she-第15部分

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of　the　departed。　The　thought　made　me　shudder　in　spite　
of　myself；　but；　seeing　that　I　must　sleep　somewhere；　I　
got　over　the　feeling　as　best　I　might；　and　returned　to　
the　cavern　to　get　my　blanket；　which　had　been　brought　
up　from　the　boat　with　the　other　things。　There　I　met　
Job；　who；　having　been　inducted　to　a　similar　apartment；　
had　flatly　declined　to　stop　in　it；　saying　that　the　
look　of　the　place　gave　him　the　horrors；　and　that　he　
might　as　well　be　dead　and　buried　in　his　grandfather's　
brick　grave　at　once；　and　expressed　his　determination　
of　sleeping　with　me　if　I　would　allow　him。　This；　of　
course；　I　was　only　too　glad　to　do。

The　night　passed　very　comfortably　on　the　whole。　I　say　
on　the　whole；　for　personally　I　went　through　a　most　
horrible　nightmare　of　being　buried　alive；　induced；　no　
doubt；　by　the　sepulchral　nature　of　my　surroundings。　At　
dawn　we　were　aroused　by　a　loud　trumpeting　sound；　
produced；　as　we　afterwards　discovered；　by　a　young　
Amahagger　blowing；　through　a　hole　bored　in　its　side；　
into　a　hollowed　elephant　tusk；　which　was　kept　for　the　
purpose。

Taking　the　hint；　we　got　up　and　went　down　to　the　stream　
to　wash；　after　which　the　morning　meal　was　served。　At　
breakfast　one　of　the　women；　no　longer　quite　young；　
advanced；　and　publicly　kissed　Job。　I　think　it　was　in　
its　way　the　most　delightful　thing　（putting　its　
impropriety　aside　for　a　moment）　that　I　ever　saw。　Never　
shall　I　forget　the　respectable　Job's　abject　terror　and　
disgust。　Job；　like　myself；　is　a　bit　of　a　misogynistI　
fancy　chiefly　owing　to　the　fact　of　his　having　been　one　
of　a　family　of　seventeenand　the　feelings　expressed　
upon　his　countenance　when　he　realized　that　he　was　not　
only　being　embraced　publicly；　and　without　
authorization　on　his　own　part；　but　also　in　the　
presence　of　his　masters；　were　too　mixed　and　painful　to　
admit　of　accurate　description。　He　sprang　to　his　feet；　
and　pushed　the　woman；　a　buxom　person　of　about　thirty；　
from　him。

〃Well；　I　never！〃　he　gasped；　whereupon；　probably　
thinking　that　he　was　only　coy；　she　embraced　him　again。

〃Be　off　with　you！　Get　away；　you　minx！〃　he　shouted；　
waving　the　wooden　spoon；　with　which　he　was　eating　his　
breakfast；　up　and　down　before　the　lady's　face。　〃Beg　
your　pardon；　gentlemen；　I　am　sure　I。　haven't　
encouraged　her。　Oh；　Lord！　she's　coming　for　me　again。　
Hold　her；　Mr。　Holly！　please　hold　her！　I　can't　stand　
it；　I　can't；　indeed。　This　has　never　happened　to　me　
before；　gentlemen；　never。　There's　nothing　against　my　
character；〃　and　here　he　broke　off；　and　ran　as　hard　as　
he　could　go　down　the　cave；　and　for　once　I　saw　the　
Amahagger　laugh。　As　for　the　woman；　however；　she　did　
not　laugh。　On　the　contrary；　she　seemed　to　bristle　with　
fury；　which　the　mockery　of　the　other　women　about　only　
served　to　intensify。　She　stood　there　literally　
snarling　and　shaking　with　indignation；　and；　seeing　
her；　I　wished　Job's　scruples　had　been　at　Jericho；　
forming　a　shrewd　guess　that　his　admirable　behavior　had　
endangered　our　throats。　Nor；　as　the　sequel　shows；　was　
I　wrong。

The　lady　having　retreated；　Job　returned　in　a　great　
state　of　nervousness；　and　keeping　his　weather　eye　
fixed　upon　every　woman　who　came　near　him。　I　took　an　
opportunity　to　explain　to　our　hosts　that　Job　was　a　
married　man；　and　had　had　very　unhappy　experiences　in　
his　domestic　relations；　which　accounted　for　his　
presence　here　and　his　terror　at　the　sight　of　women；　
but　my　remarks　were　received　in　grim　silence；　it　being　
evident　that　our　retainer's　behavior　was　considered　as　
a　slight　to　the　〃household〃　at　large；　although　the　
women；　after　the　manner　of　some　of　their　more　
civilized　sisters；　made　merry　at　the　rebuff　of　their　
companion。

After　breakfast　we　took　a　walk　and　inspected　the　
Amahagger　herds；　and　also　their　cultivated　lands。　They　
have　two　breeds　of　cattle；　one　large　and　angular；　with　
no　horns；　but　yielding　beautiful　milk；　and　the　other；　
a　red　breed；　very　small　and　fat；　excellent　for　meat；　
but　of　no　value　for　milking　purposes。　This　last　breed　
closely　resembles　the　Norfolk　red…pole　strain；　only　it　
has　horns　which　generally　curve　forward　over　the　head；　
sometimes　to　such　an　extent　that　they　have　to　be　cut　
to　prevent　them　from　growing　into　the　bones　of　the　
skull；　The　goats　are　long…haired；　and　are　used　for　
eating　only；　at　least　I　never　saw　them　milked。　As　for　
the　Amahagger　cultivation；　it　is　primitive　in　the　
extreme；　being　all　done　by　means　of　a　spade　made　of　
iron；　for　these　people　smelt　and　work　iron。　This　spade　
is　shaped　more　like　a　big　spearshead　than　anything　
else；　and　has　no　shoulder　to　it　on　which　the　foot　can　
be　set。　As　a　consequence；　the　labor　of　digging　is　very　
great。　It　is；　however；　all　done　by　the　men；　the　women；　
contrary　to　the　habits　of　most　savage　races；　being　
entirely　exempt　from　manual　toil。　But　then；　as　I　think　
I　have　said　elsewhere；　among　the　Amahagger　the　weaker　
sex　has　established　its　rights。

At　first　we　were　much　puzzled　as　to　the　origin　and　
constitution　of　this　extraordinary　race；　points　upon　
which　they　were　singularly　uucommunicative。　As　the　
time　went　on　for　the　next　four　days　passed　without　any　
striking　eventwe　learned　something　from　Leo's　lady　
friend　Ustane；　who；　by　the　way；　stuck　to　that　young　
gentleman　like　his　own　shadow。　As　to　origin；　they　had　
none；　at　least；　so　far　as　she　was　aware。　There　were；　
however；　she　informed　us；　mounds　of　masonry　and　many　
pillars　near　the　place　where　_i_　She　_i_　lived；　which　
was　called　Ko^r；　and　which　the　wise　said　had　once　been　
houses　wherein　men　lived；　and　it　was　suggested　that　
they　were　descended　from　these　men。　No　one；　however；　
dared　go　near　these　great　ruins　because　they　were　
haunted：　they　only　looked　on　them　from　a　distance。　
Other　similar　ruins　were　to　be　seen；　she　had　heard；　in　
various　parts　of　the　country；　that　is；　wherever　one　of　
the　mountains　rose　above　the　level　of　the　swamp。　Also　
the　caves　in　which　they　lived　had　been　hollowed　out　of　
the　rocks　by　men；　perhaps　the　same　who　built　the　
cities。　They　themselves　had　no　written　laws；　only　
custom；　which　was；　however；　quite　as　binding　as　law。　
If　any　man　offended　against　the　custom；　he　was　put　to　
death　by　order　of　the　Father　of　the　〃household。〃　I　
asked　how　he　was　put　to　death；　and　she　only　smiled；　
and　said　that　I　might　see　one　day　soon。

They　had　a　queen；　however。　_i_　She　_i_　was　their　
queen；　but　she　was　very　rarely　seen；　perhaps　once　in　
two　or　three　years；　when　she　came　forth　to　pass　
sentence　on　some　offenders；　and　when　seen　was　muffled　
up　in　a　big　cloak；　so　that　nobody　could　look　upon　her　
face。　Those　who　waited　upon　her　were　deaf　and　dumb；　
and　therefore　could　tell　no　tales；　but　it　was　reported　
that　she　was　lovely　as　no　other　woman　was　lovely；　or　
ever　had　been。　It　was　rumored　also　that　she　was　
immortal；　and　had　power。　over　all　things；　but　she；　
Ustane；　could　say　nothing　of　all　that。　What　she　
believed　was　that　the　queen　chose　a　husband　from　time　
to　time；　and　as　soon　as　a　female　child　was　born　this　
husband；　who　was　never　again　seen；　was　put　to　death。　
Then　the　female　child　grew　up　and　took　the　place　of　
the　queen　when　its　mother　died　and　had　been　buried　in　
the　great　caves。　But　of　these　matters　none　could　speak　
for　certain。　Only　_i_　She　_i_　was　obeyed　throughout　
the　length　and　breadth　of　the　land；　and　to　question　
her　command　was　certain　death。　_i_　She　_i_　kept　a　
guard；　but　had　no　regular　army；　and　to　disobey　her　was　
to　die。

I　asked　what　size　the　land　was；　and　how　many　people　
lived　in　it。　She　answered　that　there　were　ten　
〃households；〃　like　this　that　she　knew　of；　including　
the　big　〃household；〃　where　the　queen　was；　that　all　the　
〃households〃　lived　in　caves；　in　places　resembling　this　
stretch　of　raised　country；　dotted　about　in　a　vast　
extent　of　swamp；　which　was　only　to　be　threaded　by　
secret　paths。　Often　the　〃households〃　made　war　on　each　
other　until　_i_　She　_i_　sent　word　that　it　was　to　stop；　
and　then　they　instantly　ceased。　That　and　the　fever　
which　they　caught　in　crossing　the　swamps　prevented　
their　numbers　from　increasing　too　much。　They　had　no　
connection　with　any　other　race；　indeed　none　lived　near　
them；　or　were　able　to　thread　the　vast　swamps。　Once　an　
army　from　the　direction　of　the　great　river　（presumably　
the　Zambesi）　had　attempted　to　attack　them；　but　they　
got　lost　in　the　marshes；　and　at　night；　seeing　the　
great　balls　of　fire　that　move　about　there；　tried　to　
come　to　them；　thinking　that　they　marked　the　enemy's　
camp；　and　half　of　them　were　drowned。　As　for　the　rest；　
they　soon　died　of　fever　and　starvation；　not　a　blow　
being　struck　at　them。　The　marshes；　she　told　us；　were　
absolutely　impassable　except　to　those　who　knew　the　
paths；　adding；　what　I　could　well　believe；　that　we　
should　never　have　reached　this　place　where　we　then　
were　had　we　not　been　brought　thither。

These　and　many　other　things　we　learned　from　Ustane　
during　the　four　days　pause　before　our　real　adventures　
began　gave　us　considerable　cause　for　thought。　The　
whole　thing　was　exceedingly　remarkable；　almost　
incredibly　so；　indeed；　and　the　oddest　part　of　it　was　
that　so　far　it　did　more　or　less　correspond　to　the　
ancient　writing　on　the　sherd。　And　now　it　appeared　that　
there　was　a　mysterious　queen　clothed　by　rumor　with　
dread　and　wonderful　attributes；　and　commonly　known　by　
the　impersonal　but；　to　my　mind；　rather　awesome　title　
of　_i_　She　_i_　。　Altogether；　I　could　not　make　it　out；　
nor　could　Leo；　though　of　course　he　was　exceedingly　
triumphant　over　me　because　I　had　persistently　mocked　
at　the　whole　thing。　As　for　Job；　he　had　long　since　
abandoned　any　attempt　to　call　his　reason　his　own；　and　
left　it　to　drift　on　the　sea　of　circumstance。　Mahomed；　
the　Arab；　who　was；　by　the　way；　treated　civilly　indeed；　
but　with　chilling　contempt；　by　the　Amahagger；　was；　I　
discovered；　in　a　great　fright；　though　I　could　not　
quite　make　out　what　he　was　frightened　about。　He　would　
sit　crouched　in　a　corner　of　the　cave　all　day　long；　
calling　upon　Allah　and　the　Prophet　to　protect　him。　
When　I　pressed　him　about　it；　he　said　that　he　was　
afraid　because　these　people　were　not　men　and　women　at　
all；　but　devils；　and　that　this　was　an　enchanted　land；　
and；　upon　my　word；　once　or　twice　since　then　I　have　
been　inclined　to