allan quatermain-第3部分

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I　fairly　jumped　at　his　words。　　'You　don't　say　so！'　I　said。



'Yes　I　do；　though；　and　so　does　Good；　don't　you；　Good？'



'Rather；'　said　that　gentleman。



'Listen；　old　fellow；'　went　on　Sir　Henry；　with　considerable　animation　

of　manner。　　'I'm　tired　of　it　too；　dead…tired　of　doing　nothing　

more　except　play　the　squire　in　a　country　that　is　sick　of　squires。　　

For　a　year　or　more　I　have　been　getting　as　restless　as　an　old　

elephant　who　scents　danger。　　I　am　always　dreaming　of　Kukuanaland　

and　Gagool　and　King　Solomon's　Mines。　　I　can　assure　you　I　have　

become　the　victim　of　an　almost　unaccountable　craving。　　I　am　sick　

of　shooting　pheasants　and　partridges；　and　want　to　have　a　go　at　

some　large　game　again。　　There；　you　know　the　feeling　　when　one　

has　once　tasted　brandy　and　water；　milk　becomes　insipid　to　the　

palate。　　That　year　we　spent　together　up　in　Kukuanaland　seems　

to　me　worth　all　the　other　years　of　my　life　put　together。　　I　dare　

say　that　I　am　a　fool　for　my　pains；　but　I　can't　help　it；　I　long　

to　go；　and；　what　is　more；　I　mean　to　go。'　　He　paused；　and　then　

went　on　again。　　'And；　after　all；　why　should　I　not　go？　　I　have　

no　wife　or　parent；　no　chick　or　child　to　keep　me。　　If　anything　

happens　to　me　the　baronetcy　will　go　to　my　brother　George　and　

his　boy；　as　it　would　ultimately　do　in　any　case。　　I　am　of　no　importance　

to　any　one。'



'Ah！'　I　said；　'I　thought　you　would　come　to　that　sooner　or　later。　　

And　now；　Good；　what　is　your　reason　for　wanting　to　trek；　have　

you　got　one？'



'I　have；'　said　Good；　solemnly。　　'I　never　do　anything　without　

a　reason；　and　it　isn't　a　lady　　at　least；　if　it　is；　it's　several。'



I　looked　at　him　again。　　Good　is　so　overpoweringly　frivolous。　　

'What　is　it？'　I　said。



'Well；　if　you　really　want　to　know；　though　I'd　rather　not　speak　

of　a　delicate　and　strictly　personal　matter；　I'll　tell　you：　I'm　

getting　too　fat。'



'Shut　up；　Good！'　said　Sir　Henry。　　'And　now；　Quatermain；　tell　

us；　where　do　you　propose　going　to？'



I　lit　my　pipe；　which　had　gone　out；　before　answering。



'Have　you　people　ever　heard　of　Mt　Kenia？'　I　asked。



'Don't　know　the　place；'　said　Good。



'Did　you　ever　hear　of　the　Island　of　Lamu？'　I　asked　again。



'No。　　Stop；　though　　isn't　it　a　place　about　300　miles　north　of　Zanzibar？'



'Yes。　　Now　listen。　　What　I　have　to　propose　is　this。　　That　we　

go　to　Lamu　and　thence　make　our　way　about　250　miles　inland　to　

Mt　Kenia；　from　Mt　Kenia　on　inland　to　Mt　Lekakisera；　another　200　

miles；　or　thereabouts；　beyond　which　no　white　man　has　to　the　best　

of　my　belief　ever　been；　and　then；　if　we　get　so　far；　right　on　

into　the　unknown　interior。　　What　do　you　say　to　that；　my　hearties？'



'It's　a　big　order；'　said　Sir　Henry；　reflectively。



'You　are　right；'　I　answered；　'it　is；　but　I　take　it　that　we　are　

all　three　of　us　in　search　of　a　big　order。　　We　want　a　change　of　

scene；　and　we　are　likely　to　get　one　　a　thorough　change。　　All　

my　life　I　have　longed　to　visit　those　parts；　and　I　mean　to　do　

it　before　I　die。　　My　poor　boy's　death　has　broken　the　last　link　

between　me　and　civilization；　and　I'm　off　to　my　native　wilds。　　

And　now　I'll　tell　you　another　thing；　and　that　is；　that　for　years　

and　years　I　have　heard　rumours　of　a　great　white　race　which　is　

supposed　to　have　its　home　somewhere　up　in　this　direction；　and　

I　have　a　mind　to　see　if　there　is　any　truth　in　them。　　If　you　fellows　

like　to　come；　well　and　good；　if　not；　I'll　go　alone。'



'I'm　your　man；　though　I　don't　believe　in　your　white　race；'　said　

Sir　Henry　Curtis；　rising　and　placing　his　arm　upon　my　shoulder。



'Ditto；'　remarked　Good。　　'I'll　go　into　training　at　once。　　By　

all　means　let's　go　to　Mt　Kenia　and　the　other　place　with　an　

unpronounceable　name；　and　look　for　a　white　race　that　does　not　exist。　　

It's　all　one　to　me。'



'When　do　you　propose　to　start？'　asked　Sir　Henry。



'This　day　month；'　I　answered；　'by　the　British　India　steamboat；　

and　don't　you　be　so　certain　that　things　have　no　existence　because　

you　do　not　happen　to　have　heard　of　them。　　Remember　King　Solomon's　mines！'





Some　fourteen　weeks　or　so　had　passed　since　the　date　of　this　conversation；　

and　this　history　goes　on　its　way　in　very　different　surroundings。



After　much　deliberation　and　inquiry　we　came　to　the　conclusion　

that　our　best　starting…point　for　Mt　Kenia　would　be　from　the　neighbourhood　

of　the　mouth　of　the　Tana　River；　and　not　from　Mombassa；　a　place　

over　100　miles　nearer　Zanzibar。　　This　conclusion　we　arrived　at　

from　information　given　to　us　by　a　German　trader　whom　we　met　upon　

the　steamer　at　Aden。　　I　think　that　he　was　the　dirtiest　German　

I　ever　knew；　but　he　was　a　good　fellow；　and　gave　us　a　great　deal　

of　valuable　information。　　'Lamu；'　said　he；　'you　goes　to　Lamu　

　oh　ze　beautiful　place！'　and　he　turned　up　his　fat　face　and　

beamed　with　mild　rapture。　　'One　year　and　a　half　I　live　there　

and　never　change　my　shirt　　never　at　all。'



And　so　it　came　to　pass　that　on　arriving　at　the　island　we　disembarked　

with　all　our　goods　and　chattels；　and；　not　knowing　where　to　go；　

marched　boldly　up　to　the　house　of　Her　Majesty's　Consul；　where　

we　were　most　hospitably　received。



Lamu　is　a　very　curious　place；　but　the　things　which　stand　out　

most　clearly　in　my　memory　in　connection　with　it　are　its　exceeding　

dirtiness　and　its　smells。　　These　last　are　simply　awful。　　Just　

below　the　Consulate　is　the　beach；　or　rather　a　mud　bank　that　is　

called　a　beach。　　It　is　left　quite　bare　at　low　tide；　and　serves　

as　a　repository　for　all　the　filth；　offal；　and　refuse　of　the　town。　　

Here　it　is；　too；　that　the　women　come　to　bury　coconuts　in　the　

mud；　leaving　them　there　till　the　outer　husk　is　quite　rotten；　

when　they　dig　them　up　again　and　use　the　fibres　to　make　mats　with；　

and　for　various　other　purposes。　　As　this　process　has　been　going　

on　for　generations；　the　condition　of　the　shore　can　be　better　

imagined　than　described。　　I　have　smelt　many　evil　odours　in　the　

course　of　my　life；　but　the　concentrated　essence　of　stench　which　

arose　from　that　beach　at　Lamu　as　we　sat　in　the　moonlit　night　

　not　under；　but　on　our　friend　the　Consul's　hospitable　roof　

　and　sniffed　it；　makes　the　remembrance　of　them　very　poor　and　

faint。　　No　wonder　people　get　fever　at　Lamu。　　And　yet　the　place　

was　not　without　a　certain　quaintness　and　charm　of　its　own；　though　

possibly　　indeed　probably　　it　was　one　which　would　quickly　

pall。



'Well；　where　are　you　gentlemen　steering　for？'　asked　our　friend　

the　hospitable　Consul；　as　we　smoked　our　pipes　after　dinner。



'We　propose　to　go　to　Mt　Kenia　and　then　on　to　Mt　Lekakisera；'　

answered　Sir　Henry。　　'Quatermain　has　got　hold　of　some　yarn　about　

there　being　a　white　race　up　in　the　unknown　territories　beyond。'



The　Consul　looked　interested；　and　answered　that　he　had　heard　

something　of　that；　too。



'What　have　you　heard？'　I　asked。



'Oh；　not　much。　　All　I　know　about　it　is　that　a　year　or　so　ago　

I　got　a　letter　from　Mackenzie；　the　Scotch　missionary；　whose　station；　

〃The　Highlands〃；　is　placed　at　the　highest　navigable　point　of　

the　Tana　River；　in　which　he　said　something　about　it。'



'Have　you　the　letter？'　I　asked。



'No；　I　destroyed　it；　but　I　remember　that　he　said　that　a　man　had　

arrived　at　his　station　who　declared　that　two　months'　journey　

beyond　Mt　Lekakisera；　which　no　white　man　has　yet　visited　　at　

least；　so　far　as　I　know　　he　found　a　lake　called　Laga；　and　that　

then　he　went　off　to　the　north…east；　a　month's　journey；　over　desert　

and　thorn　veldt　and　great　mountains；　till　he　came　to　a　country　

where　the　people　are　white　and　live　in　stone　houses。　　Here　he　

was　hospitably　entertained　for　a　while；　till　at　last　the　priests　

of　the　country　set　it　about　that　he　was　a　devil；　and　the　people　

drove　him　away；　and　he　journeyed　for　eight　months　and　reached　

Mackenzie's　place；　as　I　heard；　dying。　　That's　all　I　know；　and　

if　you　ask　me；　I　believe　that　it　is　a　lie；　but　if　you　want　to　

find　out　more　about　it；　you　had　better　go　up　the　Tana　to　Mackenzie's　

place　and　ask　him　for　information。'



Sir　Henry　and　I　looked　at　each　other。　　Here　was　something　tangible。



'I　think　that　we　will　go　to　Mr　Mackenzie's；'　I　said。



'Well；'　answered　the　Consul；　'that　is　your　best　way；　but　I　warn　

you　that　you　are　likely　to　have　a　rough　journey；　for　I　hear　that　

the　Masai　are　about；　and；　as　you　know；　they　are　not　pleasant　

customers。　　Your　best　plan　will　be　to　choose　a　few　picked　men　

for　personal　servants　and　hunters；　and　to　hire　bearers　from　village　

to　village。　　It　will　give　you　an　infinity　of　trouble；　but　perhaps　

on　the　whole　it　will　prove　a　cheaper　and　more　advantageous　course　

than　engaging　a　caravan；　and　you　will　be　less　liable　to　desertion。'



Fortunately　there　were　at　Lamu　at　this　time　a　part　of　Wakwafi　

Askari　（soldiers）。　　The　Wakwafi；　who　are　a　cross　between　the　

Masai　and　the　Wataveta；　are　a　fine　manly　race；　possessing　many　

of　the　good　qualities　of　the　Zulu；　and　a　great　capacity　for　civilization。　　

They　are　also　great　hunters。　　As　it　happened；　these　particular　

men　had　recently　been　on　a　long　trip　with　an　Englishman　named　

Jutson；　who　had　started　from　Mombasa；　a　port　about　150　miles　

below　Lamu；　and　journeyed　right　rough　Kilimanjaro；　one　of　the　

highest　known　mountains　in　Africa。　　Poor　fellow；　he　had　died　

of　fever　when　on　his　return　journey；　and　within　a　day's　march　

of　Mombasa。　　It　does　seem　hard　that　he　should　have　gone　off　thus　

when　within　a　few　hours　of　safety；　and　after　having　survived　

so　many　perils；　but　so　it　was。　　His　hunters　buried　him；　and　then　

came　on　to　Lamu　in　a　dhow。　　Our　friend　the　Consul　suggested　to　

us　that　we　had　better　try　and　hire　these　men；　and　accordingly　

on　the　following　morning　we　started　to　interview　the　party；　

accompanied　by　an　interpreter。



In　due　course　we　found　them　in　a　mud　hut　on　the　outskirts　of　

the　town。　　Three　of　the　men　were　sitting　outside　the　hut；　and　

fine　frank…looking　fellows　they　were；　having　a　more　or　less　civilized　

appearance。　　To　them　we　cautio