allan quatermain-第16部分

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those　whom　I　shall　slay　tonight。'



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

more　quietly。'



Alphonse　retreated；　and　I　heard　no　more　of　his　groans。　　And　so　

the　time　passed；　till　at　length　Mr　Mackenzie　called　me　in　a　whisper　

through　the　window；　for　of　course　everything　had　now　to　be　done　

in　the　most　absolute　silence。　　'Three　o'clock；'　he　said：　'we　

must　begin　to　move　at　half…past。'



I　told　him　to　come　in；　and　presently　he　entered；　and　I　am　bound　

to　say　that　if　it　had　not　been　that　just　then　I　had　not　got　a　

laugh　anywhere　about　me；　I　should　have　exploded　at　the　sight　

he　presented　armed　for　battle。　　To　begin　with；　he　had　on　a　clergyman's　

black　swallow…tail　and　a　kind　of　broad…rimmed　black　felt　hat；　

both　of　which　he　had　donned　on　account；　he　said；　of　their　dark　

colour。　　In　his　hand　was　the　Winchester　repeating　rifle　we　had　

lent　him；　and　stuck　in　an　elastic　cricketing　belt；　like　those　

worn　by　English　boys；　were；　first；　a　huge　buckhorn…handled　carving　

knife　with　a　guard　to　it；　and　next　a　long…barrelled　Colt's　revolver。



'Ah；　my　friend；'　he　said；　seeing　me　staring　at　his　belt；　'you　

are　looking　at　my　〃carver〃。　　I　thought　it　might　come　in　handy　

if　we　came　to　close　quarters；　it　is　excellent　steel；　and　many　

is　the　pig　I　have　killed　with　it。'



By　this　time　everybody　was　up　and　dressing。　　I　put　on　a　light　

Norfolk　jacket　over　my　mail　shirt　in　order　to　have　a　pocket　handy　

to　hold　my　cartridges；　and　buckled　on　my　revolver。　　Good　did　

the　same；　but　Sir　Henry　put　on　nothing　except　his　mail　shirt；　

steel…lined　cap；　and　a　pair　of　'veldt…schoons'　or　soft　hide　shoes；　

his　legs　being　bare　from　the　knees　down。　　His　revolver　he　strapped　

on　round　his　middle　outside　the　armoured　shirt。



Meanwhile　Umslopogaas　was　mustering　the　men　in　the　square　under　

the　big　tree　and　going　the　rounds　to　see　that　each　was　properly　

armed；　etc。　　At　the　last　moment　we　made　one　change。　　Finding　

that　two　of　the　men　who　were　to　have　gone　with　the　firing　parties　

knew　little　or　nothing　of　guns；　but　were　good　spearsmen；　we　took　

away　their　rifles；　supplied　them　with　shields　and　long　spears　

of　the　Masai　pattern；　and　took　them　off　to　join　Curtis；　Umslopogaas；　

and　the　Askari　in　holding　the　wide　opening；　it　having　become　

clear　to　us　that　three　men；　however　brave　and　strong；　were　too　

few　for　the　work。









CHAPTER　VII

A　SLAUGHTER　GRIM　AND　GREAT







Then　there　was　a　pause；　and　we　stood　there　in　the　chilly　silent　

darkness　waiting　till　the　moment　came　to　start。　　It　was；　perhaps；　

the　most　trying　time　of　all　　that　slow；　slow　quarter　of　an　

hour。　　The　minutes　seemed　to　drag　along　with　leaden　feet；　and　

the　quiet；　the　solemn　hush；　that　brooded　over　all　　big；　as　

it　were；　with　a　coming　fate；　was　most　oppressive　to　the　spirits。　　

I　once　remember　having　to　get　up　before　dawn　to　see　a　man　hanged；　

and　I　then　went　through　a　very　similar　set　of　sensations；　only　

in　the　present　instance　my　feelings　were　animated　by　that　more　

vivid　and　personal　element　which　naturally　appertains　rather　

to　the　person　to　be　operated　on　than　to　the　most　sympathetic　

spectator。　　The　solemn　faces　of　the　men；　well　aware　that　the　

short　passage　of　an　hour　would　mean　for　some；　and　perhaps　all　

of　them；　the　last　great　passage　to　the　unknown　or　oblivion；　the　

bated　whispers　in　which　they　spoke；　even　Sir　Henry's　continuous　

and　thoughtful　examination　of　his　woodcutter's　axe　and　the　fidgety　

way　in　which　Good　kept　polishing　his　eyeglass；　all　told　the　same　

tale　of　nerves　stretched　pretty　nigh　to　breaking…point。　　Only　

Umslopogaas；　leaning　as　usual　upon　Inkosi…kaas　and　taking　an　

occasional　pinch　of　snuff；　was　to　all　appearance　perfectly　and　

completely　unmoved。　　Nothing　could　touch　his　iron　nerves。



The　moon　went　down。　　For　a　long　while　she　had　been　getting　nearer　

and　nearer　to　the　horizon。　　Now　she　finally　sank　and　left　the　

world　in　darkness　save　for　a　faint　grey　tinge　in　the　eastern　

sky　that　palely　heralded　the　dawn。



Mr　Mackenzie　stood；　watch　in　hand；　his　wife　clinging　to　his　arm　

and　striving　to　stifle　her　sobs。



'Twenty　minutes　to　four；'　he　said；　'it　ought　to　be　light　enough　

to　attack　at　twenty　minutes　past　four。　　Captain　Good　had　better　

be　moving；　he　will　want　three　or　four　minutes'　start。'



Good　gave　one　final　polish　to　his　eyeglass；　nodded　to　us　in　a　

jocular　sort　of　way　　which　I　could　not　help　feeling　it　must　

have　cost　him　something　to　muster　up　　and；　ever　polite；　took　

off　his　steel…lined　cap　to　Mrs　Mackenzie　and　started　for　his　

position　at　the　head　of　the　kraal；　to　reach　which　he　had　to　make　

a　detour　by　some　paths　known　to　the　natives。



Just　then　one　of　the　boys　came　in　and　reported　that　everybody　

in　the　Masai　camp；　with　the　exception　of　the　two　sentries　who　

were　walking　up　and　down　in　front　of　the　respective　entrances；　

appeared　to　be　fast　asleep。　　Then　the　rest　of　us　took　the　road。　　

First　came　the　guide；　then　Sir　Henry；　Umslopogaas；　the　Wakwafi　

Askari；　and　Mr　Mackenzie's　two　mission　natives　armed　with　long　

spears　and　shields。　　I　followed　immediately　after　with　Alphonse　

and　five　natives　all　armed　with　guns；　and　Mr　Mackenzie　brought　

up　the　rear　with　the　six　remaining　natives。



The　cattle　kraal　where　the　Masai　were　camped　lay　at　the　foot　

of　the　hill　on　which　the　house　stood；　or；　roughly　speaking；　about　

eight　hundred　yards　from　the　Mission　buildings。　　The　first　five　

hundred　yards　of　this　distance　we　traversed　quietly　indeed；　but　

at　a　good　pace；　after　that　we　crept　forward　as　silently　as　a　

leopard　on　his　prey；　gliding　like　ghosts　from　bush　to　bush　and　

stone　to　stone。　　When　I　had　gone　a　little　way　I　chanced　to　look　

behind　me；　and　saw　the　redoubtable　Alphonse　staggering　along　

with　white　face　and　trembling　knees；　and　his　rifle；　which　was　

at　full　cock；　pointed　directly　at　the　small　of　my　back。　　Having　

halted　and　carefully　put　the　rifle　at　'safety'；　we　started　again；　

and　all　went　well　till　we　were　within　one　hundred　yards　or　so　

of　the　kraal；　when　his　teeth　began　to　chatter　in　the　most　aggressive　way。



'If　you　don't　stop　that　I　will　kill　you；'　I　whispered　savagely；　

for　the　idea　of　having　all　our　lives　sacrificed　to　a　tooth…chattering　

cook　was　too　much　for　me。　　I　began　to　fear　that　he　would　betray　

us；　and　heartily　wished　we　had　left　him　behind。



'But；　monsieur；　I　cannot　help　it；'　he　answered；　'it　is　the　cold。'



Here　was　a　dilemma；　but　fortunately　I　devised　a　plan。　　In　the　

pocket　of　the　coat　I　had　on　was　a　small　piece　of　dirty　rag　that　

I　had　used　some　time　before　to　clean　a　gun　with。　　'Put　this　in　

your　mouth；'　I　whispered　again；　giving　him　the　rag；　'and　if　I　

hear　another　sound　you　are　a　dead　man。'　　I　knew　that　that　would　

stifle　the　clatter　of　his　teeth。　　I　must　have　looked　as　if　I　

meant　what　I　said；　for　he　instantly　obeyed　me；　and　continued　

his　journey　in　silence。



Then　we　crept　on　again。



At　last　we　were　within　fifty　yards　of　the　kraal。　　Between　us　

and　it　was　an　open　space　of　sloping　grass　with　only　one　mimosa　

bush　and　a　couple　of　tussocks　of　a　sort　of　thistle　for　cover。　　

We　were　still　hidden　in　fairly　thick　bush。　　It　was　beginning　

to　grow　light。　　The　stars　had　paled　and　a　sickly　gleam　played　

about　the　east　and　was　reflected　on　the　earth。　　We　could　see　

the　outline　of　the　kraal　clearly　enough；　and　could　also　make　

out　the　faint　glimmer　of　the　dying　embers　of　the　Masai　camp…fires。　　

We　halted　and　watched；　for　the　sentry　we　knew　was　posted　at　

the　opening。　　Presently　he　appeared；　a　fine　tall　fellow；　walking　

idly　up　and　down　within　five　paces　of　the　thorn…stopped　entrance。　　

We　had　hoped　to　catch　him　napping；　but　it　was　not　to　be。　　He　

seemed　particularly　wide　awake。　　If　we　could　not　kill　that　man；　

and　kill　him　silently；　we　were　lost。　　There　we　crouched　and　watched　

him。　　Presently　Umslopogaas；　who　was　a　few　paces　ahead　of　me；　

turned　and　made　a　sign；　and　next　second　I　saw　him　go　down　on　

his　stomach　like　a　snake；　and；　taking　an　opportunity　when　the　

sentry's　head　was　turned；　begin　to　work　his　way　through　the　grass　

without　a　sound。



The　unconscious　sentry　commenced　to　hum　a　little　tune；　and　Umslopogaas　

crept　on。　　He　reached　the　shelter　of　the　mimosa　bush　unperceived　

and　there　waited。　　Still　the　sentry　walked　up　and　down。　　Presently　

he　turned　and　looked　over　the　wall　into　the　camp。　　Instantly　

the　human　snake　who　was　stalking　him　glided　on　ten　yards　and　

got　behind　one　of　the　tussocks　of　the　thistle…like　plant；　reaching　

it　as　the　Elmoran　turned　again。　　As　he　did　so　his　eye　fell　upon　

this　patch　of　thistles；　and　it　seemed　to　strike　him　that　it　did　

not　look　quite　right。　　He　advanced　a　pace　towards　it　　halted；　

yawned；　stooped　down；　picked　up　a　little　pebble　and　threw　it　

at　it。　　It　hit　Umslopogaas　upon　the　head；　luckily　not　upon　the　

armour　shirt。　　Had　it　done　so　the　clink　would　have　betrayed　us。　　

Luckily；　too；　the　shirt　was　browned　and　not　bright　steel；　which　

would　certainly　have　been　detected。　　Apparently　satisfied　that　

there　was　nothing　wrong；　he　then　gave　over　his　investigations　

and　contented　himself　with　leaning　on　his　spear　and　standing　

gazing　idly　at　the　tuft。　　For　at　least　three　minutes　did　he　stand　

thus；　plunged　apparently　in　a　gentle　reverie；　and　there　we　lay　

in　the　last　extremity　of　anxiety；　expecting　every　moment　that　

we　should　be　discovered　or　that　some　untoward　accident　would　

happen。　　I　could　hear　Alphonse's　teeth　going　like　anything　on　

the　oiled　rag；　and　turning　my　head　round　made　an　awful　face　at　

him。　　But　I　am　bound　to　state　that　my　own　heart　was　at　much　the　

same　game　as　the　Frenchman's　castanets；　while　the　perspiration　

was　pouring　from　my　body；　causing　the　wash…leather…lined　shirt　

to　stick　to　me　unpleasantly；　and　altogether　I　was　in　the　pitiable　

state　known　by　schoolboys　as　a　'blue　fright'。



At　last　the　ordeal　came　to　an　end。　　The　sentry　glanced　at　the　

east；　and　appeared