trooper peter halket of mashonaland-第5部分

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gold　into　themwhat　would　it　profit　you？〃



〃Profit！〃　Peter　Halket　stared：　　〃Why；　it　would　profit　everything。　　What

makes　Beit　and　Rhodes　and　Barnato　so　great？　　If　you've　got　eight

millions〃



〃Peter　Simon　Halket；　which　of　those　souls　you　have　seen　on　earth　is　to　you

greatest？〃　said　the　stranger；　〃Which　soul　is　to　you　fairest？〃



〃Ah；〃　said　Peter；　〃but　we　weren't　talking　of　souls　at　all；　we　were　talking

of　money。　　Of　course　if　it　comes　to　souls；　my　mother's　the　best　person　I've

ever　seen。　　But　what　does　it　help　her？　　She's　got　to　stand　washing　clothes

for　those　stuck…up　nincompoops　of　fine　ladies！　　Wait　till　I've　got　money！　

It'll　be　somebody　else　then；　who〃



〃Peter　Halket；〃　said　the　stranger；　〃who　is　the　greatest；　he　who　serves　or

he　who　is　served？〃　　Peter　looked　at　the　stranger：　　then　it　flashed　on　him

that　he　was　mad。



〃Oh；〃　he　said；　〃if　it　comes　to　that；　what's　anything！　　You　might　as　well

say；　sitting　there　in　your　old　linen　shirt；　that　you　were　as　great　as

Rhodes　or　Beit　or　Barnato；　or　a　king。　　Of　course　a　man's　just　the　same

whatever　he's　got　on　or　whatever　he　has；　but　he　isn't　the　same　to　other

people。〃



〃There　have　kings　been　born　in　stables；〃　said　the　stranger。



Then　Peter　saw　that　he　was　joking；　and　laughed。　　〃It　must　have　been　a　long

time　ago；　they　don't　get　born　there　now；〃　he　said。　　〃Why；　if　God　Almighty

came　to　this　country；　and　hadn't　half…a…million　in　shares；　they　wouldn't

think　much　of　Him。〃



Peter　built　up　his　fire。　　Suddenly　he　felt　the　stranger's　eyes　were　fixed

on　him。



〃Who　gave　you　your　land？〃　the　stranger　asked。



〃Mine！　　Why；　the　Chartered　Company；〃　said　Peter。



The　stranger　looked　back　into　the　fire。　　〃And　who　gave　it　to　them？〃　he

asked　softly。



〃Why；　England；　of　course。　　She　gave　them　the　land　to　far　beyond　the　Zambezi

to　do　what　they　liked　with；　and　make　as　much　money　out　of　as　they　could；

and　she'd　back　'em。〃



〃Who　gave　the　land　to　the　men　and　women　of　England？〃　asked　the　stranger

softly。



〃Why；　the　devil！　　They　said　it　was　theirs；　and　of　course　it　was；〃　said

Peter。



〃And　the　people　of　the　land：　　did　England　give　you　the　people　also？〃



Peter　looked　a　little　doubtfully　at　the　stranger。　　〃Yes；　of　course；　she

gave　us　the　people；　what　use　would　the　land　have　been　to　us　otherwise？〃



〃And　who　gave　her　the　people；　the　living　flesh　and　blood；　that　she　might

give　them　away；　into　the　hands　of　others？〃　asked　the　stranger；　raising

himself。



Peter　looked　at　him　and　was　half　afeared。　　〃Well；　what　could　she　do　with　a

lot　of　miserable　niggers；　if　she　didn't　give　them　to　us？　　A　lot　of　good…

for…nothing　rebels　they　are；　too；〃　said　Peter。



〃What　is　a　rebel？〃　asked　the　stranger。



〃My　Gawd！〃　said　Peter；　〃you　must　have　lived　out　of　the　world　if　you　don't

know　what　a　rebel　is！　　A　rebel　is　a　man　who　fights　against　his　king　and　his

country。　　These　bloody　niggers　here　are　rebels　because　they　are　fighting

against　us。　　They　don't　want　the　Chartered　Company　to　have　them。　　But

they'll　have　to。　　We'll　teach　them　a　lesson；〃　said　Peter　Halket；　the

pugilistic　spirit　rising；　firmly　reseating　himself　on　the　South　African

earth；　which　two　years　before　he　had　never　heard　of；　and　eighteen　months

before　he　had　never　seen；　as　if　it　had　been　his　mother　earth；　and　the　land

in　which　he　first　saw　light。



The　stranger　watched　the　fire；　then　he　said　musingly；　〃I　have　seen　a　land

far　from　here。　　In　that　land　are　men　of　two　kinds　who　live　side　by　side。　

Well　nigh　a　thousand　years　ago　one　conquered　the　other；　they　have　lived

together　since。　　Today　the　one　people　seeks　to　drive　forth　the　other　who

conquered　them。　　Are　these　men　rebels；　too？〃



〃Well；〃　said　Peter；　pleased　at　being　deferred　to；　〃that　all　depends　who

they　are；　you　know！〃



〃They　call　the　one　nation　Turks；　and　the　other　Armenians；〃　said　the

stranger。



〃Oh；　the　Armenians　aren't　rebels；〃　said　Peter；　〃they　are　on　our　side！　　The

papers　are　all　full　of　it；〃　said　Peter；　pleased　to　show　his　knowledge。

〃Those　bloody　Turks！　　What　right　had　they　to　conquer　the　Armenians？　　Who

gave　them　their　land？　　I'd　like　to　have　a　shot　at　them　myself！〃



〃WHY　are　Armenians　not　rebels？〃　asked　the　stranger；　gently。



〃Oh；　you　do　ask　such　curious　questions；〃　said　Peter。　　〃If　they　don't　like

the　Turks；　why　should　they　have　'em？〃　　If　the　French　came　now　and　conquered

us；　and　we　tried　to　drive　them　out　first　chance　we　had；　you　wouldn't　call

us　rebels！　　Why　shouldn't　they　try　to　turn　those　bloody　Turks　out？　

Besides；〃　said　Peter；　bending　over　and　talking　in　the　manner　of　one　who

imparts　secret　and　important　information；　〃you　see；　if　we　don't　help　the

Armenians　the　Russians　would；　and　we；〃　said　Peter；　looking　exceedingly

knowing；　〃we've　got　to　prevent　that：　　they'd　get　the　land；　and　it's　on　the

road　to　India。　　And　we　don't　mean　them　to。　　I　suppose　you　don't　know　much

about　politics　in　Palestine？〃　said　Peter；　looking　kindly　and　patronisingly

at　the　stranger。



〃If　these　men；〃　said　the　stranger；　〃would　rather　be　free；　or　be　under　the

British　Government；　than　under　the　Chartered　Company；　why；　when　they　resist

the　Chartered　Company；　are　they　more　rebels　than　the　Armenians　when　they

resist　the　Turk？　　Is　the　Chartered　Company　God；　that　every　knee　should　bow

before　it；　and　before　it　every　head　be　bent？　　Would　you；　the　white　men　of

England；　submit　to　its　rule　for　one　day？〃



〃Ah；〃　said　Peter；　〃no；　of　course　we　shouldn't；　but　we　are　white　men；　and　so

are　the　Armeniansalmost〃　　Then　he　glanced　at　the　stranger's　dark　face；

and　added　quickly；　〃At　least；　it's　not　the　colour　that　matters；　you　know。　

I　rather　like　a　dark　face；　my　mother's　eyes　are　brownbut　the　Armenians；

you　know；　they've　got　long　hair　like　us。〃



〃Oh；　it　is　the　hair；　then；　that　matters；〃　said　the　stranger　softly。



〃Oh；　well；〃　said　Peter；　〃it's　not　altogether；　of　course。　　But　it's　quite　a

different　thing；　the　Armenians　wanting　to　get　rid　of　the　Turks；　and　these

bloody　niggers　wanting　to　get　rid　of　the　Chartered　Company。　　Besides；　the

Armenians　are　Christians；　like　us！〃



〃Are　YOU　Christians？〃　　A　strange　storm　broke　across　the　stranger's

features；　he　rose　to　his　feet。



〃Why；　of　course；　we　are！〃　said　Peter。　　〃We're　all　Christians；　we　English。　

Perhaps　you　don't　like　Christians；　though？　　Some　Jews　don't；　I　know；〃　said

Peter；　looking　up　soothingly　at　him。



〃I　neither　love　nor　hate　any　man　for　that　which　he　is　called；〃　said　the

stranger；　〃the　name　boots　nothing。〃



The　stranger　sat　down　again　beside　the　fire；　and　folded　his　hands。



〃Is　the　Chartered　Company　Christian　also？〃　he　asked。



〃Yes；　oh　yes；〃　said　Peter。



〃What　is　a　Christian？〃　asked　the　stranger。



〃Well；　now；　you　really　do　ask　such　curious　questions。　　A　Christian　is　a　man

who　believes　in　Heaven　and　Hell；　and　God　and　the　Bible；　and　in　Jesus

Christ；　that　he'll　save　him　from　going　to　Hell；　and　if　he　believes　he'll　be

saved；　he　will　be　saved。〃



〃But　here；　in　this　world；　what　is　a　Christian？〃



〃Why；〃　said　Peter；　〃I'm　a　Christianwe're　all　Christians。〃



The　stranger　looked　into　the　fire；　and　Peter　thought　he　would　change　the

subject。　　〃It's　curious　how　like　my　mother　you　are；　I　mean；　your　ways。　　She

was　always　saying　to　me；　'Don't　be　too　anxious　to　make　money；　Peter。　　Too

much　wealth　is　as　bad　as　too　much　poverty。'　　You're　very　like　her。〃



After　a　while　Peter　said；　bending　over　a　little　towards　the　stranger；　〃If

you　don't　want　to　make　money；　what　did　you　come　to　this　land　for？　　No　one

comes　here　for　anything　else。　　Are　you　in　with　the　Portuguese？〃



〃I　am　not　more　with　one　people　than　with　another；〃　said　the　stranger。　　〃The

Frenchman　is　not　more　to　me　than　the　Englishman；　the　Englishman　than　the

Kaffir；　the　Kaffir　than　the　Chinaman。　　I　have　heard；〃　said　the　stranger；

〃the　black　infant　cry　as　it　crept　on　its　mother's　body　and　sought　for　her

breast　as　she　lay　dead　in　the　roadway。　　I　have　heard　also　the　rich　man's

child　wail　in　the　palace。　　I　hear　all　cries。〃



Peter　looked　intently　at　him。　　〃Why；　who　are　you？〃　he　said；　then；　bending

nearer　to　the　stranger　and　looking　up；　he　added；　〃What　is　it　that　you　are

doing　here？〃



〃I　belong；〃　said　the　stranger；　〃to　the　strongest　company　on　earth。〃



〃Oh；〃　said　Peter；　sitting　up；　the　look　of　wonder　passing　from　his　face。　

〃So　that's　it；　is　it？　　Is　it　diamonds；　or　gold；　or　lands？〃



〃We　are　the　most　vast　of　all　companies　on　the　earth；〃　said　the　stranger；

〃and　we　are　always　growing。　　We　have　among　us　men　of　every　race　and　from

every　land；　the　Esquimo；　the　Chinaman；　the　Turk；　and　the　Englishman；　we

have　of　them　all。　　We　have　men　of　every　religion；　Buddhists；　Mahomedans；

Confucians；　Freethinkers；　Atheists；　Christians；　Jews。　　It　matters　to　us

nothing　by　what　name　the　man　is　named；　so　he　be　one　of　us。〃



And　Peter　said；　〃It　must　be　hard　for　you　all　to　understand　one　another；　if

you　are　of　so　many　different　kinds？〃



The　stranger　answered；　〃There　is　a　sign　by　which　we　all　know　one　another；

and　by　which　all　the　world　may　know　us。〃　　（By　this　shall　all　men　know　that

ye　are　My　disciples；　if　ye　have　love　one　to　another。）　



And　Peter　said；　〃What　is　that　sign？〃



But　the　stranger　was　silent。



〃Oh；　a　kind　of　freemasonry！〃　said　Peter；　leaning　on　his　elbow　towards　the

stranger；　and　looking　up　at　him　from　under　his　pointed　cap。　　〃Are　there　any

more　of　you　here　in　this　country？〃



〃There　are；〃　said　the　stranger。　　Then　he　pointed　with　his　hand　into　the

darkness。　　〃There　in　a　cave　were　two　women。　　When　you　blew　the　cave　up　they

were　left　unhurt　behind　a　fallen　rock。　　When　you　took　away　all　the　grain；

and　burnt　what　you　could　not　carry；　there　was　one　basketful　that　you　knew

nothing　of。　　The　women　stayed　there；　for　one　was　eighty；　and　one　near　the

time　of　her　giving　birth；　and　they　dared　not　set　out　to　follow　the　remnant

of　their　tribe　because　you　were　in　the　plains　below。　　Every　day　the　old

woman　doled　grain　from　the　basket；