allan quatermain-第15部分

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our　own　people　would　be　shot；　besides；　it　appeared　to　all　of　

us　that　the　work　they　had　to　do　would　best　be　carried　out　with　

cold　steel　　especially　to　Umslopogaas；　who　was；　indeed；　a　great　

advocate　of　cold　steel。　　We　had　with　us　four　Winchester　repeating　

rifles；　besides　half　a　dozen　Martinis。　　I　armed　myself　with　one　

of　the　repeaters　　my　own；　an　excellent　weapon　for　this　kind　

of　work；　where　great　rapidity　of　fire　is　desirable；　and　fitted　

with　ordinary　flap…sights　instead　of　the　cumbersome　sliding　mechanism　

which　they　generally　have。　　Mr　Mackenzie　took　another；　and　the　

two　remaining　ones　were　given　to　two　of　his　men　who　understood　

the　use　of　them　and　were　noted　shots。　　The　Martinis　and　some　

rifles　of　Mr　Mackenzie's　were　served　out；　together　with　a　plentiful　

supply　of　ammunition；　to　the　other　natives　who　were　to　form　the　

two　parties　whose　duty　it　was　to　be　to　open　fire　from　separate　

sides　of　the　kraal　on　the　sleeping　Masai；　and　who　were　fortunately　

all　more　or　less　accustomed　to　the　use　of　a　gun。



As　for　Umslopogaas；　we　know　how　he　was　armed　　with　an　axe。　　

It　may　be　remembered　that　he；　Sir　Henry；　and　the　strongest　of　

the　Askari　were　to　hold　the　thorn…stopped　entrance　to　the　kraal　

against　the　anticipated　rush　of　men　striving　to　escape。　　Of　course；　

for　such　a　purpose　as　this　guns　were　useless。　　Therefore　Sir　

Henry　and　the　Askari　proceeded　to　arm　themselves　in　like　fashion。　　

It　so　happened　that　Mr　Mackenzie　had　in　his　little　store　a　selection　

of　the　very　best　and　English…made　hammer…backed　axe…heads。　　Sir　

Henry　selected　one　of　these　weighing　about　two　and　a　half　pounds　

and　very　broad　in　the　blade；　and　the　Askari　took　another　a　size　

smaller。　　After　Umslopogaas　had　put　an　extra　edge　on　these　two　

axe…heads；　we　fixed　them　to　three　feet　six　helves；　of　which　Mr　

Mackenzie　fortunately　had　some　in　stock；　made　of　a　light　but　

exceedingly　tough　native　wood；　something　like　English　ash；　only　

more　springy。　　When　two　suitable　helves　had　been　selected　with　

great　care　and　the　ends　of　the　hafts　notched　to　prevent　the　hand　

from　slipping；　the　axe…heads　were　fixed　on　them　as　firmly　as　

possible；　and　the　weapons　immersed　in　a　bucket　of　water　for　half　

an　hour。　　The　result　of　this　was　to　swell　the　wood　in　the　socket　

in　such　a　fashion　that　nothing　short　of　burning　would　get　it　

out　again。　　When　this　important　matter　had　been　attended　to　by　

Umslopogaas；　I　went　into　my　room　and　proceeded　to　open　a　little　

tin…lined　deal　case；　which　contained　　what　do　you　think？　　

nothing　more　or　less　than　four　mail　shirts。



It　had　happened　to　us　three　on　a　previous　journey　that　we　had　

made　in　another　part　of　Africa　to　owe　our　lives　to　iron　shirts　

of　native　make；　and　remembering　this；　I　had　suggested　before　

we　started　on　our　present　hazardous　expedition　that　we　should　

have　some　made　to　fit　us。　　There　was　a　little　difficulty　about　

this；　as　armour…making　is　pretty　well　an　extinct　art；　but　they　

can　do　most　things　in　the　way　of　steel　work　in　Birmingham　if　

they　are　put　to　it　and　you　will　pay　the　price；　and　the　end　of　

it　was　that　they　turned　us　out　the　loveliest　steel　shirts　it　

is　possible　to　see。　　The　workmanship　was　exceedingly　fine；　the　

web　being　composed　of　thousands　upon　thousands　of　stout　but　tiny　

rings　of　the　best　steel　made。　　These　shirts；　or　rather　steel…sleeved　

and　high…necked　jerseys；　were　lined　with　ventilated　wash　leather；　

were　not　bright；　but　browned　like　the　barrel　of　a　gun；　and　mine　

weighed　exactly　seven　pounds　and　fitted　me　so　well　that　I　found　

I　could　wear　it　for　days　next　to　my　skin　without　being　chafed。　　

Sir　Henry　had　two；　one　of　the　ordinary　make；　viz。　a　jersey　with　

little　dependent　flaps　meant　to　afford　some　protection　to　the　

upper　part　of　the　thighs；　and　another　of　his　own　design　fashioned　

on　the　pattern　of　the　garments　advertised　as　'combinations'　and　

weighing　twelve　pounds。　　This　combination　shirt；　of　which　the　

seat　was　made　of　wash…leather；　protected　the　whole　body　down　

to　the　knees；　but　was　rather　more　cumbersome；　inasmuch　as　it　

had　to　be　laced　up　at　the　back　and；　of　course；　involved　some　

extra　weight。　　With　these　shirts　were　what　looked　like　four　brown　

cloth　travelling　caps　with　ear　pieces。　　Each　of　these　caps　was；　

however；　quilted　with　steel　links　so　as　to　afford　a　most　valuable　

protection　for　the　head。



It　seems　almost　laughable　to　talk　of　steel　shirts　in　these　days　

of　bullets；　against　which　they　are　of　course　quite　useless；　but　

where　one　has　to　do　with　savages；　armed　with　cutting　weapons　

such　as　assegais　or　battleaxes；　they　afford　the　most　valuable　

protection；　being；　if　well　made；　quite　invulnerable　to　them。　　

I　have　often　thought　that　if　only　the　English　Government　had　

in　our　savage　wars；　and　more　especially　in　the　Zulu　war；　thought　

fit　to　serve　out　light　steel　shirts；　there　would　be　many　a　man　

alive　today　who；　as　it　is；　is　dead　and　forgotten。



To　return：　on　the　present　occasion　we　blessed　our　foresight　in　

bringing　these　shirts；　and　also　our　good　luck；　in　that　they　had　

not　been　stolen　by　our　rascally　bearers　when　they　ran　away　with　

our　goods。　　As　Curtis　had　two；　and　after　considerable　deliberation；　

had　made　up　his　mind　to　wear　his　combination　one　himself　　the　

extra　three　or　four　pounds'　weight　being　a　matter　of　no　account　

to　so　strong　a　man；　and　the　protection　afforded　to　the　thighs　

being　a　very　important　matter　to　a　fighting　man　not　armed　with　

a　shield　of　any　kind　　I　suggested　that　he　should　lend　the　other　

to　Umslopogaas；　who　was　to　share　the　danger　and　the　glory　of　

his　post。　　He　readily　consented；　and　called　the　Zulu；　who　came　

bearing　Sir　Henry's　axe；　which　he　had　now　fixed　up　to　his　satisfaction；　

with　him。　　When　we　showed　him　the　steel　shirt；　and　explained　

to　him　that　we　wanted　him　to　wear　it；　he　at　first　declined；　saying　

that　he　had　fought　in　his　own　skin　for　thirty　years；　and　that　

he　was　not　going　to　begin　now　to　fight　in　an　iron　one。　　Thereupon　

I　took　a　heavy　spear；　and；　spreading　the　shirt　upon　the　floor；　

drove　the　spear　down　upon　it　with　all　my　strength；　the　weapon　

rebounding　without　leaving　a　mark　upon　the　tempered　steel。　　This　

exhibition　half　converted　him；　and　when　I　pointed　out　to　him　

how　necessary　it　was　that　he　should　not　let　any　old…fashioned　

prejudices　he　might　possess　stand　in　the　way　of　a　precaution　

which　might　preserve　a　valuable　life　at　a　time　when　men　were　

scarce；　and　also　that　if　he　wore　this　shirt　he　might　dispense　

with　a　shield；　and　so　have　both　hands　free；　he　yielded　at　once；　

and　proceeded　to　invest　his　frame　with　the　'iron　skin'。　　And　

indeed；　although　made　for　Sir　Henry；　it　fitted　the　great　Zulu　

like　a　skin。　　The　two　men　were　almost　of　a　height；　and；　though　

Curtis　looked　the　bigger　man；　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　the　

difference　was　more　imaginary　than　real；　the　fact　being　that；　

although　he　was　plumper　and　rounder；　he　was　not　really　bigger；　

except　in　the　arm。　　Umslopogaas　had；　comparatively　speaking；　

thin　arms；　but　they　were　as　strong　as　wire　ropes。　　At　any　rate；　

when　they　both　stood；　axe　in　hand；　invested　in　the　brown　mail；　

which　clung　to　their　mighty　forms　like　a　web　garment；　showing　

the　swell　of　every　muscle　and　the　curve　of　every　line；　they　formed　

a　pair　that　any　ten　men　might　shrink　from　meeting。



It　was　now　nearly　one　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and　the　spies　reported　

that；　after　having　drunk　the　blood　of　the　oxen　and　eaten　enormous　

quantities　of　meat；　the　Masai　were　going　to　sleep　round　their　

watchfires；　but　that　sentries　had　been　posted　at　each　opening　

of　the　kraal。　　Flossie；　they　added；　was　sitting　not　far　from　

the　wall　in　the　centre　of　the　western　side　of　the　kraal；　and　

by　her　were　the　nurse　and　the　white　donkey；　which　was　tethered　

to　a　peg。　　Her　feet　were　bound　with　a　rope；　and　warriors　were　

lying　about　all　round　her。



As　there　was　absolutely　nothing　further　that　could　be　done　then　

we　all　took　some　supper；　and　went　to　lie　down　for　a　couple　of　

hours。　　I　could　not　help　admiring　the　way　in　which　old　Umslopogaas　

flung　himself　upon　the　floor；　and；　unmindful　of　what　was　hanging　

over　him；　instantly　sank　into　a　deep　sleep。　　I　do　not　know　how　

it　was　with　the　others；　but　I　could　not　do　as　much。　　Indeed；　

as　is　usual　with　me　on　these　occasions；　I　am　sorry　to　say　that　

I　felt　rather　frightened；　and；　now　that　some　of　the　enthusiasm　

had　gone　out　of　me；　and　I　began　to　calmly　contemplate　what　we　

had　undertaken　to　do；　truth　compels　me　to　add　that　I　did　not　

like　it。　　We　were　but　thirty　men　all　told；　a　good　many　of　whom　

were　no　doubt　quite　unused　to　fighting；　and　we　were　going　to　

engage　two　hundred　and　fifty　of　the　fiercest；　bravest；　and　most　

formidable　savages　in　Africa；　who；　to　make　matters　worse；　were　

protected　by　a　stone　wall。　　It　was；　indeed；　a　mad　undertaking；　

and　what　made　it　even　madder　was　the　exceeding　improbability　

of　our　being　able　to　take　up　our　positions　without　attracting　

the　notice　of　the　sentries。　　Of　course　if　we　once　did　that　　

and　any　slight　accident；　such　as　the　chance　discharge　of　a　gun；　

might　do　it　　we　were　done　for；　for　the　whole　camp　would　be　

up　in　a　second；　and　our　only　hope　lay　in　surprise。



The　bed　whereon　I　lay　indulging　in　these　uncomfortable　reflections　

was　near　an　open　window　that　looked　on　to　the　veranda；　through　

which　came　an　extraordinary　sound　of　groaning　and　weeping。　　For　

a　time　I　could　not　make　out　what　it　was；　but　at　last　I　got　up　

and；　putting　my　head　out　of　the　window；　stared　about。　　Presently　

I　saw　a　dim　figure　kneeling　on　the　end　of　the　veranda　and　beating　

his　breast　　in　which　I　recognized　Alphonse。　　Not　being　able　

to　understand　his　French　talk　or　what　on　earth　he　was　at；　I　called　

to　him　and　asked　him　what　he　was　doing。



'Ah；　monsieur；'　he　sighed；　'I　do　make　prayer　for　the　souls　of　

those　whom　I　shall　slay　tonight。'



'Indeed；'　I　said；　'then　I　wish　that　you　would　do　it　a　little　

more　quietly。