The Ivory Child

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Here I looked at him sharply. I had told him nothing about Lady Ragnall
having lost her wits. How then did he know of the matter? Still I
thought it best to hold my peace. I think that Harut saw he had made
some mistake, for leaving the subject of Lady Ragnall, he went on:

"You very welcome, O Lord, but it right tell you this most dangerous
journey, since elephant Jana not like strangers, and," he continued
slowly, "think no elephant like your blood, and all elephants brothers.
What one hate rest hate everywhere in world. See it in your face that
you already suffer great hurt from elephant, you or someone near you.
Also some of Kendah very fierce people and love fighting, and p'raps
there war in the land while you there, and in war people get killed."

"Very good, my friend," said Ragnall, "I am prepared to take my
chance of these things. Either we all go to your country together, as
Macumazana has explained to you, or none of us go."

"We understand. That is our bargain and we no break word," replied
Harut.

Then he turned his benevolent gaze upon Savage, and said: "So you come
too, Mr. Bena. That your name here, eh? Well, you learn lot things in
Kendahland, about snakes and all rest."

Here the jovial-looking Marut whispered something into the ear of his
companion, smiling all over his face and showing his white teeth as he
did so. "Oh!" went on Harut, "my brother tells me you meet one snake
already, down in country called Natal, but sit on him so hard, that he
grow quite flat and no bite."

"Who told him that?" gasped Savage.

"Oh! forget. Think Macumazana. No? Then p'raps you tell him in sleep,
for people talk much in sleep, you know, and some other people got good
ears and hear long way. Or p'raps little joke Harut. You 'member, he
first-rate conjurer. P'raps he send that snake. No trouble if know how.
Well, we show you much better snake Kendahland. But you no sit on _him_,
Mr. Bena."

To me, I know not why, there was something horrible in all this
jocosity, something that gave me the creeps as always does the sight
of a cat playing with a mouse. I felt even then that it foreshadowed
terrible things. How _could_ these men know the details of occurrences
at which they were not present and of which no one had told them? Did
that strange "tobacco" of theirs really give them some clairvoyant
power, I wondered, or had they other secret methods of obtaining news?
I glanced at poor Savage and perceived that he too felt as I did, for
he had turned quite pale beneath his tan. Even Hans was affected, for
he whispered to me in Dutch: "These are not men; these are devils, Baas,
and this journey of ours is one into hell."

Only Ragnall sat stern, silent, and apparently quite unmoved. Indeed
there was something almost sphinx-like about the set and expression of
his handsome face. Moreover, I felt sure that Harut and Marut recognized
the man's strength and determination and that he was one with whom they
must reckon seriously. Beneath all their smiles and courtesies I could
read this knowledge in their eyes; also that it was causing them grave
anxiety. It was as though they knew that here was one against whom their
power had no avail, whose fate was the master of their fate. In a sense
Harut admitted this to me, for suddenly he looked up and said in a
changed voice and in Bantu:

"You are a good reader of hearts, O Macumazana, almost as good as I am.
But remember that there is One Who writes upon the book of the heart,
Who is the Lord of us who do but read, and that what He writes, that
will befall, strive as we may, for in His hands is the future."

"Quite so," I replied coolly, "and that is why I am going with you to
Kendahland and fear you not at all."

"So it is and so let it be," he answered. "And now, Lords, are you ready
to start? For long is the road and who knows what awaits us ere we see
its end?"

"Yes," I replied, "long is the road of life and who knows what awaits us
ere we see its end--and after?"



Three hours later I halted the splendid white riding-camel upon which
I was mounted, and looked back from the crest of a wave of the desert.
There far behind us on the horizon, by the help of my glasses, I could
make out the site of the camp we had left and even the tall ant-hill
whence I had gazed in the moonlight at our mysterious escort which
seemed to have sprung from the desert as though by magic.

This was the manner of our march: A mile or so ahead of us went a picket
of eight or ten men mounted on the swiftest beasts, doubtless to give
warning of any danger. Next, three or four hundred yards away, followed
a body of about fifty Kendah, travelling in a double line, and behind
these the baggage men, mounted like everyone else, and leading behind
them strings of camels laden with water, provisions, tents of skin
and all our goods, including the fifty rifles and the ammunition that
Ragnall had brought from England. Then came we three white men and Hans,
each of us riding as swift and fine a camel as Africa can breed. On
our right at a distance of about half a mile, and also on our left,
travelled other bodies of the Kendah of the same numerical strength
as that ahead, while the rear was brought up by the remainder of the
company who drove a number of spare camels.

Thus we journeyed in the centre of a square whence any escape would have
been impossible, for I forgot to say that our keepers Harut and Marut
rode exactly behind us, at such a distance that we could call to them if
we wished.

At first I found this method of travelling very tiring, as does everyone
who is quite unaccustomed to camel-back. Indeed the swing and the jolt
of the swift creature beneath me seemed to wrench my bones asunder to
such an extent that at the beginning I had once or twice to be lifted
from the saddle when, after hours of torture, at length we camped for
the night. Poor Savage suffered even more than I did, for the motion
reduced him to a kind of jelly. Ragnall, however, who I think had ridden
camels before, felt little inconvenience, and the same may be said of
Hans, who rode in all sorts of positions, sometimes sideways like
a lady, and at others kneeling on the saddle like a monkey on a
barrel-organ. Also, being very light and tough as rimpis, the swaying
motion did not seem to affect him.

By degrees all these troubles left us to such an extent that I could
cover my fifty miles a day, more or less, without even feeling tired.
Indeed I grew to like the life in that pure and sparkling desert air,
perhaps because it was so restful. Day after day we journeyed on across
the endless, sandy plain, watching the sun rise, watching it grow high,
watching it sink again. Night after night we ate our simple food with
appetite and slept beneath the glittering stars till the new dawn broke
in glory from the bosom of the immeasurable East.

We spoke but little during all this time. It was as though the silence
of the wilderness had got hold of us and sealed our lips. Or perhaps
each of us was occupied with his own thoughts. At any rate I know that
for my part I seemed to live in a kind of dreamland, thinking of the
past, reflecting much upon the innumerable problems of this passing show
called life, but not paying much heed to the future. What did the future
matter to me, who did not know whether I should have a share of it even
for another month, or week, or day, surrounded as I was by the shadow of
death? No, I troubled little as to any earthly future, although I admit
that in this oasis of calm I reflected upon that state where past,
present and future will all be one; also that those reflections, which
were in their essence a kind of unshaped prayer, brought much calm to my
spirit.

With the regiment of escort we had practically no communication; I think
that they had been forbidden to talk to us. They were a very silent set
of men, finely-made, capable persons, of an Arab type, light rather than
dark in colour, who seemed for the most part to communicate with each
other by signs or in low-muttered words. Evidently they looked upon
Harut and Marut with great veneration, for any order which either of
these brethren gave, if they were brethren, was obeyed without
dispute or delay. Thus, when I happened to mention that I had lost a
pocket-knife at one of our camping-places two days' journey back, three
of them, much against my wish, were ordered to return to look for it,
and did so, making no question. Eight days later they rejoined us much
exhausted and having lost a camel, but with the knife, which they handed
to me with a low bow; and I confess that I felt ashamed to take the
thing.

Nor did we exchange many further confidences with Harut and Marut. Up
to the time of our arrival at the boundaries of the Kendah country, our
only talk with them was of the incidents of travel, of where we should
camp, of how far it might be to the next water, for water-holes or old
wells existed in this desert, of such birds as we saw, and so forth. As
to other and more important matters a kind of truce seemed to prevail.
Still, I observed that they were always studying us, and especially Lord
Ragnall, who rode on day after day, self-absorbed and staring straight
in front of him as though he looked at something we could not see.

Thus we covered hundreds of miles, not less than five hundred at the
least, reckoning our progress at only thirty miles a day, including
stoppages. For occasionally we stopped at the water-holes or small
oases, where the camels drank and rested. Indeed, these were so
conveniently arranged that I came to the conclusion that once there must
have been some established route running across these wastelands to
the south, of which the traditional knowledge remained with the Kendah
people. If so, it had not been used for generations, for save those of
one or two that had died on the outward march, we saw no skeletons of
camels or other beasts, or indeed any sign of man. The place was an
absolute wilderness where nothing lived except a few small mammals at
the oases and the birds that passed over it in the air on their way to
more fertile regions. Of these, by the way, I saw many that are known
both to Europe and Africa, especially ducks and cranes; also storks
that, for aught I can say, may have come from far-off, homely Holland.

At last the character of the country began to change. Grass appeared on
its lower-lying stretches, then bushes, then occasional trees and among
the trees a few buck. Halting the caravan I crept out and shot two of
these buck with a right and left, a feat that caused our grave escort to
stare in a fashion which showed me that they had never seen anything of
the sort done before.

That night, while we were eating the venison with relish, since it was
the first fresh meat that we had tasted for many a day, I observed that
the disposition of our camp was different from its common form. Thus it
was smaller and placed on an eminence. Also the camels were not allowed
to graze where they would as usual, but were kept within a limited area
while their riders were arranged in groups outside of them. Further, the
stores were piled near our tents, in the centre, with guards set over
them. I asked Harut and Marut, who were sharing our meal, the reason of
these alterations.

"It is because we are on the borders of the Kendah country," answered
old Harut. "Four days' more march will bring us there, Macumazana."

"Then why should you take precautions against your own people? Surely
they will welcome you."

"With spears perhaps. Macumazana, learn that the Kendah are not one but
two people. As you may have heard before, we are the White Kendah, but
there are also Black Kendah who outnumber us many times over, though in
the beginning we from the north conquered them, or so says our history.
The White Kendah have their own territory; but as there is no other
road, to reach it we must pass through that of the Black Kendah, where
it is always possible that we may be attacked, especially as we bring
strangers into the land."

"How is it then that the Black Kendah allow you to live at all, Harut,
if they are so much the more numerous?"

"Because of fear, Macumazana. They fear our wisdom and the decrees of
the Heavenly Child spoken through the mouth of its oracle, which, if it
is offended, can bring a curse upon them. Still, if they find us outside
our borders they may kill us, if they can, as we may kill them if we
find them within our borders."

"Indeed, Harut. Then it looks to me as though there were a war breeding
between you."

"A war is breeding, Macumazana, the last great war in which either the
White Kendah or the Black Kendah must perish. Or perhaps both will die
together. Maybe that is the real reason why we have asked you to be our
guest, Macumazana," and with their usual courteous bows, both of them
rose and departed before I could reply.

"You see how it stands," I said to Ragnall. "We have been brought here
to fight for our friends, Harut, Marut and Co., against their rebellious
subjects, or rather the king who reigns jointly with them."

"It looks like it," he replied quietly, "but doubtless we shall find
out the truth in time and meanwhile speculation is no good. Do you go to
bed, Quatermain, I will watch till midnight and then wake you."

That night passed in safety. Next day we marched before the dawn,
passing through country that grew continually better watered and more
fertile, though it was still open plain but sloping upwards ever more
steeply. On this plain I saw herds of antelopes and what in the distance
looked like cattle, but no human being. Before evening we camped where
there was good water and plenty of food for the camels.

While the camp was being set Harut came and invited us to follow him to
the outposts, whence he said we should see a view. We walked with him, a
matter of not more than a quarter of a mile to the head of that rise up
which we had been travelling all day, and thence perceived one of
the most glorious prospects on which my eyes have fallen in all great
Africa. From where we stood the land sloped steeply for a matter of ten
or fifteen miles, till finally the fall ended in a vast plain like to
the bottom of a gigantic saucer, that I presume in some far time of the
world's history was once an enormous lake. A river ran east and west
across this plain and into it fell tributaries. Far beyond this river
the contours of the country rose again till, many, many miles away,
there appeared a solitary hill, tumulus-shaped, which seemed to be
covered with bush.

Beyond and surrounding this hill was more plain which with the aid of my
powerful glasses was, we could see, bordered at last by a range of
great mountains, looking like a blue line pencilled across the northern
distance. To the east and west the plain seemed to be illimitable.
Obviously its soil was of a most fertile character and supported numbers
of inhabitants, for everywhere we could see their kraals or villages.
Much of it to the west, however, was covered with dense forest with, to
all appearance, a clearing in its midst.

"Behold the land of the Kendah," said Harut. "On this side of the River
Tava live the Black Kendah, on the farther side, the White Kendah."

"And what is that hill?"

"That is the Holy Mount, the Home of the Heavenly Child, where no man
may set foot"--here he looked at us meaningly--"save the priests of the
Child."

"What happens to him if he does?" I asked.

"He dies, my Lord Macumazana."

"Then it is guarded, Harut?"

"It is guarded, not with mortal weapons, Macumazana, but by the spirits
that watch over the Child."

As he would say no more on this interesting matter, I asked him as to
the numbers of the Kendah people, to which he replied that the Black
Kendah might number twenty thousand men of arm-bearing age, but the
White Kendah not more than two thousand.

"Then no wonder you want spirits to guard your Heavenly Child," I
remarked, "since the Black Kendah are your foes and with you warriors
are few."

At this moment our conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a
picket on a camel, who reported something to Harut which appeared to
disturb him. I asked him what was the matter.

"That is the matter," he said, pointing to a man mounted on a rough pony
who just then appeared from behind some bushes about half a mile away,
galloping down the slope towards the plain. "He is one of the scouts of
Simba, King of the Black Kendah, and he goes to Simba's town in yonder
forest to make report of our arrival. Return to camp, Macumazana, and
eat, for we must march with the rising of the moon."

As soon as the moon rose we marched accordingly, although the camels,
many of which were much worn with the long journey, scarcely had been
given time to fill themselves and none to rest. All night we marched
down the long slope, only halting for half an hour before daylight to
eat something and rearrange the loads on the baggage beasts, which now,
I noticed, were guarded with extra care. When we were starting again
Marut came to us and remarked with his usual smile, on behalf of his
brother Harut, who was otherwise engaged, that it might be well if we
had our guns ready, since we were entering the land of the elephant Jana
and "who knew but that we might meet him?"

"Or his worshippers on two legs," I suggested, to which his only reply
was a nod.

So we got our repeating rifles, some of the first that were ever made,
serviceable but rather complicated weapons that fired five cartridges.
Hans, however, with my permission, armed himself with the little Purdey
piece that was named "Intombi," the singe-barrelled, muzzle-loading gun
which had done me so much service in earlier days, and even on my last
journey to Pongoland. He said that he was accustomed to it and did not
understand these new-fangled breechloaders, also that it was "lucky." I
consented as I did not think that it made much difference with what kind
of rifle Hans was provided. As a marksman he had this peculiarity: up to
a hundred yards or so he was an excellent shot, but beyond that distance
no good at all.

A quarter of an hour later, as the dawn was breaking, we passed through
a kind of _nek_ of rough stones bordering the flat land, and emerged
into a compact body on to the edge of the grassy plain. Here the word
was given to halt for a reason that became clear to me so soon as I was
out of the rocks. For there, marching rapidly, not half a mile away,
were some five hundred white-robed men. A large proportion of these
were mounted, the best being foot-soldiers, of whom more were running
up every minute, appearing out of bush that grew upon the hill-side,
apparently to dispute our passage. These people, who were black-faced
with fuzzy hair upon which they wore no head-dress, all seemed to be
armed with spears.

Presently from out of the mass of them two horsemen dashed forward, one
of whom bore a white flag in token that they came to parley. Our advance
guard allowed them to pass and they galloped on, dodging in and out
between the camels with wonderful skill till at length they came to
where we were with Harut and Marut, and pulling up their horses so
sharply that the animals almost sat down on their haunches, saluted by
raising their spears. They were very fine-looking fellows, perfectly
black in colour with a negroid cast of countenance and long frizzled
hair which hung down on to their shoulders. Their clothing was light,
consisting of hide riding breeches that resembled bathing drawers,
sandals, and an arrangement of triple chains which seemed to be made
of some silvery metal that hung from their necks across the breast and
back. Their arms consisted of a long lance similar to that carried by
the White Kendah, and a straight, cross-handled sword suspended from
a belt. This, as I ascertained afterwards, was the regulation cavalry
equipment among these people. The footmen carried a shorter spear, a
round leather shield, two throwing javelins or assegais, and a curved
knife with a horn handle.

"Greeting, Prophets of the Child!" cried one of them. "We are messengers
from the god Jana who speaks through the mouth of Simba the King."

"Say on, worshippers of the devil Jana. What word has Simba the King for
us?" answered Harut.

"The word of war, Prophet. What do you beyond your southern boundary of
the Tava river in the territory of the Black Kendah, that was sealed
to them by pact after the battle of a hundred years ago? Is not all
the land to the north as far as the mountains and beyond the mountains
enough for you? Simba the King let you go out, hoping that the desert
would swallow you, but return you shall not."

"That we shall know presently," replied Harut in a suave voice. "It
depends upon whether the Heavenly Child or the devil Jana is the more
powerful in the land. Still, as we would avoid bloodshed if we may, we
desire to explain to you, messengers of King Simba, that we are here
upon a peaceful errand. It was necessary that we should convey the white
lords to make an offering to the Child, and this was the only road by
which we could lead them to the Holy Mount, since they come from the
south. Through the forests and the swamps that lie to the east and west
camels cannot travel."

"And what is the offering that the white men would make to the Child,
Prophet? Oh! we know well, for like you we have our magic. The offering
that they must make is the blood of Jana our god, which you have brought
them here to kill with their strange weapons, as though any weapon could
prevail against Jana the god. Now, give to us these white men that we
may offer them to the god, and perchance Simba the King will let you go
through."

"Why?" asked Harut, "seeing that you declare that the white men cannot
harm Jana, to whom indeed they wish no harm. To surrender them to you
that they may be torn to pieces by the devil Jana would be to break the
law of hospitality, for they are our guests. Now return to Simba the
King, and say to Simba that if he lifts a spear against us the threefold
curse of the Child shall fall upon him and upon you his people: The
curse of Heaven by storm or by drought. The curse of famine. The curse
of war. I the prophet have spoken. Depart."

Watching, I could see that this ultimatum delivered by Harut in a most
impressive voice, and seconded as it was by the sudden and simultaneous
lifting of the spears of all our escort that were within hearing,
produced a considerable effect upon the messengers. Their faces grew
afraid and they shrank a little. Evidently the "threefold curse of the
Child" suggested calamities which they dreaded. Making no answer, they
wheeled their horses about and galloped back to the force that was
gathering below as swiftly as they had come.

"We must fight, my Lord Macumazana," said Harut, "and if we would live,
conquer, as I know that we shall do."

Then he issued some orders, of which the result was that the caravan
adopted a wedge-shaped formation like to that of a great flock of
wildfowl on the wing. Harut stationed himself almost at the apex of the
triangle. I with Hans and Marut were about the centre of the line, while
Ragnall and Savage were placed opposite to us in the right line, the
whole width of the wedge being between us. The baggage camels and their
leaders occupied the middle space between the lines and were followed by
a small rear-guard.

At first we white men were inclined to protest at this separation, but
when Marut explained to us that its object was to give confidence to the
two divisions of the force and also to minimize the risk of destruction
or capture of all three of us, of course we had nothing more to say.
So we just shook hands, and with as much assurance as we could command
wished each other well through the job.

Then we parted, poor Savage looking very limp indeed, for this was his
first experience of war. Ragnall, however, who came of an old fighting
stock, seemed to be happy as a king. I who had known so many battles,
was the reverse of happy, for inconveniently enough there flashed into
my mind at this juncture the dying words of the Zulu captain and seer,
Mavovo, which foretold that I too should fall far away in war; and I
wondered whether this were the occasion that had been present to his
foreseeing mind.

Only Hans seemed quite unconcerned. Indeed I noted that he took the
opportunity of the halt to fill and light his large corn-cob pipe, a bit
of bravado in the face of Providence for which I could have kicked him
had he not been perched in his usual monkey fashion on the top of a very
tall camel. The act, however, excited the admiration of the Kendah, for
I heard one of them call to the others:

"Look! He is not a monkey after all, but a man--more of a man than his
master."

The arrangements were soon made. Within a quarter of an hour of the
departure of the messengers Harut, after bowing thrice towards the Holy
Mountain, rose in his stirrups and shaking a long spear above his head,
shouted a single word: