I need hardly state that we never again penetrated3 into Solomon’s treasure chamber4. After we had recovered from our fatigues5, a process which took us forty-eight hours, we descended6 into the great pit in the hope of finding the hole by which we had crept out of the mountain, but with no success. To begin with, rain had fallen, and obliterated8 our spoor; and what is more, the sides of the vast pit were full of ant-bear and other holes. It was impossible to say to which of these we owed our salvation9. Also, on the day before we started back to Loo, we made a further examination of the wonders of the stalactite cave, and, drawn10 by a kind of restless feeling, even penetrated once more into the Chamber of the Dead. Passing beneath the spear of the White Death we gazed, with sensations which it would be quite impossible for me to describe, at the mass of rock that had shut us off from escape, thinking the while of priceless treasures beyond, of the mysterious old hag whose flattened11 fragments lay crushed beneath it, and of the fair girl of whose tomb it was the portal. I say gazed at the “rock,” for, examine as we could, we could find no traces of the join of the sliding door; nor, indeed, could we hit upon the secret, now utterly12 lost, that worked it, though we tried for an hour or more. It is certainly a marvellous bit of mechanism13, characteristic, in its massive and yet inscrutable simplicity14, of the age which produced it; and I doubt if the world has such another to show.
At last we gave it up in disgust; though, if the mass had suddenly risen before our eyes, I doubt if we should have screwed up courage to step over Gagool’s mangled15 remains16, and once more enter the treasure chamber, even in the sure and certain hope of unlimited17 diamonds. And yet I could have cried at the idea of leaving all that treasure, the biggest treasure probably that in the world’s history has ever been accumulated in one spot. But there was no help for it. Only dynamite18 could force its way through five feet of solid rock.
So we left it. Perhaps, in some remote unborn century, a more fortunate explorer may hit upon the “Open Sesame,” and flood the world with gems19. But, myself, I doubt it. Somehow, I seem to feel that the tens of millions of pounds’ worth of jewels which lie in the three stone coffers will never shine round the neck of an earthly beauty. They and Foulata’s bones will keep cold company till the end of all things.
With a sigh of disappointment we made our way back, and next day started for Loo. And yet it was really very ungrateful of us to be disappointed; for, as the reader will remember, by a lucky thought, I had taken the precaution to fill the wide pockets of my old shooting coat and trousers with gems before we left our prison-house, also Foulata’s basket, which held twice as many more, notwithstanding that the water bottle had occupied some of its space. A good many of these fell out in the course of our roll down the side of the pit, including several of the big ones, which I had crammed20 in on the top in my coat pockets. But, comparatively speaking, an enormous quantity still remained, including ninety-three large stones ranging from over two hundred to seventy carats in weight. My old shooting coat and the basket still held sufficient treasure to make us all, if not millionaires as the term is understood in America, at least exceedingly wealthy men, and yet to keep enough stones each to make the three finest sets of gems in Europe. So we had not done so badly.
On arriving at Loo we were most cordially received by Ignosi, whom we found well, and busily engaged in consolidating21 his power, and reorganising the regiments22 which had suffered most in the great struggle with Twala.
He listened with intense interest to our wonderful story; but when we told him of old Gagool’s frightful24 end he grew thoughtful.
“Come hither,” he called, to a very old Induna or councillor, who was sitting with others in a circle round the king, but out of ear-shot. The ancient man rose, approached, saluted26, and seated himself.
“Thou art aged,” said Ignosi.
“Ay, my lord the king! Thy father’s father and I were born on the same day.”
“Tell me, when thou wast little, didst thou know Gagaoola the witch doctress?”
“Ay, my lord the king!”
“How was she then — young, like thee?”
“Not so, my lord the king! She was even as she is now and as she was in the days of my great grandfather before me; old and dried, very ugly, and full of wickedness.”
“She is no more; she is dead.”
“So, O king! then is an ancient curse taken from the land.”
“Go!”
“Koom! I go, Black Puppy, who tore out the old dog’s throat. Koom!”
“Ye see, my brothers,” said Ignosi, “this was a strange woman, and I rejoice that she is dead. She would have let you die in the dark place, and mayhap afterwards she had found a way to slay27 me, as she found a way to slay my father, and set up Twala, whom her black heart loved, in his place. Now go on with the tale; surely there never was its like!”
After I had narrated28 all the story of our escape, as we had agreed between ourselves that I should, I took the opportunity to address Ignosi as to our departure from Kukuanaland.
“And now, Ignosi,” I said, “the time has come for us to bid thee farewell, and start to see our own land once more. Behold29, Ignosi, thou camest with us a servant, and now we leave thee a mighty30 king. If thou art grateful to us, remember to do even as thou didst promise: to rule justly, to respect the law, and to put none to death without a cause. So shalt thou prosper31. To-morrow, at break of day, Ignosi, thou wilt32 give us an escort who shall lead us across the mountains. Is it not so, O king?”
Ignosi covered his face with his hands for a while before answering.
“My heart is sore,” he said at last; “your words split my heart in twain. What have I done to you, Incubu, Macumazahn, and Bougwan, that ye should leave me desolate33? Ye who stood by me in rebellion and in battle, will ye leave me in the day of peace and victory? What will ye — wives? Choose from among the maidens34! A place to live in? Behold, the land is yours as far as ye can see. The white man’s houses? Ye shall teach my people how to build them. Cattle for beef and milk? Every married man shall bring you an ox or a cow. Wild game to hunt? Does not the elephant walk through my forests, and the river-horse sleep in the reeds? Would ye make war? My Impis wait your word. If there is anything more which I can give, that will I give you.”
“Nay, Ignosi, we want none of these things,” I answered; “we would seek our own place.”
“Now do I learn,” said Ignosi bitterly, and with flashing eyes, “that ye love the bright stones more than me, your friend. Ye have the stones; now ye would go to Natal35 and across the moving black water and sell them, and be rich, as it is the desire of a white man’s heart to be. Cursed for your sake be the white stones, and cursed he who seeks them. Death shall it be to him who sets foot in the place of Death to find them. I have spoken. White men, ye can go.”
I laid my hand upon his arm. “Ignosi,” I said, “tell us, when thou didst wander in Zululand, and among the white people of Natal, did not thine heart turn to the land thy mother told thee of, thy native place, where thou didst see the light, and play when thou wast little, the land where thy place was?”
“It was even so, Macumazahn.”
“In like manner, Ignosi, do our hearts turn to our land and to our own place.”
Then came a silence. When Ignosi broke it, it was in a different voice.
“I do perceive that now as ever thy words are wise and full of reason, Macumazahn; that which flies in the air loves not to run along the ground; the white man loves not to live on the level of the black or to house among his kraals. Well, ye must go, and leave my heart sore, because ye will be as dead to me, since from where ye are no tidings can come to me.
“But listen, and let all your brothers know my words. No other white man shall cross the mountains, even if any man live to come so far. I will see no traders with their guns and gin. My people shall fight with the spear, and drink water, like their forefathers37 before them. I will have no praying-men to put a fear of death into men’s hearts, to stir them up against the law of the king, and make a path for the white folk who follow to run on. If a white man comes to my gates I will send him back; if a hundred come I will push them back; if armies come, I will make war on them with all my strength, and they shall not prevail against me. None shall ever seek for the shining stones: no, not an army, for if they come I will send a regiment23 and fill up the pit, and break down the white columns in the caves and choke them with rocks, so that none can reach even to that door of which ye speak, and whereof the way to move it is lost. But for you three, Incubu, Macumazahn, and Bougwan, the path is always open; for, behold, ye are dearer to me than aught that breathes.
“And ye would go. Infadoos, my uncle, and my Induna, shall take you by the hand and guide you with a regiment. There is, as I have learned, another way across the mountains that he shall show you. Farewell, my brothers, brave white men. See me no more, for I have no heart to bear it. Behold! I make a decree, and it shall be published from the mountains to the mountains; your names, Incubu, Macumazahn, and Bougwan, shall be “hlonipa” even as the names of dead kings, and he who speaks them shall die.12 So shall your memory be preserved in the land for ever.
“Go now, ere my eyes rain tears like a woman’s. At times as ye look back down the path of life, or when ye are old and gather yourselves together to crouch38 before the fire, because for you the sun has no more heat, ye will think of how we stood shoulder to shoulder, in that great battle which thy wise words planned, Macumazahn; of how thou wast the point of the horn that galled39 Twala’s flank, Bougwan; whilst thou stood in the ring of the Greys, Incubu, and men went down before thine axe40 like corn before a sickle41; ay, and of how thou didst break that wild bull Twala’s strength, and bring his pride to dust. Fare ye well for ever, Incubu, Macumazahn, and Bougwan, my lords and my friends.”
Ignosi rose and looked earnestly at us for a few seconds. Then he threw the corner of his karross over his head, so as to cover his face from us.
We went in silence.
Next day at dawn we left Loo, escorted by our old friend Infadoos, who was heart-broken at our departure, and by the regiment of Buffaloes42. Early as was the hour, all the main street of the town was lined with multitudes of people, who gave us the royal salute25 as we passed at the head of the regiment, while the women blessed us for having rid the land of Twala, throwing flowers before us as we went. It was really very affecting, and not the sort of thing one is accustomed to meet with from natives.
One ludicrous incident occurred, however, which I rather welcomed, as it gave us something to laugh at.
Just before we reached the confines of the town, a pretty young girl, with some lovely lilies in her hand, ran forward and presented them to Good — somehow they all seemed to like Good; I think his eye-glass and solitary43 whisker gave him a fictitious44 value — and then said that she had a boon45 to ask.
“Speak on,” he answered.
“Let my lord show his servant his beautiful white legs, that his servant may look upon them, and remember them all her days, and tell of them to her children; his servant has travelled four days’ journey to see them, for the fame of them has gone throughout the land.”
“I’ll be hanged if I do!” exclaimed Good excitedly.
“Come, come, my dear fellow,” said Sir Henry, “you can’t refuse to oblige a lady.”
“I won’t,” replied Good obstinately46; “it is positively47 indecent.”
However, in the end he consented to draw up his trousers to the knee, amidst notes of rapturous admiration48 from all the women present, especially the gratified young lady, and in this guise49 he had to walk till we got clear of the town.
Good’s legs, I fear, will never be so greatly admired again. Of his melting teeth, and even of his “transparent eye,” the Kukuanas wearied more or less, but of his legs never.
As we travelled, Infadoos told us that there was another pass over the mountains to the north of the one followed by Solomon’s Great Road, or rather that there was a place where it was possible to climb down the wall of cliff which separates Kukuanaland from the desert, and is broken by the towering shapes of Sheba’s Breasts. It appeared, also, that rather more than two years previously50 a party of Kukuana hunters had descended this path into the desert in search of ostriches51, whose plumes53 are much prized among them for war head-dresses, and that in the course of their hunt they had been led far from the mountains and were much troubled by thirst. Seeing trees on the horizon, however, they walked towards them, and discovered a large and fertile oasis54 some miles in extent, and plentifully55 watered. It was by way of this oasis that Infadoos suggested we should return, and the idea seemed to us a good one, for it appeared that we should thus escape the rigours of the mountain pass. Also some of the hunters were in attendance to guide us to the oasis, from which, they stated, they could perceive other fertile spots far away in the desert.13
Travelling easily, on the night of the fourth day’s journey we found ourselves once more on the crest56 of the mountains that separate Kukuanaland from the desert, which rolled away in sandy billows at our feet, and about twenty-five miles to the north of Sheba’s Breasts.
At dawn on the following day, we were led to the edge of a very precipitous chasm57, by which we were to descend7 the precipice58, and gain the plain two thousand and more feet below.
Here we bade farewell to that true friend and sturdy old warrior59, Infadoos, who solemnly wished all good upon us, and nearly wept with grief. “Never, my lords,” he said, “shall mine old eyes see the like of you again. Ah! the way that Incubu cut his men down in the battle! Ah! for the sight of that stroke with which he swept off my brother Twala’s head! It was beautiful — beautiful! I may never hope to see such another, except perchance in happy dreams.”
We were very sorry to part from him; indeed, Good was so moved that he gave him as a souvenir — what do you think?— an eye-glass; afterwards we discovered that it was a spare one. Infadoos was delighted, foreseeing that the possession of such an article would increase his prestige enormously, and after several vain attempts he actually succeeded in screwing it into his own eye. Anything more incongruous than the old warrior looked with an eye-glass I never saw. Eye-glasses do not go well with leopard-skin cloaks and black ostrich52 plumes.
Then, after seeing that our guides were well laden60 with water and provisions, and having received a thundering farewell salute from the Buffaloes, we wrung61 Infadoos by the hand, and began our downward climb. A very arduous62 business it proved to be, but somehow that evening we found ourselves at the bottom without accident.
“Do you know,” said Sir Henry that night, as we sat by our fire and gazed up at the beetling63 cliffs above us, “I think that there are worse places than Kukuanaland in the world, and that I have known unhappier times than the last month or two, though I have never spent such queer ones. Eh! you fellows?”
“I almost wish I were back,” said Good, with a sigh.
As for myself, I reflected that all’s well that ends well; but in the course of a long life of shaves, I never had such shaves as those which I had recently experienced. The thought of that battle makes me feel cold all over, and as for our experience in the treasure chamber —!
Next morning we started on a toilsome trudge64 across the desert, having with us a good supply of water carried by our five guides, and camped that night in the open, marching again at dawn on the morrow.
By noon of the third day’s journey we could see the trees of the oasis of which the guides spoke36, and within an hour of sundown we were walking once more upon grass and listening to the sound of running water.
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1
refinement
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| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
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entanglement
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| n.纠缠，牵累 | |
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penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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fatigues
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| n.疲劳( fatigue的名词复数 )；杂役；厌倦；（士兵穿的）工作服 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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obliterated
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| v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
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9
salvation
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| n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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mechanism
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| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
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simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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mangled
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| vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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unlimited
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| adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的 | |
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dynamite
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| n./vt.(用)炸药(爆破) | |
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gems
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| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
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crammed
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| adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式) | |
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21
consolidating
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| v.（使）巩固， （使）加强( consolidate的现在分词 )；（使）合并 | |
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regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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27
slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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narrated
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| v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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prosper
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| v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣 | |
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wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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33
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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natal
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| adj.出生的，先天的 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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37
forefathers
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| n.祖先，先人；祖先，祖宗( forefather的名词复数 )；列祖列宗；前人 | |
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38
crouch
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| v.蹲伏，蜷缩，低头弯腰；n.蹲伏 | |
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39
galled
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| v.使…擦痛( gall的过去式和过去分词 )；擦伤；烦扰；侮辱 | |
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40
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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41
sickle
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| n.镰刀 | |
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42
buffaloes
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| n.水牛（分非洲水牛和亚洲水牛两种）( buffalo的名词复数 )；（南非或北美的）野牛；威胁；恐吓 | |
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43
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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44
fictitious
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| adj.虚构的，假设的；空头的 | |
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45
boon
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| n.恩赐，恩物，恩惠 | |
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46
obstinately
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| ad.固执地，顽固地 | |
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47
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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48
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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49
guise
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| n.外表，伪装的姿态 | |
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50
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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51
ostriches
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| n.鸵鸟( ostrich的名词复数 )；逃避现实的人，不愿正视现实者 | |
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52
ostrich
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| n.鸵鸟 | |
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plumes
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| 羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物 | |
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54
oasis
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| n.（沙漠中的）绿洲，宜人的地方 | |
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55
plentifully
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| adv. 许多地，丰饶地 | |
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56
crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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57
chasm
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| n.深坑，断层，裂口，大分岐，利害冲突 | |
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58
precipice
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| n.悬崖，危急的处境 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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60
laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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62
arduous
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| adj.艰苦的，费力的，陡峭的 | |
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63
beetling
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| adj.突出的，悬垂的v.快速移动( beetle的现在分词 ) | |
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64
trudge
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| v.步履艰难地走；n.跋涉，费力艰难的步行 | |
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