she-第58部分

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comes；　and　something　to　set　in　the　scale　against　the　
evil　doing　of　thy　days；　if　perchance　thou　hast　done　
any　evil。　Also；　if　thou　be　right；　and　if　_i_　She　_i_　
doth　but　hide　herself；　surely　when　she　comes　again　she　
shall　reward　thee。〃　

〃My　son　the　Baboon；〃　answered　the　old　man；　〃think　not　
that　I　have　an　ungrateful　heart。　Well　do　I　remember　
how　thou　didst　rescue　me　when　those　dogs　stood　by　to　
see　me　drown。　Measure　for　measure　will　I　give　thee；　
and　if　thou　canst　be　saved；　surely　I　will　save　thee。　
listen：　by　dawn　to…morrow　be　prepared；　for　litters　
shall　be　here　to　bear　ye　away　across　the　mountains；　
and　through　the　marshes　beyond。　This　will　I　do；　saying　
that　it　is　the　word　of　_i_　She　_i_　that　it　be　done；　
and　he　who　obeyeth　not　the　word　of　_i_　She　_i_　food　is　
he　for　the　hyenas。　Then　when　ye　have　crossed　the　
marshes；　ye　must　strike　with　your　own　hands；　so　that　
perchance；　if　good　fortune　go　with　you；　ye　may　live　to　
come　to　that　black　water　whereof　ye　told　me。　And　now；　
see；　the　Lion　wakes；　and　ye　must　eat　the　food　I　have　
made　ready　for　you。〃

Leo's　condition；　when　once　he　was　fairly　aroused；　
proved　not　to　be　so　bad　as　might　have　been　expected　
from　his　appearance；　and　we　both　of　us　managed　to　eat　
a　hearty　meal；　which；　indeed；　we　needed　sadly　enough。　
After　this　we　limped　down　to　the　spring　and　bathed；　
and　then　came　back　and　slept　again　till　evening；　when　
we　once　more　ate　enough　for　five。　Billali　was　away　all　
that　day；　no　doubt　making　arrangements　about　litters　
and　bearers；　for　we　were　awakened　in　the　middle　of　the　
night　by　the　arrival　of　a　considerable　number　of　men　
in　the　little　camp。

At　dawn　the　old　man　himself　appeared；　and　told　us　that　
he　had；　by　using　_i_　She　_i_　's　dreaded　name；　though　
with　some　difficulty；　succeeded　in　getting　the　
necessary　men　and　two　guides　to　conduct　us　across　the　
swamps；　and　that　he　urged　us　to　start　at　once；　at　the　
same　time　announcing　his　intention　of　accompanying　us　
so　as　to　protect　us　against　treachery。　I　was　much　
touched　by　this　act　of　kindness　on　the　part　of　that　
wily　old　barbarian　towards　two　utterly　defenceless　
strangers。　A　threeor　in　his　case；　for　he　would　have　
to　return；　sixdays'　journey　through　those　deadly　
swamps　was　no　light　undertaking　for　a　man　of　his　age；　
but　he　consented　to　do　it　cheerfully　in　order　to　
promote　our　safety。　It　shows　that　even　among　those　
dreadful　Amahaggerwho　are　certainly；　with　their　
gloom　and　their　devilish　and　ferocious　rites；　by　far　
the　most　terrible　savages　that　I　ever　heard　ofthere　
are　people　with　kindly　hearts。　Of　course　self…interest　
may　have　had　something　to　do　with　it。　He　may　have　
thought　that　_i_　She　_i_　would　suddenly　reappear　and　
demand　an　account　of　us　at　his　hands；　but　still；　
allowing　for　all　deductions；　it　was　a　great　deal　more　
than　we　could　expect　under　the　circumstances；　and　I　
can　only　say　that　I　shall；　for　as　long　as　I　live；　
cherish　a　most　affectionate　remembrance　of　my　nominal　
parent；　old　Billali。

Accordingly；　after　swallowing　some　food；　we　started　in　
the　litters；　feeling；　so　far　as　our　bodies　went；　
wonderfully　like　our　old　selves　after　our　long　rest　
and　sleep。　I　must　leave　the　condition　of　our　minds　to　
the　imagination。

Then　came　a　terrible　pull　up　the　cliff。　Sometimes　the　
ascent　was　natural；　more　often　it　was　a　zigzag　roadway　
cut；　no　doubt；　in　the　first　instance　by　the　old　
inhabitants　of　Ko^r。　The　Amahagger　say　they　drive　
their　spare　cattle　over　it　once　a　year　to　pasture　
outside；　all　I　know　is　that　those　cattle　must　be　
uncommonly　active　on　their　feet。　Of　course　the　litters　
were　useless　here；　so　we　had　to　walk。

By　midday；　however；　we　reached　the　great　flat　top　of　
that　mighty　wail　of　rock；　and　grand　enough　the　view　
was　from　it；　with　the　plain　of　Ko^r；　in　the　centre　of　
which　we　could　clearly　make　out　the　pillared　ruins　of　
the　Temple　of　Truth　to　the　one　side；　and　the　boundless　
and　melancholy　marsh　on　the　other。　This　wall　of　rock；　
which　had　no　doubt　once　formed　the　lip　of　the　crater；　
was　about　a　mile　and　a　half　thick；　and　still　covered　
with　clinker。　Nothing　grew　there；　and　the　only　thing　
to　relieve　our　eyes　were　occasional　pools　of　rain…
water　（for　rain　had　lately　fallen）　wherever　there　was　
a　little　hollow。　Over　the　flat　crest　of　this　mighty　
rampart　we　went；　and　then　came　the　descent；　which；　if　
not　so　difficult　a　matter　as　the　getting　up；　was　still　
sufficiently　break…neck；　and　took　us　till　sunset。　That　
night；　however；　we　camped　in　safety　upon　the　mighty　
slopes　that　roiled　away　to　the　marsh　beneath。

On　the　following　morning；　about　eleven　o'clock；　began　
our　dreary　journey　across　those　awful　seas　of　swamps　
which　I　have　already　described。

For　three　whole　days；　through　stench　and　mire；　and　the　
all…prevailing　flavor　of　fever；　did　our　bearers　
struggle　along；　till　at　length　we　came　to　open；　
roiling　ground；　quite　uncultivated　and　mostly　
treeless；　but　covered　with　game　of　all　sorts；　which　
lies　beyond　that　most　desolate；　and　without　guides；　
utterly　impracticable；　district。　And　here　on　the　
following　morning　we　bade　farewell；　not　without　some　
regret；　to　old　Billali；　who　stroked　his　white　beard　
and　solemnly　blessed　us。

〃Farewell；　my　son　the　Baboon；〃　he　said；　〃and　farewell　
to　thee　too；　O　Lion。　I　can　do　no　more　to　help　you。　But　
if　ever　ye　come　to　your　country；　be　advised；　and　
venture　no　more　into　lands　that　ye　know　not；　lest　ye　
come　back　no　more；　but　leave　your　white　bones　to　mark　
the　limit　of　your　journeyings。　Farewell　once　more；　
often　shall　I　think　of　you；　nor　wilt　thou　forget　me；　
my　Baboon；　for　though　thy　face　is　ugly　thy　heart　is　
true。〃　And　then　he　turned　and　went；　and　with　him　went　
the　tall　and　sullen…looking　bearers；　and　that　was　the　
last　that　we　saw　of　the　Amahagger。　We　watched　them　
winding　away　with　the　empty　litters　like　a　procession　
bearing　dead　men　from　a　battle；　till　the　mists　from　
the　marsh　gathered　round　them　and　hid　them；　and　then；　
left　utterly　desolate　in　the　vast　wilderness；　we　
turned　and　gazed　around　us　and　at　each　other。

Three　weeks　or　so　before　four　men　had　entered　the　
marshes　of　Ko^r；　and　now　two　of　us　were　dead；　and　the　
other　two　had　gone　through　adventures　and　experiences　
so　strange　and　terrible　that　Death　himself　hath　not　a　
more　fearful　countenance。　Three　weeksand　only　three　
weeks！　Truly　time　should　be　measured　by　events；　and　
not　by　the　lapse　of　hours。　It　seemed　like　thirty　years　
since　we　saw　the　last　of　our　whaleboat。

〃We　must　strike　out　for　the　Zambesi；　Leo；〃　I　said；　
〃but　God　knows　if　we　shall　ever　get　there。〃

Leo　nodded。　He　had　become　very　silent　of　late；　and　we　
started　with　nothing　but　the　clothes　we　stood　in；　a　
compass；　our　revolvers　and　express　rifles；　and　about　
two　hundred　rounds　of　ammunition；　and　so　ended　the　
history　of　our　visit　to　the　ancient　ruins　of　mighty　
and　imperial　Ko^r。

As　for　the　adventures　that　subsequently　befell　us；　
strange　and　varied　as　they　were；　I　have；　after　
deliberation；　determined　not　to　record　them　here。　In　
these　pages　I　have　only　tried　to　give　a　short　and　
clear　account　of　an　occurrence　which　I　believe　to　be　
unprecedented；　and　this　I　have　done；　not　with　a　view　
to　immediate　publication；　but　merely　to　put　on　paper　
while　they　are　yet　fresh　in　our　memories　the　details　
of　our　journey　and　its　result；　which　will；　I　believe；　
prove　interesting　to　the　world　if　ever　we　determine　to　
make　them　public。　This；　as　at　present　advised；　we　do　
not　intend　should　be　done　during　our　joint　lives。

For　the　rest；　it　is　of　no　public　interest；　resembling　
as　it　does　the　experience　of　more　than　one　Central　
African　traveller。　Suffice　it　to　say；　that　we　did；　
after　incredible　hardships　and　privations；　reach　the　
Zambesi；　which　proved　to　be　about　a　hundred　and　
seventy　miles　south　of　where　Billali　left　us。　There　we　
were　for　six　months　imprisoned　by　a　savage　tribe；　who　
believed　us　to　be　supernatural　beings；　chiefly　on　
account　of　Leo's　youthful　face　and　snow…white　hair。　
From　these　people　we　ultimately　escaped；　and；　crossing　
the　Zambesi；　wandered　off　southward；　where；　when　on　
the　point　of　starvation；　we　were　sufficiently　
fortunate　to　fall　in　with　a　half…caste　Portuguese　
elephant…hunter　who　had　followed　a　troop　of　elephants　
farther　inland　than　he　had　ever　been　before。　This　man　
treated　us　most　hospitably；　and　ultimately　through　his　
assistance　we；　after　innumerable　sufferings　and　
adventures；　reached　Delagoa　Bay；　more　than　eighteen　
months　from　the　time　when　we　emerged　from　the　marshes　
of　Ko^r；　and　the　very　next　day　managed　to　catch　one　of　
the　steamboats　that　run　round　the　Cape　to　England。　Our　
journey　home　was　a　prosperous　one；　and　we　set　our　foot　
on　the　quay　at　Southampton　exactly　two　years　from　the　
date　of　our　departure　upon　our　wild　and　seemingly　
ridiculous　quest；　and　I　now　write　these　last　words　
with　Leo　leaning　over　my　shoulder　in　my　old　room　in　my　
college；　the　very　same　into　which；　some　two…and…twenty　
years　ago；　my　poor　friend　Vincey　came　stumbling　on　the　
memorable　night　of　his　death；　bearing　the　iron　chest　
with　him。

And　that　is　the　end　of　this　history　so　far　as　it　
concerns　science　and　the　outside　world。　What　its　end　
will　be　as　regards　Leo　and　myself　is　more　than　I　can　
guess　at。　But　we　feel　that　it　is　not　reached　yet。　A　
story　that　began　more　than　two　thousand　years　ago　may　
stretch　a　long　way　into　the　dim　and　distant　future。

Is　Leo　really　a　reincarnation　of　the　ancient　
Kallikrates　of　whom　the　inscription　tells？　Or　was　
Ayesha　deceived　by　some　strange　hereditary　
resemblance？　The　reader　must　form　his　own　opinion　on　
this　as　on　many　other　matters。　I　have　mine；　which　is　
that　she　made　no　such　mistake。

Often　I　sit　alone　at　night；　staring　with；　the　eyes　of　
the　mind　into　the　blackness　of　unborn　time；　and　
wondering　in　what　shape　and　form　the　great　drama　will　
be　finally　developed；　and　where　the　scene　of　its　next　
act　will　be　laid。　And　when　that　final　development　
ultimately　occurs；　as　I　have　no　doubt　it　must　and　will　
occur；　in　obedience　to　a　fate　that　never　swerves　and　a　
purpose　that　cannot　be　altered；　what　will　be　the　part　
played　therein　by　that　beautiful　Egyptian　Amenartas；　
the　princess　of　the　ro