allan quatermain-第9部分

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and　there　is　an　end　on　it；　and　I　think　we　can　give　them　a　pretty　

warm　greeting。　　I　would　not　show　any　man　the　door　for　all　the　

Masai　in　the　world。'



'That　reminds　me；'　I　said；　'the　Consul　at　Lamu　told　me　that　he　

had　had　a　letter　from　you；　in　which　you　said　that　a　man　had　arrived　

here　who　reported　that　he　had　come　across　a　white　people　in　the　

interior。　　Do　you　think　that　there　was　any　truth　in　his　story？　　

I　ask；　because　I　have　once　or　twice　in　my　life　heard　rumours　

from　natives　who　have　come　down　from　the　far　north　of　the　existence　

of　such　a　race。'



Mr　Mackenzie；　by　way　of　answer；　went　out　of　the　room　and　returned；　

bringing　with　him　a　most　curious　sword。　　It　was　long；　and　all　

the　blade；　which　was　very　thick　and　heavy；　was　to　within　a　quarter　

of　an　inch　of　the　cutting　edge　worked　into　an　ornamental　pattern　

exactly　as　we　work　soft　wood　with　a　fret…saw；　the　steel；　however；　

being　invariably　pierced　in　such　a　way　as　not　to　interfere　with　

the　strength　of　the　sword。　　This　in　itself　was　sufficiently　curious；　

but　what　was　still　more　so　was　that　all　the　edges　of　the　hollow　

spaces　cut　through　the　substance　of　the　blade　were　most　beautifully　

inlaid　with　gold；　which　was　in　some　way　that　I　cannot　understand　

welded　on　to　the　steel　｛Endnote　5｝。



'There；'　said　Mr　Mackenzie；　'did　you　ever　see　a　sword　like　that？'



We　all　examined　it　and　shook　our　heads。



'Well；　I　have　got　it　to　show　you；　because　this　is　what　the　man　

who　said　he　had　seen　the　white　people　brought　with　him；　and　because　

it　does　more　or　less　give　an　air　of　truth　to　what　I　should　otherwise　

have　set　down　as　a　lie。　　Look　here；　I　will　tell　you　all　that　

I　know　about　the　matter；　which　is　not　much。　　One　afternoon；　just　

before　sunset；　I　was　sitting　on　the　veranda；　when　a　poor；　miserable；　

starved…looking　man　came　limping　up　and　squatted　down　before　

me。　　I　asked　him　where　he　came　from　and　what　he　wanted；　and　thereon　

he　plunged　into　a　long　rambling　narrative　about　how　he　belonged　

to　a　tribe　far　in　the　north；　and　how　his　tribe　was　destroyed　

by　another　tribe；　and　he　with　a　few　other　survivors　driven　still　

further　north　past　a　lake　named　Laga。　　Thence；　it　appears；　he　

made　his　way　to　another　lake　that　lay　up　in　the　mountains；　〃a　

lake　without　a　bottom〃　he　called　it；　and　here　his　wife　and　brother　

died　of　an　infectious　sickness　　probably　smallpox　　whereon　

the　people　drove　him　out　of　their　villages　into　the　wilderness；　

where　he　wandered　miserably　over　mountains　for　ten　days；　after　

which　he　got　into　dense　thorn　forest；　and　was　one　day　found　there　

by　some　white　men　who　were　hunting；　and　who　took　him　to　a　place　

where　all　the　people　were　white　and　lived　in　stone　houses。　　Here　

he　remained　a　week　shut　up　in　a　house；　till　one　night　a　man　with　

a　white　beard；　whom　he　understood　to　be　a　〃medicine…man〃；　came　

and　inspected　him；　after　which　he　was　led　off　and　taken　through　

the　thorn　forest　to　the　confines　of　the　wilderness；　and　given　

food　and　this　sword　（at　least　so　he　said）；　and　turned　loose。'



'Well；'　said　Sir　Henry；　who　had　been　listening　with　breathless　

interest；　'and　what　did　he　do　then？'



'Oh！　he　seems；　according　to　his　account；　to　have　gone　through　

sufferings　and　hardships　innumerable；　and　to　have　lived　for　weeks　

on　roots　and　berries；　and　such　things　as　he　could　catch　and　kill。　　

But　somehow　he　did　live；　and　at　last　by　slow　degrees　made　his　

way　south　and　reached　this　place。　　What　the　details　of　his　journey　

were　I　never　learnt；　for　I　told　him　to　return　on　the　morrow；　

bidding　one　of　my　headmen　look　after　him　for　the　night。　　The　

headman　took　him　away；　but　the　poor　man　had　the　itch　so　badly　

that　the　headman's　wife　would　not　have　him　in　the　hut　for　fear　

of　catching　it；　so　he　was　given　a　blanket　and　told　to　sleep　outside。　　

As　it　happened；　we　had　a　lion　hanging　about　here　just　then；　

and　most　unhappily　he　winded　this　unfortunate　wanderer；　and；　

springing　on　him；　bit　his　head　almost　off　without　the　people　

in　the　hut　knowing　anything　about　it；　and　there　was　an　end　of　

him　and　his　story　about　the　white　people；　and　whether　or　no　there　

is　any　truth　in　it　is　more　than　I　can　tell　you。　　What　do　you　

think；　Mr　Quatermain？'



I　shook　my　head；　and　answered；　'I　don't　know。　　There　are　so　many　

queer　things　hidden　away　in　the　heart　of　this　great　continent　

that　I　should　be　sorry　to　assert　that　there　was　no　truth　in　it。　　

Anyhow；　we　mean　to　try　and　find　out。　　We　intend　to　journey　to　

Lekakisera；　and　thence；　if　we　live　to　get　so　far；　to　this　Lake　

Laga；　and；　if　there　are　any　white　people　beyond；　we　will　do　our　

best　to　find　them。'



'You　are　very　venturesome　people；'　said　Mr　Mackenzie；　

with　a　smile；　and　the　subject　dropped。









CHAPTER　IV

ALPHONSE　AND　HIS　ANNETTE







After　dinner　we　thoroughly　inspected　all　the　outbuildings　and　

grounds　of　the　station；　which　I　consider　the　most　successful　

as　well　as　the　most　beautiful　place　of　the　sort　that　I　have　seen　

in　Africa。　　We　then　returned　to　the　veranda；　where　we　found　Umslopogaas　

taking　advantage　of　this　favourable　opportunity　to　clean　all　

the　rifles　thoroughly。　　This　was　the　only　work　that　he　ever　did　

or　was　asked　to　do；　for　as　a　Zulu　chief　it　was　beneath　his　dignity　

to　work　with　his　hands；　but　such　as　it　was　he　did　it　very　well。　　

It　was　a　curious　sight　to　see　the　great　Zulu　sitting　there　upon　

the　floor；　his　battleaxe　resting　against　the　wall　behind　him；　

whilst　his　long　aristocratic…looking　hands　were　busily　employed；　

delicately　and　with　the　utmost　care；　cleaning　the　mechanism　of　

the　breech…loaders。　　He　had　a　name　for　each　gun。　　One　　a　double　

four…bore　belonging　to　Sir　Henry　　was　the　Thunderer；　another；　

my　500　Express；　which　had　a　peculiarly　sharp　report；　was　'the　

little　one　who　spoke　like　a　whip'；　the　Winchester　repeaters　were　

'the　women；　who　talked　so　fast　that　you　could　not　tell　one　word　

from　another'；　the　six　Martinis　were　'the　common　people'；　and　

so　on　with　them　all。　　It　was　very　curious　to　hear　him　addressing　

each　gun　as　he　cleaned　it；　as　though　it　were　an　individual；　and　

in　a　vein　of　the　quaintest　humour。　　He　did　the　same　with　his　

battle…axe；　which　he　seemed　to　look　upon　as　an　intimate　friend；　

and　to　which　he　would　at　times　talk　by　the　hour；　going　over　all　

his　old　adventures　with　it　　and　dreadful　enough　some　of　them　

were。　　By　a　piece　of　grim　humour；　he　had　named　this　axe　'Inkosi…kaas'；　

which　is　the　Zulu　word　for　chieftainess。　　For　a　long　while　I　

could　not　make　out　why　he　gave　it　such　a　name；　and　at　last　I　

asked　him；　when　he　informed　me　that　the　axe　was　very　evidently　

feminine；　because　of　her　womanly　habit　of　prying　very　deep　into　

things；　and　that　she　was　clearly　a　chieftainess　because　all　men　

fell　down　before　her；　struck　dumb　at　the　sight　of　her　beauty　

and　power。　　In　the　same　way　he　would　consult　'Inkosi…kaas'　if　

in　any　dilemma；　and　when　I　asked　him　why　he　did　so；　he　informed　

me　it　was　because　she　must　needs　be　wise；　having　'looked　into　

so　many　people's　brains'。



I　took　up　the　axe　and　closely　examined　this　formidable　weapon。　　

It　was；　as　I　have　said；　of　the　nature　of　a　pole…axe。　　The　haft；　

made　out　of　an　enormous　rhinoceros　horn；　was　three　feet　three　

inches　long；　about　an　inch　and　a　quarter　thick；　and　with　a　knob　

at　the　end　as　large　as　a　Maltese　orange；　left　there　to　prevent　

the　hand　from　slipping。　　This　horn　haft；　though　so　massive；　was　

as　flexible　as　cane；　and　practically　unbreakable；　but；　to　make　

assurance　doubly　sure；　it　was　whipped　round　at　intervals　of　a　

few　inches　with　copper　wire　　all　the　parts　where　the　hands　

grip　being　thus　treated。　　Just　above　where　the　haft　entered　the　

head　were　scored　a　number　of　little　nicks；　each　nick　representing　

a　man　killed　in　battle　with　the　weapon。　　The　axe　itself　was　made　

of　the　most　beautiful　steel；　and　apparently　of　European　manufacture；　

though　Umslopogaas　did　not　know　where　it　came　from；　having　taken　

it　from　the　hand　of　a　chief　he　had　killed　in　battle　many　years　

before。　　It　was　not　very　heavy；　the　head　weighing　two　and　a　half　

pounds；　as　nearly　as　I　could　judge。　　The　cutting　part　was　slightly　

concave　in　shape　　not　convex；　as　it　generally　the　case　with　

savage　battleaxes　　and　sharp　as　a　razor；　measuring　five　and　

three…quarter　inches　across　the　widest　part。　　From　the　back　of　

the　axe　sprang　a　stout　spike　four　inches　long；　for　the　last　two　

of　which　it　was　hollow；　and　shaped　like　a　leather　punch；　with　

an　opening　for　anything　forced　into　the　hollow　at　the　punch　end　

to　be　pushed　out　above　　in　fact；　in　this　respect　it　exactly　

resembled　a　butcher's　pole…axe。　　It　was　with　this　punch　end；　

as　we　afterwards　discovered；　that　Umslopogaas　usually　struck　

when　fighting；　driving　a　neat　round　hole　in　his　adversary's　skull；　

and　only　using　the　broad　cutting　edge　for　a　circular　sweep；　or　

sometimes　in　a　melee。　　I　think　he　considered　the　punch　a　neater　

and　more　sportsmanlike　tool；　and　it　was　from　his　habit　of　pecking　

at　his　enemy　with　it　that　he　got　his　name　of　'Woodpecker'。　　Certainly　

in　his　hands　it　was　a　terribly　efficient　one。



Such　was　Umslopogaas'　axe；　Inkosi…kaas；　the　most　remarkable　and　

fatal　hand…to…hand　weapon　that　I　ever　saw；　and　one　which　he　cherished　

as　much　as　his　own　life。　　It　scarcely　ever　left　his　hand　except　

when　he　was　eating；　and　then　he　always　sat　with　it　under　his　

leg。



Just　as　I　returned　his　axe　to　Umslopogaas；　Miss　Flossie　came　

up　and　took　me　off　to　see　her　collection　of　flowers；　African　

liliums；　and　blooming　shrubs；　some　of　which　are　very　beautiful；　

many　of　the　varieties　being　quite　unknown　to　me　and　also；　I　believe；　

to　botanical　science。　　I　asked　her　if　she　had　ever　seen　or　heard　

of　the　'Goya'　lily；　which　Central　African　explorers　have　told　

me　they　have　occasionally　met　with　and　whose　wonderful　loveliness　

has　filled　them　with　astonishment。　　This　lily；　which　the　natives　

say　blooms　only　once　in　ten　years；　flourish