she-第20部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


suspect　that　some　difficulty　or　danger　might　threaten　
us　if　we　did　not　comply　with　it；　I　would　not　have　
consented　to　go。

CHAPTER　X

SPECULATIONS

WITHIN　an　hour　of　our　finally　deciding　to　start；　five　
litters　were　brought　up　to　the　door　of　the　cave；　each　
accompanied　by　four　regular　bearers　and　two　spare　
hands；　also　a　band　of　about　fifty　armed　Amahagger；　who　
were　to　form　the　escort　and　carry　the　baggage。　Three　
of　these　litters；　of　course；　were　for　us；　and　one　for　
Billali；　who；　I　was　immensely　relieved　to　hear；　was　to　
be　our　companion；　while　the　fifth　I　presumed　was　for　
the　use　of　Ustane。

〃Does　the　lady　go　with　us；　my　father？〃　I　asked　of　
Billali；　as　he　stood　superintending　things　generally。

He　shrugged　his　shoulders　as　he　answered；

〃If　she　wills。　In　this　country　the　women　do　what　they　
please。　We　worship　them；　and　give　them　their　way；　
because　without　them　the　world　could　not　go　on；　they　
are　the　source　of　life。〃

〃Ah；〃　I　said；　the　matter　never　having　struck　me　quite　
in　that　light　before。

〃We　worship　them；〃　he　went　on；　〃up　to　a　certain　point；　
till　at　last　they　get　unbearable；　which；〃　he　added；　
〃they　do　about　every　second　generation。〃

〃And　then　what　do　you　do？〃　I　asked；　with　curiosity。

〃Then；〃　he　answered；　with　a　faint　smile；　〃we　rise；　and　
kill　the　old　ones　as　an　example　to　the　young　ones；　and　
to　show　them　that　we　are　the　strongest。　My　poor　wife　
was　killed　in　that　way　three　years　ago。　It　was　very　
sad；　but；　to　tell　thee　the　truth；　my　son；　life　has　
been　happier　since；　for　my　age　protects　me　from　the　
young　ones。〃

〃In　short；〃　I　replied；　quoting　the　saying　of　a　great　
man　whose　wisdom　has　not　yet　lightened　the　darkness　of　
the　Amahagger；　〃thou　hast　found　thy　position　one　of　
greater　freedom　and　less　responsibility。〃

This　phrase　puzzled　him　a　little　at　first　from　its　
vagueness；　though　I　think　my　translation　hit　off　its　
sense　very　well；　but　at　last　he　saw　it；　and　
appreciated　it。

〃Yes；　yes；　my　Baboon；〃　he　said；　〃I　see　it　now；　but　all　
the　'responsibilities'　are　killed；　at　least　some　of　
them　are；　and　that　is　why　there　are　so　few　old　women　
about　just　now。　Well；　they　brought　it　on　themselves。　
As　for　this　girl；〃　he　went　on；　in　a　graver　tone；　〃I　
know　not　what　to　say。　She　is　a　brave　girl；　and　she　
loves　the　Lion　（Leo）；　thou　sawest　how　she　clung　to　
him；　and　saved　his　life。　Also；　she　is；　according　to　
our　custom；　wed　to　him；　and　has　a　right　to　go　where　he　
goes；　unless；〃　he　added；　significantly；　〃　_i_　She　_i_　
would　say　her　no；　for　her　word　overrides　all　rights。〃

〃And　if　_i_　She　_i_　bade　her　leave　him；　and　the　girl　
refused？　What　then？〃

〃If；〃　he　said；　with　a　shrug；　〃the　hurricane　bids　the　
tree　to　bend；　and　it　will　not；　what　happens？〃

And　then；　without　waiting　for　an　answer；　he　turned　and　
walked　to　his　litter；　and　in　ten　minutes　from　that　
time　we　were　all　well　under　way。

It　took　us　an　hour　and　more　to　cross　the　cup　of　the　
volcanic　plain；　and　another　half…hour　or　so　to　climb　
the　edge　on　the　farther　side。　Once　there；　however；　the　
view　was　a　very　fine　one。　Before　us　was　a　long　steep　
slope　of　grassy　plain；　broken　here　and　there　by　clumps　
of　trees　mostly　of　the　thorn　tribe。　At　the　bottom　of　
this　gentle　slope；　some　nine　or　ten　miles　away；　we　
could　make　out　a　dim　sea　of　marsh；　over　which　the　foul　
vapors　hung　like　smoke　about　a　city。　It　was　easy　going　
for　the　bearers　down　the　slopes；　and　by　midday　we　had　
reached　the　borders　of　the　dismal　swamp。　Here　we　
halted　to　eat　our　midday　meal；　and　then；　following　a　
winding　and　devious　path；　plunged　into　the　morass。　
Presently　the　path；　at　any　rate　to　our　unaccustomed　
eyes；　grew　so　faint　as　to　be　almost　indistinguishable　
from　those　made　by　the　aquatic　beasts　and　birds；　and　
it　is　to　this　day　a　mystery　to　me　how　our　bearers　
found　their　way　across　the　marshes。　Ahead　of　the　
cavalcade　marched　two　men　with　long　poles；　which　they　
now　and　again　plunged　into　the　ground　before　them；　the　
reason　of　this　being　that　the　nature　of　the　soil　
frequently　changed　from　causes　with　which　I　am　not　
acquainted；　so　that　places　which　might　be　safe　enough　
to　cross　one　month　would　certainly　swallow　the　
wayfarer　the　next。　Never　did　I　see　a　more　dreary　and　
depressing　scene。　Miles　on　miles　of　quagmire；　varied　
only　by　bright　green　strips　of　comparatively　solid　
ground；　and　by　deep　and　sullen　pools　fringed　with　tall　
rushes；　in　which　the　bitterns　boomed　and　the　frogs　
croaked　incessantly；　miles　on　miles　of　it　without　a　
break；　unless　the　fever　fog　can　be　called　a　break。　The　
only　life　in　this　great　morass　was　that　of　the　aquatic　
birds；　and　the　animals　that　fed　on　them；　of　both　of　
which　there　were　vast　numbers。　Geese；　cranes；　ducks；　
teal；　coot；　snipe；　and　plover　swarmed　all　around　us；　
many　being　of　varieties　that　were　quite　new　to　me；　and　
all　so　tame　that　one　could　almost　have　knocked　them　
over　with　a　stick。　Among　these　birds　I　especially　
noticed　a　very　beautiful　variety　of　painted　snipe；　
almost　the　size　of　woodcock；　and　with　a　flight　more　
resembling　that　bird's　than　an　English　snipe's。　In　the　
pools；　too；　was　a　species　of　small　alligator　or　
enormous　iguana；　I　do　not　know　which；　that　fed；　
Billali　told　me；　upon　the　waterfowl；　also　large　
quantities　of　a　hideous　black　water　snake；　of　which　
the　bite　is　very　dangerous；　though　not；　I　gathered；　so　
deadly　as　a　cobra's　or　a　puff　adder's。　The　bullfrogs　
were　also　very　large；　and　with　voices　proportionate　to　
their　size；　and　as　for　the　mosquitoesthe　
〃musqueteers；〃　as　Job　called　themthey　were；　if　
possible；　even　worse　than　they　had　been　on　the　river；　
and　tormented　us　greatly。　Undoubtedly；　however；　the　
worst　feature　of　the　swamp　was　the　awful　smell　of　
rotting　vegetation　that　hung　about　it；　which　was　at　
times　positively　overpowering；　and　the　malarious　
exhalations　that　accompanied　it；　which　we　were　of　
course　obliged　to　breathe。

On　we　went　through　it　all；　till　at　last　the　sun　sank　
in　sullen　splendor　just　as　we　reached　a　spot　of　rising　
ground　about　two　acres　in　extenta　little　oasis　of　
dry　in　the　midst　of　the　miry　wildernesswhere　Billali　
announced　that　we　were　to　camp。　The　camping；　however；　
turned　out　to　be　a　very　simple　process；　and　consisted；　
in　fact；　in　sitting　down　on　the　ground　round　a　scanty　
fire　made　of　dry　reeds　and　some　wood　that　had　been　
brought　with　us。　However；　we　made　the　best　we　could　of　
it；　and　smoked　and　ate　with　such　appetite　as　the　smell　
of　damp；　stifling　heat　would　allow；　for　it　was　very　
hot　on　this　low　land；　and　yet；　oddly　enough；　chilly　at　
times。　But；　however　hot　it　was；　we　were　glad　enough　to　
keep　near　the　fire；　because　we　found　that　the　
mosquitoes　did　not　like　the　smoke。　Presently　we　rolled　
ourselves　up　in　our　blankets　and　tried　to　go　to　sleep；　
but　so　far　as　I　was　concerned　the　bullfrogs；　and　the　
extraordinary　roaring　and　alarming　sound　produced　by　
hundreds　of　snipe　hovering　high　in　the　air；　made　sleep　
an　impossibility；　to　say　nothing　of　our　other　
discomforts。　I　turned　and　looked　at　Leo；　who　was　next　
to　me；　he　was　dozing；　but　his　face　had　a　flushed　
appearance　that　I　did　not　like；　and　by　the　flickering　
firelight　I　saw　Ustane；　who　was　lying　on　the　other　
side　of　him；　raise　herself　from　time　to　time　upon　her　
elbow；　and　look　at　him　anxiously　enough；　However；　I　
could　do　nothing　for　him　for　we　had　all　already　taken　
a　good　dose　of　quinine；　which　was　the　only　preventive　
we　had；　so　I　lay　and　watched　the　stars　come　out　by　
thousands；　till　all　the　immense　arch　of　heaven　was　
sewn　with　glittering　points；　and　every　point　a　world！　
Here　was　a　glorious　sight　by　which　man　might　well　
measure　his　own　insignificance！　Soon　I　gave　up　
thinking　about　it；　for　the　mind　wearies　easily　when　it　
strives　to　grapple　with　the　Infinite；　and　to　trace　the　
footsteps　of　the　Almighty　as　he　strides　from　sphere　to　
sphere；　or　deduce　his　purpose　from　his　works。　Such　
things　are　not　for　us　to　know。　Knowledge　is　to　the　
strong；　and　we　are　weak。　Too　much　wisdom　would　
perchance　blind　our　imperfect　sight；　and　too　much　
strength　would　make　us　drunk；　and　overweight　our　
feeble　reason　till　it　fell；　and　we　were　drowned　in　the　
depths　of　our　own　vanity。　For　what　is　the　first　result　
of　man's　increased　knowledge　interpreted　from　Nature's　
book　by　the　persistent　effort　of　his　purblind　
observation？　Is　it　not　but　too　often　to　make　him　
question　the　existence　of　his　Maker；　or　indeed　of　any　
intelligent　purpose　beyond　his　own？　The　truth　is　
veiled；　because　we　could　no　more　look　upon　her　glory　
than　we　can　upon　the　sun。　It　would　destroy　us。　Full　
knowledge　is　not　for　man　as　man　is　here；　for　his　
capacities；　which　he　is　apt　to　think　so　great；　are　
indeed　but　small。　The　vessel　is　soon　filled；　and；　were　
one　thousandth　part　of　the　unutterable　and　silent　
wisdom　that　directs　the　rolling　of　those　shining　
spheres；　and　the　force　which　makes　them　roll；　pressed　
into　it；　it　would　be　shattered　into　fragments。　Perhaps　
in　some　other　place　and　time　it　may　be　otherwise；　who　
can　tell？　Herethe　lot　of　man　born　of　the　flesh　is　but　
to　endure　midst　toil　and　tribulation；　to　catch　at　the　
bubbles　blown　by　Fate；　which　he　calls　pleasures；　
thankful　if　before　they　burst　they　rest　a　moment　in　
his　hand；　and　when　the　tragedy　is　played　out；　and　his　
hour　comes　to　perish；　to　pass　humbly　whither　he　knows　
not。

Above　me；　as　I　lay；　shone　the　eternal　stars；　and　there　
at　my　feet　the　impish　marsh…born　balls　of　fire　rolled　
this　way　and　that；　vapor…tossed　and　earth…desiring；　
and　methought　that　in　the　two　I　saw　a　type　and　image　
of　what　man　is；　and　what　perchance　man　may　one　day　be；　
if　the　living　Force　who　ordained　him　and　them　should　
so　ordain　this　also。　Oh；　that　it　might　be　ours　to　rest　
year　by　year　upon　that　high　level　of　the　heart　to　
which　at　times　we　momentarily　attain！　Oh；　that　we　
could　shake　loose　the　prisoned　pinions　of　the　soul　and　
soar　to　that　superior　point；　whence；　like　to　some　
traveller　looking　out　through　space　from　Darien's　
giddiest　peak；　we　might　gaze　with　the　spiritual　eyes　
of　noble　thoughts　deep　into　Infinity！

What　would　it　be　to　cast　off　this　earthy　robe；　to　have　
done　forever　with　these　earthy　thoughts　and　miserable　
desires；　no　lon