thou must pay. Thou hast made me +foolish; prepare for death." + +"I am the king's ox," was the low answer. + +"Scragga," roared the king, "let me see how thou canst use thy spear. +Kill me this blundering fool." + +Scragga stepped forward with an ill-favoured grin, and lifted his +spear. The poor victim covered his eyes with his hand and stood still. +As for us, we were petrified with horror. + +"Once, twice," he waved the spear, and then struck, ah! right home-- +the spear stood out a foot behind the soldier's back. He flung up his +hands and dropped dead. From the multitude about us rose something +like a murmur, it rolled round and round, and died away. The tragedy +was finished; there lay the corpse, and we had not yet realised that +it had been enacted. Sir Henry sprang up and swore a great oath, then, +overpowered by the sense of silence, sat down again. + +"The thrust was a good one," said the king; "take him away." + +Four men stepped out of the ranks, and lifting the body of the +murdered man, carried it thence. + +"Cover up the blood-stains, cover them up," piped out the thin voice +that proceeded from the monkey-like figure; "the king's word is +spoken, the king's doom is done!" + +Thereupon a girl came forward from behind the hut, bearing a jar +filled with powdered lime, which she scattered over the red mark, +blotting it from sight. + +Sir Henry meanwhile was boiling with rage at what had happened; +indeed, it was with difficulty that we could keep him still. + +"Sit down, for heaven's sake," I whispered; "our lives depend on it." + +He yielded and remained quiet. + +Twala sat silent until the traces of the tragedy had been removed, +then he addressed us. + +"White people," he said, "who come hither, whence I know not, and why +I know not, greeting." + +"Greeting, Twala, King of the Kukuanas," I answered. + +"White people, whence come ye, and what seek ye?" + +"We come from the Stars, ask us not how. We come to see this land." + +"Ye journey from far to see a little thing. And that man with you," +pointing to Umbopa, "does he also come from the Stars?" + +"Even so; there are people of thy colour in the heavens above; but ask +not of matters too high for thee, Twala the king." + +"Ye speak with a loud voice, people of the Stars," Twala answered in a +tone which I scarcely liked. "Remember that the Stars are far off, and +ye are here. How if I make you as him whom they bore away?" + +I laughed out loud, though there was little laughter in my heart. + +"O king," I said, "be careful, walk warily over hot stones, lest thou +shouldst burn thy feet; hold the spear by the handle, lest thou should +cut thy hands. Touch but one hair of our heads, and destruction shall +come upon thee. What, have not these"--pointing to Infadoos and +Scragga, who, young villain that he was, was employed in cleaning the +blood of the soldier off his spear--"told thee what manner of men we +are? Hast thou seen the like of us?" and I pointed to Good, feeling +quite sure that he had never seen anybody before who looked in the +least like /him/ as he then appeared. + +"It is true, I have not," said the king, surveying Good with interest. + +"Have they not told thee how we strike with death from afar?" I went +on. + +"They have told me, but I believe them not. Let me see you kill. Kill +me a man among those who stand yonder"--and he pointed to the opposite +side of the kraal--"and I will believe." + +"Nay," I answered; "we shed no blood of men except in just punishment; +but if thou wilt see, bid thy servants drive in an ox through the +kraal gates, and before he has run twenty paces I will strike him +dead." + +"Nay," laughed the king, "kill me a man and I will believe." + +"Good, O king, so be it," I answered coolly; "do thou walk across the +open space, and before thy feet reach the gate thou shalt be dead; or +if thou wilt not, send thy son Scragga" (whom at that moment it would +have given me much pleasure to shoot). + +On hearing this suggestion Scragga uttered a sort of howl, and bolted +into the hut. + +Twala frowned majestically; the suggestion did not please him. + +"Let a young ox be driven in," he said. + +Two men at once departed, running swiftly. + +"Now, Sir Henry," said I, "do you shoot. I want to show this ruffian +that I am not the only magician of the party." + +Sir Henry accordingly took his "express," and made ready. + +"I hope I shall make a good shot," he groaned. + +"You must," I answered. "If you miss with the first barrel, let him +have the second. Sight for 150 yards, and wait till the beast turns +broadside on." + +Then came a pause, until presently we caught sight of an ox running +straight for the kraal gate. It came on through the gate, then, +catching sight of the vast concourse of people, stopped stupidly, +turned round, and bellowed. + +"Now's your time," I whispered. + +Up went the rifle. + +Bang! /thud/! and the ox was kicking on his back, shot in the ribs. +The semi-hollow bullet had done its work well, and a sigh of +astonishment went up from the assembled thousands. + +I turned round coolly-- + +"Have I lied, O king?" + +"Nay, white man, it is the truth," was the somewhat awed answer. + +"Listen, Twala," I went on. "Thou hast seen. Now know we come in +peace, not in war. See," and I held up the Winchester repeater; "here +is a hollow staff that shall enable thee to kill even as we kill, only +I lay this charm upon it, thou shalt kill no man with it. If thou +liftest it against a man, it shall kill thee. Stay, I will show thee. +Bid a soldier step forty paces and place the shaft of a spear in the +ground so that the flat blade looks towards us." + +In a few seconds it was done. + +"Now, see, I will break yonder spear." + +Taking a careful sight I fired. The bullet struck the flat of the +spear, and shattered the blade into fragments. + +Again the sigh of astonishment went up. + +"Now, Twala, we give this magic tube to thee, and by-and-by I will +show thee how to use it; but beware how thou turnest the magic of the +Stars against a man of earth," and I handed him the rifle. + +The king took it very gingerly, and laid it down at his feet. As he +did so I observed the wizened monkey-like figure creeping from the +shadow of the hut. It crept on all fours, but when it reached the +place where the king sat it rose upon its feet, and throwing the furry +covering from its face, revealed a most extraordinary and weird +countenance. Apparently it was that of a woman of great age so +shrunken that in size it seemed no larger than the face of a year-old +child, although made up of a number of deep and yellow wrinkles. Set +in these wrinkles was a sunken slit, that represented the mouth, +beneath which the chin curved outwards to a point. There was no nose +to speak of; indeed, the visage might have been taken for that of a +sun-dried corpse had it not been for a pair of large black eyes, still +full of fire and intelligence, which gleamed and played under the +snow-white eyebrows, and the projecting parchment-coloured skull, like +jewels in a charnel-house. As for the head itself, it was perfectly +bare, and yellow in hue, while its wrinkled scalp moved and contracted +like the hood of a cobra. + +The figure to which this fearful countenance belonged, a countenance +so fearful indeed that it caused a shiver of fear to pass through us +as we gazed on it, stood still for a moment. Then suddenly it +projected a skinny claw armed with nails nearly an inch long, and +laying it on the shoulder of Twala the king, began to speak in a thin +and piercing voice-- + +"Listen, O king! Listen, O warriors! Listen, O mountains and plains +and rivers, home of the Kukuana race! Listen, O skies and sun, O rain +and storm and mist! Listen, O men and women, O youths and maidens, and +O ye babes unborn! Listen, all things that live and must die! Listen, +all dead things that shall live again--again to die! Listen, the +spirit of life is in me and I prophesy. I prophesy! I prophesy!" + +The words died away in a faint wail, and dread seemed to seize upon +the hearts of all who heard them, including our own. This old woman +was very terrible. + +"/Blood! blood! blood!/ rivers of blood; blood everywhere. I see it, I +smell it, I taste it--it is salt! it runs red upon the ground, it +rains down from the skies. + +"/Footsteps! footsteps! footsteps!/ the tread of the white man coming +from afar. It shakes the earth; the earth trembles before her master. + +"Blood is good, the red blood is bright; there is no smell like the +smell of new-shed blood. The lions shall lap it and roar, the vultures +shall wash their wings in it and shriek with joy. + +"I am old! I am old! I have seen much blood; /ha, ha!/ but I shall see +more ere I die, and be merry. How old am I, think ye? Your fathers +knew me, and /their/ fathers knew me, and /their/ fathers' fathers' +fathers. I have seen the white man and know his desires. I am old, but +the mountains are older than I. Who made the great road, tell me? Who +wrote the pictures on the rocks, tell me? Who reared up the three +Silent Ones yonder, that gaze across the pit, tell me?" and she +pointed towards the three precipitous mountains which we had noticed +on the previous night. + +"Ye know not, but I know. It was a white people who were before ye +are, who shall be when ye are not, who shall eat you up and destroy +you. /Yea! yea! yea! + +"And what came they for, the White Ones, the Terrible Ones, the +skilled in magic and all learning, the strong, the unswerving? What is +that bright stone upon thy forehead, O king? Whose hands made the iron +garments upon thy breast, O king? Ye know not, but I know. I the Old +One, I the Wise One, I the /Isanusi/, the witch doctress!" + +Then she turned her bald vulture-head towards us. + +"What seek ye, white men of the Stars--ah, yes, of the Stars? Do ye +seek a lost one? Ye shall not find him here. He is not here. Never for +ages upon ages has a white foot pressed this land; never except once, +and I remember that he left it but to die. Ye come for bright stones; +I know it--I know it; ye shall find them when the blood is dry; but +shall ye return whence ye came, or shall ye stop with me? /Ha! ha! +ha!/ + +"And thou, thou with the dark skin and the proud bearing," and she +pointed her skinny finger at Umbopa, "who art /thou/, and what seekest +/thou/? Not stones that shine, not yellow metal that gleams, these +thou leavest to 'white men from the Stars.' Methinks I know thee; +methinks I can smell the smell of the blood in thy heart. Strip off +the girdle--" + +Here the features of this extraordinary creature became convulsed, and +she fell to the ground foaming in an epileptic fit, and was carried +into the hut. + +The king rose up trembling, and waved his hand. Instantly the +regiments began to file off, and in ten minutes, save for ourselves, +the king, and a few attendants, the great space was left empty. + +"White people," he said, "it passes in my mind to kill you. Gagool has +spoken strange words. What say ye?" + +I laughed. "Be careful, O king, we are not easy to slay. Thou hast +seen the fate of the ox; wouldst thou be as the ox is?" + +The king frowned. "It is not well to threaten a king." + +"We threaten not, we speak what is true. Try to kill us, O king, and +learn." + +The great savage put his hand to his forehead and thought. + +"Go in peace," he said at length. "To-night is the great dance. Ye +shall see it. Fear not that I shall set a snare for you. To-morrow I +will think." + +"It is well, O king," I answered unconcernedly, and then, accompanied +by Infadoos, we rose and went back to our kraal. + + + +CHAPTER X + +THE WITCH-HUNT + +On reaching our hut I motioned to Infadoos to enter with us. + +"Now, Infadoos," I said, "we would speak with thee." + +"Let my lords say on." + +"It seems to us, Infadoos, that Twala the king is a cruel man." + +"It is so, my lords. Alas! the land cries out because of his +cruelties. To-night ye shall see. It is the great witch-hunt, and many +will be smelt out as wizards and slain. No man's life is safe. If the +king covets a man's cattle, or a man's wife, or if he fears a man that +he should excite a rebellion against him, then Gagool, whom ye saw, or +some of the witch-finding women whom she has taught, will smell that +man out as a wizard, and he will be killed. Many must die before the +moon grows pale to-night. It is ever so. Perhaps I too shall be +killed. As yet I have been spared because I am skilled in war, and am +beloved by the soldiers; but I know not how long I have to live. The +land groans at the cruelties of Twala the king; it is wearied of him +and his red ways." + +"Then why is it, Infadoos, that the people do not cast him down?" + +"Nay, my lords, he is the king, and if he were killed Scragga would +reign in his place, and the heart of Scragga is blacker than the heart +of Twala his father. If Scragga were king his yoke upon our neck would +be heavier than the yoke of Twala. If Imotu had never been slain, or +if Ignosi his son had lived, it might have been otherwise; but they +are both dead." + +"How knowest thou that Ignosi is dead?" said a voice behind us. We +looked round astonished to see who spoke. It was Umbopa. + +"What meanest thou, boy?" asked Infadoos; "who told thee to speak?" + +"Listen, Infadoos," was the answer, "and I will tell thee a story. +Years ago the king Imotu was killed in this country and his wife fled +with the boy Ignosi. Is it not so?" + +"It is so." + +"It was said that the woman and her son died upon the mountains. Is it +not so?" + +"It is even so." + +"Well, it came to pass that the mother and the boy Ignosi did not die. +They crossed the mountains and were led by a tribe of wandering desert +men across the sands beyond, till at last they came to water and grass +and trees again." + +"How knowest thou this?" + +"Listen. They travelled on and on, many months' journey, till they +reached a land where a people called the Amazulu, who also are of the +Kukuana stock, live by war, and with them they tarried many years, +till at length the mother died. Then the son Ignosi became a wanderer +again, and journeyed into a land of wonders, where white people live, +and for many more years he learned the wisdom of the white people." + +"It is a pretty story," said Infadoos incredulously. + +"For years he lived there working as a servant and a soldier, but +holding in his heart all that his mother had told him of his own +place, and casting about in his mind to find how he might journey +thither to see his people and his father's house before he died. For +long years he lived and waited, and at last the time came, as it ever +comes to him who can wait for it, and he met some white men who would +seek this unknown land, and joined himself to them. The white men +started and travelled on and on, seeking for one who is lost. They +crossed the burning desert, they crossed the snow-clad mountains, and +at last reached the land of the Kukuanas, and there they found /thee/, +O Infadoos." + +"Surely thou art mad to talk thus," said the astonished old soldier. + +"Thou thinkest so; see, I will show thee, O my uncle. + +"/I am Ignosi, rightful king of the Kukuanas!/" + +Then with a single movement Umbopa slipped off his "moocha" or girdle, +and stood naked before us. + +"Look," he said; "what is this?" and he pointed to the picture of a +great snake tattooed in blue round his middle, its tail disappearing +into its open mouth just above where the thighs are set into the body. + +Infadoos looked, his eyes starting nearly out of his head. Then he +fell upon his knees. + +"/Koom! Koom!/" he ejaculated; "it is my brother's son; it is the +king." + +"Did I not tell thee so, my uncle? Rise; I am not yet the king, but +with thy help, and with the help of these brave white men, who are my +friends, I shall be. Yet the old witch Gagool was right, the land +shall run with blood first, and hers shall run with it, if she has any +and can die, for she killed my father with her words, and drove my +mother forth. And now, Infadoos, choose thou. Wilt thou put thy hands +between my hands and be my man? Wilt thou share the dangers that lie +before me, and help me to overthrow this tyrant and murderer, or wilt +thou not? Choose thou." + +The old man put his hand to his head and thought. Then he rose, and +advancing to where Umbopa, or rather Ignosi, stood, he knelt before +him, and took his hand. + +"Ignosi, rightful king of the Kukuanas, I put my hand between thy +hands, and am thy man till death. When thou wast a babe I dandled thee +upon my knees, now shall my old arm strike for thee and freedom." + +"It is well, Infadoos; if I conquer, thou shalt be the greatest man in +the kingdom after its king. If I fail, thou canst only die, and death +is not far off from thee. Rise, my uncle." + +"And ye, white men, will ye help me? What have I to offer you! The +white stones! If I conquer and can find them, ye shall have as many as +ye can carry hence. Will that suffice you?" + +I translated this remark. + +"Tell him," answered Sir Henry, "that he mistakes an Englishman. +Wealth is good, and if it comes in our way we will take it; but a +gentleman does not sell himself for wealth. Still, speaking for +myself, I say this. I have always liked Umbopa, and so far as lies in +me I will stand by him in this business. It will be very pleasant to +me to try to square matters with that cruel devil Twala. What do you +say, Good, and you, Quatermain?" + +"Well," said Good, "to adopt the language of hyperbole, in which all +these people seem to indulge, you can tell him that a row is surely +good, and warms the cockles of the heart, and that so far as I am +concerned I'm his boy. My only stipulation is that he allows me to +wear trousers." + +I translated the substance of these answers. + +"It is well, my friends," said Ignosi, late Umbopa; "and what sayest +thou, Macumazahn, art thou also with me, old hunter, cleverer than a +wounded buffalo?" + +I thought awhile and scratched my head. + +"Umbopa, or Ignosi," I said, "I don't like revolutions. I am a man of +peace and a bit of a coward"--here Umbopa smiled--"but, on the other +hand, I stick up for my friends, Ignosi. You have stuck to us and +played the part of a man, and I will stick by you. But mind you, I am +a trader, and have to make my living, so I accept your offer about +those diamonds in case we should ever be in a position to avail +ourselves of it. Another thing: we came, as you know, to look for +Incubu's (Sir Henry's) lost brother. You must help us to find him." + +"That I will do," answered Ignosi. "Stay, Infadoos, by the sign of the +snake about my middle, tell me the truth. Has any white man to thy +knowledge set his foot within the land?" + +"None, O Ignosi." + +"If any white man had been seen or heard of, wouldst thou have known?" + +"I should certainly have known." + +"Thou hearest, Incubu," said Ignosi to Sir Henry; "he has not been +here." + +"Well, well," said Sir Henry, with a sigh; "there it is; I suppose +that he never got so far. Poor fellow, poor fellow! So it has all been +for nothing. God's will be done." + +"Now for business," I put in, anxious to escape from a painful +subject. "It is very well to be a king by right divine, Ignosi, but +how dost thou propose to become a king indeed?" + +"Nay, I know not. Infadoos, hast thou a plan?" + +"Ignosi, Son of the Lightning," answered his uncle, "to-night is the +great dance and witch-hunt. Many shall be smelt out and perish, and in +the hearts of many others there will be grief and anguish and fury +against the king Twala. When the dance is over, then I will speak to +some of the great chiefs, who in turn, if I can win them over, will +speak to their regiments. I shall speak to the chiefs softly at first, +and bring them to see that thou art indeed the king, and I think that +by to-morrow's light thou shalt have twenty thousand spears at thy +command. And now I must go and think, and hear, and make ready. After +the dance is done, if I am yet alive, and we are all alive, I will +meet thee here, and we can talk. At the best there must be war." + +At this moment our conference was interrupted by the cry that +messengers had come from the king. Advancing to the door of the hut we +ordered that they should be admitted, and presently three men entered, +each bearing a shining shirt of chain armour, and a magnificent +battle-axe. + +"The gifts of my lord the king to the white men from the Stars!" said +a herald who came with them. + +"We thank the king," I answered; "withdraw." + +The men went, and we examined the armour with great interest. It was +the most wonderful chain work that either of us had ever seen. A whole +coat fell together so closely that it formed a mass of links scarcely +too big to be covered with both hands. + +"Do you make these things in this country, Infadoos?" I asked; "they +are very beautiful." + +"Nay, my lord, they came down to us from our forefathers. We know not +who made them, and there are but few left.[*] None but those of royal +blood may be clad in them. They are magic coats through which no spear +can pass, and those who wear them are well-nigh safe in the battle. +The king is well pleased or much afraid, or he would not have sent +these garments of steel. Clothe yourselves in them to-night, my +lords." + +[*] In the Soudan swords and coats of mail are still worn by Arabs, + whose ancestors must have stripped them from the bodies of + Crusaders.--Editor. + +The remainder of that day we spent quietly, resting and talking over +the situation, which was sufficiently exciting. At last the sun went +down, the thousand watch fires glowed out, and through the darkness we +heard the tramp of many feet and the clashing of hundreds of spears, +as the regiments passed to their appointed places to be ready for the +great dance. Then the full moon shone out in splendour, and as we +stood watching her rays, Infadoos arrived, clad in his war dress, and +accompanied by a guard of twenty men to escort us to the dance. As he +recommended, we had already donned the shirts of chain armour which +the king had sent us, putting them on under our ordinary clothing, and +finding to our surprise that they were neither very heavy nor +uncomfortable. These steel shirts, which evidently had been made for +men of a very large stature, hung somewhat loosely upon Good and +myself, but Sir Henry's fitted his magnificent frame like a glove. +Then strapping our revolvers round our waists, and taking in our hands +the battle-axes which the king had sent with the armour, we started. + +On arriving at the great kraal, where we had that morning been +received by the king, we found that it was closely packed with some +twenty thousand men arranged round it in regiments. These regiments +were in turn divided into companies, and between each company ran a +little path to allow space for the witch-finders to pass up and down. +Anything more imposing than the sight that was presented by this vast +and orderly concourse of armed men it is impossible to conceive. There +they stood perfectly silent, and the moon poured her light upon the +forest of their raised spears, upon their majestic forms, waving +plumes, and the harmonious shading of their various-coloured shields. +Wherever we looked were line upon line of dim faces surmounted by +range upon range of shimmering spears. + +"Surely," I said to Infadoos, "the whole army is here?" + +"Nay, Macumazahn," he answered, "but a third of it. One third is +present at this dance each year, another third is mustered outside in +case there should be trouble when the killing begins, ten thousand +more garrison the outposts round Loo, and the rest watch at the kraals +in the country. Thou seest it is a great people." + +"They are very silent," said Good; and indeed the intense stillness +among such a vast concourse of living men was almost overpowering. + +"What says Bougwan?" asked Infadoos. + +I translated. + +"Those over whom the shadow of Death is hovering are silent," he +answered grimly. + +"Will many be killed?" + +"Very many." + +"It seems," I said to the others, "that we are going to assist at a +gladiatorial show arranged regardless of expense." + +Sir Henry shivered, and Good said he wished that we could get out of +it. + +"Tell me," I asked Infadoos, "are we in danger?" + +"I know not, my lords, I trust not; but do not seem afraid. If ye live +through the night all may go well with you. The soldiers murmur +against the king." + +All this while we had been advancing steadily towards the centre of +the open space, in the midst of which were placed some stools. As we +proceeded we perceived another small party coming from the direction +of the royal hut. + +"It is the king Twala, Scragga his son, and Gagool the old; and see, +with them are those who slay," said Infadoos, pointing to a little +group of about a dozen gigantic and savage-looking men, armed with +spears in one hand and heavy kerries in the other. + +The king seated himself upon the centre stool, Gagool crouched at his +feet, and the others stood behind him. + +"Greeting, white lords," Twala cried, as we came up; "be seated, waste +not precious time--the night is all too short for the deeds that must +be done. Ye come in a good hour, and shall see a glorious show. Look +round, white lords; look round," and he rolled his one wicked eye from +regiment to regiment. "Can the Stars show you such a sight as this? +See how they shake in their wickedness, all those who have evil in +their hearts and fear the judgment of 'Heaven above.'" + +"/Begin! begin!/" piped Gagool, in her thin piercing voice; "the +hyaenas are hungry, they howl for food. /Begin! begin!/" + +Then for a moment there was intense stillness, made horrible by a +presage of what was to come. + +The king lifted his spear, and suddenly twenty thousand feet were +raised, as though they belonged to one man, and brought down with a +stamp upon the earth. This was repeated three times, causing the solid +ground to shake and tremble. Then from a far point of the circle a +solitary voice began a wailing song, of which the refrain ran +something as follows:-- + +"/What is the lot of man born of woman?/" + +Back came the answer rolling out from every throat in that vast +company-- + +"/Death!/" + +Gradually, however, the song was taken up by company after company, +till the whole armed multitude were singing it, and I could no longer +follow the words, except in so far as they appeared to represent +various phases of human passions, fears, and joys. Now it seemed to be +a love song, now a majestic swelling war chant, and last of all a +death dirge ending suddenly in one heart-breaking wail that went +echoing and rolling away in a volume of blood-curdling sound. + +Again silence fell upon the place, and again it was broken by the king +lifting his hand. Instantly we heard a pattering of feet, and from out +of the masses of warriors strange and awful figures appeared running +towards us. As they drew near we saw that these were women, most of +them aged, for their white hair, ornamented with small bladders taken +from fish, streamed out behind them. Their faces were painted in +stripes of white and yellow; down their backs hung snake-skins, and +round their waists rattled circlets of human bones, while each held a +small forked wand in her shrivelled hand. In all there were ten of +them. When they arrived in front of us they halted, and one of them, +pointing with her wand towards the crouching figure of Gagool, cried +out-- + +"Mother, old mother, we are here." + +"/Good! good! good!/" answered that aged Iniquity. "Are your eyes +keen, /Isanusis/ [witch doctresses], ye seers in dark places?" + +"Mother, they are keen." + +"/Good! good! good!/ Are your ears open, /Isanusis/, ye who hear words +that come not from the tongue?" + +"Mother, they are open." + +"/Good! good! good!/ Are your senses awake, /Isanusis/--can ye smell +blood, can ye purge the land of the wicked ones who compass evil +against the king and against their neighbours? Are ye ready to do the +justice of 'Heaven above,' ye whom I have taught, who have eaten of +the bread of my wisdom, and drunk of the water of my magic?" + +"Mother, we can." + +"Then go! Tarry not, ye vultures; see, the slayers"--pointing to the +ominous group of executioners behind--"make sharp their spears; the +white men from afar are hungry to see. /Go!/" + +With a wild yell Gagool's horrid ministers broke away in every +direction, like fragments from a shell, the dry bones round their +waists rattling as they ran, and headed for various points of the +dense human circle. We could not watch them all, so we fixed our eyes +upon the /Isanusi/ nearest to us. When she came to within a few paces +of the warriors she halted and began to dance wildly, turning round +and round with an almost incredible rapidity, and shrieking out +sentences such as "I smell him, the evil-doer!" "He is near, he who +poisoned his mother!" "I hear the thoughts of him who thought evil of +the king!" + +Quicker and quicker she danced, till she lashed herself into such a +frenzy of excitement that the foam flew in specks from her gnashing +jaws, till her eyes seemed to start from her head, and her flesh to +quiver visibly. Suddenly she stopped dead and stiffened all over, like +a pointer dog when he scents game, and then with outstretched wand she +began to creep stealthily towards the soldiers before her. It seemed +to us that as she came their stoicism gave way, and that they shrank +from her. As for ourselves, we followed her movements with a horrible +fascination. Presently, still creeping and crouching like a dog, the +/Isanusi/ was before them. Then she halted and pointed, and again +crept on a pace or two. + +Suddenly the end came. With a shriek she sprang in and touched a tall +warrior with her forked wand. Instantly two of his comrades, those +standing immediately next to him, seized the doomed man, each by one +arm, and advanced with him towards the king. + +He did not resist, but we saw that he dragged his limbs as though they +were paralysed, and that his fingers, from which the spear had fallen, +were limp like those of a man newly dead. + +As he came, two of the villainous executioners stepped forward to meet +him. Presently they met, and the executioners turned round, looking +towards the king as though for orders. + +"/Kill!/" said the king. + +"/Kill!/" squeaked Gagool. + +"/Kill!/" re-echoed Scragga, with a hollow chuckle. + +Almost before the words were uttered the horrible dead was done. One +man had driven his spear into the victim's heart, and to make +assurance double sure, the other had dashed out his brains with a +great club. + +"/One/," counted Twala the king, just like a black Madame Defarge, as +Good said, and the body was dragged a few paces away and stretched +out. + +Hardly was the thing done before another poor wretch was brought up, +like an ox to the slaughter. This time we could see, from the leopard- +skin cloak which he wore, that the man was a person of rank. Again the +awful syllables were spoken, and the victim fell dead. + +"/Two/," counted the king. + +And so the deadly game went on, till about a hundred bodies were +stretched in rows behind us. I have heard of the gladiatorial shows of +the Caesars, and of the Spanish bull-fights, but I take the liberty of +doubting if either of them could be half so horrible as this Kukuana +witch-hunt. Gladiatorial shows and Spanish bull-fights at any rate +contributed to the public amusement, which certainly was not the case +here. The most confirmed sensation-monger would fight shy of sensation +if he knew that it was well on the cards that he would, in his own +proper person, be the subject of the next "event." + +Once we rose and tried to remonstrate, but were sternly repressed by +Twala. + +"Let the law take its course, white men. These dogs are magicians and +evil-doers; it is well that they should die," was the only answer +vouchsafed to us. + +About half-past ten there was a pause. The witch-finders gathered +themselves together, apparently exhausted with their bloody work, and +we thought that the performance was done with. But it was not so, for +presently, to our surprise, the ancient woman, Gagool, rose from her +crouching position, and supporting herself with a stick, staggered off +into the open space. It was an extraordinary sight to see this +frightful vulture-headed old creature, bent nearly double with extreme +age, gather strength by degrees, until at last she rushed about almost +as actively as her ill-omened pupils. To and fro she ran, chanting to +herself, till suddenly she made a dash at a tall man standing in front +of one of the regiments, and touched him. As she did this a sort of +groan went up from the regiment which evidently he commanded. But two +of its officers seized him all the same, and brought him up for +execution. We learned afterwards that he was a man of great wealth and +importance, being indeed a cousin of the king. + +He was slain, and Twala counted one hundred and three. Then Gagool +again sprang to and fro, gradually drawing nearer and nearer to +ourselves. + +"Hang me if I don't believe she is going to try her games on us," +ejaculated Good in horror. + +"Nonsense!" said Sir Henry. + +As for myself, when I saw that old fiend dancing nearer and nearer, my +heart positively sank into my boots. I glanced behind us at the long +rows of corpses, and shivered. + +Nearer and nearer waltzed Gagool, looking for all the world like an +animated crooked stick or comma, her horrid eyes gleaming and glowing +with a most unholy lustre. + +Nearer she came, and yet nearer, every creature in that vast +assemblage watching her movements with intense anxiety. At last she +stood still and pointed. + +"Which is it to be?" asked Sir Henry to himself. + +In a moment all doubts were at rest, for the old hag had rushed in and +touched Umbopa, alias Ignosi, on the shoulder. + +"I smell him out," she shrieked. "Kill him, kill him, he is full of +evil; kill him, the stranger, before blood flows from him. Slay him, O +king." + +There was a pause, of which I instantly took advantage. + +"O king," I called out, rising from my seat, "this man is the servant +of thy guests, he is their dog; whosoever sheds the blood of our dog +sheds our blood. By the sacred law of hospitality I claim protection +for him." + +"Gagool, mother of the witch-finders, has smelt him out; he must die, +white men," was the sullen answer. + +"Nay, he shall not die," I replied; "he who tries to touch him shall +die indeed." + +"Seize him!" roared Twala to the executioners; who stood round red to +the eyes with the blood of their victims. + +They advanced towards us, and then hesitated. As for Ignosi, he +clutched his spear, and raised it as though determined to sell his +life dearly. + +"Stand back, ye dogs!" I shouted, "if ye would see to-morrow's light. +Touch one hair of his head and your king dies," and I covered Twala +with my revolver. Sir Henry and Good also drew their pistols, Sir +Henry pointing his at the leading executioner, who was advancing to +carry out the sentence, and Good taking a deliberate aim at Gagool. + +Twala winced perceptibly as my barrel came in a line with his broad +chest. + +"Well," I said, "what is it to be, Twala?" + +Then he spoke. + +"Put away your magic tubes," he said; "ye have adjured me in the name +of hospitality, and for that reason, but not from fear of what ye can +do, I spare him. Go in peace." + +"It is well," I answered unconcernedly; "we are weary of slaughter, +and would sleep. Is the dance ended?" + +"It is ended," Twala answered sulkily. "Let these dead dogs," pointing +to the long rows of corpses, "be flung out to the hyaenas and the +vultures," and he lifted his spear. + +Instantly the regiments began to defile through the kraal gateway in +perfect silence, a fatigue party only remaining behind to drag away +the corpses of those who had been sacrificed. + +Then we rose also, and making our salaam to his majesty, which he +hardly deigned to acknowledge, we departed to our huts. + +"Well," said Sir Henry, as we sat down, having first lit a lamp of the +sort used by the Kukuanas, of which the wick is made from the fibre of +a species of palm leaf, and the oil from clarified hippopotamus fat, +"well, I feel uncommonly inclined to be sick." + +"If I had any doubts about helping Umbopa to rebel against that +infernal blackguard," put in Good, "they are gone now. It was as much +as I could do to sit still while that slaughter was going on. I tried +to keep my eyes shut, but they would open just at the wrong time. I +wonder where Infadoos is. Umbopa, my friend, you ought to be grateful +to us; your skin came near to having an air-hole made in it." + +"I am grateful, Bougwan," was Umbopa's answer, when I had translated, +"and I shall not forget. As for Infadoos, he will be here by-and-by. +We must wait." + +So we lit out pipes and waited. + + + +CHAPTER XI + +WE GIVE A SIGN + +For a long while--two hours, I should think--we sat there in silence, +being too much overwhelmed by the recollection of the horrors we had +seen to talk. At last, just as we were thinking of turning in--for the +night drew nigh to dawn--we heard a sound of steps. Then came the +challenge of a sentry posted at the kraal gate, which apparently was +answered, though not in an audible tone, for the steps still advanced; +and in another second Infadoos had entered the hut, followed by some +half-dozen stately-looking chiefs. + +"My lords," he said, "I have come according to my word. My lords and +Ignosi, rightful king of the Kukuanas, I have brought with me these +men," pointing to the row of chiefs, "who are great men among us, +having each one of them the command of three thousand soldiers, that +live but to do their bidding, under the king's. I have told them of +what I have seen, and what my ears have heard. Now let them also +behold the sacred snake around thee, and hear thy story, Ignosi, that +they may say whether or no they will make cause with thee against +Twala the king." + +By way of answer Ignosi again stripped off his girdle, and exhibited +the snake tattooed about him. Each chief in turn drew near and +examined the sign by the dim light of the lamp, and without saying a +word passed on to the other side. + +Then Ignosi resumed his moocha, and addressing them, repeated the +history he had detailed in the morning. + +"Now ye have heard, chiefs," said Infadoos, when he had done, "what +say ye: will ye stand by this man and help him to his father's throne, +or will ye not? The land cries out against Twala, and the blood of the +people flows like the waters in spring. Ye have seen to-night. Two +other chiefs there were with whom I had it in my mind to speak, and +where are they now? The hyaenas howl over their corpses. Soon shall ye +be as they are if ye strike not. Choose then, my brothers." + +The eldest of the six men, a short, thick-set warrior, with white +hair, stepped forward a pace and answered-- + +"Thy words are true, Infadoos; the land cries out. My own brother is +among those who died to-night; but this is a great matter, and the +thing is hard to believe. How know we that if we lift our spears it +may not be for a thief and a liar? It is a great matter, I say, of +which none can see the end. For of this be sure, blood will flow in +rivers before the deed is done; many will still cleave to the king, +for men worship the sun that still shines bright in the heavens, +rather than that which has not risen. These white men from the Stars, +their magic is great, and Ignosi is under the cover of their wing. If +he be indeed the rightful king, let them give us a sign, and let the +people have a sign, that all may see. So shall men cleave to us, +knowing of a truth that the white man's magic is with them." + +"Ye have the sign of the snake," I answered. + +"My lord, it is not enough. The snake may have been placed there since +the man's childhood. Show us a sign, and it will suffice. But we will +not move without a sign." + +The others gave a decided assent, and I turned in perplexity to Sir +Henry and Good, and explained the situation. + +"I think that I have it," said Good exultingly; "ask them to give us a +moment to think." + +I did so, and the chiefs withdrew. So soon as they had gone Good went +to the little box where he kept his medicines, unlocked it, and took +out a note-book, in the fly-leaves of which was an almanack. "Now look +here, you fellows, isn't to-morrow the 4th of June?" he said. + +We had kept a careful note of the days, so were able to answer that it +was. + +"Very good; then here we have it--'4 June, total eclipse of the moon +commences at 8.15 Greenwich time, visible in Teneriffe--/South +Africa/, &c.' There's a sign for you. Tell them we will darken the +moon to-morrow night." + +The idea was a splendid one; indeed, the only weak spot about it was a +fear lest Good's almanack might be incorrect. If we made a false +prophecy on such a subject, our prestige would be gone for ever, and +so would Ignosi's chance of the throne of the Kukuanas. + +"Suppose that the almanack is wrong," suggested Sir Henry to Good, who +was busily employed in working out something on a blank page of the +book. + +"I see no reason to suppose anything of the sort," was his answer. +"Eclipses always come up to time; at least that is my experience of +them, and it especially states that this one will be visible in South +Africa. I have worked out the reckonings as well as I can, without +knowing our exact position; and I make out that the eclipse should +begin here about ten o'clock tomorrow night, and last till half-past +twelve. For an hour and a half or so there should be almost total +darkness." + +"Well," said Sir Henry, "I suppose we had better risk it." + +I acquiesced, though doubtfully, for eclipses are queer cattle to deal +with--it might be a cloudy night, for instance, or our dates might be +wrong--and sent Umbopa to summon the chiefs back. Presently they came, +and I addressed them thus-- + +"Great men of the Kukuanas, and thou, Infadoos, listen. We love not to +show our powers, for to do so is to interfere with the course of +nature, and to plunge the world into fear and confusion. But since +this matter is a great one, and as we are angered against the king +because of the slaughter we have seen, and because of the act of the +/Isanusi/ Gagool, who would have put our friend Ignosi to death, we +have determined to break a rule, and to give such a sign as all men +may see. Come hither"; and I led them to the door of the hut and +pointed to the red ball of the moon. "What see ye there?" + +"We see the sinking moon," answered the spokesman of the party. + +"It is so. Now tell me, can any mortal man put out that moon before +her hour of setting, and bring the curtain of black night down upon +the land?" + +The chief laughed a little at the question. "No, my lord, that no man +can do. The moon is stronger than man who looks on her, nor can she +vary in her courses." + +"Ye say so. Yet I tell you that to-morrow night, about two hours +before midnight, we will cause the moon to be eaten up for a space of +an hour and half an hour. Yes, deep darkness shall cover the earth, +and it shall be for a sign that Ignosi is indeed king of the Kukuanas. +If we do this thing, will ye be satisfied?" + +"Yea, my lords," answered the old chief with a smile, which was +reflected on the faces of his companions; "/if/ ye do this thing, we +will be satisfied indeed." + +"It shall be done; we three, Incubu, Bougwan, and Macumazahn, have +said it, and it shall be done. Dost thou hear, Infadoos?" + +"I hear, my lord, but it is a wonderful thing that ye promise, to put +out the moon, the mother of the world, when she is at her full." + +"Yet shall we do it, Infadoos." + +"It is well, my lords. To-day, two hours after sunset, Twala will send +for my lords to witness the girls dance, and one hour after the dance +begins the girl whom Twala thinks the fairest shall be killed by +Scragga, the king's son, as a sacrifice to the Silent Ones, who sit +and keep watch by the mountains yonder," and he pointed towards the +three strange-looking peaks where Solomon's road was supposed to end. +"Then let my lords darken the moon, and save the maiden's life, and +the people will believe indeed." + +"Ay," said the old chief, still smiling a little, "the people will +believe indeed." + +"Two miles from Loo," went on Infadoos, "there is a hill curved like a +new moon, a stronghold, where my regiment, and three other regiments +which these chiefs command, are stationed. This morning we will make a +plan whereby two or three other regiments may be moved there also. +Then, if in truth my lords can darken the moon, in the darkness I will +take my lords by the hand and lead them out of Loo to this place, +where they shall be safe, and thence we can make war upon Twala the +king." + +"It is good," said I. "Let leave us to sleep awhile and to make ready +our magic." + +Infadoos rose, and, having saluted us, departed with the chiefs. + +"My friends," said Ignosi, so soon as they were gone, "can ye do this +wonderful thing, or were ye speaking empty words to the captains?" + +"We believe that we can do it, Umbopa--Ignosi, I mean." + +"It is strange," he answered, "and had ye not been Englishmen I would +not have believed it; but I have learned that English 'gentlemen' tell +no lies. If we live through the matter, be sure that I will repay +you." + +"Ignosi," said Sir Henry, "promise me one thing." + +"I will promise, Incubu, my friend, even before I hear it," answered +the big man with a smile. "What is it?" + +"This: that if ever you come to be king of this people you will do +away with the smelling out of wizards such as we saw last night; and +that the killing of men without trial shall no longer take place in +the land." + +Ignosi thought for a moment after I had translated this request, and +then answered-- + +"The ways of black people are not as the ways of white men, Incubu, +nor do we value life so highly. Yet I will promise. If it be in my +power to hold them back, the witch-finders shall hunt no more, nor +shall any man die the death without trial or judgment." + +"That's a bargain, then," said Sir Henry; "and now let us get a little +rest." + +Thoroughly wearied out, we were soon sound asleep, and slept till +Ignosi woke us about eleven o'clock. Then we rose, washed, and ate a +hearty breakfast. After that we went outside the hut and walked about, +amusing ourselves with examining the structure of the Kukuana huts and +observing the customs of the women. + +"I hope that eclipse will come off," said Sir Henry presently. + +"If it does not it will soon be all up with us," I answered +mournfully; "for so sure as we are living men some of those chiefs +will tell the whole story to the king, and then there will be another +sort of eclipse, and one that we shall certainly not like." + +Returning to the hut we ate some dinner, and passed the rest of the +day in receiving visits of ceremony and curiosity. At length the sun +set, and we enjoyed a couple of hours of such quiet as our melancholy +forebodings would allow to us. Finally, about half-past eight, a +messenger came from Twala to bid us to the great annual "dance of +girls" which was about to be celebrated. + +Hastily we put on the chain shirts that the king had sent us, and +taking our rifles and ammunition with us, so as to have them handy in +case we had to fly, as suggested by Infadoos, we started boldly +enough, though with inward fear and trembling. The great space in +front of the king's kraal bore a very different appearance from that +which it had presented on the previous evening. In place of the grim +ranks of serried warriors were company after company of Kukuana girls, +not over-dressed, so far as clothing went, but each crowned with a +wreath of flowers, and holding a palm leaf in one hand and a white +arum lily in the other. In the centre of the open moonlit space sat +Twala the king, with old Gagool at his feet, attended by Infadoos, the +boy Scragga, and twelve guards. There were also present about a score +of chiefs, amongst whom I recognised most of our friends of the night +before. + +Twala greeted us with much apparent cordiality, though I saw him fix +his one eye viciously on Umbopa. + +"Welcome, white men from the Stars," he said; "this is another sight +from that which your eyes gazed on by the light of last night's moon, +but it is not so good a sight. Girls are pleasant, and were it not for +such as these," and he pointed round him, "we should none of us be +here this day; but men are better. Kisses and the tender words of +women are sweet, but the sound of the clashing of the spears of +warriors, and the smell of men's blood, are sweeter far! Would ye have +wives from among our people, white men? If so, choose the fairest +here, and ye shall have them, as many as ye will," and he paused for +an answer. + +As the prospect did not seem to be without attractions for Good, who, +like most sailors, is of a susceptible nature,--being elderly and +wise, foreseeing the endless complications that anything of the sort +would involve, for women bring trouble so surely as the night follows +the day, I put in a hasty answer-- + +"Thanks to thee, O king, but we white men wed only with white women +like ourselves. Your maidens are fair, but they are not for us!" + +The king laughed. "It is well. In our land there is a proverb which +runs, 'Women's eyes are always bright, whatever the colour,' and +another that says, 'Love her who is present, for be sure she who is +absent is false to thee;' but perhaps these things are not so in the +Stars. In a land where men are white all things are possible. So be +it, white men; the girls will not go begging! Welcome again; and +welcome, too, thou black one; if Gagool here had won her way, thou +wouldst have been stiff and cold by now. It is lucky for thee that +thou too camest from the Stars; ha! ha!" + +"I can kill thee before thou killest me, O king," was Ignosi's calm +answer, "and thou shalt be stiff before my limbs cease to bend." + +Twala started. "Thou speakest boldly, boy," he replied angrily; +"presume not too far." + +"He may well be bold in whose lips are truth. The truth is a sharp +spear which flies home and misses not. It is a message from 'the +Stars,' O king." + +Twala scowled, and his one eye gleamed fiercely, but he said nothing +more. + +"Let the dance begin," he cried, and then the flower-crowned girls +sprang forward in companies, singing a sweet song and waving the +delicate palms and white lilies. On they danced, looking faint and +spiritual in the soft, sad light of the risen moon; now whirling round +and round, now meeting in mimic warfare, swaying, eddying here and +there, coming forward, falling back in an ordered confusion delightful +to witness. At last they paused, and a beautiful young woman sprang +out of the ranks and began to pirouette in front of us with a grace +and vigour which would have put most ballet girls to shame. At length +she retired exhausted, and another took her place, then another and +another, but none of them, either in grace, skill, or personal +attractions, came up to the first. + +When the chosen girls had all danced, the king lifted his hand. + +"Which deem ye the fairest, white men?" he asked. + +"The first," said I unthinkingly. Next second I regretted it, for I +remembered that Infadoos had told us that the fairest woman must be +offered up as a sacrifice. + +"Then is my mind as your minds, and my eyes as your eyes. She is the +fairest! and a sorry thing it is for her, for she must die!" + +"/Ay, must die!/" piped out Gagool, casting a glance of her quick eyes +in the direction of the poor girl, who, as yet ignorant of the awful +fate in store for her, was standing some ten yards off in front of a +company of maidens, engaged in nervously picking a flower from her +wreath to pieces, petal by petal. + +"Why, O king?" said I, restraining my indignation with difficulty; +"the girl has danced well, and pleased us; she is fair too; it would +be hard to reward her with death." + +Twala laughed as he answered-- + +"It is our custom, and the figures who sit in stone yonder," and he +pointed towards the three distant peaks, "must have their due. Did I +fail to put the fairest girl to death to-day, misfortune would fall +upon me and my house. Thus runs the prophecy of my people: 'If the +king offer not a sacrifice of a fair girl, on the day of the dance of +maidens, to the Old Ones who sit and watch on the mountains, then +shall he fall, and his house.' Look ye, white men, my brother who +reigned before me offered not the sacrifice, because of the tears of +the woman, and he fell, and his house, and I reign in his stead. It is +finished; she must die!" Then turning to the guards--"Bring her +hither; Scragga, make sharp thy spear." + +Two of the men stepped forward, and as they advanced, the girl, for +the first time realising her impending fate, screamed aloud and turned +to fly. But the strong hands caught her fast, and brought her, +struggling and weeping, before us. + +"What is thy name, girl?" piped Gagool. "What! wilt thou not answer? +Shall the king's son do his work at once?" + +At this hint, Scragga, looking more evil than ever, advanced a step +and lifted his great spear, and at that moment I saw Good's hand creep +to his revolver. The poor girl caught the faint glint of steel through +her tears, and it sobered her anguish. She ceased struggling, and +clasping her hands convulsively, stood shuddering from head to foot. + +"See," cried Scragga in high glee, "she shrinks from the sight of my +little plaything even before she has tasted it," and he tapped the +broad blade of his spear. + +"If ever I get the chance you shall pay for that, you young hound!" I +heard Good mutter beneath his breath. + +"Now that thou art quiet, give us thy name, my dear. Come, speak out, +and fear not," said Gagool in mockery. + +"Oh, mother," answered the girl, in trembling accents, "my name is +Foulata, of the house of Suko. Oh, mother, why must I die? I have done +no wrong!" + +"Be comforted," went on the old woman in her hateful tone of mockery. +"Thou must die, indeed, as a sacrifice to the Old Ones who sit +yonder," and she pointed to the peaks; "but it is better to sleep in +the night than to toil in the daytime; it is better to die than to +live, and thou shalt die by the royal hand of the king's own son." + +The girl Foulata wrung her hands in anguish, and cried out aloud, "Oh, +cruel! and I so young! What have I done that I should never again see +the sun rise out of the night, or the stars come following on his +track in the evening, that I may no more gather the flowers when the +dew is heavy, or listen to the laughing of the waters? Woe is me, that +I shall never see my father's hut again, nor feel my mother's kiss, +nor tend the lamb that is sick! Woe is me, that no lover shall put his +arm around me and look into my eyes, nor shall men children be born of +me! Oh, cruel, cruel!" + +And again she wrung her hands and turned her tear-stained flower- +crowned face to Heaven, looking so lovely in her despair--for she was +indeed a beautiful woman--that assuredly the sight of her would have +melted the hearts of any less cruel than were the three fiends before +us. Prince Arthur's appeal to the ruffians who came to blind him was +not more touching than that of this savage girl. + +But it did not move Gagool or Gagool's master, though I saw signs of +pity among the guards behind, and on the faces of the chiefs; and as +for Good, he gave a fierce snort of indignation, and made a motion as +though to go to her assistance. With all a woman's quickness, the +doomed girl interpreted what was passing in his mind, and by a sudden +movement flung herself before him, and clasped his "beautiful white +legs" with her hands. + +"Oh, white father from the Stars!" she cried, "throw over me the +mantle of thy protection; let me creep into the shadow of thy +strength, that I may be saved. Oh, keep me from these cruel men and +from the mercies of Gagool!" + +"All right, my hearty, I'll look after you," sang out Good in nervous +Saxon. "Come, get up, there's a good girl," and he stooped and caught +her hand. + +Twala turned and motioned to his son, who advanced with his spear +lifted. + +"Now's your time," whispered Sir Henry to me; "what are you waiting +for?" + +"I am waiting for that eclipse," I answered; "I have had my eye on the +moon for the last half-hour, and I never saw it look healthier." + +"Well, you must risk it now, or the girl will be killed. Twala is +losing patience." + +Recognising the force of the argument, and having cast one more +despairing look at the bright face of the moon, for never did the most +ardent astronomer with a theory to prove await a celestial event with +such anxiety, I stepped with all the dignity that I could command +between the prostrate girl and the advancing spear of Scragga. + +"King," I said, "it shall not be; we will not endure this thing; let +the girl go in safety." + +Twala rose from his seat in wrath and astonishment, and from the +chiefs and serried ranks of maidens who had closed in slowly upon us +in anticipation of the tragedy came a murmur of amazement. + +"/Shall not be!/ thou white dog, that yappest at the lion in his cave; +/shall not be!/ art thou mad? Be careful, lest this chicken's fate +overtake thee, and those with thee. How canst thou save her or +thyself? Who art thou that thou settest thyself between me and my +will? Back, I say. Scragga, kill her! Ho, guards! seize these men." + +At his cry armed men ran swiftly from behind the hut, where they had +evidently been placed beforehand. + +Sir Henry, Good, and Umbopa ranged themselves alongside of me, and +lifted their rifles. + +"Stop!" I shouted boldly, though at the moment my heart was in my +boots. "Stop! we, the white men from the Stars, say that it shall not +be. Come but one pace nearer, and we will put out the moon like a +wind-blown lamp, as we who dwell in her House can do, and plunge the +land in darkness. Dare to disobey, and ye shall taste of our magic." + +My threat produced an effect; the men halted, and Scragga stood still +before us, his spear lifted. + +"Hear him! hear him!" piped Gagool; "hear the liar who says that he +will put out the moon like a lamp. Let him do it, and the girl shall +be speared. Yes, let him do it, or die by the girl, he and those with +him." + +I glanced up at the moon despairingly, and now to my intense joy and +relief saw that we--or rather the almanack--had made no mistake. On +the edge of the great orb lay a faint rim of shadow, while a smoky hue +grew and gathered upon its bright surface. Never shall I forget that +supreme, that superb moment of relief. + +Then I lifted my hand solemnly towards the sky, an example which Sir +Henry and Good followed, and quoted a line or two from the "Ingoldsby +Legends" at it in the most impressive tones that I could command. Sir +Henry followed suit with a verse out of the Old Testament, and +something about Balbus building a wall, in Latin, whilst Good +addressed the Queen of Night in a volume of the most classical bad +language which he could think of. + +Slowly the penumbra, the shadow of a shadow, crept on over the bright +surface, and as it crept I heard deep gasps of fear rising from the +multitude around. + +"Look, O king!" I cried; "look, Gagool! Look, chiefs and people and +women, and see if the white men from the Stars keep their word, or if +they be but empty liars! + +"The moon grows black before your eyes; soon there will be darkness-- +ay, darkness in the hour of the full moon. Ye have asked for a sign; +it is given to you. Grow dark, O Moon! withdraw thy light, thou pure +and holy One; bring the proud heart of usurping murderers to the dust, +and eat up the world with shadows." + +A groan of terror burst from the onlookers. Some stood petrified with +dread, others threw themselves upon their knees and cried aloud. As +for the king, he sat still and turned pale beneath his dusky skin. +Only Gagool kept her courage. + +"It will pass," she cried; "I have often seen the like before; no man +can put out the moon; lose not heart; sit still--the shadow will +pass." + +"Wait, and ye shall see," I replied, hopping with excitement. "O Moon! +Moon! Moon! wherefore art thou so cold and fickle?" This appropriate +quotation was from the pages of a popular romance that I chanced to +have read recently, though now I come to think of it, it was +ungrateful of me to abuse the Lady of the Heavens, who was showing +herself to be the truest of friends to us, however she may have +behaved to the impassioned lover in the novel. Then I added: "Keep it +up, Good, I can't remember any more poetry. Curse away, there's a good +fellow." + +Good responded nobly to this tax upon his inventive faculties. Never +before had I the faintest conception of the breadth and depth and +height of a naval officer's objurgatory powers. For ten minutes he +went on in several languages without stopping, and he scarcely ever +repeated himself. + +Meanwhile the dark ring crept on, while all that great assembly fixed +their eyes upon the sky and stared and stared in fascinated silence. +Strange and unholy shadows encroached upon the moonlight, an ominous +quiet filled the place. Everything grew still as death. Slowly and in +the midst of this most solemn silence the minutes sped away, and while +they sped the full moon passed deeper and deeper into the shadow of +the earth, as the inky segment of its circle slid in awful majesty +across the lunar craters. The great pale orb seemed to draw near and +to grow in size. She turned a coppery hue, then that portion of her +surface which was unobscured as yet grew grey and ashen, and at +length, as totality approached, her mountains and her plains were to +be seen glowing luridly through a crimson gloom. + +On, yet on, crept the ring of darkness; it was now more than half +across the blood-red orb. The air grew thick, and still more deeply +tinged with dusky crimson. On, yet on, till we could scarcely see the +fierce faces of the group before us. No sound rose now from the +spectators, and at last Good stopped swearing. + +"The moon is dying--the white wizards have killed the moon," yelled +the prince Scragga at last. "We shall all perish in the dark," and +animated by fear or fury, or by both, he lifted his spear and drove it +with all his force at Sir Henry's breast. But he forgot the mail +shirts that the king had given us, and which we wore beneath our +clothing. The steel rebounded harmless, and before he could repeat the +blow Curtis had snatched the spear from his hand and sent it straight +through him. + +Scragga dropped dead. + +At the sight, and driven mad with fear of the gathering darkness, and +of the unholy shadow which, as they believed, was swallowing the moon, +the companies of girls broke up in wild confusion, and ran screeching +for the gateways. Nor did the panic stop there. The king himself, +followed by his guards, some of the chiefs, and Gagool, who hobbled +away after them with marvellous alacrity, fled for the huts, so that +in another minute we ourselves, the would-be victim Foulata, Infadoos, +and most of the chiefs who had interviewed us on the previous night, +were left alone upon the scene, together with the dead body of +Scragga, Twala's son. + +"Chiefs," I said, "we have given you the sign. If ye are satisfied, +let us fly swiftly to the place of which ye spoke. The charm cannot +now be stopped. It will work for an hour and the half of an hour. Let +us cover ourselves in the darkness." + +"Come," said Infadoos, turning to go, an example which was followed by +the awed captains, ourselves, and the girl Foulata, whom Good took by +the arm. + +Before we reached the gate of the kraal the moon went out utterly, and +from every quarter of the firmament the stars rushed forth into the +inky sky. + +Holding each other by the hand we stumbled on through the darkness. + + + +CHAPTER XII + +BEFORE THE BATTLE + +Luckily for us, Infadoos and the chiefs knew all the paths of the +great town perfectly, so that we passed by side-ways unmolested, and +notwithstanding the gloom we made fair progress. + +For an hour or more we journeyed on, till at length the eclipse began +to pass, and that edge of the moon which had disappeared the first +became again visible. Suddenly, as we watched, there burst from it a +silver streak of light, accompanied by a wondrous ruddy glow, which +hung upon the blackness of the sky like a celestial lamp, and a wild +and lovely sight it was. In another five minutes the stars began to +fade, and there was sufficient light to see our whereabouts. We then +discovered that we were clear of the town of Loo, and approaching a +large flat-topped hill, measuring some two miles in circumference. +This hill, which is of a formation common in South Africa, is not very +high; indeed, its greatest elevation is scarcely more than 200 feet, +but it is shaped like a horseshoe, and its sides are rather +precipitous and strewn with boulders. On the grass table-land at its +summit is ample camping-ground, which had been utilised as a military +cantonment of no mean strength. Its ordinary garrison was one regiment +of three thousand men, but as we toiled up the steep side of the +mountain in the returning moonlight we perceived that there were +several of such regiments encamped there. + +Reaching the table-land at last, we found crowds of men roused from +their sleep, shivering with fear and huddled up together in the utmost +consternation at the natural phenomenon which they were witnessing. +Passing through these without a word, we gained a hut in the centre of +the ground, where we were astonished to find two men waiting, laden +with our few goods and chattels, which of course we had been obliged +to leave behind in our hasty flight. + +"I sent for them," explained Infadoos; "and also for these," and he +lifted up Good's long-lost trousers. + +With an exclamation of rapturous delight Good sprang at them, and +instantly proceeded to put them on. + +"Surely my lord will not hide his beautiful white legs!" exclaimed +Infadoos regretfully. + +But Good persisted, and once only did the Kukuana people get the +chance of seeing his beautiful legs again. Good is a very modest man. +Henceforward they had to satisfy their aesthetic longings with his one +whisker, his transparent eye, and his movable teeth. + +Still gazing with fond remembrance at Good's trousers, Infadoos next +informed us that he had commanded the regiments to muster so soon as +the day broke, in order to explain to them fully the origin and +circumstances of the rebellion which was decided on by the chiefs, and +to introduce to them the rightful heir to the throne, Ignosi. + +Accordingly, when the sun was up, the troops--in all some twenty +thousand men, and the flower of the Kukuana army--were mustered on a +large open space, to which we went. The men were drawn up in three +sides of a dense square, and presented a magnificent spectacle. We +took our station on the open side of the square, and were speedily +surrounded by all the principal chiefs and officers. + +These, after silence had been proclaimed, Infadoos proceeded to +address. He narrated to them in vigorous and graceful language--for, +like most Kukuanas of high rank, he was a born orator--the history of +Ignosi's father, and of how he had been basely murdered by Twala the +king, and his wife and child driven out to starve. Then he pointed out +that the people suffered and groaned under Twala's cruel rule, +instancing the proceedings of the previous night, when, under pretence +of their being evil-doers, many of the noblest in the land had been +dragged forth and wickedly done to death. Next he went on to say that +the white lords from the Stars, looking down upon their country, had +perceived its trouble, and determined, at great personal +inconvenience, to alleviate its lot: That they had accordingly taken +the real king of the Kukuanas, Ignosi, who was languishing in exile, +by the hand, and led him over the mountains: That they had seen the +wickedness of Twala's doings, and for a sign to the wavering, and to +save the life of the girl Foulata, actually, by the exercise of their +high magic, had put out the moon and slain the young fiend Scragga; +and that they were prepared to stand by them, and assist them to +overthrow Twala, and set up the rightful king, Ignosi, in his place. + +He finished his discourse amidst a murmur of approbation. Then Ignosi +stepped forward and began to speak. Having reiterated all that +Infadoos his uncle had said, he concluded a powerful speech in these +words:-- + +"O chiefs, captains, soldiers, and people, ye have heard my words. Now +must ye make choice between me and him who sits upon my throne, the +uncle who killed his brother, and hunted his brother's child forth to +die in the cold and the night. That I am indeed the king these"-- +pointing to the chiefs--"can tell you, for they have seen the snake +about my middle. If I were not the king, would these white men be on +my side with all their magic? Tremble, chiefs, captains, soldiers, and +people! Is not the darkness they have brought upon the land to +confound Twala and cover our flight, darkness even in the hour of the +full moon, yet before your eyes?" + +"It is," answered the soldiers. + +"I am the king; I say to you, I am the king," went on Ignosi, drawing +up his great stature to its full, and lifting his broad-bladed battle- +axe above his head. "If there be any man among you who says that it is +not so, let him stand forth and I will fight him now, and his blood +shall be a red token that I tell you true. Let him stand forth, I +say;" and he shook the great axe till it flashed in the sunlight. + +As nobody seemed inclined to respond to this heroic version of "Dilly, +Dilly, come and be killed," our late henchman proceeded with his +address. + +"I am indeed the king, and should ye stand by my side in the battle, +if I win the day ye shall go with me to victory and honour. I will +give you oxen and wives, and ye shall take place of all the regiments; +and if ye fall, I will fall with you. + +"And behold, I give you this promise, that when I sit upon the seat of +my fathers, bloodshed shall cease in the land. No longer shall ye cry +for justice to find slaughter, no longer shall the witch-finder hunt +you out so that ye may be slain without a cause. No man shall die save +he who offends against the laws. The 'eating up' of your kraals shall +cease; each one of you shall sleep secure in his own hut and fear +naught, and justice shall walk blindfold throughout the land. Have ye +chosen, chiefs, captains, soldiers, and people?" + +"We have chosen, O king," came back the answer. + +"It is well. Turn your heads and see how Twala's messengers go forth +from the great town, east and west, and north and south, to gather a +mighty army to slay me and you, and these my friends and protectors. +To-morrow, or perchance the next day, he will come against us with all +who are faithful to him. Then I shall see the man who is indeed my +man, the man who fears not to die for his cause; and I tell you that +he shall not be forgotten in the time of spoil. I have spoken, O +chiefs, captains, soldiers, and people. Now go to your huts and make +you ready for war." + +There was a pause, till presently one of the chiefs lifted his hand, +and out rolled the royal salute, "/Koom./" It was a sign that the +soldiers accepted Ignosi as their king. Then they marched off in +battalions. + +Half an hour afterwards we held a council of war, at which all the +commanders of regiments were present. It was evident to us that before +very long we should be attacked in overwhelming force. Indeed, from +our point of vantage on the hill we could see troops mustering, and +runners going forth from Loo in every direction, doubtless to summon +soldiers to the king's assistance. We had on our side about twenty +thousand men, composed of seven of the best regiments in the country. +Twala, so Infadoos and the chiefs calculated, had at least thirty to +thirty-five thousand on whom he could rely at present assembled in +Loo, and they thought that by midday on the morrow he would be able to +gather another five thousand or more to his aid. It was, of course, +possible that some of his troops would desert and come over to us, but +it was not a contingency which could be reckoned on. Meanwhile, it was +clear that active preparations were being made by Twala to subdue us. +Already strong bodies of armed men were patrolling round and round the +foot of the hill, and there were other signs also of coming assault. + +Infadoos and the chiefs, however, were of opinion that no attack would +take place that day, which would be devoted to preparation and to the +removal of every available means of the moral effect produced upon the +minds of the soldiery by the supposed magical darkening of the moon. +The onslaught would be on the morrow, they said, and they proved to be +right. + +Meanwhile, we set to work to strengthen the position in all ways +possible. Almost every man was turned out, and in the course of the +day, which seemed far too short, much was done. The paths up the hill +--that was rather a sanatorium than a fortress, being used generally +as the camping place of regiments suffering from recent service in +unhealthy portions of the country--were carefully blocked with masses +of stones, and every other approach was made as impregnable as time +would allow. Piles of boulders were collected at various spots to be +rolled down upon an advancing enemy, stations were appointed to the +different regiments, and all preparation was made which our joint +ingenuity could suggest. + +Just before sundown, as we rested after our toil, we perceived a small +company of men advancing towards us from the direction of Loo, one of +whom bore a palm leaf in his hand for a sign that he came as a herald. + +As he drew near, Ignosi, Infadoos, one or two chiefs and ourselves, +went down to the foot of the mountain to meet him. He was a gallant- +looking fellow, wearing the regulation leopard-skin cloak. + +"Greeting!" he cried, as he came; "the king's greeting to those who +make unholy war against the king; the lion's greeting to the jackals +that snarl around his heels." + +"Speak," I said. + +"These are the king's words. Surrender to the king's mercy ere a worse +thing befall you. Already the shoulder has been torn from the black +bull, and the king drives him bleeding about the camp."[*] + +[*] This cruel custom is not confined to the Kukuanas, but is by no + means uncommon amongst African tribes on the occasion of the + outbreak of war or any other important public event.--A.Q. + +"What are Twala's terms?" I asked from curiosity. + +"His terms are merciful, worthy of a great king. These are the words +of Twala, the one-eyed, the mighty, the husband of a thousand wives, +lord of the Kukuanas, keeper of the Great Road (Solomon's Road), +beloved of the Strange Ones who sit in silence at the mountains yonder +(the Three Witches), Calf of the Black Cow, Elephant whose tread +shakes the earth, Terror of the evil-doer, Ostrich whose feet devour +the desert, huge One, black One, wise One, king from generation to +generation! these are the words of Twala: 'I will have mercy and be +satisfied with a little blood. One in every ten shall die, the rest +shall go free; but the white man Incubu, who slew Scragga my son, and +the black man his servant, who pretends to my throne, and Infadoos my +brother, who brews rebellion against me, these shall die by torture as +an offering to the Silent Ones.' Such are the merciful words of +Twala." + +After consulting with the others a little, I answered him in a loud +voice, so that the soldiers might hear, thus-- + +"Go back, thou dog, to Twala, who sent thee, and say that we, Ignosi, +veritable king of the Kukuanas, Incubu, Bougwan, and Macumazahn, the +wise ones from the Stars, who make dark the moon, Infadoos, of the +royal house, and the chiefs, captains, and people here gathered, make +answer and say, 'That we will not surrender; that before the sun has +gone down twice, Twala's corpse shall stiffen at Twala's gate, and +Ignosi, whose father Twala slew, shall reign in his stead.' Now go, +ere we whip thee away, and beware how thou dost lift a hand against +such as we are." + +The herald laughed loudly. "Ye frighten not men with such swelling +words," he cried out. "Show yourselves as bold to-morrow, O ye who +darken the moon. Be bold, fight, and be merry, before the crows pick +your bones till they are whiter than your faces. Farewell; perhaps we +may meet in the fight; fly not to the Stars, but wait for me, I pray, +white men." With this shaft of sarcasm he retired, and almost +immediately the sun sank. + +That night was a busy one, for weary as we were, so far as was +possible by the moonlight all preparations for the morrow's fight were +continued, and messengers were constantly coming and going from the +place where we sat in council. At last, about an hour after midnight, +everything that could be done was done, and the camp, save for the +occasional challenge of a sentry, sank into silence. Sir Henry and I, +accompanied by Ignosi and one of the chiefs, descended the hill and +made a round of the pickets. As we went, suddenly, from all sorts of +unexpected places, spears gleamed out in the moonlight, only to vanish +again when we uttered the password. It was clear to us that none were +sleeping at their posts. Then we returned, picking our way warily +through thousands of sleeping warriors, many of whom were taking their +last earthly rest. + +The moonlight flickering along their spears, played upon their +features and made them ghastly; the chilly night wind tossed their +tall and hearse-like plumes. There they lay in wild confusion, with +arms outstretched and twisted limbs; their stern, stalwart forms +looking weird and unhuman in the moonlight. + +"How many of these do you suppose will be alive at this time +to-morrow?" asked Sir Henry. + +I shook my head and looked again at the sleeping men, and to my tired +and yet excited imagination it seemed as though Death had already +touched them. My mind's eye singled out those who were sealed to +slaughter, and there rushed in upon my heart a great sense of the +mystery of human life, and an overwhelming sorrow at its futility and +sadness. To-night these thousand slept their healthy sleep, to-morrow +they, and many others with them, ourselves perhaps among them, would +be stiffening in the cold; their wives would be widows, their children +fatherless, and their place know them no more for ever. Only the old +moon would shine on serenely, the night wind would stir the grasses, +and the wide earth would take its rest, even as it did aeons before we +were, and will do aeons after we have been forgotten. + +Yet man dies not whilst the world, at once his mother and his +monument, remains. His name is lost, indeed, but the breath he +breathed still stirs the pine-tops on the mountains, the sound of the +words he spoke yet echoes on through space; the thoughts his brain +gave birth to we have inherited to-day; his passions are our cause of +life; the joys and sorrows that he knew are our familiar friends--the +end from which he fled aghast will surely overtake us also! + +Truly the universe is full of ghosts, not sheeted churchyard spectres, +but the inextinguishable elements of individual life, which having +once been, can never /die/, though they blend and change, and change +again for ever. + + + +All sorts of reflections of this nature passed through my mind--for as +I grow older I regret to say that a detestable habit of thinking seems +to be getting a hold of me--while I stood and stared at those grim yet +fantastic lines of warriors, sleeping, as their saying goes, "upon +their spears." + +"Curtis," I said, "I am in a condition of pitiable fear." + +Sir Henry stroked his yellow beard and laughed, as he answered-- + +"I have heard you make that sort of remark before, Quatermain." + +"Well, I mean it now. Do you know, I very much doubt if one of us will +be alive to-morrow night. We shall be attacked in overwhelming force, +and it is quite a chance if we can hold this place." + +"We'll give a good account of some of them, at any rate. Look here, +Quatermain, this business is nasty, and one with which, properly +speaking, we ought not to be mixed up, but we are in for it, so we +must make the best of our job. Speaking personally, I had rather be +killed fighting than any other way, and now that there seems little +chance of our finding my poor brother, it makes the idea easier to me. +But fortune favours the brave, and we may succeed. Anyway, the battle +will be awful, and having a reputation to keep up, we shall need to be +in the thick of the thing." + +He made this last remark in a mournful voice, but there was a gleam in +his eye which belied its melancholy. I have an idea Sir Henry Curtis +actually likes fighting. + +After this we went to sleep for a couple of hours or so. + +Just about dawn we were awakened by Infadoos, who came to say that +great activity was to be observed in Loo, and that parties of the +king's skirmishers were driving in our outposts. + +We rose and dressed ourselves for the fray, each putting on his chain +armour shirt, for which garments at the present juncture we felt +exceedingly thankful. Sir Henry went the whole length about the +matter, and dressed himself like a native warrior. "When you are in +Kukuanaland, do as the Kukuanas do," he remarked, as he drew the +shining steel over his broad breast, which it fitted like a glove. Nor +did he stop there. At his request Infadoos had provided him with a +complete set of native war uniform. Round his throat he fastened the +leopard-skin cloak of a commanding officer, on his brows he bound the +plume of black ostrich feathers worn only by generals of high rank, +and about his middle a magnificent moocha of white ox-tails. A pair of +sandals, a leglet of goat's hair, a heavy battle-axe with a +rhinoceros-horn handle, a round iron shield covered with white ox- +hide, and the regulation number of /tollas/, or throwing-knives, made +up his equipment, to which, however, he added his revolver. The dress +was, no doubt, a savage one, but I am bound to say that I seldom saw a +finer sight than Sir Henry Curtis presented in this guise. It showed +off his magnificent physique to the greatest advantage, and when +Ignosi arrived presently, arrayed in a similar costume, I thought to +myself that I had never before seen two such splendid men. + +As for Good and myself, the armour did not suit us nearly so well. To +begin with, Good insisted upon keeping on his new-found trousers, and +a stout, short gentleman with an eye-glass, and one half of his face +shaved, arrayed in a mail shirt, carefully tucked into a very seedy +pair of corduroys, looks more remarkable than imposing. In my case, +the chain shirt being too big for me, I put it on over all my clothes, +which caused it to bulge in a somewhat ungainly fashion. I discarded +my trousers, however, retaining only my veldtschoons, having +determined to go into battle with bare legs, in order to be the +lighter for running, in case it became necessary to retire quickly. +The mail coat, a spear, a shield, that I did not know how to use, a +couple of /tollas/, a revolver, and a huge plume, which I pinned into +the top of my shooting hat, in order to give a bloodthirsty finish to +my appearance, completed my modest equipment. In addition to all these +articles, of course we had our rifles, but as ammunition was scarce, +and as they would be useless in case of a charge, we arranged that +they should be carried behind us by bearers. + +When at length we had equipped ourselves, we swallowed some food +hastily, and then started out to see how things were going on. At one +point in the table-land of the mountain, there was a little koppie of +brown stone, which served the double purpose of head-quarters and of a +conning tower. Here we found Infadoos surrounded by his own regiment, +the Greys, which was undoubtedly the finest in the Kukuana army, and +the same that we had first seen at the outlying kraal. This regiment, +now three thousand five hundred strong, was being held in reserve, and +the men were lying down on the grass in companies, and watching the +king's forces creep out of Loo in long ant-like columns. There seemed +to be no end to the length of these columns--three in all, and each of +them numbering, as we judged, at least eleven or twelve thousand men. + +As soon as they were clear of the town the regiments formed up. Then +one body marched off to the right, one to the left, and the third came +on slowly towards us. + +"Ah," said Infadoos, "they are going to attack us on three sides at +once." + +This seemed rather serious news, for our position on the top of the +mountain, which measured a mile and a half in circumference, being an +extended one, it was important to us to concentrate our comparatively +small defending force as much as possible. But since it was impossible +for us to dictate in what way we should be assailed, we had to make +the best of it, and accordingly sent orders to the various regiments +to prepare to receive the separate onslaughts. + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +THE ATTACK + +Slowly, and without the slightest appearance of haste or excitement, +the three columns crept on. When within about five hundred yards of +us, the main or centre column halted at the root of a tongue of open +plain which ran up into the hill, to give time to the other divisions +to circumvent our position, which was shaped more or less in the form +of a horse-shoe, with its two points facing towards the town of Loo. +The object of this manoeuvre was that the threefold assault should be +delivered simultaneously. + +"Oh, for a gatling!" groaned Good, as he contemplated the serried +phalanxes beneath us. "I would clear that plain in twenty minutes." + +"We have not got one, so it is no use yearning for it; but suppose you +try a shot, Quatermain," said Sir Henry. "See how near you can go to +that tall fellow who appears to be in command. Two to one you miss +him, and an even sovereign, to be honestly paid if ever we get out of +this, that you don't drop the bullet within five yards." + + +This piqued me, so, loading the express with solid ball, I waited till +my friend walked some ten yards out from his force, in order to get a +better view of our position, accompanied only by an orderly; then, +lying down and resting the express on a rock, I covered him. The +rifle, like all expresses, was only sighted to three hundred and fifty +yards, so to allow for the drop in trajectory I took him half-way down +the neck, which ought, I calculated, to find him in the chest. He +stood quite still and gave me every opportunity, but whether it was +the excitement or the wind, or the fact of the man being a long shot, +I don't know, but this was what happened. Getting dead on, as I +thought, a fine sight, I pressed, and when the puff of smoke had +cleared away, to my disgust, I saw my man standing there unharmed, +whilst his orderly, who was at least three paces to the left, was +stretched upon the ground apparently dead. Turning swiftly, the +officer I had aimed at began to run towards his men in evident alarm. + +"Bravo, Quatermain!" sang out Good; "you've frightened him." + +This made me very angry, for, if possible to avoid it, I hate to miss +in public. When a man is master of only one art he likes to keep up +his reputation in that art. Moved quite out of myself at my failure, I +did a rash thing. Rapidly covering the general as he ran, I let drive +with the second barrel. Instantly the poor man threw up his arms, and +fell forward on to his face. This time I had made no mistake; and--I +say it as a proof of how little we think of others when our own +safety, pride, or reputation is in question--I was brute enough to +feel delighted at the sight. + +The regiments who had seen the feat cheered wildly at this exhibition +of the white man's magic, which they took as an omen of success, while +the force the general had belonged to--which, indeed, as we +ascertained afterwards, he had commanded--fell back in confusion. Sir +Henry and Good now took up their rifles and began to fire, the latter +industriously "browning" the dense mass before him with another +Winchester repeater, and I also had another shot or two, with the +result, so far as we could judge, that we put some six or eight men +/hors de combat/ before they were out of range. + +Just as we stopped firing there came an ominous roar from our far +right, then a similar roar rose on our left. The two other divisions +were engaging us. + +At the sound, the mass of men before us opened out a little, and +advanced towards the hill and up the spit of bare grass land at a slow +trot, singing a deep-throated song as they ran. We kept up a steady +fire from our rifles as they came, Ignosi joining in occasionally, and +accounted for several men, but of course we produced no more effect +upon that mighty rush of armed humanity than he who throws pebbles +does on the breaking wave. + +On they came, with a shout and the clashing of spears; now they were +driving in the pickets we had placed among the rocks at the foot of +the hill. After that the advance was a little slower, for though as +yet we had offered no serious opposition, the attacking forces must +climb up hill, and they came slowly to save their breath. Our first +line of defence was about half-way down the side of the slope, our +second fifty yards further back, while our third occupied the edge of +the plateau. + +On they stormed, shouting their war-cry, "/Twala! Twala! Chiele! +Chiele!/" (Twala! Twala! Smite! Smite!) "/Ignosi! Ignosi! Chiele! +Chiele!/" answered our people. They were quite close now, and the +/tollas/, or throwing-knives, began to flash backwards and forwards, +and now with an awful yell the battle closed in. + +To and fro swayed the mass of struggling warriors, men falling fast as +leaves in an autumn wind; but before long the superior weight of the +attacking force began to tell, and our first line of defence was +slowly pressed back till it merged into the second. Here the struggle +was very fierce, but again our people were driven back and up, till at +length, within twenty minutes of the commencement of the fight, our +third line came into action. + +But by this time the assailants were much exhausted, and besides had +lost many men killed and wounded, and to break through that third +impenetrable hedge of spears proved beyond their powers. For a while +the seething lines of savages swung backwards and forwards, in the +fierce ebb and flow of battle, and the issue was doubtful. Sir Henry +watched the desperate struggle with a kindling eye, and then without a +word he rushed off, followed by Good, and flung himself into the +hottest of the fray. As for myself, I stopped where I was. + +The soldiers caught sight of his tall form as he plunged into battle, +and there rose a cry of-- + +"/Nanzia Incubu! Nanzia Unkungunklovo!/" (Here is the Elephant!) +"/Chiele! Chiele!/" + +From that moment the end was no longer in doubt. Inch by inch, +fighting with splendid gallantry, the attacking force was pressed back +down the hillside, till at last it retreated upon its reserves in +something like confusion. At that instant, too, a messenger arrived to +say that the left attack had been repulsed; and I was just beginning +to congratulate myself, believing that the affair was over for the +present, when, to our horror, we perceived our men who had been +engaged in the right defence being driven towards us across the plain, +followed by swarms of the enemy, who had evidently succeeded at this +point. + +Ignosi, who was standing by me, took in the situation at a glance, and +issued a rapid order. Instantly the reserve regiment around us, the +Greys, extended itself. + +Again Ignosi gave a word of command, which was taken up and repeated +by the captains, and in another second, to my intense disgust, I found +myself involved in a furious onslaught upon the advancing foe. Getting +as much as I could behind Ignosi's huge frame, I made the best of a +bad job, and toddled along to be killed as though I liked it. In a +minute or two--we were plunging through the flying groups of our men, +who at once began to re-form behind us, and then I am sure I do not +know what happened. All I can remember is a dreadful rolling noise of +the meeting of shields, and the sudden apparition of a huge ruffian, +whose eyes seemed literally to be starting out of his head, making +straight at me with a bloody spear. But--I say it with pride--I rose-- +or rather sank--to the occasion. It was one before which most people +would have collapsed once and for all. Seeing that if I stood where I +was I must be killed, as the horrid apparition came I flung myself +down in front of him so cleverly that, being unable to stop himself, +he took a header right over my prostrate form. Before he could rise +again, /I/ had risen and settled the matter from behind with my +revolver. + +Shortly after this somebody knocked me down, and I remember no more of +that charge. + +When I came to I found myself back at the koppie, with Good bending +over me holding some water in a gourd. + +"How do you feel, old fellow?" he asked anxiously. + +I got up and shook myself before replying. + +"Pretty well, thank you," I answered. + +"Thank Heaven! When I saw them carry you in, I felt quite sick; I +thought you were done for." + +"Not this time, my boy. I fancy I only got a rap on the head, which +knocked me stupid. How has it ended?" + +"They are repulsed at every point for a while. The loss is dreadfully +heavy; we have quite two thousand killed and wounded, and they must +have lost three. Looks, there's a sight!" and he pointed to long lines +of men advancing by fours. + +In the centre of every group of four, and being borne by it, was a +kind of hide tray, of which a Kukuana force always carries a quantity, +with a loop for a handle at each corner. On these trays--and their +number seemed endless--lay wounded men, who as they arrived were +hastily examined by the medicine men, of whom ten were attached to a +regiment. If the wound was not of a fatal character the sufferer was +taken away and attended to as carefully as circumstances would allow. +But if, on the other hand, the injured man's condition proved +hopeless, what followed was very dreadful, though doubtless it may +have been the truest mercy. One of the doctors, under pretence of +carrying out an examination, swiftly opened an artery with a sharp +knife, and in a minute or two the sufferer expired painlessly. There +were many cases that day in which this was done. In fact, it was done +in the majority of cases when the wound was in the body, for the gash +made by the entry of the enormously broad spears used by the Kukuanas +generally rendered recovery impossible. In most instances the poor +sufferers were already unconscious, and in others the fatal "nick" of +the artery was inflicted so swiftly and painlessly that they did not +seem to notice it. Still it was a ghastly sight, and one from which we +were glad to escape; indeed, I never remember anything of the kind +that affected me more than seeing those gallant soldiers thus put out +of pain by the red-handed medicine men, except, indeed, on one +occasion when, after an attack, I saw a force of Swazis burying their +hopelessly wounded /alive/. + +Hurrying from this dreadful scene to the further side of the koppie, +we found Sir Henry, who still held a battle-axe in his hand, Ignosi, +Infadoos, and one or two of the chiefs in deep consultation. + +"Thank Heaven, here you are, Quatermain! I can't quite make out what +Ignosi wants to do. It seems that though we have beaten off the +attack, Twala is now receiving large reinforcements, and is showing a +disposition to invest us, with the view of starving us out." + +"That's awkward." + +"Yes; especially as Infadoos says that the water supply has given +out." + +"My lord, that is so," said Infadoos; "the spring cannot supply the +wants of so great a multitude, and it is failing rapidly. Before night +we shall all be thirsty. Listen, Macumazahn. Thou art wise, and hast +doubtless seen many wars in the lands from whence thou camest--that is +if indeed they make wars in the Stars. Now tell us, what shall we do? +Twala has brought up many fresh men to take the place of those who +have fallen. Yet Twala has learnt his lesson; the hawk did not think +to find the heron ready; but our beak has pierced his breast; he fears +to strike at us again. We too are wounded, and he will wait for us to +die; he will wind himself round us like a snake round a buck, and +fight the fight of 'sit down.'" + +"I hear thee," I said. + +"So, Macumazahn, thou seest we have no water here, and but a little +food, and we must choose between these three things--to languish like +a starving lion in his den, or to strive to break away towards the +north, or"--and here he rose and pointed towards the dense mass of our +foes--"to launch ourselves straight at Twala's throat. Incubu, the +great warrior--for to-day he fought like a buffalo in a net, and +Twala's soldiers went down before his axe like young corn before the +hail; with these eyes I saw it--Incubu says 'Charge'; but the Elephant +is ever prone to charge. Now what says Macumazahn, the wily old fox, +who has seen much, and loves to bite his enemy from behind? The last +word is in Ignosi the king, for it is a king's right to speak of war; +but let us hear thy voice, O Macumazahn, who watchest by night, and +the voice too of him of the transparent eye." + +"What sayest thou, Ignosi," I asked. + +"Nay, my father," answered our quondam servant, who now, clad as he +was in the full panoply of savage war, looked every inch a warrior +king, "do thou speak, and let me, who am but a child in wisdom beside +thee, hearken to thy words." + +Thus adjured, after taking hasty counsel with Good and Sir Henry, I +delivered my opinion briefly to the effect that, being trapped, our +best chance, especially in view of the failure of our water supply, +was to initiate an attack upon Twala's forces. Then I recommended that +the attack should be delivered at once, "before our wounds grew +stiff," and also before the sight of Twala's overpowering force caused +the hearts of our soldiers "to wax small like fat before a fire." +Otherwise, I pointed out, some of the captains might change their +minds, and, making peace with Twala, desert to him, or even betray us +into his hands. + +This expression of opinion seemed, on the whole, to be favourably +received; indeed, among the Kukuanas my utterances met with a respect +which has never been accorded to them before or since. But the real +decision as to our plans lay with Ignosi, who, since he had been +recognised as rightful king, could exercise the almost unbounded +rights of sovereignty, including, of course, the final decision on +matters of generalship, and it was to him that all eyes were now +turned. + +At length, after a pause, during which he appeared to be thinking +deeply, he spoke. + +"Incubu, Macumazahn, and Bougwan, brave white men, and my friends; +Infadoos, my uncle, and chiefs; my heart is fixed. I will strike at +Twala this day, and set my fortunes on the blow, ay, and my life--my +life and your lives also. Listen; thus will I strike. Ye see how the +hill curves round like the half-moon, and how the plain runs like a +green tongue towards us within the curve?" + +"We see," I answered. + +"Good; it is now mid-day, and the men eat and rest after the toil of +battle. When the sun has turned and travelled a little way towards the +darkness, let thy regiment, my uncle, advance with one other down to +the green tongue, and it shall be that when Twala sees it he will hurl +his force at it to crush it. But the spot is narrow, and the regiments +can come against thee one at a time only; so may they be destroyed one +by one, and the eyes of all Twala's army shall be fixed upon a +struggle the like of which has not been seen by living man. And with +thee, my uncle, shall go Incubu my friend, that when Twala sees his +battle-axe flashing in the first rank of the Greys his heart may grow +faint. And I will come with the second regiment, that which follows +thee, so that if ye are destroyed, as it might happen, there may yet +be a king left to fight for; and with me shall come Macumazahn the +wise." + +"It is well, O king," said Infadoos, apparently contemplating the +certainty of the complete annihilation of his regiment with perfect +calmness. Truly, these Kukuanas are a wonderful people. Death has no +terrors for them when it is incurred in the course of duty. + +"And whilst the eyes of the multitude of Twala's soldiers are thus +fixed upon the fight," went on Ignosi, "behold, one-third of the men +who are left alive to us (i.e. about 6,000) shall creep along the +right horn of the hill and fall upon the left flank of Twala's force, +and one-third shall creep along the left horn and fall upon Twala's +right flank. And when I see that the horns are ready to toss Twala, +then will I, with the men who remain to me, charge home in Twala's +face, and if fortune goes with us the day will be ours, and before +Night drives her black oxen from the mountains to the mountains we +shall sit in peace at Loo. And now let us eat and make ready; and, +Infadoos, do thou prepare, that the plan be carried out without fail; +and stay, let my white father Bougwan go with the right horn, that his +shining eye may give courage to the captains." + +The arrangements for attack thus briefly indicated were set in motion +with a rapidity that spoke well for the perfection of the Kukuana +military system. Within little more than an hour rations had been +served out and devoured, the divisions were formed, the scheme of +onslaught was explained to the leaders, and the whole force, numbering +about 18,000 men, was ready to move, with the exception of a guard +left in charge of the wounded. + +Presently Good came up to Sir Henry and myself. + +"Good-bye, you fellows," he said; "I am off with the right wing +according to orders; and so I have come to shake hands, in case we +should not meet again, you know," he added significantly. + +We shook hands in silence, and not without the exhibition of as much +emotion as Anglo-Saxons are wont to show. + +"It is a queer business," said Sir Henry, his deep voice shaking a +little, "and I confess I never expect to see to-morrow's sun. So far +as I can make out, the Greys, with whom I am to go, are to fight until +they are wiped out in order to enable the wings to slip round unawares +and outflank Twala. Well, so be it; at any rate, it will be a man's +death. Good-bye, old fellow. God bless you! I hope you will pull +through and live to collar the diamonds; but if you do, take my advice +and don't have anything more to do with Pretenders!" + +In another second Good had wrung us both by the hand and gone; and +then Infadoos came up and led off Sir Henry to his place in the +forefront of the Greys, whilst, with many misgivings, I departed with +Ignosi to my station in the second attacking regiment. + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +THE LAST STAND OF THE GREYS + +In a few more minutes the regiments destined to carry out the flanking +movements had tramped off in silence, keeping carefully to the lee of +the rising ground in order to conceal their advance from the keen eyes +of Twala's scouts. + +Half an hour or more was allowed to elapse between the setting out of +the horns or wings of the army before any stir was made by the Greys +and their supporting regiment, known as the Buffaloes, which formed +its chest, and were destined to bear the brunt of the battle. + +Both of these regiments were almost perfectly fresh, and of full +strength, the Greys having been in reserve in the morning, and having +lost but a small number of men in sweeping back that part of the +attack which had proved successful in breaking the line of defence, on +the occasion when I charged with them and was stunned for my pains. As +for the Buffaloes, they had formed the third line of defence on the +left, and since the attacking force at that point had not succeeded in +breaking through the second, they had scarcely come into action at +all. + +Infadoos, who was a wary old general, and knew the absolute importance +of keeping up the spirits of his men on the eve of such a desperate +encounter, employed the pause in addressing his own regiment, the +Greys, in poetical language: explaining to them the honour that they +were receiving in being put thus in the forefront of the battle, and +in having the great white warrior from the Stars to fight with them in +their ranks; and promising large rewards of cattle and promotion to +all who survived in the event of Ignosi's arms being successful. + +I looked down the long lines of waving black plumes and stern faces +beneath them, and sighed to think that within one short hour most, if +not all, of those magnificent veteran warriors, not a man of whom was +under forty years of age, would be laid dead or dying in the dust. It +could not be otherwise; they were being condemned, with that wise +recklessness of human life which marks the great general, and often +saves his forces and attains his ends, to certain slaughter, in order +to give their cause and the remainder of the army a chance of success. +They were foredoomed to die, and they knew the truth. It was to be +their task to engage regiment after regiment of Twala's army on the +narrow strip of green beneath us, till they were exterminated or till +the wings found a favourable opportunity for their onslaught. And yet +they never hesitated, nor could I detect a sign of fear upon the face +of a single warrior. There they were--going to certain death, about to +quit the blessed light of day for ever, and yet able to contemplate +their doom without a tremor. Even at that moment I could not help +contrasting their state of mind with my own, which was far from +comfortable, and breathing a sigh of envy and admiration. Never before +had I seen such an absolute devotion to the idea of duty, and such a +complete indifference to its bitter fruits. + +"Behold your king!" ended old Infadoos, pointing to Ignosi; "go fight +and fall for him, as is the duty of brave men, and cursed and shameful +for ever be the name of him who shrinks from death for his king, or +who turns his back to the foe. Behold your king, chiefs, captains, and +soldiers! Now do your homage to the sacred Snake, and then follow on, +that Incubu and I may show you a road to the heart of Twala's host." + +There was a moment's pause, then suddenly a murmur arose from the +serried phalanxes before us, a sound like the distant whisper of the +sea, caused by the gentle tapping of the handles of six thousand +spears against their holders' shields. Slowly it swelled, till its +growing volume deepened and widened into a roar of rolling noise, that +echoed like thunder against the mountains, and filled the air with +heavy waves of sound. Then it decreased, and by faint degrees died +away into nothing, and suddenly out crashed the royal salute. + +Ignosi, I thought to myself, might well be a proud man that day, for +no Roman emperor ever had such a salutation from gladiators "about to +die." + +Ignosi acknowledged this magnificent act of homage by lifting his +battle-axe, and then the Greys filed off in a triple-line formation, +each line containing about one thousand fighting men, exclusive of +officers. When the last companies had advanced some five hundred +yards, Ignosi put himself at the head of the Buffaloes, which regiment +was drawn up in a similar three-fold formation, and gave the word to +march, and off we went, I, needless to say, uttering the most +heartfelt prayers that I might emerge from that entertainment with a +whole skin. Many a queer position have I found myself in, but never +before in one quite so unpleasant as the present, or one in which my +chance of coming off safe was smaller. + +By the time that we reached the edge of the plateau the Greys were +already half-way down the slope ending in the tongue of grass land +that ran up into the bend of the mountain, something as the frog of a +horse's foot runs up into the shoe. The excitement in Twala's camp on +the plain beyond was very great, and regiment after regiment was +starting forward at a long swinging trot in order to reach the root of +the tongue of land before the attacking force could emerge into the +plain of Loo. + +This tongue, which was some four hundred yards in depth, even at its +root or widest part was not more than six hundred and fifty paces +across, while at its tip it scarcely measured ninety. The Greys, who, +in passing down the side of the hill and on to the tip of the tongue, +had formed into a column, on reaching the spot where it broadened out +again, reassumed their triple-line formation, and halted dead. + +Then we--that is, the Buffaloes--moved down the tip of the tongue and +took our stand in reserve, about one hundred yards behind the last +line of the Greys, and on slightly higher ground. Meanwhile we had +leisure to observe Twala's entire force, which evidently had been +reinforced since the morning attack, and could not now, +notwithstanding their losses, number less than forty thousand, moving +swiftly up towards us. But as they drew near the root of the tongue +they hesitated, having discovered that only one regiment could advance +into the gorge at a time, and that there, some seventy yards from the +mouth of it, unassailable except in front, on account of the high +walls of boulder-strewn ground on each side, stood the famous regiment +of Greys, the pride and glory of the Kukuana army, ready to hold the +way against their power as the three Romans once held the bridge +against thousands. + +They hesitated, and finally stopped their advance; there was no +eagerness to cross spears with these three grim ranks of warriors who +stood so firm and ready. Presently, however, a tall general, wearing +the customary head-dress of nodding ostrich plumes, appeared, attended +by a group of chiefs and orderlies, being, I thought, none other than +Twala himself. He gave an order, and the first regiment, raising a +shout, charged up towards the Greys, who remained perfectly still and +silent till the attacking troops were within forty yards, and a volley +of /tollas/, or throwing-knives, came rattling among their ranks. + +Then suddenly with a bound and a roar, they sprang forward with +uplifted spears, and the regiment met in deadly strife. Next second +the roll of the meeting shields came to our ears like the sound of +thunder, and the plain seemed to be alive with flashes of light +reflected from the shimmering spears. To and fro swung the surging +mass of struggling, stabbing humanity, but not for long. Suddenly the +attacking lines began to grow thinner, and then with a slow, long +heave the Greys passed over them, just as a great wave heaves up its +bulk and passes over a sunken ridge. It was done; that regiment was +completely destroyed, but the Greys had but two lines left now; a +third of their number were dead. + +Closing up shoulder to shoulder, once more they halted in silence and +awaited attack; and I was rejoiced to catch sight of Sir Henry's +yellow beard as he moved to and fro arranging the ranks. So he was yet +alive! + +Meanwhile we moved on to the ground of the encounter, which was +cumbered by about four thousand prostrate human beings, dead, dying, +and wounded, and literally stained red with blood. Ignosi issued an +order, which was rapidly passed down the ranks, to the effect that +none of the enemy's wounded were to be killed, and so far as we could +see this command was scrupulously carried out. It would have been a +shocking sight, if we had found time to think of such things. + +But now a second regiment, distinguished by white plumes, kilts, and +shields, was moving to the attack of the two thousand remaining Greys, +who stood waiting in the same ominous silence as before, till the foe +was within forty yards or so, when they hurled themselves with +irresistible force upon them. Again there came the awful roll of the +meeting shields, and as we watched the tragedy repeated itself. + +But this time the issue was left longer in doubt; indeed, it seemed +for awhile almost impossible that the Greys should again prevail. The +attacking regiment, which was formed of young men, fought with the +utmost fury, and at first seemed by sheer weight to be driving the +veterans back. The slaughter was truly awful, hundreds falling every +minute; and from among the shouts of the warriors and the groans of +the dying, set to the music of clashing spears, came a continuous +hissing undertone of "/S'gee, s'gee/," the note of triumph of each +victor as he passed his assegai through and through the body of his +fallen foe. + +But perfect discipline and steady and unchanging valour can do +wonders, and one veteran soldier is worth two young ones, as soon +became apparent in the present case. For just when we thought that it +was all over with the Greys, and were preparing to take their place so +soon as they made room by being destroyed, I heard Sir Henry's deep +voice ringing out through the din, and caught a glimpse of his +circling battle-axe as he waved it high above his plumes. Then came a +change; the Greys ceased to give; they stood still as a rock, against +which the furious waves of spearmen broke again and again, only to +recoil. Presently they began to move once more--forward this time; as +they had no firearms there was no smoke, so we could see it all. +Another minute and the onslaught grew fainter. + +"Ah, these are /men/, indeed; they will conquer again," called out +Ignosi, who was grinding his teeth with excitement at my side. "See, +it is done!" + +Suddenly, like puffs of smoke from the mouth of a cannon, the +attacking regiment broke away in flying groups, their white head- +dresses streaming behind them in the wind, and left their opponents +victors, indeed, but, alas! no more a regiment. Of the gallant triple +line, which forty minutes before had gone into action three thousand +strong, there remained at most some six hundred blood-spattered men; +the rest were under foot. And yet they cheered and waved their spears +in triumph, and then, instead of falling back upon us as we expected, +they ran forward, for a hundred yards or so, after the flying groups +of foemen, took possession of a rising knoll of ground, and, resuming +their triple formation, formed a threefold ring around its base. And +there, thanks be to Heaven, standing on the top of the mound for a +minute, I saw Sir Henry, apparently unharmed, and with him our old +friend Infadoos. Then Twala's regiments rolled down upon the doomed +band, and once more the battle closed in. + +As those who read this history will probably long ago have gathered, I +am, to be honest, a bit of a coward, and certainly in no way given to +fighting, though somehow it has often been my lot to get into +unpleasant positions, and to be obliged to shed man's blood. But I +have always hated it, and kept my own blood as undiminished in +quantity as possible, sometimes by a judicious use of my heels. At +this moment, however, for the first time in my life, I felt my bosom +burn with martial ardour. Warlike fragments from the "Ingoldsby +Legends," together with numbers of sanguinary verses in the Old +Testament, sprang up in my brain like mushrooms in the dark; my blood, +which hitherto had been half-frozen with horror, went beating through +my veins, and there came upon me a savage desire to kill and spare +not. I glanced round at the serried ranks of warriors behind us, and +somehow, all in an instant, I began to wonder if my face looked like +theirs. There they stood, the hands twitching, the lips apart, the +fierce features instinct with the hungry lust of battle, and in the +eyes a look like the glare of a bloodhound when after long pursuit he +sights his quarry. + +Only Ignosi's heart, to judge from his comparative self-possession, +seemed, to all appearances, to beat as calmly as ever beneath his +leopard-skin cloak, though even /he/ still ground his teeth. I could +bear it no longer. + +"Are we to stand here till we put out roots, Umbopa--Ignosi, I mean-- +while Twala swallows our brothers yonder?" I asked. + +"Nay, Macumazahn," was the answer; "see, now is the ripe moment: let +us pluck it." + +As he spoke a fresh regiment rushed past the ring upon the little +mound, and wheeling round, attacked it from the hither side. + +Then, lifting his battle-axe, Ignosi gave the signal to advance, and, +screaming the wild Kukuana war-cry, the Buffaloes charged home with a +rush like the rush of the sea. + +What followed immediately on this it is out of my power to tell. All I +can remember is an irregular yet ordered advance, that seemed to shake +the ground; a sudden change of front and forming up on the part of the +regiment against which the charge was directed; then an awful shock, a +dull roar of voices, and a continuous flashing of spears, seen through +a red mist of blood. + +When my mind cleared I found myself standing inside the remnant of the +Greys near the top of the mound, and just behind no less a person than +Sir Henry himself. How I got there I had at the moment no idea, but +Sir Henry afterwards told me that I was borne up by the first furious +charge of the Buffaloes almost to his feet, and then left, as they in +turn were pressed back. Thereon he dashed out of the circle and +dragged me into shelter. + +As for the fight that followed, who can describe it? Again and again +the multitudes surged against our momentarily lessening circle, and +again and again we beat them back. + + "The stubborn spearmen still made good + The dark impenetrable wood, + Each stepping where his comrade stood + The instant that he fell," + +as someone or other beautifully says. + +It was a splendid thing to see those brave battalions come on time +after time over the barriers of their dead, sometimes lifting corpses +before them to receive our spear-thrusts, only to leave their own +corpses to swell the rising piles. It was a gallant sight to see that +old warrior, Infadoos, as cool as though he were on parade, shouting +out orders, taunts, and even jests, to keep up the spirit of his few +remaining men, and then, as each charge rolled on, stepping forward to +wherever the fighting was thickest, to bear his share in its repulse. +And yet more gallant was the vision of Sir Henry, whose ostrich plumes +had been shorn off by a spear thrust, so that his long yellow hair +streamed out in the breeze behind him. There he stood, the great Dane, +for he was nothing else, his hands, his axe, and his armour all red +with blood, and none could live before his stroke. Time after time I +saw it sweeping down, as some great warrior ventured to give him +battle, and as he struck he shouted "/O-hoy! O-hoy!/" like his +Berserkir forefathers, and the blow went crashing through shield and +spear, through head-dress, hair, and skull, till at last none would of +their own will come near the great white "/umtagati/," the wizard, who +killed and failed not. + +But suddenly there rose a cry of "/Twala, y' Twala/," and out of the +press sprang forward none other than the gigantic one-eyed king +himself, also armed with battle-axe and shield, and clad in chain +armour. + +"Where art thou, Incubu, thou white man, who slewest Scragga my son-- +see if thou canst slay me!" he shouted, and at the same time hurled a +/tolla/ straight at Sir Henry, who fortunately saw it coming, and +caught it on his shield, which it transfixed, remaining wedged in the +iron plate behind the hide. + +Then, with a cry, Twala sprang forward straight at him, and with his +battle-axe struck him such a blow upon the shield that the mere force +and shock of it brought Sir Henry, strong man as he is, down upon his +knees. + +But at this time the matter went no further, for that instant there +rose from the regiments pressing round us something like a shout of +dismay, and on looking up I saw the cause. + +To the right and to the left the plain was alive with the plumes of +charging warriors. The outflanking squadrons had come to our relief. +The time could not have been better chosen. All Twala's army, as +Ignosi predicted would be the case, had fixed their attention on the +bloody struggle which was raging round the remnant of the Greys and +that of the Buffaloes, who were now carrying on a battle of their own +at a little distance, which two regiments had formed the chest of our +army. It was not until our horns were about to close upon them that +they had dreamed of their approach, for they believed these forces to +be hidden in reserve upon the crest of the moon-shaped hill. And now, +before they could even assume a proper formation for defence, the +outflanking /Impis/ had leapt, like greyhounds, on their flanks. + +In five minutes the fate of the battle was decided. Taken on both +flanks, and dismayed at the awful slaughter inflicted upon them by the +Greys and Buffaloes, Twala's regiments broke into flight, and soon the +whole plain between us and Loo was scattered with groups of running +soldiers making good their retreat. As for the hosts that had so +recently surrounded us and the Buffaloes, they melted away as though +by magic, and presently we were left standing there like a rock from +which the sea has retreated. But what a sight it was! Around us the +dead and dying lay in heaped-up masses, and of the gallant Greys there +remained but ninety-five men upon their feet. More than three thousand +four hundred had fallen in this one regiment, most of them never to +rise again. + +"Men," said Infadoos calmly, as between the intervals of binding a +wound on his arm he surveyed what remained to him of his corps, "ye +have kept up the reputation of your regiment, and this day's fighting +will be well spoken of by your children's children." Then he turned +round and shook Sir Henry Curtis by the hand. "Thou art a great +captain, Incubu," he said simply; "I have lived a long life among +warriors, and have known many a brave one, yet have I never seen a man +like unto thee." + +At this moment the Buffaloes began to march past our position on the +road to Loo, and as they went a message was brought to us from Ignosi +requesting Infadoos, Sir Henry, and myself to join them. Accordingly, +orders having been issued to the remaining ninety men of the Greys to +employ themselves in collecting the wounded, we joined Ignosi, who +informed us that he was pressing on to Loo to complete the victory by +capturing Twala, if that should be possible. Before we had gone far, +suddenly we discovered the figure of Good sitting on an ant-heap about +one hundred paces from us. Close beside him was the body of a Kukuana. + +"He must be wounded," said Sir Henry anxiously. As he made the remark, +an untoward thing happened. The dead body of the Kukuana soldier, or +rather what had appeared to be his dead body, suddenly sprang up, +knocked Good head over heels off the ant-heap, and began to spear him. +We rushed forward in terror, and as we drew near we saw the brawny +warrior making dig after dig at the prostrate Good, who at each prod +jerked all his limbs into the air. Seeing us coming, the Kukuana gave +one final and most vicious dig, and with a shout of "Take that, +wizard!" bolted away. Good did not move, and we concluded that our +poor comrade was done for. Sadly we came towards him, and were +astonished to find him pale and faint indeed, but with a serene smile +upon his face, and his eyeglass still fixed in his eye. + +"Capital armour this," he murmured, on catching sight of our faces +bending over him. "How sold that beggar must have been," and then he +fainted. On examination we discovered that he had been seriously +wounded in the leg by a /tolla/ in the course of the pursuit, but that +the chain armour had prevented his last assailant's spear from doing +anything more than bruise him badly. It was a merciful escape. As +nothing could be done for him at the moment, he was placed on one of +the wicker shields used for the wounded, and carried along with us. + +On arriving before the nearest gate of Loo we found one of our +regiments watching it in obedience to orders received from Ignosi. The +other regiments were in the same way guarding the different exits to +the town. The officer in command of this regiment saluted Ignosi as +king, and informed him that Twala's army had taken refuge in the town, +whither Twala himself had also escaped, but he thought that they were +thoroughly demoralised, and would surrender. Thereupon Ignosi, after +taking counsel with us, sent forward heralds to each gate ordering the +defenders to open, and promising on his royal word life and +forgiveness to every soldier who laid down his arms, but saying that +if they did not do so before nightfall he would certainly burn the +town and all within its gates. This message was not without its +effect. Half an hour later, amid the shouts and cheers of the +Buffaloes, the bridge was dropped across the fosse, and the gates upon +the further side were flung open. + +Taking due precautions against treachery, we marched on into the town. +All along the roadways stood thousands of dejected warriors, their +heads drooping, and their shields and spears at their feet, who, +headed by their officers, saluted Ignosi as king as he passed. On we +marched, straight to Twala's kraal. When we reached the great space, +where a day or two previously we had seen the review and the witch +hunt, we found it deserted. No, not quite deserted, for there, on the +further side, in front of his hut, sat Twala himself, with but one +attendant--Gagool. + +It was a melancholy sight to see him seated, his battle-axe and shield +by his side, his chin upon his mailed breast, with but one old crone +for companion, and notwithstanding his crimes and misdeeds, a pang of +compassion shot through me as I looked upon Twala thus "fallen from +his high estate." Not a soldier of all his armies, not a courtier out +of the hundreds who had cringed round him, not even a solitary wife, +remained to share his fate or halve the bitterness of his fall. Poor +savage! he was learning the lesson which Fate teaches to most of us +who live long enough, that the eyes of mankind are blind to the +discredited, and that he who is defenceless and fallen finds few +friends and little mercy. Nor, indeed, in this case did he deserve +any. + +Filing through the kraal gate, we marched across the open space to +where the ex-king sat. When within about fifty yards of him the +regiment was halted, and accompanied only by a small guard we advanced +towards him, Gagool reviling us bitterly as we came. As we drew near, +Twala, for the first time, lifted his plumed head, and fixed his one +eye, which seemed to flash with suppressed fury almost as brightly as +the great diamond bound round his forehead, upon his successful +rival--Ignosi. + +"Hail, O king!" he said, with bitter mockery; "thou who hast eaten of +my bread, and now by the aid of the white man's magic hast seduced my +regiments and defeated mine army, hail! What fate hast thou in store +for me, O king?" + +"The fate thou gavest to my father, whose throne thou hast sat on +these many years!" was the stern answer. + +"It is good. I will show thee how to die, that thou mayest remember it +against thine own time. See, the sun sinks in blood," and he pointed +with his battle-axe towards the setting orb; "it is well that my sun +should go down in its company. And now, O king! I am ready to die, but +I crave the boon of the Kukuana royal House[*] to die fighting. Thou +canst refuse it, or even those cowards who fled to-day will hold thee +shamed." + +[*] It is a law amongst the Kukuanas that no man of the direct royal + blood can be put to death, unless by his own consent, which is, + however, never refused. He is allowed to choose a succession of + antagonists, to be approved by the king, with whom he fights, till + one of them kills him.--A.Q. + +"It is granted. Choose--with whom wilt thou fight? Myself I cannot +fight with thee, for the king fights not except in war." + +Twala's sombre eye ran up and down our ranks, and I felt, as for a +moment it rested on myself, that the position had developed a new +horror. What if he chose to begin by fighting /me/? What chance should +I have against a desperate savage six feet five high, and broad in +proportion? I might as well commit suicide at once. Hastily I made up +my mind to decline the combat, even if I were hooted out of +Kukuanaland as a consequence. It is, I think, better to be hooted than +to be quartered with a battle-axe. + +Presently Twala spoke. + +"Incubu, what sayest thou, shall we end what we began to-day, or shall +I call thee coward, white--even to the liver?" + +"Nay," interposed Ignosi hastily; "thou shalt not fight with Incubu." + +"Not if he is afraid," said Twala. + +Unfortunately Sir Henry understood this remark, and the blood flamed +up into his cheeks. + +"I will fight him," he said; "he shall see if I am afraid." + +"For Heaven's sake," I entreated, "don't risk your life against that +of a desperate man. Anybody who saw you to-day will know that you are +brave enough." + +"I will fight him," was the sullen answer. "No living man shall call +me a coward. I am ready now!" and he stepped forward and lifted his +axe. + +I wrung my hands over this absurd piece of Quixotism; but if he was +determined on this deed, of course I could not stop him. + +"Fight not, my white brother," said Ignosi, laying his hand +affectionately on Sir Henry's arm; "thou hast fought enough, and if +aught befell thee at his hands it would cut my heart in twain." + +"I will fight, Ignosi," was Sir Henry's answer. + +"It is well, Incubu; thou art a brave man. It will be a good fray. +Behold, Twala, the Elephant is ready for thee." + +The ex-king laughed savagely, and stepping forward faced Curtis. For a +moment they stood thus, and the light of the sinking sun caught their +stalwart frames and clothed them both in fire. They were a well- +matched pair. + +Then they began to circle round each other, their battle-axes raised. + +Suddenly Sir Henry sprang forward and struck a fearful blow at Twala, +who stepped to one side. So heavy was the stroke that the striker half +overbalanced himself, a circumstance of which his antagonist took a +prompt advantage. Circling his massive battle-axe round his head, he +brought it down with tremendous force. My heart jumped into my mouth; +I thought that the affair was already finished. But no; with a quick +upward movement of the left arm Sir Henry interposed his shield +between himself and the axe, with the result that its outer edge was +shorn away, the axe falling on his left shoulder, but not heavily +enough to do any serious damage. In another moment Sir Henry got in a +second blow, which was also received by Twala upon his shield. + +Then followed blow upon blow, that were, in turn, either received upon +the shields or avoided. The excitement grew intense; the regiment +which was watching the encounter forgot its discipline, and, drawing +near, shouted and groaned at every stroke. Just at this time, too, +Good, who had been laid upon the ground by me, recovered from his +faint, and, sitting up, perceived what was going on. In an instant he +was up, and catching hold of my arm, hopped about from place to place +on one leg, dragging me after him, and yelling encouragements to Sir +Henry-- + +"Go it, old fellow!" he hallooed. "That was a good one! Give it him +amidships," and so on. + +Presently Sir Henry, having caught a fresh stroke upon his shield, hit +out with all his force. The blow cut through Twala's shield and +through the tough chain armour behind it, gashing him in the shoulder. +With a yell of pain and fury Twala returned the blow with interest, +and, such was his strength, shore right through the rhinoceros' horn +handle of his antagonists battle-axe, strengthened as it was with +bands of steel, wounding Curtis in the face. + +A cry of dismay rose from the Buffaloes as our hero's broad axe-head +fell to the ground; and Twala, again raising his weapon, flew at him +with a shout. I shut my eyes. When I opened them again it was to see +Sir Henry's shield lying on the ground, and Sir Henry himself with his +great arms twined round Twala's middle. To and fro they swung, hugging +each other like bears, straining with all their mighty muscles for +dear life, and dearer honour. With a supreme effort Twala swung the +Englishman clean off his feet, and down they came together, rolling +over and over on the lime paving, Twala striking out at Curtis' head +with the battle-axe, and Sir Henry trying to drive the /tolla/ he had +drawn from his belt through Twala's armour. + +It was a mighty struggle, and an awful thing to see. + +"Get his axe!" yelled Good; and perhaps our champion heard him. + +At any rate, dropping the /tolla/, he snatched at the axe, which was +fastened to Twala's wrist by a strip of buffalo hide, and still +rolling over and over, they fought for it like wild cats, drawing +their breath in heavy gasps. Suddenly the hide string burst, and then, +with a great effort, Sir Henry freed himself, the weapon remaining in +his hand. Another second and he was upon his feet, the red blood +streaming from the wound in his face, and so was Twala. Drawing the +heavy /tolla/ from his belt, he reeled straight at Curtis and struck +him in the breast. The stab came home true and strong, but whoever it +was who made that chain armour, he understood his art, for it +withstood the steel. Again Twala struck out with a savage yell, and +again the sharp knife rebounded, and Sir Henry went staggering back. +Once more Twala came on, and as he came our great Englishman gathered +himself together, and swinging the big axe round his head with both +hands, hit at him with all his force. + +There was a shriek of excitement from a thousand throats, and, behold! +Twala's head seemed to spring from his shoulders: then it fell and +came rolling and bounding along the ground towards Ignosi, stopping +just as his feet. For a second the corpse stood upright; then with a +dull crash it came to the earth, and the gold torque from its neck +rolled away across the pavement. As it did so Sir Henry, overpowered +by faintness and loss of blood, fell heavily across the body of the +dead king. + +In a second he was lifted up, and eager hands were pouring water on +his face. Another minute, and the grey eyes opened wide. + +He was not dead. + +Then I, just as the sun sank, stepping to where Twala's head lay in +the dust, unloosed the diamond from the dead brows, and handed it to +Ignosi. + +"Take it," I said, "lawful king of the Kukuanas--king by birth and +victory." + +Ignosi bound the diadem upon his brows. Then advancing, he placed his +foot upon the broad chest of his headless foe and broke out into a +chant, or rather a paean of triumph, so beautiful, and yet so utterly +savage, that I despair of being able to give an adequate version of +his words. Once I heard a scholar with a fine voice read aloud from +the Greek poet Homer, and I remember that the sound of the rolling +lines seemed to make my blood stand still. Ignosi's chant, uttered as +it was in a language as beautiful and sonorous as the old Greek, +produced exactly the same effect on me, although I was exhausted with +toil and many emotions. + +"Now," he began, "now our rebellion is swallowed up in victory, and +our evil-doing is justified by strength. + +"In the morning the oppressors arose and stretched themselves; they +bound on their harness and made them ready to war. + +"They rose up and tossed their spears: the soldiers called to the +captains, 'Come, lead us'--and the captains cried to the king, 'Direct +thou the battle.' + +"They laughed in their pride, twenty thousand men, and yet a twenty +thousand. + +"Their plumes covered the valleys as the plumes of a bird cover her +nest; they shook their shields and shouted, yea, they shook their +shields in the sunlight; they lusted for battle and were glad. + +"They came up against me; their strong ones ran swiftly to slay me; +they cried, 'Ha! ha! he is as one already dead.' + + + +"Then breathed I on them, and my breath was as the breath of a wind, +and lo! they were not. + +"My lightnings pierced them; I licked up their strength with the +lightning of my spears; I shook them to the ground with the thunder of +my shoutings. + +"They broke--they scattered--they were gone as the mists of the +morning. + +"They are food for the kites and the foxes, and the place of battle is +fat with their blood. + + + +"Where are the mighty ones who rose up in the morning? + +"Where are the proud ones who tossed their spears and cried, 'He is as +a man already dead'? + +"They bow their heads, but not in sleep; they are stretched out, but +not in sleep. + +"They are forgotten; they have gone into the blackness; they dwell in +the dead moons; yea, others shall lead away their wives, and their +children shall remember them no more. + + + +"And I--! the king--like an eagle I have found my eyrie. + +"Behold! far have I flown in the night season, yet have I returned to +my young at the daybreak. + +"Shelter ye under the shadow of my wings, O people, and I will comfort +you, and ye shall not be dismayed. + +"Now is the good time, the time of spoil. + +"Mine are the cattle on the mountains, mine are the virgins in the +kraals. + +"The winter is overpast with storms, the summer is come with flowers. + +"Now Evil shall cover up her face, now Mercy and Gladness shall dwell +in the land. + +"Rejoice, rejoice, my people! + +"Let all the stars rejoice in that this tyranny is trodden down, in +that I am the king." + + + +Ignosi ceased his song, and out of the gathering gloom came back the +deep reply-- + +"/Thou art the king!/" + + + +Thus was my prophecy to the herald fulfilled, and within the forty- +eight hours Twala's headless corpse was stiffening at Twala's gate. + + + +CHAPTER XV + +GOOD FALLS SICK + +After the fight was ended, Sir Henry and Good were carried into +Twala's hut, where I joined them. They were both utterly exhausted by +exertion and loss of blood, and, indeed, my own condition was little +better. I am very wiry, and can stand more fatigue than most men, +probably on account of my light weight and long training; but that +night I was quite done up, and, as is always the case with me when +exhausted, that old wound which the lion gave me began to pain. Also +my head was aching violently from the blow I had received in the +morning, when I was knocked senseless. Altogether, a more miserable +trio than we were that evening it would have been difficult to +discover; and our only comfort lay in the reflection that we were +exceedingly fortunate to be there to feel miserable, instead of being +stretched dead upon the plain, as so many thousands of brave men were +that night, who had risen well and strong in the morning. + +Somehow, with the assistance of the beautiful Foulata, who, since we +had been the means of saving her life, had constituted herself our +handmaiden, and especially Good's, we managed to get off the chain +shirts, which had certainly saved the lives of two of us that day. As +I expected, we found that the flesh underneath was terribly contused, +for though the steel links had kept the weapons from entering, they +had not prevented them from bruising. Both Sir Henry and Good were a +mass of contusions, and I was by no means free. As a remedy Foulata +brought us some pounded green leaves, with an aromatic odour, which, +when applied as a plaster, gave us considerable relief. + +But though the bruises were painful, they did not give us such anxiety +as Sir Henry's and Good's wounds. Good had a hole right through the +fleshy part of his "beautiful white leg," from which he had lost a +great deal of blood; and Sir Henry, with other hurts, had a deep cut +over the jaw, inflicted by Twala's battle-axe. Luckily Good is a very +decent surgeon, and so soon as his small box of medicines was +forthcoming, having thoroughly cleansed the wounds, he managed to +stitch up first Sir Henry's and then his own pretty satisfactorily, +considering the imperfect light given by the primitive Kukuana lamp in +the hut. Afterwards he plentifully smeared the injured places with +some antiseptic ointment, of which there was a pot in the little box, +and we covered them with the remains of a pocket-handkerchief which we +possessed. + +Meanwhile Foulata had prepared us some strong broth, for we were too +weary to eat. This we swallowed, and then threw ourselves down on the +piles of magnificent karrosses, or fur rugs, which were scattered +about the dead king's great hut. By a very strange instance of the +irony of fate, it was on Twala's own couch, and wrapped in Twala's own +particular karross, that Sir Henry, the man who had slain him, slept +that night. + +I say slept; but after that day's work, sleep was indeed difficult. To +begin with, in very truth the air was full + + "Of farewells to the dying + And mournings for the dead." + +From every direction came the sound of the wailing of women whose +husbands, sons, and brothers had perished in the battle. No wonder +that they wailed, for over twelve thousand men, or nearly a fifth of +the Kukuana army, had been destroyed in that awful struggle. It was +heart-rending to lie and listen to their cries for those who never +would return; and it made me understand the full horror of the work +done that day to further man's ambition. Towards midnight, however, +the ceaseless crying of the women grew less frequent, till at length +the silence was only broken at intervals of a few minutes by a long +piercing howl that came from a hut in our immediate rear, which, as I +afterwards discovered, proceeded from Gagool "keening" over the dead +king Twala. + +After that I got a little fitful sleep, only to wake from time to time +with a start, thinking that I was once more an actor in the terrible +events of the last twenty-four hours. Now I seemed to see that warrior +whom my hand had sent to his last account charging at me on the +mountain-top; now I was once more in that glorious ring of Greys, +which made its immortal stand against all Twala's regiments upon the +little mound; and now again I saw Twala's plumed and gory head roll +past my feet with gnashing teeth and glaring eye. + +At last, somehow or other, the night passed away; but when dawn broke +I found that my companions had slept no better than myself. Good, +indeed, was in a high fever, and very soon afterwards began to grow +light-headed, and also, to my alarm, to spit blood, the result, no +doubt, of some internal injury, inflicted during the desperate efforts +made by the Kukuana warrior on the previous day to force his big spear +through the chain armour. Sir Henry, however, seemed pretty fresh, +notwithstanding his wound on the face, which made eating difficult and +laughter an impossibility, though he was so sore and stiff that he +could scarcely stir. + +About eight o'clock we had a visit from Infadoos, who appeared but +little the worse--tough old warrior that he was--for his exertions in +the battle, although he informed us that he had been up all night. He +was delighted to see us, but much grieved at Good's condition, and +shook our hands cordially. I noticed, however, that he addressed Sir +Henry with a kind of reverence, as though he were something more than +man; and, indeed, as we afterwards found out, the great Englishman was +looked on throughout Kukuanaland as a supernatural being. No man, the +soldiers said, could have fought as he fought or, at the end of a day +of such toil and bloodshed, could have slain Twala, who, in addition +to being the king, was supposed to be the strongest warrior in the +country, in single combat, shearing through his bull-neck at a stroke. +Indeed, that stroke became proverbial in Kukuanaland, and any +extraordinary blow or feat of strength was henceforth known as +"Incubu's blow." + +Infadoos told us also that all Twala's regiments had submitted to +Ignosi, and that like submissions were beginning to arrive from chiefs +in the outlying country. Twala's death at the hands of Sir Henry had +put an end to all further chance of disturbance; for Scragga had been +his only legitimate son, so there was no rival claimant to the throne +left alive. + +I remarked that Ignosi had swum to power through blood. The old chief +shrugged his shoulders. "Yes," he answered; "but the Kukuana people +can only be kept cool by letting their blood flow sometimes. Many are +killed, indeed, but the women are left, and others must soon grow up +to take the places of the fallen. After this the land would be quiet +for a while." + +Afterwards, in the course of the morning, we had a short visit from +Ignosi, on whose brows the royal diadem was now bound. As I +contemplated him advancing with kingly dignity, an obsequious guard +following his steps, I could not help recalling to my mind the tall +Zulu who had presented himself to us at Durban some few months back, +asking to be taken into our service, and reflecting on the strange +revolutions of the wheel of fortune. + +"Hail, O king!" I said, rising. + +"Yes, Macumazahn. King at last, by the might of your three right +hands," was the ready answer. + +All was, he said, going well; and he hoped to arrange a great feast in +two weeks' time in order to show himself to the people. + +I asked him what he had settled to do with Gagool. + +"She is the evil genius of the land," he answered, "and I shall kill +her, and all the witch doctors with her! She has lived so long that +none can remember when she was not very old, and she it is who has +always trained the witch-hunters, and made the land wicked in the +sight of the heavens above." + +"Yet she knows much," I replied; "it is easier to destroy knowledge, +Ignosi, than to gather it." + +"That is so," he said thoughtfully. "She, and she only, knows the +secret of the 'Three Witches,' yonder, whither the great road runs, +where the kings are buried, and the Silent Ones sit." + +"Yes, and the diamonds are. Forget not thy promise, Ignosi; thou must +lead us to the mines, even if thou hast to spare Gagool alive to show +the way." + +"I will not forget, Macumazahn, and I will think on what thou sayest." + +After Ignosi's visit I went to see Good, and found him quite +delirious. The fever set up by his wound seemed to have taken a firm +hold of his system, and to be complicated with an internal injury. For +four or five days his condition was most critical; indeed, I believe +firmly that had it not been for Foulata's indefatigable nursing he +must have died. + +Women are women, all the world over, whatever their colour. Yet +somehow it seemed curious to watch this dusky beauty bending night and +day over the fevered man's couch, and performing all the merciful +errands of a sick-room swiftly, gently, and with as fine an instinct +as that of a trained hospital nurse. For the first night or two I +tried to help her, and so did Sir Henry as soon as his stiffness +allowed him to move, but Foulata bore our interference with +impatience, and finally insisted upon our leaving him to her, saying +that our movements made him restless, which I think was true. Day and +night she watched him and tended him, giving him his only medicine, a +native cooling drink made of milk, in which was infused juice from the +bulb of a species of tulip, and keeping the flies from settling on +him. I can see the whole picture now as it appeared night after night +by the light of our primitive lamp; Good tossing to and fro, his +features emaciated, his eyes shining large and luminous, and jabbering +nonsense by the yard; and seated on the ground by his side, her back +resting against the wall of the hut, the soft-eyed, shapely Kukuana +beauty, her face, weary as it was with her long vigil, animated by a +look of infinite compassion--or was it something more than compassion? + +For two days we thought that he must die, and crept about with heavy +hearts. + +Only Foulata would not believe it. + +"He will live," she said. + +For three hundred yards or more around Twala's chief hut, where the +sufferer lay, there was silence; for by the king's order all who lived +in the habitations behind it, except Sir Henry and myself, had been +removed, lest any noise should come to the sick man's ears. One night, +it was the fifth of Good's illness, as was my habit, I went across to +see how he was doing before turning in for a few hours. + +I entered the hut carefully. The lamp placed upon the floor showed the +figure of Good tossing no more, but lying quite still. + +So it had come at last! In the bitterness of my heart I gave something +like a sob. + +"Hush--h--h!" came from the patch of dark shadow behind Good's head. + +Then, creeping closer, I saw that he was not dead, but sleeping +soundly, with Foulata's taper fingers clasped tightly in his poor +white hand. The crisis had passed, and he would live. He slept like +that for eighteen hors; and I scarcely like to say it, for fear I +should not be believed, but during the entire period did this devoted +girl sit by him, fearing that if she moved and drew away her hand it +would wake him. What she must have suffered from cramp and weariness, +to say nothing of want of food, nobody will ever know; but it is the +fact that, when at last he woke, she had to be carried away--her limbs +were so stiff that she could not move them. + + +After the turn had once been taken, Good's recovery was rapid and +complete. It was not till he was nearly well that Sir Henry told him +of all he owed to Foulata; and when he came to the story of how she +sat by his side for eighteen hours, fearing lest by moving she should +wake him, the honest sailor's eyes filled with tears. He turned and +went straight to the hut where Foulata was preparing the mid-day meal, +for we were back in our old quarters now, taking me with him to +interpret in case he could not make his meaning clear to her, though I +am bound to say that she understood him marvellously as a rule, +considering how extremely limited was his foreign vocabulary. + +"Tell her," said Good, "that I owe her my life, and that I will never +forget her kindness to my dying day." + +I interpreted, and under her dark skin she actually seemed to blush. + +Turning to him with one of those swift and graceful motions that in +her always reminded me of the flight of a wild bird, Foulata answered +softly, glancing at him with her large brown eyes-- + +"Nay, my lord; my lord forgets! Did he not save /my/ life, and am I +not my lord's handmaiden?" + +It will be observed that the young lady appeared entirely to have +forgotten the share which Sir Henry and myself had taken in her +preservation from Twala's clutches. But that is the way of women! I +remember my dear wife was just the same. Well, I retired from that +little interview sad at heart. I did not like Miss Foulata's soft +glances, for I knew the fatal amorous propensities of sailors in +general, and of Good in particular. + +There are two things in the world, as I have found out, which cannot +be prevented: you cannot keep a Zulu from fighting, or a sailor from +falling in love upon the slightest provocation! + +It was a few days after this last occurrence that Ignosi held his +great "indaba," or council, and was formally recognised as king by the +"indunas," or head men, of Kukuanaland. The spectacle was a most +imposing one, including as it did a grand review of troops. On this +day the remaining fragments of the Greys were formally paraded, and in +the face of the army thanked for their splendid conduct in the battle. +To each man the king made a large present of cattle, promoting them +one and all to the rank of officers in the new corps of Greys which +was in process of formation. An order was also promulgated throughout +the length and breadth of Kukuanaland that, whilst we honoured the +country by our presence, we three were to be greeted with the royal +salute, and to be treated with the same ceremony and respect that was +by custom accorded to the king. Also the power of life and death was +publicly conferred upon us. Ignosi, too, in the presence of his +people, reaffirmed the promises which he had made, to the effect that +no man's blood should be shed without trial, and that witch-hunting +should cease in the land. + +When the ceremony was over we waited upon Ignosi, and informed him +that we were now anxious to investigate the mystery of the mines to +which Solomon's Road ran, asking him if he had discovered anything +about them. + +"My friends," he answered, "I have discovered this. It is there that +the three great figures sit, who here are called the 'Silent Ones,' +and to whom Twala would have offered the girl Foulata as a sacrifice. +It is there, too, in a great cave deep in the mountain, that the kings +of the land are buried; there ye shall find Twala's body, sitting with +those who went before him. There, also, is a deep pit, which, at some +time, long-dead men dug out, mayhap for the stones ye speak of, such +as I have heard men in Natal tell of at Kimberley. There, too, in the +Place of Death is a secret chamber, known to none but the king and +Gagool. But Twala, who knew it, is dead, and I know it not, nor know I +what is in it. Yet there is a legend in the land that once, many +generations gone, a white man crossed the mountains, and was led by a +woman to the secret chamber and shown the wealth hidden in it. But +before he could take it she betrayed him, and he was driven by the +king of that day back to the mountains, and since then no man has +entered the place." + +"The story is surely true, Ignosi, for on the mountains we found the +white man," I said. + +"Yes, we found him. And now I have promised you that if ye can come to +that chamber, and the stones are there--" + +"The gem upon thy forehead proves that they are there," I put in, +pointing to the great diamond I had taken from Twala's dead brows. + +"Mayhap; if they are there," he said, "ye shall have as many as ye can +take hence--if indeed ye would leave me, my brothers." + +"First we must find the chamber," said I. + +"There is but one who can show it to thee--Gagool." + +"And if she will not?" + +"Then she must die," said Ignosi sternly. "I have saved her alive but +for this. Stay, she shall choose," and calling to a messenger he +ordered Gagool to be brought before him. + +In a few minutes she came, hurried along by two guards, whom she was +cursing as she walked. + +"Leave her," said the king to the guards. + +So soon as their support was withdrawn, the withered old bundle--for +she looked more like a bundle than anything else, out of which her two +bright and wicked eyes gleamed like those of a snake--sank in a heap +on to the floor. + +"What will ye with me, Ignosi?" she piped. "Ye dare not touch me. If +ye touch me I will slay you as ye sit. Beware of my magic." + +"Thy magic could not save Twala, old she-wolf, and it cannot hurt me," +was the answer. "Listen; I will this of thee, that thou reveal to us +the chamber where are the shining stones." + +"Ha! ha!" she piped, "none know its secret but I, and I will never +tell thee. The white devils shall go hence empty-handed." + +"Thou shalt tell me. I will make thee tell me." + +"How, O king? Thou art great, but can thy power wring the truth from a +woman?" + +"It is difficult, yet will I do so." + +"How, O king?" + +"Nay, thus; if thou tellest not thou shalt slowly die." + +"Die!" she shrieked in terror and fury; "ye dare not touch me--man, ye +know not who I am. How old think ye am I? I knew your fathers, and +your fathers' fathers' fathers. When the country was young I was here; +when the country grows old I shall still be here. I cannot die unless +I be killed by chance, for none dare slay me." + +"Yet will I slay thee. See, Gagool, mother of evil, thou art so old +that thou canst no longer love thy life. What can life be to such a +hag as thou, who hast no shape, nor form, nor hair, nor teeth--hast +naught, save wickedness and evil eyes? It will be mercy to make an end +of thee, Gagool." + +"Thou fool," shrieked the old fiend, "thou accursed fool, deemest thou +that life is sweet only to the young? It is not so, and naught thou +knowest of the heart of man to think it. To the young, indeed, death +is sometimes welcome, for the young can feel. They love and suffer, +and it wrings them to see their beloved pass to the land of shadows. +But the old feel not, they love not, and, /ha! ha!/ they laugh to see +another go out into the dark; /ha! ha!/ they laugh to see the evil +that is done under the stars. All they love is life, the warm, warm +sun, and the sweet, sweet air. They are afraid of the cold, afraid of +the cold and the dark, /ha! ha! ha!/" and the old hag writhed in +ghastly merriment on the ground. + +"Cease thine evil talk and answer me," said Ignosi angrily. "Wilt thou +show the place where the stones are, or wilt thou not? If thou wilt +not thou diest, even now," and he seized a spear and held it over her. + +"I will not show it; thou darest not kill me, darest not! He who slays +me will be accursed for ever." + +Slowly Ignosi brought down the spear till it pricked the prostrate +heap of rags. + +With a wild yell Gagool sprang to her feet, then fell again and rolled +upon the floor. + +"Nay, I will show thee. Only let me live, let me sit in the sun and +have a bit of meat to suck, and I will show thee." + +"It is well. I thought that I should find a way to reason with thee. +To-morrow shalt thou go with Infadoos and my white brothers to the +place, and beware how thou failest, for if thou showest it not, then +thou shalt slowly die. I have spoken." + +"I will not fail, Ignosi. I always keep my word--/ha! ha! ha!/ Once +before a woman showed the chamber to a white man, and behold! evil +befell him," and here her wicked eyes glinted. "Her name was Gagool +also. Perchance I was that woman." + +"Thou liest," I said, "that was ten generations gone." + +"Mayhap, mayhap; when one lives long one forgets. Perhaps it was my +mother's mother who told me; surely her name was Gagool also. But +mark, ye will find in the place where the bright things are a bag of +hide full of stones. The man filled that bag, but he never took it +away. Evil befell him, I say, evil befell him! Perhaps it was my +mother's mother who told me. It will be a merry journey--we can see +the bodies of those who died in the battle as we go. Their eyes will +be gone by now, and their ribs will be hollow. /Ha! ha! ha!/" + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +THE PLACE OF DEATH + +It was already dark on the third day after the scene described in the +previous chapter when we camped in some huts at the foot of the "Three +Witches," as the triangle of mountains is called to which Solomon's +Great Road runs. Our party consisted of our three selves and Foulata, +who waited on us--especially on Good--Infadoos, Gagool, who was borne +along in a litter, inside which she could be heard muttering and +cursing all day long, and a party of guards and attendants. The +mountains, or rather the three peaks of the mountain, for the mass was +evidently the result of a solitary upheaval, were, as I have said, in +the form of a triangle, of which the base was towards us, one peak +being on our right, one on our left, and one straight in front of us. +Never shall I forget the sight afforded by those three towering peaks +in the early sunlight of the following morning. High, high above us, +up into the blue air, soared their twisted snow-wreaths. Beneath the +snow-line the peaks were purple with heaths, and so were the wild +moors that ran up the slopes towards them. Straight before us the +white ribbon of Solomon's Great Road stretched away uphill to the foot +of the centre peak, about five miles from us, and there stopped. It +was its terminus. + +I had better leave the feelings of intense excitement with which we +set out on our march that morning to the imagination of those who read +this history. At last we were drawing near to the wonderful mines that +had been the cause of the miserable death of the old Portuguese Dom +three centuries ago, of my poor friend, his ill-starred descendant, +and also, as we feared, of George Curtis, Sir Henry's brother. Were we +destined, after all that we had gone through, to fare any better? Evil +befell them, as that old fiend Gagool said; would it also befall us? +Somehow, as we were marching up that last stretch of beautiful road, I +could not help feeling a little superstitious about the matter, and so +I think did Good and Sir Henry. + +For an hour and a half or more we tramped on up the heather-fringed +way, going so fast in our excitement that the bearers of Gagool's +hammock could scarcely keep pace with us, and its occupant piped out +to us to stop. + +"Walk more slowly, white men," she said, projecting her hideous +shrivelled countenance between the grass curtains, and fixing her +gleaming eyes upon us; "why will ye run to meet the evil that shall +befall you, ye seekers after treasure?" and she laughed that horrible +laugh which always sent a cold shiver down my back, and for a while +quite took the enthusiasm out of us. + +However, on we went, till we saw before us, and between ourselves and +the peak, a vast circular hole with sloping sides, three hundred feet +or more in depth, and quite half a mile round. + +"Can't you guess what this is?" I said to Sir Henry and Good, who were +staring in astonishment at the awful pit before us. + +They shook their heads. + +"Then it is clear that you have never seen the diamond diggings at +Kimberley. You may depend on it that this is Solomon's Diamond Mine. +Look there," I said, pointing to the strata of stiff blue clay which +were yet to be seen among the grass and bushes that clothed the sides +of the pit, "the formation is the same. I'll be bound that if we went +down there we should find 'pipes' of soapy brecciated rock. Look, +too," and I pointed to a series of worn flat slabs of stone that were +placed on a gentle slope below the level of a watercourse which in +some past age had been cut out of the solid rock; "if those are not +tables once used to wash the 'stuff,' I'm a Dutchman." + +At the edge of this vast hole, which was none other than the pit +marked on the old Dom's map, the Great Road branched into two and +circumvented it. In many places, by the way, this surrounding road was +built entirely out of blocks of stone, apparently with the object of +supporting the edges of the pit and preventing falls of reef. Along +this path we pressed, driven by curiosity to see what were the three +towering objects which we could discern from the hither side of the +great gulf. As we drew near we perceived that they were Colossi of +some sort or another, and rightly conjectured that before us sat the +three "Silent Ones" that are held in such awe by the Kukuana people. +But it was not until we were quite close to them that we recognised +the full majesty of these "Silent Ones." + +There, upon huge pedestals of dark rock, sculptured with rude emblems +of the Phallic worship, separated from each other by a distance of +forty paces, and looking down the road which crossed some sixty miles +of plain to Loo, were three colossal seated forms--two male and one +female--each measuring about thirty feet from the crown of its head to +the pedestal. + +The female form, which was nude, was of great though severe beauty, +but unfortunately the features had been injured by centuries of +exposure to the weather. Rising from either side of her head were the +points of a crescent. The two male Colossi, on the contrary, were +draped, and presented a terrifying cast of features, especially the +one to our right, which had the face of a devil. That to our left was +serene in countenance, but the calm upon it seemed dreadful. It was +the calm of that inhuman cruelty, Sir Henry remarked, which the +ancients attributed to beings potent for good, who could yet watch the +sufferings of humanity, if not without rejoicing, at least without +sorrow. These three statues form a most awe-inspiring trinity, as they +sit there in their solitude, and gaze out across the plain for ever. + +Contemplating these "Silent Ones," as the Kukuanas call them, an +intense curiosity again seized us to know whose were the hands which +had shaped them, who it was that had dug the pit and made the road. +Whilst I was gazing and wondering, suddenly it occurred to me--being +familiar with the Old Testament--that Solomon went astray after +strange gods, the names of three of whom I remembered--"Ashtoreth, the +goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh, the god of the Moabites, and +Milcom, the god of the children of Ammon"--and I suggested to my +companions that the figures before us might represent these false and +exploded divinities. + +"Hum," said Sir Henry, who is a scholar, having taken a high degree in +classics at college, "there may be something in that; Ashtoreth of the +Hebrews was the Astarte of the Phoenicians, who were the great traders +of Solomon's time. Astarte, who afterwards became the Aphrodite of the +Greeks, was represented with horns like the half-moon, and there on +the brow of the female figure are distinct horns. Perhaps these +Colossi were designed by some Phoenician official who managed the +mines. Who can say?"[*] + +[*] Compare Milton, "Paradise Lost," Book i.:-- + + "With these in troop + Came Ashtoreth, whom the Phoenicians called + Astarte, Queen of Heaven, with crescent horns; + To whose bright image nightly by the moon + Sidonian virgins paid their vows and songs." + +Before we had finished examining these extraordinary relics of remote +antiquity, Infadoos came up, and having saluted the "Silent Ones" by +lifting his spear, asked us if we intended entering the "Place of +Death" at once, or if we would wait till after we had taken food at +mid-day. If we were ready to go at once, Gagool had announced her +willingness to guide us. As it was not later than eleven o'clock-- +driven to it by a burning curiosity--we announced our intention of +proceeding instantly, and I suggested that, in case we should be +detained in the cave, we should take some food with us. Accordingly +Gagool's litter was brought up, and that lady herself assisted out of +it. Meanwhile Foulata, at my request, stored some "biltong," or dried +game-flesh, together with a couple of gourds of water, in a reed +basket with a hinged cover. Straight in front of us, at a distance of +some fifty paces from the backs of the Colossi, rose a sheer wall of +rock, eighty feet or more in height, that gradually sloped upwards +till it formed the base of the lofty snow-wreathed peak, which soared +into the air three thousand feet above us. As soon as she was clear of +her hammock, Gagool cast one evil grin upon us, and then, leaning on a +stick, hobbled off towards the face of this wall. We followed her till +we came to a narrow portal solidly arched that looked like the opening +of a gallery of a mine. + +Here Gagool was waiting for us, still with that evil grin upon her +horrid face. + +"Now, white men from the Stars," she piped; "great warriors, Incubu, +Bougwan, and Macumazahn the wise, are ye ready? Behold, I am here to +do the bidding of my lord the king, and to show you the store of +bright stones. /Ha! ha! ha!/" + +"We are ready," I said. + +"Good, good! Make strong your hearts to bear what ye shall see. Comest +thou too, Infadoos, thou who didst betray thy master?" + +Infadoos frowned as he answered-- + +"Nay, I come not; it is not for me to enter there. But thou, Gagool, +curb thy tongue, and beware how thou dealest with my lords. At thy +hands will I require them, and if a hair of them be hurt, Gagool, +be'st thou fifty times a witch, thou shalt die. Hearest thou?" + +"I hear Infadoos; I know thee, thou didst ever love big words; when +thou wast a babe I remember thou didst threaten thine own mother. That +was but the other day. But, fear not, fear not, I live only to do the +bidding of the king. I have done the bidding of many kings, Infadoos, +till in the end they did mine. /Ha! ha!/ I go to look upon their faces +once more, and Twala's also! Come on, come on, here is the lamp," and +she drew a large gourd full of oil, and fitted with a rush wick, from +under her fur cloak. + +"Art thou coming, Foulata?" asked Good in his villainous Kitchen +Kukuana, in which he had been improving himself under that young +lady's tuition. + +"I fear, my lord," the girl answered timidly. + +"Then give me the basket." + +"Nay, my lord, whither thou goest there I go also." + +"The deuce you will!" thought I to myself; "that may be rather awkward +if we ever get out of this." + +Without further ado Gagool plunged into the passage, which was wide +enough to admit of two walking abreast, and quite dark. We followed +the sound of her voice as she piped to us to come on, in some fear and +trembling, which was not allayed by the flutter of a sudden rush of +wings. + +"Hullo! what's that?" halloed Good; "somebody hit me in the face." + +"Bats," said I; "on you go." + +When, so far as we could judge, we had gone some fifty paces, we +perceived that the passage was growing faintly light. Another minute, +and we were in perhaps the most wonderful place that the eyes of +living man have beheld. + +Let the reader picture to himself the hall of the vastest cathedral he +ever stood in, windowless indeed, but dimly lighted from above, +presumably by shafts connected with the outer air and driven in the +roof, which arched away a hundred feet above our heads, and he will +get some idea of the size of the enormous cave in which we found +ourselves, with the difference that this cathedral designed by nature +was loftier and wider than any built by man. But its stupendous size +was the least of the wonders of the place, for running in rows adown +its length were gigantic pillars of what looked like ice, but were, in +reality, huge stalactites. It is impossible for me to convey any idea +of the overpowering beauty and grandeur of these pillars of white +spar, some of which were not less than twenty feet in diameter at the +base, and sprang up in lofty and yet delicate beauty sheer to the +distant roof. Others again were in process of formation. On the rock +floor there was in these cases what looked, Sir Henry said, exactly +like a broken column in an old Grecian temple, whilst high above, +depending from the roof, the point of a huge icicle could be dimly +seen. + +Even as we gazed we could hear the process going on, for presently +with a tiny splash a drop of water would fall from the far-off icicle +on to the column below. On some columns the drops only fell once in +two or three minutes, and in these cases it would be an interesting +calculation to discover how long, at that rate of dripping, it would +take to form a pillar, say eighty feet by ten in diameter. That the +process, in at least one instance, was incalculably slow, the +following example will suffice to show. Cut on one of these pillars we +discovered the crude likeness of a mummy, by the head of which sat +what appeared to be the figure of an Egyptian god, doubtless the +handiwork of some old-world labourer in the mine. This work of art was +executed at the natural height at which an idle fellow, be he +Phoenician workman or British cad, is in the habit of trying to +immortalise himself at the expense of nature's masterpieces, namely, +about five feet from the ground. Yet at the time that we saw it, which +/must/ have been nearly three thousand years after the date of the +execution of the carving, the column was only eight feet high, and was +still in process of formation, which gives a rate of growth of a foot +to a thousand years, or an inch and a fraction to a century. This we +knew because, as we were standing by it, we heard a drop of water +fall. + +Sometimes the stalagmites took strange forms, presumably where the +dropping of the water had not always been on the same spot. Thus, one +huge mass, which must have weighed a hundred tons or so, was in the +shape of a pulpit, beautifully fretted over outside with a design that +looked like lace. Others resembled strange beasts, and on the sides of +the cave were fanlike ivory tracings, such as the frost leaves upon a +pane. + +Out of the vast main aisle there opened here and there smaller caves, +exactly, Sir Henry said, as chapels open out of great cathedrals. Some +were large, but one or two--and this is a wonderful instance of how +nature carries out her handiwork by the same unvarying laws, utterly +irrespective of size--were tiny. One little nook, for instance, was no +larger than an unusually big doll's house, and yet it might have been +a model for the whole place, for the water dropped, tiny icicles hung, +and spar columns were forming in just the same way. + +We had not, however, enough time to examine this beautiful cavern so +thoroughly as we should have liked to do, since unfortunately, Gagool +seemed to be indifferent as to stalactites, and only anxious to get +her business over. This annoyed me the more, as I was particularly +anxious to discover, if possible, by what system the light was +admitted into the cave, and whether it was by the hand of man or by +that of nature that this was done; also if the place had been used in +any way in ancient times, as seemed probable. However, we consoled +ourselves with the idea that we would investigate it thoroughly on our +way back, and followed on at the heels of our uncanny guide. + +On she led us, straight to the top of the vast and silent cave, where +we found another doorway, not arched as the first was, but square at +the top, something like the doorways of Egyptian temples. + +"Are ye prepared to enter the Place of Death, white men?" asked +Gagool, evidently with a view to making us feel uncomfortable. + +"Lead on, Macduff," said Good solemnly, trying to look as though he +was not at all alarmed, as indeed we all did except Foulata, who +caught Good by the arm for protection. + +"This is getting rather ghastly," said Sir Henry, peeping into the +dark passageway. "Come on, Quatermain--/seniores priores/. We mustn't +keep the old lady waiting!" and he politely made way for me to lead +the van, for which inwardly I did not bless him. + +/Tap, tap,/ went old Gagool's stick down the passage, as she trotted +along, chuckling hideously; and still overcome by some unaccountable +presentiment of evil, I hung back. + +"Come, get on, old fellow," said Good, "or we shall lose our fair +guide." + +Thus adjured, I started down the passage, and after about twenty paces +found myself in a gloomy apartment some forty feet long, by thirty +broad, and thirty high, which in some past age evidently had been +hollowed, by hand-labour, out of the mountain. This apartment was not +nearly so well lighted as the vast stalactite ante-cave, and at the +first glance all I could discern was a massive stone table running +down its length, with a colossal white figure at its head, and life- +sized white figures all round it. Next I discovered a brown thing, +seated on the table in the centre, and in another moment my eyes grew +accustomed to the light, and I saw what all these things were, and was +tailing out of the place as hard as my legs could carry me. + +I am not a nervous man in a general way, and very little troubled with +superstitions, of which I have lived to see the folly; but I am free +to own that this sight quite upset me, and had it not been that Sir +Henry caught me by the collar and held me, I do honestly believe that +in another five minutes I should have been outside the stalactite +cave, and that a promise of all the diamonds in Kimberley would not +have induced me to enter it again. But he held me tight, so I stopped +because I could not help myself. Next second, however, /his/ eyes +became accustomed to the light, and he let go of me, and began to mop +the perspiration off his forehead. As for Good, he swore feebly, while +Foulata threw her arms round his neck and shrieked. + +Only Gagool chuckled loud and long. + +It /was/ a ghastly sight. There at the end of the long stone table, +holding in his skeleton fingers a great white spear, sat /Death/ +himself, shaped in the form of a colossal human skeleton, fifteen feet +or more in height. High above his head he held the spear, as though in +the act to strike; one bony hand rested on the stone table before him, +in the position a man assumes on rising from his seat, whilst his +frame was bent forward so that the vertebrae of the neck and the +grinning, gleaming skull projected towards us, and fixed its hollow +eye-places upon us, the jaws a little open, as though it were about to +speak. + +"Great heavens!" said I faintly, at last, "what can it be?" + +"And what are /those things/?" asked Good, pointing to the white +company round the table. + +"And what on earth is /that thing/?" said Sir Henry, pointing to the +brown creature seated on the table. + +"/Hee! hee! hee!/" laughed Gagool. "To those who enter the Hall of the +Dead, evil comes. /Hee! hee! hee! ha! ha!/" + +"Come, Incubu, brave in battle, come and see him thou slewest;" and +the old creature caught Curtis' coat in her skinny fingers, and led +him away towards the table. We followed. + +Presently she stopped and pointed at the brown object seated on the +table. Sir Henry looked, and started back with an exclamation; and no +wonder, for there, quite naked, the head which Curtis' battle-axe had +shorn from the body resting on its knees, was the gaunt corpse of +Twala, the last king of the Kukuanas. Yes, there, the head perched +upon the knees, it sat in all its ugliness, the vertebrae projecting a +full inch above the level of the shrunken flesh of the neck, for all +the world like a black double of Hamilton Tighe.[*] Over the surface +of the corpse there was gathered a thin glassy film, that made its +appearance yet more appalling, for which we were, at the moment, quite +unable to account, till presently we observed that from the roof of +the chamber the water fell steadily, /drip! drop! drip!/ on to the +neck of the corpse, whence it ran down over the entire surface, and +finally escaped into the rock through a tiny hole in the table. Then I +guessed what the film was--/Twala's body was being transformed into a +stalactite./ + +[*] "Now haste ye, my handmaidens, haste and see + How he sits there and glowers with his head on his knee." + +A look at the white forms seated on the stone bench which ran round +that ghastly board confirmed this view. They were human bodies indeed, +or rather they had been human; now they were /stalactites/. This was +the way in which the Kukuana people had from time immemorial preserved +their royal dead. They petrified them. What the exact system might be, +if there was any, beyond the placing of them for a long period of +years under the drip, I never discovered, but there they sat, iced +over and preserved for ever by the siliceous fluid. + +Anything more awe-inspiring than the spectacle of this long line of +departed royalties (there were twenty-seven of them, the last being +Ignosi's father), wrapped, each of them, in a shroud of ice-like spar, +through which the features could be dimly discovered, and seated round +that inhospitable board, with Death himself for a host, it is +impossible to imagine. That the practice of thus preserving their +kings must have been an ancient one is evident from the number, which, +allowing for an average reign of fifteen years, supposing that every +king who reigned was placed here--an improbable thing, as some are +sure to have perished in battle far from home--would fix the date of +its commencement at four and a quarter centuries back. + +But the colossal Death, who sits at the head of the board, is far +older than that, and, unless I am much mistaken, owes his origin to +the same artist who designed the three Colossi. He is hewn out of a +single stalactite, and, looked at as a work of art, is most admirably +conceived and executed. Good, who understands such things, declared +that, so far as he could see, the anatomical design of the skeleton is +perfect down to the smallest bones. + +My own idea is, that this terrific object was a freak of fancy on the +part of some old-world sculptor, and that its presence had suggested +to the Kukuanas the idea of placing their royal dead under its awful +presidency. Or perhaps it was set there to frighten away any marauders +who might have designs upon the treasure chamber beyond. I cannot say. +All I can do is to describe it as it is, and the reader must form his +own conclusion. + +Such, at any rate, was the White Death and such were the White Dead! + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +SOLOMON'S TREASURE CHAMBER + +While we were engaged in recovering from our fright, and in examining +the grisly wonders of the Place of Death, Gagool had been differently +occupied. Somehow or other--for she was marvellously active when she +chose--she had scrambled on to the great table, and made her way to +where our departed friend Twala was placed, under the drip, to see, +suggested Good, how he was "pickling," or for some dark purpose of her +own. Then, after bending down to kiss his icy lips as though in +affectionate greeting, she hobbled back, stopping now and again to +address the remark, the tenor of which I could not catch, to one or +other of the shrouded forms, just as you or I might welcome an old +acquaintance. Having gone through this mysterious and horrible +ceremony, she squatted herself down on the table immediately under the +White Death, and began, so far as I could make out, to offer up +prayers. The spectacle of this wicked creature pouring out +supplications, evil ones no doubt, to the arch enemy of mankind, was +so uncanny that it caused us to hasten our inspection. + +"Now, Gagool," said I, in a low voice--somehow one did not dare to +speak above a whisper in that place--"lead us to the chamber." + +The old witch promptly scrambled down from the table. + +"My lords are not afraid?" she said, leering up into my face. + +"Lead on." + +"Good, my lords;" and she hobbled round to the back of the great +Death. "Here is the chamber; let my lords light the lamp, and enter," +and she placed the gourd full of oil upon the floor, and leaned +herself against the side of the cave. I took out a match, of which we +had still a few in a box, and lit a rush wick, and then looked for the +doorway, but there was nothing before us except the solid rock. Gagool +grinned. "The way is there, my lords. /Ha! ha! ha!/" + +"Do not jest with us," I said sternly. + +"I jest not, my lords. See!" and she pointed at the rock. + +As she did so, on holding up the lamp we perceived that a mass of +stone was rising slowly from the floor and vanishing into the rock +above, where doubtless there is a cavity prepared to receive it. The +mass was of the width of a good-sized door, about ten feet high and +not less than five feet thick. It must have weighed at least twenty or +thirty tons, and was clearly moved upon some simple balance principle +of counter-weights, probably the same as that by which the opening and +shutting of an ordinary modern window is arranged. How the principle +was set in motion, of course none of us saw; Gagool was careful to +avoid this; but I have little doubt that there was some very simple +lever, which was moved ever so little by pressure at a secret spot, +thereby throwing additional weight on to the hidden counter-balances, +and causing the monolith to be lifted from the ground. + +Very slowly and gently the great stone raised itself, till at last it +had vanished altogether, and a dark hole presented itself to us in the +place which the door had filled. + +Our excitement was so intense, as we saw the way to Solomon's treasure +chamber thrown open at last, that I for one began to tremble and +shake. Would it prove a hoax after all, I wondered, or was old Da +Silvestra right? Were there vast hoards of wealth hidden in that dark +place, hoards which would make us the richest men in the whole world? +We should know in a minute or two. + +"Enter, white men from the Stars," said Gagool, advancing into the +doorway; "but first hear your servant, Gagool the old. The bright +stones that ye will see were dug out of the pit over which the Silent +Ones are set, and stored here, I know not by whom, for that was done +longer ago than even I remember. But once has this place been entered +since the time that those who hid the stones departed in haste, +leaving them behind. The report of the treasure went down indeed among +the people who lived in the country from age to age, but none knew +where the chamber was, nor the secret of the door. But it happened +that a white man reached this country from over the mountains-- +perchance he too came 'from the Stars'--and was well received by the +king of that day. He it is who sits yonder," and she pointed to the +fifth king at the table of the Dead. "And it came to pass that he and +a woman of the country who was with him journeyed to this place, and +that by chance the woman learnt the secret of the door--a thousand +years might ye search, but ye should never find that secret. Then the +white man entered with the woman, and found the stones, and filled +with stones the skin of a small goat, which the woman had with her to +hold food. And as he was going from the chamber he took up one more +stone, a large one, and held it in his hand." + +Here she paused. + +"Well," I asked, breathless with interest as we all were, "what +happened to Da Silvestra?" + +The old hag started at the mention of the name. + +"How knowest thou the dead man's name?" she asked sharply; and then, +without waiting for an answer, went on-- + +"None can tell what happened; but it came about that the white man was +frightened, for he flung down the goat-skin, with the stones, and fled +out with only the one stone in his hand, and that the king took, and +it is the stone which thou, Macumazahn, didst take from Twala's brow." + +"Have none entered here since?" I asked, peering again down the dark +passage. + +"None, my lords. Only the secret of the door has been kept, and every +king has opened it, though he has not entered. There is a saying, that +those who enter there will die within a moon, even as the white man +died in the cave upon the mountain, where ye found him, Macumazahn, +and therefore the kings do not enter. /Ha! ha!/ mine are true words." + +Our eyes met as she said it, and I turned sick and cold. How did the +old hag know all these things? + +"Enter, my lords. If I speak truth, the goat-skin with the stones will +lie upon the floor; and if there is truth as to whether it is death to +enter here, that ye will learn afterwards. /Ha! ha! ha!/" and she +hobbled through the doorway, bearing the light with her; but I confess +that once more I hesitated about following. + +"Oh, confound it all!" said Good; "here goes. I am not going to be +frightened by that old devil;" and followed by Foulata, who, however, +evidently did not at all like the business, for she was shivering with +fear, he plunged into the passage after Gagool--an example which we +quickly followed. + +A few yards down the passage, in the narrow way hewn out of the living +rock, Gagool had paused, and was waiting for us. + +"See, my lords," she said, holding the light before her, "those who +stored the treasure here fled in haste, and bethought them to guard +against any who should find the secret of the door, but had not the +time," and she pointed to large square blocks of stone, which, to the +height of two courses (about two feet three), had been placed across +the passage with a view to walling it up. Along the side of the +passage were similar blocks ready for use, and, most curious of all, a +heap of mortar and a couple of trowels, which tools, so far as we had +time to examine them, appeared to be of a similar shape and make to +those used by workmen to this day. + +Here Foulata, who had been in a state of great fear and agitation +throughout, said that she felt faint and could go no farther, but +would wait there. Accordingly we set her down on the unfinished wall, +placing the basket of provisions by her side, and left her to recover. + +Following the passage for about fifteen paces farther, we came +suddenly to an elaborately painted wooden door. It was standing wide +open. Whoever was last there had either not found the time to shut it, +or had forgotten to do so. + +/Across the threshold of this door lay a skin bag, formed of a goat- +skin, that appeared to be full of pebbles./ + +"/Hee! hee!/ white men," sniggered Gagool, as the light from the lamp +fell upon it. "What did I tell you, that the white man who came here +fled in haste, and dropped the woman's bag--behold it! Look within +also and ye will find a water-gourd amongst the stones." + +Good stooped down and lifted it. It was heavy and jingled. + +"By Jove! I believe it's full of diamonds," he said, in an awed +whisper; and, indeed, the idea of a small goat-skin full of diamonds +is enough to awe anybody. + +"Go on," said Sir Henry impatiently. "Here, old lady, give me the +lamp," and taking it from Gagool's hand, he stepped through the +doorway and held it high above his head. + +We pressed in after him, forgetful for the moment of the bag of +diamonds, and found ourselves in King Solomon's treasure chamber. + +At first, all that the somewhat faint light given by the lamp revealed +was a room hewn out of the living rock, and apparently not more than +ten feet square. Next there came into sight, stored one on the other +to the arch of the roof, a splendid collection of elephant-tusks. How +many of them there were we did not know, for of course we could not +see to what depth they went back, but there could not have been less +than the ends of four or five hundred tusks of the first quality +visible to our eyes. There, alone, was enough ivory to make a man +wealthy for life. Perhaps, I thought, it was from this very store that +Solomon drew the raw material for his "great throne of ivory," of +which "there was not the like made in any kingdom." + +On the opposite side of the chamber were about a score of wooden +boxes, something like Martini-Henry ammunition boxes, only rather +larger, and painted red. + +"There are the diamonds," cried I; "bring the light." + +Sir Henry did so, holding it close to the top box, of which the lid, +rendered rotten by time even in that dry place, appeared to have been +smashed in, probably by Da Silvestra himself. Pushing my hand through +the hole in the lid I drew it out full, not of diamonds, but of gold +pieces, of a shape that none of us had seen before, and with what +looked like Hebrew characters stamped upon them. + +"Ah!" I said, replacing the coin, "we shan't go back empty-handed, +anyhow. There must be a couple of thousand pieces in each box, and +there are eighteen boxes. I suppose this was the money to pay the +workmen and merchants." + +"Well," put in Good, "I think that is the lot; I don't see any +diamonds, unless the old Portuguese put them all into his bag." + +"Let my lords look yonder where it is darkest, if they would find the +stones," said Gagool, interpreting our looks. "There my lords will +find a nook, and three stone chests in the nook, two sealed and one +open." + +Before translating this to Sir Henry, who carried the light, I could +not resist asking how she knew these things, if no one had entered the +place since the white man, generations ago. + +"Ah, Macumazahn, the watcher by night," was the mocking answer, "ye +who dwell in the stars, do ye not know that some live long, and that +some have eyes which can see through rock? /Ha! ha! ha!/" + +"Look in that corner, Curtis," I said, indicating the spot Gagool had +pointed out. + +"Hullo, you fellows," he cried, "here's a recess. Great heavens! see +here." + +We hurried up to where he was standing in a nook, shaped something +like a small bow window. Against the wall of this recess were placed +three stone chests, each about two feet square. Two were fitted with +stone lids, the lid of the third rested against the side of the chest, +which was open. + +"/See!/" he repeated hoarsely, holding the lamp over the open chest. +We looked, and for a moment could make nothing out, on account of a +silvery sheen which dazzled us. When our eyes grew used to it we saw +that the chest was three-parts full of uncut diamonds, most of them of +considerable size. Stooping, I picked some up. Yes, there was no doubt +of it, there was the unmistakable soapy feel about them. + +I fairly gasped as I dropped them. + +"We are the richest men in the whole world," I said. "Monte Christo +was a fool to us." + +"We shall flood the market with diamonds," said Good. + +"Got to get them there first," suggested Sir Henry. + +We stood still with pale faces and stared at each other, the lantern +in the middle and the glimmering gems below, as though we were +conspirators about to commit a crime, instead of being, as we thought, +the most fortunate men on earth. + +"/Hee! hee! hee!/" cackled old Gagool behind us, as she flitted about +like a vampire bat. "There are the bright stones ye love, white men, +as many as ye will; take them, run them through your fingers, /eat/ of +them, /hee! hee! drink/ of them, /ha! ha!/" + +At that moment there was something so ridiculous to my mind at the +idea of eating and drinking diamonds, that I began to laugh +outrageously, an example which the others followed, without knowing +why. There we stood and shrieked with laughter over the gems that were +ours, which had been found for /us/ thousands of years ago by the +patient delvers in the great hole yonder, and stored for /us/ by +Solomon's long-dead overseer, whose name, perchance, was written in +the characters stamped on the faded wax that yet adhered to the lids +of the chest. Solomon never got them, nor David, or Da Silvestra, nor +anybody else. /We/ had got them: there before us were millions of +pounds' worth of diamonds, and thousands of pounds' worth of gold and +ivory only waiting to be taken away. + +Suddenly the fit passed off, and we stopped laughing. + +"Open the other chests, white men," croaked Gagool, "there are surely +more therein. Take your fill, white lords! /Ha! ha!/ take your fill." + +Thus adjured, we set to work to pull up the stone lids on the other +two, first--not without a feeling of sacrilege--breaking the seals +that fastened them. + +Hoorah! they were full too, full to the brim; at least, the second one +was; no wretched burglarious Da Silvestra had been filling goat-skins +out of that. As for the third chest, it was only about a fourth full, +but the stones were all picked ones; none less than twenty carats, and +some of them as large as pigeon-eggs. A good many of these bigger +ones, however, we could see by holding them up to the light, were a +little yellow, "off coloured," as they call it at Kimberley. + +What we did /not/ see, however, was the look of fearful malevolence +that old Gagool favoured us with as she crept, crept like a snake, out +of the treasure chamber and down the passage towards the door of solid +rock. + +***** + +Hark! Cry upon cry comes ringing up the vaulted path. It is Foulata's +voice! + +"/Oh, Bougwan! help! help! the stone falls!/" + +"Leave go, girl! Then--" + +"/Help! help! she has stabbed me!/" + +By now we are running down the passage, and this is what the light +from the lamp shows us. The door of the rock is closing down slowly; +it is not three feet from the floor. Near it struggle Foulata and +Gagool. The red blood of the former runs to her knee, but still the +brave girl holds the old witch, who fights like a wild cat. Ah! she is +free! Foulata falls, and Gagool throws herself on the ground, to twist +like a snake through the crack of the closing stone. She is under--ah! +god! too late! too late! The stone nips her, and she yells in agony. +Down, down it comes, all the thirty tons of it, slowly pressing her +old body against the rock below. Shriek upon shriek, such as we have +never heard, then a long sickening /crunch/, and the door was shut +just as, rushing down the passage, we hurled ourselves against it. + +It was all done in four seconds. + +Then we turned to Foulata. The poor girl was stabbed in the body, and +I saw that she could not live long. + +"Ah! Bougwan, I die!" gasped the beautiful creature. "She crept out-- +Gagool; I did not see her, I was faint--and the door began to fall; +then she came back, and was looking up the path--I saw her come in +through the slowly falling door, and caught her and held her, and she +stabbed me, and /I die/, Bougwan!" + +"Poor girl! poor girl!" Good cried in his distress; and then, as he +could do nothing else, he fell to kissing her. + +"Bougwan," she said, after a pause, "is Macumazahn there? It grows so +dark, I cannot see." + +"Here I am, Foulata." + +"Macumazahn, be my tongue for a moment, I pray thee, for Bougwan +cannot understand me, and before I go into the darkness I would speak +to him a word." + +"Say on, Foulata, I will render it." + +"Say to my lord, Bougwan, that--I love him, and that I am glad to die +because I know that he cannot cumber his life with such as I am, for +the sun may not mate with the darkness, nor the white with the black. + +"Say that, since I saw him, at times I have felt as though there were +a bird in my bosom, which would one day fly hence and sing elsewhere. +Even now, though I cannot lift my hand, and my brain grows cold, I do +not feel as though my heart were dying; it is so full of love that it +could live ten thousand years, and yet be young. Say that if I live +again, mayhap I shall see him in the Stars, and that--I will search +them all, though perchance there I should still be black and he would +--still be white. Say--nay, Macumazahn, say no more, save that I love +--Oh, hold me closer, Bougwan, I cannot feel thine arms--/oh! oh!/" + +"She is dead--she is dead!" muttered Good, rising in grief, the tears +running down his honest face. + +"You need not let that trouble you, old fellow," said Sir Henry. + +"Eh!" exclaimed Good; "what do you mean?" + +"I mean that you will soon be in a position to join her. /Man, don't +you see that we are buried alive?/" + +Until Sir Henry uttered these words I do not think that the full +horror of what had happened had come home to us, preoccupied as we +were with the sight of poor Foulata's end. But now we understood. The +ponderous mass of rock had closed, probably for ever, for the only +brain which knew its secret was crushed to powder beneath its weight. +This was a door that none could hope to force with anything short of +dynamite in large quantities. And we were on the wrong side! + +For a few minutes we stood horrified, there over the corpse of +Foulata. All the manhood seemed to have gone out of us. The first +shock of this idea of the slow and miserable end that awaited us was +overpowering. We saw it all now; that fiend Gagool had planned this +snare for us from the first. + +It would have been just the jest that her evil mind would have +rejoiced in, the idea of the three white men, whom, for some reason of +her own, she had always hated, slowly perishing of thirst and hunger +in the company of the treasure they had coveted. Now I saw the point +of that sneer of hers about eating and drinking the diamonds. Probably +somebody had tried to serve the poor old Dom in the same way, when he +abandoned the skin full of jewels. + +"This will never do," said Sir Henry hoarsely; "the lamp will soon go +out. Let us see if we can't find the spring that works the rock." + +We sprang forward with desperate energy, and, standing in a bloody +ooze, began to feel up and down the door and the sides of the passage. +But no knob or spring could we discover. + +"Depend on it," I said, "it does not work from the inside; if it did +Gagool would not have risked trying to crawl underneath the stone. It +was the knowledge of this that made her try to escape at all hazards, +curse her." + +"At all events," said Sir Henry, with a hard little laugh, +"retribution was swift; hers was almost as awful an end as ours is +likely to be. We can do nothing with the door; let us go back to the +treasure room." + +We turned and went, and as we passed it I perceived by the unfinished +wall across the passage the basket of food which poor Foulata had +carried. I took it up, and brought it with me to the accursed treasure +chamber that was to be our grave. Then we returned and reverently bore +in Foulata's corpse, laying it on the floor by the boxes of coin. + +Next we seated ourselves, leaning our backs against the three stone +chests which contained the priceless treasure. + +"Let us divide the food," said Sir Henry, "so as to make it last as +long as possible." Accordingly we did so. It would, we reckoned, make +four infinitesimally small meals for each of us, enough, say, to +support life for a couple of days. Besides the "biltong," or dried +game-flesh, there were two gourds of water, each of which held not +more than a quart. + +"Now," said Sir Henry grimly, "let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we +die." + +We each ate a small portion of the "biltong," and drank a sip of +water. Needless to say, we had but little appetite, though we were +sadly in need of food, and felt better after swallowing it. Then we +got up and made a systematic examination of the walls of our prison- +house, in the faint hope of finding some means of exit, sounding them +and the floor carefully. + +There was none. It was not probable that there would be any to a +treasure chamber. + +The lamp began to burn dim. The fat was nearly exhausted. + +"Quatermain," said Sir Henry, "what is the time--your watch goes?" + +I drew it out, and looked at it. It was six o'clock; we had entered +the cave at eleven. + +"Infadoos will miss us," I suggested. "If we do not return to-night he +will search for us in the morning, Curtis." + +"He may search in vain. He does not know the secret of the door, nor +even where it is. No living person knew it yesterday, except Gagool. +To-day no one knows it. Even if he found the door he could not break +it down. All the Kukuana army could not break through five feet of +living rock. My friends, I see nothing for it but to bow ourselves to +the will of the Almighty. The search for treasure has brought many to +a bad end; we shall go to swell their number." + +The lamp grew dimmer yet. + +Presently it flared up and showed the whole scene in strong relief, +the great mass of white tusks, the boxes of gold, the corpse of the +poor Foulata stretched before them, the goat-skin full of treasure, +the dim glimmer of the diamonds, and the wild, wan faces of us three +white men seated there awaiting death by starvation. + + + +Then the flame sank and expired. + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +WE ABANDON HOPE + +I can give no adequate description of the horrors of the night which +followed. Mercifully they were to some extent mitigated by sleep, for +even in such a position as ours wearied nature will sometimes assert +itself. But I, at any rate, found it impossible to sleep much. Putting +aside the terrifying thought of our impending doom--for the bravest +man on earth might well quail from such a fate as awaited us, and I +never made any pretensions to be brave--the /silence/ itself was too +great to allow of it. Reader, you may have lain awake at night and +thought the quiet oppressive, but I say with confidence that you can +have no idea what a vivid, tangible thing is perfect stillness. On the +surface of the earth there is always some sound or motion, and though +it may in itself be imperceptible, yet it deadens the sharp edge of +absolute silence. But here there was none. We were buried in the +bowels of a huge snow-clad peak. Thousands of feet above us the fresh +air rushed over the white snow, but no sound of it reached us. We were +separated by a long tunnel and five feet of rock even from the awful +chamber of the Dead; and the dead make no noise. Did we not know it +who lay by poor Foulata's side? The crashing of all the artillery of +earth and heaven could not have come to our ears in our living tomb. +We were cut off from every echo of the world--we were as men already +in the grave. + +Then the irony of the situation forced itself upon me. There around us +lay treasures enough to pay off a moderate national debt, or to build +a fleet of ironclads, and yet we would have bartered them all gladly +for the faintest chance of escape. Soon, doubtless, we should be +rejoiced to exchange them for a bit of food or a cup of water, and, +after that, even for the privilege of a speedy close to our +sufferings. Truly wealth, which men spend their lives in acquiring, is +a valueless thing at the last. + +And so the night wore on. + +"Good," said Sir Henry's voice at last, and it sounded awful in the +intense stillness, "how many matches have you in the box?" + +"Eight, Curtis." + +"Strike one and let us see the time." + +He did so, and in contrast to the dense darkness the flame nearly +blinded us. It was five o'clock by my watch. The beautiful dawn was +now blushing on the snow-wreaths far over our heads, and the breeze +would be stirring the night mists in the hollows. + +"We had better eat something and keep up our strength," I suggested. + +"What is the good of eating?" answered Good; "the sooner we die and +get it over the better." + +"While there is life there is hope," said Sir Henry. + +Accordingly we ate and sipped some water, and another period of time +elapsed. Then Sir Henry suggested that it might be well to get as near +the door as possible and halloa, on the faint chance of somebody +catching a sound outside. Accordingly Good, who, from long practice at +sea, has a fine piercing note, groped his way down the passage and set +to work. I must say that he made a most diabolical noise. I never +heard such yells; but it might have been a mosquito buzzing for all +the effect they produced. + +After a while he gave it up and came back very thirsty, and had to +drink. Then we stopped yelling, as it encroached on the supply of +water. + +So we sat down once more against the chests of useless diamonds in +that dreadful inaction which was one of the hardest circumstances of +our fate; and I am bound to say that, for my part, I gave way in +despair. Laying my head against Sir Henry's broad shoulder I burst +into tears; and I think that I heard Good gulping away on the other +side, and swearing hoarsely at himself for doing so. + +Ah, how good and brave that great man was! Had we been two frightened +children, and he our nurse, he could not have treated us more +tenderly. Forgetting his own share of miseries, he did all he could to +soothe our broken nerves, telling stories of men who had been in +somewhat similar circumstances, and miraculously escaped; and when +these failed to cheer us, pointing out how, after all, it was only +anticipating an end which must come to us all, that it would soon be +over, and that death from exhaustion was a merciful one (which is not +true). Then, in a diffident sort of way, as once before I had heard +him do, he suggested that we should throw ourselves on the mercy of a +higher Power, which for my part I did with great vigour. + +His is a beautiful character, very quiet, but very strong. + +And so somehow the day went as the night had gone, if, indeed, one can +use these terms where all was densest night, and when I lit a match to +see the time it was seven o'clock. + +Once more we ate and drank, and as we did so an idea occurred to me. + +"How is it," said I, "that the air in this place keeps fresh? It is +thick and heavy, but it is perfectly fresh." + +"Great heavens!" said Good, starting up, "I never thought of that. It +can't come through the stone door, for it's air-tight, if ever a door +was. It must come from somewhere. It there were no current of air in +the place we should have been stifled or poisoned when we first came +in. Let us have a look." + +It was wonderful what a change this mere spark of hope wrought in us. +In a moment we were all three groping about on our hands and knees, +feeling for the slightest indication of a draught. Presently my ardour +received a check. I put my hand on something cold. It was dead +Foulata's face. + +For an hour or more we went on feeling about, till at last Sir Henry +and I gave it up in despair, having been considerably hurt by +constantly knocking our heads against tusks, chests, and the sides of +the chamber. But Good still persevered, saying, with an approach to +cheerfulness, that it was better than doing nothing. + +"I say, you fellows," he said presently, in a constrained sort of +voice, "come here." + +Needless to say we scrambled towards him quickly enough. + +"Quatermain, put your hand here where mine is. Now, do you feel +anything?" + +"I /think/ I feel air coming up." + +"Now listen." He rose and stamped upon the place, and a flame of hope +shot up in our hearts. /It rang hollow./ + +With trembling hands I lit a match. I had only three left, and we saw +that we were in the angle of the far corner of the chamber, a fact +that accounted for our not having noticed the hollow sound of the +place during our former exhaustive examination. As the match burnt we +scrutinised the spot. There was a join in the solid rock floor, and, +great heavens! there, let in level with the rock, was a stone ring. We +said no word, we were too excited, and our hearts beat too wildly with +hope to allow us to speak. Good had a knife, at the back of which was +one of those hooks that are made to extract stones from horses' hoofs. +He opened it, and scratched round the ring with it. Finally he worked +it under, and levered away gently for fear of breaking the hook. The +ring began to move. Being of stone it had not rusted fast in all the +centuries it had lain there, as would have been the case had it been +of iron. Presently it was upright. Then he thrust his hands into it +and tugged with all his force, but nothing budged. + +"Let me try," I said impatiently, for the situation of the stone, +right in the angle of the corner, was such that it was impossible for +two to pull at once. I took hold and strained away, but no results. + +Then Sir Henry tried and failed. + +Taking the hook again, Good scratched all round the crack where we +felt the air coming up. + +"Now, Curtis," he said, "tackle on, and put your back into it; you are +as strong as two. Stop," and he took off a stout black silk +handkerchief, which, true to his habits of neatness, he still wore, +and ran it through the ring. "Quatermain, get Curtis round the middle +and pull for dear life when I give the word. /Now./" + +Sir Henry put out all his enormous strength, and Good and I did the +same, with such power as nature had given us. + +"Heave! heave! it's giving," gasped Sir Henry; and I heard the muscles +of his great back cracking. Suddenly there was a grating sound, then a +rush of air, and we were all on our backs on the floor with a heavy +flag-stone upon the top of us. Sir Henry's strength had done it, and +never did muscular power stand a man in better stead. + +"Light a match, Quatermain," he said, so soon as we had picked +ourselves up and got our breath; "carefully, now." + +I did so, and there before us, Heaven be praised! was the /first step +of a stone stair./ + +"Now what is to be done?" asked Good. + +"Follow the stair, of course, and trust to Providence." + +"Stop!" said Sir Henry; "Quatermain, get the bit of biltong and the +water that are left; we may want them." + +I went, creeping back to our place by the chests for that purpose, and +as I was coming away an idea struck me. We had not thought much of the +diamonds for the last twenty-four hours or so; indeed, the very idea +of diamonds was nauseous, seeing what they had entailed upon us; but, +reflected I, I may as well pocket some in case we ever should get out +of this ghastly hole. So I just put my fist into the first chest and +filled all the available pockets of my old shooting-coat and trousers, +topping up--this was a happy thought--with a few handfuls of big ones +from the third chest. Also, by an afterthought, I stuffed Foulata's +basket, which, except for one water-gourd and a little biltong, was +empty now, with great quantities of the stones. + +"I say, you fellows," I sang out, "won't you take some diamonds with +you? I've filled my pockets and the basket." + +"Oh, come on, Quatermain! and hang the diamonds!" said Sir Henry. "I +hope that I may never see another." + +As for Good, he made no answer. He was, I think, taking his last +farewell of all that was left of the poor girl who had loved him so +well. And curious as it may seem to you, my reader, sitting at home at +ease and reflecting on the vast, indeed the immeasurable, wealth which +we were thus abandoning, I can assure you that if you had passed some +twenty-eight hours with next to nothing to eat and drink in that +place, you would not have cared to cumber yourself with diamonds +whilst plunging down into the unknown bowels of the earth, in the wild +hope of escape from an agonising death. If from the habits of a +lifetime, it had not become a sort of second nature with me never to +leave anything worth having behind if there was the slightest chance +of my being able to carry it away, I am sure that I should not have +bothered to fill my pockets and that basket. + +"Come on, Quatermain," repeated Sir Henry, who was already standing on +the first step of the stone stair. "Steady, I will go first." + +"Mind where you put your feet, there may be some awful hole +underneath," I answered. + +"Much more likely to be another room," said Sir Henry, while he +descended slowly, counting the steps as he went. + +When he got to "fifteen" he stopped. "Here's the bottom," he said. +"Thank goodness! I think it's a passage. Follow me down." + +Good went next, and I came last, carrying the basket, and on reaching +the bottom lit one of the two remaining matches. By its light we could +just see that we were standing in a narrow tunnel, which ran right and +left at right angles to the staircase we had descended. Before we +could make out any more, the match burnt my fingers and went out. Then +arose the delicate question of which way to go. Of course, it was +impossible to know what the tunnel was, or where it led to, and yet to +turn one way might lead us to safety, and the other to destruction. We +were utterly perplexed, till suddenly it struck Good that when I had +lit the match the draught of the passage blew the flame to the left. + +"Let us go against the draught," he said; "air draws inwards, not +outwards." + +We took this suggestion, and feeling along the wall with our hands, +whilst trying the ground before us at every step, we departed from +that accursed treasure chamber on our terrible quest for life. If ever +it should be entered again by living man, which I do not think +probable, he will find tokens of our visit in the open chests of +jewels, the empty lamp, and the white bones of poor Foulata. + +When we had groped our way for about a quarter of an hour along the +passage, suddenly it took a sharp turn, or else was bisected by +another, which we followed, only in course of time to be led into a +third. And so it went on for some hours. We seemed to be in a stone +labyrinth that led nowhere. What all these passages are, of course I +cannot say, but we thought that they must be the ancient workings of a +mine, of which the various shafts and adits travelled hither and +thither as the ore led them. This is the only way in which we could +account for such a multitude of galleries. + +At length we halted, thoroughly worn out with fatigue and with that +hope deferred which maketh the heart sick, and ate up our poor +remaining piece of biltong and drank our last sup of water, for our +throats were like lime-kilns. It seemed to us that we had escaped +Death in the darkness of the treasure chamber only to meet him in the +darkness of the tunnels. + +As we stood, once more utterly depressed, I thought that I caught a +sound, to which I called the attention of the others. It was very +faint and very far off, but it /was/ a sound, a faint, murmuring +sound, for the others heard it too, and no words can describe the +blessedness of it after all those hours of utter, awful stillness. + +"By heaven! it's running water," said Good. "Come on." + +Off we started again in the direction from which the faint murmur +seemed to come, groping our way as before along the rocky walls. I +remember that I laid down the basket full of diamonds, wishing to be +rid of its weight, but on second thoughts took it up again. One might +as well die rich as poor, I reflected. As we went the sound became +more and more audible, till at last it seemed quite loud in the quiet. +On, yet on; now we could distinctly make out the unmistakable swirl of +rushing water. And yet how could there be running water in the bowels +of the earth? Now we were quite near it, and Good, who was leading, +swore that he could smell it. + +"Go gently, Good," said Sir Henry, "we must be close." /Splash!/ and a +cry from Good. + +He had fallen in. + +"Good! Good! where are you?" we shouted, in terrified distress. To our +intense relief an answer came back in a choky voice. + +"All right; I've got hold of a rock. Strike a light to show me where +you are." + +Hastily I lit the last remaining match. Its faint gleam discovered to +us a dark mass of water running at our feet. How wide it was we could +not see, but there, some way out, was the dark form of our companion +hanging on to a projecting rock. + +"Stand clear to catch me," sung out Good. "I must swim for it." + +Then we heard a splash, and a great struggle. Another minute and he +had grabbed at and caught Sir Henry's outstretched hand, and we had +pulled him up high and dry into the tunnel. + +"My word!" he said, between his gasps, "that was touch and go. If I +hadn't managed to catch that rock, and known how to swim, I should +have been done. It runs like a mill-race, and I could feel no bottom." + +We dared not follow the banks of the subterranean river for fear lest +we should fall into it again in the darkness. So after Good had rested +a while, and we had drunk our fill of the water, which was sweet and +fresh, and washed our faces, that needed it sadly, as well as we +could, we started from the banks of this African Styx, and began to +retrace our steps along the tunnel, Good dripping unpleasantly in +front of us. At length we came to another gallery leading to our +right. + +"We may as well take it," said Sir Henry wearily; "all roads are alike +here; we can only go on till we drop." + +Slowly, for a long, long while, we stumbled, utterly exhausted, along +this new tunnel, Sir Henry now leading the way. Again I thought of +abandoning that basket, but did not. + +Suddenly he stopped, and we bumped up against him. + +"Look!" he whispered, "is my brain going, or is that light?" + +We stared with all our eyes, and there, yes, there, far ahead of us, +was a faint, glimmering spot, no larger than a cottage window pane. It +was so faint that I doubt if any eyes, except those which, like ours, +had for days seen nothing but blackness, could have perceived it at +all. + +With a gasp of hope we pushed on. In five minutes there was no longer +any doubt; it /was/ a patch of faint light. A minute more and a breath +of real live air was fanning us. On we struggled. All at once the +tunnel narrowed. Sir Henry went on his knees. Smaller yet it grew, +till it was only the size of a large fox's earth--it was /earth/ now, +mind you; the rock had ceased. + +A squeeze, a struggle, and Sir Henry was out, and so was Good, and so +was I, dragging Foulata's basket after me; and there above us were the +blessed stars, and in our nostrils was the sweet air. Then suddenly +something gave, and we were all rolling over and over and over through +grass and bushes and soft, wet soil. + +The basket caught in something and I stopped. Sitting up I halloed +lustily. An answering shout came from below, where Sir Henry's wild +career had been checked by some level ground. I scrambled to him, and +found him unhurt, though breathless. Then we looked for Good. A little +way off we discovered him also, hammed in a forked root. He was a good +deal knocked about, but soon came to himself. + +We sat down together, there on the grass, and the revulsion of feeling +was so great that really I think we cried with joy. We had escaped +from that awful dungeon, which was so near to becoming our grave. +Surely some merciful Power guided our footsteps to the jackal hole, +for that is what it must have been, at the termination of the tunnel. +And see, yonder on the mountains the dawn we had never thought to look +upon again was blushing rosy red. + +Presently the grey light stole down the slopes, and we saw that we +were at the bottom, or rather, nearly at the bottom, of the vast pit +in front of the entrance to the cave. Now we could make out the dim +forms of the three Colossi who sat upon its verge. Doubtless those +awful passages, along which we had wandered the livelong night, had +been originally in some way connected with the great diamond mine. As +for the subterranean river in the bowels of the mountain, Heaven only +knows what it is, or whence it flows, or whither it goes. I, for one, +have no anxiety to trace its course. + +Lighter it grew, and lighter yet. We could see each other now, and +such a spectacle as we presented I have never set eyes on before or +since. Gaunt-cheeked, hollow-eyed wretches, smeared all over with dust +and mud, bruised, bleeding, the long fear of imminent death yet +written on our countenances, we were, indeed, a sight to frighten the +daylight. And yet it is a solemn fact that Good's eye-glass was still +fixed in Good's eye. I doubt whether he had ever taken it out at all. +Neither the darkness, nor the plunge in the subterranean river, nor +the roll down the slope, had been able to separate Good and his eye- +glass. + +Presently we rose, fearing that our limbs would stiffen if we stopped +there longer, and commenced with slow and painful steps to struggle up +the sloping sides of the great pit. For an hour or more we toiled +steadfastly up the blue clay, dragging ourselves on by the help of the +roots and grasses with which it was clothed. But now I had no more +thought of leaving the basket; indeed, nothing but death should have +parted us. + +At last it was done, and we stood by the great road, on that side of +the pit which is opposite to the Colossi. + +At the side of the road, a hundred yards off, a fire was burning in +front of some huts, and round the fire were figures. We staggered +towards them, supporting one another, and halting every few paces. +Presently one of the figures rose, saw us and fell on to the ground, +crying out for fear. + +"Infadoos, Infadoos! it is we, thy friends." + +He rose; he ran to us, staring wildly, and still shaking with fear. + +"Oh, my lords, my lords, it is indeed you come back from the dead!-- +come back from the dead!" + +And the old warrior flung himself down before us, and clasping Sir +Henry's knees, he wept aloud for joy. + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +IGNOSI'S FAREWELL + +Ten days from that eventful morning found us once more in our old +quarters at Loo; and, strange to say, but little the worse for our +terrible experience, except that my stubbly hair came out of the +treasure cave about three shades greyer than it went in, and that Good +never was quite the same after Foulata's death, which seemed to move +him very greatly. I am bound to say, looking at the thing from the +point of view of an oldish man of the world, that I consider her +removal was a fortunate occurrence, since, otherwise, complications +would have been sure to ensue. The poor creature was no ordinary +native girl, but a person of great, I had almost said stately, beauty, +and of considerable refinement of mind. But no amount of beauty or +refinement could have made an entanglement between Good and herself a +desirable occurrence; for, as she herself put it, "Can the sun mate +with the darkness, or the white with the black?" + +I need hardly state that we never again penetrated into Solomon's +treasure chamber. After we had recovered from our fatigues, a process +which took us forty-eight hours, we descended into the great pit in +the hope of finding the hole by which we had crept out of the +mountain, but with no success. To begin with, rain had fallen, and +obliterated our spoor; and what is more, the sides of the vast pit +were full of ant-bear and other holes. It was impossible to say to +which of these we owed our salvation. Also, on the day before we +started back to Loo, we made a further examination of the wonders of +the stalactite cave, and, drawn by a kind of restless feeling, even +penetrated once more into the Chamber of the Dead. Passing beneath the +spear of the White Death we gazed, with sensations which it would be +quite impossible for me to describe, at the mass of rock that had shut +us off from escape, thinking the while of priceless treasures beyond, +of the mysterious old hag whose flattened fragments lay crushed +beneath it, and of the fair girl of whose tomb it was the portal. I +say gazed at the "rock," for, examine as we could, we could find no +traces of the join of the sliding door; nor, indeed, could we hit upon +the secret, now utterly lost, that worked it, though we tried for an +hour or more. It is certainly a marvellous bit of mechanism, +characteristic, in its massive and yet inscrutable simplicity, of the +age which produced it; and I doubt if the world has such another to +show. + +At last we gave it up in disgust; though, if the mass had suddenly +risen before our eyes, I doubt if we should have screwed up courage to +step over Gagool's mangled remains, and once more enter the treasure +chamber, even in the sure and certain hope of unlimited diamonds. And +yet I could have cried at the idea of leaving all that treasure, the +biggest treasure probably that in the world's history has ever been +accumulated in one spot. But there was no help for it. Only dynamite +could force its way through five feet of solid rock. + +So we left it. Perhaps, in some remote unborn century, a more +fortunate explorer may hit upon the "Open Sesame," and flood the world +with gems. But, myself, I doubt it. Somehow, I seem to feel that the +tens of millions of pounds' worth of jewels which lie in the three +stone coffers will never shine round the neck of an earthly beauty. +They and Foulata's bones will keep cold company till the end of all +things. + +With a sigh of disappointment we made our way back, and next day +started for Loo. And yet it was really very ungrateful of us to be +disappointed; for, as the reader will remember, by a lucky thought, I +had taken the precaution to fill the wide pockets of my old shooting +coat and trousers with gems before we left our prison-house, also +Foulata's basket, which held twice as many more, notwithstanding that +the water bottle had occupied some of its space. A good many of these +fell out in the course of our roll down the side of the pit, including +several of the big ones, which I had crammed in on the top in my coat +pockets. But, comparatively speaking, an enormous quantity still +remained, including ninety-three large stones ranging from over two +hundred to seventy carats in weight. My old shooting coat and the +basket still held sufficient treasure to make us all, if not +millionaires as the term is understood in America, at least +exceedingly wealthy men, and yet to keep enough stones each to make +the three finest sets of gems in Europe. So we had not done so badly. + +On arriving at Loo we were most cordially received by Ignosi, whom we +found well, and busily engaged in consolidating his power, and +reorganising the regiments which had suffered most in the great +struggle with Twala. + +He listened with intense interest to our wonderful story; but when we +told him of old Gagool's frightful end he grew thoughtful. + +"Come hither," he called, to a very old Induna or councillor, who was +sitting with others in a circle round the king, but out of ear-shot. +The ancient man rose, approached, saluted, and seated himself. + +"Thou art aged," said Ignosi. + +"Ay, my lord the king! Thy father's father and I were born on the same +day." + +"Tell me, when thou wast little, didst thou know Gagaoola the witch +doctress?" + +"Ay, my lord the king!" + +"How was she then--young, like thee?" + +"Not so, my lord the king! She was even as she is now and as she was +in the days of my great grandfather before me; old and dried, very +ugly, and full of wickedness." + +"She is no more; she is dead." + +"So, O king! then is an ancient curse taken from the land." + +"Go!" + +"/Koom!/ I go, Black Puppy, who tore out the old dog's throat. +/Koom!/" + +"Ye see, my brothers," said Ignosi, "this was a strange woman, and I +rejoice that she is dead. She would have let you die in the dark +place, and mayhap afterwards she had found a way to slay me, as she +found a way to slay my father, and set up Twala, whom her black heart +loved, in his place. Now go on with the tale; surely there never was +its like!" + +After I had narrated all the story of our escape, as we had agreed +between ourselves that I should, I took the opportunity to address +Ignosi as to our departure from Kukuanaland. + +"And now, Ignosi," I said, "the time has come for us to bid thee +farewell, and start to see our own land once more. Behold, Ignosi, +thou camest with us a servant, and now we leave thee a mighty king. If +thou art grateful to us, remember to do even as thou didst promise: to +rule justly, to respect the law, and to put none to death without a +cause. So shalt thou prosper. To-morrow, at break of day, Ignosi, thou +wilt give us an escort who shall lead us across the mountains. Is it +not so, O king?" + +Ignosi covered his face with his hands for a while before answering. + +"My heart is sore," he said at last; "your words split my heart in +twain. What have I done to you, Incubu, Macumazahn, and Bougwan, that +ye should leave me desolate? Ye who stood by me in rebellion and in +battle, will ye leave me in the day of peace and victory? What will ye +--wives? Choose from among the maidens! A place to live in? Behold, +the land is yours as far as ye can see. The white man's houses? Ye +shall teach my people how to build them. Cattle for beef and milk? +Every married man shall bring you an ox or a cow. Wild game to hunt? +Does not the elephant walk through my forests, and the river-horse +sleep in the reeds? Would ye make war? My Impis wait your word. If +there is anything more which I can give, that will I give you." + +"Nay, Ignosi, we want none of these things," I answered; "we would +seek our own place." + +"Now do I learn," said Ignosi bitterly, and with flashing eyes, "that +ye love the bright stones more than me, your friend. Ye have the +stones; now ye would go to Natal and across the moving black water and +sell them, and be rich, as it is the desire of a white man's heart to +be. Cursed for your sake be the white stones, and cursed he who seeks +them. Death shall it be to him who sets foot in the place of Death to +find them. I have spoken. White men, ye can go." + +I laid my hand upon his arm. "Ignosi," I said, "tell us, when thou +didst wander in Zululand, and among the white people of Natal, did not +thine heart turn to the land thy mother told thee of, thy native +place, where thou didst see the light, and play when thou wast little, +the land where thy place was?" + +"It was even so, Macumazahn." + +"In like manner, Ignosi, do our hearts turn to our land and to our own +place." + +Then came a silence. When Ignosi broke it, it was in a different +voice. + +"I do perceive that now as ever thy words are wise and full of +reason, Macumazahn; that which flies in the air loves not to run along +the ground; the white man loves not to live on the level of the black +or to house among his kraals. Well, ye must go, and leave my heart +sore, because ye will be as dead to me, since from where ye are no +tidings can come to me. + +"But listen, and let all your brothers know my words. No other white +man shall cross the mountains, even if any man live to come so far. I +will see no traders with their guns and gin. My people shall fight +with the spear, and drink water, like their forefathers before them. I +will have no praying-men to put a fear of death into men's hearts, to +stir them up against the law of the king, and make a path for the +white folk who follow to run on. If a white man comes to my gates I +will send him back; if a hundred come I will push them back; if armies +come, I will make war on them with all my strength, and they shall not +prevail against me. None shall ever seek for the shining stones: no, +not an army, for if they come I will send a regiment and fill up the +pit, and break down the white columns in the caves and choke them with +rocks, so that none can reach even to that door of which ye speak, and +whereof the way to move it is lost. But for you three, Incubu, +Macumazahn, and Bougwan, the path is always open; for, behold, ye are +dearer to me than aught that breathes. + +"And ye would go. Infadoos, my uncle, and my Induna, shall take you by +the hand and guide you with a regiment. There is, as I have learned, +another way across the mountains that he shall show you. Farewell, my +brothers, brave white men. See me no more, for I have no heart to bear +it. Behold! I make a decree, and it shall be published from the +mountains to the mountains; your names, Incubu, Macumazahn, and +Bougwan, shall be "/hlonipa/" even as the names of dead kings, and he +who speaks them shall die.[*] So shall your memory be preserved in the +land for ever. + +[*] This extraordinary and negative way of showing intense respect is + by no means unknown among African people, and the result is that + if, as is usual, the name in question has a significance, the + meaning must be expressed by an idiom or other word. In this way a + memory is preserved for generations, or until the new word utterly + supplants the old. + +"Go now, ere my eyes rain tears like a woman's. At times as ye look +back down the path of life, or when ye are old and gather yourselves +together to crouch before the fire, because for you the sun has no +more heat, ye will think of how we stood shoulder to shoulder, in that +great battle which thy wise words planned, Macumazahn; of how thou +wast the point of the horn that galled Twala's flank, Bougwan; whilst +thou stood in the ring of the Greys, Incubu, and men went down before +thine axe like corn before a sickle; ay, and of how thou didst break +that wild bull Twala's strength, and bring his pride to dust. Fare ye +well for ever, Incubu, Macumazahn, and Bougwan, my lords and my +friends." + +Ignosi rose and looked earnestly at us for a few seconds. Then he +threw the corner of his karross over his head, so as to cover his face +from us. + +We went in silence. + + + +Next day at dawn we left Loo, escorted by our old friend Infadoos, who +was heart-broken at our departure, and by the regiment of Buffaloes. +Early as was the hour, all the main street of the town was lined with +multitudes of people, who gave us the royal salute as we passed at the +head of the regiment, while the women blessed us for having rid the +land of Twala, throwing flowers before us as we went. It was really +very affecting, and not the sort of thing one is accustomed to meet +with from natives. + +One ludicrous incident occurred, however, which I rather welcomed, as +it gave us something to laugh at. + +Just before we reached the confines of the town, a pretty young girl, +with some lovely lilies in her hand, ran forward and presented them to +Good--somehow they all seemed to like Good; I think his eye-glass and +solitary whisker gave him a fictitious value--and then said that she +had a boon to ask. + +"Speak on," he answered. + +"Let my lord show his servant his beautiful white legs, that his +servant may look upon them, and remember them all her days, and tell +of them to her children; his servant has travelled four days' journey +to see them, for the fame of them has gone throughout the land." + +"I'll be hanged if I do!" exclaimed Good excitedly. + +"Come, come, my dear fellow," said Sir Henry, "you can't refuse to +oblige a lady." + +"I won't," replied Good obstinately; "it is positively indecent." + +However, in the end he consented to draw up his trousers to the knee, +amidst notes of rapturous admiration from all the women present, +especially the gratified young lady, and in this guise he had to walk +till we got clear of the town. + +Good's legs, I fear, will never be so greatly admired again. Of his +melting teeth, and even of his "transparent eye," the Kukuanas wearied +more or less, but of his legs never. + +As we travelled, Infadoos told us that there was another pass over the +mountains to the north of the one followed by Solomon's Great Road, or +rather that there was a place where it was possible to climb down the +wall of cliff which separates Kukuanaland from the desert, and is +broken by the towering shapes of Sheba's Breasts. It appeared, also, +that rather more than two years previously a party of Kukuana hunters +had descended this path into the desert in search of ostriches, whose +plumes are much prized among them for war head-dresses, and that in +the course of their hunt they had been led far from the mountains and +were much troubled by thirst. Seeing trees on the horizon, however, +they walked towards them, and discovered a large and fertile oasis +some miles in extent, and plentifully watered. It was by way of this +oasis that Infadoos suggested we should return, and the idea seemed to +us a good one, for it appeared that we should thus escape the rigours +of the mountain pass. Also some of the hunters were in attendance to +guide us to the oasis, from which, they stated, they could perceive +other fertile spots far away in the desert.[*] + +[*] It often puzzled all of us to understand how it was possible that + Ignosi's mother, bearing the child with her, should have survived + the dangers of her journey across the mountains and the desert, + dangers which so nearly proved fatal to ourselves. It has since + occurred to me, and I give the idea to the reader for what it is + worth, that she must have taken this second route, and wandered + out like Hagar into the wilderness. If she did so, there is no + longer anything inexplicable about the story, since, as Ignosi + himself related, she may well have been picked up by some ostrich + hunters before she or the child was exhausted, was led by them to + the oasis, and thence by stages to the fertile country, and so on + by slow degrees southwards to Zululand.--A.Q. + +Travelling easily, on the night of the fourth day's journey we found +ourselves once more on the crest of the mountains that separate +Kukuanaland from the desert, which rolled away in sandy billows at our +feet, and about twenty-five miles to the north of Sheba's Breasts. + +At dawn on the following day, we were led to the edge of a very +precipitous chasm, by which we were to descend the precipice, and gain +the plain two thousand and more feet below. + +Here we bade farewell to that true friend and sturdy old warrior, +Infadoos, who solemnly wished all good upon us, and nearly wept with +grief. "Never, my lords," he said, "shall mine old eyes see the like +of you again. Ah! the way that Incubu cut his men down in the battle! +Ah! for the sight of that stroke with which he swept off my brother +Twala's head! It was beautiful--beautiful! I may never hope to see +such another, except perchance in happy dreams." + +We were very sorry to part from him; indeed, Good was so moved that he +gave him as a souvenir--what do you think?--an /eye-glass/; afterwards +we discovered that it was a spare one. Infadoos was delighted, +foreseeing that the possession of such an article would increase his +prestige enormously, and after several vain attempts he actually +succeeded in screwing it into his own eye. Anything more incongruous +than the old warrior looked with an eye-glass I never saw. Eye-glasses +do not go well with leopard-skin cloaks and black ostrich plumes. + +Then, after seeing that our guides were well laden with water and +provisions, and having received a thundering farewell salute from the +Buffaloes, we wrung Infadoos by the hand, and began our downward +climb. A very arduous business it proved to be, but somehow that +evening we found ourselves at the bottom without accident. + +"Do you know," said Sir Henry that night, as we sat by our fire and +gazed up at the beetling cliffs above us, "I think that there are +worse places than Kukuanaland in the world, and that I have known +unhappier times than the last month or two, though I have never spent +such queer ones. Eh! you fellows?" + +"I almost wish I were back," said Good, with a sigh. + +As for myself, I reflected that all's well that ends well; but in the +course of a long life of shaves, I never had such shaves as those +which I had recently experienced. The thought of that battle makes me +feel cold all over, and as for our experience in the treasure +chamber--! + + + +Next morning we started on a toilsome trudge across the desert, having +with us a good supply of water carried by our five guides, and camped +that night in the open, marching again at dawn on the morrow. + +By noon of the third day's journey we could see the trees of the oasis +of which the guides spoke, and within an hour of sundown we were +walking once more upon grass and listening to the sound of running +water. + + + +CHAPTER XX + +FOUND + +And now I come to perhaps the strangest adventure that happened to us +in all this strange business, and one which shows how wonderfully +things are brought about. + +I was walking along quietly, some way in front of the other two, down +the banks of the stream which runs from the oasis till it is swallowed +up in the hungry desert sands, when suddenly I stopped and rubbed my +eyes, as well I might. There, not twenty yards in front of me, placed +in a charming situation, under the shade of a species of fig-tree, and +facing to the stream, was a cosy hut, built more or less on the Kafir +principle with grass and withes, but having a full-length door instead +of a bee-hole. + +"What the dickens," said I to myself, "can a hut be doing here?" Even +as I said it the door of the hut opened, and there limped out of it a +/white man/ clothed in skins, and with an enormous black beard. I +thought that I must have got a touch of the sun. It was impossible. No +hunter ever came to such a place as this. Certainly no hunter would +ever settle in it. I stared and stared, and so did the other man, and +just at that juncture Sir Henry and Good walked up. + +"Look here, you fellows," I said, "is that a white man, or am I mad?" + +Sir Henry looked, and Good looked, and then all of a sudden the lame +white man with a black beard uttered a great cry, and began hobbling +towards us. When he was close he fell down in a sort of faint. + +With a spring Sir Henry was by his side. + +"Great Powers!" he cried, "/it is my brother George!/" + +At the sound of this disturbance, another figure, also clad in skins, +emerged from the hut, a gun in his hand, and ran towards us. On seeing +me he too gave a cry. + +"Macumazahn," he halloed, "don't you know me, Baas? I'm Jim the +hunter. I lost the note you gave me to give to the Baas, and we have +been here nearly two years." And the fellow fell at my feet, and +rolled over and over, weeping for joy. + +"You careless scoundrel!" I said; "you ought to be well /sjambocked/" +--that is, hided. + +Meanwhile the man with the black beard had recovered and risen, and he +and Sir Henry were pump-handling away at each other, apparently +without a word to say. But whatever they had quarrelled about in the +past--I suspect it was a lady, though I never asked--it was evidently +forgotten now. + +"My dear old fellow," burst out Sir Henry at last, "I thought you were +dead. I have been over Solomon's Mountains to find you. I had given up +all hope of ever seeing you again, and now I come across you perched +in the desert, like an old /assvoegel/."[*] + +[*] Vulture. + +"I tried to cross Solomon's Mountains nearly two years ago," was the +answer, spoken in the hesitating voice of a man who has had little +recent opportunity of using his tongue, "but when I reached here a +boulder fell on my leg and crushed it, and I have been able to go +neither forward nor back." + +Then I came up. "How do you do, Mr. Neville?" I said; "do you remember +me?" + +"Why," he said, "isn't it Hunter Quatermain, eh, and Good too? Hold on +a minute, you fellows, I am getting dizzy again. It is all so very +strange, and, when a man has ceased to hope, so very happy!" + +That evening, over the camp fire, George Curtis told us his story, +which, in its way, was almost as eventful as our own, and, put +shortly, amounted to this. A little less than two years before, he had +started from Sitanda's Kraal, to try to reach Suliman's Berg. As for +the note I had sent him by Jim, that worthy lost it, and he had never +heard of it till to-day. But, acting upon information he had received +from the natives, he headed not for Sheba's Breasts, but for the +ladder-like descent of the mountains down which we had just come, +which is clearly a better route than that marked out in old Dom +Silvestra's plan. In the desert he and Jim had suffered great +hardships, but finally they reached this oasis, where a terrible +accident befell George Curtis. On the day of their arrival he was +sitting by the stream, and Jim was extracting the honey from the nest +of a stingless bee which is to be found in the desert, on the top of a +bank immediately above him. In so doing he loosened a great boulder of +rock, which fell upon George Curtis's right leg, crushing it +frightfully. From that day he had been so lame that he found it +impossible to go either forward or back, and had preferred to take the +chances of dying in the oasis to the certainty of perishing in the +desert. + +As for food, however, they got on pretty well, for they had a good +supply of ammunition, and the oasis was frequented, especially at +night, by large quantities of game, which came thither for water. +These they shot, or trapped in pitfalls, using the flesh for food, +and, after their clothes wore out, the hides for clothing. + +"And so," George Curtis ended, "we have lived for nearly two years, +like a second Robinson Crusoe and his man Friday, hoping against hope +that some natives might come here to help us away, but none have come. +Only last night we settled that Jim should leave me, and try to reach +Sitanda's Kraal to get assistance. He was to go to-morrow, but I had +little hope of ever seeing him back again. And now /you/, of all +people in the world, /you/, who, as I fancied, had long ago forgotten +all about me, and were living comfortably in old England, turn up in a +promiscuous way and find me where you least expected. It is the most +wonderful thing that I have ever heard of, and the most merciful too." + +Then Sir Henry set to work, and told him the main facts of our +adventures, sitting till late into the night to do it. + +"By Jove!" said George Curtis, when I showed him some of the diamonds: +"well, at least you have got something for your pains, besides my +worthless self." + +Sir Henry laughed. "They belong to Quatermain and Good. It was a part +of the bargain that they should divide any spoils there might be." + +This remark set me thinking, and having spoken to Good, I told Sir +Henry that it was our joint wish that he should take a third portion +of the diamonds, or, if he would not, that his share should be handed +to his brother, who had suffered even more than ourselves on the +chance of getting them. Finally, we prevailed upon him to consent to +this arrangement, but George Curtis did not know of it until some time +afterwards. + +***** + +Here, at this point, I think that I shall end my history. Our journey +across the desert back to Sitanda's Kraal was most arduous, especially +as we had to support George Curtis, whose right leg was very weak +indeed, and continually threw out splinters of bone. But we did +accomplish it somehow, and to give its details would only be to +reproduce much of what happened to us on the former occasion. + +Six months from the date of our re-arrival at Sitanda's, where we +found our guns and other goods quite safe, though the old rascal in +charge was much disgusted at our surviving to claim them, saw us all +once more safe and sound at my little place on the Berea, near Durban, +where I am now writing. Thence I bid farewell to all who have +accompanied me through the strangest trip I ever made in the course of +a long and varied experience. + +P.S.--Just as I had written the last word, a Kafir came up my avenue +of orange trees, carrying a letter in a cleft stick, which he had +brought from the post. It turned out to be from Sir Henry, and as it +speaks for itself I give it in full. + +October 1, 1884. +Brayley Hall, Yorkshire. + + My Dear Quatermain, + + I send you a line a few mails back to say that the three of us, + George, Good, and myself, fetched up all right in England. We got + off the boat at Southampton, and went up to town. You should have + seen what a swell Good turned out the very next day, beautifully + shaved, frock coat fitting like a glove, brand new eye-glass, + etc., etc. I went and walked in the park with him, where I met + some people I know, and at once told them the story of his + "beautiful white legs." + + He is furious, especially as some ill-natured person has printed + it in a Society paper. + + To come to business, Good and I took the diamonds to Streeter's to + be valued, as we arranged, and really I am afraid to tell you what + they put them at, it seems so enormous. They say that of course it + is more or less guess-work, as such stones have never to their + knowledge been put on the market in anything like such quantities. + It appears that (with the exception of one or two of the largest) + they are of the finest water, and equal in every way to the best + Brazilian stones. I asked them if they would buy them, but they + said that it was beyond their power to do so, and recommended us + to sell by degrees, over a period of years indeed, for fear lest + we should flood the market. They offer, however, a hundred and + eighty thousand for a very small portion of them. + + You must come home, Quatermain, and see about these things, + especially if you insist upon making the magnificent present of + the third share, which does /not/ belong to me, to my brother + George. As for Good, he is /no good/. His time is too much + occupied in shaving, and other matters connected with the vain + adorning of the body. But I think he is still down on his luck + about Foulata. He told me that since he had been home he hadn't + seen a woman to touch her, either as regards her figure or the + sweetness of her expression. + + I want you to come home, my dear old comrade, and to buy a house + near here. You have done your day's work, and have lots of money + now, and there is a place for sale quite close which would suit + you admirably. Do come; the sooner the better; you can finish + writing the story of our adventures on board ship. We have refused + to tell the tale till it is written by you, for fear lest we shall + not be believed. If you start on receipt of this you will reach + here by Christmas, and I book you to stay with me for that. Good + is coming, and George; and so, by the way, is your boy Harry + (there's a bribe for you). I have had him down for a week's + shooting, and like him. He is a cool young hand; he shot me in the + leg, cut out the pellets, and then remarked upon the advantages of + having a medical student with every shooting party! + + Good-bye, old boy; I can't say any more, but I know that you will + come, if it is only to oblige + +Your sincere friend, +Henry Curtis. + + P.S.--The tusks of the great bull that killed poor Khiva have now + been put up in the hall here, over the pair of buffalo horns you + gave me, and look magnificent; and the axe with which I chopped + off Twala's head is fixed above my writing-table. I wish that we + could have managed to bring away the coats of chain armour. Don't + lose poor Foulata's basket in which you brought away the diamonds. +H.C. + +To-day is Tuesday. There is a steamer going on Friday, and I really +think that I must take Curtis at his word, and sail by her for +England, if it is only to see you, Harry, my boy, and to look after +the printing of this history, which is a task that I do not like to +trust to anybody else. + +ALLAN QUATERMAIN. + + + + + +End of The Project Gutenberg Etext of King Solomon's Mines, by Haggard + diff --git a/old/7kslm10.zip b/old/7kslm10.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..09ad934 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/7kslm10.zip diff --git a/old/8kslm10.txt b/old/8kslm10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a6c9be7 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/8kslm10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,9198 @@ +The Project Gutenberg Etext of King Solomon's Mines, by Haggard +#9 in our series by H. 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RIDER HAGGARD + + + +DEDICATION + +This faithful but unpretending record +of a remarkable adventure +is hereby respectfully dedicated +by the narrator, + +ALLAN QUATERMAIN, + +to all the big and little boys +who read it. + + + +PREPARER'S NOTE + + This was typed from a 1907 edition published by Cassell and + Company, Limited. + + + +AUTHOR'S NOTE + + The author ventures to take this opportunity to thank his readers + for the kind reception they have accorded to the successive + editions of this tale during the last twelve years. He hopes that + in its present form it will fall into the hands of an even wider + public, and that in years to come it may continue to afford + amusement to those who are still young enough at heart to love a + story of treasure, war, and wild adventure. + + Ditchingham, + 11 March, 1898. + + + +POST SCRIPTUM + + Now, in 1907, on the occasion of the issue of this edition, I can + only add how glad I am that my romance should continue to please + so many readers. Imagination has been verified by fact; the King + Solomon's Mines I dreamed of have been discovered, and are putting + out their gold once more, and, according to the latest reports, + their diamonds also; the Kukuanas or, rather, the Matabele, have + been tamed by the white man's bullets, but still there seem to be + many who find pleasure in these simple pages. That they may + continue so to do, even to the third and fourth generation, or + perhaps longer still, would, I am sure, be the hope of our old and + departed friend, Allan Quatermain. + +H. Rider Haggard. +Ditchingham, 1907. + + +INTRODUCTION + +Now that this book is printed, and about to be given to the world, a +sense of its shortcomings both in style and contents, weighs very +heavily upon me. As regards the latter, I can only say that it does +not pretend to be a full account of everything we did and saw. There +are many things connected with our journey into Kukuanaland that I +should have liked to dwell upon at length, which, as it is, have been +scarcely alluded to. Amongst these are the curious legends which I +collected about the chain armour that saved us from destruction in the +great battle of Loo, and also about the "Silent Ones" or Colossi at +the mouth of the stalactite cave. Again, if I had given way to my own +impulses, I should have wished to go into the differences, some of +which are to my mind very suggestive, between the Zulu and Kukuana +dialects. Also a few pages might have been given up profitably to the +consideration of the indigenous flora and fauna of Kukuanaland.[*] +Then there remains the most interesting subject--that, as it is, has +only been touched on incidentally--of the magnificent system of +military organisation in force in that country, which, in my opinion, +is much superior to that inaugurated by Chaka in Zululand, inasmuch as +it permits of even more rapid mobilisation, and does not necessitate +the employment of the pernicious system of enforced celibacy. Lastly, +I have scarcely spoken of the domestic and family customs of the +Kukuanas, many of which are exceedingly quaint, or of their +proficiency in the art of smelting and welding metals. This science +they carry to considerable perfection, of which a good example is to +be seen in their "tollas," or heavy throwing knives, the backs of +these weapons being made of hammered iron, and the edges of beautiful +steel welded with great skill on to the iron frames. The fact of the +matter is, I thought, with Sir Henry Curtis and Captain Good, that the +best plan would be to tell my story in a plain, straightforward +manner, and to leave these matters to be dealt with subsequently in +whatever way ultimately may appear to be desirable. In the meanwhile I +shall, of course, be delighted to give all information in my power to +anybody interested in such things. + +[*] I discovered eight varieties of antelope, with which I was + previously totally unacquainted, and many new species of plants, + for the most part of the bulbous tribe.--A.Q. + +And now it only remains for me to offer apologies for my blunt way of +writing. I can but say in excuse of it that I am more accustomed to +handle a rifle than a pen, and cannot make any pretence to the grand +literary flights and flourishes which I see in novels--for sometimes I +like to read a novel. I suppose they--the flights and flourishes--are +desirable, and I regret not being able to supply them; but at the same +time I cannot help thinking that simple things are always the most +impressive, and that books are easier to understand when they are +written in plain language, though perhaps I have no right to set up an +opinion on such a matter. "A sharp spear," runs the Kukuana saying, +"needs no polish"; and on the same principle I venture to hope that a +true story, however strange it may be, does not require to be decked +out in fine words. + +Allan Quatermain. + + + + + +KING SOLOMON'S MINES + + + +CHAPTER I + +I MEET SIR HENRY CURTIS + +It is a curious thing that at my age--fifty-five last birthday--I +should find myself taking up a pen to try to write a history. I wonder +what sort of a history it will be when I have finished it, if ever I +come to the end of the trip! I have done a good many things in my +life, which seems a long one to me, owing to my having begun work so +young, perhaps. At an age when other boys are at school I was earning +my living as a trader in the old Colony. I have been trading, hunting, +fighting, or mining ever since. And yet it is only eight months ago +that I made my pile. It is a big pile now that I have got it--I don't +yet know how big--but I do not think I would go through the last +fifteen or sixteen months again for it; no, not if I knew that I +should come out safe at the end, pile and all. But then I am a timid +man, and dislike violence; moreover, I am almost sick of adventure. I +wonder why I am going to write this book: it is not in my line. I am +not a literary man, though very devoted to the Old Testament and also +to the "Ingoldsby Legends." Let me try to set down my reasons, just to +see if I have any. + +First reason: Because Sir Henry Curtis and Captain John Good asked me. + +Second reason: Because I am laid up here at Durban with the pain in my +left leg. Ever since that confounded lion got hold of me I have been +liable to this trouble, and being rather bad just now, it makes me +limp more than ever. There must be some poison in a lion's teeth, +otherwise how is it that when your wounds are healed they break out +again, generally, mark you, at the same time of year that you got your +mauling? It is a hard thing when one has shot sixty-five lions or +more, as I have in the course of my life, that the sixty-sixth should +chew your leg like a quid of tobacco. It breaks the routine of the +thing, and putting other considerations aside, I am an orderly man and +don't like that. This is by the way. + +Third reason: Because I want my boy Harry, who is over there at the +hospital in London studying to become a doctor, to have something to +amuse him and keep him out of mischief for a week or so. Hospital work +must sometimes pall and grow rather dull, for even of cutting up dead +bodies there may come satiety, and as this history will not be dull, +whatever else it may be, it will put a little life into things for a +day or two while Harry is reading of our adventures. + +Fourth reason and last: Because I am going to tell the strangest story +that I remember. It may seem a queer thing to say, especially +considering that there is no woman in it--except Foulata. Stop, +though! there is Gagaoola, if she was a woman, and not a fiend. But +she was a hundred at least, and therefore not marriageable, so I don't +count her. At any rate, I can safely say that there is not a +/petticoat/ in the whole history. + +Well, I had better come to the yoke. It is a stiff place, and I feel +as though I were bogged up to the axle. But, "/sutjes, sutjes/," as +the Boers say--I am sure I don't know how they spell it--softly does +it. A strong team will come through at last, that is, if they are not +too poor. You can never do anything with poor oxen. Now to make a +start. + +I, Allan Quatermain, of Durban, Natal, Gentleman, make oath and say-- +That's how I headed my deposition before the magistrate about poor +Khiva's and Ventvögel's sad deaths; but somehow it doesn't seem quite +the right way to begin a book. And, besides, am I a gentleman? What is +a gentleman? I don't quite know, and yet I have had to do with niggers +--no, I will scratch out that word "niggers," for I do not like it. +I've known natives who /are/, and so you will say, Harry, my boy, +before you have done with this tale, and I have known mean whites with +lots of money and fresh out from home, too, who /are not/. + +At any rate, I was born a gentleman, though I have been nothing but a +poor travelling trader and hunter all my life. Whether I have remained +so I known not, you must judge of that. Heaven knows I've tried. I +have killed many men in my time, yet I have never slain wantonly or +stained my hand in innocent blood, but only in self-defence. The +Almighty gave us our lives, and I suppose He meant us to defend them, +at least I have always acted on that, and I hope it will not be +brought up against me when my clock strikes. There, there, it is a +cruel and a wicked world, and for a timid man I have been mixed up in +a great deal of fighting. I cannot tell the rights of it, but at any +rate I have never stolen, though once I cheated a Kafir out of a herd +of cattle. But then he had done me a dirty turn, and it has troubled +me ever since into the bargain. + + + +Well, it is eighteen months or so ago since first I met Sir Henry +Curtis and Captain Good. It was in this way. I had been up elephant +hunting beyond Bamangwato, and had met with bad luck. Everything went +wrong that trip, and to top up with I got the fever badly. So soon as +I was well enough I trekked down to the Diamond Fields, sold such +ivory as I had, together with my wagon and oxen, discharged my +hunters, and took the post-cart to the Cape. After spending a week in +Cape Town, finding that they overcharged me at the hotel, and having +seen everything there was to see, including the botanical gardens, +which seem to me likely to confer a great benefit on the country, and +the new Houses of Parliament, which I expect will do nothing of the +sort, I determined to go back to Natal by the /Dunkeld/, then lying at +the docks waiting for the /Edinburgh Castle/ due in from England. I +took my berth and went aboard, and that afternoon the Natal passengers +from the /Edinburgh Castle/ transhipped, and we weighed and put to +sea. + +Among these passengers who came on board were two who excited my +curiosity. One, a gentleman of about thirty, was perhaps the biggest- +chested and longest-armed man I ever saw. He had yellow hair, a thick +yellow beard, clear-cut features, and large grey eyes set deep in his +head. I never saw a finer-looking man, and somehow he reminded me of +an ancient Dane. Not that I know much of ancient Danes, though I knew +a modern Dane who did me out of ten pounds; but I remember once seeing +a picture of some of those gentry, who, I take it, were a kind of +white Zulus. They were drinking out of big horns, and their long hair +hung down their backs. As I looked at my friend standing there by the +companion-ladder, I thought that if he only let his grow a little, put +one of those chain shirts on to his great shoulders, and took hold of +a battle-axe and a horn mug, he might have sat as a model for that +picture. And by the way it is a curious thing, and just shows how the +blood will out, I discovered afterwards that Sir Henry Curtis, for +that was the big man's name, is of Danish blood.[*] He also reminded +me strongly of somebody else, but at the time I could not remember who +it was. + +[*] Mr. Quatermain's ideas about ancient Danes seem to be rather + confused; we have always understood that they were dark-haired + people. Probably he was thinking of Saxons.--Editor. + +The other man, who stood talking to Sir Henry, was stout and dark, and +of quite a different cut. I suspected at once that he was a naval +officer; I don't know why, but it is difficult to mistake a navy man. +I have gone shooting trips with several of them in the course of my +life, and they have always proved themselves the best and bravest and +nicest fellows I ever met, though sadly given, some of them, to the +use of profane language. I asked a page or two back, what is a +gentleman? I'll answer the question now: A Royal Naval officer is, in +a general sort of way, though of course there may be a black sheep +among them here and there. I fancy it is just the wide seas and the +breath of God's winds that wash their hearts and blow the bitterness +out of their minds and make them what men ought to be. + +Well, to return, I proved right again; I ascertained that the dark man +/was/ a naval officer, a lieutenant of thirty-one, who, after +seventeen years' service, had been turned out of her Majesty's employ +with the barren honour of a commander's rank, because it was +impossible that he should be promoted. This is what people who serve +the Queen have to expect: to be shot out into the cold world to find a +living just when they are beginning really to understand their work, +and to reach the prime of life. I suppose they don't mind it, but for +my own part I had rather earn my bread as a hunter. One's halfpence +are as scarce perhaps, but you do not get so many kicks. + +The officer's name I found out--by referring to the passengers' lists +--was Good--Captain John Good. He was broad, of medium height, dark, +stout, and rather a curious man to look at. He was so very neat and so +very clean-shaved, and he always wore an eye-glass in his right eye. +It seemed to grow there, for it had no string, and he never took it +out except to wipe it. At first I thought he used to sleep in it, but +afterwards I found that this was a mistake. He put it in his trousers +pocket when he went to bed, together with his false teeth, of which he +had two beautiful sets that, my own being none of the best, have often +caused me to break the tenth commandment. But I am anticipating. + +Soon after we had got under way evening closed in, and brought with it +very dirty weather. A keen breeze sprung up off land, and a kind of +aggravated Scotch mist soon drove everybody from the deck. As for the +/Dunkeld/, she is a flat-bottomed punt, and going up light as she was, +she rolled very heavily. It almost seemed as though she would go right +over, but she never did. It was quite impossible to walk about, so I +stood near the engines where it was warm, and amused myself with +watching the pendulum, which was fixed opposite to me, swinging slowly +backwards and forwards as the vessel rolled, and marking the angle she +touched at each lurch. + +"That pendulum's wrong; it is not properly weighted," suddenly said a +somewhat testy voice at my shoulder. Looking round I saw the naval +officer whom I had noticed when the passengers came aboard. + +"Indeed, now what makes you think so?" I asked. + +"Think so. I don't think at all. Why there"--as she righted herself +after a roll--"if the ship had really rolled to the degree that thing +pointed to, then she would never have rolled again, that's all. But it +is just like these merchant skippers, they are always so confoundedly +careless." + +Just then the dinner-bell rang, and I was not sorry, for it is a +dreadful thing to have to listen to an officer of the Royal Navy when +he gets on to that subject. I only know one worse thing, and that is +to hear a merchant skipper express his candid opinion of officers of +the Royal Navy. + +Captain Good and I went down to dinner together, and there we found +Sir Henry Curtis already seated. He and Captain Good were placed +together, and I sat opposite to them. The captain and I soon fell into +talk about shooting and what not; he asking me many questions, for he +is very inquisitive about all sorts of things, and I answering them as +well as I could. Presently he got on to elephants. + +"Ah, sir," called out somebody who was sitting near me, "you've +reached the right man for that; Hunter Quatermain should be able to +tell you about elephants if anybody can." + +Sir Henry, who had been sitting quite quiet listening to our talk, +started visibly. + +"Excuse me, sir," he said, leaning forward across the table, and +speaking in a low deep voice, a very suitable voice, it seemed to me, +to come out of those great lungs. "Excuse me, sir, but is your name +Allan Quatermain?" + +I said that it was. + +The big man made no further remark, but I heard him mutter "fortunate" +into his beard. + +Presently dinner came to an end, and as we were leaving the saloon Sir +Henry strolled up and asked me if I would come into his cabin to smoke +a pipe. I accepted, and he led the way to the /Dunkeld/ deck cabin, +and a very good cabin it is. It had been two cabins, but when Sir +Garnet Wolseley or one of those big swells went down the coast in the +/Dunkeld/, they knocked away the partition and have never put it up +again. There was a sofa in the cabin, and a little table in front of +it. Sir Henry sent the steward for a bottle of whisky, and the three +of us sat down and lit our pipes. + +"Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry Curtis, when the man had brought the +whisky and lit the lamp, "the year before last about this time, you +were, I believe, at a place called Bamangwato, to the north of the +Transvaal." + +"I was," I answered, rather surprised that this gentleman should be so +well acquainted with my movements, which were not, so far as I was +aware, considered of general interest. + +"You were trading there, were you not?" put in Captain Good, in his +quick way. + +"I was. I took up a wagon-load of goods, made a camp outside the +settlement, and stopped till I had sold them." + +Sir Henry was sitting opposite to me in a Madeira chair, his arms +leaning on the table. He now looked up, fixing his large grey eyes +full upon my face. There was a curious anxiety in them, I thought. + +"Did you happen to meet a man called Neville there?" + +"Oh, yes; he outspanned alongside of me for a fortnight to rest his +oxen before going on to the interior. I had a letter from a lawyer a +few months back, asking me if I knew what had become of him, which I +answered to the best of my ability at the time." + +"Yes," said Sir Henry, "your letter was forwarded to me. You said in +it that the gentleman called Neville left Bamangwato at the beginning +of May in a wagon with a driver, a voorlooper, and a Kafir hunter +called Jim, announcing his intention of trekking if possible as far as +Inyati, the extreme trading post in the Matabele country, where he +would sell his wagon and proceed on foot. You also said that he did +sell his wagon, for six months afterwards you saw the wagon in the +possession of a Portuguese trader, who told you that he had bought it +at Inyati from a white man whose name he had forgotten, and that he +believed the white man with the native servant had started off for the +interior on a shooting trip." + +"Yes." + +Then came a pause. + +"Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry suddenly, "I suppose you know or can +guess nothing more of the reasons of my--of Mr. Neville's journey to +the northward, or as to what point that journey was directed?" + +"I heard something," I answered, and stopped. The subject was one +which I did not care to discuss. + +Sir Henry and Captain Good looked at each other, and Captain Good +nodded. + +"Mr. Quatermain," went on the former, "I am going to tell you a story, +and ask your advice, and perhaps your assistance. The agent who +forwarded me your letter told me that I might rely on it implicitly, +as you were," he said, "well known and universally respected in Natal, +and especially noted for your discretion." + +I bowed and drank some whisky and water to hide my confusion, for I am +a modest man--and Sir Henry went on. + +"Mr. Neville was my brother." + +"Oh," I said, starting, for now I knew of whom Sir Henry had reminded +me when first I saw him. His brother was a much smaller man and had a +dark beard, but now that I thought of it, he possessed eyes of the +same shade of grey and with the same keen look in them: the features +too were not unlike. + +"He was," went on Sir Henry, "my only and younger brother, and till +five years ago I do not suppose that we were ever a month away from +each other. But just about five years ago a misfortune befell us, as +sometimes does happen in families. We quarrelled bitterly, and I +behaved unjustly to my brother in my anger." + +Here Captain Good nodded his head vigorously to himself. The ship gave +a big roll just then, so that the looking-glass, which was fixed +opposite us to starboard, was for a moment nearly over our heads, and +as I was sitting with my hands in my pockets and staring upwards, I +could see him nodding like anything. + +"As I daresay you know," went on Sir Henry, "if a man dies intestate, +and has no property but land, real property it is called in England, +it all descends to his eldest son. It so happened that just at the +time when we quarrelled our father died intestate. He had put off +making his will until it was too late. The result was that my brother, +who had not been brought up to any profession, was left without a +penny. Of course it would have been my duty to provide for him, but at +the time the quarrel between us was so bitter that I did not--to my +shame I say it (and he sighed deeply)--offer to do anything. It was +not that I grudged him justice, but I waited for him to make advances, +and he made none. I am sorry to trouble you with all this, Mr. +Quatermain, but I must to make things clear, eh, Good?" + +"Quite so, quite so," said the captain. "Mr. Quatermain will, I am +sure, keep this history to himself." + +"Of course," said I, for I rather pride myself on my discretion, for +which, as Sir Henry had heard, I have some repute. + +"Well," went on Sir Henry, "my brother had a few hundred pounds to his +account at the time. Without saying anything to me he drew out this +paltry sum, and, having adopted the name of Neville, started off for +South Africa in the wild hope of making a fortune. This I learned +afterwards. Some three years passed, and I heard nothing of my +brother, though I wrote several times. Doubtless the letters never +reached him. But as time went on I grew more and more troubled about +him. I found out, Mr. Quatermain, that blood is thicker than water." + +"That's true," said I, thinking of my boy Harry. + +"I found out, Mr. Quatermain, that I would have given half my fortune +to know that my brother George, the only relation I possess, was safe +and well, and that I should see him again." + +"But you never did, Curtis," jerked out Captain Good, glancing at the +big man's face. + +"Well, Mr. Quatermain, as time went on I became more and more anxious +to find out if my brother was alive or dead, and if alive to get him +home again. I set enquiries on foot, and your letter was one of the +results. So far as it went it was satisfactory, for it showed that +till lately George was alive, but it did not go far enough. So, to cut +a long story short, I made up my mind to come out and look for him +myself, and Captain Good was so kind as to come with me." + +"Yes," said the captain; "nothing else to do, you see. Turned out by +my Lords of the Admiralty to starve on half pay. And now perhaps, sir, +you will tell us what you know or have heard of the gentleman called +Neville." + + + +CHAPTER II + +THE LEGEND OF SOLOMON'S MINES + +"What was it that you heard about my brother's journey at Bamangwato?" +asked Sir Henry, as I paused to fill my pipe before replying to +Captain Good. + +"I heard this," I answered, "and I have never mentioned it to a soul +till to-day. I heard that he was starting for Solomon's Mines." + +"Solomon's Mines?" ejaculated both my hearers at once. "Where are +they?" + +"I don't know," I said; "I know where they are said to be. Once I saw +the peaks of the mountains that border them, but there were a hundred +and thirty miles of desert between me and them, and I am not aware +that any white man ever got across it save one. But perhaps the best +thing I can do is to tell you the legend of Solomon's Mines as I know +it, you passing your word not to reveal anything I tell you without my +permission. Do you agree to that? I have my reasons for asking." + +Sir Henry nodded, and Captain Good replied, "Certainly, certainly." + +"Well," I began, "as you may guess, generally speaking, elephant +hunters are a rough set of men, who do not trouble themselves with +much beyond the facts of life and the ways of Kafirs. But here and +there you meet a man who takes the trouble to collect traditions from +the natives, and tries to make out a little piece of the history of +this dark land. It was such a man as this who first told me the legend +of Solomon's Mines, now a matter of nearly thirty years ago. That was +when I was on my first elephant hunt in the Matalebe country. His name +was Evans, and he was killed the following year, poor fellow, by a +wounded buffalo, and lies buried near the Zambesi Falls. I was telling +Evans one night, I remember, of some wonderful workings I had found +whilst hunting koodoo and eland in what is now the Lydenburg district +of the Transvaal. I see they have come across these workings again +lately in prospecting for gold, but I knew of them years ago. There is +a great wide wagon road cut out of the solid rock, and leading to the +mouth of the working or gallery. Inside the mouth of this gallery are +stacks of gold quartz piled up ready for roasting, which shows that +the workers, whoever they were, must have left in a hurry. Also, about +twenty paces in, the gallery is built across, and a beautiful bit of +masonry it is." + +"'Ay,' said Evans, 'but I will spin you a queerer yarn than that'; and +he went on to tell me how he had found in the far interior a ruined +city, which he believed to be the Ophir of the Bible, and, by the way, +other more learned men have said the same long since poor Evans's +time. I was, I remember, listening open-eared to all these wonders, +for I was young at the time, and this story of an ancient civilisation +and of the treasures which those old Jewish or Phnician adventurers +used to extract from a country long since lapsed into the darkest +barbarism took a great hold upon my imagination, when suddenly he said +to me, 'Lad, did you ever hear of the Suliman Mountains up to the +north-west of the Mushakulumbwe country?' I told him I never had. 'Ah, +well,' he said, 'that is where Solomon really had his mines, his +diamond mines, I mean.' + +"'How do you know that?' I asked. + +"'Know it! why, what is "Suliman" but a corruption of Solomon?[*] +Besides, an old Isanusi or witch doctoress up in the Manica country +told me all about it. She said that the people who lived across those +mountains were a "branch" of the Zulus, speaking a dialect of Zulu, +but finer and bigger men even; that there lived among them great +wizards, who had learnt their art from white men when "all the world +was dark," and who had the secret of a wonderful mine of "bright +stones."' + +[*] Suliman is the Arabic form of Solomon.--Editor. + +"Well, I laughed at this story at the time, though it interested me, +for the Diamond Fields were not discovered then, but poor Evans went +off and was killed, and for twenty years I never thought any more of +the matter. However, just twenty years afterwards--and that is a long +time, gentlemen; an elephant hunter does not often live for twenty +years at his business--I heard something more definite about Suliman's +Mountains and the country which lies beyond them. I was up beyond the +Manica country, at a place called Sitanda's Kraal, and a miserable +place it was, for a man could get nothing to eat, and there was but +little game about. I had an attack of fever, and was in a bad way +generally, when one day a Portugee arrived with a single companion--a +half-breed. Now I know your low-class Delagoa Portugee well. There is +no greater devil unhung in a general way, battening as he does upon +human agony and flesh in the shape of slaves. But this was quite a +different type of man to the mean fellows whom I had been accustomed +to meet; indeed, in appearance he reminded me more of the polite doms +I have read about, for he was tall and thin, with large dark eyes and +curling grey mustachios. We talked together for a while, for he could +speak broken English, and I understood a little Portugee, and he told +me that his name was José Silvestre, and that he had a place near +Delagoa Bay. When he went on next day with his half-breed companion, +he said 'Good-bye,' taking off his hat quite in the old style. + +"'Good-bye, senör,' he said; 'if ever we meet again I shall be the +richest man in the world, and I will remember you.' I laughed a little +--I was too weak to laugh much--and watched him strike out for the +great desert to the west, wondering if he was mad, or what he thought +he was going to find there. + +"A week passed, and I got the better of my fever. One evening I was +sitting on the ground in front of the little tent I had with me, +chewing the last leg of a miserable fowl I had bought from a native +for a bit of cloth worth twenty fowls, and staring at the hot red sun +sinking down over the desert, when suddenly I saw a figure, apparently +that of a European, for it wore a coat, on the slope of the rising +ground opposite to me, about three hundred yards away. The figure +crept along on its hands and knees, then it got up and staggered +forward a few yards on its legs, only to fall and crawl again. Seeing +that it must be somebody in distress, I sent one of my hunters to help +him, and presently he arrived, and who do you suppose it turned out to +be?" + +"José Silvestre, of course," said Captain Good. + +"Yes, José Silvestre, or rather his skeleton and a little skin. His +face was a bright yellow with bilious fever, and his large dark eyes +stood nearly out of his head, for all the flesh had gone. There was +nothing but yellow parchment-like skin, white hair, and the gaunt +bones sticking up beneath. + +"'Water! for the sake of Christ, water!' he moaned and I saw that his +lips were cracked, and his tongue, which protruded between them, was +swollen and blackish. + +"I gave him water with a little milk in it, and he drank it in great +gulps, two quarts or so, without stopping. I would not let him have +any more. Then the fever took him again, and he fell down and began to +rave about Suliman's Mountains, and the diamonds, and the desert. I +carried him into the tent and did what I could for him, which was +little enough; but I saw how it must end. About eleven o'clock he grew +quieter, and I lay down for a little rest and went to sleep. At dawn I +woke again, and in the half light saw Silvestre sitting up, a strange, +gaunt form, and gazing out towards the desert. Presently the first ray +of the sun shot right across the wide plain before us till it reached +the faraway crest of one of the tallest of the Suliman Mountains more +than a hundred miles away. + +"'There it is!' cried the dying man in Portuguese, and pointing with +his long, thin arm, 'but I shall never reach it, never. No one will +ever reach it!' + +"Suddenly, he paused, and seemed to take a resolution. 'Friend,' he +said, turning towards me, 'are you there? My eyes grow dark.' + +"'Yes,' I said; 'yes, lie down now, and rest.' + +"'Ay,' he answered, 'I shall rest soon, I have time to rest--all +eternity. Listen, I am dying! You have been good to me. I will give +you the writing. Perhaps you will get there if you can live to pass +the desert, which has killed my poor servant and me.' + +"Then he groped in his shirt and brought out what I thought was a Boer +tobacco pouch made of the skin of the Swart-vet-pens or sable +antelope. It was fastened with a little strip of hide, what we call a +rimpi, and this he tried to loose, but could not. He handed it to me. +'Untie it,' he said. I did so, and extracted a bit of torn yellow +linen on which something was written in rusty letters. Inside this rag +was a paper. + +"Then he went on feebly, for he was growing weak: 'The paper has all +that is on the linen. It took me years to read. Listen: my ancestor, a +political refugee from Lisbon, and one of the first Portuguese who +landed on these shores, wrote that when he was dying on those +mountains which no white foot ever pressed before or since. His name +was José da Silvestra, and he lived three hundred years ago. His +slave, who waited for him on this side of the mountains, found him +dead, and brought the writing home to Delagoa. It has been in the +family ever since, but none have cared to read it, till at last I did. +And I have lost my life over it, but another may succeed, and become +the richest man in the world--the richest man in the world. Only give +it to no one, senör; go yourself!' + +"Then he began to wander again, and in an hour it was all over. + +"God rest him! he died very quietly, and I buried him deep, with big +boulders on his breast; so I do not think that the jackals can have +dug him up. And then I came away." + +"Ay, but the document?" said Sir Henry, in a tone of deep interest. + +"Yes, the document; what was in it?" added the captain. + +"Well, gentlemen, if you like I will tell you. I have never showed it +to anybody yet except to a drunken old Portuguese trader who +translated it for me, and had forgotten all about it by the next +morning. The original rag is at my home in Durban, together with poor +Dom José's translation, but I have the English rendering in my pocket- +book, and a facsimile of the map, if it can be called a map. Here it +is." + +[MAP OMITTED] + + "I, José da Silvestra, who am now dying of hunger in the little + cave here no snow is on the north side of the nipple of the + southernmost of the two mountains I have named Sheba's Breasts, + write this in the year 1590 with a cleft bone upon a remnant of my + raiment, my blood being the ink. If my slave should find it when + he comes, and should bring it to Delagoa, let my friend (name + illegible) bring the matter to the knowledge of the king, that he + may send an army which, if they live through the desert and the + mountains, and can overcome the brave Kukuanes and their devilish + arts, to which end many priests should be brought, will make him + the richest king since Solomon. With my own eyes I have seen the + countless diamonds stored in Solomon's treasure chamber behind the + white Death; but through the treachery of Gagool the witch-finder + I might bring nought away, scarcely my life. Let him who comes + follow the map, and climb the snow of Sheba's left breast till he + reaches the nipple, on the north side of which is the great road + Solomon made, from whence three days' journey to the King's + Palace. Let him kill Gagool. Pray for my soul. Farewell. + +José da Silvestra."[*] + +[*] Eu José da Silvestra que estou morrendo de fome ná pequena cova + onde năo ha neve ao lado norte do bico mais ao sul das duas + montanhas que chamei scio de Sheba; escrevo isto no anno 1590; + escrevo isto com um pedaço d'ôsso n' um farrapo de minha roupa e + com sangue meu por tinta; se o meu escravo dęr com isto quando + venha ao levar para Lourenzo Marquez, que o meu amigo --------- + leve a cousa ao conhecimento d' El Rei, para que possa mandar um + exercito que, se desfiler pelo deserto e pelas montonhas e mesmo + sobrepujar os bravos Kukuanes e suas artes diabolicas, pelo que se + deviam trazer muitos padres Far o Rei mais rico depois de Salomăo + Com meus proprios olhos vé os di amantes sem conto guardados nas + camaras do thesouro de Salomăo a traz da morte branca, mas pela + traiçăo de Gagoal a feiticeira achadora, nada poderia levar, e + apenas a minha vida. Quem vier siga o mappa e trepe pela neve de + Sheba peito ŕ esquerda até chegar ao bica, do lado norte do qual + estŕ a grande estrada do Solomăo por elle feita, donde ha tres + dias de jornada até ao Palacio do Rei. Mate Gagoal. Reze por minha + alma. Adeos. José da Silvestra. + +When I had finished reading the above, and shown the copy of the map, +drawn by the dying hand of the old Dom with his blood for ink, there +followed a silence of astonishment. + +"Well," said Captain Good, "I have been round the world twice, and put +in at most ports, but may I be hung for a mutineer if ever I heard a +yarn like this out of a story book, or in it either, for the matter of +that." + +"It's a queer tale, Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry. "I suppose you +are not hoaxing us? It is, I know, sometimes thought allowable to take +in a greenhorn." + +"If you think that, Sir Henry," I said, much put out, and pocketing my +paper--for I do not like to be thought one of those silly fellows who +consider it witty to tell lies, and who are for ever boasting to +newcomers of extraordinary hunting adventures which never happened-- +"if you think that, why, there is an end to the matter," and I rose to +go. + +Sir Henry laid his large hand upon my shoulder. "Sit down, Mr. +Quatermain," he said, "I beg your pardon; I see very well you do not +wish to deceive us, but the story sounded so strange that I could +hardly believe it." + +"You shall see the original map and writing when we reach Durban," I +answered, somewhat mollified, for really when I came to consider the +question it was scarcely wonderful that he should doubt my good faith. + +"But," I went on, "I have not told you about your brother. I knew the +man Jim who was with him. He was a Bechuana by birth, a good hunter, +and for a native a very clever man. That morning on which Mr. Neville +was starting I saw Jim standing by my wagon and cutting up tobacco on +the disselboom. + +"'Jim,' said I, 'where are you off to this trip? It is elephants?' + +"'No, Baas,' he answered, 'we are after something worth much more than +ivory.' + +"'And what might that be?' I said, for I was curious. 'Is it gold?' + +"'No, Baas, something worth more than gold,' and he grinned. + +"I asked no more questions, for I did not like to lower my dignity by +seeming inquisitive, but I was puzzled. Presently Jim finished cutting +his tobacco. + +"'Baas,' said he. + +"I took no notice. + +"'Baas,' said he again. + +"'Eh, boy, what is it?' I asked. + +"'Baas, we are going after diamonds.' + +"'Diamonds! why, then, you are steering in the wrong direction; you +should head for the Fields.' + +"'Baas, have you ever heard of Suliman's Berg?'--that is, Solomon's +Mountains, Sir Henry. + +"'Ay!' + +"'Have you ever heard of the diamonds there?' + +"'I have heard a foolish story, Jim.' + +"'It is no story, Baas. Once I knew a woman who came from there, and +reached Natal with her child, she told me:--she is dead now.' + +"'Your master will feed the assvögels'--that is, vultures--'Jim, if he +tries to reach Suliman's country, and so will you if they can get any +pickings off your worthless old carcass,' said I. + +"He grinned. 'Mayhap, Baas. Man must die; I'd rather like to try a new +country myself; the elephants are getting worked out about here.' + +"'Ah! my boy,' I said, 'you wait till the "pale old man" gets a grip +of your yellow throat, and then we shall hear what sort of a tune you +sing.' + +"Half an hour after that I saw Neville's wagon move off. Presently Jim +came back running. 'Good-bye, Baas,' he said. 'I didn't like to start +without bidding you good-bye, for I daresay you are right, and that we +shall never trek south again.' + +"'Is your master really going to Suliman's Berg, Jim, or are you +lying?' + +"'No,' he answered, 'he is going. He told me he was bound to make his +fortune somehow, or try to; so he might as well have a fling for the +diamonds.' + +"'Oh!' I said; 'wait a bit, Jim; will you take a note to your master, +Jim, and promise not to give it to him till you reach Inyati?' which +was some hundred miles off. + +"'Yes, Baas.' + +"So I took a scrap of paper, and wrote on it, 'Let him who comes . . . +climb the snow of Sheba's left breast, till he reaches the nipple, on +the north side of which is Solomon's great road.' + +"'Now, Jim,' I said, 'when you give this to your master, tell him he +had better follow the advice on it implicitly. You are not to give it +to him now, because I don't want him back asking me questions which I +won't answer. Now be off, you idle fellow, the wagon is nearly out of +sight.' + +"Jim took the note and went, and that is all I know about your +brother, Sir Henry; but I am much afraid--" + +"Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry, "I am going to look for my brother; +I am going to trace him to Suliman's Mountains, and over them if +necessary, till I find him, or until I know that he is dead. Will you +come with me?" + +I am, as I think I have said, a cautious man, indeed a timid one, and +this suggestion frightened me. It seemed to me that to undertake such +a journey would be to go to certain death, and putting other +considerations aside, as I had a son to support, I could not afford to +die just then. + +"No, thank you, Sir Henry, I think I had rather not," I answered. "I +am too old for wild-goose chases of that sort, and we should only end +up like my poor friend Silvestre. I have a son dependent on me, so I +cannot afford to risk my life foolishly." + +Both Sir Henry and Captain Good looked very disappointed. + +"Mr. Quatermain," said the former, "I am well off, and I am bent upon +this business. You may put the remuneration for your services at +whatever figure you like in reason, and it shall be paid over to you +before we start. Moreover, I will arrange in the event of anything +untoward happening to us or to you, that your son shall be suitably +provided for. You will see from this offer how necessary I think your +presence. Also if by chance we should reach this place, and find +diamonds, they shall belong to you and Good equally. I do not want +them. But of course that promise is worth nothing at all, though the +same thing would apply to any ivory we might get. You may pretty well +make your own terms with me, Mr. Quatermain; and of course I shall pay +all expenses." + +"Sir Henry," said I, "this is the most liberal proposal I ever had, +and one not to be sneezed at by a poor hunter and trader. But the job +is the biggest I have come across, and I must take time to think it +over. I will give you my answer before we get to Durban." + +"Very good," answered Sir Henry. + +Then I said good-night and turned in, and dreamt about poor long-dead +Silvestre and the diamonds. + + + +CHAPTER III + +UMBOPA ENTERS OUR SERVICE + +It takes from four to five days, according to the speed of the vessel +and the state of the weather, to run up from the Cape to Durban. +Sometimes, if the landing is bad at East London, where they have not +yet made that wonderful harbour they talk so much of, and sink such a +mint of money in, a ship is delayed for twenty-four hours before the +cargo boats can get out to take off the goods. But on this occasion we +had not to wait at all, for there were no breakers on the Bar to speak +of, and the tugs came out at once with the long strings of ugly flat- +bottomed boats behind them, into which the packages were bundled with +a crash. It did not matter what they might be, over they went slap- +bang; whether they contained china or woollen goods they met with the +same treatment. I saw one case holding four dozen of champagne smashed +all to bits, and there was the champagne fizzing and boiling about in +the bottom of the dirty cargo boat. It was a wicked waste, and +evidently so the Kafirs in the boat thought, for they found a couple +of unbroken bottles, and knocking off the necks drank the contents. +But they had not allowed for the expansion caused by the fizz in the +wine, and, feeling themselves swelling, rolled about in the bottom of +the boat, calling out that the good liquor was "tagati"--that is, +bewitched. I spoke to them from the vessel, and told them it was the +white man's strongest medicine, and that they were as good as dead +men. Those Kafirs went to the shore in a very great fright, and I do +not think that they will touch champagne again. + +Well, all the time that we were steaming up to Natal I was thinking +over Sir Henry Curtis's offer. We did not speak any more on the +subject for a day or two, though I told them many hunting yarns, all +true ones. There is no need to tell lies about hunting, for so many +curious things happen within the knowledge of a man whose business it +is to hunt; but this is by the way. + +At last, one beautiful evening in January, which is our hottest month, +we steamed past the coast of Natal, expecting to make Durban Point by +sunset. It is a lovely coast all along from East London, with its red +sandhills and wide sweeps of vivid green, dotted here and there with +Kafir kraals, and bordered by a ribbon of white surf, which spouts up +in pillars of foam where it hits the rocks. But just before you come +to Durban there is a peculiar richness about the landscape. There are +the sheer kloofs cut in the hills by the rushing rains of centuries, +down which the rivers sparkle; there is the deepest green of the bush, +growing as God planted it, and the other greens of the mealie gardens +and the sugar patches, while now and again a white house, smiling out +at the placid sea, puts a finish and gives an air of homeliness to the +scene. For to my mind, however beautiful a view may be, it requires +the presence of man to make it complete, but perhaps that is because I +have lived so much in the wilderness, and therefore know the value of +civilisation, though to be sure it drives away the game. The Garden of +Eden, no doubt, looked fair before man was, but I always think that it +must have been fairer when Eve adorned it. + +To return, we had miscalculated a little, and the sun was well down +before we dropped anchor off the Point, and heard the gun which told +the good folks of Durban that the English Mail was in. It was too late +to think of getting over the Bar that night, so we went comfortably to +dinner, after seeing the Mails carried off in the life-boat. + +When we came up again the moon was out, and shining so brightly over +sea and shore that she almost paled the quick, large flashes from the +lighthouse. From the shore floated sweet spicy odours that always +remind me of hymns and missionaries, and in the windows of the houses +on the Berea sparkled a hundred lights. From a large brig lying near +also came the music of the sailors as they worked at getting the +anchor up in order to be ready for the wind. Altogether it was a +perfect night, such a night as you sometimes get in Southern Africa, +and it threw a garment of peace over everybody as the moon threw a +garment of silver over everything. Even the great bulldog, belonging +to a sporting passenger, seemed to yield to its gentle influences, and +forgetting his yearning to come to close quarters with the baboon in a +cage on the foc'sle, snored happily at the door of the cabin, dreaming +no doubt that he had finished him, and happy in his dream. + +We three--that is, Sir Henry Curtis, Captain Good, and myself--went +and sat by the wheel, and were quiet for a while. + +"Well, Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry presently, "have you been +thinking about my proposals?" + +"Ay," echoed Captain Good, "what do you think of them, Mr. Quatermain? +I hope that you are going to give us the pleasure of your company so +far as Solomon's Mines, or wherever the gentleman you knew as Neville +may have got to." + +I rose and knocked out my pipe before I answered. I had not made up my +mind, and wanted an additional moment to decide. Before the burning +tobacco had fallen into the sea I had decided; just that little extra +second did the trick. It is often the way when you have been bothering +a long time over a thing. + +"Yes, gentlemen," I said, sitting down again, "I will go, and by your +leave I will tell you why, and on what conditions. First for the terms +which I ask. + +"1. You are to pay all expenses, and any ivory or other valuables we +may get is to be divided between Captain Good and myself. + +"2. That you give me Ł500 for my services on the trip before we start, +I undertaking to serve you faithfully till you choose to abandon the +enterprise, or till we succeed, or disaster overtakes us. + +"3. That before we trek you execute a deed agreeing, in the event of +my death or disablement, to pay my boy Harry, who is studying medicine +over there in London, at Guy's Hospital, a sum of Ł200 a year for five +years, by which time he ought to be able to earn a living for himself +if he is worth his salt. That is all, I think, and I daresay you will +say quite enough too." + +"No," answered Sir Henry, "I accept them gladly. I am bent upon this +project, and would pay more than that for your help, considering the +peculiar and exclusive knowledge which you possess." + +"Pity I did not ask it, then, but I won't go back on my word. And now +that I have got my terms I will tell you my reasons for making up my +mind to go. First of all, gentlemen, I have been observing you both +for the last few days, and if you will not think me impertinent I may +say that I like you, and believe that we shall come up well to the +yoke together. That is something, let me tell you, when one has a long +journey like this before one. + +"And now as to the journey itself, I tell you flatly, Sir Henry and +Captain Good, that I do not think it probable we can come out of it +alive, that is, if we attempt to cross the Suliman Mountains. What was +the fate of the old Dom da Silvestra three hundred years ago? What was +the fate of his descendant twenty years ago? What has been your +brother's fate? I tell you frankly, gentlemen, that as their fates +were so I believe ours will be." + +I paused to watch the effect of my words. Captain Good looked a little +uncomfortable, but Sir Henry's face did not change. "We must take our +chance," he said. + +"You may perhaps wonder," I went on, "why, if I think this, I, who am, +as I told you, a timid man, should undertake such a journey. It is for +two reasons. First I am a fatalist, and believe that my time is +appointed to come quite without reference to my own movements and +will, and that if I am to go to Suliman's Mountains to be killed, I +shall go there and shall be killed. God Almighty, no doubt, knows His +mind about me, so I need not trouble on that point. Secondly, I am a +poor man. For nearly forty years I have hunted and traded, but I have +never made more than a living. Well, gentlemen, I don't know if you +are aware that the average life of an elephant hunter from the time he +takes to the trade is between four and five years. So you see I have +lived through about seven generations of my class, and I should think +that my time cannot be far off, anyway. Now, if anything were to +happen to me in the ordinary course of business, by the time my debts +are paid there would be nothing left to support my son Harry whilst he +was getting in the way of earning a living, whereas now he will be set +up for five years. There is the whole affair in a nutshell." + +"Mr. Quatermain," said Sir Henry, who had been giving me his most +serious attention, "your motives for undertaking an enterprise which +you believe can only end in disaster reflect a great deal of credit on +you. Whether or not you are right, of course time and the event alone +can show. But whether you are right or wrong, I may as well tell you +at once that I am going through with it to the end, sweet or bitter. +If we are to be knocked on the head, all I have to say is, that I hope +we get a little shooting first, eh, Good?" + +"Yes, yes," put in the captain. "We have all three of us been +accustomed to face danger, and to hold our lives in our hands in +various ways, so it is no good turning back now. And now I vote we go +down to the saloon and take an observation just for luck, you know." +And we did--through the bottom of a tumbler. + +Next day we went ashore, and I put up Sir Henry and Captain Good at +the little shanty I have built on the Berea, and which I call my home. +There are only three rooms and a kitchen in it, and it is constructed +of green brick with a galvanised iron roof, but there is a good garden +with the best loquot trees in it that I know, and some nice young +mangoes, of which I hope great things. The curator of the botanical +gardens gave them to me. It is looked after by an old hunter of mine +named Jack, whose thigh was so badly broken by a buffalo cow in +Sikukunis country that he will never hunt again. But he can potter +about and garden, being a Griqua by birth. You will never persuade a +Zulu to take much interest in gardening. It is a peaceful art, and +peaceful arts are not in his line. + +Sir Henry and Good slept in a tent pitched in my little grove of +orange trees at the end of the garden, for there was no room for them +in the house, and what with the smell of the bloom, and the sight of +the green and golden fruit--in Durban you will see all three on the +tree together--I daresay it is a pleasant place enough, for we have +few mosquitos here on the Berea, unless there happens to come an +unusually heavy rain. + +Well, to get on--for if I do not, Harry, you will be tired of my story +before ever we fetch up at Suliman's Mountains--having once made up my +mind to go I set about making the necessary preparations. First I +secured the deed from Sir Henry, providing for you, my boy, in case of +accidents. There was some difficulty about its legal execution, as Sir +Henry was a stranger here, and the property to be charged is over the +water; but it was ultimately got over with the help of a lawyer, who +charged Ł20 for the job--a price that I thought outrageous. Then I +pocketed my cheque for Ł500. + +Having paid this tribute to my bump of caution, I purchased a wagon +and a span of oxen on Sir Henry's behalf, and beauties they were. It +was a twenty-two-foot wagon with iron axles, very strong, very light, +and built throughout of stink wood; not quite a new one, having been +to the Diamond Fields and back, but, in my opinion, all the better for +that, for I could see that the wood was well seasoned. If anything is +going to give in a wagon, or if there is green wood in it, it will +show out on the first trip. This particular vehicle was what we call a +"half-tented" wagon, that is to say, only covered in over the after +twelve feet, leaving all the front part free for the necessaries we +had to carry with us. In this after part were a hide "cartle," or bed, +on which two people could sleep, also racks for rifles, and many other +little conveniences. I gave Ł125 for it, and think that it was cheap +at the price. + +Then I bought a beautiful team of twenty Zulu oxen, which I had kept +my eye on for a year or two. Sixteen oxen is the usual number for a +team, but I took four extra to allow for casualties. These Zulu cattle +are small and light, not more than half the size of the Africander +oxen, which are generally used for transport purposes; but they will +live where the Africanders would starve, and with a moderate load can +make five miles a day better going, being quicker and not so liable to +become footsore. What is more, this lot were thoroughly "salted," that +is, they had worked all over South Africa, and so had become proof, +comparatively speaking, against red water, which so frequently +destroys whole teams of oxen when they get on to strange "veldt" or +grass country. As for "lung sick," which is a dreadful form of +pneumonia, very prevalent in this country, they had all been +inoculated against it. This is done by cutting a slit in the tail of +an ox, and binding in a piece of the diseased lung of an animal which +has died of the sickness. The result is that the ox sickens, takes the +disease in a mild form, which causes its tail to drop off, as a rule +about a foot from the root, and becomes proof against future attacks. +It seems cruel to rob the animal of his tail, especially in a country +where there are so many flies, but it is better to sacrifice the tail +and keep the ox than to lose both tail and ox, for a tail without an +ox is not much good, except to dust with. Still it does look odd to +trek along behind twenty stumps, where there ought to be tails. It +seems as though Nature made a trifling mistake, and stuck the stern +ornaments of a lot of prize bull-dogs on to the rumps of the oxen. + +Next came the question of provisioning and medicines, one which +required the most careful consideration, for what we had to do was to +avoid lumbering the wagon, and yet to take everything absolutely +necessary. Fortunately, it turned out that Good is a bit of a doctor, +having at some point in his previous career managed to pass through a +course of medical and surgical instruction, which he has more or less +kept up. He is not, of course, qualified, but he knows more about it +than many a man who can write M.D. after his name, as we found out +afterwards, and he had a splendid travelling medicine chest and a set +of instruments. Whilst we were at Durban he cut off a Kafir's big toe +in a way which it was a pleasure to see. But he was quite nonplussed +when the Kafir, who had sat stolidly watching the operation, asked him +to put on another, saying that a "white one" would do at a pinch. + +There remained, when these questions were satisfactorily settled, two +further important points for consideration, namely, that of arms and +that of servants. As to the arms I cannot do better than put down a +list of those which we finally decided on from among the ample store +that Sir Henry had brought with him from England, and those which I +owned. I copy it from my pocket-book, where I made the entry at the +time. + +"Three heavy breech-loading double-eight elephant guns, weighing about +fifteen pounds each, to carry a charge of eleven drachms of black +powder." Two of these were by a well-known London firm, most excellent +makers, but I do not know by whom mine, which is not so highly +finished, was made. I have used it on several trips, and shot a good +many elephants with it, and it has always proved a most superior +weapon, thoroughly to be relied on. + +"Three double-500 Expresses, constructed to stand a charge of six +drachms," sweet weapons, and admirable for medium-sized game, such as +eland or sable antelope, or for men, especially in an open country and +with the semi-hollow bullet. + +"One double No. 12 central-fire Keeper's shot-gun, full choke both +barrels." This gun proved of the greatest service to us afterwards in +shooting game for the pot. + +"Three Winchester repeating rifles (not carbines), spare guns. + +"Three single-action Colt's revolvers, with the heavier, or American +pattern of cartridge." + +This was our total armament, and doubtless the reader will observe +that the weapons of each class were of the same make and calibre, so +that the cartridges were interchangeable, a very important point. I +make no apology for detailing it at length, as every experienced +hunter will know how vital a proper supply of guns and ammunition is +to the success of an expedition. + +Now as to the men who were to go with us. After much consultation we +decided that their number should be limited to five, namely, a driver, +a leader, and three servants. + +The driver and leader I found without much difficulty, two Zulus, +named respectively Goza and Tom; but to get the servants proved a more +difficult matter. It was necessary that they should be thoroughly +trustworthy and brave men, as in a business of this sort our lives +might depend upon their conduct. At last I secured two, one a +Hottentot named Ventvögel, or "windbird," and one a little Zulu named +Khiva, who had the merit of speaking English perfectly. Ventvögel I +had known before; he was one of the most perfect "spoorers," that is, +game trackers, I ever had to do with, and tough as whipcord. He never +seemed to tire. But he had one failing, so common with his race, +drink. Put him within reach of a bottle of gin and you could not trust +him. However, as we were going beyond the region of grog-shops this +little weakness of his did not so much matter. + +Having secured these two men I looked in vain for a third to suit my +purpose, so we determined to start without one, trusting to luck to +find a suitable man on our way up country. But, as it happened, on the +evening before the day we had fixed for our departure the Zulu Khiva +informed me that a Kafir was waiting to see me. Accordingly, when we +had done dinner, for we were at table at the time, I told Khiva to +bring him in. Presently a tall, handsome-looking man, somewhere about +thirty years of age, and very light-coloured for a Zulu, entered, and +lifting his knob-stick by way of salute, squatted himself down in the +corner on his haunches, and sat silent. I did not take any notice of +him for a while, for it is a great mistake to do so. If you rush into +conversation at once, a Zulu is apt to think you a person of little +dignity or consequence. I observed, however, that he was a "Keshla" or +ringed man; that is, he wore on his head the black ring, made of a +species of gum polished with fat and worked up in the hair, which is +usually assumed by Zulus on attaining a certain age or dignity. Also +it struck me that his face was familiar to me. + +"Well," I said at last, "What is your name?" + +"Umbopa," answered the man in a slow, deep voice. + +"I have seen your face before." + +"Yes; the Inkoosi, the chief, my father, saw my face at the place of +the Little Hand"--that is, Isandhlwana--"on the day before the +battle." + +Then I remembered. I was one of Lord Chelmsford's guides in that +unlucky Zulu War, and had the good fortune to leave the camp in charge +of some wagons on the day before the battle. While I was waiting for +the cattle to be inspanned I fell into conversation with this man, who +held some small command among the native auxiliaries, and he had +expressed to me his doubts as to the safety of the camp. At the time I +told him to hold his tongue, and leave such matters to wiser heads; +but afterwards I thought of his words. + +"I remember," I said; "what is it you want?" + +"It is this, 'Macumazahn.'" That is my Kafir name, and means the man +who gets up in the middle of the night, or, in vulgar English, he who +keeps his eyes open. "I hear that you go on a great expedition far +into the North with the white chiefs from over the water. Is it a true +word?" + +"It is." + +"I hear that you go even to the Lukanga River, a moon's journey beyond +the Manica country. Is this so also, 'Macumazahn?'" + +"Why do you ask whither we go? What is it to you?" I answered +suspiciously, for the objects of our journey had been kept a dead +secret. + +"It is this, O white men, that if indeed you travel so far I would +travel with you." + +There was a certain assumption of dignity in the man's mode of speech, +and especially in his use of the words "O white men," instead of "O +Inkosis," or chiefs, which struck me. + +"You forget yourself a little," I said. "Your words run out unawares. +That is not the way to speak. What is your name, and where is your +kraal? Tell us, that we may know with whom we have to deal." + +"My name is Umbopa. I am of the Zulu people, yet not of them. The +house of my tribe is in the far North; it was left behind when the +Zulus came down here a 'thousand years ago,' long before Chaka reigned +in Zululand. I have no kraal. I have wandered for many years. I came +from the North as a child to Zululand. I was Cetewayo's man in the +Nkomabakosi Regiment, serving there under the great Captain, +Umslopogaasi of the Axe,[*] who taught my hands to fight. Afterwards I +ran away from Zululand and came to Natal because I wanted to see the +white man's ways. Next I fought against Cetewayo in the war. Since +then I have been working in Natal. Now I am tired, and would go North +again. Here is not my place. I want no money, but I am a brave man, +and am worth my place and meat. I have spoken." + +[*] For the history of Umslopogaasi and his Axe, the reader is + referred to the books called "Allan Quatermain" and "Nada the + Lily."--Editor. + +I was rather puzzled by this man and his way of speech. It was evident +to me from his manner that in the main he was telling the truth, but +somehow he seemed different from the ordinary run of Zulus, and I +rather mistrusted his offer to come without pay. Being in a +difficulty, I translated his words to Sir Henry and Good, and asked +them their opinion. + +Sir Henry told me to ask him to stand up. Umbopa did so, at the same +time slipping off the long military great coat which he wore, and +revealing himself naked except for the moocha round his centre and a +necklace of lions' claws. Certainly he was a magnificent-looking man; +I never saw a finer native. Standing about six foot three high he was +broad in proportion, and very shapely. In that light, too, his skin +looked scarcely more than dark, except here and there where deep black +scars marked old assegai wounds. Sir Henry walked up to him and looked +into his proud, handsome face. + +"They make a good pair, don't they?" said Good; "one as big as the +other." + +"I like your looks, Mr. Umbopa, and I will take you as my servant," +said Sir Henry in English. + +Umbopa evidently understood him, for he answered in Zulu, "It is +well"; and then added, with a glance at the white man's great stature +and breadth, "We are men, thou and I." + + + +CHAPTER IV + +AN ELEPHANT HUNT + +Now I do not propose to narrate at full length all the incidents of +our long travel up to Sitanda's Kraal, near the junction of the +Lukanga and Kalukwe Rivers. It was a journey of more than a thousand +miles from Durban, the last three hundred or so of which we had to +make on foot, owing to the frequent presence of the dreadful "tsetse" +fly, whose bite is fatal to all animals except donkeys and men. + +We left Durban at the end of January, and it was in the second week of +May that we camped near Sitanda's Kraal. Our adventures on the way +were many and various, but as they are of the sort which befall every +African hunter--with one exception to be presently detailed--I shall +not set them down here, lest I should render this history too +wearisome. + +At Inyati, the outlying trading station in the Matabele country, of +which Lobengula (a great and cruel scoundrel) is king, with many +regrets we parted from our comfortable wagon. Only twelve oxen +remained to us out of the beautiful span of twenty which I had bought +at Durban. One we lost from the bite of a cobra, three had perished +from "poverty" and the want of water, one strayed, and the other three +died from eating the poisonous herb called "tulip." Five more sickened +from this cause, but we managed to cure them with doses of an infusion +made by boiling down the tulip leaves. If administered in time this is +a very effective antidote. + +The wagon and the oxen we left in the immediate charge of Goza and +Tom, our driver and leader, both trustworthy boys, requesting a worthy +Scotch missionary who lived in this distant place to keep an eye on +them. Then, accompanied by Umbopa, Khiva, Ventvögel, and half a dozen +bearers whom we hired on the spot, we started off on foot upon our +wild quest. I remember we were all a little silent on the occasion of +this departure, and I think that each of us was wondering if we should +ever see our wagon again; for my part I never expected to do so. For a +while we tramped on in silence, till Umbopa, who was marching in +front, broke into a Zulu chant about how some brave men, tired of life +and the tameness of things, started off into a vast wilderness to find +new things or die, and how, lo and behold! when they had travelled far +into the wilderness they found that it was not a wilderness at all, +but a beautiful place full of young wives and fat cattle, of game to +hunt and enemies to kill. + +Then we all laughed and took it for a good omen. Umbopa was a cheerful +savage, in a dignified sort of way, when he was not suffering from one +of his fits of brooding, and he had a wonderful knack of keeping up +our spirits. We all grew very fond of him. + +And now for the one adventure to which I am going to treat myself, for +I do dearly love a hunting yarn. + +About a fortnight's march from Inyati we came across a peculiarly +beautiful bit of well-watered woodland country. The kloofs in the +hills were covered with dense bush, "idoro" bush as the natives call +it, and in some places, with the "wacht-een-beche," or "wait-a-little +thorn," and there were great quantities of the lovely "machabell" +tree, laden with refreshing yellow fruit having enormous stones. This +tree is the elephant's favourite food, and there were not wanting +signs that the great brutes had been about, for not only was their +spoor frequent, but in many places the trees were broken down and even +uprooted. The elephant is a destructive feeder. + +One evening, after a long day's march, we came to a spot of great +loveliness. At the foot of a bush-clad hill lay a dry river-bed, in +which, however, were to be found pools of crystal water all trodden +round with the hoof-prints of game. Facing this hill was a park-like +plain, where grew clumps of flat-topped mimosa, varied with occasional +glossy-leaved machabells, and all round stretched the sea of pathless, +silent bush. + +As we emerged into this river-bed path suddenly we started a troop of +tall giraffes, who galloped, or rather sailed off, in their strange +gait, their tails screwed up over their backs, and their hoofs +rattling like castanets. They were about three hundred yards from us, +and therefore practically out of shot, but Good, who was walking +ahead, and who had an express loaded with solid ball in his hand, +could not resist temptation. Lifting his gun, he let drive at the +last, a young cow. By some extraordinary chance the ball struck it +full on the back of the neck, shattering the spinal column, and that +giraffe went rolling head over heels just like a rabbit. I never saw a +more curious thing. + +"Curse it!" said Good--for I am sorry to say he had a habit of using +strong language when excited--contracted, no doubt, in the course of +his nautical career; "curse it! I've killed him." + +"/Ou/, Bougwan," ejaculated the Kafirs; "/ou! ou!/" + +They called Good "Bougwan," or Glass Eye, because of his eye-glass. + +"Oh, 'Bougwan!'" re-echoed Sir Henry and I, and from that day Good's +reputation as a marvellous shot was established, at any rate among the +Kafirs. Really he was a bad one, but whenever he missed we overlooked +it for the sake of that giraffe. + +Having set some of the "boys" to cut off the best of the giraffe's +meat, we went to work to build a "scherm" near one of the pools and +about a hundred yards to its right. This is done by cutting a quantity +of thorn bushes and piling them in the shape of a circular hedge. Then +the space enclosed is smoothed, and dry tambouki grass, if obtainable, +is made into a bed in the centre, and a fire or fires lighted. + +By the time the "scherm" was finished the moon peeped up, and our +dinners of giraffe steaks and roasted marrow-bones were ready. How we +enjoyed those marrow-bones, though it was rather a job to crack them! +I know of no greater luxury than giraffe marrow, unless it is +elephant's heart, and we had that on the morrow. We ate our simple +meal by the light of the moon, pausing at times to thank Good for his +wonderful shot; then we began to smoke and yarn, and a curious picture +we must have made squatting there round the fire. I, with my short +grizzled hair sticking up straight, and Sir Henry with his yellow +locks, which were getting rather long, were rather a contrast, +especially as I am thin, and short, and dark, weighing only nine stone +and a half, and Sir Henry is tall, and broad, and fair, and weighs +fifteen. But perhaps the most curious-looking of the three, taking all +the circumstances of the case into consideration, was Captain John +Good, R.N. There he sat upon a leather bag, looking just as though he +had come in from a comfortable day's shooting in a civilised country, +absolutely clean, tidy, and well dressed. He wore a shooting suit of +brown tweed, with a hat to match, and neat gaiters. As usual, he was +beautifully shaved, his eye-glass and his false teeth appeared to be +in perfect order, and altogether he looked the neatest man I ever had +to do with in the wilderness. He even sported a collar, of which he +had a supply, made of white gutta-percha. + +"You see, they weigh so little," he said to me innocently, when I +expressed my astonishment at the fact; "and I always like to turn out +like a gentleman." Ah! if he could have foreseen the future and the +raiment prepared for him. + +Well, there we three sat yarning away in the beautiful moonlight, and +watching the Kafirs a few yards off sucking their intoxicating +"daccha" from a pipe of which the mouthpiece was made of the horn of +an eland, till one by one they rolled themselves up in their blankets +and went to sleep by the fire, that is, all except Umbopa, who was a +little apart, his chin resting on his hand, and thinking deeply. I +noticed that he never mixed much with the other Kafirs. + +Presently, from the depths of the bush behind us, came a loud "/woof/, +/woof/!" "That's a lion," said I, and we all started up to listen. +Hardly had we done so, when from the pool, about a hundred yards off, +we heard the strident trumpeting of an elephant. "/Unkungunklovo/! +/Indlovu/!" "Elephant! Elephant!" whispered the Kafirs, and a few +minutes afterwards we saw a succession of vast shadowy forms moving +slowly from the direction of the water towards the bush. + +Up jumped Good, burning for slaughter, and thinking, perhaps, that it +was as easy to kill elephant as he had found it to shoot giraffe, but +I caught him by the arm and pulled him down. + +"It's no good," I whispered, "let them go." + +"It seems that we are in a paradise of game. I vote we stop here a day +or two, and have a go at them," said Sir Henry, presently. + +I was rather surprised, for hitherto Sir Henry had always been for +pushing forward as fast as possible, more especially since we +ascertained at Inyati that about two years ago an Englishman of the +name of Neville /had/ sold his wagon there, and gone on up country. +But I suppose his hunter instincts got the better of him for a while. + +Good jumped at the idea, for he was longing to have a shot at those +elephants; and so, to speak the truth, did I, for it went against my +conscience to let such a herd as that escape without a pull at them. + +"All right, my hearties," said I. "I think we want a little +recreation. And now let's turn in, for we ought to be off by dawn, and +then perhaps we may catch them feeding before they move on." + +The others agreed, and we proceeded to make our preparations. Good +took off his clothes, shook them, put his eye-glass and his false +teeth into his trousers pocket, and folding each article neatly, +placed it out of the dew under a corner of his mackintosh sheet. Sir +Henry and I contented ourselves with rougher arrangements, and soon +were curled up in our blankets, and dropping off into the dreamless +sleep that rewards the traveller. + +Going, going, go--What was that? + +Suddenly, from the direction of the water came sounds of violent +scuffling, and next instant there broke upon our ears a succession of +the most awful roars. There was no mistaking their origin; only a lion +could make such a noise as that. We all jumped up and looked towards +the water, in the direction of which we saw a confused mass, yellow +and black in colour, staggering and struggling towards us. We seized +our rifles, and slipping on our veldtschoons, that is shoes made of +untanned hide, ran out of the scherm. By this time the mass had +fallen, and was rolling over and over on the ground, and when we +reached the spot it struggled no longer, but lay quite still. + +Now we saw what it was. On the grass there lay a sable antelope bull-- +the most beautiful of all the African antelopes--quite dead, and +transfixed by its great curved horns was a magnificent black-maned +lion, also dead. Evidently what had happened was this: The sable +antelope had come down to drink at the pool where the lion--no doubt +the same which we had heard--was lying in wait. While the antelope +drank, the lion had sprung upon him, only to be received upon the +sharp curved horns and transfixed. Once before I saw a similar thing +happen. Then the lion, unable to free himself, had torn and bitten at +the back and neck of the bull, which, maddened with fear and pain, had +rushed on until it dropped dead. + +As soon as we had examined the beasts sufficiently we called the +Kafirs, and between us managed to drag their carcases up to the +scherm. After that we went in and lay down, to wake no more till dawn. + +With the first light we were up and making ready for the fray. We took +with us the three eight-bore rifles, a good supply of ammunition, and +our large water-bottles, filled with weak cold tea, which I have +always found the best stuff to shoot on. After swallowing a little +breakfast we started, Umbopa, Khiva, and Ventvögel accompanying us. +The other Kafirs we left with instructions to skin the lion and the +sable antelope, and to cut up the latter. + +We had no difficulty in finding the broad elephant trail, which +Ventvögel, after examination, pronounced to have been made by between +twenty and thirty elephants, most of them full-grown bulls. But the +herd had moved on some way during the night, and it was nine o'clock, +and already very hot, before, by the broken trees, bruised leaves and +bark, and smoking droppings, we knew that we could not be far from +them. + +Presently we caught sight of the herd, which numbered, as Ventvögel +had said, between twenty and thirty, standing in a hollow, having +finished their morning meal, and flapping their great ears. It was a +splendid sight, for they were only about two hundred yards from us. +Taking a handful of dry grass, I threw it into the air to see how the +wind was; for if once they winded us I knew they would be off before +we could get a shot. Finding that, if anything, it blew from the +elephants to us, we crept on stealthily, and thanks to the cover +managed to get within forty yards or so of the great brutes. Just in +front of us, and broadside on, stood three splendid bulls, one of them +with enormous tusks. I whispered to the others that I would take the +middle one; Sir Henry covering the elephant to the left, and Good the +bull with the big tusks. + +"Now," I whispered. + +Boom! boom! boom! went the three heavy rifles, and down came Sir +Henry's elephant dead as a hammer, shot right through the heart. Mine +fell on to its knees and I thought that he was going to die, but in +another moment he was up and off, tearing along straight past me. As +he went I gave him the second barrel in the ribs, and this brought him +down in good earnest. Hastily slipping in two fresh cartridges I ran +close up to him, and a ball through the brain put an end to the poor +brute's struggles. Then I turned to see how Good had fared with the +big bull, which I had heard screaming with rage and pain as I gave +mine its quietus. On reaching the captain I found him in a great state +of excitement. It appeared that on receiving the bullet the bull had +turned and come straight for his assailant, who had barely time to get +out of his way, and then charged on blindly past him, in the direction +of our encampment. Meanwhile the herd had crashed off in wild alarm in +the other direction. + +For awhile we debated whether to go after the wounded bull or to +follow the herd, and finally deciding for the latter alternative, +departed, thinking that we had seen the last of those big tusks. I +have often wished since that we had. It was easy work to follow the +elephants, for they had left a trail like a carriage road behind them, +crushing down the thick bush in their furious flight as though it were +tambouki grass. + +But to come up with them was another matter, and we had struggled on +under the broiling sun for over two hours before we found them. With +the exception of one bull, they were standing together, and I could +see, from their unquiet way and the manner in which they kept lifting +their trunks to test the air, that they were on the look-out for +mischief. The solitary bull stood fifty yards or so to this side of +the herd, over which he was evidently keeping sentry, and about sixty +yards from us. Thinking that he would see or wind us, and that it +would probably start them off again if we tried to get nearer, +especially as the ground was rather open, we all aimed at this bull, +and at my whispered word, we fired. The three shots took effect, and +down he went dead. Again the herd started, but unfortunately for them +about a hundred yards further on was a nullah, or dried-out water +track, with steep banks, a place very much resembling the one where +the Prince Imperial was killed in Zululand. Into this the elephants +plunged, and when we reached the edge we found them struggling in wild +confusion to get up the other bank, filling the air with their +screams, and trumpeting as they pushed one another aside in their +selfish panic, just like so many human beings. Now was our +opportunity, and firing away as quickly as we could load, we killed +five of the poor beasts, and no doubt should have bagged the whole +herd, had they not suddenly given up their attempts to climb the bank +and rushed headlong down the nullah. We were too tired to follow them, +and perhaps also a little sick of slaughter, eight elephants being a +pretty good bag for one day. + +So after we were rested a little, and the Kafirs had cut out the +hearts of two of the dead elephants for supper, we started homewards, +very well pleased with our day's work, having made up our minds to +send the bearers on the morrow to chop away the tusks. + +Shortly after we re-passed the spot where Good had wounded the +patriarchal bull we came across a herd of eland, but did not shoot at +them, as we had plenty of meat. They trotted past us, and then stopped +behind a little patch of bush about a hundred yards away, wheeling +round to look at us. As Good was anxious to get a near view of them, +never having seen an eland close, he handed his rifle to Umbopa, and, +followed by Khiva, strolled up to the patch of bush. We sat down and +waited for him, not sorry of the excuse for a little rest. + +The sun was just going down in its reddest glory, and Sir Henry and I +were admiring the lovely scene, when suddenly we heard an elephant +scream, and saw its huge and rushing form with uplifted trunk and tail +silhouetted against the great fiery globe of the sun. Next second we +saw something else, and that was Good and Khiva tearing back towards +us with the wounded bull--for it was he--charging after them. For a +moment we did not dare to fire--though at that distance it would have +been of little use if we had done so--for fear of hitting one of them, +and the next a dreadful thing happened--Good fell a victim to his +passion for civilised dress. Had he consented to discard his trousers +and gaiters like the rest of us, and to hunt in a flannel shirt and a +pair of veldt-schoons, it would have been all right. But as it was, +his trousers cumbered him in that desperate race, and presently, when +he was about sixty yards from us, his boot, polished by the dry grass, +slipped, and down he went on his face right in front of the elephant. + +We gave a gasp, for we knew that he must die, and ran as hard as we +could towards him. In three seconds it had ended, but not as we +thought. Khiva, the Zulu boy, saw his master fall, and brave lad as he +was, turned and flung his assegai straight into the elephant's face. +It stuck in his trunk. + +With a scream of pain, the brute seized the poor Zulu, hurled him to +the earth, and placing one huge foot on to his body about the middle, +twined its trunk round his upper part and /tore him in two/. + +We rushed up mad with horror, and fired again and again, till +presently the elephant fell upon the fragments of the Zulu. + +As for Good, he rose and wrung his hands over the brave man who had +given his life to save him, and, though I am an old hand, I felt a +lump grow in my throat. Umbopa stood contemplating the huge dead +elephant and the mangled remains of poor Khiva. + +"Ah, well," he said presently, "he is dead, but he died like a man!" + + + +CHAPTER V + +OUR MARCH INTO THE DESERT + +We had killed nine elephants, and it took us two days to cut out the +tusks, and having brought them into camp, to bury them carefully in +the sand under a large tree, which made a conspicuous mark for miles +round. It was a wonderfully fine lot of ivory. I never saw a better, +averaging as it did between forty and fifty pounds a tusk. The tusks +of the great bull that killed poor Khiva scaled one hundred and +seventy pounds the pair, so nearly as we could judge. + +As for Khiva himself, we buried what remained of him in an ant-bear +hole, together with an assegai to protect himself with on his journey +to a better world. On the third day we marched again, hoping that we +might live to return to dig up our buried ivory, and in due course, +after a long and wearisome tramp, and many adventures which I have not +space to detail, we reached Sitanda's Kraal, near the Lukanga River, +the real starting-point of our expedition. Very well do I recollect +our arrival at that place. To the right was a scattered native +settlement with a few stone cattle kraals and some cultivated lands +down by the water, where these savages grew their scanty supply of +grain, and beyond it stretched great tracts of waving "veld" covered +with tall grass, over which herds of the smaller game were wandering. +To the left lay the vast desert. This spot appears to be the outpost +of the fertile country, and it would be difficult to say to what +natural causes such an abrupt change in the character of the soil is +due. But so it is. + +Just below our encampment flowed a little stream, on the farther side +of which is a stony slope, the same down which, twenty years before, I +had seen poor Silvestre creeping back after his attempt to reach +Solomon's Mines, and beyond that slope begins the waterless desert, +covered with a species of karoo shrub. + +It was evening when we pitched our camp, and the great ball of the sun +was sinking into the desert, sending glorious rays of many-coloured +light flying all over its vast expanse. Leaving Good to superintend +the arrangement of our little camp, I took Sir Henry with me, and +walking to the top of the slope opposite, we gazed across the desert. +The air was very clear, and far, far away I could distinguish the +faint blue outlines, here and there capped with white, of the Suliman +Berg. + +"There," I said, "there is the wall round Solomon's Mines, but God +knows if we shall ever climb it." + +"My brother should be there, and if he is, I shall reach him somehow," +said Sir Henry, in that tone of quiet confidence which marked the man. + +"I hope so," I answered, and turned to go back to the camp, when I saw +that we were not alone. Behind us, also gazing earnestly towards the +far-off mountains, stood the great Kafir Umbopa. + +The Zulu spoke when he saw that I had observed him, addressing Sir +Henry, to whom he had attached himself. + +"Is it to that land that thou wouldst journey, Incubu?" (a native word +meaning, I believe, an elephant, and the name given to Sir Henry by +the Kafirs), he said, pointing towards the mountain with his broad +assegai. + +I asked him sharply what he meant by addressing his master in that +familiar way. It is very well for natives to have a name for one among +themselves, but it is not decent that they should call a white man by +their heathenish appellations to his face. The Zulu laughed a quiet +little laugh which angered me. + +"How dost thou know that I am not the equal of the Inkosi whom I +serve?" he said. "He is of a royal house, no doubt; one can see it in +his size and by his mien; so, mayhap, am I. At least, I am as great a +man. Be my mouth, O Macumazahn, and say my words to the Inkoos Incubu, +my master, for I would speak to him and to thee." + +I was angry with the man, for I am not accustomed to be talked to in +that way by Kafirs, but somehow he impressed me, and besides I was +curious to know what he had to say. So I translated, expressing my +opinion at the same time that he was an impudent fellow, and that his +swagger was outrageous. + +"Yes, Umbopa," answered Sir Henry, "I would journey there." + +"The desert is wide and there is no water in it, the mountains are +high and covered with snow, and man cannot say what lies beyond them +behind the place where the sun sets; how shalt thou come thither, +Incubu, and wherefore dost thou go?" + +I translated again. + +"Tell him," answered Sir Henry, "that I go because I believe that a +man of my blood, my brother, has gone there before me, and I journey +to seek him." + +"That is so, Incubu; a Hottentot I met on the road told me that a +white man went out into the desert two years ago towards those +mountains with one servant, a hunter. They never came back." + +"How do you know it was my brother?" asked Sir Henry. + +"Nay, I know not. But the Hottentot, when I asked what the white man +was like, said that he had thine eyes and a black beard. He said, too, +that the name of the hunter with him was Jim; that he was a Bechuana +hunter and wore clothes." + +"There is no doubt about it," said I; "I knew Jim well." + +Sir Henry nodded. "I was sure of it," he said. "If George set his mind +upon a thing he generally did it. It was always so from his boyhood. +If he meant to cross the Suliman Berg he has crossed it, unless some +accident overtook him, and we must look for him on the other side." + +Umbopa understood English, though he rarely spoke it. + +"It is a far journey, Incubu," he put in, and I translated his remark. + +"Yes," answered Sir Henry, "it is far. But there is no journey upon +this earth that a man may not make if he sets his heart to it. There +is nothing, Umbopa, that he cannot do, there are no mountains he may +not climb, there are no deserts he cannot cross, save a mountain and a +desert of which you are spared the knowledge, if love leads him and he +holds his life in his hands counting it as nothing, ready to keep it +or lose it as Heaven above may order." + +I translated. + +"Great words, my father," answered the Zulu--I always called him a +Zulu, though he was not really one--"great swelling words fit to fill +the mouth of a man. Thou art right, my father Incubu. Listen! what is +life? It is a feather, it is the seed of the grass, blown hither and +thither, sometimes multiplying itself and dying in the act, sometimes +carried away into the heavens. But if that seed be good and heavy it +may perchance travel a little way on the road it wills. It is well to +try and journey one's road and to fight with the air. Man must die. At +the worst he can but die a little sooner. I will go with thee across +the desert and over the mountains, unless perchance I fall to the +ground on the way, my father." + +He paused awhile, and then went on with one of those strange bursts of +rhetorical eloquence that Zulus sometimes indulge in, which to my +mind, full though they are of vain repetitions, show that the race is +by no means devoid of poetic instinct and of intellectual power. + +"What is life? Tell me, O white men, who are wise, who know the +secrets of the world, and of the world of stars, and the world that +lies above and around the stars; who flash your words from afar +without a voice; tell me, white men, the secret of our life--whither +it goes and whence it comes! + +"You cannot answer me; you know not. Listen, I will answer. Out of the +dark we came, into the dark we go. Like a storm-driven bird at night +we fly out of the Nowhere; for a moment our wings are seen in the +light of the fire, and, lo! we are gone again into the Nowhere. Life +is nothing. Life is all. It is the Hand with which we hold off Death. +It is the glow-worm that shines in the night-time and is black in the +morning; it is the white breath of the oxen in winter; it is the +little shadow that runs across the grass and loses itself at sunset." + +"You are a strange man," said Sir Henry, when he had ceased. + +Umbopa laughed. "It seems to me that we are much alike, Incubu. +Perhaps /I/ seek a brother over the mountains." + +I looked at him suspiciously. "What dost thou mean?" I asked; "what +dost thou know of those mountains?" + +"A little; a very little. There is a strange land yonder, a land of +witchcraft and beautiful things; a land of brave people, and of trees, +and streams, and snowy peaks, and of a great white road. I have heard +of it. But what is the good of talking? It grows dark. Those who live +to see will see." + +Again I looked at him doubtfully. The man knew too much. + +"You need not fear me, Macumazahn," he said, interpreting my look. "I +dig no holes for you to fall in. I make no plots. If ever we cross +those mountains behind the sun I will tell what I know. But Death sits +upon them. Be wise and turn back. Go and hunt elephants, my masters. I +have spoken." + +And without another word he lifted his spear in salutation, and +returned towards the camp, where shortly afterwards we found him +cleaning a gun like any other Kafir. + +"That is an odd man," said Sir Henry. + +"Yes," answered I, "too odd by half. I don't like his little ways. He +knows something, and will not speak out. But I suppose it is no use +quarrelling with him. We are in for a curious trip, and a mysterious +Zulu won't make much difference one way or another." + +Next day we made our arrangements for starting. Of course it was +impossible to drag our heavy elephant rifles and other kit with us +across the desert, so, dismissing our bearers, we made an arrangement +with an old native who had a kraal close by to take care of them till +we returned. It went to my heart to leave such things as those sweet +tools to the tender mercies of an old thief of a savage whose greedy +eyes I could see gloating over them. But I took some precautions. + +First of all I loaded all the rifles, placing them at full cock, and +informed him that if he touched them they would go off. He tried the +experiment instantly with my eight-bore, and it did go off, and blew a +hole right through one of his oxen, which were just then being driven +up to the kraal, to say nothing of knocking him head over heels with +the recoil. He got up considerably startled, and not at all pleased at +the loss of the ox, which he had the impudence to ask me to pay for, +and nothing would induce him to touch the guns again. + +"Put the live devils out of the way up there in the thatch," he said, +"or they will murder us all." + +Then I told him that, when we came back, if one of those things was +missing I would kill him and his people by witchcraft; and if we died +and he tried to steal the rifles I would come and haunt him and turn +his cattle mad and his milk sour till life was a weariness, and would +make the devils in the guns come out and talk to him in a way he did +not like, and generally gave him a good idea of judgment to come. +After that he promised to look after them as though they were his +father's spirit. He was a very superstitious old Kafir and a great +villain. + +Having thus disposed of our superfluous gear we arranged the kit we +five--Sir Henry, Good, myself, Umbopa, and the Hottentot Ventvögel-- +were to take with us on our journey. It was small enough, but do what +we would we could not get its weight down under about forty pounds a +man. This is what it consisted of:-- + +The three express rifles and two hundred rounds of ammunition. + +The two Winchester repeating rifles (for Umbopa and Ventvögel), with +two hundred rounds of cartridge. + +Five Cochrane's water-bottles, each holding four pints. + +Five blankets. + +Twenty-five pounds' weight of biltong--i.e. sun-dried game flesh. + +Ten pounds' weight of best mixed beads for gifts. + +A selection of medicine, including an ounce of quinine, and one or two +small surgical instruments. + +Our knives, a few sundries, such as a compass, matches, a pocket +filter, tobacco, a trowel, a bottle of brandy, and the clothes we +stood in. + +This was our total equipment, a small one indeed for such a venture, +but we dared not attempt to carry more. Indeed, that load was a heavy +one per man with which to travel across the burning desert, for in +such places every additional ounce tells. But we could not see our way +to reducing the weight. There was nothing taken but what was +absolutely necessary. + +With great difficulty, and by the promise of a present of a good +hunting-knife each, I succeeded in persuading three wretched natives +from the village to come with us for the first stage, twenty miles, +and to carry a large gourd holding a gallon of water apiece. My object +was to enable us to refill our water-bottles after the first night's +march, for we determined to start in the cool of the evening. I gave +out to these natives that we were going to shoot ostriches, with which +the desert abounded. They jabbered and shrugged their shoulders, +saying that we were mad and should perish of thirst, which I must say +seemed probable; but being desirous of obtaining the knives, which +were almost unknown treasures up there, they consented to come, having +probably reflected that, after all, our subsequent extinction would be +no affair of theirs. + +All next day we rested and slept, and at sunset ate a hearty meal of +fresh beef washed down with tea, the last, as Good remarked sadly, we +were likely to drink for many a long day. Then, having made our final +preparations, we lay down and waited for the moon to rise. At last, +about nine o'clock, up she came in all her glory, flooding the wild +country with light, and throwing a silver sheen on the expanse of +rolling desert before us, which looked as solemn and quiet and as +alien to man as the star-studded firmament above. We rose up, and in a +few minutes were ready, and yet we hesitated a little, as human nature +is prone to hesitate on the threshold of an irrevocable step. We three +white men stood by ourselves. Umbopa, assegai in hand and a rifle +across his shoulders, looked out fixedly across the desert a few paces +ahead of us; while the hired natives, with the gourds of water, and +Ventvögel, were gathered in a little knot behind. + +"Gentlemen," said Sir Henry presently, in his deep voice, "we are +going on about as strange a journey as men can make in this world. It +is very doubtful if we can succeed in it. But we are three men who +will stand together for good or for evil to the last. Now before we +start let us for a moment pray to the Power who shapes the destinies +of men, and who ages since has marked out our paths, that it may +please Him to direct our steps in accordance with His will." + +Taking off his hat, for the space of a minute or so, he covered his +face with his hands, and Good and I did likewise. + +I do not say that I am a first-rate praying man, few hunters are, and +as for Sir Henry, I never heard him speak like that before, and only +once since, though deep down in his heart I believe that he is very +religious. Good too is pious, though apt to swear. Anyhow I do not +remember, excepting on one single occasion, ever putting up a better +prayer in my life than I did during that minute, and somehow I felt +the happier for it. Our future was so completely unknown, and I think +that the unknown and the awful always bring a man nearer to his Maker. + +"And now," said Sir Henry, "/trek/!" + +So we started. + +We had nothing to guide ourselves by except the distant mountains and +old José da Silvestre's chart, which, considering that it was drawn by +a dying and half-distraught man on a fragment of linen three centuries +ago, was not a very satisfactory sort of thing with work with. Still, +our sole hope of success depended upon it, such as it was. If we +failed in finding that pool of bad water which the old Dom marked as +being situated in the middle of the desert, about sixty miles from our +starting-point, and as far from the mountains, in all probability we +must perish miserably of thirst. But to my mind the chances of our +finding it in that great sea of sand and karoo scrub seemed almost +infinitesimal. Even supposing that da Silvestra had marked the pool +correctly, what was there to prevent its having been dried up by the +sun generations ago, or trampled in by game, or filled with the +drifting sand? + +On we tramped silently as shades through the night and in the heavy +sand. The karoo bushes caught our feet and retarded us, and the sand +worked into our veldtschoons and Good's shooting-boots, so that every +few miles we had to stop and empty them; but still the night kept +fairly cool, though the atmosphere was thick and heavy, giving a sort +of creamy feel to the air, and we made fair progress. It was very +silent and lonely there in the desert, oppressively so indeed. Good +felt this, and once began to whistle "The Girl I left behind me," but +the notes sounded lugubrious in that vast place, and he gave it up. + +Shortly afterwards a little incident occurred which, though it +startled us at the time, gave rise to a laugh. Good was leading, as +the holder of the compass, which, being a sailor, of course he +understood thoroughly, and we were toiling along in single file behind +him, when suddenly we heard the sound of an exclamation, and he +vanished. Next second there arose all around us a most extraordinary +hubbub, snorts, groans, and wild sounds of rushing feet. In the faint +light, too, we could descry dim galloping forms half hidden by wreaths +of sand. The natives threw down their loads and prepared to bolt, but +remembering that there was nowhere to run to, they cast themselves +upon the ground and howled out that it was ghosts. As for Sir Henry +and myself, we stood amazed; nor was our amazement lessened when we +perceived the form of Good careering off in the direction of the +mountains, apparently mounted on the back of a horse and halloaing +wildly. In another second he threw up his arms, and we heard him come +to the earth with a thud. + +Then I saw what had happened; we had stumbled upon a herd of sleeping +quagga, on to the back of one of which Good actually had fallen, and +the brute naturally enough got up and made off with him. Calling out +to the others that it was all right, I ran towards Good, much afraid +lest he should be hurt, but to my great relief I found him sitting in +the sand, his eye-glass still fixed firmly in his eye, rather shaken +and very much frightened, but not in any way injured. + +After this we travelled on without any further misadventure till about +one o'clock, when we called a halt, and having drunk a little water, +not much, for water was precious, and rested for half an hour, we +started again. + +On, on we went, till at last the east began to blush like the cheek of +a girl. Then there came faint rays of primrose light, that changed +presently to golden bars, through which the dawn glided out across the +desert. The stars grew pale and paler still, till at last they +vanished; the golden moon waxed wan, and her mountain ridges stood out +against her sickly face like the bones on the cheek of a dying man. +Then came spear upon spear of light flashing far away across the +boundless wilderness, piercing and firing the veils of mist, till the +desert was draped in a tremulous golden glow, and it was day. + +Still we did not halt, though by this time we should have been glad +enough to do so, for we knew that when once the sun was fully up it +would be almost impossible for us to travel. At length, about an hour +later, we spied a little pile of boulders rising out of the plain, and +to this we dragged ourselves. As luck would have it, here we found an +overhanging slab of rock carpeted beneath with smooth sand, which +afforded a most grateful shelter from the heat. Underneath this we +crept, and each of us having drunk some water and eaten a bit of +biltong, we lay down and soon were sound asleep. + +It was three o'clock in the afternoon before we woke, to find our +bearers preparing to return. They had seen enough of the desert +already, and no number of knives would have tempted them to come a +step farther. So we took a hearty drink, and having emptied our water- +bottles, filled them up again from the gourds that they had brought +with them, and then watched them depart on their twenty miles' tramp +home. + +At half-past four we also started. It was lonely and desolate work, +for with the exception of a few ostriches there was not a single +living creature to be seen on all the vast expanse of sandy plain. +Evidently it was too dry for game, and with the exception of a deadly- +looking cobra or two we saw no reptiles. One insect, however, we found +abundant, and that was the common or house fly. There they came, "not +as single spies, but in battalions," as I think the Old Testament[*] +says somewhere. He is an extraordinary insect is the house fly. Go +where you will you find him, and so it must have been always. I have +seen him enclosed in amber, which is, I was told, quite half a million +years old, looking exactly like his descendant of to-day, and I have +little doubt but that when the last man lies dying on the earth he +will be buzzing round--if this event happens to occur in summer-- +watching for an opportunity to settle on his nose. + +[*] Readers must beware of accepting Mr. Quatermain's references as + accurate, as, it has been found, some are prone to do. Although + his reading evidently was limited, the impression produced by it + upon his mind was mixed. Thus to him the Old Testament and + Shakespeare were interchangeable authorities.--Editor. + +At sunset we halted, waiting for the moon to rise. At last she came +up, beautiful and serene as ever, and, with one halt about two o'clock +in the morning, we trudged on wearily through the night, till at last +the welcome sun put a period to our labours. We drank a little and +flung ourselves down on the sand, thoroughly tired out, and soon were +all asleep. There was no need to set a watch, for we had nothing to +fear from anybody or anything in that vast untenanted plain. Our only +enemies were heat, thirst, and flies, but far rather would I have +faced any danger from man or beast than that awful trinity. This time +we were not so lucky as to find a sheltering rock to guard us from the +glare of the sun, with the result that about seven o'clock we woke up +experiencing the exact sensations one would attribute to a beefsteak +on a gridiron. We were literally being baked through and through. The +burning sun seemed to be sucking our very blood out of us. We sat up +and gasped. + +"Phew," said I, grabbing at the halo of flies which buzzed cheerfully +round my head. The heat did not affect /them/. + +"My word!" said Sir Henry. + +"It is hot!" echoed Good. + +It was hot, indeed, and there was not a bit of shelter to be found. +Look where we would there was no rock or tree, nothing but an unending +glare, rendered dazzling by the heated air that danced over the +surface of the desert as it dances over a red-hot stove. + +"What is to be done?" asked Sir Henry; "we can't stand this for long." + +We looked at each other blankly. + +"I have it," said Good, "we must dig a hole, get in it, and cover +ourselves with the karoo bushes." + +It did not seem a very promising suggestion, but at least it was +better than nothing, so we set to work, and, with the trowel we had +brought with us and the help of our hands, in about an hour we +succeeded in delving out a patch of ground some ten feet long by +twelve wide to the depth of two feet. Then we cut a quantity of low +scrub with our hunting-knives, and creeping into the hole, pulled it +over us all, with the exception of Ventvögel, on whom, being a +Hottentot, the heat had no particular effect. This gave us some slight +shelter from the burning rays of the sun, but the atmosphere in that +amateur grave can be better imagined than described. The Black Hole of +Calcutta must have been a fool to it; indeed, to this moment I do not +know how we lived through the day. There we lay panting, and every now +and again moistening our lips from our scanty supply of water. Had we +followed our inclinations we should have finished all we possessed in +the first two hours, but we were forced to exercise the most rigid +care, for if our water failed us we knew that very soon we must perish +miserably. + +But everything has an end, if only you live long enough to see it, and +somehow that miserable day wore on towards evening. About three +o'clock in the afternoon we determined that we could bear it no +longer. It would be better to die walking that to be killed slowly by +heat and thirst in this dreadful hole. So taking each of us a little +drink from our fast diminishing supply of water, now warmed to about +the same temperature as a man's blood, we staggered forward. + +We had then covered some fifty miles of wilderness. If the reader will +refer to the rough copy and translation of old da Silvestra's map, he +will see that the desert is marked as measuring forty leagues across, +and the "pan bad water" is set down as being about in the middle of +it. Now forty leagues is one hundred and twenty miles, consequently we +ought at the most to be within twelve or fifteen miles of the water if +any should really exist. + +Through the afternoon we crept slowly and painfully along, scarcely +doing more than a mile and a half in an hour. At sunset we rested +again, waiting for the moon, and after drinking a little managed to +get some sleep. + +Before we lay down, Umbopa pointed out to us a slight and indistinct +hillock on the flat surface of the plain about eight miles away. At +the distance it looked like an ant-hill, and as I was dropping off to +sleep I fell to wondering what it could be. + +With the moon we marched again, feeling dreadfully exhausted, and +suffering tortures from thirst and prickly heat. Nobody who has not +felt it can know what we went through. We walked no longer, we +staggered, now and again falling from exhaustion, and being obliged to +call a halt every hour or so. We had scarcely energy left in us to +speak. Up to this Good had chatted and joked, for he is a merry +fellow; but now he had not a joke in him. + +At last, about two o'clock, utterly worn out in body and mind, we came +to the foot of the queer hill, or sand koppie, which at first sight +resembled a gigantic ant-heap about a hundred feet high, and covering +at the base nearly two acres of ground. + +Here we halted, and driven to it by our desperate thirst, sucked down +our last drops of water. We had but half a pint a head, and each of us +could have drunk a gallon. + +Then we lay down. Just as I was dropping off to sleep I heard Umbopa +remark to himself in Zulu-- + +"If we cannot find water we shall all be dead before the moon rises +to-morrow." + +I shuddered, hot as it was. The near prospect of such an awful death +is not pleasant, but even the thought of it could not keep me from +sleeping. + + + +CHAPTER VI + +WATER! WATER! + +Two hours later, that is, about four o'clock, I woke up, for so soon +as the first heavy demand of bodily fatigue had been satisfied, the +torturing thirst from which I was suffering asserted itself. I could +sleep no more. I had been dreaming that I was bathing in a running +stream, with green banks and trees upon them, and I awoke to find +myself in this arid wilderness, and to remember, as Umbopa had said, +that if we did not find water this day we must perish miserably. No +human creature could live long without water in that heat. I sat up +and rubbed my grimy face with my dry and horny hands, as my lips and +eyelids were stuck together, and it was only after some friction and +with an effort that I was able to open them. It was not far from dawn, +but there was none of the bright feel of dawn in the air, which was +thick with a hot murkiness that I cannot describe. The others were +still sleeping. + +Presently it began to grow light enough to read, so I drew out a +little pocket copy of the "Ingoldsby Legends" which I had brought with +me, and read "The Jackdaw of Rheims." When I got to where + + "A nice little boy held a golden ewer, + Embossed, and filled with water as pure + As any that flows between Rheims and Namur," + +literally I smacked my cracking lips, or rather tried to smack them. +The mere thought of that pure water made me mad. If the Cardinal had +been there with his bell, book, and candle, I would have whipped in +and drunk his water up; yes, even if he had filled it already with the +suds of soap "worthy of washing the hands of the Pope," and I knew +that the whole consecrated curse of the Catholic Church should fall +upon me for so doing. I almost think that I must have been a little +light-headed with thirst, weariness and the want of food; for I fell +to thinking how astonished the Cardinal and his nice little boy and +the jackdaw would have looked to see a burnt up, brown-eyed, grizzly- +haired little elephant hunter suddenly bound between them, put his +dirty face into the basin, and swallow every drop of the precious +water. The idea amused me so much that I laughed or rather cackled +aloud, which woke the others, and they began to rub /their/ dirty +faces and drag /their/ gummed-up lips and eyelids apart. + +As soon as we were all well awake we began to discuss the situation, +which was serious enough. Not a drop of water was left. We turned the +bottles upside down, and licked their tops, but it was a failure; they +were dry as a bone. Good, who had charge of the flask of brandy, got +it out and looked at it longingly; but Sir Henry promptly took it away +from him, for to drink raw spirit would only have been to precipitate +the end. + +"If we do not find water we shall die," he said. + +"If we can trust to the old Dom's map there should be some about," I +said; but nobody seemed to derive much satisfaction from this remark. +It was so evident that no great faith could be put in the map. Now it +was gradually growing light, and as we sat staring blankly at each +other, I observed the Hottentot Ventvögel rise and begin to walk about +with his eyes on the ground. Presently he stopped short, and uttering +a guttural exclamation, pointed to the earth. + +"What is it?" we exclaimed; and rising simultaneously we went to where +he was standing staring at the sand. + +"Well," I said, "it is fresh Springbok spoor; what of it?" + +"Springbucks do not go far from water," he answered in Dutch. + +"No," I answered, "I forgot; and thank God for it." + +This little discovery put new life into us; for it is wonderful, when +a man is in a desperate position, how he catches at the slightest +hope, and feels almost happy. On a dark night a single star is better +than nothing. + +Meanwhile Ventvögel was lifting his snub nose, and sniffing the hot +air for all the world like an old Impala ram who scents danger. +Presently he spoke again. + +"I /smell/ water," he said. + +Then we felt quite jubilant, for we knew what a wonderful instinct +these wild-bred men possess. + +Just at that moment the sun came up gloriously, and revealed so grand +a sight to our astonished eyes that for a moment or two we even forgot +our thirst. + +There, not more than forty or fifty miles from us, glittering like +silver in the early rays of the morning sun, soared Sheba's Breasts; +and stretching away for hundreds of miles on either side of them ran +the great Suliman Berg. Now that, sitting here, I attempt to describe +the extraordinary grandeur and beauty of that sight, language seems to +fail me. I am impotent even before its memory. Straight before us, +rose two enormous mountains, the like of which are not, I believe, to +be seen in Africa, if indeed there are any other such in the world, +measuring each of them at least fifteen thousand feet in height, +standing not more than a dozen miles apart, linked together by a +precipitous cliff of rock, and towering in awful white solemnity +straight into the sky. These mountains placed thus, like the pillars +of a gigantic gateway, are shaped after the fashion of a woman's +breasts, and at times the mists and shadows beneath them take the form +of a recumbent woman, veiled mysteriously in sleep. Their bases swell +gently from the plain, looking at that distance perfectly round and +smooth; and upon the top of each is a vast hillock covered with snow, +exactly corresponding to the nipple on the female breast. The stretch +of cliff that connects them appears to be some thousands of feet in +height, and perfectly precipitous, and on each flank of them, so far +as the eye can reach, extent similar lines of cliff, broken only here +and there by flat table-topped mountains, something like the world- +famed one at Cape Town; a formation, by the way, that is very common +in Africa. + +To describe the comprehensive grandeur of that view is beyond my +powers. There was something so inexpressibly solemn and overpowering +about those huge volcanoes--for doubtless they are extinct volcanoes-- +that it quite awed us. For a while the morning lights played upon the +snow and the brown and swelling masses beneath, and then, as though to +veil the majestic sight from our curious eyes, strange vapours and +clouds gathered and increased around the mountains, till presently we +could only trace their pure and gigantic outlines, showing ghostlike +through the fleecy envelope. Indeed, as we afterwards discovered, +usually they were wrapped in this gauze-like mist, which doubtless +accounted for our not having seen them more clearly before. + +Sheba's Breasts had scarcely vanished into cloud-clad privacy, before +our thirst--literally a burning question--reasserted itself. + +It was all very well for Ventvögel to say that he smelt water, but we +could see no signs of it, look which way we would. So far as the eye +might reach there was nothing but arid sweltering sand and karoo +scrub. We walked round the hillock and gazed about anxiously on the +other side, but it was the same story, not a drop of water could be +found; there was no indication of a pan, a pool, or a spring. + +"You are a fool," I said angrily to Ventvögel; "there is no water." + +But still he lifted his ugly snub nose sniffed. + +"I smell it, Baas," he answered; "it is somewhere in the air." + +"Yes," I said, "no doubt it is in the clouds, and about two months +hence it will fall and wash our bones." + +Sir Henry stroked his yellow beard thoughtfully. "Perhaps it is on the +top of the hill," he suggested. + +"Rot," said Good; "whoever heard of water being found at the top of a +hill!" + +"Let us go and look," I put in, and hopelessly enough we scrambled up +the sandy sides of the hillock, Umbopa leading. Presently he stopped +as though he was petrified. + +"/Nanzia manzie/!" that is, "Here is water!" he cried with a loud +voice. + +We rushed up to him, and there, sure enough, in a deep cut or +indentation on the very top of the sand koppie, was an undoubted pool +of water. How it came to be in such a strange place we did not stop to +inquire, nor did we hesitate at its black and unpleasant appearance. +It was water, or a good imitation of it, and that was enough for us. +We gave a bound and a rush, and in another second we were all down on +our stomachs sucking up the uninviting fluid as though it were nectar +fit for the gods. Heavens, how we did drink! Then when we had done +drinking we tore off our clothes and sat down in the pool, absorbing +the moisture through our parched skins. You, Harry, my boy, who have +only to turn on a couple of taps to summon "hot" and "cold" from an +unseen, vasty cistern, can have little idea of the luxury of that +muddy wallow in brackish tepid water. + +After a while we rose from it, refreshed indeed, and fell to on our +"biltong," of which we had scarcely been able to touch a mouthful for +twenty-four hours, and ate our fill. Then we smoked a pipe, and lay +down by the side of that blessed pool, under the overhanging shadow of +its bank, and slept till noon. + +All that day we rested there by the water, thanking our stars that we +had been lucky enough to find it, bad as it was, and not forgetting to +render a due share of gratitude to the shade of the long-departed da +Silvestra, who had set its position down so accurately on the tail of +his shirt. The wonderful thing to us was that the pan should have +lasted so long, and the only way in which I can account for this is on +the supposition that it is fed by some spring deep down in the sand. + +Having filled both ourselves and our water-bottles as full as +possible, in far better spirits we started off again with the moon. +That night we covered nearly five-and-twenty miles; but, needless to +say, found no more water, though we were lucky enough the following +day to get a little shade behind some ant-heaps. When the sun rose, +and, for awhile, cleared away the mysterious mists, Suliman's Berg +with the two majestic Breasts, now only about twenty miles off, seemed +to be towering right above us, and looked grander than ever. At the +approach of evening we marched again, and, to cut a long story short, +by daylight next morning found ourselves upon the lowest slopes of +Sheba's left breast, for which we had been steadily steering. By this +time our water was exhausted once more, and we were suffering severely +from thirst, nor indeed could we see any chance of relieving it till +we reached the snow line far, far above us. After resting an hour or +two, driven to it by our torturing thirst, we went on, toiling +painfully in the burning heat up the lava slopes, for we found that +the huge base of the mountain was composed entirely of lava beds +belched from the bowels of the earth in some far past age. + +By eleven o'clock we were utterly exhausted, and, generally speaking, +in a very bad state indeed. The lava clinker, over which we must drag +ourselves, though smooth compared with some clinker I have heard of, +such as that on the Island of Ascension, for instance, was yet rough +enough to make our feet very sore, and this, together with our other +miseries, had pretty well finished us. A few hundred yards above us +were some large lumps of lava, and towards these we steered with the +intention of lying down beneath their shade. We reached them, and to +our surprise, so far as we had a capacity for surprise left in us, on +a little plateau or ridge close by we saw that the clinker was covered +with a dense green growth. Evidently soil formed of decomposed lava +had rested there, and in due course had become the receptacle of seeds +deposited by birds. But we did not take much further interest in the +green growth, for one cannot live on grass like Nebuchadnezzar. That +requires a special dispensation of Providence and peculiar digestive +organs. + +So we sat down under the rocks and groaned, and for one I wished +heartily that we had never started on this fool's errand. As we were +sitting there I saw Umbopa get up and hobble towards the patch of +green, and a few minutes afterwards, to my great astonishment, I +perceived that usually very dignified individual dancing and shouting +like a maniac, and waving something green. Off we all scrambled +towards him as fast as our wearied limbs would carry us, hoping that +he had found water. + +"What is it, Umbopa, son of a fool?" I shouted in Zulu. + +"It is food and water, Macumazahn," and again he waved the green +thing. + +Then I saw what he had found. It was a melon. We had hit upon a patch +of wild melons, thousands of them, and dead ripe. + +"Melons!" I yelled to Good, who was next me; and in another minute his +false teeth were fixed in one of them. + +I think we ate about six each before we had done, and poor fruit as +they were, I doubt if I ever thought anything nicer. + +But melons are not very nutritious, and when we had satisfied our +thirst with their pulpy substance, and put a stock to cool by the +simple process of cutting them in two and setting them end on in the +hot sun to grow cold by evaporation, we began to feel exceedingly +hungry. We had still some biltong left, but our stomachs turned from +biltong, and besides, we were obliged to be very sparing of it, for we +could not say when we should find more food. Just at this moment a +lucky thing chanced. Looking across the desert I saw a flock of about +ten large birds flying straight towards us. + +"/Skit, Baas, skit!/" "Shoot, master, shoot!" whispered the Hottentot, +throwing himself on his face, an example which we all followed. + +Then I saw that the birds were a flock of /pauw/ or bustards, and that +they would pass within fifty yards of my head. Taking one of the +repeating Winchesters, I waited till they were nearly over us, and +then jumped to my feet. On seeing me the /pauw/ bunched up together, +as I expected that they would, and I fired two shots straight into the +thick of them, and, as luck would have it, brought one down, a fine +fellow, that weighed about twenty pounds. In half an hour we had a +fire made of dry melon stalks, and he was toasting over it, and we +made such a feed as we had not tasted for a week. We ate that /pauw/; +nothing was left of him but his leg-bones and his beak, and we felt +not a little the better afterwards. + +That night we went on again with the moon, carrying as many melons as +we could with us. As we ascended we found the air grew cooler and +cooler, which was a great relief to us, and at dawn, so far as we +could judge, we were not more than about a dozen miles from the snow +line. Here we discovered more melons, and so had no longer any anxiety +about water, for we knew that we should soon get plenty of snow. But +the ascent had now become very precipitous, and we made but slow +progress, not more than a mile an hour. Also that night we ate our +last morsel of biltong. As yet, with the exception of the /pauw/, we +had seen no living thing on the mountain, nor had we come across a +single spring or stream of water, which struck us as very odd, +considering the expanse of snow above us, which must, we thought, melt +sometimes. But as we afterwards discovered, owing to a cause which it +is quite beyond my power to explain, all the streams flowed down upon +the north side of the mountains. + +Now we began to grow very anxious about food. We had escaped death by +thirst, but it seemed probable that it was only to die of hunger. The +events of the next three miserable days are best described by copying +the entries made at the time in my note-book. + +"21st May.--Started 11 a.m., finding the atmosphere quite cold enough +to travel by day, and carrying some water-melons with us. Struggled on +all day, but found no more melons, having evidently passed out of +their district. Saw no game of any sort. Halted for the night at +sundown, having had no food for many hours. Suffered much during the +night from cold. + +"22nd.--Started at sunrise again, feeling very faint and weak. Only +made about five miles all day; found some patches of snow, of which we +ate, but nothing else. Camped at night under the edge of a great +plateau. Cold bitter. Drank a little brandy each, and huddled +ourselves together, each wrapped up in his blanket, to keep ourselves +alive. Are now suffering frightfully from starvation and weariness. +Thought that Ventvögel would have died during the night. + +"23rd.--Struggled forward once more as soon as the sun was well up, +and had thawed our limbs a little. We are now in a dreadful plight, +and I fear that unless we get food this will be our last day's +journey. But little brandy left. Good, Sir Henry, and Umbopa bear up +wonderfully, but Ventvögel is in a very bad way. Like most Hottentots, +he cannot stand cold. Pangs of hunger not so bad, but have a sort of +numb feeling about the stomach. Others say the same. We are now on a +level with the precipitous chain, or wall of lava, linking the two +Breasts, and the view is glorious. Behind us the glowing desert rolls +away to the horizon, and before us lie mile upon mile of smooth hard +snow almost level, but swelling gently upwards, out of the centre of +which the nipple of the mountain, that appears to be some miles in +circumference, rises about four thousand feet into the sky. Not a +living thing is to be seen. God help us; I fear that our time has +come." + +And now I will drop the journal, partly because it is not very +interesting reading; also what follows requires telling rather more +fully. + +All that day--the 23rd May--we struggled slowly up the incline of +snow, lying down from time to time to rest. A strange gaunt crew we +must have looked, while, laden as we were, we dragged our weary feet +over the dazzling plain, glaring round us with hungry eyes. Not that +there was much use in glaring, for we could see nothing to eat. We did +not accomplish more than seven miles that day. Just before sunset we +found ourselves exactly under the nipple of Sheba's left Breast, which +towered thousands of feet into the air, a vast smooth hillock of +frozen snow. Weak as we were, we could not but appreciate the +wonderful scene, made even more splendid by the flying rays of light +from the setting sun, which here and there stained the snow blood-red, +and crowned the great dome above us with a diadem of glory. + +"I say," gasped Good, presently, "we ought to be somewhere near that +cave the old gentleman wrote about." + +"Yes," said I, "if there is a cave." + +"Come, Quatermain," groaned Sir Henry, "don't talk like that; I have +every faith in the Dom; remember the water! We shall find the place +soon." + +"If we don't find it before dark we are dead men, that is all about +it," was my consolatory reply. + +For the next ten minutes we trudged in silence, when suddenly Umbopa, +who was marching along beside me, wrapped in his blanket, and with a +leather belt strapped so tightly round his stomach, to "make his +hunger small," as he said, that his waist looked like a girl's, caught +me by the arm. + +"Look!" he said, pointing towards the springing slope of the nipple. + +I followed his glance, and some two hundred yards from us perceived +what appeared to be a hole in the snow. + +"It is the cave," said Umbopa. + +We made the best of our way to the spot, and found sure enough that +the hole was the mouth of a cavern, no doubt the same as that of which +da Silvestra wrote. We were not too soon, for just as we reached +shelter the sun went down with startling rapidity, leaving the world +nearly dark, for in these latitudes there is but little twilight. So +we crept into the cave, which did not appear to be very big, and +huddling ourselves together for warmth, swallowed what remained of our +brandy--barely a mouthful each--and tried to forget our miseries in +sleep. But the cold was too intense to allow us to do so, for I am +convinced that at this great altitude the thermometer cannot have +marked less than fourteen or fifteen degrees below freezing point. +What such a temperature meant to us, enervated as we were by hardship, +want of food, and the great heat of the desert, the reader may imagine +better than I can describe. Suffice it to say that it was something as +near death from exposure as I have ever felt. There we sat hour after +hour through the still and bitter night, feeling the frost wander +round and nip us now in the finger, now in the foot, now in the face. +In vain did we huddle up closer and closer; there was no warmth in our +miserable starved carcases. Sometimes one of us would drop into an +uneasy slumber for a few minutes, but we could not sleep much, and +perhaps this was fortunate, for if we had I doubt if we should have +ever woke again. Indeed, I believe that it was only by force of will +that we kept ourselves alive at all. + +Not very long before dawn I heard the Hottentot Ventvögel, whose teeth +had been chattering all night like castanets, give a deep sigh. Then +his teeth stopped chattering. I did not think anything of it at the +time, concluding that he had gone to sleep. His back was resting +against mine, and it seemed to grow colder and colder, till at last it +felt like ice. + +At length the air began to grow grey with light, then golden arrows +sped across the snow, and at last the glorious sun peeped above the +lava wall and looked in upon our half-frozen forms. Also it looked +upon Ventvögel, sitting there amongst us, /stone dead/. No wonder his +back felt cold, poor fellow. He had died when I heard him sigh, and +was now frozen almost stiff. Shocked beyond measure, we dragged +ourselves from the corpse--how strange is that horror we mortals have +of the companionship of a dead body--and left it sitting there, its +arms clasped about its knees. + +By this time the sunlight was pouring its cold rays, for here they +were cold, straight into the mouth of the cave. Suddenly I heard an +exclamation of fear from someone, and turned my head. + +And this is what I saw: Sitting at the end of the cavern--it was not +more than twenty feet long--was another form, of which the head rested +on its chest and the long arms hung down. I stared at it, and saw that +this too was a /dead man/, and, what was more, a white man. + +The others saw also, and the sight proved too much for our shattered +nerves. One and all we scrambled out of the cave as fast as our half- +frozen limbs would carry us. + + + +CHAPTER VII + +SOLOMON'S ROAD + +Outside the cavern we halted, feeling rather foolish. + +"I am going back," said Sir Henry. + +"Why?" asked Good. + +"Because it has struck me that--what we saw--may be my brother." + +This was a new idea, and we re-entered the place to put it to the +proof. After the bright light outside, our eyes, weak as they were +with staring at the snow, could not pierce the gloom of the cave for a +while. Presently, however, they grew accustomed to the semi-darkness, +and we advanced towards the dead man. + +Sir Henry knelt down and peered into his face. + +"Thank God," he said, with a sigh of relief, "it is /not/ my brother." + +Then I drew near and looked. The body was that of a tall man in middle +life with aquiline features, grizzled hair, and a long black +moustache. The skin was perfectly yellow, and stretched tightly over +the bones. Its clothing, with the exception of what seemed to be the +remains of a woollen pair of hose, had been removed, leaving the +skeleton-like frame naked. Round the neck of the corpse, which was +frozen perfectly stiff, hung a yellow ivory crucifix. + +"Who on earth can it be?" said I. + +"Can't you guess?" asked Good. + +I shook my head. + +"Why, the old Dom, José da Silvestra, of course--who else?" + +"Impossible," I gasped; "he died three hundred years ago." + +"And what is there to prevent him from lasting for three thousand +years in this atmosphere, I should like to know?" asked Good. "If only +the temperature is sufficiently low, flesh and blood will keep fresh +as New Zealand mutton for ever, and Heaven knows it is cold enough +here. The sun never gets in here; no animal comes here to tear or +destroy. No doubt his slave, of whom he speaks on the writing, took +off his clothes and left him. He could not have buried him alone. +Look!" he went on, stooping down to pick up a queerly-shaped bone +scraped at the end into a sharp point, "here is the 'cleft bone' that +Silvestra used to draw the map with." + +We gazed for a moment astonished, forgetting our own miseries in this +extraordinary and, as it seemed to us, semi-miraculous sight. + +"Ay," said Sir Henry, "and this is where he got his ink from," and he +pointed to a small wound on the Dom's left arm. "Did ever man see such +a thing before?" + +There was no longer any doubt about the matter, which for my own part +I confess perfectly appalled me. There he sat, the dead man, whose +directions, written some ten generations ago, had led us to this spot. +Here in my own hand was the rude pen with which he had written them, +and about his neck hung the crucifix that his dying lips had kissed. +Gazing at him, my imagination could reconstruct the last scene of the +drama, the traveller dying of cold and starvation, yet striving to +convey to the world the great secret which he had discovered:--the +awful loneliness of his death, of which the evidence sat before us. It +even seemed to me that I could trace in his strongly-marked features a +likeness to those of my poor friend Silvestre his descendant, who had +died twenty years before in my arms, but perhaps that was fancy. At +any rate, there he sat, a sad memento of the fate that so often +overtakes those who would penetrate into the unknown; and there +doubtless he will still sit, crowned with the dread majesty of death, +for centuries yet unborn, to startle the eyes of wanderers like +ourselves, if ever any such should come again to invade his +loneliness. The thing overpowered us, already almost perished as we +were with cold and hunger. + +"Let us go," said Sir Henry in a low voice; "stay, we will give him a +companion," and lifting up the dead body of the Hottentot Ventvögel, +he placed it near to that of the old Dom. Then he stooped, and with a +jerk broke the rotten string of the crucifix which hung round da +Silvestra's neck, for his fingers were too cold to attempt to unfasten +it. I believe that he has it still. I took the bone pen, and it is +before me as I write--sometimes I use it to sign my name. + +Then leaving these two, the proud white man of a past age, and the +poor Hottentot, to keep their eternal vigil in the midst of the +eternal snows, we crept out of the cave into the welcome sunshine and +resumed our path, wondering in our hearts how many hours it would be +before we were even as they are. + +When we had walked about half a mile we came to the edge of the +plateau, for the nipple of the mountain does not rise out of its exact +centre, though from the desert side it had seemed to do so. What lay +below us we could not see, for the landscape was wreathed in billows +of morning fog. Presently, however, the higher layers of mist cleared +a little, and revealed, at the end of a long slope of snow, a patch of +green grass, some five hundred yards beneath us, through which a +stream was running. Nor was this all. By the stream, basking in the +bright sun, stood and lay a group of from ten to fifteen /large +antelopes/--at that distance we could not see of what species. + +The sight filled us with an unreasoning joy. If only we could get it, +there was food in plenty. But the question was how to do so. The +beasts were fully six hundred yards off, a very long shot, and one not +to be depended on when our lives hung on the results. + +Rapidly we discussed the advisability of trying to stalk the game, but +in the end dismissed it reluctantly. To begin with, the wind was not +favourable, and further, we must certainly be perceived, however +careful we were, against the blinding background of snow, which we +should be obliged to traverse. + +"Well, we must have a try from where we are," said Sir Henry. "Which +shall it be, Quatermain, the repeating rifles or the expresses?" + +Here again was a question. The Winchester repeaters--of which we had +two, Umbopa carrying poor Ventvögel's as well as his own--were sighted +up to a thousand yards, whereas the expresses were only sighted to +three hundred and fifty, beyond which distance shooting with them was +more or less guess-work. On the other hand, if they did hit, the +express bullets, being "expanding," were much more likely to bring the +game down. It was a knotty point, but I made up my mind that we must +risk it and use the expresses. + +"Let each of us take the buck opposite to him. Aim well at the point +of the shoulder and high up," said I; "and Umbopa, do you give the +word, so that we may all fire together." + +Then came a pause, each of us aiming his level best, as indeed a man +is likely to do when he knows that life itself depends upon the shot. + +"Fire," said Umbopa in Zulu, and at almost the same instant the three +rifles rang out loudly; three clouds of smoke hung for a moment before +us, and a hundred echoes went flying over the silent snow. Presently +the smoke cleared, and revealed--oh, joy!--a great buck lying on its +back and kicking furiously in its death agony. We gave a yell of +triumph--we were saved--we should not starve. Weak as we were, we +rushed down the intervening slope of snow, and in ten minutes from the +time of shooting, that animal's heart and liver were lying before us. +But now a new difficulty arose, we had no fuel, and therefore could +make no fire to cook them. We gazed at each other in dismay. + +"Starving men should not be fanciful," said Good; "we must eat raw +meat." + +There was no other way out of the dilemma, and our gnawing hunger made +the proposition less distasteful than it would otherwise have been. So +we took the heart and liver and buried them for a few minutes in a +patch of snow to cool them. Then we washed them in the ice-cold water +of the stream, and lastly ate them greedily. It sounds horrible +enough, but honestly, I never tasted anything so good as that raw +meat. In a quarter of an hour we were changed men. Our life and vigour +came back to us, our feeble pulses grew strong again, and the blood +went coursing through our veins. But mindful of the results of over- +feeding on starved stomachs, we were careful not to eat too much, +stopping whilst we were still hungry. + +"Thank Heaven!" said Sir Henry; "that brute has saved our lives. What +is it, Quatermain?" + +I rose and went to look at the antelope, for I was not certain. It was +about the size of a donkey, with large curved horns. I had never seen +one like it before; the species was new to me. It was brown in colour, +with faint red stripes, and grew a thick coat. I afterwards discovered +that the natives of that wonderful country call these bucks "/inco/." +They are very rare, and only found at a great altitude where no other +game will live. This animal was fairly hit high up in the shoulder, +though whose bullet brought it down we could not, of course, discover. +I believe that Good, mindful of his marvellous shot at the giraffe, +secretly set it down to his own prowess, and we did not contradict +him. + +We had been so busy satisfying our hunger that hitherto we had not +found time to look about us. But now, having set Umbopa to cut off as +much of the best meat as we were likely to be able to carry, we began +to inspect our surroundings. The mist had cleared away, for it was +eight o'clock, and the sun had sucked it up, so we were able to take +in all the country before us at a glance. I know not how to describe +the glorious panorama which unfolded itself to our gaze. I have never +seen anything like it before, nor shall, I suppose, again. + +Behind and over us towered Sheba's snowy Breasts, and below, some five +thousand feet beneath where we stood, lay league on league of the most +lovely champaign country. Here were dense patches of lofty forest, +there a great river wound its silvery way. To the left stretched a +vast expanse of rich, undulating veld or grass land, whereon we could +just make out countless herds of game or cattle, at that distance we +could not tell which. This expanse appeared to be ringed in by a wall +of distant mountains. To the right the country was more or less +mountainous; that is, solitary hills stood up from its level, with +stretches of cultivated land between, amongst which we could see +groups of dome-shaped huts. The landscape lay before us as a map, +wherein rivers flashed like silver snakes, and Alp-like peaks crowned +with wildly twisted snow wreaths rose in grandeur, whilst over all was +the glad sunlight and the breath of Nature's happy life. + +Two curious things struck us as we gazed. First, that the country +before us must lie at least three thousand feet higher than the desert +we had crossed, and secondly, that all the rivers flowed from south to +north. As we had painful reason to know, there was no water upon the +southern side of the vast range on which we stood, but on the northern +face were many streams, most of which appeared to unite with the great +river we could see winding away farther than our eyes could follow. + +We sat down for a while and gazed in silence at this wonderful view. +Presently Sir Henry spoke. + +"Isn't there something on the map about Solomon's Great Road?" he +said. + +I nodded, for I was still gazing out over the far country. + +"Well, look; there it is!" and he pointed a little to our right. + +Good and I looked accordingly, and there, winding away towards the +plain, was what appeared to be a wide turnpike road. We had not seen +it at first because, on reaching the plain, it turned behind some +broken country. We did not say anything, at least, not much; we were +beginning to lose the sense of wonder. Somehow it did not seem +particularly unnatural that we should find a sort of Roman road in +this strange land. We accepted the fact, that was all. + +"Well," said Good, "it must be quite near us if we cut off to the +right. Hadn't we better be making a start?" + +This was sound advice, and so soon as we had washed our faces and +hands in the stream we acted on it. For a mile or more we made our way +over boulders and across patches of snow, till suddenly, on reaching +the top of the little rise, we found the road at our feet. It was a +splendid road cut out of the solid rock, at least fifty feet wide, and +apparently well kept; though the odd thing was that it seemed to begin +there. We walked down and stood on it, but one single hundred paces +behind us, in the direction of Sheba's Breasts, it vanished, the +entire surface of the mountain being strewn with boulders interspersed +with patches of snow. + +"What do you make of this, Quatermain?" asked Sir Henry. + +I shook my head, I could make nothing of the thing. + +"I have it!" said Good; "the road no doubt ran right over the range +and across the desert on the other side, but the sand there has +covered it up, and above us it has been obliterated by some volcanic +eruption of molten lava." + +This seemed a good suggestion; at any rate, we accepted it, and +proceeded down the mountain. It proved a very different business +travelling along down hill on that magnificent pathway with full +stomachs from what it was travelling uphill over the snow quite +starved and almost frozen. Indeed, had it not been for melancholy +recollections of poor Ventvögel's sad fate, and of that grim cave +where he kept company with the old Dom, we should have felt positively +cheerful, notwithstanding the sense of unknown dangers before us. +Every mile we walked the atmosphere grew softer and balmier, and the +country before us shone with a yet more luminous beauty. As for the +road itself, I never saw such an engineering work, though Sir Henry +said that the great road over the St. Gothard in Switzerland is very +similar. No difficulty had been too great for the Old World engineer +who laid it out. At one place we came to a ravine three hundred feet +broad and at least a hundred feet deep. This vast gulf was actually +filled in with huge blocks of dressed stone, having arches pierced +through them at the bottom for a waterway, over which the road went on +sublimely. At another place it was cut in zigzags out of the side of a +precipice five hundred feet deep, and in a third it tunnelled through +the base of an intervening ridge, a space of thirty yards or more. + +Here we noticed that the sides of the tunnel were covered with quaint +sculptures, mostly of mailed figures driving in chariots. One, which +was exceedingly beautiful, represented a whole battle scene with a +convoy of captives being marched off in the distance. + +"Well," said Sir Henry, after inspecting this ancient work of art, "it +is very well to call this Solomon's Road, but my humble opinion is +that the Egyptians had been here before Solomon's people ever set a +foot on it. If this isn't Egyptian or Phnician handiwork, I must say +that it is very like it." + +By midday we had advanced sufficiently down the mountain to search the +region where wood was to be met with. First we came to scattered +bushes which grew more and more frequent, till at last we found the +road winding through a vast grove of silver trees similar to those +which are to be seen on the slopes of Table Mountain at Cape Town. I +had never before met with them in all my wanderings, except at the +Cape, and their appearance here astonished me greatly. + +"Ah!" said Good, surveying these shining-leaved trees with evident +enthusiasm, "here is lots of wood, let us stop and cook some dinner; I +have about digested that raw heart." + +Nobody objected to this, so leaving the road we made our way to a +stream which was babbling away not far off, and soon had a goodly fire +of dry boughs blazing. Cutting off some substantial hunks from the +flesh of the /inco/ which we had brought with us, we proceeded to +toast them on the end of sharp sticks, as one sees the Kafirs do, and +ate them with relish. After filling ourselves, we lit our pipes and +gave ourselves up to enjoyment that, compared with the hardships we +had recently undergone, seemed almost heavenly. + +The brook, of which the banks were clothed with dense masses of a +gigantic species of maidenhair fern interspersed with feathery tufts +of wild asparagus, sung merrily at our side, the soft air murmured +through the leaves of the silver trees, doves cooed around, and +bright-winged birds flashed like living gems from bough to bough. It +was a Paradise. + +The magic of the place combined with an overwhelming sense of dangers +left behind, and of the promised land reached at last, seemed to charm +us into silence. Sir Henry and Umbopa sat conversing in a mixture of +broken English and Kitchen Zulu in a low voice, but earnestly enough, +and I lay, with my eyes half shut, upon that fragrant bed of fern and +watched them. + +Presently I missed Good, and I looked to see what had become of him. +Soon I observed him sitting by the bank of the stream, in which he had +been bathing. He had nothing on but his flannel shirt, and his natural +habits of extreme neatness having reasserted themselves, he was +actively employed in making a most elaborate toilet. He had washed his +gutta-percha collar, had thoroughly shaken out his trousers, coat and +waistcoat, and was now folding them up neatly till he was ready to put +them on, shaking his head sadly as he scanned the numerous rents and +tears in them, which naturally had resulted from our frightful +journey. Then he took his boots, scrubbed them with a handful of fern, +and finally rubbed them over with a piece of fat, which he had +carefully saved from the /inco/ meat, till they looked, comparatively +speaking, respectable. Having inspected them judiciously through his +eye-glass, he put the boots on and began a fresh operation. From a +little bag that he carried he produced a pocket-comb in which was +fixed a tiny looking-glass, and in this he surveyed himself. +Apparently he was not satisfied, for he proceeded to do his hair with +great care. Then came a pause whilst he again contemplated the effect; +still it was not satisfactory. He felt his chin, on which the +accumulated scrub of a ten days' beard was flourishing. + +"Surely," thought I, "he is not going to try to shave." But so it was. +Taking the piece of fat with which he had greased his boots, Good +washed it thoroughly in the stream. Then diving again into the bag he +brought out a little pocket razor with a guard to it, such as are +bought by people who are afraid of cutting themselves, or by those +about to undertake a sea voyage. Then he rubbed his face and chin +vigorously with the fat and began. Evidently it proved a painful +process, for he groaned very much over it, and I was convulsed with +inward laughter as I watched him struggling with that stubbly beard. +It seemed so very odd that a man should take the trouble to shave +himself with a piece of fat in such a place and in our circumstances. +At last he succeeded in getting the hair off the right side of his +face and chin, when suddenly I, who was watching, became conscious of +a flash of light that passed just by his head. + +Good sprang up with a profane exclamation (if it had not been a safety +razor he would certainly have cut his throat), and so did I, without +the exclamation, and this was what I saw. Standing not more than +twenty paces from where I was, and ten from Good, were a group of men. +They were very tall and copper-coloured, and some of them wore great +plumes of black feathers and short cloaks of leopard skins; this was +all I noticed at the moment. In front of them stood a youth of about +seventeen, his hand still raised and his body bent forward in the +attitude of a Grecian statue of a spear-thrower. Evidently the flash +of light had been caused by a weapon which he had hurled. + +As I looked an old soldier-like man stepped forward out of the group, +and catching the youth by the arm said something to him. Then they +advanced upon us. + +Sir Henry, Good, and Umbopa by this time had seized their rifles and +lifted them threateningly. The party of natives still came on. It +struck me that they could not know what rifles were, or they would not +have treated them with such contempt. + +"Put down your guns!" I halloed to the others, seeing that our only +chance of safety lay in conciliation. They obeyed, and walking to the +front I addressed the elderly man who had checked the youth. + +"Greeting," I said in Zulu, not knowing what language to use. To my +surprise I was understood. + +"Greeting," answered the old man, not, indeed, in the same tongue, but +in a dialect so closely allied to it that neither Umbopa nor myself +had any difficulty in understanding him. Indeed, as we afterwards +found out, the language spoken by this people is an old-fashioned form +of the Zulu tongue, bearing about the same relationship to it that the +English of Chaucer does to the English of the nineteenth century. + +"Whence come you?" he went on, "who are you? and why are the faces of +three of you white, and the face of the fourth as the face of our +mother's sons?" and he pointed to Umbopa. I looked at Umbopa as he +said it, and it flashed across me that he was right. The face of +Umbopa was like the faces of the men before me, and so was his great +form like their forms. But I had not time to reflect on this +coincidence. + +"We are strangers, and come in peace," I answered, speaking very +slowly, so that he might understand me, "and this man is our servant." + +"You lie," he answered; "no strangers can cross the mountains where +all things perish. But what do your lies matter?--if ye are strangers +then ye must die, for no strangers may live in the land of the +Kukuanas. It is the king's law. Prepare then to die, O strangers!" + +I was slightly staggered at this, more especially as I saw the hands +of some of the men steal down to their sides, where hung on each what +looked to me like a large and heavy knife. + +"What does that beggar say?" asked Good. + +"He says we are going to be killed," I answered grimly. + +"Oh, Lord!" groaned Good; and, as was his way when perplexed, he put +his hand to his false teeth, dragging the top set down and allowing +them to fly back to his jaw with a snap. It was a most fortunate move, +for next second the dignified crowd of Kukuanas uttered a simultaneous +yell of horror, and bolted back some yards. + +"What's up?" said I. + +"It's his teeth," whispered Sir Henry excitedly. "He moved them. Take +them out, Good, take them out!" + +He obeyed, slipping the set into the sleeve of his flannel shirt. + +In another second curiosity had overcome fear, and the men advanced +slowly. Apparently they had now forgotten their amiable intention of +killing us. + +"How is it, O strangers," asked the old man solemnly, "that this fat +man (pointing to Good, who was clad in nothing but boots and a flannel +shirt, and had only half finished his shaving), whose body is clothed, +and whose legs are bare, who grows hair on one side of his sickly face +and not on the other, and who wears one shining and transparent eye-- +how is it, I ask, that he has teeth which move of themselves, coming +away from the jaws and returning of their own will?" + +"Open your mouth," I said to Good, who promptly curled up his lips and +grinned at the old gentleman like an angry dog, revealing to his +astonished gaze two thin red lines of gum as utterly innocent of +ivories as a new-born elephant. The audience gasped. + +"Where are his teeth?" they shouted; "with our eyes we saw them." + +Turning his head slowly and with a gesture of ineffable contempt, Good +swept his hand across his mouth. Then he grinned again, and lo, there +were two rows of lovely teeth. + +Now the young man who had flung the knife threw himself down on the +grass and gave vent to a prolonged howl of terror; and as for the old +gentleman, his knees knocked together with fear. + +"I see that ye are spirits," he said falteringly; "did ever man born +of woman have hair on one side of his face and not on the other, or a +round and transparent eye, or teeth which moved and melted away and +grew again? Pardon us, O my lords." + +Here was luck indeed, and, needless to say, I jumped at the chance. + +"It is granted," I said with an imperial smile. "Nay, ye shall know +the truth. We come from another world, though we are men such as ye; +we come," I went on, "from the biggest star that shines at night." + +"Oh! oh!" groaned the chorus of astonished aborigines. + +"Yes," I went on, "we do, indeed"; and again I smiled benignly, as I +uttered that amazing lie. "We come to stay with you a little while, +and to bless you by our sojourn. Ye will see, O friends, that I have +prepared myself for this visit by the learning of your language." + +"It is so, it is so," said the chorus. + +"Only, my lord," put in the old gentleman, "thou hast learnt it very +badly." + +I cast an indignant glance at him, and he quailed. + +"Now friends," I continued, "ye might think that after so long a +journey we should find it in our hearts to avenge such a reception, +mayhap to strike cold in death the imperious hand that--that, in short +--threw a knife at the head of him whose teeth come and go." + +"Spare him, my lords," said the old man in supplication; "he is the +king's son, and I am his uncle. If anything befalls him his blood will +be required at my hands." + +"Yes, that is certainly so," put in the young man with great emphasis. + +"Ye may perhaps doubt our power to avenge," I went on, heedless of +this by-play. "Stay, I will show you. Here, thou dog and slave +(addressing Umbopa in a savage tone), give me the magic tube that +speaks"; and I tipped a wink towards my express rifle. + +Umbopa rose to the occasion, and with something as nearly resembling a +grin as I have ever seen on his dignified face he handed me the gun. + +"It is here, O Lord of Lords," he said with a deep obeisance. + +Now just before I had asked for the rifle I had perceived a little +/klipspringer/ antelope standing on a mass of rock about seventy yards +away, and determined to risk the shot. + +"Ye see that buck," I said, pointing the animal out to the party +before me. "Tell me, is it possible for man born of woman to kill it +from here with a noise?" + +"It is not possible, my lord," answered the old man. + +"Yet shall I kill it," I said quietly. + +The old man smiled. "That my lord cannot do," he answered. + +I raised the rifle and covered the buck. It was a small animal, and +one which a man might well be excused for missing, but I knew that it +would not do to miss. + +I drew a deep breath, and slowly pressed on the trigger. The buck +stood still as a stone. + +"Bang! thud!" The antelope sprang into the air and fell on the rock +dead as a door nail. + +A groan of simultaneous terror burst from the group before us. + +"If you want meat," I remarked coolly, "go fetch that buck." + +The old man made a sign, and one of his followers departed, and +presently returned bearing the /klipspringer/. I noticed with +satisfaction that I had hit it fairly behind the shoulder. They +gathered round the poor creature's body, gazing at the bullet-hole in +consternation. + +"Ye see," I said, "I do not speak empty words." + +There was no answer. + +"If ye yet doubt our power," I went on, "let one of you go stand upon +that rock that I may make him as this buck." + +None of them seemed at all inclined to take the hint, till at last the +king's son spoke. + +"It is well said. Do thou, my uncle, go stand upon the rock. It is but +a buck that the magic has killed. Surely it cannot kill a man." + +The old gentleman did not take the suggestion in good part. Indeed, he +seemed hurt. + +"No! no!" he ejaculated hastily, "my old eyes have seen enough. These +are wizards, indeed. Let us bring them to the king. Yet if any should +wish a further proof, let /him/ stand upon the rock, that the magic +tube may speak with him." + +There was a most general and hasty expression of dissent. + +"Let not good magic be wasted on our poor bodies," said one; "we are +satisfied. All the witchcraft of our people cannot show the like of +this." + +"It is so," remarked the old gentleman, in a tone of intense relief; +"without any doubt it is so. Listen, children of the Stars, children +of the shining Eye and the movable Teeth, who roar out in thunder, and +slay from afar. I am Infadoos, son of Kafa, once king of the Kukuana +people. This youth is Scragga." + +"He nearly scragged me," murmured Good. + +"Scragga, son of Twala, the great king--Twala, husband of a thousand +wives, chief and lord paramount of the Kukuanas, keeper of the great +Road, terror of his enemies, student of the Black Arts, leader of a +hundred thousand warriors, Twala the One-eyed, the Black, the +Terrible." + +"So," said I superciliously, "lead us then to Twala. We do not talk +with low people and underlings." + +"It is well, my lords, we will lead you; but the way is long. We are +hunting three days' journey from the place of the king. But let my +lords have patience, and we will lead them." + +"So be it," I said carelessly; "all time is before us, for we do not +die. We are ready, lead on. But Infadoos, and thou Scragga, beware! +Play us no monkey tricks, set for us no foxes' snares, for before your +brains of mud have thought of them we shall know and avenge. The light +of the transparent eye of him with the bare legs and the half-haired +face shall destroy you, and go through your land; his vanishing teeth +shall affix themselves fast in you and eat you up, you and your wives +and children; the magic tubes shall argue with you loudly, and make +you as sieves. Beware!" + +This magnificent address did not fail of its effect; indeed, it might +almost have been spared, so deeply were our friends already impressed +with our powers. + +The old man made a deep obeisance, and murmured the words, "/Koom +Koom/," which I afterwards discovered was their royal salute, +corresponding to the /Bayéte/ of the Zulus, and turning, addressed his +followers. These at once proceeded to lay hold of all our goods and +chattels, in order to bear them for us, excepting only the guns, which +they would on no account touch. They even seized Good's clothes, that, +as the reader may remember, were neatly folded up beside him. + +He saw and made a dive for them, and a loud altercation ensued. + +"Let not my lord of the transparent Eye and the melting Teeth touch +them," said the old man. "Surely his slave shall carry the things." + +"But I want to put 'em on!" roared Good, in nervous English. + +Umbopa translated. + +"Nay, my lord," answered Infadoos, "would my lord cover up his +beautiful white legs (although he is so dark Good has a singularly +white skin) from the eyes of his servants? Have we offended my lord +that he should do such a thing?" + +Here I nearly exploded with laughing; and meanwhile one of the men +started on with the garments. + +"Damn it!" roared Good, "that black villain has got my trousers." + +"Look here, Good," said Sir Henry; "you have appeared in this country +in a certain character, and you must live up to it. It will never do +for you to put on trousers again. Henceforth you must exist in a +flannel shirt, a pair of boots, and an eye-glass." + +"Yes," I said, "and with whiskers on one side of your face and not on +the other. If you change any of these things the people will think +that we are impostors. I am very sorry for you, but, seriously, you +must. If once they begin to suspect us our lives will not be worth a +brass farthing." + +"Do you really think so?" said Good gloomily. + +"I do, indeed. Your 'beautiful white legs' and your eye-glass are now +/the/ features of our party, and as Sir Henry says, you must live up +to them. Be thankful that you have got your boots on, and that the air +is warm." + +Good sighed, and said no more, but it took him a fortnight to become +accustomed to his new and scant attire. + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +WE ENTER KUKUANALAND + +All that afternoon we travelled along the magnificent roadway, which +trended steadily in a north-westerly direction. Infadoos and Scragga +walked with us, but their followers marched about one hundred paces +ahead. + +"Infadoos," I said at length, "who made this road?" + +"It was made, my lord, of old time, none know how or when, not even +the wise woman Gagool, who has lived for generations. We are not old +enough to remember its making. None can fashion such roads now, but +the king suffers no grass to grow upon it." + +"And whose are the writings on the wall of the caves through which we +have passed on the road?" I asked, referring to the Egyptian-like +sculptures that we had seen. + +"My lord, the hands that made the road wrote the wonderful writings. +We know not who wrote them." + +"When did the Kukuana people come into this country?" + +"My lord, the race came down here like the breath of a storm ten +thousand thousand moons ago, from the great lands which lie there +beyond," and he pointed to the north. "They could travel no further +because of the high mountains which ring in the land, so say the old +voices of our fathers that have descended to us the children, and so +says Gagool, the wise woman, the smeller out of witches," and again he +pointed to the snow-clad peaks. "The country, too, was good, so they +settled here and grew strong and powerful, and now our numbers are +like the sea sand, and when Twala the king calls up his regiments +their plumes cover the plain so far as the eye of man can reach." + +"And if the land is walled in with mountains, who is there for the +regiments to fight with?" + +"Nay, my lord, the country is open there towards the north, and now +and again warriors sweep down upon us in clouds from a land we know +not, and we slay them. It is the third part of the life of a man since +there was a war. Many thousands died in it, but we destroyed those who +came to eat us up. So since then there has been no war." + +"Your warriors must grow weary of resting on their spears, Infadoos." + +"My lord, there was one war, just after we destroyed the people that +came down upon us, but it was a civil war; dog ate dog." + +"How was that?" + +"My lord the king, my half-brother, had a brother born at the same +birth, and of the same woman. It is not our custom, my lord, to suffer +twins to live; the weaker must always die. But the mother of the king +hid away the feebler child, which was born the last, for her heart +yearned over it, and that child is Twala the king. I am his younger +brother, born of another wife." + +"Well?" + +"My lord, Kafa, our father, died when we came to manhood, and my +brother Imotu was made king in his place, and for a space reigned and +had a son by his favourite wife. When the babe was three years old, +just after the great war, during which no man could sow or reap, a +famine came upon the land, and the people murmured because of the +famine, and looked round like a starved lion for something to rend. +Then it was that Gagool, the wise and terrible woman, who does not +die, made a proclamation to the people, saying, 'The king Imotu is no +king.' And at the time Imotu was sick with a wound, and lay in his +kraal not able to move. + +"Then Gagool went into a hut and led out Twala, my half-brother, and +twin brother to the king, whom she had hidden among the caves and +rocks since he was born, and stripping the '/moocha/' (waist-cloth) +off his loins, showed the people of the Kukuanas the mark of the +sacred snake coiled round his middle, wherewith the eldest son of the +king is marked at birth, and cried out loud, 'Behold your king whom I +have saved for you even to this day!' + +"Now the people being mad with hunger, and altogether bereft of reason +and the knowledge of truth, cried out--'/The king! The king!/' but I +knew that it was not so, for Imotu my brother was the elder of the +twins, and our lawful king. Then just as the tumult was at its height +Imotu the king, though he was very sick, crawled from his hut holding +his wife by the hand, and followed by his little son Ignosi--that is, +by interpretation, the Lightning. + +"'What is this noise?' he asked. 'Why cry ye /The king! The king!/' + +"Then Twala, his twin brother, born of the same woman, and in the same +hour, ran to him, and taking him by the hair, stabbed him through the +heart with his knife. And the people being fickle, and ever ready to +worship the rising sun, clapped their hands and cried, '/Twala is +king!/ Now we know that Twala is king!'" + +"And what became of Imotu's wife and her son Ignosi? Did Twala kill +them too?" + +"Nay, my lord. When she saw that her lord was dead the queen seized +the child with a cry and ran away. Two days afterward she came to a +kraal very hungry, and none would give her milk or food, now that her +lord the king was dead, for all men hate the unfortunate. But at +nightfall a little child, a girl, crept out and brought her corn to +eat, and she blessed the child, and went on towards the mountains with +her boy before the sun rose again, and there she must have perished, +for none have seen her since, nor the child Ignosi." + +"Then if this child Ignosi had lived he would be the true king of the +Kukuana people?" + +"That is so, my lord; the sacred snake is round his middle. If he +lives he is king; but, alas! he is long dead." + +"See, my lord," and Infadoos pointed to a vast collection of huts +surrounded by a fence, which was in its turn encircled by a great +ditch, that lay on the plain beneath us. "That is the kraal where the +wife of Imotu was last seen with the child Ignosi. It is there that we +shall sleep to-night, if, indeed," he added doubtfully, "my lords +sleep at all upon this earth." + +"When we are among the Kukuanas, my good friend Infadoos, we do as the +Kukuanas do," I said majestically, and turned round quickly to address +Good, who was tramping along sullenly behind, his mind fully occupied +with unsatisfactory attempts to prevent his flannel shirt from +flapping in the evening breeze. To my astonishment I butted into +Umbopa, who was walking along immediately behind me, and very +evidently had been listening with the greatest interest to my +conversation with Infadoos. The expression on his face was most +curious, and gave me the idea of a man who was struggling with partial +success to bring something long ago forgotten back into his mind. + +All this while we had been pressing on at a good rate towards the +undulating plain beneath us. The mountains we had crossed now loomed +high above our heads, and Sheba's Breasts were veiled modestly in +diaphanous wreaths of mist. As we went the country grew more and more +lovely. The vegetation was luxuriant, without being tropical; the sun +was bright and warm, but not burning; and a gracious breeze blew +softly along the odorous slopes of the mountains. Indeed, this new +land was little less than an earthly paradise; in beauty, in natural +wealth, and in climate I have never seen its like. The Transvaal is a +fine country, but it is nothing to Kukuanaland. + +So soon as we started Infadoos had despatched a runner to warn the +people of the kraal, which, by the way, was in his military command, +of our arrival. This man had departed at an extraordinary speed, which +Infadoos informed me he would keep up all the way, as running was an +exercise much practised among his people. + +The result of this message now became apparent. When we arrived within +two miles of the kraal we could see that company after company of men +were issuing from its gates and marching towards us. + +Sir Henry laid his hand upon my arm, and remarked that it looked as +though we were going to meet with a warm reception. Something in his +tone attracted Infadoos' attention. + +"Let not my lords be afraid," he said hastily, "for in my breast there +dwells no guile. This regiment is one under my command, and comes out +by my orders to greet you." + +I nodded easily, though I was not quite easy in my mind. + +About half a mile from the gates of this kraal is a long stretch of +rising ground sloping gently upwards from the road, and here the +companies formed. It was a splendid sight to see them, each company +about three hundred strong, charging swiftly up the rise, with +flashing spears and waving plumes, to take their appointed place. By +the time we reached the slope twelve such companies, or in all three +thousand six hundred men, had passed out and taken up their positions +along the road. + +Presently we came to the first company, and were able to gaze in +astonishment on the most magnificent set of warriors that I have ever +seen. They were all men of mature age, mostly veterans of about forty, +and not one of them was under six feet in height, whilst many stood +six feet three or four. They wore upon their heads heavy black plumes +of Sakaboola feathers, like those which adorned our guides. About +their waists and beneath the right knees were bound circlets of white +ox tails, while in their left hands they carried round shields +measuring about twenty inches across. These shields are very curious. +The framework is made of an iron plate beaten out thin, over which is +stretched milk-white ox-hide. + +The weapons that each man bore were simple, but most effective, +consisting of a short and very heavy two-edged spear with a wooden +shaft, the blade being about six inches across at the widest part. +These spears are not used for throwing but like the Zulu "/bangwan/," +or stabbing assegai, are for close quarters only, when the wound +inflicted by them is terrible. In addition to his /bangwan/ every man +carried three large and heavy knives, each knife weighing about two +pounds. One knife was fixed in the ox-tail girdle, and the other two +at the back of the round shield. These knives, which are called +"/tollas/" by the Kukuanas, take the place of the throwing assegai of +the Zulus. The Kukuana warriors can cast them with great accuracy to a +distance of fifty yards, and it is their custom on charging to hurl a +volley of them at the enemy as they come to close quarters. + +Each company remained still as a collection of bronze statues till we +were opposite to it, when at a signal given by its commanding officer, +who, distinguished by a leopard skin cloak, stood some paces in front, +every spear was raised into the air, and from three hundred throats +sprang forth with a sudden roar the royal salute of "/Koom/." Then, so +soon as we had passed, the company formed up behind us and followed us +towards the kraal, till at last the whole regiment of the "Greys"--so +called from their white shields--the crack corps of the Kukuana +people, was marching in our rear with a tread that shook the ground. + +At length, branching off from Solomon's Great Road, we came to the +wide fosse surrounding the kraal, which is at least a mile round, and +fenced with a strong palisade of piles formed of the trunks of trees. +At the gateway this fosse is spanned by a primitive drawbridge, which +was let down by the guard to allow us to pass in. The kraal is +exceedingly well laid out. Through the centre runs a wide pathway +intersected at right angles by other pathways so arranged as to cut +the huts into square blocks, each block being the quarters of a +company. The huts are dome-shaped, and built, like those of the Zulus, +of a framework of wattle, beautifully thatched with grass; but, unlike +the Zulu huts, they have doorways through which men could walk. Also +they are much larger, and surrounded by a verandah about six feet +wide, beautifully paved with powdered lime trodden hard. + +All along each side of this wide pathway that pierces the kraal were +ranged hundreds of women, brought out by curiosity to look at us. +These women, for a native race, are exceedingly handsome. They are +tall and graceful, and their figures are wonderfully fine. The hair, +though short, is rather curly than woolly, the features are frequently +aquiline, and the lips are not unpleasantly thick, as is the case +among most African races. But what struck us most was their +exceedingly quiet and dignified air. They were as well-bred in their +way as the /habituées/ of a fashionable drawing-room, and in this +respect they differ from Zulu women and their cousins the Masai who +inhabit the district beyond Zanzibar. Their curiosity had brought them +out to see us, but they allowed no rude expressions of astonishment or +savage criticism to pass their lips as we trudged wearily in front of +them. Not even when old Infadoos with a surreptitious motion of the +hand pointed out the crowning wonder of poor Good's "beautiful white +legs," did they suffer the feeling of intense admiration which +evidently mastered their minds to find expression. They fixed their +dark eyes upon this new and snowy loveliness, for, as I think I have +said, Good's skin is exceedingly white, and that was all. But it was +quite enough for Good, who is modest by nature. + +When we reached the centre of the kraal, Infadoos halted at the door +of a large hut, which was surrounded at a distance by a circle of +smaller ones. + +"Enter, Sons of the Stars," he said, in a magniloquent voice, "and +deign to rest awhile in our humble habitations. A little food shall be +brought to you, so that ye may have no need to draw your belts tight +from hunger; some honey and some milk, and an ox or two, and a few +sheep; not much, my lords, but still a little food." + +"It is good," said I. "Infadoos; we are weary with travelling through +realms of air; now let us rest." + +Accordingly we entered the hut, which we found amply prepared for our +comfort. Couches of tanned skins were spread for us to lie on, and +water was placed for us to wash in. + +Presently we heard a shouting outside, and stepping to the door, saw a +line of damsels bearing milk and roasted mealies, and honey in a pot. +Behind these were some youths driving a fat young ox. We received the +gifts, and then one of the young men drew the knife from his girdle +and dexterously cut the ox's throat. In ten minutes it was dead, +skinned, and jointed. The best of the meat was then cut off for us, +and the rest, in the name of our party, I presented to the warriors +round us, who took it and distributed the "white lords' gift." + +Umbopa set to work, with the assistance of an extremely prepossessing +young woman, to boil our portion in a large earthenware pot over a +fire which was built outside the hut, and when it was nearly ready we +sent a message to Infadoos, and asked him and Scragga, the king's son, +to join us. + +Presently they came, and sitting down upon little stools, of which +there were several about the hut, for the Kukuanas do not in general +squat upon their haunches like the Zulus, they helped us to get +through our dinner. The old gentleman was most affable and polite, but +it struck me that the young one regarded us with doubt. Together with +the rest of the party, he had been overawed by our white appearance +and by our magic properties; but it seemed to me that, on discovering +that we ate, drank, and slept like other mortals, his awe was +beginning to wear off, and to be replaced by a sullen suspicion--which +made me feel rather uncomfortable. + +In the course of our meal Sir Henry suggested to me that it might be +well to try to discover if our hosts knew anything of his brother's +fate, or if they had ever seen or heard of him; but, on the whole, I +thought that it would be wiser to say nothing of the matter at this +time. It was difficult to explain a relative lost from "the Stars." + +After supper we produced our pipes and lit them; a proceeding which +filled Infadoos and Scragga with astonishment. The Kukuanas were +evidently unacquainted with the divine delights of tobacco-smoke. The +herb is grown among them extensively; but, like the Zulus, they use it +for snuff only, and quite failed to identify it in its new form. + +Presently I asked Infadoos when we were to proceed on our journey, and +was delighted to learn that preparations had been made for us to leave +on the following morning, messengers having already departed to inform +Twala the king of our coming. + +It appeared that Twala was at his principal place, known as Loo, +making ready for the great annual feast which was to be held in the +first week of June. At this gathering all the regiments, with the +exception of certain detachments left behind for garrison purposes, +are brought up and paraded before the king; and the great annual +witch-hunt, of which more by-and-by, is held. + +We were to start at dawn; and Infadoos, who was to accompany us, +expected that we should reach Loo on the night of the second day, +unless we were detained by accident or by swollen rivers. + +When they had given us this information our visitors bade us good- +night; and, having arranged to watch turn and turn about, three of us +flung ourselves down and slept the sweet sleep of the weary, whilst +the fourth sat up on the look-out for possible treachery. + + + +CHAPTER IX + +TWALA THE KING + +It will not be necessary for me to detail at length the incidents of +our journey to Loo. It took two full days' travelling along Solomon's +Great Road, which pursued its even course right into the heart of +Kukuanaland. Suffice it to say that as we went the country seemed to +grow richer and richer, and the kraals, with their wide surrounding +belts of cultivation, more and more numerous. They were all built upon +the same principles as the first camp which we had reached, and were +guarded by ample garrisons of troops. Indeed, in Kukuanaland, as among +the Germans, the Zulus, and the Masai, every able-bodied man is a +soldier, so that the whole force of the nation is available for its +wars, offensive or defensive. As we travelled we were overtaken by +thousands of warriors hurrying up to Loo to be present at the great +annual review and festival, and more splendid troops I never saw. + +At sunset on the second day, we stopped to rest awhile upon the summit +of some heights over which the road ran, and there on a beautiful and +fertile plain before us lay Loo itself. For a native town it is an +enormous place, quite five miles round, I should say, with outlying +kraals projecting from it, that serve on grand occasions as +cantonments for the regiments, and a curious horseshoe-shaped hill, +with which we were destined to become better acquainted, about two +miles to the north. It is beautifully situated, and through the centre +of the kraal, dividing it into two portions, runs a river, which +appeared to be bridged in several places, the same indeed that we had +seen from the slopes of Sheba's Breasts. Sixty or seventy miles away +three great snow-capped mountains, placed at the points of a triangle, +started out of the level plain. The conformation of these mountains is +unlike that of Sheba's Breasts, being sheer and precipitous, instead +of smooth and rounded. + +Infadoos saw us looking at them, and volunteered a remark. + +"The road ends there," he said, pointing to the mountains known among +the Kukuanas as the "Three Witches." + +"Why does it end?" I asked. + +"Who knows?" he answered with a shrug; "the mountains are full of +caves, and there is a great pit between them. It is there that the +wise men of old time used to go to get whatever it was they came for +to this country, and it is there now that our kings are buried in the +Place of Death." + +"What was it they came for?" I asked eagerly. + +"Nay, I know not. My lords who have dropped from the Stars should +know," he answered with a quick look. Evidently he knew more than he +chose to say. + +"Yes," I went on, "you are right, in the Stars we learn many things. I +have heard, for instance, that the wise men of old came to these +mountains to find bright stones, pretty playthings, and yellow iron." + +"My lord is wise," he answered coldly; "I am but a child and cannot +talk with my lord on such matters. My lord must speak with Gagool the +old, at the king's place, who is wise even as my lord," and he went +away. + +So soon as he was gone I turned to the others, and pointed out the +mountains. "There are Solomon's diamond mines," I said. + +Umbopa was standing with them, apparently plunged in one of the fits +of abstraction which were common to him, and caught my words. + +"Yes, Macumazahn," he put in, in Zulu, "the diamonds are surely there, +and you shall have them, since you white men are so fond of toys and +money." + +"How dost thou know that, Umbopa?" I asked sharply, for I did not like +his mysterious ways. + +He laughed. "I dreamed it in the night, white men;" then he too turned +on his heel and went. + +"Now what," said Sir Henry, "is our black friend driving at? He knows +more than he chooses to say, that is clear. By the way, Quatermain, +has he heard anything of--of my brother?" + +"Nothing; he has asked everyone he has become friendly with, but they +all declare that no white man has ever been seen in the country +before." + +"Do you suppose that he got here at all?" suggested Good; "we have +only reached the place by a miracle; is it likely he could have +reached it without the map?" + +"I don't know," said Sir Henry gloomily, "but somehow I think that I +shall find him." + +Slowly the sun sank, then suddenly darkness rushed down on the land +like a tangible thing. There was no breathing-space between the day +and night, no soft transformation scene, for in these latitudes +twilight does not exist. The change from day to night is as quick and +as absolute as the change from life to death. The sun sank and the +world was wreathed in shadows. But not for long, for see in the west +there is a glow, then come rays of silver light, and at last the full +and glorious moon lights up the plain and shoots its gleaming arrows +far and wide, filling the earth with a faint refulgence. + +We stood and watched the lovely sight, whilst the stars grew pale +before this chastened majesty, and felt our hearts lifted up in the +presence of a beauty that I cannot describe. Mine has been a rough +life, but there are a few things I am thankful to have lived for, and +one of them is to have seen that moon shine over Kukuanaland. + +Presently our meditations were broken in upon by our polite friend +Infadoos. + +"If my lords are rested we will journey on to Loo, where a hut is made +ready for my lords to-night. The moon is now bright, so that we shall +not fall by the way." + +We assented, and in an hour's time were at the outskirts of the town, +of which the extent, mapped out as it was by thousands of camp fires, +appeared absolutely endless. Indeed, Good, who is always fond of a bad +joke, christened it "Unlimited Loo." Soon we came to a moat with a +drawbridge, where we were met by the rattling of arms and the hoarse +challenge of a sentry. Infadoos gave some password that I could not +catch, which was met with a salute, and we passed on through the +central street of the great grass city. After nearly half an hour's +tramp, past endless lines of huts, Infadoos halted at last by the gate +of a little group of huts which surrounded a small courtyard of +powdered limestone, and informed us that these were to be our "poor" +quarters. + +We entered, and found that a hut had been assigned to each of us. +These huts were superior to any that we had yet seen, and in each was +a most comfortable bed made of tanned skins, spread upon mattresses of +aromatic grass. Food too was ready for us, and so soon as we had +washed ourselves with water, which stood ready in earthenware jars, +some young women of handsome appearance brought us roasted meats, and +mealie cobs daintily served on wooden platters, and presented them to +us with deep obeisances. + +We ate and drank, and then, the beds having been all moved into one +hut by our request, a precaution at which the amiable young ladies +smiled, we flung ourselves down to sleep, thoroughly wearied with our +long journey. + +When we woke it was to find the sun high in the heavens, and the +female attendants, who did not seem to be troubled by any false shame, +already standing inside the hut, having been ordered to attend and +help us to "make ready." + +"Make ready, indeed," growled Good; "when one has only a flannel shirt +and a pair of boots, that does not take long. I wish you would ask +them for my trousers, Quatermain." + +I asked accordingly, but was informed that these sacred relics had +already been taken to the king, who would see us in the forenoon. + +Somewhat to their astonishment and disappointment, having requested +the young ladies to step outside, we proceeded to make the best toilet +of which the circumstances admitted. Good even went the length of +again shaving the right side of his face; the left, on which now +appeared a very fair crop of whiskers, we impressed upon him he must +on no account touch. As for ourselves, we were contented with a good +wash and combing our hair. Sir Henry's yellow locks were now almost +upon his shoulders, and he looked more like an ancient Dane than ever, +while my grizzled scrub was fully an inch long, instead of half an +inch, which in a general way I considered my maximum length. + +By the time that we had eaten our breakfast, and smoked a pipe, a +message was brought to us by no less a personage than Infadoos himself +that Twala the king was ready to see us, if we would be pleased to +come. + +We remarked in reply that we should prefer to wait till the sun was a +little higher, we were yet weary with our journey, &c., &c. It is +always well, when dealing with uncivilised people, not to be in too +great a hurry. They are apt to mistake politeness for awe or +servility. So, although we were quite as anxious to see Twala as Twala +could be to see us, we sat down and waited for an hour, employing the +interval in preparing such presents as our slender stock of goods +permitted--namely, the Winchester rifle which had been used by poor +Ventvögel, and some beads. The rifle and ammunition we determined to +present to his royal highness, and the beads were for his wives and +courtiers. We had already given a few to Infadoos and Scragga, and +found that they were delighted with them, never having seen such +things before. At length we declared that we were ready, and guided by +Infadoos, started off to the audience, Umbopa carrying the rifle and +beads. + +After walking a few hundred yards we came to an enclosure, something +like that surrounding the huts which had been allotted to us, only +fifty times as big, for it could not have covered less than six or +seven acres of ground. All round the outside fence stood a row of +huts, which were the habitations of the king's wives. Exactly opposite +the gateway, on the further side of the open space, was a very large +hut, built by itself, in which his majesty resided. All the rest was +open ground; that is to say, it would have been open had it not been +filled by company after company of warriors, who were mustered there +to the number of seven or eight thousand. These men stood still as +statues as we advanced through them, and it would be impossible to +give an adequate idea of the grandeur of the spectacle which they +presented, with their waving plumes, their glancing spears, and iron- +backed ox-hide shields. + +The space in front of the large hut was empty, but before it were +placed several stools. On three of these, at a sign from Infadoos, we +seated ourselves, Umbopa standing behind us. As for Infadoos, he took +up a position by the door of the hut. So we waited for ten minutes or +more in the midst of a dead silence, but conscious that we were the +object of the concentrated gaze of some eight thousand pairs of eyes. +It was a somewhat trying ordeal, but we carried it off as best we +could. At length the door of the hut opened, and a gigantic figure, +with a splendid tiger-skin karross flung over its shoulders, stepped +out, followed by the boy Scragga, and what appeared to us to be a +withered-up monkey, wrapped in a fur cloak. The figure seated itself +upon a stool, Scragga took his stand behind it, and the withered-up +monkey crept on all fours into the shade of the hut and squatted down. + +Still there was silence. + +Then the gigantic figure slipped off the karross and stood up before +us, a truly alarming spectacle. It was that of an enormous man with +the most entirely repulsive countenance we had ever beheld. This man's +lips were as thick as a Negro's, the nose was flat, he had but one +gleaming black eye, for the other was represented by a hollow in the +face, and his whole expression was cruel and sensual to a degree. From +the large head rose a magnificent plume of white ostrich feathers, his +body was clad in a shirt of shining chain armour, whilst round the +waist and right knee were the usual garnishes of white ox-tail. In his +right hand was a huge spear, about the neck a thick torque of gold, +and bound on the forehead shone dully a single and enormous uncut +diamond. + +Still there was silence; but not for long. Presently the man, whom we +rightly guessed to be the king, raised the great javelin in his hand. +Instantly eight thousand spears were lifted in answer, and from eight +thousand throats rang out the royal salute of "/Koom/." Three times +this was repeated, and each time the earth shook with the noise, that +can only be compared to the deepest notes of thunder. + +"Be humble, O people," piped out a thin voice which seemed to come +from the monkey in the shade, "it is the king." + +"/It is the king/," boomed out the eight thousand throats in answer. +"/Be humble, O people, it is the king./" + +Then there was silence again--dead silence. Presently, however, it was +broken. A soldier on our left dropped his shield, which fell with a +clatter on to the limestone flooring. + +Twala turned his one cold eye in the direction of the noise. + +"Come hither, thou," he said, in a cold voice. + +A fine young man stepped out of the ranks, and stood before him. + +"It was thy shield that fell, thou awkward dog. Wilt thou make me a +reproach in the eyes of these strangers from the Stars? What hast thou +to say for thyself?" + +We saw the poor fellow turn pale under his dusky skin. + +"It was by chance, O Calf of the Black Cow," he murmured. + +"Then it is a chance for which thou must pay. Thou hast made me +foolish; prepare for death." + +"I am the king's ox," was the low answer. + +"Scragga," roared the king, "let me see how thou canst use thy spear. +Kill me this blundering fool." + +Scragga stepped forward with an ill-favoured grin, and lifted his +spear. The poor victim covered his eyes with his hand and stood still. +As for us, we were petrified with horror. + +"Once, twice," he waved the spear, and then struck, ah! right home-- +the spear stood out a foot behind the soldier's back. He flung up his +hands and dropped dead. From the multitude about us rose something +like a murmur, it rolled round and round, and died away. The tragedy +was finished; there lay the corpse, and we had not yet realised that +it had been enacted. Sir Henry sprang up and swore a great oath, then, +overpowered by the sense of silence, sat down again. + +"The thrust was a good one," said the king; "take him away." + +Four men stepped out of the ranks, and lifting the body of the +murdered man, carried it thence. + +"Cover up the blood-stains, cover them up," piped out the thin voice +that proceeded from the monkey-like figure; "the king's word is +spoken, the king's doom is done!" + +Thereupon a girl came forward from behind the hut, bearing a jar +filled with powdered lime, which she scattered over the red mark, +blotting it from sight. + +Sir Henry meanwhile was boiling with rage at what had happened; +indeed, it was with difficulty that we could keep him still. + +"Sit down, for heaven's sake," I whispered; "our lives depend on it." + +He yielded and remained quiet. + +Twala sat silent until the traces of the tragedy had been removed, +then he addressed us. + +"White people," he said, "who come hither, whence I know not, and why +I know not, greeting." + +"Greeting, Twala, King of the Kukuanas," I answered. + +"White people, whence come ye, and what seek ye?" + +"We come from the Stars, ask us not how. We come to see this land." + +"Ye journey from far to see a little thing. And that man with you," +pointing to Umbopa, "does he also come from the Stars?" + +"Even so; there are people of thy colour in the heavens above; but ask +not of matters too high for thee, Twala the king." + +"Ye speak with a loud voice, people of the Stars," Twala answered in a +tone which I scarcely liked. "Remember that the Stars are far off, and +ye are here. How if I make you as him whom they bore away?" + +I laughed out loud, though there was little laughter in my heart. + +"O king," I said, "be careful, walk warily over hot stones, lest thou +shouldst burn thy feet; hold the spear by the handle, lest thou should +cut thy hands. Touch but one hair of our heads, and destruction shall +come upon thee. What, have not these"--pointing to Infadoos and +Scragga, who, young villain that he was, was employed in cleaning the +blood of the soldier off his spear--"told thee what manner of men we +are? Hast thou seen the like of us?" and I pointed to Good, feeling +quite sure that he had never seen anybody before who looked in the +least like /him/ as he then appeared. + +"It is true, I have not," said the king, surveying Good with interest. + +"Have they not told thee how we strike with death from afar?" I went +on. + +"They have told me, but I believe them not. Let me see you kill. Kill +me a man among those who stand yonder"--and he pointed to the opposite +side of the kraal--"and I will believe." + +"Nay," I answered; "we shed no blood of men except in just punishment; +but if thou wilt see, bid thy servants drive in an ox through the +kraal gates, and before he has run twenty paces I will strike him +dead." + +"Nay," laughed the king, "kill me a man and I will believe." + +"Good, O king, so be it," I answered coolly; "do thou walk across the +open space, and before thy feet reach the gate thou shalt be dead; or +if thou wilt not, send thy son Scragga" (whom at that moment it would +have given me much pleasure to shoot). + +On hearing this suggestion Scragga uttered a sort of howl, and bolted +into the hut. + +Twala frowned majestically; the suggestion did not please him. + +"Let a young ox be driven in," he said. + +Two men at once departed, running swiftly. + +"Now, Sir Henry," said I, "do you shoot. I want to show this ruffian +that I am not the only magician of the party." + +Sir Henry accordingly took his "express," and made ready. + +"I hope I shall make a good shot," he groaned. + +"You must," I answered. "If you miss with the first barrel, let him +have the second. Sight for 150 yards, and wait till the beast turns +broadside on." + +Then came a pause, until presently we caught sight of an ox running +straight for the kraal gate. It came on through the gate, then, +catching sight of the vast concourse of people, stopped stupidly, +turned round, and bellowed. + +"Now's your time," I whispered. + +Up went the rifle. + +Bang! /thud/! and the ox was kicking on his back, shot in the ribs. +The semi-hollow bullet had done its work well, and a sigh of +astonishment went up from the assembled thousands. + +I turned round coolly-- + +"Have I lied, O king?" + +"Nay, white man, it is the truth," was the somewhat awed answer. + +"Listen, Twala," I went on. "Thou hast seen. Now know we come in +peace, not in war. See," and I held up the Winchester repeater; "here +is a hollow staff that shall enable thee to kill even as we kill, only +I lay this charm upon it, thou shalt kill no man with it. If thou +liftest it against a man, it shall kill thee. Stay, I will show thee. +Bid a soldier step forty paces and place the shaft of a spear in the +ground so that the flat blade looks towards us." + +In a few seconds it was done. + +"Now, see, I will break yonder spear." + +Taking a careful sight I fired. The bullet struck the flat of the +spear, and shattered the blade into fragments. + +Again the sigh of astonishment went up. + +"Now, Twala, we give this magic tube to thee, and by-and-by I will +show thee how to use it; but beware how thou turnest the magic of the +Stars against a man of earth," and I handed him the rifle. + +The king took it very gingerly, and laid it down at his feet. As he +did so I observed the wizened monkey-like figure creeping from the +shadow of the hut. It crept on all fours, but when it reached the +place where the king sat it rose upon its feet, and throwing the furry +covering from its face, revealed a most extraordinary and weird +countenance. Apparently it was that of a woman of great age so +shrunken that in size it seemed no larger than the face of a year-old +child, although made up of a number of deep and yellow wrinkles. Set +in these wrinkles was a sunken slit, that represented the mouth, +beneath which the chin curved outwards to a point. There was no nose +to speak of; indeed, the visage might have been taken for that of a +sun-dried corpse had it not been for a pair of large black eyes, still +full of fire and intelligence, which gleamed and played under the +snow-white eyebrows, and the projecting parchment-coloured skull, like +jewels in a charnel-house. As for the head itself, it was perfectly +bare, and yellow in hue, while its wrinkled scalp moved and contracted +like the hood of a cobra. + +The figure to which this fearful countenance belonged, a countenance +so fearful indeed that it caused a shiver of fear to pass through us +as we gazed on it, stood still for a moment. Then suddenly it +projected a skinny claw armed with nails nearly an inch long, and +laying it on the shoulder of Twala the king, began to speak in a thin +and piercing voice-- + +"Listen, O king! Listen, O warriors! Listen, O mountains and plains +and rivers, home of the Kukuana race! Listen, O skies and sun, O rain +and storm and mist! Listen, O men and women, O youths and maidens, and +O ye babes unborn! Listen, all things that live and must die! Listen, +all dead things that shall live again--again to die! Listen, the +spirit of life is in me and I prophesy. I prophesy! I prophesy!" + +The words died away in a faint wail, and dread seemed to seize upon +the hearts of all who heard them, including our own. This old woman +was very terrible. + +"/Blood! blood! blood!/ rivers of blood; blood everywhere. I see it, I +smell it, I taste it--it is salt! it runs red upon the ground, it +rains down from the skies. + +"/Footsteps! footsteps! footsteps!/ the tread of the white man coming +from afar. It shakes the earth; the earth trembles before her master. + +"Blood is good, the red blood is bright; there is no smell like the +smell of new-shed blood. The lions shall lap it and roar, the vultures +shall wash their wings in it and shriek with joy. + +"I am old! I am old! I have seen much blood; /ha, ha!/ but I shall see +more ere I die, and be merry. How old am I, think ye? Your fathers +knew me, and /their/ fathers knew me, and /their/ fathers' fathers' +fathers. I have seen the white man and know his desires. I am old, but +the mountains are older than I. Who made the great road, tell me? Who +wrote the pictures on the rocks, tell me? Who reared up the three +Silent Ones yonder, that gaze across the pit, tell me?" and she +pointed towards the three precipitous mountains which we had noticed +on the previous night. + +"Ye know not, but I know. It was a white people who were before ye +are, who shall be when ye are not, who shall eat you up and destroy +you. /Yea! yea! yea! + +"And what came they for, the White Ones, the Terrible Ones, the +skilled in magic and all learning, the strong, the unswerving? What is +that bright stone upon thy forehead, O king? Whose hands made the iron +garments upon thy breast, O king? Ye know not, but I know. I the Old +One, I the Wise One, I the /Isanusi/, the witch doctress!" + +Then she turned her bald vulture-head towards us. + +"What seek ye, white men of the Stars--ah, yes, of the Stars? Do ye +seek a lost one? Ye shall not find him here. He is not here. Never for +ages upon ages has a white foot pressed this land; never except once, +and I remember that he left it but to die. Ye come for bright stones; +I know it--I know it; ye shall find them when the blood is dry; but +shall ye return whence ye came, or shall ye stop with me? /Ha! ha! +ha!/ + +"And thou, thou with the dark skin and the proud bearing," and she +pointed her skinny finger at Umbopa, "who art /thou/, and what seekest +/thou/? Not stones that shine, not yellow metal that gleams, these +thou leavest to 'white men from the Stars.' Methinks I know thee; +methinks I can smell the smell of the blood in thy heart. Strip off +the girdle--" + +Here the features of this extraordinary creature became convulsed, and +she fell to the ground foaming in an epileptic fit, and was carried +into the hut. + +The king rose up trembling, and waved his hand. Instantly the +regiments began to file off, and in ten minutes, save for ourselves, +the king, and a few attendants, the great space was left empty. + +"White people," he said, "it passes in my mind to kill you. Gagool has +spoken strange words. What say ye?" + +I laughed. "Be careful, O king, we are not easy to slay. Thou hast +seen the fate of the ox; wouldst thou be as the ox is?" + +The king frowned. "It is not well to threaten a king." + +"We threaten not, we speak what is true. Try to kill us, O king, and +learn." + +The great savage put his hand to his forehead and thought. + +"Go in peace," he said at length. "To-night is the great dance. Ye +shall see it. Fear not that I shall set a snare for you. To-morrow I +will think." + +"It is well, O king," I answered unconcernedly, and then, accompanied +by Infadoos, we rose and went back to our kraal. + + + +CHAPTER X + +THE WITCH-HUNT + +On reaching our hut I motioned to Infadoos to enter with us. + +"Now, Infadoos," I said, "we would speak with thee." + +"Let my lords say on." + +"It seems to us, Infadoos, that Twala the king is a cruel man." + +"It is so, my lords. Alas! the land cries out because of his +cruelties. To-night ye shall see. It is the great witch-hunt, and many +will be smelt out as wizards and slain. No man's life is safe. If the +king covets a man's cattle, or a man's wife, or if he fears a man that +he should excite a rebellion against him, then Gagool, whom ye saw, or +some of the witch-finding women whom she has taught, will smell that +man out as a wizard, and he will be killed. Many must die before the +moon grows pale to-night. It is ever so. Perhaps I too shall be +killed. As yet I have been spared because I am skilled in war, and am +beloved by the soldiers; but I know not how long I have to live. The +land groans at the cruelties of Twala the king; it is wearied of him +and his red ways." + +"Then why is it, Infadoos, that the people do not cast him down?" + +"Nay, my lords, he is the king, and if he were killed Scragga would +reign in his place, and the heart of Scragga is blacker than the heart +of Twala his father. If Scragga were king his yoke upon our neck would +be heavier than the yoke of Twala. If Imotu had never been slain, or +if Ignosi his son had lived, it might have been otherwise; but they +are both dead." + +"How knowest thou that Ignosi is dead?" said a voice behind us. We +looked round astonished to see who spoke. It was Umbopa. + +"What meanest thou, boy?" asked Infadoos; "who told thee to speak?" + +"Listen, Infadoos," was the answer, "and I will tell thee a story. +Years ago the king Imotu was killed in this country and his wife fled +with the boy Ignosi. Is it not so?" + +"It is so." + +"It was said that the woman and her son died upon the mountains. Is it +not so?" + +"It is even so." + +"Well, it came to pass that the mother and the boy Ignosi did not die. +They crossed the mountains and were led by a tribe of wandering desert +men across the sands beyond, till at last they came to water and grass +and trees again." + +"How knowest thou this?" + +"Listen. They travelled on and on, many months' journey, till they +reached a land where a people called the Amazulu, who also are of the +Kukuana stock, live by war, and with them they tarried many years, +till at length the mother died. Then the son Ignosi became a wanderer +again, and journeyed into a land of wonders, where white people live, +and for many more years he learned the wisdom of the white people." + +"It is a pretty story," said Infadoos incredulously. + +"For years he lived there working as a servant and a soldier, but +holding in his heart all that his mother had told him of his own +place, and casting about in his mind to find how he might journey +thither to see his people and his father's house before he died. For +long years he lived and waited, and at last the time came, as it ever +comes to him who can wait for it, and he met some white men who would +seek this unknown land, and joined himself to them. The white men +started and travelled on and on, seeking for one who is lost. They +crossed the burning desert, they crossed the snow-clad mountains, and +at last reached the land of the Kukuanas, and there they found /thee/, +O Infadoos." + +"Surely thou art mad to talk thus," said the astonished old soldier. + +"Thou thinkest so; see, I will show thee, O my uncle. + +"/I am Ignosi, rightful king of the Kukuanas!/" + +Then with a single movement Umbopa slipped off his "moocha" or girdle, +and stood naked before us. + +"Look," he said; "what is this?" and he pointed to the picture of a +great snake tattooed in blue round his middle, its tail disappearing +into its open mouth just above where the thighs are set into the body. + +Infadoos looked, his eyes starting nearly out of his head. Then he +fell upon his knees. + +"/Koom! Koom!/" he ejaculated; "it is my brother's son; it is the +king." + +"Did I not tell thee so, my uncle? Rise; I am not yet the king, but +with thy help, and with the help of these brave white men, who are my +friends, I shall be. Yet the old witch Gagool was right, the land +shall run with blood first, and hers shall run with it, if she has any +and can die, for she killed my father with her words, and drove my +mother forth. And now, Infadoos, choose thou. Wilt thou put thy hands +between my hands and be my man? Wilt thou share the dangers that lie +before me, and help me to overthrow this tyrant and murderer, or wilt +thou not? Choose thou." + +The old man put his hand to his head and thought. Then he rose, and +advancing to where Umbopa, or rather Ignosi, stood, he knelt before +him, and took his hand. + +"Ignosi, rightful king of the Kukuanas, I put my hand between thy +hands, and am thy man till death. When thou wast a babe I dandled thee +upon my knees, now shall my old arm strike for thee and freedom." + +"It is well, Infadoos; if I conquer, thou shalt be the greatest man in +the kingdom after its king. If I fail, thou canst only die, and death +is not far off from thee. Rise, my uncle." + +"And ye, white men, will ye help me? What have I to offer you! The +white stones! If I conquer and can find them, ye shall have as many as +ye can carry hence. Will that suffice you?" + +I translated this remark. + +"Tell him," answered Sir Henry, "that he mistakes an Englishman. +Wealth is good, and if it comes in our way we will take it; but a +gentleman does not sell himself for wealth. Still, speaking for +myself, I say this. I have always liked Umbopa, and so far as lies in +me I will stand by him in this business. It will be very pleasant to +me to try to square matters with that cruel devil Twala. What do you +say, Good, and you, Quatermain?" + +"Well," said Good, "to adopt the language of hyperbole, in which all +these people seem to indulge, you can tell him that a row is surely +good, and warms the cockles of the heart, and that so far as I am +concerned I'm his boy. My only stipulation is that he allows me to +wear trousers." + +I translated the substance of these answers. + +"It is well, my friends," said Ignosi, late Umbopa; "and what sayest +thou, Macumazahn, art thou also with me, old hunter, cleverer than a +wounded buffalo?" + +I thought awhile and scratched my head. + +"Umbopa, or Ignosi," I said, "I don't like revolutions. I am a man of +peace and a bit of a coward"--here Umbopa smiled--"but, on the other +hand, I stick up for my friends, Ignosi. You have stuck to us and +played the part of a man, and I will stick by you. But mind you, I am +a trader, and have to make my living, so I accept your offer about +those diamonds in case we should ever be in a position to avail +ourselves of it. Another thing: we came, as you know, to look for +Incubu's (Sir Henry's) lost brother. You must help us to find him." + +"That I will do," answered Ignosi. "Stay, Infadoos, by the sign of the +snake about my middle, tell me the truth. Has any white man to thy +knowledge set his foot within the land?" + +"None, O Ignosi." + +"If any white man had been seen or heard of, wouldst thou have known?" + +"I should certainly have known." + +"Thou hearest, Incubu," said Ignosi to Sir Henry; "he has not been +here." + +"Well, well," said Sir Henry, with a sigh; "there it is; I suppose +that he never got so far. Poor fellow, poor fellow! So it has all been +for nothing. God's will be done." + +"Now for business," I put in, anxious to escape from a painful +subject. "It is very well to be a king by right divine, Ignosi, but +how dost thou propose to become a king indeed?" + +"Nay, I know not. Infadoos, hast thou a plan?" + +"Ignosi, Son of the Lightning," answered his uncle, "to-night is the +great dance and witch-hunt. Many shall be smelt out and perish, and in +the hearts of many others there will be grief and anguish and fury +against the king Twala. When the dance is over, then I will speak to +some of the great chiefs, who in turn, if I can win them over, will +speak to their regiments. I shall speak to the chiefs softly at first, +and bring them to see that thou art indeed the king, and I think that +by to-morrow's light thou shalt have twenty thousand spears at thy +command. And now I must go and think, and hear, and make ready. After +the dance is done, if I am yet alive, and we are all alive, I will +meet thee here, and we can talk. At the best there must be war." + +At this moment our conference was interrupted by the cry that +messengers had come from the king. Advancing to the door of the hut we +ordered that they should be admitted, and presently three men entered, +each bearing a shining shirt of chain armour, and a magnificent +battle-axe. + +"The gifts of my lord the king to the white men from the Stars!" said +a herald who came with them. + +"We thank the king," I answered; "withdraw." + +The men went, and we examined the armour with great interest. It was +the most wonderful chain work that either of us had ever seen. A whole +coat fell together so closely that it formed a mass of links scarcely +too big to be covered with both hands. + +"Do you make these things in this country, Infadoos?" I asked; "they +are very beautiful." + +"Nay, my lord, they came down to us from our forefathers. We know not +who made them, and there are but few left.[*] None but those of royal +blood may be clad in them. They are magic coats through which no spear +can pass, and those who wear them are well-nigh safe in the battle. +The king is well pleased or much afraid, or he would not have sent +these garments of steel. Clothe yourselves in them to-night, my +lords." + +[*] In the Soudan swords and coats of mail are still worn by Arabs, + whose ancestors must have stripped them from the bodies of + Crusaders.--Editor. + +The remainder of that day we spent quietly, resting and talking over +the situation, which was sufficiently exciting. At last the sun went +down, the thousand watch fires glowed out, and through the darkness we +heard the tramp of many feet and the clashing of hundreds of spears, +as the regiments passed to their appointed places to be ready for the +great dance. Then the full moon shone out in splendour, and as we +stood watching her rays, Infadoos arrived, clad in his war dress, and +accompanied by a guard of twenty men to escort us to the dance. As he +recommended, we had already donned the shirts of chain armour which +the king had sent us, putting them on under our ordinary clothing, and +finding to our surprise that they were neither very heavy nor +uncomfortable. These steel shirts, which evidently had been made for +men of a very large stature, hung somewhat loosely upon Good and +myself, but Sir Henry's fitted his magnificent frame like a glove. +Then strapping our revolvers round our waists, and taking in our hands +the battle-axes which the king had sent with the armour, we started. + +On arriving at the great kraal, where we had that morning been +received by the king, we found that it was closely packed with some +twenty thousand men arranged round it in regiments. These regiments +were in turn divided into companies, and between each company ran a +little path to allow space for the witch-finders to pass up and down. +Anything more imposing than the sight that was presented by this vast +and orderly concourse of armed men it is impossible to conceive. There +they stood perfectly silent, and the moon poured her light upon the +forest of their raised spears, upon their majestic forms, waving +plumes, and the harmonious shading of their various-coloured shields. +Wherever we looked were line upon line of dim faces surmounted by +range upon range of shimmering spears. + +"Surely," I said to Infadoos, "the whole army is here?" + +"Nay, Macumazahn," he answered, "but a third of it. One third is +present at this dance each year, another third is mustered outside in +case there should be trouble when the killing begins, ten thousand +more garrison the outposts round Loo, and the rest watch at the kraals +in the country. Thou seest it is a great people." + +"They are very silent," said Good; and indeed the intense stillness +among such a vast concourse of living men was almost overpowering. + +"What says Bougwan?" asked Infadoos. + +I translated. + +"Those over whom the shadow of Death is hovering are silent," he +answered grimly. + +"Will many be killed?" + +"Very many." + +"It seems," I said to the others, "that we are going to assist at a +gladiatorial show arranged regardless of expense." + +Sir Henry shivered, and Good said he wished that we could get out of +it. + +"Tell me," I asked Infadoos, "are we in danger?" + +"I know not, my lords, I trust not; but do not seem afraid. If ye live +through the night all may go well with you. The soldiers murmur +against the king." + +All this while we had been advancing steadily towards the centre of +the open space, in the midst of which were placed some stools. As we +proceeded we perceived another small party coming from the direction +of the royal hut. + +"It is the king Twala, Scragga his son, and Gagool the old; and see, +with them are those who slay," said Infadoos, pointing to a little +group of about a dozen gigantic and savage-looking men, armed with +spears in one hand and heavy kerries in the other. + +The king seated himself upon the centre stool, Gagool crouched at his +feet, and the others stood behind him. + +"Greeting, white lords," Twala cried, as we came up; "be seated, waste +not precious time--the night is all too short for the deeds that must +be done. Ye come in a good hour, and shall see a glorious show. Look +round, white lords; look round," and he rolled his one wicked eye from +regiment to regiment. "Can the Stars show you such a sight as this? +See how they shake in their wickedness, all those who have evil in +their hearts and fear the judgment of 'Heaven above.'" + +"/Begin! begin!/" piped Gagool, in her thin piercing voice; "the +hyćnas are hungry, they howl for food. /Begin! begin!/" + +Then for a moment there was intense stillness, made horrible by a +presage of what was to come. + +The king lifted his spear, and suddenly twenty thousand feet were +raised, as though they belonged to one man, and brought down with a +stamp upon the earth. This was repeated three times, causing the solid +ground to shake and tremble. Then from a far point of the circle a +solitary voice began a wailing song, of which the refrain ran +something as follows:-- + +"/What is the lot of man born of woman?/" + +Back came the answer rolling out from every throat in that vast +company-- + +"/Death!/" + +Gradually, however, the song was taken up by company after company, +till the whole armed multitude were singing it, and I could no longer +follow the words, except in so far as they appeared to represent +various phases of human passions, fears, and joys. Now it seemed to be +a love song, now a majestic swelling war chant, and last of all a +death dirge ending suddenly in one heart-breaking wail that went +echoing and rolling away in a volume of blood-curdling sound. + +Again silence fell upon the place, and again it was broken by the king +lifting his hand. Instantly we heard a pattering of feet, and from out +of the masses of warriors strange and awful figures appeared running +towards us. As they drew near we saw that these were women, most of +them aged, for their white hair, ornamented with small bladders taken +from fish, streamed out behind them. Their faces were painted in +stripes of white and yellow; down their backs hung snake-skins, and +round their waists rattled circlets of human bones, while each held a +small forked wand in her shrivelled hand. In all there were ten of +them. When they arrived in front of us they halted, and one of them, +pointing with her wand towards the crouching figure of Gagool, cried +out-- + +"Mother, old mother, we are here." + +"/Good! good! good!/" answered that aged Iniquity. "Are your eyes +keen, /Isanusis/ [witch doctresses], ye seers in dark places?" + +"Mother, they are keen." + +"/Good! good! good!/ Are your ears open, /Isanusis/, ye who hear words +that come not from the tongue?" + +"Mother, they are open." + +"/Good! good! good!/ Are your senses awake, /Isanusis/--can ye smell +blood, can ye purge the land of the wicked ones who compass evil +against the king and against their neighbours? Are ye ready to do the +justice of 'Heaven above,' ye whom I have taught, who have eaten of +the bread of my wisdom, and drunk of the water of my magic?" + +"Mother, we can." + +"Then go! Tarry not, ye vultures; see, the slayers"--pointing to the +ominous group of executioners behind--"make sharp their spears; the +white men from afar are hungry to see. /Go!/" + +With a wild yell Gagool's horrid ministers broke away in every +direction, like fragments from a shell, the dry bones round their +waists rattling as they ran, and headed for various points of the +dense human circle. We could not watch them all, so we fixed our eyes +upon the /Isanusi/ nearest to us. When she came to within a few paces +of the warriors she halted and began to dance wildly, turning round +and round with an almost incredible rapidity, and shrieking out +sentences such as "I smell him, the evil-doer!" "He is near, he who +poisoned his mother!" "I hear the thoughts of him who thought evil of +the king!" + +Quicker and quicker she danced, till she lashed herself into such a +frenzy of excitement that the foam flew in specks from her gnashing +jaws, till her eyes seemed to start from her head, and her flesh to +quiver visibly. Suddenly she stopped dead and stiffened all over, like +a pointer dog when he scents game, and then with outstretched wand she +began to creep stealthily towards the soldiers before her. It seemed +to us that as she came their stoicism gave way, and that they shrank +from her. As for ourselves, we followed her movements with a horrible +fascination. Presently, still creeping and crouching like a dog, the +/Isanusi/ was before them. Then she halted and pointed, and again +crept on a pace or two. + +Suddenly the end came. With a shriek she sprang in and touched a tall +warrior with her forked wand. Instantly two of his comrades, those +standing immediately next to him, seized the doomed man, each by one +arm, and advanced with him towards the king. + +He did not resist, but we saw that he dragged his limbs as though they +were paralysed, and that his fingers, from which the spear had fallen, +were limp like those of a man newly dead. + +As he came, two of the villainous executioners stepped forward to meet +him. Presently they met, and the executioners turned round, looking +towards the king as though for orders. + +"/Kill!/" said the king. + +"/Kill!/" squeaked Gagool. + +"/Kill!/" re-echoed Scragga, with a hollow chuckle. + +Almost before the words were uttered the horrible dead was done. One +man had driven his spear into the victim's heart, and to make +assurance double sure, the other had dashed out his brains with a +great club. + +"/One/," counted Twala the king, just like a black Madame Defarge, as +Good said, and the body was dragged a few paces away and stretched +out. + +Hardly was the thing done before another poor wretch was brought up, +like an ox to the slaughter. This time we could see, from the leopard- +skin cloak which he wore, that the man was a person of rank. Again the +awful syllables were spoken, and the victim fell dead. + +"/Two/," counted the king. + +And so the deadly game went on, till about a hundred bodies were +stretched in rows behind us. I have heard of the gladiatorial shows of +the Cćsars, and of the Spanish bull-fights, but I take the liberty of +doubting if either of them could be half so horrible as this Kukuana +witch-hunt. Gladiatorial shows and Spanish bull-fights at any rate +contributed to the public amusement, which certainly was not the case +here. The most confirmed sensation-monger would fight shy of sensation +if he knew that it was well on the cards that he would, in his own +proper person, be the subject of the next "event." + +Once we rose and tried to remonstrate, but were sternly repressed by +Twala. + +"Let the law take its course, white men. These dogs are magicians and +evil-doers; it is well that they should die," was the only answer +vouchsafed to us. + +About half-past ten there was a pause. The witch-finders gathered +themselves together, apparently exhausted with their bloody work, and +we thought that the performance was done with. But it was not so, for +presently, to our surprise, the ancient woman, Gagool, rose from her +crouching position, and supporting herself with a stick, staggered off +into the open space. It was an extraordinary sight to see this +frightful vulture-headed old creature, bent nearly double with extreme +age, gather strength by degrees, until at last she rushed about almost +as actively as her ill-omened pupils. To and fro she ran, chanting to +herself, till suddenly she made a dash at a tall man standing in front +of one of the regiments, and touched him. As she did this a sort of +groan went up from the regiment which evidently he commanded. But two +of its officers seized him all the same, and brought him up for +execution. We learned afterwards that he was a man of great wealth and +importance, being indeed a cousin of the king. + +He was slain, and Twala counted one hundred and three. Then Gagool +again sprang to and fro, gradually drawing nearer and nearer to +ourselves. + +"Hang me if I don't believe she is going to try her games on us," +ejaculated Good in horror. + +"Nonsense!" said Sir Henry. + +As for myself, when I saw that old fiend dancing nearer and nearer, my +heart positively sank into my boots. I glanced behind us at the long +rows of corpses, and shivered. + +Nearer and nearer waltzed Gagool, looking for all the world like an +animated crooked stick or comma, her horrid eyes gleaming and glowing +with a most unholy lustre. + +Nearer she came, and yet nearer, every creature in that vast +assemblage watching her movements with intense anxiety. At last she +stood still and pointed. + +"Which is it to be?" asked Sir Henry to himself. + +In a moment all doubts were at rest, for the old hag had rushed in and +touched Umbopa, alias Ignosi, on the shoulder. + +"I smell him out," she shrieked. "Kill him, kill him, he is full of +evil; kill him, the stranger, before blood flows from him. Slay him, O +king." + +There was a pause, of which I instantly took advantage. + +"O king," I called out, rising from my seat, "this man is the servant +of thy guests, he is their dog; whosoever sheds the blood of our dog +sheds our blood. By the sacred law of hospitality I claim protection +for him." + +"Gagool, mother of the witch-finders, has smelt him out; he must die, +white men," was the sullen answer. + +"Nay, he shall not die," I replied; "he who tries to touch him shall +die indeed." + +"Seize him!" roared Twala to the executioners; who stood round red to +the eyes with the blood of their victims. + +They advanced towards us, and then hesitated. As for Ignosi, he +clutched his spear, and raised it as though determined to sell his +life dearly. + +"Stand back, ye dogs!" I shouted, "if ye would see to-morrow's light. +Touch one hair of his head and your king dies," and I covered Twala +with my revolver. Sir Henry and Good also drew their pistols, Sir +Henry pointing his at the leading executioner, who was advancing to +carry out the sentence, and Good taking a deliberate aim at Gagool. + +Twala winced perceptibly as my barrel came in a line with his broad +chest. + +"Well," I said, "what is it to be, Twala?" + +Then he spoke. + +"Put away your magic tubes," he said; "ye have adjured me in the name +of hospitality, and for that reason, but not from fear of what ye can +do, I spare him. Go in peace." + +"It is well," I answered unconcernedly; "we are weary of slaughter, +and would sleep. Is the dance ended?" + +"It is ended," Twala answered sulkily. "Let these dead dogs," pointing +to the long rows of corpses, "be flung out to the hyćnas and the +vultures," and he lifted his spear. + +Instantly the regiments began to defile through the kraal gateway in +perfect silence, a fatigue party only remaining behind to drag away +the corpses of those who had been sacrificed. + +Then we rose also, and making our salaam to his majesty, which he +hardly deigned to acknowledge, we departed to our huts. + +"Well," said Sir Henry, as we sat down, having first lit a lamp of the +sort used by the Kukuanas, of which the wick is made from the fibre of +a species of palm leaf, and the oil from clarified hippopotamus fat, +"well, I feel uncommonly inclined to be sick." + +"If I had any doubts about helping Umbopa to rebel against that +infernal blackguard," put in Good, "they are gone now. It was as much +as I could do to sit still while that slaughter was going on. I tried +to keep my eyes shut, but they would open just at the wrong time. I +wonder where Infadoos is. Umbopa, my friend, you ought to be grateful +to us; your skin came near to having an air-hole made in it." + +"I am grateful, Bougwan," was Umbopa's answer, when I had translated, +"and I shall not forget. As for Infadoos, he will be here by-and-by. +We must wait." + +So we lit out pipes and waited. + + + +CHAPTER XI + +WE GIVE A SIGN + +For a long while--two hours, I should think--we sat there in silence, +being too much overwhelmed by the recollection of the horrors we had +seen to talk. At last, just as we were thinking of turning in--for the +night drew nigh to dawn--we heard a sound of steps. Then came the +challenge of a sentry posted at the kraal gate, which apparently was +answered, though not in an audible tone, for the steps still advanced; +and in another second Infadoos had entered the hut, followed by some +half-dozen stately-looking chiefs. + +"My lords," he said, "I have come according to my word. My lords and +Ignosi, rightful king of the Kukuanas, I have brought with me these +men," pointing to the row of chiefs, "who are great men among us, +having each one of them the command of three thousand soldiers, that +live but to do their bidding, under the king's. I have told them of +what I have seen, and what my ears have heard. Now let them also +behold the sacred snake around thee, and hear thy story, Ignosi, that +they may say whether or no they will make cause with thee against +Twala the king." + +By way of answer Ignosi again stripped off his girdle, and exhibited +the snake tattooed about him. Each chief in turn drew near and +examined the sign by the dim light of the lamp, and without saying a +word passed on to the other side. + +Then Ignosi resumed his moocha, and addressing them, repeated the +history he had detailed in the morning. + +"Now ye have heard, chiefs," said Infadoos, when he had done, "what +say ye: will ye stand by this man and help him to his father's throne, +or will ye not? The land cries out against Twala, and the blood of the +people flows like the waters in spring. Ye have seen to-night. Two +other chiefs there were with whom I had it in my mind to speak, and +where are they now? The hyćnas howl over their corpses. Soon shall ye +be as they are if ye strike not. Choose then, my brothers." + +The eldest of the six men, a short, thick-set warrior, with white +hair, stepped forward a pace and answered-- + +"Thy words are true, Infadoos; the land cries out. My own brother is +among those who died to-night; but this is a great matter, and the +thing is hard to believe. How know we that if we lift our spears it +may not be for a thief and a liar? It is a great matter, I say, of +which none can see the end. For of this be sure, blood will flow in +rivers before the deed is done; many will still cleave to the king, +for men worship the sun that still shines bright in the heavens, +rather than that which has not risen. These white men from the Stars, +their magic is great, and Ignosi is under the cover of their wing. If +he be indeed the rightful king, let them give us a sign, and let the +people have a sign, that all may see. So shall men cleave to us, +knowing of a truth that the white man's magic is with them." + +"Ye have the sign of the snake," I answered. + +"My lord, it is not enough. The snake may have been placed there since +the man's childhood. Show us a sign, and it will suffice. But we will +not move without a sign." + +The others gave a decided assent, and I turned in perplexity to Sir +Henry and Good, and explained the situation. + +"I think that I have it," said Good exultingly; "ask them to give us a +moment to think." + +I did so, and the chiefs withdrew. So soon as they had gone Good went +to the little box where he kept his medicines, unlocked it, and took +out a note-book, in the fly-leaves of which was an almanack. "Now look +here, you fellows, isn't to-morrow the 4th of June?" he said. + +We had kept a careful note of the days, so were able to answer that it +was. + +"Very good; then here we have it--'4 June, total eclipse of the moon +commences at 8.15 Greenwich time, visible in Teneriffe--/South +Africa/, &c.' There's a sign for you. Tell them we will darken the +moon to-morrow night." + +The idea was a splendid one; indeed, the only weak spot about it was a +fear lest Good's almanack might be incorrect. If we made a false +prophecy on such a subject, our prestige would be gone for ever, and +so would Ignosi's chance of the throne of the Kukuanas. + +"Suppose that the almanack is wrong," suggested Sir Henry to Good, who +was busily employed in working out something on a blank page of the +book. + +"I see no reason to suppose anything of the sort," was his answer. +"Eclipses always come up to time; at least that is my experience of +them, and it especially states that this one will be visible in South +Africa. I have worked out the reckonings as well as I can, without +knowing our exact position; and I make out that the eclipse should +begin here about ten o'clock tomorrow night, and last till half-past +twelve. For an hour and a half or so there should be almost total +darkness." + +"Well," said Sir Henry, "I suppose we had better risk it." + +I acquiesced, though doubtfully, for eclipses are queer cattle to deal +with--it might be a cloudy night, for instance, or our dates might be +wrong--and sent Umbopa to summon the chiefs back. Presently they came, +and I addressed them thus-- + +"Great men of the Kukuanas, and thou, Infadoos, listen. We love not to +show our powers, for to do so is to interfere with the course of +nature, and to plunge the world into fear and confusion. But since +this matter is a great one, and as we are angered against the king +because of the slaughter we have seen, and because of the act of the +/Isanusi/ Gagool, who would have put our friend Ignosi to death, we +have determined to break a rule, and to give such a sign as all men +may see. Come hither"; and I led them to the door of the hut and +pointed to the red ball of the moon. "What see ye there?" + +"We see the sinking moon," answered the spokesman of the party. + +"It is so. Now tell me, can any mortal man put out that moon before +her hour of setting, and bring the curtain of black night down upon +the land?" + +The chief laughed a little at the question. "No, my lord, that no man +can do. The moon is stronger than man who looks on her, nor can she +vary in her courses." + +"Ye say so. Yet I tell you that to-morrow night, about two hours +before midnight, we will cause the moon to be eaten up for a space of +an hour and half an hour. Yes, deep darkness shall cover the earth, +and it shall be for a sign that Ignosi is indeed king of the Kukuanas. +If we do this thing, will ye be satisfied?" + +"Yea, my lords," answered the old chief with a smile, which was +reflected on the faces of his companions; "/if/ ye do this thing, we +will be satisfied indeed." + +"It shall be done; we three, Incubu, Bougwan, and Macumazahn, have +said it, and it shall be done. Dost thou hear, Infadoos?" + +"I hear, my lord, but it is a wonderful thing that ye promise, to put +out the moon, the mother of the world, when she is at her full." + +"Yet shall we do it, Infadoos." + +"It is well, my lords. To-day, two hours after sunset, Twala will send +for my lords to witness the girls dance, and one hour after the dance +begins the girl whom Twala thinks the fairest shall be killed by +Scragga, the king's son, as a sacrifice to the Silent Ones, who sit +and keep watch by the mountains yonder," and he pointed towards the +three strange-looking peaks where Solomon's road was supposed to end. +"Then let my lords darken the moon, and save the maiden's life, and +the people will believe indeed." + +"Ay," said the old chief, still smiling a little, "the people will +believe indeed." + +"Two miles from Loo," went on Infadoos, "there is a hill curved like a +new moon, a stronghold, where my regiment, and three other regiments +which these chiefs command, are stationed. This morning we will make a +plan whereby two or three other regiments may be moved there also. +Then, if in truth my lords can darken the moon, in the darkness I will +take my lords by the hand and lead them out of Loo to this place, +where they shall be safe, and thence we can make war upon Twala the +king." + +"It is good," said I. "Let leave us to sleep awhile and to make ready +our magic." + +Infadoos rose, and, having saluted us, departed with the chiefs. + +"My friends," said Ignosi, so soon as they were gone, "can ye do this +wonderful thing, or were ye speaking empty words to the captains?" + +"We believe that we can do it, Umbopa--Ignosi, I mean." + +"It is strange," he answered, "and had ye not been Englishmen I would +not have believed it; but I have learned that English 'gentlemen' tell +no lies. If we live through the matter, be sure that I will repay +you." + +"Ignosi," said Sir Henry, "promise me one thing." + +"I will promise, Incubu, my friend, even before I hear it," answered +the big man with a smile. "What is it?" + +"This: that if ever you come to be king of this people you will do +away with the smelling out of wizards such as we saw last night; and +that the killing of men without trial shall no longer take place in +the land." + +Ignosi thought for a moment after I had translated this request, and +then answered-- + +"The ways of black people are not as the ways of white men, Incubu, +nor do we value life so highly. Yet I will promise. If it be in my +power to hold them back, the witch-finders shall hunt no more, nor +shall any man die the death without trial or judgment." + +"That's a bargain, then," said Sir Henry; "and now let us get a little +rest." + +Thoroughly wearied out, we were soon sound asleep, and slept till +Ignosi woke us about eleven o'clock. Then we rose, washed, and ate a +hearty breakfast. After that we went outside the hut and walked about, +amusing ourselves with examining the structure of the Kukuana huts and +observing the customs of the women. + +"I hope that eclipse will come off," said Sir Henry presently. + +"If it does not it will soon be all up with us," I answered +mournfully; "for so sure as we are living men some of those chiefs +will tell the whole story to the king, and then there will be another +sort of eclipse, and one that we shall certainly not like." + +Returning to the hut we ate some dinner, and passed the rest of the +day in receiving visits of ceremony and curiosity. At length the sun +set, and we enjoyed a couple of hours of such quiet as our melancholy +forebodings would allow to us. Finally, about half-past eight, a +messenger came from Twala to bid us to the great annual "dance of +girls" which was about to be celebrated. + +Hastily we put on the chain shirts that the king had sent us, and +taking our rifles and ammunition with us, so as to have them handy in +case we had to fly, as suggested by Infadoos, we started boldly +enough, though with inward fear and trembling. The great space in +front of the king's kraal bore a very different appearance from that +which it had presented on the previous evening. In place of the grim +ranks of serried warriors were company after company of Kukuana girls, +not over-dressed, so far as clothing went, but each crowned with a +wreath of flowers, and holding a palm leaf in one hand and a white +arum lily in the other. In the centre of the open moonlit space sat +Twala the king, with old Gagool at his feet, attended by Infadoos, the +boy Scragga, and twelve guards. There were also present about a score +of chiefs, amongst whom I recognised most of our friends of the night +before. + +Twala greeted us with much apparent cordiality, though I saw him fix +his one eye viciously on Umbopa. + +"Welcome, white men from the Stars," he said; "this is another sight +from that which your eyes gazed on by the light of last night's moon, +but it is not so good a sight. Girls are pleasant, and were it not for +such as these," and he pointed round him, "we should none of us be +here this day; but men are better. Kisses and the tender words of +women are sweet, but the sound of the clashing of the spears of +warriors, and the smell of men's blood, are sweeter far! Would ye have +wives from among our people, white men? If so, choose the fairest +here, and ye shall have them, as many as ye will," and he paused for +an answer. + +As the prospect did not seem to be without attractions for Good, who, +like most sailors, is of a susceptible nature,--being elderly and +wise, foreseeing the endless complications that anything of the sort +would involve, for women bring trouble so surely as the night follows +the day, I put in a hasty answer-- + +"Thanks to thee, O king, but we white men wed only with white women +like ourselves. Your maidens are fair, but they are not for us!" + +The king laughed. "It is well. In our land there is a proverb which +runs, 'Women's eyes are always bright, whatever the colour,' and +another that says, 'Love her who is present, for be sure she who is +absent is false to thee;' but perhaps these things are not so in the +Stars. In a land where men are white all things are possible. So be +it, white men; the girls will not go begging! Welcome again; and +welcome, too, thou black one; if Gagool here had won her way, thou +wouldst have been stiff and cold by now. It is lucky for thee that +thou too camest from the Stars; ha! ha!" + +"I can kill thee before thou killest me, O king," was Ignosi's calm +answer, "and thou shalt be stiff before my limbs cease to bend." + +Twala started. "Thou speakest boldly, boy," he replied angrily; +"presume not too far." + +"He may well be bold in whose lips are truth. The truth is a sharp +spear which flies home and misses not. It is a message from 'the +Stars,' O king." + +Twala scowled, and his one eye gleamed fiercely, but he said nothing +more. + +"Let the dance begin," he cried, and then the flower-crowned girls +sprang forward in companies, singing a sweet song and waving the +delicate palms and white lilies. On they danced, looking faint and +spiritual in the soft, sad light of the risen moon; now whirling round +and round, now meeting in mimic warfare, swaying, eddying here and +there, coming forward, falling back in an ordered confusion delightful +to witness. At last they paused, and a beautiful young woman sprang +out of the ranks and began to pirouette in front of us with a grace +and vigour which would have put most ballet girls to shame. At length +she retired exhausted, and another took her place, then another and +another, but none of them, either in grace, skill, or personal +attractions, came up to the first. + +When the chosen girls had all danced, the king lifted his hand. + +"Which deem ye the fairest, white men?" he asked. + +"The first," said I unthinkingly. Next second I regretted it, for I +remembered that Infadoos had told us that the fairest woman must be +offered up as a sacrifice. + +"Then is my mind as your minds, and my eyes as your eyes. She is the +fairest! and a sorry thing it is for her, for she must die!" + +"/Ay, must die!/" piped out Gagool, casting a glance of her quick eyes +in the direction of the poor girl, who, as yet ignorant of the awful +fate in store for her, was standing some ten yards off in front of a +company of maidens, engaged in nervously picking a flower from her +wreath to pieces, petal by petal. + +"Why, O king?" said I, restraining my indignation with difficulty; +"the girl has danced well, and pleased us; she is fair too; it would +be hard to reward her with death." + +Twala laughed as he answered-- + +"It is our custom, and the figures who sit in stone yonder," and he +pointed towards the three distant peaks, "must have their due. Did I +fail to put the fairest girl to death to-day, misfortune would fall +upon me and my house. Thus runs the prophecy of my people: 'If the +king offer not a sacrifice of a fair girl, on the day of the dance of +maidens, to the Old Ones who sit and watch on the mountains, then +shall he fall, and his house.' Look ye, white men, my brother who +reigned before me offered not the sacrifice, because of the tears of +the woman, and he fell, and his house, and I reign in his stead. It is +finished; she must die!" Then turning to the guards--"Bring her +hither; Scragga, make sharp thy spear." + +Two of the men stepped forward, and as they advanced, the girl, for +the first time realising her impending fate, screamed aloud and turned +to fly. But the strong hands caught her fast, and brought her, +struggling and weeping, before us. + +"What is thy name, girl?" piped Gagool. "What! wilt thou not answer? +Shall the king's son do his work at once?" + +At this hint, Scragga, looking more evil than ever, advanced a step +and lifted his great spear, and at that moment I saw Good's hand creep +to his revolver. The poor girl caught the faint glint of steel through +her tears, and it sobered her anguish. She ceased struggling, and +clasping her hands convulsively, stood shuddering from head to foot. + +"See," cried Scragga in high glee, "she shrinks from the sight of my +little plaything even before she has tasted it," and he tapped the +broad blade of his spear. + +"If ever I get the chance you shall pay for that, you young hound!" I +heard Good mutter beneath his breath. + +"Now that thou art quiet, give us thy name, my dear. Come, speak out, +and fear not," said Gagool in mockery. + +"Oh, mother," answered the girl, in trembling accents, "my name is +Foulata, of the house of Suko. Oh, mother, why must I die? I have done +no wrong!" + +"Be comforted," went on the old woman in her hateful tone of mockery. +"Thou must die, indeed, as a sacrifice to the Old Ones who sit +yonder," and she pointed to the peaks; "but it is better to sleep in +the night than to toil in the daytime; it is better to die than to +live, and thou shalt die by the royal hand of the king's own son." + +The girl Foulata wrung her hands in anguish, and cried out aloud, "Oh, +cruel! and I so young! What have I done that I should never again see +the sun rise out of the night, or the stars come following on his +track in the evening, that I may no more gather the flowers when the +dew is heavy, or listen to the laughing of the waters? Woe is me, that +I shall never see my father's hut again, nor feel my mother's kiss, +nor tend the lamb that is sick! Woe is me, that no lover shall put his +arm around me and look into my eyes, nor shall men children be born of +me! Oh, cruel, cruel!" + +And again she wrung her hands and turned her tear-stained flower- +crowned face to Heaven, looking so lovely in her despair--for she was +indeed a beautiful woman--that assuredly the sight of her would have +melted the hearts of any less cruel than were the three fiends before +us. Prince Arthur's appeal to the ruffians who came to blind him was +not more touching than that of this savage girl. + +But it did not move Gagool or Gagool's master, though I saw signs of +pity among the guards behind, and on the faces of the chiefs; and as +for Good, he gave a fierce snort of indignation, and made a motion as +though to go to her assistance. With all a woman's quickness, the +doomed girl interpreted what was passing in his mind, and by a sudden +movement flung herself before him, and clasped his "beautiful white +legs" with her hands. + +"Oh, white father from the Stars!" she cried, "throw over me the +mantle of thy protection; let me creep into the shadow of thy +strength, that I may be saved. Oh, keep me from these cruel men and +from the mercies of Gagool!" + +"All right, my hearty, I'll look after you," sang out Good in nervous +Saxon. "Come, get up, there's a good girl," and he stooped and caught +her hand. + +Twala turned and motioned to his son, who advanced with his spear +lifted. + +"Now's your time," whispered Sir Henry to me; "what are you waiting +for?" + +"I am waiting for that eclipse," I answered; "I have had my eye on the +moon for the last half-hour, and I never saw it look healthier." + +"Well, you must risk it now, or the girl will be killed. Twala is +losing patience." + +Recognising the force of the argument, and having cast one more +despairing look at the bright face of the moon, for never did the most +ardent astronomer with a theory to prove await a celestial event with +such anxiety, I stepped with all the dignity that I could command +between the prostrate girl and the advancing spear of Scragga. + +"King," I said, "it shall not be; we will not endure this thing; let +the girl go in safety." + +Twala rose from his seat in wrath and astonishment, and from the +chiefs and serried ranks of maidens who had closed in slowly upon us +in anticipation of the tragedy came a murmur of amazement. + +"/Shall not be!/ thou white dog, that yappest at the lion in his cave; +/shall not be!/ art thou mad? Be careful, lest this chicken's fate +overtake thee, and those with thee. How canst thou save her or +thyself? Who art thou that thou settest thyself between me and my +will? Back, I say. Scragga, kill her! Ho, guards! seize these men." + +At his cry armed men ran swiftly from behind the hut, where they had +evidently been placed beforehand. + +Sir Henry, Good, and Umbopa ranged themselves alongside of me, and +lifted their rifles. + +"Stop!" I shouted boldly, though at the moment my heart was in my +boots. "Stop! we, the white men from the Stars, say that it shall not +be. Come but one pace nearer, and we will put out the moon like a +wind-blown lamp, as we who dwell in her House can do, and plunge the +land in darkness. Dare to disobey, and ye shall taste of our magic." + +My threat produced an effect; the men halted, and Scragga stood still +before us, his spear lifted. + +"Hear him! hear him!" piped Gagool; "hear the liar who says that he +will put out the moon like a lamp. Let him do it, and the girl shall +be speared. Yes, let him do it, or die by the girl, he and those with +him." + +I glanced up at the moon despairingly, and now to my intense joy and +relief saw that we--or rather the almanack--had made no mistake. On +the edge of the great orb lay a faint rim of shadow, while a smoky hue +grew and gathered upon its bright surface. Never shall I forget that +supreme, that superb moment of relief. + +Then I lifted my hand solemnly towards the sky, an example which Sir +Henry and Good followed, and quoted a line or two from the "Ingoldsby +Legends" at it in the most impressive tones that I could command. Sir +Henry followed suit with a verse out of the Old Testament, and +something about Balbus building a wall, in Latin, whilst Good +addressed the Queen of Night in a volume of the most classical bad +language which he could think of. + +Slowly the penumbra, the shadow of a shadow, crept on over the bright +surface, and as it crept I heard deep gasps of fear rising from the +multitude around. + +"Look, O king!" I cried; "look, Gagool! Look, chiefs and people and +women, and see if the white men from the Stars keep their word, or if +they be but empty liars! + +"The moon grows black before your eyes; soon there will be darkness-- +ay, darkness in the hour of the full moon. Ye have asked for a sign; +it is given to you. Grow dark, O Moon! withdraw thy light, thou pure +and holy One; bring the proud heart of usurping murderers to the dust, +and eat up the world with shadows." + +A groan of terror burst from the onlookers. Some stood petrified with +dread, others threw themselves upon their knees and cried aloud. As +for the king, he sat still and turned pale beneath his dusky skin. +Only Gagool kept her courage. + +"It will pass," she cried; "I have often seen the like before; no man +can put out the moon; lose not heart; sit still--the shadow will +pass." + +"Wait, and ye shall see," I replied, hopping with excitement. "O Moon! +Moon! Moon! wherefore art thou so cold and fickle?" This appropriate +quotation was from the pages of a popular romance that I chanced to +have read recently, though now I come to think of it, it was +ungrateful of me to abuse the Lady of the Heavens, who was showing +herself to be the truest of friends to us, however she may have +behaved to the impassioned lover in the novel. Then I added: "Keep it +up, Good, I can't remember any more poetry. Curse away, there's a good +fellow." + +Good responded nobly to this tax upon his inventive faculties. Never +before had I the faintest conception of the breadth and depth and +height of a naval officer's objurgatory powers. For ten minutes he +went on in several languages without stopping, and he scarcely ever +repeated himself. + +Meanwhile the dark ring crept on, while all that great assembly fixed +their eyes upon the sky and stared and stared in fascinated silence. +Strange and unholy shadows encroached upon the moonlight, an ominous +quiet filled the place. Everything grew still as death. Slowly and in +the midst of this most solemn silence the minutes sped away, and while +they sped the full moon passed deeper and deeper into the shadow of +the earth, as the inky segment of its circle slid in awful majesty +across the lunar craters. The great pale orb seemed to draw near and +to grow in size. She turned a coppery hue, then that portion of her +surface which was unobscured as yet grew grey and ashen, and at +length, as totality approached, her mountains and her plains were to +be seen glowing luridly through a crimson gloom. + +On, yet on, crept the ring of darkness; it was now more than half +across the blood-red orb. The air grew thick, and still more deeply +tinged with dusky crimson. On, yet on, till we could scarcely see the +fierce faces of the group before us. No sound rose now from the +spectators, and at last Good stopped swearing. + +"The moon is dying--the white wizards have killed the moon," yelled +the prince Scragga at last. "We shall all perish in the dark," and +animated by fear or fury, or by both, he lifted his spear and drove it +with all his force at Sir Henry's breast. But he forgot the mail +shirts that the king had given us, and which we wore beneath our +clothing. The steel rebounded harmless, and before he could repeat the +blow Curtis had snatched the spear from his hand and sent it straight +through him. + +Scragga dropped dead. + +At the sight, and driven mad with fear of the gathering darkness, and +of the unholy shadow which, as they believed, was swallowing the moon, +the companies of girls broke up in wild confusion, and ran screeching +for the gateways. Nor did the panic stop there. The king himself, +followed by his guards, some of the chiefs, and Gagool, who hobbled +away after them with marvellous alacrity, fled for the huts, so that +in another minute we ourselves, the would-be victim Foulata, Infadoos, +and most of the chiefs who had interviewed us on the previous night, +were left alone upon the scene, together with the dead body of +Scragga, Twala's son. + +"Chiefs," I said, "we have given you the sign. If ye are satisfied, +let us fly swiftly to the place of which ye spoke. The charm cannot +now be stopped. It will work for an hour and the half of an hour. Let +us cover ourselves in the darkness." + +"Come," said Infadoos, turning to go, an example which was followed by +the awed captains, ourselves, and the girl Foulata, whom Good took by +the arm. + +Before we reached the gate of the kraal the moon went out utterly, and +from every quarter of the firmament the stars rushed forth into the +inky sky. + +Holding each other by the hand we stumbled on through the darkness. + + + +CHAPTER XII + +BEFORE THE BATTLE + +Luckily for us, Infadoos and the chiefs knew all the paths of the +great town perfectly, so that we passed by side-ways unmolested, and +notwithstanding the gloom we made fair progress. + +For an hour or more we journeyed on, till at length the eclipse began +to pass, and that edge of the moon which had disappeared the first +became again visible. Suddenly, as we watched, there burst from it a +silver streak of light, accompanied by a wondrous ruddy glow, which +hung upon the blackness of the sky like a celestial lamp, and a wild +and lovely sight it was. In another five minutes the stars began to +fade, and there was sufficient light to see our whereabouts. We then +discovered that we were clear of the town of Loo, and approaching a +large flat-topped hill, measuring some two miles in circumference. +This hill, which is of a formation common in South Africa, is not very +high; indeed, its greatest elevation is scarcely more than 200 feet, +but it is shaped like a horseshoe, and its sides are rather +precipitous and strewn with boulders. On the grass table-land at its +summit is ample camping-ground, which had been utilised as a military +cantonment of no mean strength. Its ordinary garrison was one regiment +of three thousand men, but as we toiled up the steep side of the +mountain in the returning moonlight we perceived that there were +several of such regiments encamped there. + +Reaching the table-land at last, we found crowds of men roused from +their sleep, shivering with fear and huddled up together in the utmost +consternation at the natural phenomenon which they were witnessing. +Passing through these without a word, we gained a hut in the centre of +the ground, where we were astonished to find two men waiting, laden +with our few goods and chattels, which of course we had been obliged +to leave behind in our hasty flight. + +"I sent for them," explained Infadoos; "and also for these," and he +lifted up Good's long-lost trousers. + +With an exclamation of rapturous delight Good sprang at them, and +instantly proceeded to put them on. + +"Surely my lord will not hide his beautiful white legs!" exclaimed +Infadoos regretfully. + +But Good persisted, and once only did the Kukuana people get the +chance of seeing his beautiful legs again. Good is a very modest man. +Henceforward they had to satisfy their ćsthetic longings with his one +whisker, his transparent eye, and his movable teeth. + +Still gazing with fond remembrance at Good's trousers, Infadoos next +informed us that he had commanded the regiments to muster so soon as +the day broke, in order to explain to them fully the origin and +circumstances of the rebellion which was decided on by the chiefs, and +to introduce to them the rightful heir to the throne, Ignosi. + +Accordingly, when the sun was up, the troops--in all some twenty +thousand men, and the flower of the Kukuana army--were mustered on a +large open space, to which we went. The men were drawn up in three +sides of a dense square, and presented a magnificent spectacle. We +took our station on the open side of the square, and were speedily +surrounded by all the principal chiefs and officers. + +These, after silence had been proclaimed, Infadoos proceeded to +address. He narrated to them in vigorous and graceful language--for, +like most Kukuanas of high rank, he was a born orator--the history of +Ignosi's father, and of how he had been basely murdered by Twala the +king, and his wife and child driven out to starve. Then he pointed out +that the people suffered and groaned under Twala's cruel rule, +instancing the proceedings of the previous night, when, under pretence +of their being evil-doers, many of the noblest in the land had been +dragged forth and wickedly done to death. Next he went on to say that +the white lords from the Stars, looking down upon their country, had +perceived its trouble, and determined, at great personal +inconvenience, to alleviate its lot: That they had accordingly taken +the real king of the Kukuanas, Ignosi, who was languishing in exile, +by the hand, and led him over the mountains: That they had seen the +wickedness of Twala's doings, and for a sign to the wavering, and to +save the life of the girl Foulata, actually, by the exercise of their +high magic, had put out the moon and slain the young fiend Scragga; +and that they were prepared to stand by them, and assist them to +overthrow Twala, and set up the rightful king, Ignosi, in his place. + +He finished his discourse amidst a murmur of approbation. Then Ignosi +stepped forward and began to speak. Having reiterated all that +Infadoos his uncle had said, he concluded a powerful speech in these +words:-- + +"O chiefs, captains, soldiers, and people, ye have heard my words. Now +must ye make choice between me and him who sits upon my throne, the +uncle who killed his brother, and hunted his brother's child forth to +die in the cold and the night. That I am indeed the king these"-- +pointing to the chiefs--"can tell you, for they have seen the snake +about my middle. If I were not the king, would these white men be on +my side with all their magic? Tremble, chiefs, captains, soldiers, and +people! Is not the darkness they have brought upon the land to +confound Twala and cover our flight, darkness even in the hour of the +full moon, yet before your eyes?" + +"It is," answered the soldiers. + +"I am the king; I say to you, I am the king," went on Ignosi, drawing +up his great stature to its full, and lifting his broad-bladed battle- +axe above his head. "If there be any man among you who says that it is +not so, let him stand forth and I will fight him now, and his blood +shall be a red token that I tell you true. Let him stand forth, I +say;" and he shook the great axe till it flashed in the sunlight. + +As nobody seemed inclined to respond to this heroic version of "Dilly, +Dilly, come and be killed," our late henchman proceeded with his +address. + +"I am indeed the king, and should ye stand by my side in the battle, +if I win the day ye shall go with me to victory and honour. I will +give you oxen and wives, and ye shall take place of all the regiments; +and if ye fall, I will fall with you. + +"And behold, I give you this promise, that when I sit upon the seat of +my fathers, bloodshed shall cease in the land. No longer shall ye cry +for justice to find slaughter, no longer shall the witch-finder hunt +you out so that ye may be slain without a cause. No man shall die save +he who offends against the laws. The 'eating up' of your kraals shall +cease; each one of you shall sleep secure in his own hut and fear +naught, and justice shall walk blindfold throughout the land. Have ye +chosen, chiefs, captains, soldiers, and people?" + +"We have chosen, O king," came back the answer. + +"It is well. Turn your heads and see how Twala's messengers go forth +from the great town, east and west, and north and south, to gather a +mighty army to slay me and you, and these my friends and protectors. +To-morrow, or perchance the next day, he will come against us with all +who are faithful to him. Then I shall see the man who is indeed my +man, the man who fears not to die for his cause; and I tell you that +he shall not be forgotten in the time of spoil. I have spoken, O +chiefs, captains, soldiers, and people. Now go to your huts and make +you ready for war." + +There was a pause, till presently one of the chiefs lifted his hand, +and out rolled the royal salute, "/Koom./" It was a sign that the +soldiers accepted Ignosi as their king. Then they marched off in +battalions. + +Half an hour afterwards we held a council of war, at which all the +commanders of regiments were present. It was evident to us that before +very long we should be attacked in overwhelming force. Indeed, from +our point of vantage on the hill we could see troops mustering, and +runners going forth from Loo in every direction, doubtless to summon +soldiers to the king's assistance. We had on our side about twenty +thousand men, composed of seven of the best regiments in the country. +Twala, so Infadoos and the chiefs calculated, had at least thirty to +thirty-five thousand on whom he could rely at present assembled in +Loo, and they thought that by midday on the morrow he would be able to +gather another five thousand or more to his aid. It was, of course, +possible that some of his troops would desert and come over to us, but +it was not a contingency which could be reckoned on. Meanwhile, it was +clear that active preparations were being made by Twala to subdue us. +Already strong bodies of armed men were patrolling round and round the +foot of the hill, and there were other signs also of coming assault. + +Infadoos and the chiefs, however, were of opinion that no attack would +take place that day, which would be devoted to preparation and to the +removal of every available means of the moral effect produced upon the +minds of the soldiery by the supposed magical darkening of the moon. +The onslaught would be on the morrow, they said, and they proved to be +right. + +Meanwhile, we set to work to strengthen the position in all ways +possible. Almost every man was turned out, and in the course of the +day, which seemed far too short, much was done. The paths up the hill +--that was rather a sanatorium than a fortress, being used generally +as the camping place of regiments suffering from recent service in +unhealthy portions of the country--were carefully blocked with masses +of stones, and every other approach was made as impregnable as time +would allow. Piles of boulders were collected at various spots to be +rolled down upon an advancing enemy, stations were appointed to the +different regiments, and all preparation was made which our joint +ingenuity could suggest. + +Just before sundown, as we rested after our toil, we perceived a small +company of men advancing towards us from the direction of Loo, one of +whom bore a palm leaf in his hand for a sign that he came as a herald. + +As he drew near, Ignosi, Infadoos, one or two chiefs and ourselves, +went down to the foot of the mountain to meet him. He was a gallant- +looking fellow, wearing the regulation leopard-skin cloak. + +"Greeting!" he cried, as he came; "the king's greeting to those who +make unholy war against the king; the lion's greeting to the jackals +that snarl around his heels." + +"Speak," I said. + +"These are the king's words. Surrender to the king's mercy ere a worse +thing befall you. Already the shoulder has been torn from the black +bull, and the king drives him bleeding about the camp."[*] + +[*] This cruel custom is not confined to the Kukuanas, but is by no + means uncommon amongst African tribes on the occasion of the + outbreak of war or any other important public event.--A.Q. + +"What are Twala's terms?" I asked from curiosity. + +"His terms are merciful, worthy of a great king. These are the words +of Twala, the one-eyed, the mighty, the husband of a thousand wives, +lord of the Kukuanas, keeper of the Great Road (Solomon's Road), +beloved of the Strange Ones who sit in silence at the mountains yonder +(the Three Witches), Calf of the Black Cow, Elephant whose tread +shakes the earth, Terror of the evil-doer, Ostrich whose feet devour +the desert, huge One, black One, wise One, king from generation to +generation! these are the words of Twala: 'I will have mercy and be +satisfied with a little blood. One in every ten shall die, the rest +shall go free; but the white man Incubu, who slew Scragga my son, and +the black man his servant, who pretends to my throne, and Infadoos my +brother, who brews rebellion against me, these shall die by torture as +an offering to the Silent Ones.' Such are the merciful words of +Twala." + +After consulting with the others a little, I answered him in a loud +voice, so that the soldiers might hear, thus-- + +"Go back, thou dog, to Twala, who sent thee, and say that we, Ignosi, +veritable king of the Kukuanas, Incubu, Bougwan, and Macumazahn, the +wise ones from the Stars, who make dark the moon, Infadoos, of the +royal house, and the chiefs, captains, and people here gathered, make +answer and say, 'That we will not surrender; that before the sun has +gone down twice, Twala's corpse shall stiffen at Twala's gate, and +Ignosi, whose father Twala slew, shall reign in his stead.' Now go, +ere we whip thee away, and beware how thou dost lift a hand against +such as we are." + +The herald laughed loudly. "Ye frighten not men with such swelling +words," he cried out. "Show yourselves as bold to-morrow, O ye who +darken the moon. Be bold, fight, and be merry, before the crows pick +your bones till they are whiter than your faces. Farewell; perhaps we +may meet in the fight; fly not to the Stars, but wait for me, I pray, +white men." With this shaft of sarcasm he retired, and almost +immediately the sun sank. + +That night was a busy one, for weary as we were, so far as was +possible by the moonlight all preparations for the morrow's fight were +continued, and messengers were constantly coming and going from the +place where we sat in council. At last, about an hour after midnight, +everything that could be done was done, and the camp, save for the +occasional challenge of a sentry, sank into silence. Sir Henry and I, +accompanied by Ignosi and one of the chiefs, descended the hill and +made a round of the pickets. As we went, suddenly, from all sorts of +unexpected places, spears gleamed out in the moonlight, only to vanish +again when we uttered the password. It was clear to us that none were +sleeping at their posts. Then we returned, picking our way warily +through thousands of sleeping warriors, many of whom were taking their +last earthly rest. + +The moonlight flickering along their spears, played upon their +features and made them ghastly; the chilly night wind tossed their +tall and hearse-like plumes. There they lay in wild confusion, with +arms outstretched and twisted limbs; their stern, stalwart forms +looking weird and unhuman in the moonlight. + +"How many of these do you suppose will be alive at this time +to-morrow?" asked Sir Henry. + +I shook my head and looked again at the sleeping men, and to my tired +and yet excited imagination it seemed as though Death had already +touched them. My mind's eye singled out those who were sealed to +slaughter, and there rushed in upon my heart a great sense of the +mystery of human life, and an overwhelming sorrow at its futility and +sadness. To-night these thousand slept their healthy sleep, to-morrow +they, and many others with them, ourselves perhaps among them, would +be stiffening in the cold; their wives would be widows, their children +fatherless, and their place know them no more for ever. Only the old +moon would shine on serenely, the night wind would stir the grasses, +and the wide earth would take its rest, even as it did ćons before we +were, and will do ćons after we have been forgotten. + +Yet man dies not whilst the world, at once his mother and his +monument, remains. His name is lost, indeed, but the breath he +breathed still stirs the pine-tops on the mountains, the sound of the +words he spoke yet echoes on through space; the thoughts his brain +gave birth to we have inherited to-day; his passions are our cause of +life; the joys and sorrows that he knew are our familiar friends--the +end from which he fled aghast will surely overtake us also! + +Truly the universe is full of ghosts, not sheeted churchyard spectres, +but the inextinguishable elements of individual life, which having +once been, can never /die/, though they blend and change, and change +again for ever. + + + +All sorts of reflections of this nature passed through my mind--for as +I grow older I regret to say that a detestable habit of thinking seems +to be getting a hold of me--while I stood and stared at those grim yet +fantastic lines of warriors, sleeping, as their saying goes, "upon +their spears." + +"Curtis," I said, "I am in a condition of pitiable fear." + +Sir Henry stroked his yellow beard and laughed, as he answered-- + +"I have heard you make that sort of remark before, Quatermain." + +"Well, I mean it now. Do you know, I very much doubt if one of us will +be alive to-morrow night. We shall be attacked in overwhelming force, +and it is quite a chance if we can hold this place." + +"We'll give a good account of some of them, at any rate. Look here, +Quatermain, this business is nasty, and one with which, properly +speaking, we ought not to be mixed up, but we are in for it, so we +must make the best of our job. Speaking personally, I had rather be +killed fighting than any other way, and now that there seems little +chance of our finding my poor brother, it makes the idea easier to me. +But fortune favours the brave, and we may succeed. Anyway, the battle +will be awful, and having a reputation to keep up, we shall need to be +in the thick of the thing." + +He made this last remark in a mournful voice, but there was a gleam in +his eye which belied its melancholy. I have an idea Sir Henry Curtis +actually likes fighting. + +After this we went to sleep for a couple of hours or so. + +Just about dawn we were awakened by Infadoos, who came to say that +great activity was to be observed in Loo, and that parties of the +king's skirmishers were driving in our outposts. + +We rose and dressed ourselves for the fray, each putting on his chain +armour shirt, for which garments at the present juncture we felt +exceedingly thankful. Sir Henry went the whole length about the +matter, and dressed himself like a native warrior. "When you are in +Kukuanaland, do as the Kukuanas do," he remarked, as he drew the +shining steel over his broad breast, which it fitted like a glove. Nor +did he stop there. At his request Infadoos had provided him with a +complete set of native war uniform. Round his throat he fastened the +leopard-skin cloak of a commanding officer, on his brows he bound the +plume of black ostrich feathers worn only by generals of high rank, +and about his middle a magnificent moocha of white ox-tails. A pair of +sandals, a leglet of goat's hair, a heavy battle-axe with a +rhinoceros-horn handle, a round iron shield covered with white ox- +hide, and the regulation number of /tollas/, or throwing-knives, made +up his equipment, to which, however, he added his revolver. The dress +was, no doubt, a savage one, but I am bound to say that I seldom saw a +finer sight than Sir Henry Curtis presented in this guise. It showed +off his magnificent physique to the greatest advantage, and when +Ignosi arrived presently, arrayed in a similar costume, I thought to +myself that I had never before seen two such splendid men. + +As for Good and myself, the armour did not suit us nearly so well. To +begin with, Good insisted upon keeping on his new-found trousers, and +a stout, short gentleman with an eye-glass, and one half of his face +shaved, arrayed in a mail shirt, carefully tucked into a very seedy +pair of corduroys, looks more remarkable than imposing. In my case, +the chain shirt being too big for me, I put it on over all my clothes, +which caused it to bulge in a somewhat ungainly fashion. I discarded +my trousers, however, retaining only my veldtschoons, having +determined to go into battle with bare legs, in order to be the +lighter for running, in case it became necessary to retire quickly. +The mail coat, a spear, a shield, that I did not know how to use, a +couple of /tollas/, a revolver, and a huge plume, which I pinned into +the top of my shooting hat, in order to give a bloodthirsty finish to +my appearance, completed my modest equipment. In addition to all these +articles, of course we had our rifles, but as ammunition was scarce, +and as they would be useless in case of a charge, we arranged that +they should be carried behind us by bearers. + +When at length we had equipped ourselves, we swallowed some food +hastily, and then started out to see how things were going on. At one +point in the table-land of the mountain, there was a little koppie of +brown stone, which served the double purpose of head-quarters and of a +conning tower. Here we found Infadoos surrounded by his own regiment, +the Greys, which was undoubtedly the finest in the Kukuana army, and +the same that we had first seen at the outlying kraal. This regiment, +now three thousand five hundred strong, was being held in reserve, and +the men were lying down on the grass in companies, and watching the +king's forces creep out of Loo in long ant-like columns. There seemed +to be no end to the length of these columns--three in all, and each of +them numbering, as we judged, at least eleven or twelve thousand men. + +As soon as they were clear of the town the regiments formed up. Then +one body marched off to the right, one to the left, and the third came +on slowly towards us. + +"Ah," said Infadoos, "they are going to attack us on three sides at +once." + +This seemed rather serious news, for our position on the top of the +mountain, which measured a mile and a half in circumference, being an +extended one, it was important to us to concentrate our comparatively +small defending force as much as possible. But since it was impossible +for us to dictate in what way we should be assailed, we had to make +the best of it, and accordingly sent orders to the various regiments +to prepare to receive the separate onslaughts. + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +THE ATTACK + +Slowly, and without the slightest appearance of haste or excitement, +the three columns crept on. When within about five hundred yards of +us, the main or centre column halted at the root of a tongue of open +plain which ran up into the hill, to give time to the other divisions +to circumvent our position, which was shaped more or less in the form +of a horse-shoe, with its two points facing towards the town of Loo. +The object of this manuvre was that the threefold assault should be +delivered simultaneously. + +"Oh, for a gatling!" groaned Good, as he contemplated the serried +phalanxes beneath us. "I would clear that plain in twenty minutes." + +"We have not got one, so it is no use yearning for it; but suppose you +try a shot, Quatermain," said Sir Henry. "See how near you can go to +that tall fellow who appears to be in command. Two to one you miss +him, and an even sovereign, to be honestly paid if ever we get out of +this, that you don't drop the bullet within five yards." + + +This piqued me, so, loading the express with solid ball, I waited till +my friend walked some ten yards out from his force, in order to get a +better view of our position, accompanied only by an orderly; then, +lying down and resting the express on a rock, I covered him. The +rifle, like all expresses, was only sighted to three hundred and fifty +yards, so to allow for the drop in trajectory I took him half-way down +the neck, which ought, I calculated, to find him in the chest. He +stood quite still and gave me every opportunity, but whether it was +the excitement or the wind, or the fact of the man being a long shot, +I don't know, but this was what happened. Getting dead on, as I +thought, a fine sight, I pressed, and when the puff of smoke had +cleared away, to my disgust, I saw my man standing there unharmed, +whilst his orderly, who was at least three paces to the left, was +stretched upon the ground apparently dead. Turning swiftly, the +officer I had aimed at began to run towards his men in evident alarm. + +"Bravo, Quatermain!" sang out Good; "you've frightened him." + +This made me very angry, for, if possible to avoid it, I hate to miss +in public. When a man is master of only one art he likes to keep up +his reputation in that art. Moved quite out of myself at my failure, I +did a rash thing. Rapidly covering the general as he ran, I let drive +with the second barrel. Instantly the poor man threw up his arms, and +fell forward on to his face. This time I had made no mistake; and--I +say it as a proof of how little we think of others when our own +safety, pride, or reputation is in question--I was brute enough to +feel delighted at the sight. + +The regiments who had seen the feat cheered wildly at this exhibition +of the white man's magic, which they took as an omen of success, while +the force the general had belonged to--which, indeed, as we +ascertained afterwards, he had commanded--fell back in confusion. Sir +Henry and Good now took up their rifles and began to fire, the latter +industriously "browning" the dense mass before him with another +Winchester repeater, and I also had another shot or two, with the +result, so far as we could judge, that we put some six or eight men +/hors de combat/ before they were out of range. + +Just as we stopped firing there came an ominous roar from our far +right, then a similar roar rose on our left. The two other divisions +were engaging us. + +At the sound, the mass of men before us opened out a little, and +advanced towards the hill and up the spit of bare grass land at a slow +trot, singing a deep-throated song as they ran. We kept up a steady +fire from our rifles as they came, Ignosi joining in occasionally, and +accounted for several men, but of course we produced no more effect +upon that mighty rush of armed humanity than he who throws pebbles +does on the breaking wave. + +On they came, with a shout and the clashing of spears; now they were +driving in the pickets we had placed among the rocks at the foot of +the hill. After that the advance was a little slower, for though as +yet we had offered no serious opposition, the attacking forces must +climb up hill, and they came slowly to save their breath. Our first +line of defence was about half-way down the side of the slope, our +second fifty yards further back, while our third occupied the edge of +the plateau. + +On they stormed, shouting their war-cry, "/Twala! Twala! Chiele! +Chiele!/" (Twala! Twala! Smite! Smite!) "/Ignosi! Ignosi! Chiele! +Chiele!/" answered our people. They were quite close now, and the +/tollas/, or throwing-knives, began to flash backwards and forwards, +and now with an awful yell the battle closed in. + +To and fro swayed the mass of struggling warriors, men falling fast as +leaves in an autumn wind; but before long the superior weight of the +attacking force began to tell, and our first line of defence was +slowly pressed back till it merged into the second. Here the struggle +was very fierce, but again our people were driven back and up, till at +length, within twenty minutes of the commencement of the fight, our +third line came into action. + +But by this time the assailants were much exhausted, and besides had +lost many men killed and wounded, and to break through that third +impenetrable hedge of spears proved beyond their powers. For a while +the seething lines of savages swung backwards and forwards, in the +fierce ebb and flow of battle, and the issue was doubtful. Sir Henry +watched the desperate struggle with a kindling eye, and then without a +word he rushed off, followed by Good, and flung himself into the +hottest of the fray. As for myself, I stopped where I was. + +The soldiers caught sight of his tall form as he plunged into battle, +and there rose a cry of-- + +"/Nanzia Incubu! Nanzia Unkungunklovo!/" (Here is the Elephant!) +"/Chiele! Chiele!/" + +From that moment the end was no longer in doubt. Inch by inch, +fighting with splendid gallantry, the attacking force was pressed back +down the hillside, till at last it retreated upon its reserves in +something like confusion. At that instant, too, a messenger arrived to +say that the left attack had been repulsed; and I was just beginning +to congratulate myself, believing that the affair was over for the +present, when, to our horror, we perceived our men who had been +engaged in the right defence being driven towards us across the plain, +followed by swarms of the enemy, who had evidently succeeded at this +point. + +Ignosi, who was standing by me, took in the situation at a glance, and +issued a rapid order. Instantly the reserve regiment around us, the +Greys, extended itself. + +Again Ignosi gave a word of command, which was taken up and repeated +by the captains, and in another second, to my intense disgust, I found +myself involved in a furious onslaught upon the advancing foe. Getting +as much as I could behind Ignosi's huge frame, I made the best of a +bad job, and toddled along to be killed as though I liked it. In a +minute or two--we were plunging through the flying groups of our men, +who at once began to re-form behind us, and then I am sure I do not +know what happened. All I can remember is a dreadful rolling noise of +the meeting of shields, and the sudden apparition of a huge ruffian, +whose eyes seemed literally to be starting out of his head, making +straight at me with a bloody spear. But--I say it with pride--I rose-- +or rather sank--to the occasion. It was one before which most people +would have collapsed once and for all. Seeing that if I stood where I +was I must be killed, as the horrid apparition came I flung myself +down in front of him so cleverly that, being unable to stop himself, +he took a header right over my prostrate form. Before he could rise +again, /I/ had risen and settled the matter from behind with my +revolver. + +Shortly after this somebody knocked me down, and I remember no more of +that charge. + +When I came to I found myself back at the koppie, with Good bending +over me holding some water in a gourd. + +"How do you feel, old fellow?" he asked anxiously. + +I got up and shook myself before replying. + +"Pretty well, thank you," I answered. + +"Thank Heaven! When I saw them carry you in, I felt quite sick; I +thought you were done for." + +"Not this time, my boy. I fancy I only got a rap on the head, which +knocked me stupid. How has it ended?" + +"They are repulsed at every point for a while. The loss is dreadfully +heavy; we have quite two thousand killed and wounded, and they must +have lost three. Looks, there's a sight!" and he pointed to long lines +of men advancing by fours. + +In the centre of every group of four, and being borne by it, was a +kind of hide tray, of which a Kukuana force always carries a quantity, +with a loop for a handle at each corner. On these trays--and their +number seemed endless--lay wounded men, who as they arrived were +hastily examined by the medicine men, of whom ten were attached to a +regiment. If the wound was not of a fatal character the sufferer was +taken away and attended to as carefully as circumstances would allow. +But if, on the other hand, the injured man's condition proved +hopeless, what followed was very dreadful, though doubtless it may +have been the truest mercy. One of the doctors, under pretence of +carrying out an examination, swiftly opened an artery with a sharp +knife, and in a minute or two the sufferer expired painlessly. There +were many cases that day in which this was done. In fact, it was done +in the majority of cases when the wound was in the body, for the gash +made by the entry of the enormously broad spears used by the Kukuanas +generally rendered recovery impossible. In most instances the poor +sufferers were already unconscious, and in others the fatal "nick" of +the artery was inflicted so swiftly and painlessly that they did not +seem to notice it. Still it was a ghastly sight, and one from which we +were glad to escape; indeed, I never remember anything of the kind +that affected me more than seeing those gallant soldiers thus put out +of pain by the red-handed medicine men, except, indeed, on one +occasion when, after an attack, I saw a force of Swazis burying their +hopelessly wounded /alive/. + +Hurrying from this dreadful scene to the further side of the koppie, +we found Sir Henry, who still held a battle-axe in his hand, Ignosi, +Infadoos, and one or two of the chiefs in deep consultation. + +"Thank Heaven, here you are, Quatermain! I can't quite make out what +Ignosi wants to do. It seems that though we have beaten off the +attack, Twala is now receiving large reinforcements, and is showing a +disposition to invest us, with the view of starving us out." + +"That's awkward." + +"Yes; especially as Infadoos says that the water supply has given +out." + +"My lord, that is so," said Infadoos; "the spring cannot supply the +wants of so great a multitude, and it is failing rapidly. Before night +we shall all be thirsty. Listen, Macumazahn. Thou art wise, and hast +doubtless seen many wars in the lands from whence thou camest--that is +if indeed they make wars in the Stars. Now tell us, what shall we do? +Twala has brought up many fresh men to take the place of those who +have fallen. Yet Twala has learnt his lesson; the hawk did not think +to find the heron ready; but our beak has pierced his breast; he fears +to strike at us again. We too are wounded, and he will wait for us to +die; he will wind himself round us like a snake round a buck, and +fight the fight of 'sit down.'" + +"I hear thee," I said. + +"So, Macumazahn, thou seest we have no water here, and but a little +food, and we must choose between these three things--to languish like +a starving lion in his den, or to strive to break away towards the +north, or"--and here he rose and pointed towards the dense mass of our +foes--"to launch ourselves straight at Twala's throat. Incubu, the +great warrior--for to-day he fought like a buffalo in a net, and +Twala's soldiers went down before his axe like young corn before the +hail; with these eyes I saw it--Incubu says 'Charge'; but the Elephant +is ever prone to charge. Now what says Macumazahn, the wily old fox, +who has seen much, and loves to bite his enemy from behind? The last +word is in Ignosi the king, for it is a king's right to speak of war; +but let us hear thy voice, O Macumazahn, who watchest by night, and +the voice too of him of the transparent eye." + +"What sayest thou, Ignosi," I asked. + +"Nay, my father," answered our quondam servant, who now, clad as he +was in the full panoply of savage war, looked every inch a warrior +king, "do thou speak, and let me, who am but a child in wisdom beside +thee, hearken to thy words." + +Thus adjured, after taking hasty counsel with Good and Sir Henry, I +delivered my opinion briefly to the effect that, being trapped, our +best chance, especially in view of the failure of our water supply, +was to initiate an attack upon Twala's forces. Then I recommended that +the attack should be delivered at once, "before our wounds grew +stiff," and also before the sight of Twala's overpowering force caused +the hearts of our soldiers "to wax small like fat before a fire." +Otherwise, I pointed out, some of the captains might change their +minds, and, making peace with Twala, desert to him, or even betray us +into his hands. + +This expression of opinion seemed, on the whole, to be favourably +received; indeed, among the Kukuanas my utterances met with a respect +which has never been accorded to them before or since. But the real +decision as to our plans lay with Ignosi, who, since he had been +recognised as rightful king, could exercise the almost unbounded +rights of sovereignty, including, of course, the final decision on +matters of generalship, and it was to him that all eyes were now +turned. + +At length, after a pause, during which he appeared to be thinking +deeply, he spoke. + +"Incubu, Macumazahn, and Bougwan, brave white men, and my friends; +Infadoos, my uncle, and chiefs; my heart is fixed. I will strike at +Twala this day, and set my fortunes on the blow, ay, and my life--my +life and your lives also. Listen; thus will I strike. Ye see how the +hill curves round like the half-moon, and how the plain runs like a +green tongue towards us within the curve?" + +"We see," I answered. + +"Good; it is now mid-day, and the men eat and rest after the toil of +battle. When the sun has turned and travelled a little way towards the +darkness, let thy regiment, my uncle, advance with one other down to +the green tongue, and it shall be that when Twala sees it he will hurl +his force at it to crush it. But the spot is narrow, and the regiments +can come against thee one at a time only; so may they be destroyed one +by one, and the eyes of all Twala's army shall be fixed upon a +struggle the like of which has not been seen by living man. And with +thee, my uncle, shall go Incubu my friend, that when Twala sees his +battle-axe flashing in the first rank of the Greys his heart may grow +faint. And I will come with the second regiment, that which follows +thee, so that if ye are destroyed, as it might happen, there may yet +be a king left to fight for; and with me shall come Macumazahn the +wise." + +"It is well, O king," said Infadoos, apparently contemplating the +certainty of the complete annihilation of his regiment with perfect +calmness. Truly, these Kukuanas are a wonderful people. Death has no +terrors for them when it is incurred in the course of duty. + +"And whilst the eyes of the multitude of Twala's soldiers are thus +fixed upon the fight," went on Ignosi, "behold, one-third of the men +who are left alive to us (i.e. about 6,000) shall creep along the +right horn of the hill and fall upon the left flank of Twala's force, +and one-third shall creep along the left horn and fall upon Twala's +right flank. And when I see that the horns are ready to toss Twala, +then will I, with the men who remain to me, charge home in Twala's +face, and if fortune goes with us the day will be ours, and before +Night drives her black oxen from the mountains to the mountains we +shall sit in peace at Loo. And now let us eat and make ready; and, +Infadoos, do thou prepare, that the plan be carried out without fail; +and stay, let my white father Bougwan go with the right horn, that his +shining eye may give courage to the captains." + +The arrangements for attack thus briefly indicated were set in motion +with a rapidity that spoke well for the perfection of the Kukuana +military system. Within little more than an hour rations had been +served out and devoured, the divisions were formed, the scheme of +onslaught was explained to the leaders, and the whole force, numbering +about 18,000 men, was ready to move, with the exception of a guard +left in charge of the wounded. + +Presently Good came up to Sir Henry and myself. + +"Good-bye, you fellows," he said; "I am off with the right wing +according to orders; and so I have come to shake hands, in case we +should not meet again, you know," he added significantly. + +We shook hands in silence, and not without the exhibition of as much +emotion as Anglo-Saxons are wont to show. + +"It is a queer business," said Sir Henry, his deep voice shaking a +little, "and I confess I never expect to see to-morrow's sun. So far +as I can make out, the Greys, with whom I am to go, are to fight until +they are wiped out in order to enable the wings to slip round unawares +and outflank Twala. Well, so be it; at any rate, it will be a man's +death. Good-bye, old fellow. God bless you! I hope you will pull +through and live to collar the diamonds; but if you do, take my advice +and don't have anything more to do with Pretenders!" + +In another second Good had wrung us both by the hand and gone; and +then Infadoos came up and led off Sir Henry to his place in the +forefront of the Greys, whilst, with many misgivings, I departed with +Ignosi to my station in the second attacking regiment. + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +THE LAST STAND OF THE GREYS + +In a few more minutes the regiments destined to carry out the flanking +movements had tramped off in silence, keeping carefully to the lee of +the rising ground in order to conceal their advance from the keen eyes +of Twala's scouts. + +Half an hour or more was allowed to elapse between the setting out of +the horns or wings of the army before any stir was made by the Greys +and their supporting regiment, known as the Buffaloes, which formed +its chest, and were destined to bear the brunt of the battle. + +Both of these regiments were almost perfectly fresh, and of full +strength, the Greys having been in reserve in the morning, and having +lost but a small number of men in sweeping back that part of the +attack which had proved successful in breaking the line of defence, on +the occasion when I charged with them and was stunned for my pains. As +for the Buffaloes, they had formed the third line of defence on the +left, and since the attacking force at that point had not succeeded in +breaking through the second, they had scarcely come into action at +all. + +Infadoos, who was a wary old general, and knew the absolute importance +of keeping up the spirits of his men on the eve of such a desperate +encounter, employed the pause in addressing his own regiment, the +Greys, in poetical language: explaining to them the honour that they +were receiving in being put thus in the forefront of the battle, and +in having the great white warrior from the Stars to fight with them in +their ranks; and promising large rewards of cattle and promotion to +all who survived in the event of Ignosi's arms being successful. + +I looked down the long lines of waving black plumes and stern faces +beneath them, and sighed to think that within one short hour most, if +not all, of those magnificent veteran warriors, not a man of whom was +under forty years of age, would be laid dead or dying in the dust. It +could not be otherwise; they were being condemned, with that wise +recklessness of human life which marks the great general, and often +saves his forces and attains his ends, to certain slaughter, in order +to give their cause and the remainder of the army a chance of success. +They were foredoomed to die, and they knew the truth. It was to be +their task to engage regiment after regiment of Twala's army on the +narrow strip of green beneath us, till they were exterminated or till +the wings found a favourable opportunity for their onslaught. And yet +they never hesitated, nor could I detect a sign of fear upon the face +of a single warrior. There they were--going to certain death, about to +quit the blessed light of day for ever, and yet able to contemplate +their doom without a tremor. Even at that moment I could not help +contrasting their state of mind with my own, which was far from +comfortable, and breathing a sigh of envy and admiration. Never before +had I seen such an absolute devotion to the idea of duty, and such a +complete indifference to its bitter fruits. + +"Behold your king!" ended old Infadoos, pointing to Ignosi; "go fight +and fall for him, as is the duty of brave men, and cursed and shameful +for ever be the name of him who shrinks from death for his king, or +who turns his back to the foe. Behold your king, chiefs, captains, and +soldiers! Now do your homage to the sacred Snake, and then follow on, +that Incubu and I may show you a road to the heart of Twala's host." + +There was a moment's pause, then suddenly a murmur arose from the +serried phalanxes before us, a sound like the distant whisper of the +sea, caused by the gentle tapping of the handles of six thousand +spears against their holders' shields. Slowly it swelled, till its +growing volume deepened and widened into a roar of rolling noise, that +echoed like thunder against the mountains, and filled the air with +heavy waves of sound. Then it decreased, and by faint degrees died +away into nothing, and suddenly out crashed the royal salute. + +Ignosi, I thought to myself, might well be a proud man that day, for +no Roman emperor ever had such a salutation from gladiators "about to +die." + +Ignosi acknowledged this magnificent act of homage by lifting his +battle-axe, and then the Greys filed off in a triple-line formation, +each line containing about one thousand fighting men, exclusive of +officers. When the last companies had advanced some five hundred +yards, Ignosi put himself at the head of the Buffaloes, which regiment +was drawn up in a similar three-fold formation, and gave the word to +march, and off we went, I, needless to say, uttering the most +heartfelt prayers that I might emerge from that entertainment with a +whole skin. Many a queer position have I found myself in, but never +before in one quite so unpleasant as the present, or one in which my +chance of coming off safe was smaller. + +By the time that we reached the edge of the plateau the Greys were +already half-way down the slope ending in the tongue of grass land +that ran up into the bend of the mountain, something as the frog of a +horse's foot runs up into the shoe. The excitement in Twala's camp on +the plain beyond was very great, and regiment after regiment was +starting forward at a long swinging trot in order to reach the root of +the tongue of land before the attacking force could emerge into the +plain of Loo. + +This tongue, which was some four hundred yards in depth, even at its +root or widest part was not more than six hundred and fifty paces +across, while at its tip it scarcely measured ninety. The Greys, who, +in passing down the side of the hill and on to the tip of the tongue, +had formed into a column, on reaching the spot where it broadened out +again, reassumed their triple-line formation, and halted dead. + +Then we--that is, the Buffaloes--moved down the tip of the tongue and +took our stand in reserve, about one hundred yards behind the last +line of the Greys, and on slightly higher ground. Meanwhile we had +leisure to observe Twala's entire force, which evidently had been +reinforced since the morning attack, and could not now, +notwithstanding their losses, number less than forty thousand, moving +swiftly up towards us. But as they drew near the root of the tongue +they hesitated, having discovered that only one regiment could advance +into the gorge at a time, and that there, some seventy yards from the +mouth of it, unassailable except in front, on account of the high +walls of boulder-strewn ground on each side, stood the famous regiment +of Greys, the pride and glory of the Kukuana army, ready to hold the +way against their power as the three Romans once held the bridge +against thousands. + +They hesitated, and finally stopped their advance; there was no +eagerness to cross spears with these three grim ranks of warriors who +stood so firm and ready. Presently, however, a tall general, wearing +the customary head-dress of nodding ostrich plumes, appeared, attended +by a group of chiefs and orderlies, being, I thought, none other than +Twala himself. He gave an order, and the first regiment, raising a +shout, charged up towards the Greys, who remained perfectly still and +silent till the attacking troops were within forty yards, and a volley +of /tollas/, or throwing-knives, came rattling among their ranks. + +Then suddenly with a bound and a roar, they sprang forward with +uplifted spears, and the regiment met in deadly strife. Next second +the roll of the meeting shields came to our ears like the sound of +thunder, and the plain seemed to be alive with flashes of light +reflected from the shimmering spears. To and fro swung the surging +mass of struggling, stabbing humanity, but not for long. Suddenly the +attacking lines began to grow thinner, and then with a slow, long +heave the Greys passed over them, just as a great wave heaves up its +bulk and passes over a sunken ridge. It was done; that regiment was +completely destroyed, but the Greys had but two lines left now; a +third of their number were dead. + +Closing up shoulder to shoulder, once more they halted in silence and +awaited attack; and I was rejoiced to catch sight of Sir Henry's +yellow beard as he moved to and fro arranging the ranks. So he was yet +alive! + +Meanwhile we moved on to the ground of the encounter, which was +cumbered by about four thousand prostrate human beings, dead, dying, +and wounded, and literally stained red with blood. Ignosi issued an +order, which was rapidly passed down the ranks, to the effect that +none of the enemy's wounded were to be killed, and so far as we could +see this command was scrupulously carried out. It would have been a +shocking sight, if we had found time to think of such things. + +But now a second regiment, distinguished by white plumes, kilts, and +shields, was moving to the attack of the two thousand remaining Greys, +who stood waiting in the same ominous silence as before, till the foe +was within forty yards or so, when they hurled themselves with +irresistible force upon them. Again there came the awful roll of the +meeting shields, and as we watched the tragedy repeated itself. + +But this time the issue was left longer in doubt; indeed, it seemed +for awhile almost impossible that the Greys should again prevail. The +attacking regiment, which was formed of young men, fought with the +utmost fury, and at first seemed by sheer weight to be driving the +veterans back. The slaughter was truly awful, hundreds falling every +minute; and from among the shouts of the warriors and the groans of +the dying, set to the music of clashing spears, came a continuous +hissing undertone of "/S'gee, s'gee/," the note of triumph of each +victor as he passed his assegai through and through the body of his +fallen foe. + +But perfect discipline and steady and unchanging valour can do +wonders, and one veteran soldier is worth two young ones, as soon +became apparent in the present case. For just when we thought that it +was all over with the Greys, and were preparing to take their place so +soon as they made room by being destroyed, I heard Sir Henry's deep +voice ringing out through the din, and caught a glimpse of his +circling battle-axe as he waved it high above his plumes. Then came a +change; the Greys ceased to give; they stood still as a rock, against +which the furious waves of spearmen broke again and again, only to +recoil. Presently they began to move once more--forward this time; as +they had no firearms there was no smoke, so we could see it all. +Another minute and the onslaught grew fainter. + +"Ah, these are /men/, indeed; they will conquer again," called out +Ignosi, who was grinding his teeth with excitement at my side. "See, +it is done!" + +Suddenly, like puffs of smoke from the mouth of a cannon, the +attacking regiment broke away in flying groups, their white head- +dresses streaming behind them in the wind, and left their opponents +victors, indeed, but, alas! no more a regiment. Of the gallant triple +line, which forty minutes before had gone into action three thousand +strong, there remained at most some six hundred blood-spattered men; +the rest were under foot. And yet they cheered and waved their spears +in triumph, and then, instead of falling back upon us as we expected, +they ran forward, for a hundred yards or so, after the flying groups +of foemen, took possession of a rising knoll of ground, and, resuming +their triple formation, formed a threefold ring around its base. And +there, thanks be to Heaven, standing on the top of the mound for a +minute, I saw Sir Henry, apparently unharmed, and with him our old +friend Infadoos. Then Twala's regiments rolled down upon the doomed +band, and once more the battle closed in. + +As those who read this history will probably long ago have gathered, I +am, to be honest, a bit of a coward, and certainly in no way given to +fighting, though somehow it has often been my lot to get into +unpleasant positions, and to be obliged to shed man's blood. But I +have always hated it, and kept my own blood as undiminished in +quantity as possible, sometimes by a judicious use of my heels. At +this moment, however, for the first time in my life, I felt my bosom +burn with martial ardour. Warlike fragments from the "Ingoldsby +Legends," together with numbers of sanguinary verses in the Old +Testament, sprang up in my brain like mushrooms in the dark; my blood, +which hitherto had been half-frozen with horror, went beating through +my veins, and there came upon me a savage desire to kill and spare +not. I glanced round at the serried ranks of warriors behind us, and +somehow, all in an instant, I began to wonder if my face looked like +theirs. There they stood, the hands twitching, the lips apart, the +fierce features instinct with the hungry lust of battle, and in the +eyes a look like the glare of a bloodhound when after long pursuit he +sights his quarry. + +Only Ignosi's heart, to judge from his comparative self-possession, +seemed, to all appearances, to beat as calmly as ever beneath his +leopard-skin cloak, though even /he/ still ground his teeth. I could +bear it no longer. + +"Are we to stand here till we put out roots, Umbopa--Ignosi, I mean-- +while Twala swallows our brothers yonder?" I asked. + +"Nay, Macumazahn," was the answer; "see, now is the ripe moment: let +us pluck it." + +As he spoke a fresh regiment rushed past the ring upon the little +mound, and wheeling round, attacked it from the hither side. + +Then, lifting his battle-axe, Ignosi gave the signal to advance, and, +screaming the wild Kukuana war-cry, the Buffaloes charged home with a +rush like the rush of the sea. + +What followed immediately on this it is out of my power to tell. All I +can remember is an irregular yet ordered advance, that seemed to shake +the ground; a sudden change of front and forming up on the part of the +regiment against which the charge was directed; then an awful shock, a +dull roar of voices, and a continuous flashing of spears, seen through +a red mist of blood. + +When my mind cleared I found myself standing inside the remnant of the +Greys near the top of the mound, and just behind no less a person than +Sir Henry himself. How I got there I had at the moment no idea, but +Sir Henry afterwards told me that I was borne up by the first furious +charge of the Buffaloes almost to his feet, and then left, as they in +turn were pressed back. Thereon he dashed out of the circle and +dragged me into shelter. + +As for the fight that followed, who can describe it? Again and again +the multitudes surged against our momentarily lessening circle, and +again and again we beat them back. + + "The stubborn spearmen still made good + The dark impenetrable wood, + Each stepping where his comrade stood + The instant that he fell," + +as someone or other beautifully says. + +It was a splendid thing to see those brave battalions come on time +after time over the barriers of their dead, sometimes lifting corpses +before them to receive our spear-thrusts, only to leave their own +corpses to swell the rising piles. It was a gallant sight to see that +old warrior, Infadoos, as cool as though he were on parade, shouting +out orders, taunts, and even jests, to keep up the spirit of his few +remaining men, and then, as each charge rolled on, stepping forward to +wherever the fighting was thickest, to bear his share in its repulse. +And yet more gallant was the vision of Sir Henry, whose ostrich plumes +had been shorn off by a spear thrust, so that his long yellow hair +streamed out in the breeze behind him. There he stood, the great Dane, +for he was nothing else, his hands, his axe, and his armour all red +with blood, and none could live before his stroke. Time after time I +saw it sweeping down, as some great warrior ventured to give him +battle, and as he struck he shouted "/O-hoy! O-hoy!/" like his +Berserkir forefathers, and the blow went crashing through shield and +spear, through head-dress, hair, and skull, till at last none would of +their own will come near the great white "/umtagati/," the wizard, who +killed and failed not. + +But suddenly there rose a cry of "/Twala, y' Twala/," and out of the +press sprang forward none other than the gigantic one-eyed king +himself, also armed with battle-axe and shield, and clad in chain +armour. + +"Where art thou, Incubu, thou white man, who slewest Scragga my son-- +see if thou canst slay me!" he shouted, and at the same time hurled a +/tolla/ straight at Sir Henry, who fortunately saw it coming, and +caught it on his shield, which it transfixed, remaining wedged in the +iron plate behind the hide. + +Then, with a cry, Twala sprang forward straight at him, and with his +battle-axe struck him such a blow upon the shield that the mere force +and shock of it brought Sir Henry, strong man as he is, down upon his +knees. + +But at this time the matter went no further, for that instant there +rose from the regiments pressing round us something like a shout of +dismay, and on looking up I saw the cause. + +To the right and to the left the plain was alive with the plumes of +charging warriors. The outflanking squadrons had come to our relief. +The time could not have been better chosen. All Twala's army, as +Ignosi predicted would be the case, had fixed their attention on the +bloody struggle which was raging round the remnant of the Greys and +that of the Buffaloes, who were now carrying on a battle of their own +at a little distance, which two regiments had formed the chest of our +army. It was not until our horns were about to close upon them that +they had dreamed of their approach, for they believed these forces to +be hidden in reserve upon the crest of the moon-shaped hill. And now, +before they could even assume a proper formation for defence, the +outflanking /Impis/ had leapt, like greyhounds, on their flanks. + +In five minutes the fate of the battle was decided. Taken on both +flanks, and dismayed at the awful slaughter inflicted upon them by the +Greys and Buffaloes, Twala's regiments broke into flight, and soon the +whole plain between us and Loo was scattered with groups of running +soldiers making good their retreat. As for the hosts that had so +recently surrounded us and the Buffaloes, they melted away as though +by magic, and presently we were left standing there like a rock from +which the sea has retreated. But what a sight it was! Around us the +dead and dying lay in heaped-up masses, and of the gallant Greys there +remained but ninety-five men upon their feet. More than three thousand +four hundred had fallen in this one regiment, most of them never to +rise again. + +"Men," said Infadoos calmly, as between the intervals of binding a +wound on his arm he surveyed what remained to him of his corps, "ye +have kept up the reputation of your regiment, and this day's fighting +will be well spoken of by your children's children." Then he turned +round and shook Sir Henry Curtis by the hand. "Thou art a great +captain, Incubu," he said simply; "I have lived a long life among +warriors, and have known many a brave one, yet have I never seen a man +like unto thee." + +At this moment the Buffaloes began to march past our position on the +road to Loo, and as they went a message was brought to us from Ignosi +requesting Infadoos, Sir Henry, and myself to join them. Accordingly, +orders having been issued to the remaining ninety men of the Greys to +employ themselves in collecting the wounded, we joined Ignosi, who +informed us that he was pressing on to Loo to complete the victory by +capturing Twala, if that should be possible. Before we had gone far, +suddenly we discovered the figure of Good sitting on an ant-heap about +one hundred paces from us. Close beside him was the body of a Kukuana. + +"He must be wounded," said Sir Henry anxiously. As he made the remark, +an untoward thing happened. The dead body of the Kukuana soldier, or +rather what had appeared to be his dead body, suddenly sprang up, +knocked Good head over heels off the ant-heap, and began to spear him. +We rushed forward in terror, and as we drew near we saw the brawny +warrior making dig after dig at the prostrate Good, who at each prod +jerked all his limbs into the air. Seeing us coming, the Kukuana gave +one final and most vicious dig, and with a shout of "Take that, +wizard!" bolted away. Good did not move, and we concluded that our +poor comrade was done for. Sadly we came towards him, and were +astonished to find him pale and faint indeed, but with a serene smile +upon his face, and his eyeglass still fixed in his eye. + +"Capital armour this," he murmured, on catching sight of our faces +bending over him. "How sold that beggar must have been," and then he +fainted. On examination we discovered that he had been seriously +wounded in the leg by a /tolla/ in the course of the pursuit, but that +the chain armour had prevented his last assailant's spear from doing +anything more than bruise him badly. It was a merciful escape. As +nothing could be done for him at the moment, he was placed on one of +the wicker shields used for the wounded, and carried along with us. + +On arriving before the nearest gate of Loo we found one of our +regiments watching it in obedience to orders received from Ignosi. The +other regiments were in the same way guarding the different exits to +the town. The officer in command of this regiment saluted Ignosi as +king, and informed him that Twala's army had taken refuge in the town, +whither Twala himself had also escaped, but he thought that they were +thoroughly demoralised, and would surrender. Thereupon Ignosi, after +taking counsel with us, sent forward heralds to each gate ordering the +defenders to open, and promising on his royal word life and +forgiveness to every soldier who laid down his arms, but saying that +if they did not do so before nightfall he would certainly burn the +town and all within its gates. This message was not without its +effect. Half an hour later, amid the shouts and cheers of the +Buffaloes, the bridge was dropped across the fosse, and the gates upon +the further side were flung open. + +Taking due precautions against treachery, we marched on into the town. +All along the roadways stood thousands of dejected warriors, their +heads drooping, and their shields and spears at their feet, who, +headed by their officers, saluted Ignosi as king as he passed. On we +marched, straight to Twala's kraal. When we reached the great space, +where a day or two previously we had seen the review and the witch +hunt, we found it deserted. No, not quite deserted, for there, on the +further side, in front of his hut, sat Twala himself, with but one +attendant--Gagool. + +It was a melancholy sight to see him seated, his battle-axe and shield +by his side, his chin upon his mailed breast, with but one old crone +for companion, and notwithstanding his crimes and misdeeds, a pang of +compassion shot through me as I looked upon Twala thus "fallen from +his high estate." Not a soldier of all his armies, not a courtier out +of the hundreds who had cringed round him, not even a solitary wife, +remained to share his fate or halve the bitterness of his fall. Poor +savage! he was learning the lesson which Fate teaches to most of us +who live long enough, that the eyes of mankind are blind to the +discredited, and that he who is defenceless and fallen finds few +friends and little mercy. Nor, indeed, in this case did he deserve +any. + +Filing through the kraal gate, we marched across the open space to +where the ex-king sat. When within about fifty yards of him the +regiment was halted, and accompanied only by a small guard we advanced +towards him, Gagool reviling us bitterly as we came. As we drew near, +Twala, for the first time, lifted his plumed head, and fixed his one +eye, which seemed to flash with suppressed fury almost as brightly as +the great diamond bound round his forehead, upon his successful +rival--Ignosi. + +"Hail, O king!" he said, with bitter mockery; "thou who hast eaten of +my bread, and now by the aid of the white man's magic hast seduced my +regiments and defeated mine army, hail! What fate hast thou in store +for me, O king?" + +"The fate thou gavest to my father, whose throne thou hast sat on +these many years!" was the stern answer. + +"It is good. I will show thee how to die, that thou mayest remember it +against thine own time. See, the sun sinks in blood," and he pointed +with his battle-axe towards the setting orb; "it is well that my sun +should go down in its company. And now, O king! I am ready to die, but +I crave the boon of the Kukuana royal House[*] to die fighting. Thou +canst refuse it, or even those cowards who fled to-day will hold thee +shamed." + +[*] It is a law amongst the Kukuanas that no man of the direct royal + blood can be put to death, unless by his own consent, which is, + however, never refused. He is allowed to choose a succession of + antagonists, to be approved by the king, with whom he fights, till + one of them kills him.--A.Q. + +"It is granted. Choose--with whom wilt thou fight? Myself I cannot +fight with thee, for the king fights not except in war." + +Twala's sombre eye ran up and down our ranks, and I felt, as for a +moment it rested on myself, that the position had developed a new +horror. What if he chose to begin by fighting /me/? What chance should +I have against a desperate savage six feet five high, and broad in +proportion? I might as well commit suicide at once. Hastily I made up +my mind to decline the combat, even if I were hooted out of +Kukuanaland as a consequence. It is, I think, better to be hooted than +to be quartered with a battle-axe. + +Presently Twala spoke. + +"Incubu, what sayest thou, shall we end what we began to-day, or shall +I call thee coward, white--even to the liver?" + +"Nay," interposed Ignosi hastily; "thou shalt not fight with Incubu." + +"Not if he is afraid," said Twala. + +Unfortunately Sir Henry understood this remark, and the blood flamed +up into his cheeks. + +"I will fight him," he said; "he shall see if I am afraid." + +"For Heaven's sake," I entreated, "don't risk your life against that +of a desperate man. Anybody who saw you to-day will know that you are +brave enough." + +"I will fight him," was the sullen answer. "No living man shall call +me a coward. I am ready now!" and he stepped forward and lifted his +axe. + +I wrung my hands over this absurd piece of Quixotism; but if he was +determined on this deed, of course I could not stop him. + +"Fight not, my white brother," said Ignosi, laying his hand +affectionately on Sir Henry's arm; "thou hast fought enough, and if +aught befell thee at his hands it would cut my heart in twain." + +"I will fight, Ignosi," was Sir Henry's answer. + +"It is well, Incubu; thou art a brave man. It will be a good fray. +Behold, Twala, the Elephant is ready for thee." + +The ex-king laughed savagely, and stepping forward faced Curtis. For a +moment they stood thus, and the light of the sinking sun caught their +stalwart frames and clothed them both in fire. They were a well- +matched pair. + +Then they began to circle round each other, their battle-axes raised. + +Suddenly Sir Henry sprang forward and struck a fearful blow at Twala, +who stepped to one side. So heavy was the stroke that the striker half +overbalanced himself, a circumstance of which his antagonist took a +prompt advantage. Circling his massive battle-axe round his head, he +brought it down with tremendous force. My heart jumped into my mouth; +I thought that the affair was already finished. But no; with a quick +upward movement of the left arm Sir Henry interposed his shield +between himself and the axe, with the result that its outer edge was +shorn away, the axe falling on his left shoulder, but not heavily +enough to do any serious damage. In another moment Sir Henry got in a +second blow, which was also received by Twala upon his shield. + +Then followed blow upon blow, that were, in turn, either received upon +the shields or avoided. The excitement grew intense; the regiment +which was watching the encounter forgot its discipline, and, drawing +near, shouted and groaned at every stroke. Just at this time, too, +Good, who had been laid upon the ground by me, recovered from his +faint, and, sitting up, perceived what was going on. In an instant he +was up, and catching hold of my arm, hopped about from place to place +on one leg, dragging me after him, and yelling encouragements to Sir +Henry-- + +"Go it, old fellow!" he hallooed. "That was a good one! Give it him +amidships," and so on. + +Presently Sir Henry, having caught a fresh stroke upon his shield, hit +out with all his force. The blow cut through Twala's shield and +through the tough chain armour behind it, gashing him in the shoulder. +With a yell of pain and fury Twala returned the blow with interest, +and, such was his strength, shore right through the rhinoceros' horn +handle of his antagonists battle-axe, strengthened as it was with +bands of steel, wounding Curtis in the face. + +A cry of dismay rose from the Buffaloes as our hero's broad axe-head +fell to the ground; and Twala, again raising his weapon, flew at him +with a shout. I shut my eyes. When I opened them again it was to see +Sir Henry's shield lying on the ground, and Sir Henry himself with his +great arms twined round Twala's middle. To and fro they swung, hugging +each other like bears, straining with all their mighty muscles for +dear life, and dearer honour. With a supreme effort Twala swung the +Englishman clean off his feet, and down they came together, rolling +over and over on the lime paving, Twala striking out at Curtis' head +with the battle-axe, and Sir Henry trying to drive the /tolla/ he had +drawn from his belt through Twala's armour. + +It was a mighty struggle, and an awful thing to see. + +"Get his axe!" yelled Good; and perhaps our champion heard him. + +At any rate, dropping the /tolla/, he snatched at the axe, which was +fastened to Twala's wrist by a strip of buffalo hide, and still +rolling over and over, they fought for it like wild cats, drawing +their breath in heavy gasps. Suddenly the hide string burst, and then, +with a great effort, Sir Henry freed himself, the weapon remaining in +his hand. Another second and he was upon his feet, the red blood +streaming from the wound in his face, and so was Twala. Drawing the +heavy /tolla/ from his belt, he reeled straight at Curtis and struck +him in the breast. The stab came home true and strong, but whoever it +was who made that chain armour, he understood his art, for it +withstood the steel. Again Twala struck out with a savage yell, and +again the sharp knife rebounded, and Sir Henry went staggering back. +Once more Twala came on, and as he came our great Englishman gathered +himself together, and swinging the big axe round his head with both +hands, hit at him with all his force. + +There was a shriek of excitement from a thousand throats, and, behold! +Twala's head seemed to spring from his shoulders: then it fell and +came rolling and bounding along the ground towards Ignosi, stopping +just as his feet. For a second the corpse stood upright; then with a +dull crash it came to the earth, and the gold torque from its neck +rolled away across the pavement. As it did so Sir Henry, overpowered +by faintness and loss of blood, fell heavily across the body of the +dead king. + +In a second he was lifted up, and eager hands were pouring water on +his face. Another minute, and the grey eyes opened wide. + +He was not dead. + +Then I, just as the sun sank, stepping to where Twala's head lay in +the dust, unloosed the diamond from the dead brows, and handed it to +Ignosi. + +"Take it," I said, "lawful king of the Kukuanas--king by birth and +victory." + +Ignosi bound the diadem upon his brows. Then advancing, he placed his +foot upon the broad chest of his headless foe and broke out into a +chant, or rather a pćan of triumph, so beautiful, and yet so utterly +savage, that I despair of being able to give an adequate version of +his words. Once I heard a scholar with a fine voice read aloud from +the Greek poet Homer, and I remember that the sound of the rolling +lines seemed to make my blood stand still. Ignosi's chant, uttered as +it was in a language as beautiful and sonorous as the old Greek, +produced exactly the same effect on me, although I was exhausted with +toil and many emotions. + +"Now," he began, "now our rebellion is swallowed up in victory, and +our evil-doing is justified by strength. + +"In the morning the oppressors arose and stretched themselves; they +bound on their harness and made them ready to war. + +"They rose up and tossed their spears: the soldiers called to the +captains, 'Come, lead us'--and the captains cried to the king, 'Direct +thou the battle.' + +"They laughed in their pride, twenty thousand men, and yet a twenty +thousand. + +"Their plumes covered the valleys as the plumes of a bird cover her +nest; they shook their shields and shouted, yea, they shook their +shields in the sunlight; they lusted for battle and were glad. + +"They came up against me; their strong ones ran swiftly to slay me; +they cried, 'Ha! ha! he is as one already dead.' + + + +"Then breathed I on them, and my breath was as the breath of a wind, +and lo! they were not. + +"My lightnings pierced them; I licked up their strength with the +lightning of my spears; I shook them to the ground with the thunder of +my shoutings. + +"They broke--they scattered--they were gone as the mists of the +morning. + +"They are food for the kites and the foxes, and the place of battle is +fat with their blood. + + + +"Where are the mighty ones who rose up in the morning? + +"Where are the proud ones who tossed their spears and cried, 'He is as +a man already dead'? + +"They bow their heads, but not in sleep; they are stretched out, but +not in sleep. + +"They are forgotten; they have gone into the blackness; they dwell in +the dead moons; yea, others shall lead away their wives, and their +children shall remember them no more. + + + +"And I--! the king--like an eagle I have found my eyrie. + +"Behold! far have I flown in the night season, yet have I returned to +my young at the daybreak. + +"Shelter ye under the shadow of my wings, O people, and I will comfort +you, and ye shall not be dismayed. + +"Now is the good time, the time of spoil. + +"Mine are the cattle on the mountains, mine are the virgins in the +kraals. + +"The winter is overpast with storms, the summer is come with flowers. + +"Now Evil shall cover up her face, now Mercy and Gladness shall dwell +in the land. + +"Rejoice, rejoice, my people! + +"Let all the stars rejoice in that this tyranny is trodden down, in +that I am the king." + + + +Ignosi ceased his song, and out of the gathering gloom came back the +deep reply-- + +"/Thou art the king!/" + + + +Thus was my prophecy to the herald fulfilled, and within the forty- +eight hours Twala's headless corpse was stiffening at Twala's gate. + + + +CHAPTER XV + +GOOD FALLS SICK + +After the fight was ended, Sir Henry and Good were carried into +Twala's hut, where I joined them. They were both utterly exhausted by +exertion and loss of blood, and, indeed, my own condition was little +better. I am very wiry, and can stand more fatigue than most men, +probably on account of my light weight and long training; but that +night I was quite done up, and, as is always the case with me when +exhausted, that old wound which the lion gave me began to pain. Also +my head was aching violently from the blow I had received in the +morning, when I was knocked senseless. Altogether, a more miserable +trio than we were that evening it would have been difficult to +discover; and our only comfort lay in the reflection that we were +exceedingly fortunate to be there to feel miserable, instead of being +stretched dead upon the plain, as so many thousands of brave men were +that night, who had risen well and strong in the morning. + +Somehow, with the assistance of the beautiful Foulata, who, since we +had been the means of saving her life, had constituted herself our +handmaiden, and especially Good's, we managed to get off the chain +shirts, which had certainly saved the lives of two of us that day. As +I expected, we found that the flesh underneath was terribly contused, +for though the steel links had kept the weapons from entering, they +had not prevented them from bruising. Both Sir Henry and Good were a +mass of contusions, and I was by no means free. As a remedy Foulata +brought us some pounded green leaves, with an aromatic odour, which, +when applied as a plaster, gave us considerable relief. + +But though the bruises were painful, they did not give us such anxiety +as Sir Henry's and Good's wounds. Good had a hole right through the +fleshy part of his "beautiful white leg," from which he had lost a +great deal of blood; and Sir Henry, with other hurts, had a deep cut +over the jaw, inflicted by Twala's battle-axe. Luckily Good is a very +decent surgeon, and so soon as his small box of medicines was +forthcoming, having thoroughly cleansed the wounds, he managed to +stitch up first Sir Henry's and then his own pretty satisfactorily, +considering the imperfect light given by the primitive Kukuana lamp in +the hut. Afterwards he plentifully smeared the injured places with +some antiseptic ointment, of which there was a pot in the little box, +and we covered them with the remains of a pocket-handkerchief which we +possessed. + +Meanwhile Foulata had prepared us some strong broth, for we were too +weary to eat. This we swallowed, and then threw ourselves down on the +piles of magnificent karrosses, or fur rugs, which were scattered +about the dead king's great hut. By a very strange instance of the +irony of fate, it was on Twala's own couch, and wrapped in Twala's own +particular karross, that Sir Henry, the man who had slain him, slept +that night. + +I say slept; but after that day's work, sleep was indeed difficult. To +begin with, in very truth the air was full + + "Of farewells to the dying + And mournings for the dead." + +From every direction came the sound of the wailing of women whose +husbands, sons, and brothers had perished in the battle. No wonder +that they wailed, for over twelve thousand men, or nearly a fifth of +the Kukuana army, had been destroyed in that awful struggle. It was +heart-rending to lie and listen to their cries for those who never +would return; and it made me understand the full horror of the work +done that day to further man's ambition. Towards midnight, however, +the ceaseless crying of the women grew less frequent, till at length +the silence was only broken at intervals of a few minutes by a long +piercing howl that came from a hut in our immediate rear, which, as I +afterwards discovered, proceeded from Gagool "keening" over the dead +king Twala. + +After that I got a little fitful sleep, only to wake from time to time +with a start, thinking that I was once more an actor in the terrible +events of the last twenty-four hours. Now I seemed to see that warrior +whom my hand had sent to his last account charging at me on the +mountain-top; now I was once more in that glorious ring of Greys, +which made its immortal stand against all Twala's regiments upon the +little mound; and now again I saw Twala's plumed and gory head roll +past my feet with gnashing teeth and glaring eye. + +At last, somehow or other, the night passed away; but when dawn broke +I found that my companions had slept no better than myself. Good, +indeed, was in a high fever, and very soon afterwards began to grow +light-headed, and also, to my alarm, to spit blood, the result, no +doubt, of some internal injury, inflicted during the desperate efforts +made by the Kukuana warrior on the previous day to force his big spear +through the chain armour. Sir Henry, however, seemed pretty fresh, +notwithstanding his wound on the face, which made eating difficult and +laughter an impossibility, though he was so sore and stiff that he +could scarcely stir. + +About eight o'clock we had a visit from Infadoos, who appeared but +little the worse--tough old warrior that he was--for his exertions in +the battle, although he informed us that he had been up all night. He +was delighted to see us, but much grieved at Good's condition, and +shook our hands cordially. I noticed, however, that he addressed Sir +Henry with a kind of reverence, as though he were something more than +man; and, indeed, as we afterwards found out, the great Englishman was +looked on throughout Kukuanaland as a supernatural being. No man, the +soldiers said, could have fought as he fought or, at the end of a day +of such toil and bloodshed, could have slain Twala, who, in addition +to being the king, was supposed to be the strongest warrior in the +country, in single combat, shearing through his bull-neck at a stroke. +Indeed, that stroke became proverbial in Kukuanaland, and any +extraordinary blow or feat of strength was henceforth known as +"Incubu's blow." + +Infadoos told us also that all Twala's regiments had submitted to +Ignosi, and that like submissions were beginning to arrive from chiefs +in the outlying country. Twala's death at the hands of Sir Henry had +put an end to all further chance of disturbance; for Scragga had been +his only legitimate son, so there was no rival claimant to the throne +left alive. + +I remarked that Ignosi had swum to power through blood. The old chief +shrugged his shoulders. "Yes," he answered; "but the Kukuana people +can only be kept cool by letting their blood flow sometimes. Many are +killed, indeed, but the women are left, and others must soon grow up +to take the places of the fallen. After this the land would be quiet +for a while." + +Afterwards, in the course of the morning, we had a short visit from +Ignosi, on whose brows the royal diadem was now bound. As I +contemplated him advancing with kingly dignity, an obsequious guard +following his steps, I could not help recalling to my mind the tall +Zulu who had presented himself to us at Durban some few months back, +asking to be taken into our service, and reflecting on the strange +revolutions of the wheel of fortune. + +"Hail, O king!" I said, rising. + +"Yes, Macumazahn. King at last, by the might of your three right +hands," was the ready answer. + +All was, he said, going well; and he hoped to arrange a great feast in +two weeks' time in order to show himself to the people. + +I asked him what he had settled to do with Gagool. + +"She is the evil genius of the land," he answered, "and I shall kill +her, and all the witch doctors with her! She has lived so long that +none can remember when she was not very old, and she it is who has +always trained the witch-hunters, and made the land wicked in the +sight of the heavens above." + +"Yet she knows much," I replied; "it is easier to destroy knowledge, +Ignosi, than to gather it." + +"That is so," he said thoughtfully. "She, and she only, knows the +secret of the 'Three Witches,' yonder, whither the great road runs, +where the kings are buried, and the Silent Ones sit." + +"Yes, and the diamonds are. Forget not thy promise, Ignosi; thou must +lead us to the mines, even if thou hast to spare Gagool alive to show +the way." + +"I will not forget, Macumazahn, and I will think on what thou sayest." + +After Ignosi's visit I went to see Good, and found him quite +delirious. The fever set up by his wound seemed to have taken a firm +hold of his system, and to be complicated with an internal injury. For +four or five days his condition was most critical; indeed, I believe +firmly that had it not been for Foulata's indefatigable nursing he +must have died. + +Women are women, all the world over, whatever their colour. Yet +somehow it seemed curious to watch this dusky beauty bending night and +day over the fevered man's couch, and performing all the merciful +errands of a sick-room swiftly, gently, and with as fine an instinct +as that of a trained hospital nurse. For the first night or two I +tried to help her, and so did Sir Henry as soon as his stiffness +allowed him to move, but Foulata bore our interference with +impatience, and finally insisted upon our leaving him to her, saying +that our movements made him restless, which I think was true. Day and +night she watched him and tended him, giving him his only medicine, a +native cooling drink made of milk, in which was infused juice from the +bulb of a species of tulip, and keeping the flies from settling on +him. I can see the whole picture now as it appeared night after night +by the light of our primitive lamp; Good tossing to and fro, his +features emaciated, his eyes shining large and luminous, and jabbering +nonsense by the yard; and seated on the ground by his side, her back +resting against the wall of the hut, the soft-eyed, shapely Kukuana +beauty, her face, weary as it was with her long vigil, animated by a +look of infinite compassion--or was it something more than compassion? + +For two days we thought that he must die, and crept about with heavy +hearts. + +Only Foulata would not believe it. + +"He will live," she said. + +For three hundred yards or more around Twala's chief hut, where the +sufferer lay, there was silence; for by the king's order all who lived +in the habitations behind it, except Sir Henry and myself, had been +removed, lest any noise should come to the sick man's ears. One night, +it was the fifth of Good's illness, as was my habit, I went across to +see how he was doing before turning in for a few hours. + +I entered the hut carefully. The lamp placed upon the floor showed the +figure of Good tossing no more, but lying quite still. + +So it had come at last! In the bitterness of my heart I gave something +like a sob. + +"Hush--h--h!" came from the patch of dark shadow behind Good's head. + +Then, creeping closer, I saw that he was not dead, but sleeping +soundly, with Foulata's taper fingers clasped tightly in his poor +white hand. The crisis had passed, and he would live. He slept like +that for eighteen hors; and I scarcely like to say it, for fear I +should not be believed, but during the entire period did this devoted +girl sit by him, fearing that if she moved and drew away her hand it +would wake him. What she must have suffered from cramp and weariness, +to say nothing of want of food, nobody will ever know; but it is the +fact that, when at last he woke, she had to be carried away--her limbs +were so stiff that she could not move them. + + +After the turn had once been taken, Good's recovery was rapid and +complete. It was not till he was nearly well that Sir Henry told him +of all he owed to Foulata; and when he came to the story of how she +sat by his side for eighteen hours, fearing lest by moving she should +wake him, the honest sailor's eyes filled with tears. He turned and +went straight to the hut where Foulata was preparing the mid-day meal, +for we were back in our old quarters now, taking me with him to +interpret in case he could not make his meaning clear to her, though I +am bound to say that she understood him marvellously as a rule, +considering how extremely limited was his foreign vocabulary. + +"Tell her," said Good, "that I owe her my life, and that I will never +forget her kindness to my dying day." + +I interpreted, and under her dark skin she actually seemed to blush. + +Turning to him with one of those swift and graceful motions that in +her always reminded me of the flight of a wild bird, Foulata answered +softly, glancing at him with her large brown eyes-- + +"Nay, my lord; my lord forgets! Did he not save /my/ life, and am I +not my lord's handmaiden?" + +It will be observed that the young lady appeared entirely to have +forgotten the share which Sir Henry and myself had taken in her +preservation from Twala's clutches. But that is the way of women! I +remember my dear wife was just the same. Well, I retired from that +little interview sad at heart. I did not like Miss Foulata's soft +glances, for I knew the fatal amorous propensities of sailors in +general, and of Good in particular. + +There are two things in the world, as I have found out, which cannot +be prevented: you cannot keep a Zulu from fighting, or a sailor from +falling in love upon the slightest provocation! + +It was a few days after this last occurrence that Ignosi held his +great "indaba," or council, and was formally recognised as king by the +"indunas," or head men, of Kukuanaland. The spectacle was a most +imposing one, including as it did a grand review of troops. On this +day the remaining fragments of the Greys were formally paraded, and in +the face of the army thanked for their splendid conduct in the battle. +To each man the king made a large present of cattle, promoting them +one and all to the rank of officers in the new corps of Greys which +was in process of formation. An order was also promulgated throughout +the length and breadth of Kukuanaland that, whilst we honoured the +country by our presence, we three were to be greeted with the royal +salute, and to be treated with the same ceremony and respect that was +by custom accorded to the king. Also the power of life and death was +publicly conferred upon us. Ignosi, too, in the presence of his +people, reaffirmed the promises which he had made, to the effect that +no man's blood should be shed without trial, and that witch-hunting +should cease in the land. + +When the ceremony was over we waited upon Ignosi, and informed him +that we were now anxious to investigate the mystery of the mines to +which Solomon's Road ran, asking him if he had discovered anything +about them. + +"My friends," he answered, "I have discovered this. It is there that +the three great figures sit, who here are called the 'Silent Ones,' +and to whom Twala would have offered the girl Foulata as a sacrifice. +It is there, too, in a great cave deep in the mountain, that the kings +of the land are buried; there ye shall find Twala's body, sitting with +those who went before him. There, also, is a deep pit, which, at some +time, long-dead men dug out, mayhap for the stones ye speak of, such +as I have heard men in Natal tell of at Kimberley. There, too, in the +Place of Death is a secret chamber, known to none but the king and +Gagool. But Twala, who knew it, is dead, and I know it not, nor know I +what is in it. Yet there is a legend in the land that once, many +generations gone, a white man crossed the mountains, and was led by a +woman to the secret chamber and shown the wealth hidden in it. But +before he could take it she betrayed him, and he was driven by the +king of that day back to the mountains, and since then no man has +entered the place." + +"The story is surely true, Ignosi, for on the mountains we found the +white man," I said. + +"Yes, we found him. And now I have promised you that if ye can come to +that chamber, and the stones are there--" + +"The gem upon thy forehead proves that they are there," I put in, +pointing to the great diamond I had taken from Twala's dead brows. + +"Mayhap; if they are there," he said, "ye shall have as many as ye can +take hence--if indeed ye would leave me, my brothers." + +"First we must find the chamber," said I. + +"There is but one who can show it to thee--Gagool." + +"And if she will not?" + +"Then she must die," said Ignosi sternly. "I have saved her alive but +for this. Stay, she shall choose," and calling to a messenger he +ordered Gagool to be brought before him. + +In a few minutes she came, hurried along by two guards, whom she was +cursing as she walked. + +"Leave her," said the king to the guards. + +So soon as their support was withdrawn, the withered old bundle--for +she looked more like a bundle than anything else, out of which her two +bright and wicked eyes gleamed like those of a snake--sank in a heap +on to the floor. + +"What will ye with me, Ignosi?" she piped. "Ye dare not touch me. If +ye touch me I will slay you as ye sit. Beware of my magic." + +"Thy magic could not save Twala, old she-wolf, and it cannot hurt me," +was the answer. "Listen; I will this of thee, that thou reveal to us +the chamber where are the shining stones." + +"Ha! ha!" she piped, "none know its secret but I, and I will never +tell thee. The white devils shall go hence empty-handed." + +"Thou shalt tell me. I will make thee tell me." + +"How, O king? Thou art great, but can thy power wring the truth from a +woman?" + +"It is difficult, yet will I do so." + +"How, O king?" + +"Nay, thus; if thou tellest not thou shalt slowly die." + +"Die!" she shrieked in terror and fury; "ye dare not touch me--man, ye +know not who I am. How old think ye am I? I knew your fathers, and +your fathers' fathers' fathers. When the country was young I was here; +when the country grows old I shall still be here. I cannot die unless +I be killed by chance, for none dare slay me." + +"Yet will I slay thee. See, Gagool, mother of evil, thou art so old +that thou canst no longer love thy life. What can life be to such a +hag as thou, who hast no shape, nor form, nor hair, nor teeth--hast +naught, save wickedness and evil eyes? It will be mercy to make an end +of thee, Gagool." + +"Thou fool," shrieked the old fiend, "thou accursed fool, deemest thou +that life is sweet only to the young? It is not so, and naught thou +knowest of the heart of man to think it. To the young, indeed, death +is sometimes welcome, for the young can feel. They love and suffer, +and it wrings them to see their beloved pass to the land of shadows. +But the old feel not, they love not, and, /ha! ha!/ they laugh to see +another go out into the dark; /ha! ha!/ they laugh to see the evil +that is done under the stars. All they love is life, the warm, warm +sun, and the sweet, sweet air. They are afraid of the cold, afraid of +the cold and the dark, /ha! ha! ha!/" and the old hag writhed in +ghastly merriment on the ground. + +"Cease thine evil talk and answer me," said Ignosi angrily. "Wilt thou +show the place where the stones are, or wilt thou not? If thou wilt +not thou diest, even now," and he seized a spear and held it over her. + +"I will not show it; thou darest not kill me, darest not! He who slays +me will be accursed for ever." + +Slowly Ignosi brought down the spear till it pricked the prostrate +heap of rags. + +With a wild yell Gagool sprang to her feet, then fell again and rolled +upon the floor. + +"Nay, I will show thee. Only let me live, let me sit in the sun and +have a bit of meat to suck, and I will show thee." + +"It is well. I thought that I should find a way to reason with thee. +To-morrow shalt thou go with Infadoos and my white brothers to the +place, and beware how thou failest, for if thou showest it not, then +thou shalt slowly die. I have spoken." + +"I will not fail, Ignosi. I always keep my word--/ha! ha! ha!/ Once +before a woman showed the chamber to a white man, and behold! evil +befell him," and here her wicked eyes glinted. "Her name was Gagool +also. Perchance I was that woman." + +"Thou liest," I said, "that was ten generations gone." + +"Mayhap, mayhap; when one lives long one forgets. Perhaps it was my +mother's mother who told me; surely her name was Gagool also. But +mark, ye will find in the place where the bright things are a bag of +hide full of stones. The man filled that bag, but he never took it +away. Evil befell him, I say, evil befell him! Perhaps it was my +mother's mother who told me. It will be a merry journey--we can see +the bodies of those who died in the battle as we go. Their eyes will +be gone by now, and their ribs will be hollow. /Ha! ha! ha!/" + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +THE PLACE OF DEATH + +It was already dark on the third day after the scene described in the +previous chapter when we camped in some huts at the foot of the "Three +Witches," as the triangle of mountains is called to which Solomon's +Great Road runs. Our party consisted of our three selves and Foulata, +who waited on us--especially on Good--Infadoos, Gagool, who was borne +along in a litter, inside which she could be heard muttering and +cursing all day long, and a party of guards and attendants. The +mountains, or rather the three peaks of the mountain, for the mass was +evidently the result of a solitary upheaval, were, as I have said, in +the form of a triangle, of which the base was towards us, one peak +being on our right, one on our left, and one straight in front of us. +Never shall I forget the sight afforded by those three towering peaks +in the early sunlight of the following morning. High, high above us, +up into the blue air, soared their twisted snow-wreaths. Beneath the +snow-line the peaks were purple with heaths, and so were the wild +moors that ran up the slopes towards them. Straight before us the +white ribbon of Solomon's Great Road stretched away uphill to the foot +of the centre peak, about five miles from us, and there stopped. It +was its terminus. + +I had better leave the feelings of intense excitement with which we +set out on our march that morning to the imagination of those who read +this history. At last we were drawing near to the wonderful mines that +had been the cause of the miserable death of the old Portuguese Dom +three centuries ago, of my poor friend, his ill-starred descendant, +and also, as we feared, of George Curtis, Sir Henry's brother. Were we +destined, after all that we had gone through, to fare any better? Evil +befell them, as that old fiend Gagool said; would it also befall us? +Somehow, as we were marching up that last stretch of beautiful road, I +could not help feeling a little superstitious about the matter, and so +I think did Good and Sir Henry. + +For an hour and a half or more we tramped on up the heather-fringed +way, going so fast in our excitement that the bearers of Gagool's +hammock could scarcely keep pace with us, and its occupant piped out +to us to stop. + +"Walk more slowly, white men," she said, projecting her hideous +shrivelled countenance between the grass curtains, and fixing her +gleaming eyes upon us; "why will ye run to meet the evil that shall +befall you, ye seekers after treasure?" and she laughed that horrible +laugh which always sent a cold shiver down my back, and for a while +quite took the enthusiasm out of us. + +However, on we went, till we saw before us, and between ourselves and +the peak, a vast circular hole with sloping sides, three hundred feet +or more in depth, and quite half a mile round. + +"Can't you guess what this is?" I said to Sir Henry and Good, who were +staring in astonishment at the awful pit before us. + +They shook their heads. + +"Then it is clear that you have never seen the diamond diggings at +Kimberley. You may depend on it that this is Solomon's Diamond Mine. +Look there," I said, pointing to the strata of stiff blue clay which +were yet to be seen among the grass and bushes that clothed the sides +of the pit, "the formation is the same. I'll be bound that if we went +down there we should find 'pipes' of soapy brecciated rock. Look, +too," and I pointed to a series of worn flat slabs of stone that were +placed on a gentle slope below the level of a watercourse which in +some past age had been cut out of the solid rock; "if those are not +tables once used to wash the 'stuff,' I'm a Dutchman." + +At the edge of this vast hole, which was none other than the pit +marked on the old Dom's map, the Great Road branched into two and +circumvented it. In many places, by the way, this surrounding road was +built entirely out of blocks of stone, apparently with the object of +supporting the edges of the pit and preventing falls of reef. Along +this path we pressed, driven by curiosity to see what were the three +towering objects which we could discern from the hither side of the +great gulf. As we drew near we perceived that they were Colossi of +some sort or another, and rightly conjectured that before us sat the +three "Silent Ones" that are held in such awe by the Kukuana people. +But it was not until we were quite close to them that we recognised +the full majesty of these "Silent Ones." + +There, upon huge pedestals of dark rock, sculptured with rude emblems +of the Phallic worship, separated from each other by a distance of +forty paces, and looking down the road which crossed some sixty miles +of plain to Loo, were three colossal seated forms--two male and one +female--each measuring about thirty feet from the crown of its head to +the pedestal. + +The female form, which was nude, was of great though severe beauty, +but unfortunately the features had been injured by centuries of +exposure to the weather. Rising from either side of her head were the +points of a crescent. The two male Colossi, on the contrary, were +draped, and presented a terrifying cast of features, especially the +one to our right, which had the face of a devil. That to our left was +serene in countenance, but the calm upon it seemed dreadful. It was +the calm of that inhuman cruelty, Sir Henry remarked, which the +ancients attributed to beings potent for good, who could yet watch the +sufferings of humanity, if not without rejoicing, at least without +sorrow. These three statues form a most awe-inspiring trinity, as they +sit there in their solitude, and gaze out across the plain for ever. + +Contemplating these "Silent Ones," as the Kukuanas call them, an +intense curiosity again seized us to know whose were the hands which +had shaped them, who it was that had dug the pit and made the road. +Whilst I was gazing and wondering, suddenly it occurred to me--being +familiar with the Old Testament--that Solomon went astray after +strange gods, the names of three of whom I remembered--"Ashtoreth, the +goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh, the god of the Moabites, and +Milcom, the god of the children of Ammon"--and I suggested to my +companions that the figures before us might represent these false and +exploded divinities. + +"Hum," said Sir Henry, who is a scholar, having taken a high degree in +classics at college, "there may be something in that; Ashtoreth of the +Hebrews was the Astarte of the Phnicians, who were the great traders +of Solomon's time. Astarte, who afterwards became the Aphrodite of the +Greeks, was represented with horns like the half-moon, and there on +the brow of the female figure are distinct horns. Perhaps these +Colossi were designed by some Phnician official who managed the +mines. Who can say?"[*] + +[*] Compare Milton, "Paradise Lost," Book i.:-- + + "With these in troop + Came Ashtoreth, whom the Phnicians called + Astarté, Queen of Heaven, with crescent horns; + To whose bright image nightly by the moon + Sidonian virgins paid their vows and songs." + +Before we had finished examining these extraordinary relics of remote +antiquity, Infadoos came up, and having saluted the "Silent Ones" by +lifting his spear, asked us if we intended entering the "Place of +Death" at once, or if we would wait till after we had taken food at +mid-day. If we were ready to go at once, Gagool had announced her +willingness to guide us. As it was not later than eleven o'clock-- +driven to it by a burning curiosity--we announced our intention of +proceeding instantly, and I suggested that, in case we should be +detained in the cave, we should take some food with us. Accordingly +Gagool's litter was brought up, and that lady herself assisted out of +it. Meanwhile Foulata, at my request, stored some "biltong," or dried +game-flesh, together with a couple of gourds of water, in a reed +basket with a hinged cover. Straight in front of us, at a distance of +some fifty paces from the backs of the Colossi, rose a sheer wall of +rock, eighty feet or more in height, that gradually sloped upwards +till it formed the base of the lofty snow-wreathed peak, which soared +into the air three thousand feet above us. As soon as she was clear of +her hammock, Gagool cast one evil grin upon us, and then, leaning on a +stick, hobbled off towards the face of this wall. We followed her till +we came to a narrow portal solidly arched that looked like the opening +of a gallery of a mine. + +Here Gagool was waiting for us, still with that evil grin upon her +horrid face. + +"Now, white men from the Stars," she piped; "great warriors, Incubu, +Bougwan, and Macumazahn the wise, are ye ready? Behold, I am here to +do the bidding of my lord the king, and to show you the store of +bright stones. /Ha! ha! ha!/" + +"We are ready," I said. + +"Good, good! Make strong your hearts to bear what ye shall see. Comest +thou too, Infadoos, thou who didst betray thy master?" + +Infadoos frowned as he answered-- + +"Nay, I come not; it is not for me to enter there. But thou, Gagool, +curb thy tongue, and beware how thou dealest with my lords. At thy +hands will I require them, and if a hair of them be hurt, Gagool, +be'st thou fifty times a witch, thou shalt die. Hearest thou?" + +"I hear Infadoos; I know thee, thou didst ever love big words; when +thou wast a babe I remember thou didst threaten thine own mother. That +was but the other day. But, fear not, fear not, I live only to do the +bidding of the king. I have done the bidding of many kings, Infadoos, +till in the end they did mine. /Ha! ha!/ I go to look upon their faces +once more, and Twala's also! Come on, come on, here is the lamp," and +she drew a large gourd full of oil, and fitted with a rush wick, from +under her fur cloak. + +"Art thou coming, Foulata?" asked Good in his villainous Kitchen +Kukuana, in which he had been improving himself under that young +lady's tuition. + +"I fear, my lord," the girl answered timidly. + +"Then give me the basket." + +"Nay, my lord, whither thou goest there I go also." + +"The deuce you will!" thought I to myself; "that may be rather awkward +if we ever get out of this." + +Without further ado Gagool plunged into the passage, which was wide +enough to admit of two walking abreast, and quite dark. We followed +the sound of her voice as she piped to us to come on, in some fear and +trembling, which was not allayed by the flutter of a sudden rush of +wings. + +"Hullo! what's that?" halloed Good; "somebody hit me in the face." + +"Bats," said I; "on you go." + +When, so far as we could judge, we had gone some fifty paces, we +perceived that the passage was growing faintly light. Another minute, +and we were in perhaps the most wonderful place that the eyes of +living man have beheld. + +Let the reader picture to himself the hall of the vastest cathedral he +ever stood in, windowless indeed, but dimly lighted from above, +presumably by shafts connected with the outer air and driven in the +roof, which arched away a hundred feet above our heads, and he will +get some idea of the size of the enormous cave in which we found +ourselves, with the difference that this cathedral designed by nature +was loftier and wider than any built by man. But its stupendous size +was the least of the wonders of the place, for running in rows adown +its length were gigantic pillars of what looked like ice, but were, in +reality, huge stalactites. It is impossible for me to convey any idea +of the overpowering beauty and grandeur of these pillars of white +spar, some of which were not less than twenty feet in diameter at the +base, and sprang up in lofty and yet delicate beauty sheer to the +distant roof. Others again were in process of formation. On the rock +floor there was in these cases what looked, Sir Henry said, exactly +like a broken column in an old Grecian temple, whilst high above, +depending from the roof, the point of a huge icicle could be dimly +seen. + +Even as we gazed we could hear the process going on, for presently +with a tiny splash a drop of water would fall from the far-off icicle +on to the column below. On some columns the drops only fell once in +two or three minutes, and in these cases it would be an interesting +calculation to discover how long, at that rate of dripping, it would +take to form a pillar, say eighty feet by ten in diameter. That the +process, in at least one instance, was incalculably slow, the +following example will suffice to show. Cut on one of these pillars we +discovered the crude likeness of a mummy, by the head of which sat +what appeared to be the figure of an Egyptian god, doubtless the +handiwork of some old-world labourer in the mine. This work of art was +executed at the natural height at which an idle fellow, be he +Phnician workman or British cad, is in the habit of trying to +immortalise himself at the expense of nature's masterpieces, namely, +about five feet from the ground. Yet at the time that we saw it, which +/must/ have been nearly three thousand years after the date of the +execution of the carving, the column was only eight feet high, and was +still in process of formation, which gives a rate of growth of a foot +to a thousand years, or an inch and a fraction to a century. This we +knew because, as we were standing by it, we heard a drop of water +fall. + +Sometimes the stalagmites took strange forms, presumably where the +dropping of the water had not always been on the same spot. Thus, one +huge mass, which must have weighed a hundred tons or so, was in the +shape of a pulpit, beautifully fretted over outside with a design that +looked like lace. Others resembled strange beasts, and on the sides of +the cave were fanlike ivory tracings, such as the frost leaves upon a +pane. + +Out of the vast main aisle there opened here and there smaller caves, +exactly, Sir Henry said, as chapels open out of great cathedrals. Some +were large, but one or two--and this is a wonderful instance of how +nature carries out her handiwork by the same unvarying laws, utterly +irrespective of size--were tiny. One little nook, for instance, was no +larger than an unusually big doll's house, and yet it might have been +a model for the whole place, for the water dropped, tiny icicles hung, +and spar columns were forming in just the same way. + +We had not, however, enough time to examine this beautiful cavern so +thoroughly as we should have liked to do, since unfortunately, Gagool +seemed to be indifferent as to stalactites, and only anxious to get +her business over. This annoyed me the more, as I was particularly +anxious to discover, if possible, by what system the light was +admitted into the cave, and whether it was by the hand of man or by +that of nature that this was done; also if the place had been used in +any way in ancient times, as seemed probable. However, we consoled +ourselves with the idea that we would investigate it thoroughly on our +way back, and followed on at the heels of our uncanny guide. + +On she led us, straight to the top of the vast and silent cave, where +we found another doorway, not arched as the first was, but square at +the top, something like the doorways of Egyptian temples. + +"Are ye prepared to enter the Place of Death, white men?" asked +Gagool, evidently with a view to making us feel uncomfortable. + +"Lead on, Macduff," said Good solemnly, trying to look as though he +was not at all alarmed, as indeed we all did except Foulata, who +caught Good by the arm for protection. + +"This is getting rather ghastly," said Sir Henry, peeping into the +dark passageway. "Come on, Quatermain--/seniores priores/. We mustn't +keep the old lady waiting!" and he politely made way for me to lead +the van, for which inwardly I did not bless him. + +/Tap, tap,/ went old Gagool's stick down the passage, as she trotted +along, chuckling hideously; and still overcome by some unaccountable +presentiment of evil, I hung back. + +"Come, get on, old fellow," said Good, "or we shall lose our fair +guide." + +Thus adjured, I started down the passage, and after about twenty paces +found myself in a gloomy apartment some forty feet long, by thirty +broad, and thirty high, which in some past age evidently had been +hollowed, by hand-labour, out of the mountain. This apartment was not +nearly so well lighted as the vast stalactite ante-cave, and at the +first glance all I could discern was a massive stone table running +down its length, with a colossal white figure at its head, and life- +sized white figures all round it. Next I discovered a brown thing, +seated on the table in the centre, and in another moment my eyes grew +accustomed to the light, and I saw what all these things were, and was +tailing out of the place as hard as my legs could carry me. + +I am not a nervous man in a general way, and very little troubled with +superstitions, of which I have lived to see the folly; but I am free +to own that this sight quite upset me, and had it not been that Sir +Henry caught me by the collar and held me, I do honestly believe that +in another five minutes I should have been outside the stalactite +cave, and that a promise of all the diamonds in Kimberley would not +have induced me to enter it again. But he held me tight, so I stopped +because I could not help myself. Next second, however, /his/ eyes +became accustomed to the light, and he let go of me, and began to mop +the perspiration off his forehead. As for Good, he swore feebly, while +Foulata threw her arms round his neck and shrieked. + +Only Gagool chuckled loud and long. + +It /was/ a ghastly sight. There at the end of the long stone table, +holding in his skeleton fingers a great white spear, sat /Death/ +himself, shaped in the form of a colossal human skeleton, fifteen feet +or more in height. High above his head he held the spear, as though in +the act to strike; one bony hand rested on the stone table before him, +in the position a man assumes on rising from his seat, whilst his +frame was bent forward so that the vertebrć of the neck and the +grinning, gleaming skull projected towards us, and fixed its hollow +eye-places upon us, the jaws a little open, as though it were about to +speak. + +"Great heavens!" said I faintly, at last, "what can it be?" + +"And what are /those things/?" asked Good, pointing to the white +company round the table. + +"And what on earth is /that thing/?" said Sir Henry, pointing to the +brown creature seated on the table. + +"/Hee! hee! hee!/" laughed Gagool. "To those who enter the Hall of the +Dead, evil comes. /Hee! hee! hee! ha! ha!/" + +"Come, Incubu, brave in battle, come and see him thou slewest;" and +the old creature caught Curtis' coat in her skinny fingers, and led +him away towards the table. We followed. + +Presently she stopped and pointed at the brown object seated on the +table. Sir Henry looked, and started back with an exclamation; and no +wonder, for there, quite naked, the head which Curtis' battle-axe had +shorn from the body resting on its knees, was the gaunt corpse of +Twala, the last king of the Kukuanas. Yes, there, the head perched +upon the knees, it sat in all its ugliness, the vertebrć projecting a +full inch above the level of the shrunken flesh of the neck, for all +the world like a black double of Hamilton Tighe.[*] Over the surface +of the corpse there was gathered a thin glassy film, that made its +appearance yet more appalling, for which we were, at the moment, quite +unable to account, till presently we observed that from the roof of +the chamber the water fell steadily, /drip! drop! drip!/ on to the +neck of the corpse, whence it ran down over the entire surface, and +finally escaped into the rock through a tiny hole in the table. Then I +guessed what the film was--/Twala's body was being transformed into a +stalactite./ + +[*] "Now haste ye, my handmaidens, haste and see + How he sits there and glowers with his head on his knee." + +A look at the white forms seated on the stone bench which ran round +that ghastly board confirmed this view. They were human bodies indeed, +or rather they had been human; now they were /stalactites/. This was +the way in which the Kukuana people had from time immemorial preserved +their royal dead. They petrified them. What the exact system might be, +if there was any, beyond the placing of them for a long period of +years under the drip, I never discovered, but there they sat, iced +over and preserved for ever by the siliceous fluid. + +Anything more awe-inspiring than the spectacle of this long line of +departed royalties (there were twenty-seven of them, the last being +Ignosi's father), wrapped, each of them, in a shroud of ice-like spar, +through which the features could be dimly discovered, and seated round +that inhospitable board, with Death himself for a host, it is +impossible to imagine. That the practice of thus preserving their +kings must have been an ancient one is evident from the number, which, +allowing for an average reign of fifteen years, supposing that every +king who reigned was placed here--an improbable thing, as some are +sure to have perished in battle far from home--would fix the date of +its commencement at four and a quarter centuries back. + +But the colossal Death, who sits at the head of the board, is far +older than that, and, unless I am much mistaken, owes his origin to +the same artist who designed the three Colossi. He is hewn out of a +single stalactite, and, looked at as a work of art, is most admirably +conceived and executed. Good, who understands such things, declared +that, so far as he could see, the anatomical design of the skeleton is +perfect down to the smallest bones. + +My own idea is, that this terrific object was a freak of fancy on the +part of some old-world sculptor, and that its presence had suggested +to the Kukuanas the idea of placing their royal dead under its awful +presidency. Or perhaps it was set there to frighten away any marauders +who might have designs upon the treasure chamber beyond. I cannot say. +All I can do is to describe it as it is, and the reader must form his +own conclusion. + +Such, at any rate, was the White Death and such were the White Dead! + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +SOLOMON'S TREASURE CHAMBER + +While we were engaged in recovering from our fright, and in examining +the grisly wonders of the Place of Death, Gagool had been differently +occupied. Somehow or other--for she was marvellously active when she +chose--she had scrambled on to the great table, and made her way to +where our departed friend Twala was placed, under the drip, to see, +suggested Good, how he was "pickling," or for some dark purpose of her +own. Then, after bending down to kiss his icy lips as though in +affectionate greeting, she hobbled back, stopping now and again to +address the remark, the tenor of which I could not catch, to one or +other of the shrouded forms, just as you or I might welcome an old +acquaintance. Having gone through this mysterious and horrible +ceremony, she squatted herself down on the table immediately under the +White Death, and began, so far as I could make out, to offer up +prayers. The spectacle of this wicked creature pouring out +supplications, evil ones no doubt, to the arch enemy of mankind, was +so uncanny that it caused us to hasten our inspection. + +"Now, Gagool," said I, in a low voice--somehow one did not dare to +speak above a whisper in that place--"lead us to the chamber." + +The old witch promptly scrambled down from the table. + +"My lords are not afraid?" she said, leering up into my face. + +"Lead on." + +"Good, my lords;" and she hobbled round to the back of the great +Death. "Here is the chamber; let my lords light the lamp, and enter," +and she placed the gourd full of oil upon the floor, and leaned +herself against the side of the cave. I took out a match, of which we +had still a few in a box, and lit a rush wick, and then looked for the +doorway, but there was nothing before us except the solid rock. Gagool +grinned. "The way is there, my lords. /Ha! ha! ha!/" + +"Do not jest with us," I said sternly. + +"I jest not, my lords. See!" and she pointed at the rock. + +As she did so, on holding up the lamp we perceived that a mass of +stone was rising slowly from the floor and vanishing into the rock +above, where doubtless there is a cavity prepared to receive it. The +mass was of the width of a good-sized door, about ten feet high and +not less than five feet thick. It must have weighed at least twenty or +thirty tons, and was clearly moved upon some simple balance principle +of counter-weights, probably the same as that by which the opening and +shutting of an ordinary modern window is arranged. How the principle +was set in motion, of course none of us saw; Gagool was careful to +avoid this; but I have little doubt that there was some very simple +lever, which was moved ever so little by pressure at a secret spot, +thereby throwing additional weight on to the hidden counter-balances, +and causing the monolith to be lifted from the ground. + +Very slowly and gently the great stone raised itself, till at last it +had vanished altogether, and a dark hole presented itself to us in the +place which the door had filled. + +Our excitement was so intense, as we saw the way to Solomon's treasure +chamber thrown open at last, that I for one began to tremble and +shake. Would it prove a hoax after all, I wondered, or was old Da +Silvestra right? Were there vast hoards of wealth hidden in that dark +place, hoards which would make us the richest men in the whole world? +We should know in a minute or two. + +"Enter, white men from the Stars," said Gagool, advancing into the +doorway; "but first hear your servant, Gagool the old. The bright +stones that ye will see were dug out of the pit over which the Silent +Ones are set, and stored here, I know not by whom, for that was done +longer ago than even I remember. But once has this place been entered +since the time that those who hid the stones departed in haste, +leaving them behind. The report of the treasure went down indeed among +the people who lived in the country from age to age, but none knew +where the chamber was, nor the secret of the door. But it happened +that a white man reached this country from over the mountains-- +perchance he too came 'from the Stars'--and was well received by the +king of that day. He it is who sits yonder," and she pointed to the +fifth king at the table of the Dead. "And it came to pass that he and +a woman of the country who was with him journeyed to this place, and +that by chance the woman learnt the secret of the door--a thousand +years might ye search, but ye should never find that secret. Then the +white man entered with the woman, and found the stones, and filled +with stones the skin of a small goat, which the woman had with her to +hold food. And as he was going from the chamber he took up one more +stone, a large one, and held it in his hand." + +Here she paused. + +"Well," I asked, breathless with interest as we all were, "what +happened to Da Silvestra?" + +The old hag started at the mention of the name. + +"How knowest thou the dead man's name?" she asked sharply; and then, +without waiting for an answer, went on-- + +"None can tell what happened; but it came about that the white man was +frightened, for he flung down the goat-skin, with the stones, and fled +out with only the one stone in his hand, and that the king took, and +it is the stone which thou, Macumazahn, didst take from Twala's brow." + +"Have none entered here since?" I asked, peering again down the dark +passage. + +"None, my lords. Only the secret of the door has been kept, and every +king has opened it, though he has not entered. There is a saying, that +those who enter there will die within a moon, even as the white man +died in the cave upon the mountain, where ye found him, Macumazahn, +and therefore the kings do not enter. /Ha! ha!/ mine are true words." + +Our eyes met as she said it, and I turned sick and cold. How did the +old hag know all these things? + +"Enter, my lords. If I speak truth, the goat-skin with the stones will +lie upon the floor; and if there is truth as to whether it is death to +enter here, that ye will learn afterwards. /Ha! ha! ha!/" and she +hobbled through the doorway, bearing the light with her; but I confess +that once more I hesitated about following. + +"Oh, confound it all!" said Good; "here goes. I am not going to be +frightened by that old devil;" and followed by Foulata, who, however, +evidently did not at all like the business, for she was shivering with +fear, he plunged into the passage after Gagool--an example which we +quickly followed. + +A few yards down the passage, in the narrow way hewn out of the living +rock, Gagool had paused, and was waiting for us. + +"See, my lords," she said, holding the light before her, "those who +stored the treasure here fled in haste, and bethought them to guard +against any who should find the secret of the door, but had not the +time," and she pointed to large square blocks of stone, which, to the +height of two courses (about two feet three), had been placed across +the passage with a view to walling it up. Along the side of the +passage were similar blocks ready for use, and, most curious of all, a +heap of mortar and a couple of trowels, which tools, so far as we had +time to examine them, appeared to be of a similar shape and make to +those used by workmen to this day. + +Here Foulata, who had been in a state of great fear and agitation +throughout, said that she felt faint and could go no farther, but +would wait there. Accordingly we set her down on the unfinished wall, +placing the basket of provisions by her side, and left her to recover. + +Following the passage for about fifteen paces farther, we came +suddenly to an elaborately painted wooden door. It was standing wide +open. Whoever was last there had either not found the time to shut it, +or had forgotten to do so. + +/Across the threshold of this door lay a skin bag, formed of a goat- +skin, that appeared to be full of pebbles./ + +"/Hee! hee!/ white men," sniggered Gagool, as the light from the lamp +fell upon it. "What did I tell you, that the white man who came here +fled in haste, and dropped the woman's bag--behold it! Look within +also and ye will find a water-gourd amongst the stones." + +Good stooped down and lifted it. It was heavy and jingled. + +"By Jove! I believe it's full of diamonds," he said, in an awed +whisper; and, indeed, the idea of a small goat-skin full of diamonds +is enough to awe anybody. + +"Go on," said Sir Henry impatiently. "Here, old lady, give me the +lamp," and taking it from Gagool's hand, he stepped through the +doorway and held it high above his head. + +We pressed in after him, forgetful for the moment of the bag of +diamonds, and found ourselves in King Solomon's treasure chamber. + +At first, all that the somewhat faint light given by the lamp revealed +was a room hewn out of the living rock, and apparently not more than +ten feet square. Next there came into sight, stored one on the other +to the arch of the roof, a splendid collection of elephant-tusks. How +many of them there were we did not know, for of course we could not +see to what depth they went back, but there could not have been less +than the ends of four or five hundred tusks of the first quality +visible to our eyes. There, alone, was enough ivory to make a man +wealthy for life. Perhaps, I thought, it was from this very store that +Solomon drew the raw material for his "great throne of ivory," of +which "there was not the like made in any kingdom." + +On the opposite side of the chamber were about a score of wooden +boxes, something like Martini-Henry ammunition boxes, only rather +larger, and painted red. + +"There are the diamonds," cried I; "bring the light." + +Sir Henry did so, holding it close to the top box, of which the lid, +rendered rotten by time even in that dry place, appeared to have been +smashed in, probably by Da Silvestra himself. Pushing my hand through +the hole in the lid I drew it out full, not of diamonds, but of gold +pieces, of a shape that none of us had seen before, and with what +looked like Hebrew characters stamped upon them. + +"Ah!" I said, replacing the coin, "we shan't go back empty-handed, +anyhow. There must be a couple of thousand pieces in each box, and +there are eighteen boxes. I suppose this was the money to pay the +workmen and merchants." + +"Well," put in Good, "I think that is the lot; I don't see any +diamonds, unless the old Portuguese put them all into his bag." + +"Let my lords look yonder where it is darkest, if they would find the +stones," said Gagool, interpreting our looks. "There my lords will +find a nook, and three stone chests in the nook, two sealed and one +open." + +Before translating this to Sir Henry, who carried the light, I could +not resist asking how she knew these things, if no one had entered the +place since the white man, generations ago. + +"Ah, Macumazahn, the watcher by night," was the mocking answer, "ye +who dwell in the stars, do ye not know that some live long, and that +some have eyes which can see through rock? /Ha! ha! ha!/" + +"Look in that corner, Curtis," I said, indicating the spot Gagool had +pointed out. + +"Hullo, you fellows," he cried, "here's a recess. Great heavens! see +here." + +We hurried up to where he was standing in a nook, shaped something +like a small bow window. Against the wall of this recess were placed +three stone chests, each about two feet square. Two were fitted with +stone lids, the lid of the third rested against the side of the chest, +which was open. + +"/See!/" he repeated hoarsely, holding the lamp over the open chest. +We looked, and for a moment could make nothing out, on account of a +silvery sheen which dazzled us. When our eyes grew used to it we saw +that the chest was three-parts full of uncut diamonds, most of them of +considerable size. Stooping, I picked some up. Yes, there was no doubt +of it, there was the unmistakable soapy feel about them. + +I fairly gasped as I dropped them. + +"We are the richest men in the whole world," I said. "Monte Christo +was a fool to us." + +"We shall flood the market with diamonds," said Good. + +"Got to get them there first," suggested Sir Henry. + +We stood still with pale faces and stared at each other, the lantern +in the middle and the glimmering gems below, as though we were +conspirators about to commit a crime, instead of being, as we thought, +the most fortunate men on earth. + +"/Hee! hee! hee!/" cackled old Gagool behind us, as she flitted about +like a vampire bat. "There are the bright stones ye love, white men, +as many as ye will; take them, run them through your fingers, /eat/ of +them, /hee! hee! drink/ of them, /ha! ha!/" + +At that moment there was something so ridiculous to my mind at the +idea of eating and drinking diamonds, that I began to laugh +outrageously, an example which the others followed, without knowing +why. There we stood and shrieked with laughter over the gems that were +ours, which had been found for /us/ thousands of years ago by the +patient delvers in the great hole yonder, and stored for /us/ by +Solomon's long-dead overseer, whose name, perchance, was written in +the characters stamped on the faded wax that yet adhered to the lids +of the chest. Solomon never got them, nor David, or Da Silvestra, nor +anybody else. /We/ had got them: there before us were millions of +pounds' worth of diamonds, and thousands of pounds' worth of gold and +ivory only waiting to be taken away. + +Suddenly the fit passed off, and we stopped laughing. + +"Open the other chests, white men," croaked Gagool, "there are surely +more therein. Take your fill, white lords! /Ha! ha!/ take your fill." + +Thus adjured, we set to work to pull up the stone lids on the other +two, first--not without a feeling of sacrilege--breaking the seals +that fastened them. + +Hoorah! they were full too, full to the brim; at least, the second one +was; no wretched burglarious Da Silvestra had been filling goat-skins +out of that. As for the third chest, it was only about a fourth full, +but the stones were all picked ones; none less than twenty carats, and +some of them as large as pigeon-eggs. A good many of these bigger +ones, however, we could see by holding them up to the light, were a +little yellow, "off coloured," as they call it at Kimberley. + +What we did /not/ see, however, was the look of fearful malevolence +that old Gagool favoured us with as she crept, crept like a snake, out +of the treasure chamber and down the passage towards the door of solid +rock. + +***** + +Hark! Cry upon cry comes ringing up the vaulted path. It is Foulata's +voice! + +"/Oh, Bougwan! help! help! the stone falls!/" + +"Leave go, girl! Then--" + +"/Help! help! she has stabbed me!/" + +By now we are running down the passage, and this is what the light +from the lamp shows us. The door of the rock is closing down slowly; +it is not three feet from the floor. Near it struggle Foulata and +Gagool. The red blood of the former runs to her knee, but still the +brave girl holds the old witch, who fights like a wild cat. Ah! she is +free! Foulata falls, and Gagool throws herself on the ground, to twist +like a snake through the crack of the closing stone. She is under--ah! +god! too late! too late! The stone nips her, and she yells in agony. +Down, down it comes, all the thirty tons of it, slowly pressing her +old body against the rock below. Shriek upon shriek, such as we have +never heard, then a long sickening /crunch/, and the door was shut +just as, rushing down the passage, we hurled ourselves against it. + +It was all done in four seconds. + +Then we turned to Foulata. The poor girl was stabbed in the body, and +I saw that she could not live long. + +"Ah! Bougwan, I die!" gasped the beautiful creature. "She crept out-- +Gagool; I did not see her, I was faint--and the door began to fall; +then she came back, and was looking up the path--I saw her come in +through the slowly falling door, and caught her and held her, and she +stabbed me, and /I die/, Bougwan!" + +"Poor girl! poor girl!" Good cried in his distress; and then, as he +could do nothing else, he fell to kissing her. + +"Bougwan," she said, after a pause, "is Macumazahn there? It grows so +dark, I cannot see." + +"Here I am, Foulata." + +"Macumazahn, be my tongue for a moment, I pray thee, for Bougwan +cannot understand me, and before I go into the darkness I would speak +to him a word." + +"Say on, Foulata, I will render it." + +"Say to my lord, Bougwan, that--I love him, and that I am glad to die +because I know that he cannot cumber his life with such as I am, for +the sun may not mate with the darkness, nor the white with the black. + +"Say that, since I saw him, at times I have felt as though there were +a bird in my bosom, which would one day fly hence and sing elsewhere. +Even now, though I cannot lift my hand, and my brain grows cold, I do +not feel as though my heart were dying; it is so full of love that it +could live ten thousand years, and yet be young. Say that if I live +again, mayhap I shall see him in the Stars, and that--I will search +them all, though perchance there I should still be black and he would +--still be white. Say--nay, Macumazahn, say no more, save that I love +--Oh, hold me closer, Bougwan, I cannot feel thine arms--/oh! oh!/" + +"She is dead--she is dead!" muttered Good, rising in grief, the tears +running down his honest face. + +"You need not let that trouble you, old fellow," said Sir Henry. + +"Eh!" exclaimed Good; "what do you mean?" + +"I mean that you will soon be in a position to join her. /Man, don't +you see that we are buried alive?/" + +Until Sir Henry uttered these words I do not think that the full +horror of what had happened had come home to us, preoccupied as we +were with the sight of poor Foulata's end. But now we understood. The +ponderous mass of rock had closed, probably for ever, for the only +brain which knew its secret was crushed to powder beneath its weight. +This was a door that none could hope to force with anything short of +dynamite in large quantities. And we were on the wrong side! + +For a few minutes we stood horrified, there over the corpse of +Foulata. All the manhood seemed to have gone out of us. The first +shock of this idea of the slow and miserable end that awaited us was +overpowering. We saw it all now; that fiend Gagool had planned this +snare for us from the first. + +It would have been just the jest that her evil mind would have +rejoiced in, the idea of the three white men, whom, for some reason of +her own, she had always hated, slowly perishing of thirst and hunger +in the company of the treasure they had coveted. Now I saw the point +of that sneer of hers about eating and drinking the diamonds. Probably +somebody had tried to serve the poor old Dom in the same way, when he +abandoned the skin full of jewels. + +"This will never do," said Sir Henry hoarsely; "the lamp will soon go +out. Let us see if we can't find the spring that works the rock." + +We sprang forward with desperate energy, and, standing in a bloody +ooze, began to feel up and down the door and the sides of the passage. +But no knob or spring could we discover. + +"Depend on it," I said, "it does not work from the inside; if it did +Gagool would not have risked trying to crawl underneath the stone. It +was the knowledge of this that made her try to escape at all hazards, +curse her." + +"At all events," said Sir Henry, with a hard little laugh, +"retribution was swift; hers was almost as awful an end as ours is +likely to be. We can do nothing with the door; let us go back to the +treasure room." + +We turned and went, and as we passed it I perceived by the unfinished +wall across the passage the basket of food which poor Foulata had +carried. I took it up, and brought it with me to the accursed treasure +chamber that was to be our grave. Then we returned and reverently bore +in Foulata's corpse, laying it on the floor by the boxes of coin. + +Next we seated ourselves, leaning our backs against the three stone +chests which contained the priceless treasure. + +"Let us divide the food," said Sir Henry, "so as to make it last as +long as possible." Accordingly we did so. It would, we reckoned, make +four infinitesimally small meals for each of us, enough, say, to +support life for a couple of days. Besides the "biltong," or dried +game-flesh, there were two gourds of water, each of which held not +more than a quart. + +"Now," said Sir Henry grimly, "let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we +die." + +We each ate a small portion of the "biltong," and drank a sip of +water. Needless to say, we had but little appetite, though we were +sadly in need of food, and felt better after swallowing it. Then we +got up and made a systematic examination of the walls of our prison- +house, in the faint hope of finding some means of exit, sounding them +and the floor carefully. + +There was none. It was not probable that there would be any to a +treasure chamber. + +The lamp began to burn dim. The fat was nearly exhausted. + +"Quatermain," said Sir Henry, "what is the time--your watch goes?" + +I drew it out, and looked at it. It was six o'clock; we had entered +the cave at eleven. + +"Infadoos will miss us," I suggested. "If we do not return to-night he +will search for us in the morning, Curtis." + +"He may search in vain. He does not know the secret of the door, nor +even where it is. No living person knew it yesterday, except Gagool. +To-day no one knows it. Even if he found the door he could not break +it down. All the Kukuana army could not break through five feet of +living rock. My friends, I see nothing for it but to bow ourselves to +the will of the Almighty. The search for treasure has brought many to +a bad end; we shall go to swell their number." + +The lamp grew dimmer yet. + +Presently it flared up and showed the whole scene in strong relief, +the great mass of white tusks, the boxes of gold, the corpse of the +poor Foulata stretched before them, the goat-skin full of treasure, +the dim glimmer of the diamonds, and the wild, wan faces of us three +white men seated there awaiting death by starvation. + + + +Then the flame sank and expired. + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +WE ABANDON HOPE + +I can give no adequate description of the horrors of the night which +followed. Mercifully they were to some extent mitigated by sleep, for +even in such a position as ours wearied nature will sometimes assert +itself. But I, at any rate, found it impossible to sleep much. Putting +aside the terrifying thought of our impending doom--for the bravest +man on earth might well quail from such a fate as awaited us, and I +never made any pretensions to be brave--the /silence/ itself was too +great to allow of it. Reader, you may have lain awake at night and +thought the quiet oppressive, but I say with confidence that you can +have no idea what a vivid, tangible thing is perfect stillness. On the +surface of the earth there is always some sound or motion, and though +it may in itself be imperceptible, yet it deadens the sharp edge of +absolute silence. But here there was none. We were buried in the +bowels of a huge snow-clad peak. Thousands of feet above us the fresh +air rushed over the white snow, but no sound of it reached us. We were +separated by a long tunnel and five feet of rock even from the awful +chamber of the Dead; and the dead make no noise. Did we not know it +who lay by poor Foulata's side? The crashing of all the artillery of +earth and heaven could not have come to our ears in our living tomb. +We were cut off from every echo of the world--we were as men already +in the grave. + +Then the irony of the situation forced itself upon me. There around us +lay treasures enough to pay off a moderate national debt, or to build +a fleet of ironclads, and yet we would have bartered them all gladly +for the faintest chance of escape. Soon, doubtless, we should be +rejoiced to exchange them for a bit of food or a cup of water, and, +after that, even for the privilege of a speedy close to our +sufferings. Truly wealth, which men spend their lives in acquiring, is +a valueless thing at the last. + +And so the night wore on. + +"Good," said Sir Henry's voice at last, and it sounded awful in the +intense stillness, "how many matches have you in the box?" + +"Eight, Curtis." + +"Strike one and let us see the time." + +He did so, and in contrast to the dense darkness the flame nearly +blinded us. It was five o'clock by my watch. The beautiful dawn was +now blushing on the snow-wreaths far over our heads, and the breeze +would be stirring the night mists in the hollows. + +"We had better eat something and keep up our strength," I suggested. + +"What is the good of eating?" answered Good; "the sooner we die and +get it over the better." + +"While there is life there is hope," said Sir Henry. + +Accordingly we ate and sipped some water, and another period of time +elapsed. Then Sir Henry suggested that it might be well to get as near +the door as possible and halloa, on the faint chance of somebody +catching a sound outside. Accordingly Good, who, from long practice at +sea, has a fine piercing note, groped his way down the passage and set +to work. I must say that he made a most diabolical noise. I never +heard such yells; but it might have been a mosquito buzzing for all +the effect they produced. + +After a while he gave it up and came back very thirsty, and had to +drink. Then we stopped yelling, as it encroached on the supply of +water. + +So we sat down once more against the chests of useless diamonds in +that dreadful inaction which was one of the hardest circumstances of +our fate; and I am bound to say that, for my part, I gave way in +despair. Laying my head against Sir Henry's broad shoulder I burst +into tears; and I think that I heard Good gulping away on the other +side, and swearing hoarsely at himself for doing so. + +Ah, how good and brave that great man was! Had we been two frightened +children, and he our nurse, he could not have treated us more +tenderly. Forgetting his own share of miseries, he did all he could to +soothe our broken nerves, telling stories of men who had been in +somewhat similar circumstances, and miraculously escaped; and when +these failed to cheer us, pointing out how, after all, it was only +anticipating an end which must come to us all, that it would soon be +over, and that death from exhaustion was a merciful one (which is not +true). Then, in a diffident sort of way, as once before I had heard +him do, he suggested that we should throw ourselves on the mercy of a +higher Power, which for my part I did with great vigour. + +His is a beautiful character, very quiet, but very strong. + +And so somehow the day went as the night had gone, if, indeed, one can +use these terms where all was densest night, and when I lit a match to +see the time it was seven o'clock. + +Once more we ate and drank, and as we did so an idea occurred to me. + +"How is it," said I, "that the air in this place keeps fresh? It is +thick and heavy, but it is perfectly fresh." + +"Great heavens!" said Good, starting up, "I never thought of that. It +can't come through the stone door, for it's air-tight, if ever a door +was. It must come from somewhere. It there were no current of air in +the place we should have been stifled or poisoned when we first came +in. Let us have a look." + +It was wonderful what a change this mere spark of hope wrought in us. +In a moment we were all three groping about on our hands and knees, +feeling for the slightest indication of a draught. Presently my ardour +received a check. I put my hand on something cold. It was dead +Foulata's face. + +For an hour or more we went on feeling about, till at last Sir Henry +and I gave it up in despair, having been considerably hurt by +constantly knocking our heads against tusks, chests, and the sides of +the chamber. But Good still persevered, saying, with an approach to +cheerfulness, that it was better than doing nothing. + +"I say, you fellows," he said presently, in a constrained sort of +voice, "come here." + +Needless to say we scrambled towards him quickly enough. + +"Quatermain, put your hand here where mine is. Now, do you feel +anything?" + +"I /think/ I feel air coming up." + +"Now listen." He rose and stamped upon the place, and a flame of hope +shot up in our hearts. /It rang hollow./ + +With trembling hands I lit a match. I had only three left, and we saw +that we were in the angle of the far corner of the chamber, a fact +that accounted for our not having noticed the hollow sound of the +place during our former exhaustive examination. As the match burnt we +scrutinised the spot. There was a join in the solid rock floor, and, +great heavens! there, let in level with the rock, was a stone ring. We +said no word, we were too excited, and our hearts beat too wildly with +hope to allow us to speak. Good had a knife, at the back of which was +one of those hooks that are made to extract stones from horses' hoofs. +He opened it, and scratched round the ring with it. Finally he worked +it under, and levered away gently for fear of breaking the hook. The +ring began to move. Being of stone it had not rusted fast in all the +centuries it had lain there, as would have been the case had it been +of iron. Presently it was upright. Then he thrust his hands into it +and tugged with all his force, but nothing budged. + +"Let me try," I said impatiently, for the situation of the stone, +right in the angle of the corner, was such that it was impossible for +two to pull at once. I took hold and strained away, but no results. + +Then Sir Henry tried and failed. + +Taking the hook again, Good scratched all round the crack where we +felt the air coming up. + +"Now, Curtis," he said, "tackle on, and put your back into it; you are +as strong as two. Stop," and he took off a stout black silk +handkerchief, which, true to his habits of neatness, he still wore, +and ran it through the ring. "Quatermain, get Curtis round the middle +and pull for dear life when I give the word. /Now./" + +Sir Henry put out all his enormous strength, and Good and I did the +same, with such power as nature had given us. + +"Heave! heave! it's giving," gasped Sir Henry; and I heard the muscles +of his great back cracking. Suddenly there was a grating sound, then a +rush of air, and we were all on our backs on the floor with a heavy +flag-stone upon the top of us. Sir Henry's strength had done it, and +never did muscular power stand a man in better stead. + +"Light a match, Quatermain," he said, so soon as we had picked +ourselves up and got our breath; "carefully, now." + +I did so, and there before us, Heaven be praised! was the /first step +of a stone stair./ + +"Now what is to be done?" asked Good. + +"Follow the stair, of course, and trust to Providence." + +"Stop!" said Sir Henry; "Quatermain, get the bit of biltong and the +water that are left; we may want them." + +I went, creeping back to our place by the chests for that purpose, and +as I was coming away an idea struck me. We had not thought much of the +diamonds for the last twenty-four hours or so; indeed, the very idea +of diamonds was nauseous, seeing what they had entailed upon us; but, +reflected I, I may as well pocket some in case we ever should get out +of this ghastly hole. So I just put my fist into the first chest and +filled all the available pockets of my old shooting-coat and trousers, +topping up--this was a happy thought--with a few handfuls of big ones +from the third chest. Also, by an afterthought, I stuffed Foulata's +basket, which, except for one water-gourd and a little biltong, was +empty now, with great quantities of the stones. + +"I say, you fellows," I sang out, "won't you take some diamonds with +you? I've filled my pockets and the basket." + +"Oh, come on, Quatermain! and hang the diamonds!" said Sir Henry. "I +hope that I may never see another." + +As for Good, he made no answer. He was, I think, taking his last +farewell of all that was left of the poor girl who had loved him so +well. And curious as it may seem to you, my reader, sitting at home at +ease and reflecting on the vast, indeed the immeasurable, wealth which +we were thus abandoning, I can assure you that if you had passed some +twenty-eight hours with next to nothing to eat and drink in that +place, you would not have cared to cumber yourself with diamonds +whilst plunging down into the unknown bowels of the earth, in the wild +hope of escape from an agonising death. If from the habits of a +lifetime, it had not become a sort of second nature with me never to +leave anything worth having behind if there was the slightest chance +of my being able to carry it away, I am sure that I should not have +bothered to fill my pockets and that basket. + +"Come on, Quatermain," repeated Sir Henry, who was already standing on +the first step of the stone stair. "Steady, I will go first." + +"Mind where you put your feet, there may be some awful hole +underneath," I answered. + +"Much more likely to be another room," said Sir Henry, while he +descended slowly, counting the steps as he went. + +When he got to "fifteen" he stopped. "Here's the bottom," he said. +"Thank goodness! I think it's a passage. Follow me down." + +Good went next, and I came last, carrying the basket, and on reaching +the bottom lit one of the two remaining matches. By its light we could +just see that we were standing in a narrow tunnel, which ran right and +left at right angles to the staircase we had descended. Before we +could make out any more, the match burnt my fingers and went out. Then +arose the delicate question of which way to go. Of course, it was +impossible to know what the tunnel was, or where it led to, and yet to +turn one way might lead us to safety, and the other to destruction. We +were utterly perplexed, till suddenly it struck Good that when I had +lit the match the draught of the passage blew the flame to the left. + +"Let us go against the draught," he said; "air draws inwards, not +outwards." + +We took this suggestion, and feeling along the wall with our hands, +whilst trying the ground before us at every step, we departed from +that accursed treasure chamber on our terrible quest for life. If ever +it should be entered again by living man, which I do not think +probable, he will find tokens of our visit in the open chests of +jewels, the empty lamp, and the white bones of poor Foulata. + +When we had groped our way for about a quarter of an hour along the +passage, suddenly it took a sharp turn, or else was bisected by +another, which we followed, only in course of time to be led into a +third. And so it went on for some hours. We seemed to be in a stone +labyrinth that led nowhere. What all these passages are, of course I +cannot say, but we thought that they must be the ancient workings of a +mine, of which the various shafts and adits travelled hither and +thither as the ore led them. This is the only way in which we could +account for such a multitude of galleries. + +At length we halted, thoroughly worn out with fatigue and with that +hope deferred which maketh the heart sick, and ate up our poor +remaining piece of biltong and drank our last sup of water, for our +throats were like lime-kilns. It seemed to us that we had escaped +Death in the darkness of the treasure chamber only to meet him in the +darkness of the tunnels. + +As we stood, once more utterly depressed, I thought that I caught a +sound, to which I called the attention of the others. It was very +faint and very far off, but it /was/ a sound, a faint, murmuring +sound, for the others heard it too, and no words can describe the +blessedness of it after all those hours of utter, awful stillness. + +"By heaven! it's running water," said Good. "Come on." + +Off we started again in the direction from which the faint murmur +seemed to come, groping our way as before along the rocky walls. I +remember that I laid down the basket full of diamonds, wishing to be +rid of its weight, but on second thoughts took it up again. One might +as well die rich as poor, I reflected. As we went the sound became +more and more audible, till at last it seemed quite loud in the quiet. +On, yet on; now we could distinctly make out the unmistakable swirl of +rushing water. And yet how could there be running water in the bowels +of the earth? Now we were quite near it, and Good, who was leading, +swore that he could smell it. + +"Go gently, Good," said Sir Henry, "we must be close." /Splash!/ and a +cry from Good. + +He had fallen in. + +"Good! Good! where are you?" we shouted, in terrified distress. To our +intense relief an answer came back in a choky voice. + +"All right; I've got hold of a rock. Strike a light to show me where +you are." + +Hastily I lit the last remaining match. Its faint gleam discovered to +us a dark mass of water running at our feet. How wide it was we could +not see, but there, some way out, was the dark form of our companion +hanging on to a projecting rock. + +"Stand clear to catch me," sung out Good. "I must swim for it." + +Then we heard a splash, and a great struggle. Another minute and he +had grabbed at and caught Sir Henry's outstretched hand, and we had +pulled him up high and dry into the tunnel. + +"My word!" he said, between his gasps, "that was touch and go. If I +hadn't managed to catch that rock, and known how to swim, I should +have been done. It runs like a mill-race, and I could feel no bottom." + +We dared not follow the banks of the subterranean river for fear lest +we should fall into it again in the darkness. So after Good had rested +a while, and we had drunk our fill of the water, which was sweet and +fresh, and washed our faces, that needed it sadly, as well as we +could, we started from the banks of this African Styx, and began to +retrace our steps along the tunnel, Good dripping unpleasantly in +front of us. At length we came to another gallery leading to our +right. + +"We may as well take it," said Sir Henry wearily; "all roads are alike +here; we can only go on till we drop." + +Slowly, for a long, long while, we stumbled, utterly exhausted, along +this new tunnel, Sir Henry now leading the way. Again I thought of +abandoning that basket, but did not. + +Suddenly he stopped, and we bumped up against him. + +"Look!" he whispered, "is my brain going, or is that light?" + +We stared with all our eyes, and there, yes, there, far ahead of us, +was a faint, glimmering spot, no larger than a cottage window pane. It +was so faint that I doubt if any eyes, except those which, like ours, +had for days seen nothing but blackness, could have perceived it at +all. + +With a gasp of hope we pushed on. In five minutes there was no longer +any doubt; it /was/ a patch of faint light. A minute more and a breath +of real live air was fanning us. On we struggled. All at once the +tunnel narrowed. Sir Henry went on his knees. Smaller yet it grew, +till it was only the size of a large fox's earth--it was /earth/ now, +mind you; the rock had ceased. + +A squeeze, a struggle, and Sir Henry was out, and so was Good, and so +was I, dragging Foulata's basket after me; and there above us were the +blessed stars, and in our nostrils was the sweet air. Then suddenly +something gave, and we were all rolling over and over and over through +grass and bushes and soft, wet soil. + +The basket caught in something and I stopped. Sitting up I halloed +lustily. An answering shout came from below, where Sir Henry's wild +career had been checked by some level ground. I scrambled to him, and +found him unhurt, though breathless. Then we looked for Good. A little +way off we discovered him also, hammed in a forked root. He was a good +deal knocked about, but soon came to himself. + +We sat down together, there on the grass, and the revulsion of feeling +was so great that really I think we cried with joy. We had escaped +from that awful dungeon, which was so near to becoming our grave. +Surely some merciful Power guided our footsteps to the jackal hole, +for that is what it must have been, at the termination of the tunnel. +And see, yonder on the mountains the dawn we had never thought to look +upon again was blushing rosy red. + +Presently the grey light stole down the slopes, and we saw that we +were at the bottom, or rather, nearly at the bottom, of the vast pit +in front of the entrance to the cave. Now we could make out the dim +forms of the three Colossi who sat upon its verge. Doubtless those +awful passages, along which we had wandered the livelong night, had +been originally in some way connected with the great diamond mine. As +for the subterranean river in the bowels of the mountain, Heaven only +knows what it is, or whence it flows, or whither it goes. I, for one, +have no anxiety to trace its course. + +Lighter it grew, and lighter yet. We could see each other now, and +such a spectacle as we presented I have never set eyes on before or +since. Gaunt-cheeked, hollow-eyed wretches, smeared all over with dust +and mud, bruised, bleeding, the long fear of imminent death yet +written on our countenances, we were, indeed, a sight to frighten the +daylight. And yet it is a solemn fact that Good's eye-glass was still +fixed in Good's eye. I doubt whether he had ever taken it out at all. +Neither the darkness, nor the plunge in the subterranean river, nor +the roll down the slope, had been able to separate Good and his eye- +glass. + +Presently we rose, fearing that our limbs would stiffen if we stopped +there longer, and commenced with slow and painful steps to struggle up +the sloping sides of the great pit. For an hour or more we toiled +steadfastly up the blue clay, dragging ourselves on by the help of the +roots and grasses with which it was clothed. But now I had no more +thought of leaving the basket; indeed, nothing but death should have +parted us. + +At last it was done, and we stood by the great road, on that side of +the pit which is opposite to the Colossi. + +At the side of the road, a hundred yards off, a fire was burning in +front of some huts, and round the fire were figures. We staggered +towards them, supporting one another, and halting every few paces. +Presently one of the figures rose, saw us and fell on to the ground, +crying out for fear. + +"Infadoos, Infadoos! it is we, thy friends." + +He rose; he ran to us, staring wildly, and still shaking with fear. + +"Oh, my lords, my lords, it is indeed you come back from the dead!-- +come back from the dead!" + +And the old warrior flung himself down before us, and clasping Sir +Henry's knees, he wept aloud for joy. + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +IGNOSI'S FAREWELL + +Ten days from that eventful morning found us once more in our old +quarters at Loo; and, strange to say, but little the worse for our +terrible experience, except that my stubbly hair came out of the +treasure cave about three shades greyer than it went in, and that Good +never was quite the same after Foulata's death, which seemed to move +him very greatly. I am bound to say, looking at the thing from the +point of view of an oldish man of the world, that I consider her +removal was a fortunate occurrence, since, otherwise, complications +would have been sure to ensue. The poor creature was no ordinary +native girl, but a person of great, I had almost said stately, beauty, +and of considerable refinement of mind. But no amount of beauty or +refinement could have made an entanglement between Good and herself a +desirable occurrence; for, as she herself put it, "Can the sun mate +with the darkness, or the white with the black?" + +I need hardly state that we never again penetrated into Solomon's +treasure chamber. After we had recovered from our fatigues, a process +which took us forty-eight hours, we descended into the great pit in +the hope of finding the hole by which we had crept out of the +mountain, but with no success. To begin with, rain had fallen, and +obliterated our spoor; and what is more, the sides of the vast pit +were full of ant-bear and other holes. It was impossible to say to +which of these we owed our salvation. Also, on the day before we +started back to Loo, we made a further examination of the wonders of +the stalactite cave, and, drawn by a kind of restless feeling, even +penetrated once more into the Chamber of the Dead. Passing beneath the +spear of the White Death we gazed, with sensations which it would be +quite impossible for me to describe, at the mass of rock that had shut +us off from escape, thinking the while of priceless treasures beyond, +of the mysterious old hag whose flattened fragments lay crushed +beneath it, and of the fair girl of whose tomb it was the portal. I +say gazed at the "rock," for, examine as we could, we could find no +traces of the join of the sliding door; nor, indeed, could we hit upon +the secret, now utterly lost, that worked it, though we tried for an +hour or more. It is certainly a marvellous bit of mechanism, +characteristic, in its massive and yet inscrutable simplicity, of the +age which produced it; and I doubt if the world has such another to +show. + +At last we gave it up in disgust; though, if the mass had suddenly +risen before our eyes, I doubt if we should have screwed up courage to +step over Gagool's mangled remains, and once more enter the treasure +chamber, even in the sure and certain hope of unlimited diamonds. And +yet I could have cried at the idea of leaving all that treasure, the +biggest treasure probably that in the world's history has ever been +accumulated in one spot. But there was no help for it. Only dynamite +could force its way through five feet of solid rock. + +So we left it. Perhaps, in some remote unborn century, a more +fortunate explorer may hit upon the "Open Sesame," and flood the world +with gems. But, myself, I doubt it. Somehow, I seem to feel that the +tens of millions of pounds' worth of jewels which lie in the three +stone coffers will never shine round the neck of an earthly beauty. +They and Foulata's bones will keep cold company till the end of all +things. + +With a sigh of disappointment we made our way back, and next day +started for Loo. And yet it was really very ungrateful of us to be +disappointed; for, as the reader will remember, by a lucky thought, I +had taken the precaution to fill the wide pockets of my old shooting +coat and trousers with gems before we left our prison-house, also +Foulata's basket, which held twice as many more, notwithstanding that +the water bottle had occupied some of its space. A good many of these +fell out in the course of our roll down the side of the pit, including +several of the big ones, which I had crammed in on the top in my coat +pockets. But, comparatively speaking, an enormous quantity still +remained, including ninety-three large stones ranging from over two +hundred to seventy carats in weight. My old shooting coat and the +basket still held sufficient treasure to make us all, if not +millionaires as the term is understood in America, at least +exceedingly wealthy men, and yet to keep enough stones each to make +the three finest sets of gems in Europe. So we had not done so badly. + +On arriving at Loo we were most cordially received by Ignosi, whom we +found well, and busily engaged in consolidating his power, and +reorganising the regiments which had suffered most in the great +struggle with Twala. + +He listened with intense interest to our wonderful story; but when we +told him of old Gagool's frightful end he grew thoughtful. + +"Come hither," he called, to a very old Induna or councillor, who was +sitting with others in a circle round the king, but out of ear-shot. +The ancient man rose, approached, saluted, and seated himself. + +"Thou art aged," said Ignosi. + +"Ay, my lord the king! Thy father's father and I were born on the same +day." + +"Tell me, when thou wast little, didst thou know Gagaoola the witch +doctress?" + +"Ay, my lord the king!" + +"How was she then--young, like thee?" + +"Not so, my lord the king! She was even as she is now and as she was +in the days of my great grandfather before me; old and dried, very +ugly, and full of wickedness." + +"She is no more; she is dead." + +"So, O king! then is an ancient curse taken from the land." + +"Go!" + +"/Koom!/ I go, Black Puppy, who tore out the old dog's throat. +/Koom!/" + +"Ye see, my brothers," said Ignosi, "this was a strange woman, and I +rejoice that she is dead. She would have let you die in the dark +place, and mayhap afterwards she had found a way to slay me, as she +found a way to slay my father, and set up Twala, whom her black heart +loved, in his place. Now go on with the tale; surely there never was +its like!" + +After I had narrated all the story of our escape, as we had agreed +between ourselves that I should, I took the opportunity to address +Ignosi as to our departure from Kukuanaland. + +"And now, Ignosi," I said, "the time has come for us to bid thee +farewell, and start to see our own land once more. Behold, Ignosi, +thou camest with us a servant, and now we leave thee a mighty king. If +thou art grateful to us, remember to do even as thou didst promise: to +rule justly, to respect the law, and to put none to death without a +cause. So shalt thou prosper. To-morrow, at break of day, Ignosi, thou +wilt give us an escort who shall lead us across the mountains. Is it +not so, O king?" + +Ignosi covered his face with his hands for a while before answering. + +"My heart is sore," he said at last; "your words split my heart in +twain. What have I done to you, Incubu, Macumazahn, and Bougwan, that +ye should leave me desolate? Ye who stood by me in rebellion and in +battle, will ye leave me in the day of peace and victory? What will ye +--wives? Choose from among the maidens! A place to live in? Behold, +the land is yours as far as ye can see. The white man's houses? Ye +shall teach my people how to build them. Cattle for beef and milk? +Every married man shall bring you an ox or a cow. Wild game to hunt? +Does not the elephant walk through my forests, and the river-horse +sleep in the reeds? Would ye make war? My Impis wait your word. If +there is anything more which I can give, that will I give you." + +"Nay, Ignosi, we want none of these things," I answered; "we would +seek our own place." + +"Now do I learn," said Ignosi bitterly, and with flashing eyes, "that +ye love the bright stones more than me, your friend. Ye have the +stones; now ye would go to Natal and across the moving black water and +sell them, and be rich, as it is the desire of a white man's heart to +be. Cursed for your sake be the white stones, and cursed he who seeks +them. Death shall it be to him who sets foot in the place of Death to +find them. I have spoken. White men, ye can go." + +I laid my hand upon his arm. "Ignosi," I said, "tell us, when thou +didst wander in Zululand, and among the white people of Natal, did not +thine heart turn to the land thy mother told thee of, thy native +place, where thou didst see the light, and play when thou wast little, +the land where thy place was?" + +"It was even so, Macumazahn." + +"In like manner, Ignosi, do our hearts turn to our land and to our own +place." + +Then came a silence. When Ignosi broke it, it was in a different +voice. + +"I do perceive that now as ever thy words are wise and full of +reason, Macumazahn; that which flies in the air loves not to run along +the ground; the white man loves not to live on the level of the black +or to house among his kraals. Well, ye must go, and leave my heart +sore, because ye will be as dead to me, since from where ye are no +tidings can come to me. + +"But listen, and let all your brothers know my words. No other white +man shall cross the mountains, even if any man live to come so far. I +will see no traders with their guns and gin. My people shall fight +with the spear, and drink water, like their forefathers before them. I +will have no praying-men to put a fear of death into men's hearts, to +stir them up against the law of the king, and make a path for the +white folk who follow to run on. If a white man comes to my gates I +will send him back; if a hundred come I will push them back; if armies +come, I will make war on them with all my strength, and they shall not +prevail against me. None shall ever seek for the shining stones: no, +not an army, for if they come I will send a regiment and fill up the +pit, and break down the white columns in the caves and choke them with +rocks, so that none can reach even to that door of which ye speak, and +whereof the way to move it is lost. But for you three, Incubu, +Macumazahn, and Bougwan, the path is always open; for, behold, ye are +dearer to me than aught that breathes. + +"And ye would go. Infadoos, my uncle, and my Induna, shall take you by +the hand and guide you with a regiment. There is, as I have learned, +another way across the mountains that he shall show you. Farewell, my +brothers, brave white men. See me no more, for I have no heart to bear +it. Behold! I make a decree, and it shall be published from the +mountains to the mountains; your names, Incubu, Macumazahn, and +Bougwan, shall be "/hlonipa/" even as the names of dead kings, and he +who speaks them shall die.[*] So shall your memory be preserved in the +land for ever. + +[*] This extraordinary and negative way of showing intense respect is + by no means unknown among African people, and the result is that + if, as is usual, the name in question has a significance, the + meaning must be expressed by an idiom or other word. In this way a + memory is preserved for generations, or until the new word utterly + supplants the old. + +"Go now, ere my eyes rain tears like a woman's. At times as ye look +back down the path of life, or when ye are old and gather yourselves +together to crouch before the fire, because for you the sun has no +more heat, ye will think of how we stood shoulder to shoulder, in that +great battle which thy wise words planned, Macumazahn; of how thou +wast the point of the horn that galled Twala's flank, Bougwan; whilst +thou stood in the ring of the Greys, Incubu, and men went down before +thine axe like corn before a sickle; ay, and of how thou didst break +that wild bull Twala's strength, and bring his pride to dust. Fare ye +well for ever, Incubu, Macumazahn, and Bougwan, my lords and my +friends." + +Ignosi rose and looked earnestly at us for a few seconds. Then he +threw the corner of his karross over his head, so as to cover his face +from us. + +We went in silence. + + + +Next day at dawn we left Loo, escorted by our old friend Infadoos, who +was heart-broken at our departure, and by the regiment of Buffaloes. +Early as was the hour, all the main street of the town was lined with +multitudes of people, who gave us the royal salute as we passed at the +head of the regiment, while the women blessed us for having rid the +land of Twala, throwing flowers before us as we went. It was really +very affecting, and not the sort of thing one is accustomed to meet +with from natives. + +One ludicrous incident occurred, however, which I rather welcomed, as +it gave us something to laugh at. + +Just before we reached the confines of the town, a pretty young girl, +with some lovely lilies in her hand, ran forward and presented them to +Good--somehow they all seemed to like Good; I think his eye-glass and +solitary whisker gave him a fictitious value--and then said that she +had a boon to ask. + +"Speak on," he answered. + +"Let my lord show his servant his beautiful white legs, that his +servant may look upon them, and remember them all her days, and tell +of them to her children; his servant has travelled four days' journey +to see them, for the fame of them has gone throughout the land." + +"I'll be hanged if I do!" exclaimed Good excitedly. + +"Come, come, my dear fellow," said Sir Henry, "you can't refuse to +oblige a lady." + +"I won't," replied Good obstinately; "it is positively indecent." + +However, in the end he consented to draw up his trousers to the knee, +amidst notes of rapturous admiration from all the women present, +especially the gratified young lady, and in this guise he had to walk +till we got clear of the town. + +Good's legs, I fear, will never be so greatly admired again. Of his +melting teeth, and even of his "transparent eye," the Kukuanas wearied +more or less, but of his legs never. + +As we travelled, Infadoos told us that there was another pass over the +mountains to the north of the one followed by Solomon's Great Road, or +rather that there was a place where it was possible to climb down the +wall of cliff which separates Kukuanaland from the desert, and is +broken by the towering shapes of Sheba's Breasts. It appeared, also, +that rather more than two years previously a party of Kukuana hunters +had descended this path into the desert in search of ostriches, whose +plumes are much prized among them for war head-dresses, and that in +the course of their hunt they had been led far from the mountains and +were much troubled by thirst. Seeing trees on the horizon, however, +they walked towards them, and discovered a large and fertile oasis +some miles in extent, and plentifully watered. It was by way of this +oasis that Infadoos suggested we should return, and the idea seemed to +us a good one, for it appeared that we should thus escape the rigours +of the mountain pass. Also some of the hunters were in attendance to +guide us to the oasis, from which, they stated, they could perceive +other fertile spots far away in the desert.[*] + +[*] It often puzzled all of us to understand how it was possible that + Ignosi's mother, bearing the child with her, should have survived + the dangers of her journey across the mountains and the desert, + dangers which so nearly proved fatal to ourselves. It has since + occurred to me, and I give the idea to the reader for what it is + worth, that she must have taken this second route, and wandered + out like Hagar into the wilderness. If she did so, there is no + longer anything inexplicable about the story, since, as Ignosi + himself related, she may well have been picked up by some ostrich + hunters before she or the child was exhausted, was led by them to + the oasis, and thence by stages to the fertile country, and so on + by slow degrees southwards to Zululand.--A.Q. + +Travelling easily, on the night of the fourth day's journey we found +ourselves once more on the crest of the mountains that separate +Kukuanaland from the desert, which rolled away in sandy billows at our +feet, and about twenty-five miles to the north of Sheba's Breasts. + +At dawn on the following day, we were led to the edge of a very +precipitous chasm, by which we were to descend the precipice, and gain +the plain two thousand and more feet below. + +Here we bade farewell to that true friend and sturdy old warrior, +Infadoos, who solemnly wished all good upon us, and nearly wept with +grief. "Never, my lords," he said, "shall mine old eyes see the like +of you again. Ah! the way that Incubu cut his men down in the battle! +Ah! for the sight of that stroke with which he swept off my brother +Twala's head! It was beautiful--beautiful! I may never hope to see +such another, except perchance in happy dreams." + +We were very sorry to part from him; indeed, Good was so moved that he +gave him as a souvenir--what do you think?--an /eye-glass/; afterwards +we discovered that it was a spare one. Infadoos was delighted, +foreseeing that the possession of such an article would increase his +prestige enormously, and after several vain attempts he actually +succeeded in screwing it into his own eye. Anything more incongruous +than the old warrior looked with an eye-glass I never saw. Eye-glasses +do not go well with leopard-skin cloaks and black ostrich plumes. + +Then, after seeing that our guides were well laden with water and +provisions, and having received a thundering farewell salute from the +Buffaloes, we wrung Infadoos by the hand, and began our downward +climb. A very arduous business it proved to be, but somehow that +evening we found ourselves at the bottom without accident. + +"Do you know," said Sir Henry that night, as we sat by our fire and +gazed up at the beetling cliffs above us, "I think that there are +worse places than Kukuanaland in the world, and that I have known +unhappier times than the last month or two, though I have never spent +such queer ones. Eh! you fellows?" + +"I almost wish I were back," said Good, with a sigh. + +As for myself, I reflected that all's well that ends well; but in the +course of a long life of shaves, I never had such shaves as those +which I had recently experienced. The thought of that battle makes me +feel cold all over, and as for our experience in the treasure +chamber--! + + + +Next morning we started on a toilsome trudge across the desert, having +with us a good supply of water carried by our five guides, and camped +that night in the open, marching again at dawn on the morrow. + +By noon of the third day's journey we could see the trees of the oasis +of which the guides spoke, and within an hour of sundown we were +walking once more upon grass and listening to the sound of running +water. + + + +CHAPTER XX + +FOUND + +And now I come to perhaps the strangest adventure that happened to us +in all this strange business, and one which shows how wonderfully +things are brought about. + +I was walking along quietly, some way in front of the other two, down +the banks of the stream which runs from the oasis till it is swallowed +up in the hungry desert sands, when suddenly I stopped and rubbed my +eyes, as well I might. There, not twenty yards in front of me, placed +in a charming situation, under the shade of a species of fig-tree, and +facing to the stream, was a cosy hut, built more or less on the Kafir +principle with grass and withes, but having a full-length door instead +of a bee-hole. + +"What the dickens," said I to myself, "can a hut be doing here?" Even +as I said it the door of the hut opened, and there limped out of it a +/white man/ clothed in skins, and with an enormous black beard. I +thought that I must have got a touch of the sun. It was impossible. No +hunter ever came to such a place as this. Certainly no hunter would +ever settle in it. I stared and stared, and so did the other man, and +just at that juncture Sir Henry and Good walked up. + +"Look here, you fellows," I said, "is that a white man, or am I mad?" + +Sir Henry looked, and Good looked, and then all of a sudden the lame +white man with a black beard uttered a great cry, and began hobbling +towards us. When he was close he fell down in a sort of faint. + +With a spring Sir Henry was by his side. + +"Great Powers!" he cried, "/it is my brother George!/" + +At the sound of this disturbance, another figure, also clad in skins, +emerged from the hut, a gun in his hand, and ran towards us. On seeing +me he too gave a cry. + +"Macumazahn," he halloed, "don't you know me, Baas? I'm Jim the +hunter. I lost the note you gave me to give to the Baas, and we have +been here nearly two years." And the fellow fell at my feet, and +rolled over and over, weeping for joy. + +"You careless scoundrel!" I said; "you ought to be well /sjambocked/" +--that is, hided. + +Meanwhile the man with the black beard had recovered and risen, and he +and Sir Henry were pump-handling away at each other, apparently +without a word to say. But whatever they had quarrelled about in the +past--I suspect it was a lady, though I never asked--it was evidently +forgotten now. + +"My dear old fellow," burst out Sir Henry at last, "I thought you were +dead. I have been over Solomon's Mountains to find you. I had given up +all hope of ever seeing you again, and now I come across you perched +in the desert, like an old /assvögel/."[*] + +[*] Vulture. + +"I tried to cross Solomon's Mountains nearly two years ago," was the +answer, spoken in the hesitating voice of a man who has had little +recent opportunity of using his tongue, "but when I reached here a +boulder fell on my leg and crushed it, and I have been able to go +neither forward nor back." + +Then I came up. "How do you do, Mr. Neville?" I said; "do you remember +me?" + +"Why," he said, "isn't it Hunter Quatermain, eh, and Good too? Hold on +a minute, you fellows, I am getting dizzy again. It is all so very +strange, and, when a man has ceased to hope, so very happy!" + +That evening, over the camp fire, George Curtis told us his story, +which, in its way, was almost as eventful as our own, and, put +shortly, amounted to this. A little less than two years before, he had +started from Sitanda's Kraal, to try to reach Suliman's Berg. As for +the note I had sent him by Jim, that worthy lost it, and he had never +heard of it till to-day. But, acting upon information he had received +from the natives, he headed not for Sheba's Breasts, but for the +ladder-like descent of the mountains down which we had just come, +which is clearly a better route than that marked out in old Dom +Silvestra's plan. In the desert he and Jim had suffered great +hardships, but finally they reached this oasis, where a terrible +accident befell George Curtis. On the day of their arrival he was +sitting by the stream, and Jim was extracting the honey from the nest +of a stingless bee which is to be found in the desert, on the top of a +bank immediately above him. In so doing he loosened a great boulder of +rock, which fell upon George Curtis's right leg, crushing it +frightfully. From that day he had been so lame that he found it +impossible to go either forward or back, and had preferred to take the +chances of dying in the oasis to the certainty of perishing in the +desert. + +As for food, however, they got on pretty well, for they had a good +supply of ammunition, and the oasis was frequented, especially at +night, by large quantities of game, which came thither for water. +These they shot, or trapped in pitfalls, using the flesh for food, +and, after their clothes wore out, the hides for clothing. + +"And so," George Curtis ended, "we have lived for nearly two years, +like a second Robinson Crusoe and his man Friday, hoping against hope +that some natives might come here to help us away, but none have come. +Only last night we settled that Jim should leave me, and try to reach +Sitanda's Kraal to get assistance. He was to go to-morrow, but I had +little hope of ever seeing him back again. And now /you/, of all +people in the world, /you/, who, as I fancied, had long ago forgotten +all about me, and were living comfortably in old England, turn up in a +promiscuous way and find me where you least expected. It is the most +wonderful thing that I have ever heard of, and the most merciful too." + +Then Sir Henry set to work, and told him the main facts of our +adventures, sitting till late into the night to do it. + +"By Jove!" said George Curtis, when I showed him some of the diamonds: +"well, at least you have got something for your pains, besides my +worthless self." + +Sir Henry laughed. "They belong to Quatermain and Good. It was a part +of the bargain that they should divide any spoils there might be." + +This remark set me thinking, and having spoken to Good, I told Sir +Henry that it was our joint wish that he should take a third portion +of the diamonds, or, if he would not, that his share should be handed +to his brother, who had suffered even more than ourselves on the +chance of getting them. Finally, we prevailed upon him to consent to +this arrangement, but George Curtis did not know of it until some time +afterwards. + +***** + +Here, at this point, I think that I shall end my history. Our journey +across the desert back to Sitanda's Kraal was most arduous, especially +as we had to support George Curtis, whose right leg was very weak +indeed, and continually threw out splinters of bone. But we did +accomplish it somehow, and to give its details would only be to +reproduce much of what happened to us on the former occasion. + +Six months from the date of our re-arrival at Sitanda's, where we +found our guns and other goods quite safe, though the old rascal in +charge was much disgusted at our surviving to claim them, saw us all +once more safe and sound at my little place on the Berea, near Durban, +where I am now writing. Thence I bid farewell to all who have +accompanied me through the strangest trip I ever made in the course of +a long and varied experience. + +P.S.--Just as I had written the last word, a Kafir came up my avenue +of orange trees, carrying a letter in a cleft stick, which he had +brought from the post. It turned out to be from Sir Henry, and as it +speaks for itself I give it in full. + +October 1, 1884. +Brayley Hall, Yorkshire. + + My Dear Quatermain, + + I send you a line a few mails back to say that the three of us, + George, Good, and myself, fetched up all right in England. We got + off the boat at Southampton, and went up to town. You should have + seen what a swell Good turned out the very next day, beautifully + shaved, frock coat fitting like a glove, brand new eye-glass, + etc., etc. I went and walked in the park with him, where I met + some people I know, and at once told them the story of his + "beautiful white legs." + + He is furious, especially as some ill-natured person has printed + it in a Society paper. + + To come to business, Good and I took the diamonds to Streeter's to + be valued, as we arranged, and really I am afraid to tell you what + they put them at, it seems so enormous. They say that of course it + is more or less guess-work, as such stones have never to their + knowledge been put on the market in anything like such quantities. + It appears that (with the exception of one or two of the largest) + they are of the finest water, and equal in every way to the best + Brazilian stones. I asked them if they would buy them, but they + said that it was beyond their power to do so, and recommended us + to sell by degrees, over a period of years indeed, for fear lest + we should flood the market. They offer, however, a hundred and + eighty thousand for a very small portion of them. + + You must come home, Quatermain, and see about these things, + especially if you insist upon making the magnificent present of + the third share, which does /not/ belong to me, to my brother + George. As for Good, he is /no good/. His time is too much + occupied in shaving, and other matters connected with the vain + adorning of the body. But I think he is still down on his luck + about Foulata. He told me that since he had been home he hadn't + seen a woman to touch her, either as regards her figure or the + sweetness of her expression. + + I want you to come home, my dear old comrade, and to buy a house + near here. You have done your day's work, and have lots of money + now, and there is a place for sale quite close which would suit + you admirably. Do come; the sooner the better; you can finish + writing the story of our adventures on board ship. We have refused + to tell the tale till it is written by you, for fear lest we shall + not be believed. If you start on receipt of this you will reach + here by Christmas, and I book you to stay with me for that. Good + is coming, and George; and so, by the way, is your boy Harry + (there's a bribe for you). I have had him down for a week's + shooting, and like him. He is a cool young hand; he shot me in the + leg, cut out the pellets, and then remarked upon the advantages of + having a medical student with every shooting party! + + Good-bye, old boy; I can't say any more, but I know that you will + come, if it is only to oblige + +Your sincere friend, +Henry Curtis. + + P.S.--The tusks of the great bull that killed poor Khiva have now + been put up in the hall here, over the pair of buffalo horns you + gave me, and look magnificent; and the axe with which I chopped + off Twala's head is fixed above my writing-table. I wish that we + could have managed to bring away the coats of chain armour. Don't + lose poor Foulata's basket in which you brought away the diamonds. +H.C. + +To-day is Tuesday. There is a steamer going on Friday, and I really +think that I must take Curtis at his word, and sail by her for +England, if it is only to see you, Harry, my boy, and to look after +the printing of this history, which is a task that I do not like to +trust to anybody else. + +ALLAN QUATERMAIN. + + + + + +End of The Project Gutenberg Etext of King Solomon's Mines, by Haggard + diff --git a/old/8kslm10.zip b/old/8kslm10.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..427874e --- /dev/null +++ b/old/8kslm10.zip |