友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
benita-第29部分
快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!
digging for a bone。 But that bone is not for him; it is for you; Lady;
you and you only。 Oh! I know; you do not seek; still you shall find。
Only the next time that you want help; do not run away into the
wilderness。 Hear the word of Munwali given by his mouth; the Molimo of
Bambatse!〃 And as he spoke; the old priest backed himself out of the
tent; stopping now and again to bow to Benita。
A few minutes later her father entered; looking very weak and shaken;
and supporting himself upon a stick。 Happy was the greeting of these
two who; with their arms about each other's neck; gave thanks for
their escape from great peril。
〃You see; Benita; we can't get away from this place;〃 Mr。 Clifford
said presently。 〃We must find that gold。〃
〃Bother the gold;〃 she answered with energy; 〃I hate its very name。
Who can think of gold with three thousand Matabele waiting to kill
us?〃
〃Somehow I don't feel afraid of them any more;〃 said her father; 〃they
have had their chance and lost it; and the Makalanga swear that now
they have guns to command the gates; the fortress cannot be stormed。
Still; I am afraid of someone。〃
〃Who?〃
〃Jacob Mayer。 I have seen him several times; and I think that he is
going mad。〃
〃The Molimo said that too; but why?〃
〃From the look of him。 He sits about muttering and glowing with those
dark eyes of his; and sometimes groans; and sometimes bursts into
shouts of laughter。 That is when the fit is on him; for generally he
seems right enough。 But get up if you think you can; and you shall
judge for yourself。〃
〃I don't want to;〃 said Benita feebly。 〃Father; I am more afraid of
him now than ever。 Oh! why did you not let me stop down below; among
the Makalanga; instead of carrying me up here again; where we must
live alone with that terrible Jew?〃
〃I wished to; dear; but the Molimo said we should be safer above; and
ordered his people to carry you up。 Also; Jacob swore that unless you
were brought back he would kill me。 Now you understand why I believe
that he is mad。〃
〃Why; why?〃 gasped Benita again。
〃God knows;〃 he answered with a groan; 〃but I think that he is sure
that we shall never find the gold without you; since the Molimo has
told him that it is for you and you alone; and he says the old man has
second sight; or something of the sort。 Well; he would have murdered
meI saw it in his eyeso I thought it better to give in rather than
that you should be left here sick and alone。 Of course there was one
way〃 and he paused。
She looked at him and asked:
〃What way?〃
〃To shoot him before he shot me;〃 he answered in a whisper; 〃for your
sake; dearbut I could not bring myself to do it。〃
〃No;〃 she said with a shudder; 〃not thatnot that。 Better that we
should die than that his blood should be upon our hands。 Now I will
get up and try to show no fear。 I am sure that is best; and perhaps we
shall be able to escape somehow。 Meanwhile; let us humour him; and
pretend to go on looking for this horrible treasure。〃
So Benita rose to discover that; save for her stiffness; she was but
little the worse; and finding all things placed in readiness; set to
work with her father's help to cook the evening meal as usual。 Of
Meyer; who doubtless had placed things in readiness; she saw nothing。
Before nightfall he came; however; as she knew he would。 Indeed;
although she heard no step and her back was towards him; she felt his
presence; the sense of it fell upon her like a cold shadow。 Turning
round she beheld the man。 He was standing close by; but above her;
upon a big granite boulder; in climbing which his soft veld schoons;
or hide shoes; had made no noise; for Meyer could move like a cat。 The
last rays from the sinking sun struck him full; outlining his agile;
nervous shape against the sky; and in their intense red light; which
flamed upon him; he appeared terrible。 He looked like a panther about
to spring; his eyes shone like a panther's; and Benita knew that she
was the prey whom he desired。 Still; remembering her resolution; she
determined to show no fear; and addressed him:
〃Good…evening; Mr。 Meyer。 Oh! I am so stiff that I cannot lift my neck
to look at you;〃 and she laughed。
He bounded softly from the rock; like a panther again; and stood in
front of her。
〃You should thank the God you believe in;〃 he said; 〃that by now you
are not stiff indeedall that the jackals have left of you。〃
〃I do; Mr。 Meyer; and I thank you; too; it was brave of you to come
out to save us。 Father;〃 she called; 〃come and tell Mr。 Meyer how
grateful we are to him。〃
Mr。 Clifford hobbled out from his hut under the tree; saying:
〃I have told him already; dear。〃
〃Yes;〃 answered Jacob; 〃you have told me; why repeat yourself? I see
that supper is ready。 Let us eat; for you must be hungry; afterwards I
have something to tell you。〃
So they ate; with no great appetite; any of themindeed Meyer touched
but little food; though he drank a good deal; first of strong black
coffee and afterwards of squareface and water。 But on Benita he
pressed the choicest morsels that he could find; eyeing her all the
while; and saying that she must take plenty of nutriment or her beauty
would suffer and her strength wane。 Benita bethought her of the fairy
tales of her childhood; in which the ogre fed up the princess whom he
purposed to devour。
〃You should think of your own strength; Mr。 Meyer;〃 she said; 〃you
cannot live on coffee and squareface。〃
〃It is all I need to…night。 I am astonishingly well since you came
back。 I can never remember feeling so well; or so strong。 I can do the
work of three men; and not be tired; all this afternoon; for instance;
I have been carrying provisions and other things up that steep wall;
for we must prepare for a long siege together; yet I should never know
that I had lifted a single basket。 But while you were awayah! then I
felt tired。〃
Benita changed the subject; asking him if he had made any discoveries。
〃Not yet; but now that you are back the discoveries will soon come。 Do
not be afraid; I have my plan which cannot fail。 Also; it was lonely
working in that cave without you; so I only looked about a little
outside till it was time to go to meet you; and shoot some of those
Matabele。 Do you know?I killed seven of them myself。 When I was
shooting for your sake I could not miss;〃 and he smiled at her。
Benita shrank from him visibly; and Mr。 Clifford said in an angry
voice:
〃Don't talk of those horrors before my daughter。 It is bad enough to
have to do such things; without speaking about them afterwards。〃
〃You are right;〃 he replied reflectively; 〃and I apologise; though
personally I never enjoyed anything so much as shooting those
Matabele。 Well; they are gone; and there are plenty more outside。
Listen! They are singing their evening hymn;〃 and with his long finger
he beat time to the volleying notes of the dreadful Matabele war…
chant; which floated up from the plain below。 〃It sounds quite
religious; doesn't it? only the wordsno; I will not translate them。
In our circumstances they are too personal。
〃Now I have something to say to you。 It was unkind of you to run away
and leave me like that; not honourable either。 Indeed;〃 he added with
a sudden outbreak of the panther ferocity; 〃had you alone been
concerned; Clifford; I tell you frankly that when we met again; I
should have shot you。 Traitors deserve to be shot; don't they?〃
〃Please stop talking to my father like that;〃 broke in Benita in a
stern voice; for her anger had overcome her fear。 〃Also it is I whom
you should blame。〃
〃It is a pleasure to obey you;〃 he answered bowing; 〃I will never
mention the subject any more。 Nor do I blame youwho could?not
Jacob Meyer。 I quite understand that you found it very dull up here;
and ladies must be allowed their fancies。 Also you have come back; so
why talk of the matter? But listen: on one point I have made up my
mind; for your own sake you shall not go away any more until we leave
this together。 When I had finished carrying up the food I made sure of
that。 If you go to look to…morrow morning you will find that no one
can come up that walland; what is more; no one can go down it。
Moreover; that I may be quite certain; in future I shall sleep near
the stair myself。〃
Benita and her father stared at each other。
〃The Molimo has a right to come;〃 she said; 〃it is his sanctuary。〃
〃Then he must celebrate his worship down below for a little while。 The
old fool pretends to know everything; but he never guessed what I was
going to do。 Besides; we don't want him breaking in upon our privacy;
do we? He might see the gold when we find it; and rob us of it afterwards。〃
XVII
THE FIRST EXPERIMENT
Again Benita and her father stared at each other blankly; almost with
despair。 They were trapped; cut off from all help; in the power of a
man who was going mad。 Mr。 Clifford said nothing。 He was old and
growing feeble; for years; although he did not know it; Meyer had
dominated him; and never more so than in this hour of stress and
bewilderment。 Moreover; the man had threatened to murder him; and he
was afraid; not so much for himself as for his daughter。 If he were to
die now; what would happen to her; left alone with Jacob Meyer? The
knowledge of his own folly; understood too late; filled him with
shame。 How could he have been so wicked as to bring a girl upon such a
quest in the company of an unprincipled Jew; of whose past he knew
nothing except that it was murky and dubious? He had committed a great
crime; led on by a love of lucre; and the weight of it pressed upon
his tongue and closed his lips; he knew not what to say。
For a little while Benita was silent also; hope died within her。 But
she was a bold…spirited woman; and by degrees her courage re…asserted
快捷操作: 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!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!