the lost continent-第9部分

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he　Great　War　must　have　wrought　to　have　erased　not　only　every　sign　of　civilization　from　the　face　of　this　great　land；　but　even　the　name　of　the　enemy　from　the　knowledge　and　language　of　the　people。

I　could　only　account　for　it　on　the　hypothesis　that　the　country　had　been　entirely　depopulated　except　for　a　few　scattered　and　forgotten　children；　who；　in　some　marvelous　manner；　had　been　preserved　by　Providence　to　re…populate　the　land。　　These　children　had；　doubtless；　been　too　young　to　retain　in　their　memories　to　transmit　to　their　children　any　but　the　vaguest　suggestion　of　the　cataclysm　which　had　overwhelmed　their　parents。

Professor　Cortoran；　since　my　return　to　Pan…America；　has　suggested　another　theory　which　is　not　entirely　without　claim　to　serious　consideration。　　He　points　out　that　it　is　quite　beyond　the　pale　of　human　instinct　to　desert　little　children　as　my　theory　suggests　the　ancient　English　must　have　done。　He　is　more　inclined　to　believe　that　the　expulsion　of　the　foe　from　England　was　synchronous　with　widespread　victories　by　the　allies　upon　the　continent；　and　that　the　people　of　England　merely　emigrated　from　their　ruined　cities　and　their　devastated；　blood…drenched　fields　to　the　mainland；　in　the　hope　of　finding；　in　the　domain　of　the　conquered　enemy；　cities　and　farms　which　would　replace　those　they　had　lost。

The　learned　professor　assumes　that　while　a　long…continued　war　had　strengthened　rather　than　weakened　the　instinct　of　paternal　devotion；　it　had　also　dulled　other　humanitarian　instincts；　and　raised　to　the　first　magnitude　the　law　of　the　survival　of　the　fittest；　with　the　result　that　when　the　exodus　took　place　the　strong；　the　intelligent；　and　the　cunning；　together　with　their　offspring；　crossed　the　waters　of　the　Channel　or　the　North　Sea　to　the　continent；　leaving　in　unhappy　England　only　the　helpless　inmates　of　asylums　for　the　feebleminded　and　insane。

My　objections　to　this；　that　the　present　inhabitants　of　England　are　mentally　fit；　and　could　therefore　not　have　descended　from　an　ancestry　of　undiluted　lunacy　he　brushes　aside　with　the　assertion　that　insanity　is　not　necessarily　hereditary；　and　that　even　though　it　was；　in　many　cases　a　return　to　natural　conditions　from　the　state　of　high　civilization；　which　is　thought　to　have　induced　mental　disease　in　the　ancient　world；　would；　after　several　generations；　have　thoroughly　expunged　every　trace　of　the　affliction　from　the　brains　and　nerves　of　the　descendants　of　the　original　maniacs。

Personally；　I　do　not　place　much　stock　in　Professor　Cortoran's　theory；　though　I　admit　that　I　am　prejudiced。　Naturally　one　does　not　care　to　believe　that　the　object　of　his　greatest　affection　is　descended　from　a　gibbering　idiot　and　a　raving　maniac。

But　I　am　forgetting　the　continuity　of　my　narrativea　continuity　which　I　desire　to　maintain；　though　I　fear　that　I　shall　often　be　led　astray；　so　numerous　and　varied　are　the　bypaths　of　speculation　which　lead　from　the　present　day　story　of　the　Grabritins　into　the　mysterious　past　of　their　forbears。

As　I　stood　talking　with　the　girl　I　presently　recollected　that　she　still　was　bound；　and　with　a　word　of　apology；　I　drew　my　knife　and　cut　the　rawhide　thongs　which　confined　her　wrists　at　her　back。

She　thanked　me；　and　with　such　a　sweet　smile　that　I　should　have　been　amply　repaid　by　it　for　a　much　more　arduous　service。

〃And　now；〃　I　said；　〃let　me　accompany　you　to　your　home　and　see　you　safely　again　under　the　protection　of　your　friends。〃

〃No；〃　she　said；　with　a　hint　of　alarm　in　her　voice；　〃you　must　not　come　with　meBuckingham　will　kill　you。〃

Buckingham。　　The　name　was　famous　in　ancient　English　history。　Its　survival；　with　many　other　illustrious　names；　is　one　of　the　strongest　arguments　in　refutal　of　Professor　Cortoran's　theory；　yet　it　opens　no　new　doors　to　the　past；　and；　on　the　whole；　rather　adds　to　than　dissipates　the　mystery。

〃And　who　is　Buckingham；〃　I　asked；　〃and　why　should　he　wish　to　kill　me？〃

〃He　would　think　that　you　had　stolen　me；〃　she　replied；　〃and　as　he　wishes　me　for　himself；　he　will　kill　any　other　whom　he　thinks　desires　me。　　He　killed　Wettin　a　few　days　ago。　　My　mother　told　me　once　that　Wettin　was　my　father。　　He　was　king。　Now　Buckingham　is　king。〃

Here；　evidently；　were　a　people　slightly　superior　to　those　of　the　Isle　of　Wight。　　These　must　have　at　least　the　rudiments　of　civilized　government　since　they　recognized　one　among　them　as　ruler；　with　the　title；　king。　　Also；　they　retained　the　word　father。　　The　girl's　pronunciation；　while　far　from　identical　with　ours；　was　much　closer　than　the　tortured　dialect　of　the　Eastenders　of　the　Isle　of　Wight。　　The　longer　I　talked　with　her　the　more　hopeful　I　became　of　finding　here；　among　her　people；　some　records；　or　traditions；　which　might　assist　in　clearing　up　the　historic　enigma　of　the　past　two　centuries。　　I　asked　her　if　we　were　far　from　the　city　of　London；　but　she　did　not　know　what　I　meant。　　When　I　tried　to　explain；　describing　mighty　buildings　of　stone　and　brick；　broad　avenues；　parks；　palaces；　and　countless　people；　she　but　shook　her　head　sadly。

〃There　is　no　such　place　near　by；〃　she　said。　　〃Only　the　Camp　of　the　Lions　has　places　of　stone　where　the　beasts　lair；　but　there　are　no　people　in　the　Camp　of　the　Lions。　　Who　would　dare　go　there！〃　　And　she　shuddered。

〃The　Camp　of　the　Lions；〃　I　repeated。　　〃And　where　is　that；　and　what？〃

〃It　is　there；〃　she　said；　pointing　up　the　river　toward　the　west。　　〃I　have　seen　it　from　a　great　distance；　but　I　have　never　been　there。　　We　are　much　afraid　of　the　lions；　for　this　is　their　country；　and　they　are　angry　that　man　has　come　to　live　here。

〃Far　away　there；〃　and　she　pointed　toward　the　south…west；　〃is　the　land　of　tigers；　which　is　even　worse　than　this；　the　land　of　the　lions；　for　the　tigers　are　more　numerous　than　the　lions　and　hungrier　for　human　flesh。　　There　were　tigers　here　long　ago；　but　both　the　lions　and　the　men　set　upon　them　and　drove　them　off。〃

〃Where　did　these　savage　beasts　come　from？〃　I　asked。

〃Oh；〃　she　replied；　〃they　have　been　here　always。　　It　is　their　country。〃

〃Do　they　not　kill　and　eat　your　people？〃　I　asked。

〃Often；　when　we　meet　them　by　accident；　and　we　are　too　few　to　slay　them；　or　when　one　goes　too　close　to　their　camp。　　But　seldom　do　they　hunt　us；　for　they　find　what　food　they　need　among　the　deer　and　wild　cattle；　and；　too；　we　make　them　gifts；　for　are　we　not　intruders　in　their　country？　　Really　we　live　upon　good　terms　with　them；　though　I　should　not　care　to　meet　one　were　there　not　many　spears　in　my　party。〃

〃I　should　like　to　visit　this　Camp　of　the　Lions；〃　I　said。

〃Oh；　no；　you　must　not！〃　cried　the　girl。　　〃That　would　be　terrible。　　They　would　eat　you。〃　　For　a　moment；　then；　she　seemed　lost　in　thought；　but　presently　she　turned　upon　me　with：　〃You　must　go　now；　for　any　minute　Buckingham　may　come　in　search　of　me。　　Long　since　should　they　have　learned　that　I　am　gone　from　the　campthey　watch　over　me　very　closelyand　they　will　set　out　after　me。　　Go！　　I　shall　wait　here　until　they　come　in　search　of　me。〃

〃No；〃　I　told　her。　　〃I'll　not　leave　you　alone　in　a　land　infested　by　lions　and　other　wild　beasts。　　If　you　won't　let　me　go　as　far　as　your　camp　with　you；　then　I'll　wait　here　until　they　come　in　search　of　you。〃

〃Please　go！〃　she　begged。　　〃You　have　saved　me；　and　I　would　save　you；　but　nothing　will　save　you　if　Buckingham　gets　his　hands　on　you。　　He　is　a　bad　man。　　He　wishes　to　have　me　for　his　woman　so　that　he　may　be　king。　　He　would　kill　anyone　who　befriended　me；　for　fear　that　I　might　become　another's。〃

〃Didn't　you　say　that　Buckingham　is　already　the　king？〃　I　asked。

〃He　is。　　He　took　my　mother　for　his　woman　after　he　had　killed　Wettin。　　But　my　mother　will　die　soonshe　is　very　oldand　then　the　man　to　whom　I　belong　will　become　king。〃

Finally；　after　much　questioning；　I　got　the　thing　through　my　head。　　It　appears　that　the　line　of　descent　is　through　the　women。　　A　man　is　merely　head　of　his　wife's　familythat　is　all。　　If　she　chances　to　be　the　oldest　female　member　of　the　〃royal〃　house；　he　is　king。　　Very　naively　the　girl　explained　that　there　was　seldom　any　doubt　as　to　whom　a　child's　mother　was。

This　accounted　for　the　girl's　importance　in　the　community　and　for　Buckingham's　anxiety　to　claim　her；　though　she　told　me　that　she　did　not　wish　to　become　his　woman；　for　he　was　a　bad　man　and　would　make　a　bad　king。　　But　he　was　powerful；　and　there　was　no　other　man　who　dared　dispute　his　wishes。

〃Why　not　come　with　me；〃　I　suggested；　〃if　you　do　not　wish　to　become　Buckingham's？〃

〃Where　would　you　take　me？〃　she　asked。

Where；　indeed！　　I　had　not　thought　of　that。　　But　before　I　could　reply　to　her　question　she　shook　her　head　and　said；　〃No；　I　cannot　leave　my　people。　　I　must　stay　and　do　my　best；　even　if　Buckingham　gets　me；　but　you　must　go　at　once。　　Do　not　wait　until　it　is　too　late。　　The　lions　have　had　no　offering　for　a　long　time；　and　Buckingham　would　seize　upon　the　first　stranger　as　a　gift　to　them。〃

I　did　not　perfectly　understand　what　she　meant；　and　was　about　to　ask　her　when　a　heavy　body　leaped　upon　me　from　behind；　and　great　arms　encircled　my　neck。　　I　struggled　to　free　myself　and　turn　upon　my　antagonist；　but　in　another　instant　I　was　overwhelmed　by　a　half　dozen　powerful；　half…naked　men；　while　a　score　of　others　surrounded　me；　a　couple　of　whom　seized　the　girl。

I　fought　as　best　I　could　for　my　liberty　and　for　hers；　but　the　weight　of　numbers　was　too　great；　though　I　had　the　satisfaction　at　least　of　giving　them　a　good　fight。

When　they　had　overpowered　me；　and　I　stood；　my　hands　bound　behind　me；　at　the　girl's　side；　she　gazed　commiseratingly　at　me。

〃It　is　too　bad　that　you　did　not　do　as　I　bid　you；〃　she　said；　〃for　now　it　has　happened　just　as　I　fearedBuckingham　has　you。〃

〃Which　is　Buckingham？〃　I　asked。

〃I　am　Buckingham；〃　growled　a　burly；　unwashed　brute；　swaggering　truculently　before　me。　　〃And　who　are　you　who　would　have　stolen　my　woman？〃

The　girl　spoke　up　then　and　tried　to　explain　that　I　had　not　stolen　her；　but　on　the　contrary　I　had　saved　her　from　the　men　from　the　〃Elephant　Country〃　who　were　carrying　her　away。

Buckingham　only　sneered　at　her　explanation；　and　a　moment　later　gave　the　command　that　started　us　all　off　toward　the　west。　　We　marched　for　a　matter　of　an　hour　or　so；　coming　at　last　to　a　collection　of　rude　huts；　fashioned　from　branches　of　trees　covered　with　skins　and　grasses　and　sometimes　plastered　with　mud。　　All　about　the　camp　they　had　erecte