benita-第22部分

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white　figure　on　the　cross　had　evidently　been　fashioned　out　of　some

heathen　statue　of　soft　limestone；　for　at　its　back　were　the　remains　of

draperies；　and　long　hair　which　the　artist　had　not　thought　it　necessary

to　cut　away。　Also；　they　found　that　the　arms　had　been　added；　and　were

of　a　slightly　different　stone；　and　that　the　weight　of　the　figure　was

taken　partly　by　an　iron　staple　which　supported　the　body；　and　partly　by

strong　copper　wire　twisted　to　resemble　cord；　and　painted　white；　which

was　passed　round　the　wrists　and　supported　the　arms。　This　wire　ran

through　loops　of　rock　cut　in　the　traverse　of　the　cross；　that　itself

was　only　raised　in　relief　by　chiselling　away　the　solid　stone　behind。



Curiously　enough；　this　part　of　the　search　was　left　to　Mr。　Clifford　and

Benita；　since　it　was　one　that　Jacob　Meyer　seemed　reluctant　to

undertake。　A　Jew　by　birth；　and　a　man　who　openly　professed　his　want　of

belief　in　that　or　any　other　religion；　he　yet　seemed　to　fear　this

symbol　of　the　Christian　faith；　speaking　of　it　as　horrible　and　unlucky；

yes；　he　who；　without　qualm　or　remorse；　had　robbed　and　desecrated　the

dead　that　lay　about　its　feet。　Well；　the　crucifix　told　them　nothing；

but　as　Mr。　Clifford；　lantern　in　hand；　descended　the　ladder；　which

Benita　held；　Jacob　Meyer；　who　was　in　front　of　the　altar；　called　to

them　excitedly　that　he　had　found　something。



〃Then　it　is　more　than　we　have；〃　said　Mr。　Clifford；　as　he　laid　down　the

ladder　and　hurried　to　him。



Meyer　was　sounding　the　floor　with　a　staff　of　woodan　operation　which

he　had　only　just　began　after　the　walls　proved　barren。



〃Listen　now；〃　he　said；　letting　the　heavy　staff　drop　a　few　paces　to　the

right　of　the　altar；　where　it　produced　the　hard；　metallic　clang　that

comes　from　solid　stone　when　struck。　Then　he　moved　to　the　front　of　the

altar　and　dropped　it　again；　but　now　the　note　was　hollow　and

reverberant。　Again　and　again　he　repeated　the　experiment；　till　they　had

exactly　mapped　out　where　the　solid　rock　ended　and　that　which　seemed　to

be　hollow　begana　space　of　about　eight　feet　square。



〃We've　got　it；〃　he　said　triumphantly。　〃That's　the　entrance　to　the

place　where　the　gold　is；〃　and　the　others　were　inclined　to　agree　with

him。



Now　it　remained　to　put　their　theory　to　the　proofa　task　of　no　small

difficulty。　Indeed；　it　took　them　three　days　of　hard；　continual　work。

It　will　be　remembered　that　the　floor　of　the　cave　was　cemented　over；

and　first　of　all　this　cement；　which　proved　to　be　of　excellent　quality；

being　largely　composed　of　powdered　granite；　must　be　broken　up。　By　the

help　of　a　steel　crowbar；　which　they　had　brought　with　them　in　the

waggon；　at　length　that　part　of　their　task　was　completed；　revealing　the

rock　beneath。　By　this　time　Benita　was　confident　that；　whatever　might

lie　below；　it　was　not　the　treasure；　since　it　was　evident　that　the

poor；　dying　Portuguese　would　not　have　had　the　time　or　the　strength　to

cement　it　over。　When　she　told　the　others　so；　however；　Meyer；　convinced

that　he　was　on　the　right　tack；　answered　that　doubtless　it　was　done　by

the　Makalanga　after　the　Portuguese　days；　as　it　was　well　known　that

they　retained　a　knowledge　of　the　building　arts　of　their　forefathers

until　quite　a　recent　period；　when　the　Matabele　began　to　kill　them　out。



When　at　length　the　cement　was　cleared　away　and　the　area　swept；　they

discoveredfor　there　ran　the　line　of　itthat　here　a　great　stone　was

set　into　the　floor；　it　must　have　weighed　several　tons。　As　it　was　set

in　cement；　however；　to　lift　it；　even　if　they　had　the　strength　to　work

the　necessary　levers；　proved　quite　impossible。　There　remained　only　one

thing　to　be　doneto　cut　a　way　through。　When　they　had　worked　at　this

task　for　several　hours；　and　only　succeeded　in　making　a　hole　six　inches

deep；　Mr。　Clifford；　whose　old　bones　ached　and　whose　hands　were　very

sore；　suggested　that　perhaps　they　might　break　it　up　with　gunpowder。

Accordingly；　a　pound　flask　of　that　explosive　was　poured　into　the　hole；

which　they　closed　over　with　wet　clay　and　a　heavy　rock；　leaving　a　quill

through　which　ran　an　extemporized　fuse　of　cotton　wick。　All　being

prepared；　their　fuse　was　lit；　and　they　left　the　cave　and　waited。



Five　minutes　afterwards　the　dull　sound　of　an　explosion　reached　their

ears；　but　more　than　an　hour　went　by　before　the　smoke　and　fumes　would

allow　them　to　enter　the　place；　and　then　it　was　to　find　that　the

results　did　not　equal　their　expectations。　To　begin　with；　the　slab　was

only　crackednot　shattered；　since　the　strength　of　the　powder　had　been

expended　upwards；　not　downwards；　as　would　have　happened　in　the　case　of

dynamite；　of　which　they　had　none。　Moreover；　either　the　heavy　stone

which　they　had　placed　upon　it；　striking　the　roof　of　the　cave；　or　the

concussion　of　the　air；　had　brought　down　many　tons　of　rock；　and　caused

wide　and　dangerous…looking　cracks。　Also；　though　she　said　nothing　of

it；　it　seemed　to　Benita　that　the　great　white　statue　on　the　cross　was

leaning　a　little　further　forward　than　it　used　to　do。　So　the　net　result

of　the　experiment　was　that　they　were　obliged　to　drag　away　great

fragments　of　the　fallen　roof　that　lay　upon　the　stone；　which　remained

almost　as　solid　and　obdurate　as　before。



So　there　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　go　on　working　with　the　crowbar。　At

length；　towards　the　evening　of　the　third　day　of　their　labour；　when　the

two　men　were　utterly　tired　out；　a　hole　was　broken　through；

demonstrating　the　fact　that　beneath　this　cover　lay　a　hollow　of　some

sort。　Mr。　Clifford；　to　say　nothing　of　Benita；　who　was　heartily　weary

of　the　business；　wished　to　postpone　proceedings　till　the　morrow；　but

Jacob　Meyer　would　not。　So　they　toiled　on　until　about　eleven　o'clock　at

night；　when　at　length　the　aperture　was　of　sufficient　size　to　admit　a

man。　Now；　as　in　the　case　of　the　well；　they　let　down　a　stone　tied　to　a

string；　to　find　that　the　place　beneath　was　not　more　than　eight　feet

deep。　Then；　to　ascertain　the　condition　of　the　air；　a　candle　was

lowered；　which　at　first　went　out；　but　presently　burnt　well　enough。

This　point　settled；　they　brought　their　ladder；　whereby　Jacob　descended

with　a　lantern。



In　another　minute　they　heard　the　sound　of　guttural　German　oaths　rising

through　the　hole。　Mr。　Clifford　asked　what　was　the　matter；　and　received

the　reply　that　the　place　was　a　tomb；　with　nothing　in　it　but　an

accursed　dead　monk；　information　at　which　Benita　could　not　help

bursting　into　laughter。



The　end　of　it　was　that　both　she　and　her　father　went　down　also；　and

there；　sure　enough；　lay　the　remains　of　the　old　missionary　in　his　cowl；

with　an　ivory　crucifix　about　his　neck；　and　on　his　breast　a　scroll

stating　that　he；　Marco；　born　at　Lisbon　in　1438；　had　died　at　Bambatse

in　the　year　1503；　having　laboured　in　the　Empire　of　Monomotapa　for

seventeen　years；　and　suffered　great　hardships　and　brought　many　souls

to　Christ。　The　scroll　added　that　it　was　he；　who　before　he　entered　into

religion　was　a　sculptor　by　trade；　that　had　fashioned　the　figure　on　the

cross　in　this　chapel　out　of　that　of　the　heathen　goddess　which　had

stood　in　the　same　place　from　unknown　antiquity。　It　ended　with　a

request；　addressed　to　all　good　Christians　in　Latin；　that　they　who　soon

must　be　as　he　was　would　pray　for　his　soul　and　not　disturb　his　bones；

which　rested　here　in　the　hope　of　a　blessed　resurrection。



When　this　pious　wish　was　translated　to　Jacob　Meyer　by　Mr。　Clifford；

who　still　retained　some　recollection　of　the　classics　which　he　had

painfully　acquired　at　Eton　and　Oxford；　the　Jew　could　scarcely　contain

his　wrath。　Indeed；　looking　at　his　bleeding　hands；　instead　of　praying

for　the　soul　of　that　excellent　missionary；　to　reach　whose　remains　he

had　laboured　with　such　arduous；　incessant　toil；　he　cursed　it　wherever

it　might　be；　and　unceremoniously　swept　the　bones；　which　the　document

asked　him　not　to　disturb；　into　a　corner　of　the　tomb；　in　order　to

ascertain　whether　there　was　not；　perhaps；　some　stair　beneath　them。



〃Really；　Mr。　Meyer；〃　said　Benita；　who；　in　spite　of　the　solemnity　of

the　surroundings；　could　not　control　her　sense　of　humour；　〃if　you　are

not　careful　the　ghosts　of　all　these　people　will　haunt　you。〃



〃Let　them　haunt　me　if　they　can；〃　he　answered　furiously。　〃I　don't

believe　in　ghosts；　and　defy　them　all。〃



At　this　moment；　looking　up；　Benita　saw　a　figure　gliding　out　of　the

darkness　into　the　ring　of　light；　so　silently　that　she　started；　for　it

might　well　have　been　one　of　those　ghosts　in　whom　Jacob　Meyer　did　not

believe。　In　fact；　however；　it　was　the　old　Molimo；　who　had　a　habit　of

coming　upon　them　thus。



〃What　says　the　white　man？〃　he　asked　of　Benita；　while　his　dreamy　eyes

wandered　over　the　three　of　them；　and　the　hole　in　the　violated　tomb。



〃He　says　that　he　does　not　believe　in　spirits；　and　that　he　defies

them；〃　she　answered。



〃The　white　gold…seeker　does　not　believe　in　spirits；　and　he　defies

them；〃　Mambo　repeated　in　his　sing…song　voice。　〃He　does　not　believe　in

the　spirits　that　I　see　all　around　me　now；　the　angry　spirits　of　the

dead；　who　speak　together　of　where　he　shall　lie　and　of　what　shall

happen　to　him　when　he　is　dead；　and　of　how　they　will　welcome　one　who

disturbs　their　rest　and　defies　and　curses　them　in　his　search　for　the

riches　which　he　loves。　There　is　one　standing　by　him　now；　dressed　in　a

brown　robe　with　a　dead　man　cut　in　ivory　like　to　that；〃　and　he　pointed

to　the　crucifix　in　Jacob's　hands；　〃and　he　holds　the　ivory　man　above

him　and　threatens　him　with　sleepless　centuries　of　sorrow；　when　he　is

also　one　of　those　spirits　in　which　he　does　not　believe。〃



Then　Meyer's　rage　blazed　out。　He　turned　upon　the　Molimo　and　reviled

him　in　his　own　tongue；　saying　that　he　knew　well　where　the　treasure　was

hidden；　and　that　if　he　did　not　point　it　out　he　would　kill　him　and　send

him　to　his　friends；　the　spirits。　So　savage　and　evil　did　he　look　that

Benita　retreated　a　little　way；　while　Mr。　Clifford　strove　in　vain　to

calm　him。　But　although　Meyer　laid　his　hand　upon　the　knife　in　his　belt

and　advanced　upon　him；　the　old　Molimo　neither　budged　an　inch　nor