章节正文
would do. He strayed back on the path to Umvelos'. This
looked bad, for it meant that he did not smell water along the
cliff front. If I was to find a stream it must be on the top, and
I must try a little mountaineering.
Then, taking my courage in both my hands, I decided. I
gave my pony a cut, and set him off on the homeward road. I
knew he was safe to get back in four or five hours, and in broad
day there was little fear of wild beasts attacking him. I had tied
my sleeping bag on to the saddle, and had with me but two
pocketfuls of food. I had also fastened on the saddle a letter to
my Dutch foreman, bidding him send a native with a spare
horse to fetch me by the evening. Then I started off to look
for a chimney.
A boyhood spent on the cliffs at Kirkcaple had made me a
bold cragsman, and the porphyry of the Rooirand clearly gave
excellent holds. But I walked many weary miles along the cliff-
foot before I found a feasible road. To begin with, it was no
light task to fight one's way through the dense undergrowth of
the lower slopes. Every kind of thorn-bush lay in wait for my
skin, creepers tripped me up, high trees shut out the light, and
I was in constant fear lest a black mamba might appear out of
the tangle. It grew very hot, and the screes above the thicket
were blistering to the touch. My tongue, too, stuck to the roof
of my mouth with thirst.
The first chimney I tried ran out on the face into
nothingness, and I had to make a dangerous descent. The second
was a deep gully, but so choked with rubble that after nearly
braining myself I desisted. Still going eastwards, I found a
sloping ledge which took me to a platform from which ran a
crack with a little tree growing in it. My glass showed me that
beyond this tree the crack broadened into a clearly defined
chimney which led to the top. If I can once reach that tree, I
thought, the battle is won.
The crack was only a few inches wide, large enough to let in
an arm and a foot, and it ran slantwise up a perpendicular
rock. I do not think I realized how bad it was till I had gone
too far to return. Then my foot jammed, and I paused for
breath with my legs and arms cramping rapidly. I remember
that I looked to the west, and saw through the sweat which
kept dropping into my eyes that about half a mile off a piece of
cliff which looked unbroken from the foot had a fold in it to
the right. The darkness of the fold showed me that it was a
deep, narrow gully. However, I had no time to think of this,
for I was fast in the middle of my confounded crack. With
immense labour I found a chockstone above my head, and
managed to force my foot free. The next few yards were not so
difficult, and then I stuck once more.
For the crack suddenly grew shallow as the cliff bulged out
above me. I had almost given up hope, when I saw that about
three feet above my head grew the tree. If I could reach it and
swing out I might hope to pull myself up to the ledge on which
it grew. I confess it needed all my courage, for I did not know
but that the tree might be loose, and that it and I might go
rattling down four hundred feet. It was my only hope,
however, so I set my teeth, and wriggling up a few inches,
made a grab at it. Thank God it held, and with a great effort I
pulled my shoulder over the ledge, and breathed freely.
My difficulties were not ended, but the worst was past. The
rest of the gully gave me good and safe climbing, and presently
a very limp and weary figure lay on the cliff-top. It took me
many minutes to get back my breath and to conquer the
faintness which seized me as soon as the need for exertion
was over.
When I scrambled to my feet and looked round, I saw a
wonderful prospect. It was a plateau like the high-veld, only
covered with bracken and little bushes like hazels. Three or
four miles off the ground rose, and a shallow vale opened. But
in the foreground, half a mile or so distant, a lake lay gleaming
in the sun.
I could scarcely believe my eyes as I ran towards it, and
doubts of a mirage haunted me. But it was no mirage, but a
real lake, perhaps three miles in circumference, with bracken-
fringed banks, a shore of white pebbles, and clear deep blue
water. I drank my fill, and then stripped and swam in the
blessed coolness. After that I ate some luncheon, and sunned
myself on a flat rock. 'I have discovered the source of the
Labongo,' I said to myself. 'I will write to the Royal
Geographical Society, and they will give me a medal.'
I walked round the lake to look for an outlet. A fine
mountain stream came in at the north end, and at the south
end, sure enough, a considerable river debauched. My exploring
zeal redoubled, and I followed its course in a delirium of
expectation. It was a noble stream, clear as crystal, and very
unlike the muddy tropical Labongo at Umvelos'. Suddenly,
about a quarter of a mile from the lake, the land seemed to
grow over it, and with a swirl and a hollow roar, it disappeared
into a mighty pot-hole. I walked a few steps on, and from
below my feet came the most uncanny rumbling and groaning.
Then I knew what old Coetzee's devil was that howled in
the Rooirand.
Had I continued my walk to the edge of the cliff, I might
have learned a secret which would have stood me in good stead
later. But the descent began to make me anxious, and I
retraced my steps to the top of the chimney whence I had
come. I was resolved that nothing would make me descend by
that awesome crack, so I kept on eastward along the top to
look for a better way. I found one about a mile farther on,
which, though far from easy, had no special risks save from
the appalling looseness of the debris. When I got down at
length, I found that it was near sunset. I went to the place I
had bidden my native look for me at, but, as I had feared,
there was no sign of him. So, making the best of a bad job, I
had supper and a pipe, and spent a very chilly night in a hole
among the boulders.
I got up at dawn stiff and cold, and ate a few raisins for
breakfast. There was no sign of horses, so I resolved to fill up
the time in looking for the fold of the cliff which, as I had seen
from the horrible crack of yesterday, contained a gully. It was
a difficult job, for to get the sidelong view of the cliff I had to
scramble through the undergrowth of the slopes again, and
even a certain way up the kranzes. At length I got my bearings,
and fixed the place by some tall trees in the bush. Then I
descended and walked westwards.
Suddenly, as I neared the place, I heard the strangest sound
coming from the rocks. It was a deep muffled groaning, so
eerie and unearthly that for the moment I stood and shivered.
Then I remembered my river of yesterday. It must be above
this place that it descended into the earth, and in the hush of
dawn the sound was naturally louder. No wonder old Coetzee had
been afraid of devils. It reminded me of the lines in Marmion -
'Diving as if condemned to lave
Some demon's subterranean cave,
Who, prisoned by enchanter's spell,
Shakes the dark rock with groan and yell.'
While I was standing awestruck at the sound, I observed a
figure moving towards the cliffs. I was well in cover, so I could
not have been noticed. It was a very old man, very tall, but
bowed in the shoulders, who was walking slowly with bent
head. He could not have been thirty yards from me, so I had a
clear view of his face. He was a native, but of a type I had
never seen before. A long white beard fell on his breast, and a
magnificent kaross of leopard skin covered his shoulders. His
face was seamed and lined and shrunken, so that he seemed as
old as Time itself.
Very carefully I crept after him, and found myself opposite
the fold where the gully was. There was a clear path through
the jungle, a path worn smooth by many feet. I followed it
through the undergrowth and over the screes till it turned
inside the fold of the gully. And then it stopped short. I was
in a deep cleft, but in front was a slab of sheer rock. Above,
the gully looked darker and deeper, but there was this great
slab to pass. I examined the sides, but they were sheer rock
with no openings.
Had I had my wits about me, I would have gone back and
followed the spoor, noting where it stopped. But the whole
thing looked black magic to me; my stomach was empty and
my enterprise small. Besides, there was the terrible moaning
of the imprisoned river in my ears. I am ashamed to confess it,
but I ran from that gully as if the devil and all his angels had
been following me. Indeed, I did not slacken till I had put a
good mile between me and those uncanny cliffs. After that I
set out to foot it back. If the horses would not come to me I
must go to them.
I walked twenty-five miles in a vile temper, enraged at my
Dutchmen, my natives, and everybody. The truth is, I had
been frightened, and my pride was sore about it. It grew very
hot, the sand rose and choked me, the mopani trees with their
dull green wearied me, the 'Kaffir queens' and jays and rollers
which flew about the path seemed to be there to mock me.
About half-way home I found a boy and two horses, and
roundly I cursed him. It seemed that my pony had returned
right enough, and the boy had been sent to fetch me. He had
got half-way before sunset the night before, and there he had
stayed. I discovered from him that he was scared to death, and
did not dare go any nearer the Rooirand. It was accursed, he
said, for it was an abode of devils, and only wizards went near
it. I was bound to admit to myself that I could not blame him.
At last I had got on the track of something certain about this
mysterious country, and all the way back I wondered if I
should have the courage to follow it up.
CHAPTER V
MR WARDLAW HAS A PREMONITION
A week later the building job was finished, I locked the door
of the new store, pocketed the key, and we set out for home.
Sikitola was entrusted with the general care of it, and I knew
him well enough to be sure that he would keep his people from
doing mischief. I left my empty wagons to follow at their
leisure and rode on, with the result that I arrived at
Blaauwildebeestefontein two days before I was looked for.
I stabled my horse, and went round to the back to see Colin.
(I had left him at home in case of fights with native dogs, for
he was an ill beast in a crowd.) I found him well and hearty,
for Zeeta had been looking after him. Then some whim seized
me to enter the store through my bedroom window. It was
open, and I crawled softly in to find the room fresh and clean
from Zeeta's care. The door was ajar, and, hearing voices, I
peeped into the shop.
Japp was sitting on the counter talking in a low voice to a big
native - the same 'Mwanga whom I had bundled out
unceremoniously. I noticed that the outer door giving on the
road was shut, a most unusual thing in the afternoon. Japp had
some small objects in his hand, and the two were evidently arguing
about a price. I had no intention at first of eavesdropping,
and was just about to push the door open, when
something in Japp's face arrested me. He was up to no good,
and I thought it my business to wait.
The low tones went on for a little, both men talking in
Kaffir, and then Japp lifted up one of the little objects between
finger and thumb. It was a small roundish stone about the size of
a bean, but even in that half light there was a dull lustre in it.
At that I shoved the door open and went in. Both men
looked bad, for it meant that he did not smell water along the
cliff front. If I was to find a stream it must be on the top, and
I must try a little mountaineering.
Then, taking my courage in both my hands, I decided. I
gave my pony a cut, and set him off on the homeward road. I
knew he was safe to get back in four or five hours, and in broad
day there was little fear of wild beasts attacking him. I had tied
my sleeping bag on to the saddle, and had with me but two
pocketfuls of food. I had also fastened on the saddle a letter to
my Dutch foreman, bidding him send a native with a spare
horse to fetch me by the evening. Then I started off to look
for a chimney.
A boyhood spent on the cliffs at Kirkcaple had made me a
bold cragsman, and the porphyry of the Rooirand clearly gave
excellent holds. But I walked many weary miles along the cliff-
foot before I found a feasible road. To begin with, it was no
light task to fight one's way through the dense undergrowth of
the lower slopes. Every kind of thorn-bush lay in wait for my
skin, creepers tripped me up, high trees shut out the light, and
I was in constant fear lest a black mamba might appear out of
the tangle. It grew very hot, and the screes above the thicket
were blistering to the touch. My tongue, too, stuck to the roof
of my mouth with thirst.
The first chimney I tried ran out on the face into
nothingness, and I had to make a dangerous descent. The second
was a deep gully, but so choked with rubble that after nearly
braining myself I desisted. Still going eastwards, I found a
sloping ledge which took me to a platform from which ran a
crack with a little tree growing in it. My glass showed me that
beyond this tree the crack broadened into a clearly defined
chimney which led to the top. If I can once reach that tree, I
thought, the battle is won.
The crack was only a few inches wide, large enough to let in
an arm and a foot, and it ran slantwise up a perpendicular
rock. I do not think I realized how bad it was till I had gone
too far to return. Then my foot jammed, and I paused for
breath with my legs and arms cramping rapidly. I remember
that I looked to the west, and saw through the sweat which
kept dropping into my eyes that about half a mile off a piece of
cliff which looked unbroken from the foot had a fold in it to
the right. The darkness of the fold showed me that it was a
deep, narrow gully. However, I had no time to think of this,
for I was fast in the middle of my confounded crack. With
immense labour I found a chockstone above my head, and
managed to force my foot free. The next few yards were not so
difficult, and then I stuck once more.
For the crack suddenly grew shallow as the cliff bulged out
above me. I had almost given up hope, when I saw that about
three feet above my head grew the tree. If I could reach it and
swing out I might hope to pull myself up to the ledge on which
it grew. I confess it needed all my courage, for I did not know
but that the tree might be loose, and that it and I might go
rattling down four hundred feet. It was my only hope,
however, so I set my teeth, and wriggling up a few inches,
made a grab at it. Thank God it held, and with a great effort I
pulled my shoulder over the ledge, and breathed freely.
My difficulties were not ended, but the worst was past. The
rest of the gully gave me good and safe climbing, and presently
a very limp and weary figure lay on the cliff-top. It took me
many minutes to get back my breath and to conquer the
faintness which seized me as soon as the need for exertion
was over.
When I scrambled to my feet and looked round, I saw a
wonderful prospect. It was a plateau like the high-veld, only
covered with bracken and little bushes like hazels. Three or
four miles off the ground rose, and a shallow vale opened. But
in the foreground, half a mile or so distant, a lake lay gleaming
in the sun.
I could scarcely believe my eyes as I ran towards it, and
doubts of a mirage haunted me. But it was no mirage, but a
real lake, perhaps three miles in circumference, with bracken-
fringed banks, a shore of white pebbles, and clear deep blue
water. I drank my fill, and then stripped and swam in the
blessed coolness. After that I ate some luncheon, and sunned
myself on a flat rock. 'I have discovered the source of the
Labongo,' I said to myself. 'I will write to the Royal
Geographical Society, and they will give me a medal.'
I walked round the lake to look for an outlet. A fine
mountain stream came in at the north end, and at the south
end, sure enough, a considerable river debauched. My exploring
zeal redoubled, and I followed its course in a delirium of
expectation. It was a noble stream, clear as crystal, and very
unlike the muddy tropical Labongo at Umvelos'. Suddenly,
about a quarter of a mile from the lake, the land seemed to
grow over it, and with a swirl and a hollow roar, it disappeared
into a mighty pot-hole. I walked a few steps on, and from
below my feet came the most uncanny rumbling and groaning.
Then I knew what old Coetzee's devil was that howled in
the Rooirand.
Had I continued my walk to the edge of the cliff, I might
have learned a secret which would have stood me in good stead
later. But the descent began to make me anxious, and I
retraced my steps to the top of the chimney whence I had
come. I was resolved that nothing would make me descend by
that awesome crack, so I kept on eastward along the top to
look for a better way. I found one about a mile farther on,
which, though far from easy, had no special risks save from
the appalling looseness of the debris. When I got down at
length, I found that it was near sunset. I went to the place I
had bidden my native look for me at, but, as I had feared,
there was no sign of him. So, making the best of a bad job, I
had supper and a pipe, and spent a very chilly night in a hole
among the boulders.
I got up at dawn stiff and cold, and ate a few raisins for
breakfast. There was no sign of horses, so I resolved to fill up
the time in looking for the fold of the cliff which, as I had seen
from the horrible crack of yesterday, contained a gully. It was
a difficult job, for to get the sidelong view of the cliff I had to
scramble through the undergrowth of the slopes again, and
even a certain way up the kranzes. At length I got my bearings,
and fixed the place by some tall trees in the bush. Then I
descended and walked westwards.
Suddenly, as I neared the place, I heard the strangest sound
coming from the rocks. It was a deep muffled groaning, so
eerie and unearthly that for the moment I stood and shivered.
Then I remembered my river of yesterday. It must be above
this place that it descended into the earth, and in the hush of
dawn the sound was naturally louder. No wonder old Coetzee had
been afraid of devils. It reminded me of the lines in Marmion -
'Diving as if condemned to lave
Some demon's subterranean cave,
Who, prisoned by enchanter's spell,
Shakes the dark rock with groan and yell.'
While I was standing awestruck at the sound, I observed a
figure moving towards the cliffs. I was well in cover, so I could
not have been noticed. It was a very old man, very tall, but
bowed in the shoulders, who was walking slowly with bent
head. He could not have been thirty yards from me, so I had a
clear view of his face. He was a native, but of a type I had
never seen before. A long white beard fell on his breast, and a
magnificent kaross of leopard skin covered his shoulders. His
face was seamed and lined and shrunken, so that he seemed as
old as Time itself.
Very carefully I crept after him, and found myself opposite
the fold where the gully was. There was a clear path through
the jungle, a path worn smooth by many feet. I followed it
through the undergrowth and over the screes till it turned
inside the fold of the gully. And then it stopped short. I was
in a deep cleft, but in front was a slab of sheer rock. Above,
the gully looked darker and deeper, but there was this great
slab to pass. I examined the sides, but they were sheer rock
with no openings.
Had I had my wits about me, I would have gone back and
followed the spoor, noting where it stopped. But the whole
thing looked black magic to me; my stomach was empty and
my enterprise small. Besides, there was the terrible moaning
of the imprisoned river in my ears. I am ashamed to confess it,
but I ran from that gully as if the devil and all his angels had
been following me. Indeed, I did not slacken till I had put a
good mile between me and those uncanny cliffs. After that I
set out to foot it back. If the horses would not come to me I
must go to them.
I walked twenty-five miles in a vile temper, enraged at my
Dutchmen, my natives, and everybody. The truth is, I had
been frightened, and my pride was sore about it. It grew very
hot, the sand rose and choked me, the mopani trees with their
dull green wearied me, the 'Kaffir queens' and jays and rollers
which flew about the path seemed to be there to mock me.
About half-way home I found a boy and two horses, and
roundly I cursed him. It seemed that my pony had returned
right enough, and the boy had been sent to fetch me. He had
got half-way before sunset the night before, and there he had
stayed. I discovered from him that he was scared to death, and
did not dare go any nearer the Rooirand. It was accursed, he
said, for it was an abode of devils, and only wizards went near
it. I was bound to admit to myself that I could not blame him.
At last I had got on the track of something certain about this
mysterious country, and all the way back I wondered if I
should have the courage to follow it up.
CHAPTER V
MR WARDLAW HAS A PREMONITION
A week later the building job was finished, I locked the door
of the new store, pocketed the key, and we set out for home.
Sikitola was entrusted with the general care of it, and I knew
him well enough to be sure that he would keep his people from
doing mischief. I left my empty wagons to follow at their
leisure and rode on, with the result that I arrived at
Blaauwildebeestefontein two days before I was looked for.
I stabled my horse, and went round to the back to see Colin.
(I had left him at home in case of fights with native dogs, for
he was an ill beast in a crowd.) I found him well and hearty,
for Zeeta had been looking after him. Then some whim seized
me to enter the store through my bedroom window. It was
open, and I crawled softly in to find the room fresh and clean
from Zeeta's care. The door was ajar, and, hearing voices, I
peeped into the shop.
Japp was sitting on the counter talking in a low voice to a big
native - the same 'Mwanga whom I had bundled out
unceremoniously. I noticed that the outer door giving on the
road was shut, a most unusual thing in the afternoon. Japp had
some small objects in his hand, and the two were evidently arguing
about a price. I had no intention at first of eavesdropping,
and was just about to push the door open, when
something in Japp's face arrested me. He was up to no good,
and I thought it my business to wait.
The low tones went on for a little, both men talking in
Kaffir, and then Japp lifted up one of the little objects between
finger and thumb. It was a small roundish stone about the size of
a bean, but even in that half light there was a dull lustre in it.
At that I shoved the door open and went in. Both men
- stream [stri:m]
n.河 vi.流出；飘扬 (初中英语单词) - sleeping [´sli:piŋ] n.&a.睡着(的) (初中英语单词)
- saddle [´sædl] n.鞍子 v.装鞍(于) (初中英语单词)
- constant [´kɔnstənt] a.坚定的；坚贞的 (初中英语单词)
- platform [´plætfɔ:m] n.(平)台；讲台；站台 (初中英语单词)
- shallow [´ʃæləu] a.肤浅的；表面的 (初中英语单词)
- confess [kən´fes] vt.供认；坦白；承认 (初中英语单词)
- breath [breθ] n.呼吸；气息 (初中英语单词)
- conquer [´kɔŋkə] v.征服；克服；抑制 (初中英语单词)
- prospect [´prɔspekt, prəs´pekt] n.景色；境界 v.勘察 (初中英语单词)
- haunted [´hɔ:tid] a.常出现鬼的，闹鬼的 (初中英语单词)
- luncheon [´lʌntʃ(ə)n] n.午餐，午宴 (初中英语单词)
- considerable [kən´sidərəbəl] a.重要的；值得重视 (初中英语单词)
- crystal [´kristəl] n.水晶 a.水晶的 (初中英语单词)
- anxious [´æŋkʃəs] a.担忧的；渴望的 (初中英语单词)
- descend [di´send] v.下来，下降 (初中英语单词)
- sunset [´sʌnset] n.日落；晚霞 (初中英语单词)
- chilly [´tʃili] a.凉飕飕的 (初中英语单词)
- horrible [´hɔrəbəl] a.可怕的；恐怖的 (初中英语单词)
- yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)
- standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)
- stomach [´stʌmək] n.胃；胃口，食欲 (初中英语单词)
- enterprise [´entəpraiz] n.企业；雄心；胆识 (初中英语单词)
- ashamed [ə´ʃeimd] a.惭愧；不好意思 (初中英语单词)
- temper [´tempə] n.韧度 v.锻炼；调和 (初中英语单词)
- mischief [´mistʃif] n.伤害；故障；调皮 (初中英语单词)
- softly [´sɔftli] ad.软化地；柔和地 (初中英语单词)
- unusual [ʌn´ju:ʒuəl] a.不平常的；异常的 (初中英语单词)
- evidently [´evidəntli] ad.明显地 (初中英语单词)
- intention [in´tenʃən] n.意图；打算；意义 (初中英语单词)
- decided [di´saidid] a.明显的；决定的 (高中英语单词)
- homeward [´həumwəd] ad.&a.回家(的) (高中英语单词)
- boyhood [´bɔihud] n.少年时代(期) (高中英语单词)
- tangle [´tæŋgəl] n.&vt.(使)缠结；纠纷 (高中英语单词)
- descent [di´sent] n.出身，家世 (高中英语单词)
- plateau [´plætəu] n.高原；平稳；托盘 (高中英语单词)
- outlet [´autlet] n.出口；出路；通风口 (高中英语单词)
- tropical [´trɔpikəl] a.热带地区的 (高中英语单词)
- mighty [´maiti] a.强有力的 ad.很 (高中英语单词)
- learned [´lə:nid] a.有学问的，博学的 (高中英语单词)
- jungle [´dʒʌŋgəl] n.丛林；杂乱的东西 (高中英语单词)
- half-way [´hɑ:fwei] ad.半途；几乎 (高中英语单词)
- hearing [´hiəriŋ] n.听力；听证会；审讯 (高中英语单词)
- counter [´kauntə] n.计算者；柜台；计算机 (高中英语单词)
- foreman [´fɔ:mən] n.领班；陪审团主席 (英语四级单词)
- unbroken [ʌn´brəukən] a.未破的；不间断的 (英语四级单词)
- circumference [sə´kʌmfərəns] n.圆周；周围；(圆)周线 (英语四级单词)
- whence [wens] ad.从何处；从那里 (英语四级单词)
- resolved [ri´zɔlvd] a.决心的；坚定的 (英语四级单词)
- eastward [´i:stwəd] a.&ad.向东(的) (英语四级单词)
- appalling [ə´pɔ:liŋ] a.令人震惊的 (英语四级单词)
- leopard [´lepəd] n.豹 (英语四级单词)
- slacken [´slækən] v.(使)松弛，(使)缓慢 (英语四级单词)
- accursed [ə´kə:sid] a.被诅咒的；可憎的 (英语四级单词)
- taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)
- feasible [´fi:zibəl] a.可行的，可实行的 (英语六级单词)
- coolness [´ku:lnis] n.凉，凉爽；冷静 (英语六级单词)
- uncanny [ʌn´kæni] a.神秘的；离奇的 (英语六级单词)
文章标签:名著
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